A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet supporting tray to support a sheet, a sheet conveyance unit to convey the sheet supported on the sheet supporting tray, a first detection sensor to detect the supported sheet at a first detection position, and a second detection sensor to detect the supported sheet at a second detection position farther from a center of the sheet supporting tray in a sheet width direction than the first detection position. In addition, a control unit controls the sheet conveyance unit in a first mode in a case where the first and second detection sensors detect the sheet, and controls the sheet conveyance unit in a second mode in which a sheet conveyance speed is slower than that of the first mode in a case where the first detection sensor detects the sheet and the second detection sensor detects no sheet.

In a sheet conveyance apparatus a control unit controls lifting and lowering of a sheet supporting portion by a lifting unit and executes a mixed feeding in one of a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode. The mixed feeding is an operation in which a plurality of sheets having different lengths in a width direction orthogonal to a feed direction of a sheet feeding unit are fed by the feeding unit, wherein in the first mode, the control unit causes the lifting unit to move the supporting portion from the second position to the first position based on an instruction to start sheet feeding, and in the second mode, the control unit causes the lifting unit to move the supporting portion from the second position to the first position based on a detection of a sheet by the detection unit.

An apparatus may comprise a curved surface; a fluid outlet disposed to cause a fluid to move adjacent the curved surface; a sensor configured to detect a material disposed adjacent the curved surface; and a clamp configured to actuate based on detection, via the sensor, of a material disposed adjacent the curved surface, wherein the clamp is further configured to secure the material to the curved surface upon activation.

An apparatus may comprise a curved surface; a fluid outlet disposed to cause a fluid to move adjacent the curved surface; a sensor configured to detect a material disposed adjacent the curved surface; and a clamp configured to actuate based on detection, via the sensor, of a material disposed adjacent the curved surface, wherein the clamp is further configured to secure the material to the curved surface upon activation.

A sheet supporting apparatus includes a positioning device to position a regulating portion to a sheet support. The positioning device includes a first group of teeth provided on the sheet support, a second group of teeth disposed at a position different from the first group of teeth provided on the sheet support, a third group of teeth provided on a regulator and capable of transiting to a first state of engaging with the first group of teeth and to a second state of engaging with less area of the first group of teeth than that in the first state, and a fourth group of teeth provided on the regulator and capable of transiting to a third state of engaging with the second group of teeth and to a fourth state of engaging with less area of the second group of teeth than that in the third state.

A sheet supporting apparatus includes a positioning device to position a regulating portion to a sheet support. The positioning device includes a first group of teeth provided on the sheet support, a second group of teeth disposed at a position different from the first group of teeth provided on the sheet support, a third group of teeth provided on a regulator and capable of transiting to a first state of engaging with the first group of teeth and to a second state of engaging with less area of the first group of teeth than that in the first state, and a fourth group of teeth provided on the regulator and capable of transiting to a third state of engaging with the second group of teeth and to a fourth state of engaging with less area of the second group of teeth than that in the third state.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a tray that stores a recording medium in a closed state in which the tray is placed in an apparatus body, the tray being capable of being pulled out from the apparatus body in a predetermined pulling direction; a transport unit that is provided on the apparatus body and that transports the recording medium in a direction crossing the pulling direction when the tray is in the closed state; a first contact portion provided on the tray and having a contact surface spaced from the transport unit when viewed in the pulling direction, the first contact portion being located upstream of the transport unit in the pulling direction and the contact surface being in contact with an upstream end portion of the recording medium stored in the tray in the pulling direction when the tray is in the closed state; a second contact portion disposed at a position that is upstream of the transport unit in the pulling direction and at which the second contact portion overlaps the transport unit when viewed in the pulling direction, the second contact portion having a contact surface that is in contact with the end portion when the tray is in the closed state; a first overlapping portion provided on the first contact portion and disposed downstream of the second contact portion in the pulling direction, the first overlapping portion overlapping the second contact portion when viewed in the pulling direction; and an urging portion that urges the second contact portion downstream in the pulling direction so that the second contact portion abuts against the first overlapping portion when the tray is in the closed state.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a tray that stores a recording medium in a closed state in which the tray is placed in an apparatus body, the tray being capable of being pulled out from the apparatus body in a predetermined pulling direction; a transport unit that is provided on the apparatus body and that transports the recording medium in a direction crossing the pulling direction when the tray is in the closed state; a first contact portion provided on the tray and having a contact surface spaced from the transport unit when viewed in the pulling direction, the first contact portion being located upstream of the transport unit in the pulling direction and the contact surface being in contact with an upstream end portion of the recording medium stored in the tray in the pulling direction when the tray is in the closed state; a second contact portion disposed at a position that is upstream of the transport unit in the pulling direction and at which the second contact portion overlaps the transport unit when viewed in the pulling direction, the second contact portion having a contact surface that is in contact with the end portion when the tray is in the closed state; a first overlapping portion provided on the first contact portion and disposed downstream of the second contact portion in the pulling direction, the first overlapping portion overlapping the second contact portion when viewed in the pulling direction; and an urging portion that urges the second contact portion downstream in the pulling direction so that the second contact portion abuts against the first overlapping portion when the tray is in the closed state.

An automatic document feeder includes a media path to route media through the automatic document feeder, at least one media tray to one of supply the media to the media path and receive the media from the media path, and an automated media tray extender at an end of the media tray, the automated media tray extender to be positioned based on a presence of the media in the media tray.

A sheet feeding mechanism includes a feeding path, at least one card feeding roller mounted to the feeding path, at least one paper feeding roller coaxial with the at least one card feeding roller, at least one card idle roller contacting with the at least one card feeding roller, at least one paper idle roller contacting with the at least one paper feeding roller, at least one elastic unit connected to the feeding path, and a stroke limiting unit. The at least one elastic unit is fastened to the feeding path. The at least one elastic unit has a stretching stroke. The stroke limiting unit controllably shortens the stretching stroke.