An automated sheets processing system has a vertical stacks accumulating region (SAR) into which sheets are uninterruptedly fed to build vertical stacks for pre-specified loads including completed loads and newly building nascent loads. A tiltable Stacking Deck has a downstream discharge end from which the sheets can be fed at different elevational levels into the stacks accumulating region. A nascent sheets accumulator system has a plurality of support surfaces that are retractably interjectable into the stacks accumulating region for defining a separation gap between the top of a completed load and the bottommost sheet of a nascent new load. At least one of the support surfaces is retractably interjectable in an upstream direction into the stacks accumulating region while at least two others of the support surfaces are retractably interjectable in a downstream direction into the stacks accumulating region. One of the support surfaces has an anti-scuff feature.

A recording material processing apparatus includes: a first stacking unit configured to stack a recording material; a second stacking unit provided on a downstream side of the first stacking unit in a conveyance direction of the recording material; an alignment unit configured to align the recording material stacked in the first stacking unit before the recording material is discharged to the second stacking unit; and a control unit configured to perform control of discharging the recording material to the second stacking unit by switching between first control not to align the recording material by the alignment unit and second control to align the recording material by the alignment unit.

There is provided a sheet post-processing device that has a first tray, outlet rollers, and a control section. The first tray holds sheets for post-processing with respect to the sheets supplied from an image forming device. The outlet rollers discharge the sheet to the first tray. The control section controls a rotational speed of the outlet rollers to be decelerated after a leading end portion of the sheet passes through the outlet rollers and before the leading end portion of the sheet comes into contact with the first tray.

According to an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus includes a first tray, a second tray, a discharge member, and a guide. The guide is provided to the second tray and changes a transport angle of sheets with respect to the second tray when the sheets are sent from a transport path toward the discharge member without passing through the first tray.

In accordance with an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus comprises a processing tray configured to load sheets to which a post processing is executed; a pair of alignment plates arranged on the processing tray at a predetermined interval and configured to move in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction and align the sheets on the processing tray in the sheet width direction; and a controller configured to control the pair of the alignment plates to move towards each other to first alignment positions at which the sheets are aligned in the direction and stop, and control the pair of the alignment plates to move towards each other to second alignment positions without moving the pair of the alignment plates in a reverse direction to align the sheets.

A buffer apparatus configured to hold a stack of sheets includes an input, first and second side guides each having a face facing transverse to the travel direction, and a backstop facing the input and spaced from the input in the travel direction. The first side guide, second side guide and backstop define a hopper for holding a plurality of the sheets. First and second retractable supports are shiftable from first positions in which a first portion of the respective retractable support projects a first distance into the hopper and a second position in which the first portion of the respective retractable support projects a second distance into the hopper or does not project into the hopper, the second distance being less than the first distance. The at least one second retractable support is located between the input and the at least one first retractable support.

A paper sheet storage mechanism (e.g., a banknote storage mechanism 32) is provided with a pressing unit (e.g., pressing plate 46) which advances into a storage bag (e.g., banknote storage bag 34) held by a holding unit (e.g., holding member 36) and presses a portion of the storage bag from inside toward a placement unit (e.g., stage 40), thereby bringing a portion of the storage bag placed on the placement unit into a state in which paper sheets are stackable thereon. Before paper sheets are sent into the storage bag, the pressing unit is caused to advance into the storage bag and press the portion of the storage bag toward the placement unit.

A conveyance apparatus according to the disclosure includes a conveyance unit that conveys a sheet, a flapper movable between a first position and a second position, a flapper moving unit that moves the flapper to the first position when power is supplied, a door to open a predetermined conveyance path and a second conveyance path, a detection unit that detects an occurrence of an abnormal state relating to the conveyance apparatus, and a control unit that, in a case where the detection unit detects the occurrence of the abnormal state while a sheet is conveyed to the first conveyance path by the conveyance unit and the flapper is in the first position, stops a sheet conveyance operation of the conveyance unit and inhibits the flapper from moving to the second. position by continuing to supply power to the flapper moving unit.

According to an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus includes a first tray, a second tray, a discharge member, and a guide. The guide is provided to the second tray and changes a transport angle of sheets with respect to the second tray when the sheets are sent from a transport path toward the discharge member without passing through the first tray.

In accordance with an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus comprises a processing tray configured to load sheets to which a post processing is executed; a pair of alignment plates arranged on the processing tray at a predetermined interval and configured to move in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction and align the sheets on the processing tray in the sheet width direction; and a controller configured to control the pair of the alignment plates to move towards each other to first alignment positions at which the sheets are aligned in the direction and stop, and control the pair of the alignment plates to move towards each other to second alignment positions without moving the pair of the alignment plates in a reverse direction to align the sheets.