A medium feeding apparatus includes: a feed tray on which media M are placed; a draw-out unit that draws out an uppermost medium among the media placed on the feed tray; a hanging member that hangs the feed tray; and a load member that applies, when an amount of the media placed on the feed tray is equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount, a downward load to a portion of the feed tray located on an upstream side in a draw-out direction of the media.

A technique by which when printing is initiated, printed sheets remaining in a large-volume stacker and sheets printed in a subsequent job are not mixed in the large-volume stacker is provided. A printing system in which a printing apparatus and a post-processing apparatus for receiving a sheet printed by the printing apparatus and performing post-processing are connected, upon activation of the printing system, when detecting that a sheet is stacked in the post-processing apparatus, instructs the processing apparatus to discharge the remaining sheet.

An optional device of the present disclosure is attachable and detachable with respect to an image forming apparatus via a connection member fitted to a side face of a main body of the optional device. The connection member includes a shaft, a connector, and a lock member. The shaft is supported by the main body to be slidable in an axial direction. The connector is fixed to the shaft and coupled to the image forming apparatus. The lock member is capable or restricting movement of the shaft in the axial direction. A position of the connector is adjusted by releasing the restriction placed on the shaft by the lock member and then sliding the shaft in the axial direction.

A transport device includes a body unit, an accommodating unit that accommodates a recording medium and is mounted to be reciprocal with respect to the body unit, a pair of guide members that come in contact with end portions, in a width direction, of the recording medium to position the recording medium, the width direction intersecting with a transport direction of the recording medium, a first rail that is attached to the accommodating unit and guides reciprocation of the accommodating unit, and a second rail that is attached to the body unit to be movable in a direction, which intersects with a reciprocation direction of the accommodating unit, the second rail being assembled to the body unit to be slidable with respect to the first rail.

A sheet feeding apparatus is provided with a pick-up roller that contacts sheets loaded on a load tray to pick up, a paper feed roller that feeds a picked-up sheet, and a separation roller brought into press-contact with the paper feed roller to separate the sheet, where the sheets are separated from the pick-up roller, the separation roller is rotated in a sheet return direction different from a sheet feed direction, and subsequently, the paper feed roller is separated from the separation roller. It is possible to prevent damage to a sheet and sheet jam from occurring in pulling out the load tray loaded with sheets to the front side.

The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus capable of feeding sheets at a proper position without a regulating member being bent even if a cassette unit is closed in a state in which a large volume of sheets are stacked. A large-volume feeding deck includes a non-reference-side regulating plate, an external casing plate, and positioning members, which are movable relative to the cassette unit.

A sheet accommodating apparatus includes a loading portion onto which a sheet is loaded, a lifting and lowering unit that lifts and lowers the loading portion, a raising portion that raises a sheet loading surface with respect to a lowermost lowering position of the loading portion and above which a portion of the sheet is loaded, and an extension portion that extends to a position outward of the loading portion from the raising portion side as seen in plan view and supports another portion of the sheet.

A sheet stacking apparatus includes a pair of sheet alignment mechanisms disposed to face each other in a direction of conveyance of a sheet or in a direction orthogonal to the direction of conveyance. Each one of the pair of sheet alignment mechanisms includes an aligning member, an elastic member, a driver, and a driving source. The aligning member reciprocates with reference to the sheet. The elastic member extends due to reaction force generated in response to pressing force applied to an edge of the sheet by the aligning member when a size of the sheet is larger than a prescribed size. The driver is coupled to the aligning member via the elastic member. The driving source transfers a driving force to the driver.

Sheet feeding device (1) comprising an elevator (2) for a stack of sheets, and an air supply system (3) configured to supply and direct one of more air streams towards an upper region (4) of the sheet feeding device (1) for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator (2) comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device (1) comprises a first side support member (6) and a second side support member (7) configured to sideways support respective opposite sides of the stack of sheets, wherein the sheet feeding device (1) further comprises a vacuum belt feeder (8) provided above the elevator (2) and configured to grab and feed an uppermost sheet of the floated sheets away from the floated sheets, and wherein an upper portion of each side support member (6, 7) is provided with at least one respective cam (9) comprising a respective guide surface extending obliquely upwards-inwards from the respective side support member (6, 7).

A paper stacking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a stacking table, a first sensor, and a hardware processor. The stacking table includes an upper face on which papers are stacked, the stacking table being capable of being elevated and lowered by a drive mechanism. The first sensor is disposed at a first position and configured to detect the upper face of the stacking table or an upper face of stacked objects stacked on the stacking table. The hardware processor is coupled to the drive mechanism and the first sensor. The hardware processor is configured to determine that the stacking table is excessively elevated when an elapsed time after starting to detect the object by the first sensor is at least a first excessive-elevation determination value of time.