A sheet conveying device includes a sheet supporting portion, a first lever pivotable by contact with a sheet supported by the sheet supporting portion, a hook movable together with the first lever, a first cam configured to, when engaging the hook, stop rotating in a rotation direction of the first cam, a spring configured to urge the first cam in a rotation direction, a sector gear rotatable together with the first cam, a drive gear configured to, when engaging the sector gear, transmit a drive force to the sector gear, a feed roller rotatable in contact with the sheet, and a drive mechanism configured to receive a drive force from the sector gear and move one of the feed roller and the sheet supporting portion toward the other of the feed roller and the sheet supporting portion, to increase contact pressure between the feed roller and the sheet.

A stapler includes a staple striking portion configured to strike a staple to penetrate sheets of paper and a clincher portion configured to bend staple legs of the staple penetrating the sheets of paper. The clincher portion includes a pair of clinchers. The pair of clinchers are configured to perform a first operation and a second operation. In the first operation, the pair of the clinchers move along a surface direction of the sheets of paper to approach each other. In the second operation, the pair of clinchers move to approach the sheets of paper after the first operation.

A splicing device includes a drive device configured to cause a pressing surface of a first pressing member and a pressing surface of a second pressing member to reciprocate relatively towards and away from each other through a series of actions and a control device configured to stop temporarily the series of actions of the drive device in a pressing state where the first pressing member and the second pressing member press a first splicing tape and a second splicing tape against a first carrier tape and a second carrier tape through the series of actions of the drive device.

To correct a posture of a paper sheet inserted from various positions and angles to a normal transport state without causing any deformation due to contact with a side wall while transporting the paper sheet continuously and non-intermittently. A drive-side unit (20) includes at least one drive roller (25) that is supported rotatably about a shaft orthogonal to a normal paper-sheet transport direction and axially movably, an elastic biasing member (40) that elastically biases the drive roller in an axial direction, and a cam mechanism (50) that transmits a driving force from a driving source to the drive roller, and operates when an external force exceeding a predetermined value in a direction other than a normal transport direction is applied to the paper sheet transported by the drive roller, so as to change an axial position of the drive roller against an elastic biasing force, and a driven-side unit (100) includes a driven roller that changes a transport grip between the drive roller and a paper sheet according to a change of an axial position of the drive roller.

Disclosed herein is a sheet-folding apparatus which includes transporting rollers, folding rollers, a pushing member provided between the transporting rollers and the folding-rollers, and a guide unit for guiding the sheet to the folding-roller pair by using the pushing member.

Provided is a sheet folding apparatus for folding sheets, including: a feeding-roller pair; a loop-forming space provided downstream from the feeding-roller pair, for forming a sheet loop; a pushing member for pushing the looped sheet; a folding-roller pair for nipping a prescribed part of the sheet pushed by the pushing member, thereby to fold the sheet; and a path provided between the feeding-roller pair and the folding-roller pair, for guiding the sheet fed from the feeding-roller pair toward the loop-forming space.

A sheet pressing apparatus includes an inlet port for receiving a sheet having a folding line; additional folding rollers supported by a supporting member arranged downstream from the inlet port; a lower folding guide opposing the additional folding rollers; a first drive mechanism configured to move the additional folding rollers between a pressing position, at which the additional folding rollers approach the lower folding guide to press the sheet at the folding line, and a retreat position to which the additional folding rollers are moved from the pressing position, separating from the sheet; and a second drive mechanism configured to move the additional folding rollers along the folding line. The additional folding rollers are arranged such that one end of the folding line exists between the two additional folding rollers provided at one position and the additional folding roller at the other end position is arranged on the folding line.

The sheet pressing apparatus includes an inlet port configured to receive a sheet having a folding line; additional-folding rollers arranged downstream of the inlet port and configured to press the sheet at the folding line; a lower folding guide opposing the additional-folding rollers; a first drive mechanism configured to move the additional-folding rollers between a pressing position, at which the additional-folding rollers approach the lower folding guide to press the sheet at the folding line, and a retreat position to which the additional-folding rollers are moved with respect to the lower folding guide from the pressing position; a second drive mechanism configured to move the additional-folding rollers along the folding line; and a restriction member configured to restrict, at a preset restriction position, the sheet thickness at the folding line to a value equal to or less than a prescribe value, while the additional-folding rollers are moving.

A contact-separation mechanism includes a cam to rotate to move a contact-separation member to and from a counterpart member, a detection target to rotate together with the cam, and a detector to detect presence or absence of the detection target in a detection area of the detector, and circuitry. The cam has a reference range. The circuitry issues a rotation stop instruction of the cam after a target time elapses from passing of the reference range of the detection target through the detection area, and sets the target time based on a duration of an immediately preceding passing of the reference range through the detection area.

A medium placement device includes a placement unit configured to have cut single paper thereon, a cover member configured to have single paper supplied to or discharged from an opening portion thereon, and a movement unit configured to move the cover member between a first position and a second position that is lower than the first position.