A plurality of marks (11) equidistantly provided on both side edge parts (1a) of a long medium (1), a plurality of first indicator holes (12) equidistantly given on at least one of the side edge parts (1a), and a plurality of second indicator holes (13) given on at least one of the side edge parts (1a) on a straight line different from a row of the first indicator holes (12) at spacings shorter than spacings of the first indicator holes (12) are provided, and the second indicator holes (13) are each provided to a side of a trailing-end mark (11b), and each gradually comes closer to a leading-end mark (11a) as the long medium (1) runs toward a trailing end.

A paper feeding device includes a lower cover, an upper cover pivotally covered to the lower cover, at least one motor mounted to the lower cover, a feeding roller assembly and a paper skew judging module. The feeding roller assembly is pivotally connected to the lower cover and connected with the at least one motor. The paper skew judging module disposed to the lower cover, has an infrared light emitter, an infrared light receiver, a cantilever arm rotatably assembled to the lower cover, a sensing roller pivotally connected with the cantilever arm, and a lens. The infrared light emitter is mounted to the lower cover. The infrared light receiver is mounted to the lower cover and is disposed opposite to the infrared light emitter. The lens is fastened to the cantilever arm, and disposed between the infrared light emitter and the infrared light receiver. The lens have different photopermeabilities.

A splicing device includes a first detection section which detects whether or not the component storage section protrudes downward from the conveyance reference surface; a second detection section which detects the component storage section of the paper tape; a discrimination section which determines whether a tape inserted into the splicing device is the embossed tape or the paper tape based on a detection signal of the first detection section; a first calculating section which calculates a pitch of the component storage section of the embossed tape by using the first detection section in a case where the embossed tape is determined; and a second calculating section which calculates a pitch of the component storage section of the paper tape by using the second detection section in a case where the paper tape is determined.

A sheet feeding device feeds a sheet in a feed direction. The sheet feeding device includes a loading portion, a feeler, and a first detection sensor. The sheet is to be placed on the loading portion. The feeler rotates from a reference position to a pushed position around a support shaft in response to a push by a downstream end of the sheet, which is placed on the loading portion, in the feeding direction. The first detection sensor detects a rotation of the feeler from one of the reference position and the pushed position to the other of the reference position and the pushed position. The loading portion includes a second detection sensor to detect a state in which the sheet is placed on the loading portion.

An image forming apparatus includes a sensor, a tray, a gear, a protruding portion, and a processor. The sensor has a light transmitting unit and light receiving units and is configured to generate an output signal in accordance with an amount of light received by the light receiving units. The gear is configured to rotate in accordance with an amount of sheets stacked on the tray. The protruding portion is configured to rotate with the gear and move into a light path of light emitted from the light emitting unit to the light receiving units to partially block the light, the protruding portion having a width that determines how much light in the light path is blocked and varies gradually from a first end thereof to a second end thereof. The processor is configured to determine the amount of sheets stacked on the tray based on the output signal.

A vacuum belt has perforations between belt edges. Some perforations in the vacuum belt are arranged in a pattern. The vacuum belt is positioned adjacent the media supply in a location to move sheets of the print media from the media supply. A light sensor is positioned in a location to detect light passing through the vacuum belt. The light sensor detects a portion of the vacuum belt as limited by an aperture area of the vacuum belt, and the pattern of perforations, and the size and location of the aperture area of the vacuum belt causes the signal output by the light sensor to be constant when the sheets are outside the aperture area of the vacuum belt.

A feeding apparatus includes: a loading unit configured to load a plurality of sheet-like media in a stacked state; a feeding roller configured to feed the media by rotating while abutting against the media loaded on the loading unit; an arm configured to rotatably support the feeding roller and configured to be swingable about a support shaft; at least one actuator supported by the arm to be swingable about a fulcrum provided between the support shaft and a leading end of the arm, the arm being on the same side as the feeding roller with respect to the support shaft and being farthest away from the support shaft; and at least one sensor configured to output a signal which differentiates a first posture of the at least one actuator with respect to the arm, from a second posture different from the first posture.

In one example, an apparatus includes a sensor including an emitter and a detector that define a line of sight therebetween. A mechanical arm has a fixed end and a free end. An axis of rotation passing through the fixed end of the mechanical arm is parallel to the line of sight. A mechanical flag mounted to the fixed end of the mechanical arm includes at least a first protrusion that defines at least three positions of the mechanical arm relative to the line of sight.

A post-processing apparatus connectable to an image forming apparatus which performs a post-processing on a sheet of a first type in a first post-processing mode, and performs the post-processing on a sheet of a second type having a light transmittance higher than the first type in a second post-processing mode, wherein, in a case where a job for performing the post-processing on a sheet of a third type is executed, the post-processing apparatus determines whether the sheet of the third type is detectable by the sheet detecting unit, operates in the first post-processing mode when the sheet of the third type is determined to be detectable by the sheet detecting unit, and operates in the second post-processing mode when the sheet of the third type is determined to be undetectable by the sheet detecting unit.

A sheet type determining device including a guide that guides a sheet along a sheet conveyance path to a destination. The sheet conveyance path is between a first guide surface and a second guide surface facing each other across an interval. The sheet type determining device further includes a determiner that determines a sheet type when the sheet is in the sheet conveyance path, without having contact with the sheet in conveyance, and one or more regulators that regulate a displacement range of the sheet at a determining position, the displacement range being in a direction of the interval of the first and the second guide surfaces. Each of the regulators is a member that protrudes in an arc shape from the first or the second guide surface toward the guide surface opposite, and is spaced from the guide surface or another one of the regulators opposite.