A system is provided for processing documents. In particular, the system incorporates a feeder for feeding documents to a device for further processing of the documents. For instance, the system finds particular application in the field of document imaging in which a variety of documents of varying sizes and orientation are to be fed to an imaging system, such as a document scanner. The system may provide a sorting station that receives documents from a work station and sorts the documents to a plurality of sort locations. The system may export the image data for the documents to a fileserver so that a remote operator can provide instructions for the processing of the documents so that the documents can be subsequently processed according to the instructions provided by the operator.

A medium transfer device includes a swinging member, a hopper in which a setting plate on which a plurality of mediums are placed such that the mediums are moved toward the swinging member by gravitation, and a driving unit configured to swing the swinging member such that the mediums are shaken by the swinging member.

An image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic image forming method includes a casing having a front wall to which an opening is formed and a rear wall facing the front wall, a photosensitive drum located close to the front wall, a support member configured to support the photosensitive drum. The support member is slidably movable between an accommodated position a drawn position at which the photosensitive drum is drawn out of the casing through the opening. The image forming apparatus further includes a sheet tray, a feeding roller configured to feed the plurality of sheets supported by the sheet tray, a first conveying guide arranged between the support member and the sheet tray to face the support member, and a second conveying guide formed to the support member at a position facing the first conveying guide to guide the sheet inserted through the opening.

A medium supply apparatus includes a box member, a bottom plate, and a rotary portion. A medium is stored inside the box member. The box member is inserted into and extracted from a body of an image forming apparatus. The bottom plate is disposed at a bottom portion of the box. member. The medium is placed on the bottom plate. The bottom plate is lifted up by an elastic force of an elastic member. The rotary portion is attached to a side wall, among walls of the box member, positioned on a lateral side with respect to a front side toward which the box member is extracted from the image forming apparatus. The rotary portion is rotatable about a location of attachment of the rotary portion. The rotary portion includes a rear portion and a front portion. The rear portion is positioned on a rear side, in contrast to the front side, with respect to the location of attachment. The rear portion is moved upward by a reaction force applied from the body when the box member is extracted. The front portion is positioned on the front side with respect to the location of attachment. The front portion is moved downward by rotation of the rotary portion due to upward movement of the rear portion to lower the bottom plate against the elastic force.

A joint mechanism includes a first route member and a second route member. The first route member includes; a first pivot point disposed in a first apparatus, which forms a portion of a transport route opposite a first surface of a sheet; and a first pivot section that extends from the first pivot point toward a second apparatus and that has a first abutment member. The second route member includes: a second pivot point disposed in the second apparatus, which forms a portion of the transport route opposite a second surface of the sheet; and a second pivot section that extends from the second pivot point toward the first apparatus and that has a second abutment member. The first abutment member abuts against the second route member and the second abutment member abuts against the first route member to maintain a space to transport the sheet.

A medium transfer device includes a swinging member, a hopper in which a setting plate on which a plurality of mediums are placed such that the mediums are moved toward the swinging member by gravitation, and a driving unit configured to swing the swinging member such that the mediums are shaken by the swinging member.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a casing; a sheet stacking unit rotatable between a closing position and first and second opening positions; a sheet feeding unit; a link unit provided with a slidable engaging portion; and a spring. The sheet stacking unit includes a first guide; and a second guide branching from the first guide. The first guide includes a first portion, a first supporting portion, and a second portion. The second guide includes a second supporting portion. The engaging portion is guided from the second guide to the first portion of the first guide by the sheet stacking unit being closed from the second opening position, and the engaging portion is guided from the first portion of the first guide to the second portion by way of the branch portion by the sheet stacking unit being opened from the closed state.

A sheet storage apparatus (for example, a banknote storage mechanism 32) includes an entering unit (for example, a pushing unit 46) configured to enter into a storage bag (for example, a banknote storage bag 34) supported by a supporter (for example, holding members 36) and a controller 80 configured to control the driving unit (for example, a motor 54) for driving the entering unit. The controller 80 controls the driving unit such that the entering unit enters into the storage bag supported by the supporter and comes in contact with the sheet stored in the storage bag to detect an upper end position of the sheet stored in the storage bag.

A system is provided for processing documents. In particular, the system incorporates a feeder for feeding documents to a device for further processing of the documents. For instance, the system finds particular application in the field of document imaging in which a variety of documents of varying sizes and orientation are to be fed to an imaging system, such as a document scanner. The system may provide a sorting station that receives documents from a work station and sorts the documents to a plurality of sort locations. The system may export the image data for the documents to a fileserver so that a remote operator can provide instructions for the processing of the documents so that the documents can be subsequently processed according to the instructions provided by the operator.

A sheet transport device includes a transport unit, a load section, and a sheet accommodation section. The transport unit has a transport path along which a sheet read at a read position is transported to an output unit. The sheet output by the output unit is loaded onto the load section. The sheet accommodation section is disposed downstream in an output direction of the sheet from an inner wall surface extending upward adjacent to the load section and has a recess capable of accommodating a sheet of a predetermined minimum size. A retrieval space through which the sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodation section is retrievable is provided by exposing the transport path in a direction opposite to a loading direction of the sheet.