A sheet discharge apparatus includes a first tray for stacking sheets, and a sheet bundle forming unit that forms a sheet bundle on the first tray. The sheet bundle forming unit forms a first sheet bundle on the first tray, and forms a second sheet bundle on the first sheet bundle to be offset from the first sheet bundle. When forming each of the first sheet bundle and the second sheet bundle on the first tray, the sheet bundle forming unit divides sheets constituting each of the sheet bundles into a plurality of sets and discharges the sheets in a plurality of times for each sheet bundle. A number of sheets included in a first sheet set of the first sheet bundle is set smaller than a number of sheets included in a first sheet set of the second sheet bundle.

A sorting device is mounted, in an image forming apparatus, in a sheet discharge space open at its front and sheet-discharge-direction downstream side, insertably or extractably at the downstream side. The sorting device includes a base portion, a tray portion, and a flexible member. The base portion is mounted, with the tray portion, in the base portion. The base portion has, in its upstream part in sheet discharge direction, a base inclined portion inclined upward downstream. With the base portion mounted in the bottom portion, the base inclined portion faces, across a predetermined gap, a bottom inclined surface inclined upward downstream in discharge direction. The tray portion is supported on the base portion to be reciprocatable in sheet width direction orthogonal to discharge direction. The flexible member is fitted to the base inclined portion and fills the gap between the base inclined portion and the bottom inclined surface.

A sorting device is mounted, in an image forming apparatus, in a sheet discharge space open at its front and sheet-discharge-direction downstream side, insertably or extractably at the downstream side. The sorting device includes a base portion, a tray portion, and a flexible member. The base portion is mounted, with the tray portion, in the base portion. The base portion has, in its upstream part in sheet discharge direction, a base inclined portion inclined upward downstream. With the base portion mounted in the bottom portion, the base inclined portion faces, across a predetermined gap, a bottom inclined surface inclined upward downstream in discharge direction. The tray portion is supported on the base portion to be reciprocatable in sheet width direction orthogonal to discharge direction. The flexible member is fitted to the base inclined portion and fills the gap between the base inclined portion and the bottom inclined surface.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are described for providing a multiple process workflow. The system includes a first process device configured to convey at least a portion of a printed element and an apparatus. The apparatus includes a storage section, an input section configured to receive the at least a portion of the printed element, a gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section. The system further includes a second process device configured to perform at least one operation on the at least a portion of the printed element.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are described for providing a multiple process workflow. The system includes a first process device configured to convey at least a portion of a printed element and an apparatus. The apparatus includes a storage section, an input section configured to receive the at least a portion of the printed element, a gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section. The system further includes a second process device configured to perform at least one operation on the at least a portion of the printed element.

A sheet handling device includes: a first storage; a second storage that stores a sheet in a different storage manner from the first storage; a transport unit that transports the sheet; and a processing circuitry that manages the sheet. When the processing circuitry determines that the sheet handling device satisfies a first condition, the processing circuitry switches a mode from a first mode to a second mode to manage the sheet related to the first storage. When the processing circuitry determines that the sheet handling device satisfies a second condition, the processing circuitry switches the mode from the first mode to the second mode to manage the sheet related to the second storage.

A sheet handling device includes: a first storage; a second storage that stores a sheet in a different storage manner from the first storage; a transport unit that transports the sheet; and a processing circuitry that manages the sheet. When the processing circuitry determines that the sheet handling device satisfies a first condition, the processing circuitry switches a mode from a first mode to a second mode to manage the sheet related to the first storage. When the processing circuitry determines that the sheet handling device satisfies a second condition, the processing circuitry switches the mode from the first mode to the second mode to manage the sheet related to the second storage.

A sheet feeding apparatus for feeding sheets is provided with a multi feed detecting section for detecting multi feed of conveyed sheets in a predetermined detection position of a conveyance path, and first and second discharge sections to which multi-fed sheets with the multi feed detected are discharged, and corresponding to one of a front end position of the multi-fed sheets at the time the multi feed detecting section detects the multi feed of sheets, a sheet storage state of the second discharge section, sheet storage states of the first and second discharge sections, a size of sheets and weighing, selects one of the first and second discharge sections to discharge the multi-fed sheets to the selected discharge section.

A sheet sorting apparatus includes a first tray detachable from an apparatus main body, a second tray arranged below the first tray, a discharge unit to discharge a sheet to the first or second tray, a tray detecting unit to detect that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body, a full stack detecting unit to detect a fully stacked condition of the first tray, and a control unit to control the discharge unit. In a case where the tray detecting unit detects that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body, the control unit controls the discharge unit not to discharge a sheet to the second tray when a number of sheets discharged to the second tray reaches a threshold number of sheets, even though the full stack detecting unit does not detect the fully stacked condition.

A sheet sorting apparatus includes a first tray detachable from an apparatus main body, a second tray arranged below the first tray, a discharge unit to discharge a sheet to the first or second tray, a tray detecting unit to detect that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body, a full stack detecting unit to detect a fully stacked condition of the first tray, and a control unit to control the discharge unit. In a case where the tray detecting unit detects that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body, the control unit controls the discharge unit not to discharge a sheet to the second tray when a number of sheets discharged to the second tray reaches a threshold number of sheets, even though the full stack detecting unit does not detect the fully stacked condition.