A manual paper feeding portion includes a medium placing portion on which paper to be fed is placed, a guide portion that is provided on the medium placing portion, guides a side edge of the paper in a width direction intersecting with a feeding direction, and is movable in the width direction, and a positioning mechanism that determines a position of the guide portion in the width direction, in which the positioning mechanism regulates the position of the guide portion by positioning portions arranged with a predetermined interval in a first region of a moving region of the guide portion and regulates the position of the guide portion in a stepless manner in a second region which is a region other than the first region.

An image forming apparatus 100 includes a cassette fitting portion 1 which is provided in the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 and a paper feed cassette 30 which includes a sheet storage portion S. In the cassette fitting portion 1, a lift plate 50 is provided which raises and lowers a sheet 18. In the cassette base 31 of the sheet storage portion S, an opening portion 31a is formed in a position opposite the lift plate 50. The lift plate 50 is arranged selectively either in a lowered position in which the lift plate 50 is arranged below the cassette base 31 or in a raised position in which the lift plate 50 is protruded above the cassette base 31 through the opening portion 31a so as to allow the sheet 18 to be fed.

A pallet for transporting spacers for cigarette packs is disclosed, in which each spacer comprises a substantially rectangular flat body on which at least one through hole is obtained, the spacers being insertable in cartons for cigarette packs for spacing out packs with dimensions smaller than the standard dimensions, the pallet comprising vertical elements configured to insert the through holes of the spacers stacked on one another, the holes of the spacers of a stack being vertically aligned with each other so that each vertical element is inside the aligned holes of the spacers.

An apparatus includes a housing provided with a conveyance path, a conveyance unit which conveys a sheet along the conveyance path, a discharge port from which the sheet conveyed along the conveyance path is discharged, a discharge tray on which the sheet discharged from the discharge port is stacked, and an attitude change unit which changes an attitude of the discharge tray. The discharge tray includes a first sheet receiving surface which is a portion facing the discharge port in a discharge direction of the sheet and on which a leading edge of the sheet lands, and a second sheet receiving surface which is formed at a predetermined inclination with respect to the first sheet receiving surface. The attitude change unit changes the attitude of the discharge tray so that the first sheet receiving surface of the discharge tray is inclined toward the discharge port.

Provided is a paper-discharge apparatus that suppresses operating sound of the paper-discharge apparatus. A contact member changes the posture of the introduction guide by coming in contact with the introduction lever and rotating the introduction lever. A control unit sets a state in which paper is introduced to the paper-discharge-conveying unit to a non-contact state of the introduction lever and contact member, and sets a state when conveyed paper is guided to another discharge destination to a contact state of the introduction lever and the contact member. The control unit rotates the motor at a first speed and moves the contact member, and brings the contact member in contact with the introduction lever after setting the rotating speed of the motor to a second speed that is slower than the first speed.

A sheet supporting apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion, a regulation member, a flag portion, a detection portion, and a holding portion con. At the holding position, the holding portion supports the flag portion at the upper position in a case where the sheet supporting portion is positioned at the first position, and, at the allowing position, the holding portion allows movement of the flag portion to the lower position in a case where the sheet supporting portion is positioned at the second position. A lower end of the flag portion is positioned above the regulation surface in a case where the flag portion is positioned at the upper position, and is positioned below the regulation surface in a case where the flag portion is positioned at the lower position.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet stacker configured to stack a sheet bundle; a blower configured to float a sheet on an upper portion of the sheet bundle; a conveyor configured to convey the sheet floated by the blower; a lift configured to lift up and down the sheet stacker; a first reflective optical sensor configured to detect the sheet floated by the blower; a second reflective optical sensor configured to detect the sheet bundle and a side face of the sheet stacker, the side face including a detection region to be detected by the second reflective optical sensor and a non-detection region not to be detected by the second reflective optical sensor; and circuitry configured to control the lift based on a detection result of the first reflective optical sensor and a detection result of the second reflective optical sensor. The circuitry is configured to cause the lift to lift up the sheet stacker in response to a change from a detection state to a non-detection state of the second reflective optical sensor.

There is provided a sheet storage device including a regulation unit that includes a first contact portion configured to contact a stacking unit, and a second contact portion configured to contact a facing member. The first contact portion contacts the stacking unit in a state of being urged toward the stacking unit. The second contact portion contacts the facing member in a state of being urged toward the facing member.

An apparatus includes a housing provided with a conveyance path, a conveyance unit which conveys a sheet along the conveyance path, a discharge port from which the sheet conveyed along the conveyance path is discharged, a discharge tray on which the sheet discharged from the discharge port is stacked, and an attitude change unit which changes an attitude of the discharge tray. The discharge tray includes a first sheet receiving surface which is a portion facing the discharge port in a discharge direction of the sheet and on which a leading edge of the sheet lands, and a second sheet receiving surface which is formed at a predetermined inclination with respect to the first sheet receiving surface. The attitude change unit changes the attitude of the discharge tray so that the first sheet receiving surface of the discharge tray is inclined toward the discharge port.

Provided is a container for transporting a consumable such as a medium on which an image is to be printed. The container includes a support surface and a reading component coupled to the support surface to read a computer-readable code accompanying the consumable. A relay interface is operatively connected to the reading component to receive a signal indicative of the computer-readable code read by the reading component, and communicate with a compatible reader provided to the receiving apparatus to convey information about the computer-readable code read by the reading component to the receiving apparatus. The relay interface can be coupled to the tray at a location remotely located from the reading component and having an orientation that is different from an orientation of the reading component.