A recording apparatus includes a return member switchable between a first orientation in which a portion of the return member overlaps a feed roller in a side view of a medium feeding path and a second orientation in which the return member is turned toward a downstream side in a medium feeding direction and does not overlap the feed roller. The return member changes an orientation thereof from the second orientation to the first orientation, thereby returning a medium to an upstream side in the medium feeding direction. When a transport roller disposed downstream of the feed roller is driven in reverse to return the medium to the upstream side and position the medium at a recording start position, the return member takes a third orientation in which the return member is raised toward the upstream side further than in the first orientation.

A cutting device includes a fixed blade and a movable blade that slides with respect to the fixed blade during cutting, the movable blade having a first end that engages with the fixed blade at cutting start and a second end that engages with the fixed blade at cutting end, an urging member connected to the movable blade to urge the movable blade towards the fixed blade and a rotation of the movable blade in a first rotational direction, and a support for the movable blade having a shaft that rotates as the movable blade moves, the shaft having a center portion and first and second ends rotatably connected to the movable blade, wherein points of connection of the first and second ends are at locations that urge a rotation of the movable blade in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction.

A sheet supplying apparatus includes an alignment member pivotable to an alignment location for blocking and aligning fore-ends of media contained on a loading table, and a transport-allowing location for allowing a medium picked up by a pickup member to be transported, a cam gear including a gear portion partially including a tooth-omitted portion, and a cam portion for switching the alignment member between the alignment location and the transport-allowing location at first and second rotating locations, a swing arm pivotable about a same axis as a rotation axis of a main gear, and first and second swing gears supported by the swing arm to interlock with the main gear, selectively interlocking with the gear portion according to a rotating direction of the main gear, and rotating the cam gear to the first and second rotating locations.

A sheet feeder includes: a wheel for issuing a lowermost sheet out to a sheet processing unit; a grate for spacing the sheet apart from the wheel at a raised position and bringing the sheet into contact with the wheel at a lowered position; and a drive device for driving the grate up and down. The drive device includes: a link mechanism for movably supporting the grate; a spring for urging the grate to the lowered position; a grate raising/lowering cam for periodically driving the grate up/down; and a skip feed cam that is driven by a control device, separately from a drive system of the grate raising/lowering cam, and that, at a timing where reached is a phase at which the grate raising/lowering cam does not put the grate in the raised position, retains the grate at the raised position in order to skip feeding of the sheet.

A sheet feeding device includes: a feeding unit that is provided to be movable in a forward-backward direction to move forward or backward relative to a sheet placing unit on which a sheet is placed, and feeds the sheet; a moving unit that moves the feeding unit in the forward-backward direction; a contact unit that is provided to be movable, with which the sheet placed on the sheet placing unit is brought into contact; a limitation unit that limits movement of the contact unit; and a releasing unit that, when the moving unit moves the feeding unit in a direction away from the sheet placing unit, with the movement of the feeding unit, releases limitation on the movement of the contact unit by the limitation unit.

A folding or interfolding unit of a plurality of sheets of paper comprising a first and a second folding or interfolding roll to fold, or interfold, the plurality of sheets of paper according to a predetermined folding or interfolding configuration, at a folding or interfolding zone. Each folding or interfolding roll comprises a tubular body which rotates about a longitudinal rotation axis oriented along a horizontal direction and a plurality of gripping groups integral in rotation with the tubular body. Each gripping group comprises a mechanical gripping member configured to move, at a gripping point, from a releasing configuration to a gripping configuration, where is arranged to mechanically hold the, or each, sheet up to a releasing point having a second angular position.

A sheet processing apparatus, including: a rotary member pair configured to nip a sheet conveyed in a conveyance path and rotate to fold the sheet; and a guide portion provided between one rotary member of the rotary member pair and the conveyance path, the one rotary member including: a first part; and a second part, wherein a first distance between the first part and a rotary shaft center of the one rotary member is greater than a second distance between the second part and the rotary shaft center, and wherein the guide portion is positioned at a first position in case that the second part is positioned at a first rotational position, and the guide portion is positioned at a second position different from the first position in a distance from the rotary shaft center in case that the second part is positioned at a second rotational position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide method for receiving sheets for a sheet supplying apparatus. The method includes converting an up and down motion of a tray to a rotational motion of a rotary member by a movement conversion mechanism, converting the rotational motion of the rotary member around a rotational axis to a linear motion of a cylindrical member parallel to the rotational axis by the rotary member and a cam and slider mechanism, and elastically pressing an end portion of the cylindrical member of the cam and slider mechanism in the rotational axis direction to lift the tray by a compression spring.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a rotary drive member configured to rotate by receiving transmission of driving force from a driving source, a driven rotary member arranged with a predetermined distance in a sheet conveyance direction from the rotary drive member, an endless belt member supported on the rotary drive member and the driven rotary member, and configured to be rotated by a rotation of the rotary drive member, and a guide member configured to guide a sheet conveyed by the belt member. The guide member is mounted to a shaft configured to support the rotary drive member, and the rotary drive member is supported on the shaft in a rotatable manner with respect to the shaft.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet regulation member, a lock portion, and a damper portion. The sheet regulation member is changeable between a regulation posture to regulate a sheet supported on a supporting portion not to enter a separation nip portion and a retracted posture to allow the sheet to enter the separation nip portion. The lock portion locks the sheet regulation member in the regulation posture. In a case where external force equal to or more than a predetermined amount is applied to the sheet regulation member toward the downstream in the sheet feeding direction with the sheet regulation member is locked by the lock portion in the regulation posture, the damper portion allows displacement of the sheet regulation member.