A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A drop feeder conveys the document packets to the feeder. A sensor provides information related to the thickness of the document packets and the drop feeder is controlled in response to the information related to the thickness of a packet in the feeder. The method includes the control of the drop feeder in response to information related to the thickness of a document packet at the feeder.

A medium discharge device includes: a discharge unit that discharges a medium; a first medium receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit; and a second medium receiving tray that is provided above the first medium receiving tray in a vertical direction and receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit. The second medium receiving tray is capable of changing a position between an advance position for receiving a medium, which is discharged, by causing at least an upstream zone of the tray including an upstream side end portion in a medium discharge direction to advance to a passing route of the medium from the discharge unit toward the first medium receiving tray and a retraction position to which the upstream zone retracts from the passing route.

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising a first tray, a second tray, a conveyance unit, a tray detection unit, a stacking amount detection unit, and a control unit configured to control the conveyance unit to not convey the sheet to the second tray, in a case where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount, wherein the control unit is configured to permit the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray, in a case where the tray detection unit detects that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body in a state where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount and conveyance of the sheet to the second tray by the conveyance unit is stopped.

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising a first tray, a second tray, a conveyance unit, a tray detection unit, a stacking amount detection unit, and a control unit configured to control the conveyance unit to not convey the sheet to the second tray, in a case where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount, wherein the control unit is configured to permit the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray, in a case where the tray detection unit detects that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body in a state where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount and conveyance of the sheet to the second tray by the conveyance unit is stopped.

A sheet sorting device includes a plurality of trays, a tray shifter, a tray stop position detector, and circuitry. The plurality of trays is disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet. The tray shifter is configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction. The tray stop position detector is configured to detect stop positions of the plurality of trays separately. The circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray in the tray shift direction. The circuitry is configured to, while moving the plurality of trays at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the trays in directions opposite to each other.

A paper sheet handling apparatus including a paper sheet transport direction switching unit adapted to switch transport directions of paper sheets and to then feed the paper sheets, the paper sheet transport direction switching unit includes: a first direction switching and feeding member adapted to pressurize one side of a paper sheet transported, switch the transport direction of the paper sheet, and feed the paper sheet switched in direction; and a second direction switching and feeding member facing the first direction switching and feeding member in such a manner as to operate together with the first direction switching and feeding member to pressurize the other side of the paper sheet transported, switch the transport direction of the paper sheet, and feed the paper sheet switched in direction.

The paper sheet redirecting unit (60) for changing a direction of a paper sheet configured to support one side of the paper sheet and change the direction of the paper sheet while transferring the paper sheet; and an other-side redirecting member (62) configured to support the other side of the paper sheet in a state of coming in contact with the one-side redirecting member (61) and to change the direction of the paper sheet while transferring the paper sheet, wherein if a power is transmitted to the one-side redirecting member (61) or the other-side redirecting member (62), the one-side redirecting member (61) and the other-side redirecting member (62) are operated in company with each other, thereby discharging the paper sheet while changing the direction of the paper sheet to be inputted between the one-side redirecting member (61) and the other-side redirecting member (62).

A medium discharge device includes: a discharge unit that discharges a medium; a first medium receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit; and a second medium receiving tray that is provided above the first medium receiving tray in a vertical direction and receives the medium discharged by the discharge unit. The second medium receiving tray is capable of changing a position between an advance position for receiving a medium, which is discharged, by causing at least an upstream zone of the tray including an upstream side end portion in a medium discharge direction to advance to a passing route of the medium from the discharge unit toward the first medium receiving tray and a retraction position to which the upstream zone retracts from the passing route.

A sheet sorting device includes three or more trays including a predetermined tray detachable from an apparatus main body and a tray different from the predetermined tray, a discharge unit to discharge a sheet to any one of the three or more trays, a control unit, and a tray detection unit to detect that the predetermined tray is detached from the apparatus main body. The control unit sets a sheet discharge destination such that a sheet conforming to a preset condition is discharged to the predetermined tray through the discharge unit. Where the tray detection unit detects that the predetermined tray is detached from the apparatus main body, the control unit sets a sheet discharge destination that has been set to the predetermined tray to the tray different from the predetermined tray based on a state of each of the trays other than the detached predetermined tray.