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.

An image formation apparatus according to an embodiment may include: a print unit that forms an image on a medium; and a medium conveyance unit that conveys the medium to the print unit. The medium conveyance unit may include: a medium guide that is movable in a width direction of the medium perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the medium, to guide a width end of the medium; a guide position detector that detects a position of the medium guide in the width direction of the medium; and a medium end detector that is provided at the medium guide and detects whether there is the medium with the width end guided by the medium guide. The print unit may include a determination unit that determines a set state of the medium based on a detection result by the medium end detector.

A paper feed tray includes a cassette, a regulation plate which is slidably attached to the cassette, a cover provided to the regulation plate, a locking portion which is covered with the cover and engages with the cassette to fix a position of the regulation plate, and a lever. The lever includes a coupling portion coupled with the locking portion, a depression portion configured to be depressed toward one side in a direction of sliding of the regulation plate, and an intermediate portion provided between the coupling portion and the depression portion. The lever operates the locking portion to be disengaged from the cassette upon the depression portion being depressed toward the one side. The cover includes an extension extending while facing the intermediate portion. A space, which is open at a tip to which the extension extends, is formed between the extension and the intermediate portion.

A medium feed device includes edge guides provided at a medium placement part including a placement surface on which a medium is placed and including guide surfaces that guide edges in a direction intersecting with a feed direction of the medium; and a restriction part configured to take a position between the edge guides such that a position of the restriction part in a direction normal to the placement surface is a position at which the restriction part suppresses a lift of the medium from the placement surface and a position at which the restriction part suppresses separation of the edges of the medium from the guide surfaces. The position of the restriction part at which the restriction part suppresses the lift is located on a placement surface side with respect to an intermediate position between upper ends of the guide surfaces and the placement surface.

The sheet stacker includes a sheet conveyor arrangement, configured for feeding a plurality of sheets and having a sheet discharge end, and a stacking bay. In the stacking bay sheets delivered by the sheet conveyor arrangement are formed into stacks. A stack conveyor is provided in the stacking bay and is movable in a conveyor direction parallel to a sheet feeding direction, according to which the sheets are fed from the sheet discharge end onto the stack conveyor. The sheet discharge end is configured and controlled such that it is gradually lifted during sheet stacking, in order to accommodate a growing stack of sheets being formed on the stack conveyor. A stop plate is positioned in the stacking bay above the stack conveyor and in front of the sheet discharge end of the sheet conveyor arrangement. The stop plate is configured and controlled to be gradually lifted from the stack conveyor as the sheet stack grows, to be withdrawn upon completion of the stack thus allowing removal of the stack in an evacuation direction substantially parallel to the conveyor direction, and to be lowered towards the stack conveyor again.

A sheet stacker including a sheet conveyor arrangement and a stacking bay, wherein sheets delivered by the sheet conveyor arrangement are formed into stacks; the stacking bay including a stacker platform. The stacker platform is provided with a vertical lifting and lowering movement with respect to a stationary supporting structure and is controlled to move downwards while a stack of sheets is formed thereon. The stacker platform supports a stack conveyor configured and controlled to perform at least an evacuation motion, to remove a completed stack from the stacking bay. The evacuation motion of the stack conveyor is oriented such that a completed stack is moved from the stacking bay onto an evacuation conveyor arranged under the sheet conveyor arrangement.

The sheet stacker includes a sheet conveyor arrangement, configured for feeding a plurality of sheets and having a sheet discharge end, and a stacking bay. In the stacking bay sheets delivered by the sheet conveyor arrangement are formed into stacks. A stack conveyor is provided in the stacking bay and is movable in a conveyor direction parallel to a sheet feeding direction, according to which the sheets are fed from the sheet discharge end onto the stack conveyor. The sheet discharge end is configured and controlled such that it is gradually lifted during sheet stacking, in order to accommodate a growing stack of sheets being formed on the stack conveyor. A stop plate is positioned in the stacking bay above the stack conveyor and in front of the sheet discharge end of the sheet conveyor arrangement. The stop plate is configured and controlled to be gradually lifted from the stack conveyor as the sheet stack grows, to be withdrawn upon completion of the stack thus allowing removal of the stack in an evacuation direction substantially parallel to the conveyor direction, and to be lowered towards the stack conveyor again.

A medium ejecting apparatus includes medium ejecting apparatus includes an ejection roller to eject a medium, a tray to load the medium ejected by the ejection roller, a medium regulating member provided with a load pressing portion on a front-end side thereof to apply a load to the medium ejected on the tray, and provided with an engaging portion on a base portion side opposite to the front-end portion, and a holding member provided with an engaged portion to engage with the engaging portion, to hold the medium regulating member in such a way that the medium regulating member can swing in a vertical direction with respect to an upper surface of the tray, and pivot along a rotation axis in a direction from the base side toward the front-end portion side, according to the ejection of the medium.

A sheet feeder, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet loader, an air blowing device, a regulator, a sheet attracting device, and a sheet conveying body. The sheet loader loads a sheet bundle including a sheet and a subsequent sheet placed below the sheet. The air blowing device blows air and lifts the sheet over the sheet bundle. The regulator regulates movement of the subsequent sheet, and includes an opposing portion located upper end and separated from the sheet loader toward the downstream side of the sheet conveying direction and an inclined portion upwardly inclined relative to a vertical axis from a same position as the sheet loader to the downstream side of the sheet conveying direction. The sheet attracting device attracts the sheet lifted over the sheet bundle. The sheet conveying body conveys the sheet in a sheet conveying direction.

An apparatus is provided for positioning a substrate on a support body. The apparatus comprises the support body for supporting the substrate, at least one registration element, wherein said at least one registration element is positioned and arranged for registering the substrate in a preselected position on the support body when brought into a registering state. The apparatus further comprises a registration actuator movably arranged with respect to the support body for selectively arranging a registration element into the registering state.