A paper feeding unit of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment is provided with a base portion, a guide, a protruding portion, and a roller. The base portion is capable of having the sheet placed thereon. The guide erects with respect to the base portion. The guide regulates a position of the sheet in a width direction which intersects with a transporting direction of the sheet. The protruding portion is provided on the guide. The protruding portion faces an end portion of the sheet in the width direction from a side opposite to the base portion. The roller is provided on the protruding portion. The roller is provided with a circumferential surface facing the end portion of the sheet. The roller is rotatable in the transporting direction of the medium.

A paper feeding unit of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment is provided with a base portion, a guide, a protruding portion, and a roller. The base portion is capable of having the sheet placed thereon. The guide erects with respect to the base portion. The guide regulates a position of the sheet in a width direction which intersects with a transporting direction of the sheet. The protruding portion is provided on the guide. The protruding portion faces an end portion of the sheet in the width direction from a side opposite to the base portion. The roller is provided on the protruding portion. The roller is provided with a circumferential surface facing the end portion of the sheet. The roller is rotatable in the transporting direction of the medium.

A medium feeding device including a medium mounting portion where media are mounted; a feeding roller that feeds the media from the medium mounting portion by contacting a bottommost sheet of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and rotating; a separator that separates a sheet of the media by nipping the sheet between the feeding roller and the separator; an abutting member that is provided above the feeding roller, is switchable between a closed posture that blocks a feeding path of the media upstream of the separator and an open posture that opens the feeding path, abuts against a leading edge of the media mounted in the medium mounting portion, and includes a friction surface at a position where the abutting member abuts against the leading edge; and a biasing member that biases the abutting member toward the closed posture.

A storage module (1) comprises a storage zone (3) for storing flat articles (2) by accumulation in a stack and on edge, a main conveyor (9) that extends transversely to the storage zone, a stacking function for transferring an article from the main conveyor to the storage zone and for stacking it at the back of the stack of articles in the storage zone, and an unstacking function for extracting an article from the stack of articles and for transferring it to the main conveyor. The unstacking function comprises an unstacking plate (7) having a perforated belt and controlled suction and disposed between the main conveyor and the storage zone, said unstacking plate having a first segment parallel to the stack of articles and a second segment that is adjacent to the first segment and that extends slantwise relative to the first segment, said controlled suction being disposed in the slantwise second segment of the unstacking plate.

A storage module (1) comprises a storage zone (3) for storing flat articles (2) by accumulation in a stack and on edge, a main conveyor (9) that extends transversely to the storage zone, a stacking function for transferring an article from the main conveyor to the storage zone and for stacking it at the back of the stack of articles in the storage zone, and an unstacking function for extracting an article from the stack of articles and for transferring it to the main conveyor. The unstacking function comprises an unstacking plate (7) having a perforated belt and controlled suction and disposed between the main conveyor and the storage zone, said unstacking plate having a first segment parallel to the stack of articles and a second segment that is adjacent to the first segment and that extends slantwise relative to the first segment, said controlled suction being disposed in the slantwise second segment of the unstacking plate.

A recording-medium feeding device includes a container, a separating mechanism, and a suppressing member. The container accommodates recording media. The separating mechanism includes a driving member, a separating member, and a torque limiter. The driving member comes into contact with and delivers an uppermost recording medium. The separating member separates the recording media one-by-one. When a rotational torque smaller than a predetermined rotational torque is applied to the torque limiter, the torque limiter repels a load of the rotational torque to inhibit rotation of the separating member. When a rotational torque larger than or equal to the predetermined rotational torque is applied to the torque limiter, the torque limiter allows the separating member to be rotationally driven in accordance with the load. The suppressing member suppresses receding movement of the recording media caused by reverse rotation of the separating member when the driving member stops.

A paper feeding apparatus includes: a sheet loading unit for loading a bundle of sheets; a separation unit that separates a topmost sheet of the bundle of sheets loaded on the sheet loading unit, from the bundle of sheets; a conveyance unit that conveys the separated topmost sheet; an end fence that is movable in a sheet conveyance direction, abuts trailing ends in the sheet conveyance direction, and positions the bundle of sheets in the sheet conveyance direction; and a pressing unit that is provided in such a manner as to protrude from the end fence, and is able to press the trailing ends in the sheet conveyance direction of at least an upper part of the bundle of sheets, wherein the pressing unit has different pressing forces at an upper and a lower portion thereof, and has the lower pressing force stronger than the upper pressing force.

A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.

A pusher plate stacking bin apparatus is provided for a valuable media depository. The apparatus comprising a pusher plate driven by a rack and pinion apparatus to stack a media item that is in a final position within the apparatus onto a media stacking platform. The media item is urged into the final position such that a trailing edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a fixed media guide and such that a leading edge of the media item overhangs and rests on a hinged media guide with a bottom surface of the media item elevated above the media stacking platform. The rack and pinion apparatus drives the plate past the media guides causing the hinged media guide to drop and the media item to fold along the leading edge as the media item is stacked onto the platform.

A document receiving apparatus comprises a receiving port configured to receive a document into an apparatus main body, a document stopper configured to be pivotable between a first posture in which reception of the document is suppressed and a second posture in which the reception is permitted, a holding portion configured to hold the document stopper in the first posture, and a biasing portion configured to bias the document stopper held in the first posture to be set in the second posture.