To provide a configuration for allowing a user to easily take out a sheet stopped on a conveying belt. Regulating guides are disposed on both sides of a conveying belt in a sheet width direction Y and can guide both end edges in the sheet width direction of a sheet S being conveyed while being nipped by the conveying belt and the balls. A take-out port is provided on a side close to the regulating guide in the sheet width direction and serves as an opening for taking out the sheet stopped on the conveying belt. The regulating guide on a side away from the take-out port moves in the sheet width direction Y toward the take-out port when the sheet is stopped on the conveying belt.

A first cover includes a first discharge tray portion and a first recess. The first discharge tray portion supports a discharged sheet. The first recess is formed at the first discharge tray portion. The first recess extends along a sheet discharge direction to a downstream end of the first discharge tray portion in the sheet discharge direction. The second cover surrounds the first cover. A second cover includes a second discharge tray portion and a second recess. The second discharge tray portion is arranged downstream of the first discharge tray portion in the sheet discharge direction. The second discharge tray portion supports the discharged sheet in cooperation with the first discharge tray portion. The second recess is arranged downstream of the first recess in the discharge direction. The second recess is formed continuously from the first recess, and serves as a sheet handle portion in cooperation with the first recess.

A pair of regulating guides can guide both end edges in a sheet width direction Y of a sheet being conveyed being nipped by a conveying belt and balls. The pair of regulating guides can move to their respective guide positions each for guiding one of both end edges of the sheet and their respective retracting positions each retracting from one of the both end edges of the sheet by a distance larger than the guide position. A guide moving unit for moving the pair of regulating guides makes each of the pair of regulating guides reach the guide position from the retracting position after the rear end of the sheet passed from a conveying roller pair positioned on the upstream side to the conveying belt passes the conveying roller pair.

A discharging device includes: a pair of medium supporting portions that are provided so as to face each other in a width direction intersecting a transporting direction in which a medium is transported and that support the medium that is transported; and a stacking portion that is provided vertically below the pair of medium supporting portions and on which the medium that drops from the pair of medium supporting portions is stacked, each of the pair of medium supporting portions is configured to move in the width direction, the pair of medium supporting portions are configured to be arranged, after the medium is dropped onto the stacking portion, at positions at which a distance in the width direction becomes a predetermined distance, and the predetermined distance varies in accordance with a width of the medium stacked on the stacking portion.

A printing apparatus includes a stacking portion on which a print medium printed by a printing unit configured to perform printing is stacked, a discharge unit configured to discharge the print medium printed by the printing unit to the stacking portion, a passage forming portion arranged facing the stacking portion and configured to form a discharge passage of the print medium together with the stacking portion, and an outlet port located at a downstream end of the stacking portion and a downstream end of the passage forming portion in a conveying direction of the print medium. The passage forming portion includes an opening/closing portion which is displaceable between a closed position for forming the discharge passage and an open position for opening access to the stacking portion.

Techniques for implementing and/or operating a pipe deployment system that includes pipe deployment equipment, which facilitates deploying a pipe segment from a pipe coil, and a pipe drum, which includes a drum body around which the pipe coil is to be disposed. The pipe drum is to be disposed on the pipe deployment equipment and the drum body includes a drum core as well as a lower paddle assembly and an upper paddle assembly, which are slidably secured to the drum core. The pipe deployment system maintains the paddle assemblies in a retracted state to enable the drum body to be inserted into the pipe coil, extends the lower paddle assembly to a more extended state to facilitate raising the drum core, and retracts the lower paddle assembly to a less extended state and extends the upper paddle assembly to the less extended state to facilitate lifting the pipe coil.

A sheet alignment apparatus includes a supporting portion configured to support a sheet, a first alignment member configured to abut an end portion in a first direction of the sheet supported by the supporting portion and align a position of the sheet in the first direction, a first moving unit configured to move the first alignment member in the first direction, a second alignment member configured to abut an end portion in a second direction of the sheet supported by the supporting portion and align a position of the sheet in the second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and a second moving unit configured to move the second alignment member in the second direction, wherein the first moving unit is disposed below the supporting portion, and wherein the second moving unit is disposed above the supporting portion.

A sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in a conveying direction includes a pair of conveying rollers receiving and conveying a sheet; an endless conveying belt conveying the sheet; a plurality of balls to be rotatable in any direction while nipping the sheet with the conveying surface; a pair of regulating guides disposed on both sides of the conveying belt; a guide moving unit that moves the pair of regulating guides; and a roller moving unit that moves at least one of the pair of conveying rollers to a nip position and a nip release position. Before a rear end of the sheet passes the pair of conveying rollers, the pair of conveying rollers is moved to the nip release position by the roller moving unit, and then, the guide moving unit makes each of the pair of regulating guides reach the guide position from the retracting position.

According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing apparatus includes a guide member, a matching member, a post-processing mechanism, a support member, and a drive unit. The guide member has a loading surface on which a sheet is loaded in a standing state. The matching member supports a lower end of the sheet loaded on the guide member in a free raising and lowering manner. The post-processing mechanism performs post-processing on the sheet. The support member supports the matching member. The drive unit raises and lowers the support member. The matching member is configured to be raised and lowered with respect to the support member.

There is provided a sheet feeding apparatus for feeding a sheet. The sheet feeding apparatus includes: a feeding roller that feeds a sheet; and a moving mechanism that moves the feeding roller to a feeding position where the feeding roller contacts the sheet, to a first retracting position where the feeding roller is separated from the sheet, and to a second retracting position lying between the feeding position and the first retracting position.