A medium carrying device includes a first stopper, a second stopper, a lever, and a mechanism that, when the lever is positioned in a blocking area, places the first stopper at a first blocking position and places the second stopper at a second blocking position, when the lever is positioned in a opening area, releases the first stopper to be positioned at a first opening position and releases the second stopper to be positioned at a second opening position. When the lever is positioned at a boundary position in between the blocking area and the opening area, a lever portion of the lever gets positioned in between a first stopper portion of the first stopper positioned at the first blocking position and a second stopper portion of the second stopper positioned at the second blocking position.

A medium carrying device includes a first stopper, a second stopper, a lever, and a mechanism that, when the lever is positioned in a blocking area, places the first stopper at a first blocking position and places the second stopper at a second blocking position, when the lever is positioned in a opening area, releases the first stopper to be positioned at a first opening position and releases the second stopper to be positioned at a second opening position. When the lever is positioned at a boundary position in between the blocking area and the opening area, a lever portion of the lever gets positioned in between a first stopper portion of the first stopper positioned at the first blocking position and a second stopper portion of the second stopper positioned at the second blocking position.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance portion, a reverse conveyance portion, and first and second conveyance regulating portions. An engagement portion contacts the first conveyance regulating portion so that it pivots in a first pivoting direction in an interlocked manner with the second conveyance regulating portion. The first and second conveyance regulating portions are arranged between the conveyance portion and the reverse conveyance portion in a first sheet conveyance direction, and an urging member urges the first and second conveyance regulating portions toward a position where the first and second conveyance regulating portions project to a first conveyance path through which the sheet conveyed from the conveyance portion toward the reverse conveyance portion is conveyed.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a binding portion binding a plurality of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking portion as a bundle by deforming the sheets without a staple. The sheet processing apparatus further includes a moving member moving the sheet bundle bound at a binding position by the binding portion from the binding position and a restricting member restricting the move of the sheet bundle such that a distance between the sheet bundle and the moving member is kept to be less than a predetermined distance in moving the sheet bundle by the moving member.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a binding portion binding a plurality of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking portion as a bundle by deforming the sheets without a staple. The sheet processing apparatus further includes a moving member moving the sheet bundle bound at a binding position by the binding portion from the binding position and a restricting member restricting the move of the sheet bundle such that a distance between the sheet bundle and the moving member is kept to be less than a predetermined distance in moving the sheet bundle by the moving member.

A sheet supplying apparatus includes a cam gear to rotate about a first axis of rotation between first and second rotating positions, and an alignment member rotatable to an alignment position to block a fore-end of a sheet of a printing medium contained on a loading table, and a transport-allowing position to allow a sheet picked up by a pickup member to be transported, according to the rotating position of the cam gear. The sheet supplying apparatus includes a main gear to rotate about a second axis of rotation, a swing arm rotatable about the second axis of rotation, and first and second swing gears, supported by the swing arm, to selectively contact the cam gear according to a rotating direction of the main gear so as to rotate the cam gear between the first and second rotating positions.

A sheet supplying apparatus includes a cam gear to rotate about a first axis of rotation between first and second rotating positions, and an alignment member rotatable to an alignment position to block a fore-end of a sheet of a printing medium contained on a loading table, and a transport-allowing position to allow a sheet picked up by a pickup member to be transported, according to the rotating position of the cam gear. The sheet supplying apparatus includes a main gear to rotate about a second axis of rotation, a swing arm rotatable about the second axis of rotation, and first and second swing gears, supported by the swing arm, to selectively contact the cam gear according to a rotating direction of the main gear so as to rotate the cam gear between the first and second rotating positions.

In accordance with an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus comprises a processing tray, a longitudinal alignment mechanism, a horizontal alignment mechanism and an interlocking mechanism. The processing tray can stack a sheet. The longitudinal alignment mechanism includes a rotatable paddle. The longitudinal alignment mechanism can align the sheets stacked on the processing tray in a sheet conveyance direction. The horizontal alignment mechanism includes a horizontal alignment plate movable in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction. The horizontal alignment mechanism can align the sheets placed on the processing tray in the sheet width direction. The interlocking mechanism interlocks the paddle in the sheet width direction in synchronization with the movement of the horizontal alignment plate in the sheet width direction.

In accordance with an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus comprises a processing tray, a longitudinal alignment mechanism, a horizontal alignment mechanism and an interlocking mechanism. The processing tray can stack a sheet. The longitudinal alignment mechanism includes a rotatable paddle. The longitudinal alignment mechanism can align the sheets stacked on the processing tray in a sheet conveyance direction. The horizontal alignment mechanism includes a horizontal alignment plate movable in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction. The horizontal alignment mechanism can align the sheets placed on the processing tray in the sheet width direction. The interlocking mechanism interlocks the paddle in the sheet width direction in synchronization with the movement of the horizontal alignment plate in the sheet width direction.

A device for overlapping sheets includes at least one blower box and a supply table. Multiple sheets are guided into a region of the blower box consecutively, in the same transport direction, and are arranged at a distance from one another on the supply table. A blower nozzle is arranged in the blower box, on the side thereof facing the supply table. A blowing direction of the blower nozzle is oriented and parallel to the supply table and against the transport direction of the sheets. The supply table is arranged below the blower box and multiple blower nozzles are arranged in the blower box, one after the other, in the transport direction of the sheets, on the side thereof facing the supply table. A respective blowing direction of the blower nozzles is oriented in parallel to the supply table, and against the transport direction of the sheets.