A sheet feeding apparatus includes a disengagement mechanism to disengage a rotary feeding member and a separation member to be apart from each other, a pressing portion to press an upper face of a sheet supported on a sheet supporting portion, and a detector to detect displacement of the sheet pressed by the pressing portion. A controller executes one mode among a plurality of modes to feed the sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion based on a detection result of the detector. In a first feed mode, a leading edge of the sheet passes a position of a separation portion with the rotary feeding member and the separation member disengaged by the disengagement mechanism. In a second feed mode, the leading edge of the sheet passes the separation portion with the rotary feeding member and the separation member engaged.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes first, second, and third rotating members, a switching unit, and a regulating member. The first rotating member rotates in one direction to convey, with the second rotating member, a sheet in a first direction and convey, with the third rotating member, the sheet in a second direction different from the first direction. The switching unit switches the first rotating member between first and second positions. The first position is a position in which the first rotating member coveys a sheet with the second or third rotating member. The second position is a position to which the first rotating member is retracted from the first position. Where the first rotating member moves from the first position, the regulating member regulates the sheet position so that a sheet rear end held by the second and third rotating members is positioned above a first rotating member moving trajectory.

A sheet feeding device includes a tray, a feeding member, a conveying member, a separation member, a transmission unit, and a biasing member. The separation member abuts the conveying member and separates a single sheet from sheets fed by the feeding member. The transmission unit includes first and second portions respectively having first and second transmission surfaces. Where the first and second transmission surfaces abut each other, the first portion drives the second portion that drives the feeding member. The biasing member biases either of the first and second portions so that the first and second transmission surfaces move away from each other. The conveying member is driven in a state where the separation member abuts the conveying member and the feeding member abuts the sheet stacked on the tray and is stopped. Thereafter, the first and second transmission surfaces abut each other, and the feeding member is driven.

A moving-side roller reliably separates from a stationary-side roller so as to enable appropriate document transport. An image reading apparatus causes a roller support member supporting the moving-side roller to come into contact with the stationary-side roller. A contact state and a separation state can be switched. The image reading apparatus includes an external force providing portion to exert a third external force on the roller support member in a direction for restraining warping that is generated in the roller support member by a first external force that a cam exerts on the roller support member and by a second external force that an urging device exerts on the roller support member.

A sheet-conveying device includes first, second, and third rotary members, and a switching unit. The first rotary member rotates in one direction to convey, with the second rotary member, a sheet in a first direction and to convey, with the third rotary member, the sheet in a second direction. The switching unit switch from a first to a second state by moving the first rotary member before a trailing end of the first direction conveyed sheet passes through the first and second rotary members. The first state is a state where the second rotary member contacts a first surface of the sheet and the first rotary member contacts a second surface of the sheet. The second state is a state where the first rotary member contacts with the first surface of the sheet and the third rotary member contacts the second surface of the sheet.

A conveying apparatus includes: a first roller and a second roller configured to convey a print sheet while nipping the print sheet at a nip pressure; an adjustor supporting the first roller and the second roller in a manner capable of adjusting an inter-axial distance between the first roller and the second roller, the adjustor being configured to apply a biasing force biasing the second roller toward the first roller and capable of adjusting the biasing force; and a controller configured to control the nip pressure by driving the adjustor to adjust the biasing force.

A collation folding device comprising one or more fold rollers mounted in fixed positions. Below and adjacent to the fold rollers are adjustable nip rollers to form nip spacing between the rollers. The adjustable nip roller is mounted on a nip axis shaft. An adjustment mechanism is used for moving the nip axis shaft to adjust the nip spacing. The nip adjustment mechanism includes a bearing block cam follower on which the nip axis shaft is fixedly mounted and supported. An eccentric cam in operative contact with the bearing block cam follower. Rotation of the eccentric cam on the eccentric cam axis drives the bearing block cam follower in its linear motion to adjust the nip spacing.

A sheet conveyance apparatus including: an oblique-feed unit configured to convey a sheet by imparting to the sheet nipped a force in a direction inclined relative to a sheet conveyance direction so that the sheet approaches an abutment surface in the width direction as the sheet proceeds downstream in the sheet conveyance direction; a drive unit configured to drive the oblique-feed unit; a change unit configured to change the force of the oblique-feed unit; and a control unit configured to control the drive unit and the change unit so that, after causing the sheet to abut against the abutment surface in a first state in which the oblique-feed unit is driven at a first speed, the oblique-feed unit is put into a second state in which the oblique-feed unit is driven at a second speed higher than the first speed and the force is weaker than in the first state.

A printing apparatus includes a holding unit that holds a plurality of roll bodies, a transport device (100) which has a transport unit (110) that imparts a transport force by coming into contact with a medium (M), a pressing unit (120) which presses the medium (M) toward the transport unit (110), and an adjustment unit (140) which is able to adjust a pressing force on the medium (M) in each of a plurality of regions in a width direction, the transport device (100) is able to transport the plurality of mediums (M) in the transport direction (F) in a state of being lined up in the width direction, a printing unit which performs printing on the medium (M), and a control unit which controls the adjustment unit (140) such that pressing force on the medium (M) in the non-printing state is smaller than in the printing state.

A convey path switching module includes a body and a switching mechanism. The body has first, second and third convey paths. The switching mechanism includes a first switching assembly, a first actuator, a second switching assembly and at least one elastic member. The first actuator drives the first switching assembly to pivotally rotate. The second switching assembly is adapted to pivotally rotate and is restored by an elastic force of the elastic member. By pivotally rotating of the first and second switching assemblies, the switching mechanism is switched to a first state to open the first convey path and close the second and third convey paths, is switched to a second state to open the second convey path and close the first and third convey paths, and is switched to a third state to open the third convey path and close the first and second convey paths.