In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises an image forming section configured to form an image on a sheet; a sheet discharge port through which the sheet is discharged; a sheet conveyance roller configured to convey the sheet to the sheet discharge port; a movable sheet guide, arranged in such a manner that an imaginary line connecting a portion contacting the sheet of the sheet conveyance roller with the sheet discharge port passes through a cross-sectional area, configured to be capable of moving in a direction away from a surface of the sheet; and a guide sensor configured to detect movement of the movable sheet guide.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, an output tray, and a holding member. The output tray is rotatable about a first rotation shaft between a closed position and an open position. The holding member is rotatable about a second rotation shaft. The output tray comes into contact with the holding member halfway through rotation of the output tray from the closed to the open position. When the output tray is rotated to the open position, the holding member rotates to a retracted position while being in contact with the output tray. When viewed in a direction crossing a recording-material discharge direction, the first rotation shaft is located downstream from the second rotation shaft in the discharge direction, and a center of gravity of the holding member is located downstream from the second rotation shaft in the discharge direction when the holding member is at the retracted position.

A sheet folding apparatus includes: a rotor having a first peripheral surface and a second peripheral surface with a radius smaller than that of the first peripheral surface and configured to convey a sheet; and a guide member configured to be movable between a first position where it guides a sheet being conveyed by the rotor and a second position retracting from the first position. The guide member is disposed so as to move from the second position to the first position while passing within the rotation locus of the first peripheral surface of the rotor.

A method for franking mail items fed to a franking machine. The mail items are drawn from the underside of a stack for separation or are fed individually on a conveying section upstream of the franking machine to a printing unit for franking, after franking, are discharged in the opposite direction from the printing unit. The mail items are fed via a diverter section to the conveying section, after franking, are conveyed via the diverter section which is switched over to change the conveying direction into a depositing apparatus below the diverter section. The mail items are guided in the opening region of the franking machine into the printing position and are returned out of the printing position. The printing position of a mail item fed to the printing unit is determined by a print head movement-controlled from a readiness position pursuant to the format length of the mail item.

The present invention provides a system 100 for a paper folding machinery 200. The paper folding machinery 200 includes a roller folding unit, a strip directing The strip directing unit 220 directs a strip 300 received from the roller folding unit 210 in a predefined direction and at least one folding unit 230 folds the strip 300 received from the strip directing 200 unit 220. The system 100 includes a detecting unit 20 and mounting units 30a & 30b. The detecting unit 20 detects misalignment of the strip 300 on the strip directing unit 220 and at least one folding unit 230. Each of the mounting unit 30a and 30b enables movements in at least one direction of the strip directing unit 220 and the folding unit 230 respectively mounted thereon for correcting the misalignment of the strip 300 thereon.

A recording apparatus includes a conveying unit, a supporting unit, and a static elimination unit. The conveying unit conveys a recording medium in a first direction to a recording area where recording is performed by a recording unit. The supporting unit supports the recording medium conveyed by the conveying unit and includes an abutment surface that abuts the recording medium when the supporting unit supports the recording medium. The static elimination unit eliminates static from the recording medium in a static elimination portion. The static elimination portion is not provided at a position opposed to the abutment surface and is provided at a position not opposed to the abutment surface in the supporting unit.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a controller controlling a driver to cause a guide to start rotation in a state in which a trailing end in a sheet conveyance direction of a preceding sheet conveyed by a roller pair having a first roller and a second roller such that the trailing end of the preceding sheet is moved from the position above a first guide to a position between a second guide and a sheet support by the rotation of the guide and that a succeeding sheet conveyed by the roller pair subsequently to the preceding sheet passes the position above the first guide after the rotation of the guide. The first roller is rotated by a driving force supplied from a driving source, and the guide rotates about a rotation axis of the first roller while rotating relatively to the first roller.

A medium discharge includes a first tray having a first medium receiving surface, a second tray having a second medium receiving surface for receiving the medium discharged from the first tray, a discharge section that discharges the medium disposed on the first tray to the second tray, and a push-down portion that is located downstream of a downstream end of the first medium receiving surface in the medium discharge direction, and that is located at a place deviated from the discharge section in a width direction that is a direction intersecting with the medium discharge direction, and pushes down a part of an upstream end of the medium to be discharged in the medium discharge direction.

A sheet discharge device includes a discharge unit including a drive roller, to be rotated by a drive source driving force, a driven roller to be driven by the drive roller, and a static elimination unit located downstream from the discharge unit in a sheet discharge direction. The discharge unit discharges a sheet out of a discharge nip portion between the drive roller and the driven roller. The static elimination unit eliminates electric charge from the sheet to be discharged. The static elimination unit includes a static elimination cloth having electroconductive fiber and facing the sheet to be discharged and includes a support member supporting the static elimination cloth. The static elimination cloth is located so that a static elimination plane of the static elimination cloth, constituting a virtual plane facing the sheet, is substantially parallel to a virtual tangent line extending from the discharge nip portion.

A cassette comprises a storage portion configured to include a loading surface on which a sheet is loaded, a sheet guide configured to pivot with respect to a pivot central axis that is parallel to the loading surface, a pivot support shaft extending on two sides of the sheet guide along the pivot central axis, in the sheet guide, and a bearing portion configured to pivotably support the pivot support shaft, an insertion portion formed at a portion of the pivot support shaft, an insertion groove formed from the loading surface toward the bearing portion, and a flexible pressing portion disposed outside the insertion groove, and configured to press a leading end portion of the pivot support shaft.