In an image forming apparatus capable of turning over a sheet to form images on both sides of the sheet, when duplex printing is executed successively on three or more sheets, a controller causes a first sheet conveyed from an image forming unit and a second sheet conveyed from the image forming unit to be guided into a first path by positioning a guide member in a first position, and then conveyed into a third path by a first roller, and causes a third and subsequent sheets conveyed from the image forming unit to be guided into a second path by positioning the guide member in a second position, and then conveyed into the third path by a second roller.

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 sheet processing apparatus includes a discharge unit, a loading unit, an abutting unit, a support unit, and a control unit. The discharge unit discharges, from a discharge port, a sheet bundle transported along a transport path. The loading unit is loaded by the sheet bundle being discharged onto the loading unit. The abutting unit is disposed forward from the discharge port in a discharge direction of the sheet bundle so that the abutting unit abuts with a top surface of the discharged sheet bundle. The support unit is protrusible from and retractable into the discharge port and protrudes to an underside of the sheet bundle temporarily to support the sheet bundle when the sheet bundle is discharged. The control unit controls movement of the support unit such that the support unit reaches a position of the abutting unit after the sheet bundle abuts with the abutting unit.

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 switching device for switching transport directions of a recording medium includes a switching member and at least one rotation stopper. The switching member is configured to switch transport paths of the recording medium. The at least one rotation stopper is configured to hit the switching member to stop rotation of the switching member. The at least one rotation stopper is disposed asymmetrically in a direction perpendicular to a transport direction in which the switching member transports the recording medium.

A sheet conveying device includes conveyance passage forming bodies to define a sheet conveyance passage, a nip forming body to form a conveying nip region in the sheet conveyance passage, and a flexible plate body having a support portion to be attached to another body and having a downstream-side end portion as a free end in a sheet conveying direction. The support portion of the flexible plate body is located on an upstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the conveying nip region. The free end being located on a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the conveying nip region.

A feeding device includes a stacked portion on which materials to be fed are stacked, a feeding roller that feeds the materials to be fed stacked on the stacked portion, a cam that performs first rotation in a state of being in contact with a mounting member on which the feeding roller is mounted and raises the feeding roller, an elastic member that lowers the raised feeding roller to the stacked portion while causing the cam that is in contact with the mounting member to perform second rotation with an elastic force acting on the mounting member, and an applying unit that applies a rotation resistance to the cam performing the second rotation.

A sheet stacking apparatus includes a discharge unit, a stacking portion on which discharged sheets are stacked, a lifting unit, and first and second abutting portions. The lifting unit lifts and lowers the stacking portion. The first abutting portion abuts a trailing end of the stacked sheets in a sheet discharge direction. The first abutting portion does not move in an up-down direction. The second abutting portion abuts the stacked sheets trailing end. The first abutting portion supports the second abutting portion such that the second abutting portion is movable in the up-down direction. If the stacking portion is lowered from a first to a second position below the first position, the second abutting portion does not move in accordance with the stacking portion. If the stacking portion is further lowered beyond the second position, the second abutting portion moves in accordance with the stacking portion.

An automated product dispenser for dispensing a product from a supply of product is provided. The automated product dispenser includes a chassis assembly, a drive assembly, and an isolation member. The chassis assembly includes a chassis frame, and the drive assembly includes a motor, a drivetrain, and a drivetrain housing. The isolation member mounts the drive assembly to the chassis assembly such that the drive assembly is substantially spaced apart from the chassis frame. A related method of inhibiting vibration transmission in an automated product dispenser also is provided.

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.