The aligning device receives a sheet conveyed in a sheet conveyance direction in a stackable manner and aligns a position of the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction. The moving mechanism moves the sheet aligned by the aligning device in the sheet conveyance direction together with the aligning device. The controller selectively executes a first mode in which first post-processing is performed on the sheet and then second post-processing is performed on the sheet and a second mode in which the second post-processing is performed on the sheet without performing the first post-processing on the sheet. The controller, in response to a selection of the first mode or the second mode, causes the moving mechanism to adjust a position of the aligning device in the sheet conveyance direction before the aligning device receives the sheet as a target of the first post-processing or the second post-processing, respectively.

The aligning device receives a sheet conveyed in a sheet conveyance direction in a stackable manner and aligns a position of the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction. The moving mechanism moves the sheet aligned by the aligning device in the sheet conveyance direction together with the aligning device. The controller selectively executes a first mode in which first post-processing is performed on the sheet and then second post-processing is performed on the sheet and a second mode in which the second post-processing is performed on the sheet without performing the first post-processing on the sheet. The controller, in response to a selection of the first mode or the second mode, causes the moving mechanism to adjust a position of the aligning device in the sheet conveyance direction before the aligning device receives the sheet as a target of the first post-processing or the second post-processing, respectively.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first feeder, a second feeder, and processing circuitry. The first feeder includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a suction feeder, and a remaining amount detection sensor. The air blower blows air to float an uppermost sheet. The suction feeder sucks and feeds the sheet. The remaining amount detection sensor detects a remaining amount of sheets stacked. The processing circuitry determines whether the remaining amount of sheets in the first feeder is smaller than a threshold, causes the first feeder to perform a feeding operation of feeding the sheet floated by the air blower to the suction feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is equal to or greater than the threshold, and causes the second feeder to feed a sheet instead of the first feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount is smaller than the threshold.

A paper feed device includes: a sensor unit that includes a coil substrate and a conductive plate which is opposite the coil substrate, that outputs an output value corresponding to a position of the conductive plate; a first cursor link mechanism which moves the first conductive plate according to the position of the first cursor in the longitudinal direction of the first coil substrate; a storage unit which stores first sheet size data; and a control unit which recognizes the magnitude of the first output value of the sensor unit and which recognizes, based on the recognized magnitude of the first output value and the first sheet size data, the size of the set sheets.

A paper feed device includes: a sensor unit that includes a coil substrate and a conductive plate which is opposite the coil substrate, that outputs an output value corresponding to a position of the conductive plate; a first cursor link mechanism which moves the first conductive plate according to the position of the first cursor in the longitudinal direction of the first coil substrate; a storage unit which stores first sheet size data; and a control unit which recognizes the magnitude of the first output value of the sensor unit and which recognizes, based on the recognized magnitude of the first output value and the first sheet size data, the size of the set sheets.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a control unit (120) that controls driving of a belt drive mechanism (4). The control unit (120) performs control such that the sheet is conveyed from the sheet accumulation area if (a) it is determined that the number of sheets currently accumulated in the sheet accumulation area is two or greater, while the sheet is not conveyed from the sheet accumulation area if (b) it is determined that the number of sheets currently accumulated in the sheet accumulation area is one.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a control unit (120) that controls driving of a belt drive mechanism (4). The control unit (120) performs control such that the sheet is conveyed from the sheet accumulation area if (a) it is determined that the number of sheets currently accumulated in the sheet accumulation area is two or greater, while the sheet is not conveyed from the sheet accumulation area if (b) it is determined that the number of sheets currently accumulated in the sheet accumulation area is one.

A sheet feeder including a tray, a feeder roller, a guide, a separator, a motor, a controller, and a sensor, is provided. The sheet feeder separates an object sheet from other sheets in the tray and feed the object sheet through the guide and the separator by rotation of the feeder roller. The controller determines a remaining volume of the sheets in the tray based on a signal from the sensor; generate a velocity profile so that the object sheet is fed at a lower velocity in an earlier first period than a velocity in a later second period; based on the determined remaining volume of the plurality of sheets, modify at least one of a length of the first period and the target velocity in the first period of the velocity profile; and after modification of the velocity profile, control the motor in compliance with the modified velocity profile.

A sheet feeder including a tray, a feeder roller, a guide, a separator, a motor, a controller, and a sensor, is provided. The sheet feeder separates an object sheet from other sheets in the tray and feed the object sheet through the guide and the separator by rotation of the feeder roller. The controller determines a remaining volume of the sheets in the tray based on a signal from the sensor; generate a velocity profile so that the object sheet is fed at a lower velocity in an earlier first period than a velocity in a later second period; based on the determined remaining volume of the plurality of sheets, modify at least one of a length of the first period and the target velocity in the first period of the velocity profile; and after modification of the velocity profile, control the motor in compliance with the modified velocity profile.

According to embodiments, a sheet post-processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a vertical alignment section, a horizontal alignment section and a controller. The controller is configured to control the horizontal alignment section to shift the sheet to a first alignment position a predetermined distance from the center of the processing tray in the sheet width direction, control the horizontal alignment section to align the sheet in the sheet width direction at the first alignment position, and control the vertical alignment section to align the sheet in the conveying direction at the first alignment position, control the horizontal alignment section to realign the sheet at the first alignment position.