Described is a transport device for paper which includes a metal conveyor belt through which air can flow and which is guided over at least two rollers, with the upper section of the belt forming the transport section and its lower section forming the returning section. A vacuum generator is arranged below the upper section. The conveyor belt is a metal mesh so as to be easy to produce and install.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes a passage forming body and a sound absorber. The passage forming body is configured to define a sheet conveying passage through which a sheet passes. The sound absorber includes a hollow portion and a communication portion configured to communication the hollow portion and the sheet conveying passage. A position of the communication portion of the sound absorber is changeable in the sheet conveying passage. The sheet conveying device included in the image reading device includes an original document conveying device configured to convey an original document having an image on a surface. The sheet conveying device included in the image forming apparatus includes a recording medium conveying device configured to convey the recording medium accommodated in a recording medium container to the image forming device.

A sheet stacking device includes a discharge port, an alignment wall, a discharge tray, an alignment belt, and a guide part. The alignment wall extends in an upper-and-lower direction below the discharge port. The discharge tray is provided so as to be capable of moving up and down along the alignment wall. The alignment belt with endless is stretched along the alignment wall in the upper-and-lower direction. The alignment belt has an inner circumferential surface facing the alignment wall and an outer circumferential surface with which an upstream edge of the sheet stacked on the discharge tray comes into contact, and circulates at a same speed as the discharge tray in synchronization with the discharge tray. The guide part is configured to be provided between the alignment wall and the alignment belt. With the guide part, the inner circumferential surface of the alignment belt slides in contact.

A dispenser having a feed roller that at least partially engages sheet material to facilitate dispensing thereof, and a cutting mechanism disposed within a chamber defined by a body of the feed roller. The cutting mechanism including a cutting blade and at least one movable support connected thereto. The at least one support further is operatively connected to the body of the feed roller and is actuated with rotation thereof to move the cutting blade into and out from one or more openings defined along the body of the feed roller to at least partially cut or perforate a selected portion of the sheet material as the sheet material is dispensed.

A sheet sorting device includes a plurality of trays, a tray shifter, a tray stop position detector, and circuitry. The plurality of trays is disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet. The tray shifter is configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction. The tray stop position detector is configured to detect stop positions of the plurality of trays separately. The circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray in the tray shift direction. The circuitry is configured to, while moving the plurality of trays at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the trays in directions opposite to each other.

A handling bar for laminated or film supports, such as paper, is disclosed, including a hollow tubular body provided with an inner cavity and an outer side surface, a plurality of through holes, arranged on the tubular body to put the inner cavity in contact with the outer side surface. The handling bar also includes at least one connection to a compressed air source or a suction device, where the connection is shaped for the inflow of compressed air or to suction air into the cavity and at least one filtering element arranged inside the tubular body where at least at one portion of the holes filters the air passing between the inner cavity and the holes.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a storage portion, a sheet supporting portion, a feed portion, a drive portion to output driving force that lifts the sheet supporting portion, and a rotation shaft rotatably supported by the storage portion and including an engaging portion disposed on one end side in an axial direction of the rotation shaft. The engaging portion engages with the drive portion, and a pressing portion is fixed to the rotation shaft and presses the sheet supporting portion from below when the rotation shaft is rotated by the drive portion. A rotary damper joins with the rotation shaft on another end side of the rotation shaft and reduces rotary motion of the rotation shaft. The pressing portion is disposed between the engaging portion and the rotary damper in the axial direction.

An image forming apparatus, having a housing including a first side wall and a second side wall, a sheet tray movable in a first direction, an image forming device to form an image on a sheet, and a chute movable in a second direction, is provided. The sheet tray has a first outer frame, having a first dent denting downward. The chute has a second outer frame. The second outer frame has a second dent denting upward and forming an opening together with the first dent and a handle extending downward from the second dent. At least one of the first outer frame and the second outer frame has a wall shielding a part of the opening at a position upstream from the handle in the second direction.

The present disclosure is in one aspect to a dispenser for rolled sheet materials. The dispenser includes a feed roller that is rotatably mounted to a housing of the dispenser housing, and that is configured to feed a predetermined amount of sheet material from the supply of sheet material through a discharge provided along the housing of the dispenser. The dispenser also has a feed roller drive assembly with a drive motor, and a belt transmission assembly. The belt transmission assembly has a drive belt coupled to the drive motor and to the feed roller such that rotation of the feed roller is driven by operation of the drive motor.

A recording device includes a recording unit configured to record on a medium, a transportation unit configured to transport the medium, a driving member, a plurality of gears configured to transmit a driving force of the driving member, and a sound absorber having an opening and a hollow space in communication with the opening. The sound absorber is located between a side end of the medium being transported by the transportation unit and the plurality of gears.