Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, including: a first guide guiding one surface of a sheet downstream of a fixing unit fixing a toner image on the sheet and upstream of discharging rollers discharging the sheet to a stacking portion in a sheet conveying direction; a second guide facing the first guide, the second guide guiding the other surface of the sheet; protrusions with openings provided on the second guide in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction; recesses provided on the first guide in the sheet width direction, the recesses facing the protrusions; and a blower unit blowing air toward the sheet via the openings provided on the second guide, wherein a corrugated shape is formed in the width direction on the sheet to which air is blown by the protrusions provided on the second guide and the recesses provided on the first guide.

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus, including: a first guide guiding one surface of a sheet downstream of a fixing unit fixing a toner image on the sheet and upstream of discharging rollers discharging the sheet to a stacking portion in a sheet conveying direction; a second guide facing the first guide, the second guide guiding the other surface of the sheet; protrusions with openings provided on the second guide in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction; recesses provided on the first guide in the sheet width direction, the recesses facing the protrusions; and a blower unit blowing air toward the sheet via the openings provided on the second guide, wherein a corrugated shape is formed in the width direction on the sheet to which air is blown by the protrusions provided on the second guide and the recesses provided on the first guide.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a conveying roller configured to convey a sheet in a conveying direction; driven rollers arranged with intervals in a width direction intersecting with the conveying direction, the driven rollers being opposed to the conveying roller in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and the width direction; and coil springs provided corresponding to the driven rollers respectively and serving as rotating shafts for rotatably supporting the driven rollers, wherein the coil springs include a right-handed twining coil spring and a left-handed twining coil spring.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a conveying roller configured to convey a sheet in a conveying direction; driven rollers arranged with intervals in a width direction intersecting with the conveying direction, the driven rollers being opposed to the conveying roller in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and the width direction; and coil springs provided corresponding to the driven rollers respectively and serving as rotating shafts for rotatably supporting the driven rollers, wherein the coil springs include a right-handed twining coil spring and a left-handed twining coil spring.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet; a pair of conveyance rotary members arranged downstream of the image forming portion in a sheet conveyance direction and configured to convey the sheet, on which the image is formed, by a conveyance nip; and a guide portion configured to guide the sheet to the conveyance. The guide portion includes a first guide member formed into a sheet shape and having a first stiffness and an abutment surface configured to abut the sheet and a second guide member formed into a sheet shape and having a second stiffness higher than the first stiffness and arranged on a side opposite to the abutment surface of the first guide member, wherein a downstream edge of the first guide member is closer to the conveyance nip than a downstream edge of the second guide member.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet; a pair of conveyance rotary members arranged downstream of the image forming portion in a sheet conveyance direction and configured to convey the sheet, on which the image is formed, by a conveyance nip; and a guide portion configured to guide the sheet to the conveyance. The guide portion includes a first guide member formed into a sheet shape and having a first stiffness and an abutment surface configured to abut the sheet and a second guide member formed into a sheet shape and having a second stiffness higher than the first stiffness and arranged on a side opposite to the abutment surface of the first guide member, wherein a downstream edge of the first guide member is closer to the conveyance nip than a downstream edge of the second guide member.

A decurling device includes a first frame, a second frame, a decurling unit that decurls a sheet, and a level adjustment mechanism that is capable of adjusting an inclination of the decurling unit. The decurling unit includes a housing provided with a first support part and a second support part supported by the first frame and a third support part and a fourth support part supported by the second frame, paired support rollers, an endless belt, and a decurling roller. The level adjustment mechanism adjusts, in the vertical direction, a position of one of the first support part, the second support part, the third support part, and the fourth support part in the housing to adjust the inclination of the decurling unit in the vertical direction such that the paired support rollers extend in the first direction.

A magnetic device for magnetically coupling to a ferromagnetic body, comprises a housing having a central bore. A plurality of pole sectors arranged within an envelope of the central bore and forming a workpiece contact interface of the magnetic device, each of the plurality of pole sectors comprising a plurality of spaced-apart pole portions arranged at respective distances, wherein a recess of a plurality of recesses separates each pole portion of the plurality of pole portions, wherein a first sector forms a first pole of the magnetic device and a second sector forms a second pole of the magnetic device. A first permanent magnet. A second permanent being moveable relative to the first permanent magnet. And, an actuator operatively coupled to the at least one second permanent magnet to move the at least one second permanent magnet relative to the at least one first permanent magnet.

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.