According to one embodiment, a sheet conveying device includes a conveying path forming unit and an orthogonal movement permitting part. The conveying path forming unit forms a path for conveying a sheet. The orthogonal movement permitting part is provided in the conveying path. The orthogonal movement permitting part conveys the sheet along the conveying direction. The orthogonal movement permitting part allows the sheet to move in a conveying orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction.

A paper feed roller of the present invention comprises a roller body 2 integrally formed of elastic material in a cylindrical shape in which a plurality of protruding lines 6 are disposed on a peripheral surface 5 at even intervals, wherein the roller body 2 is formed so that crest portions 6a and trough portions 6b are continuously provided in a circumferential direction, an opening angle is equal to or more than 2 and is equal to or less than 8, a radial height h of the protruding line is equal to or more than 0.051 mm and is equal to or less than 0.1 mm, and a curvature radius r1 at a shoulder is equal to or more than 0.55 mm.

Disclosed is a sheet conveyance guide unit. The sheet conveyance guide unit includes a first sheet guide member which is of a sheet-like shape and which guides a sheet on which an image is formed and a second sheet guide member which is of a sheet-like shape and which is attached on a sheet guide surface of the first sheet guide member. A length of the second sheet guide member in a direction which crosses a sheet conveying direction is smaller than that of the first sheet guide member.

A detector, which is included in a sheet feeding device, a sheet conveying device, an image forming apparatus and an image reading device, contacts and detects a sheet, and includes a base, a sheet contact face to which the sheet contacts, and a coat layer formed on the sheet contact face. A difference of a static coefficient of friction s of the coat layer and a kinetic coefficient of friction d of the coat layer is smaller than and equal to 0.12.

Provided are a medium conveying apparatus to able to satisfactorily feed a medium. A medium conveying apparatus includes a loading tray, a feed roller to feed a medium placed on the loading tray, a separation roller located above the feed roller to face the feed roller, a bottom surface guide located at a first position where contact between a bottom surface of the medium placed on the loading tray and the feed roller is restricted, before medium feeding, and located at a second position where contact between the bottom surface of the medium placed on the loading tray and the feed roller is allowed, at a time of medium feeding, a first guide engaged with the bottom surface guide located at the first position to restrict contact between a front edge of the medium placed on the loading tray and the separation roller, before medium feeding, and a second guide located between an upstream edge of the separation roller in a medium conveying direction and a central part of the separation roller to regulate the front edge of the medium at a position apart upwardly by a predetermined distance from a nip part of the feed roller and the separation roller, at a time of medium feeding.

A medium-discharging device includes: a device main body including a medium-discharging section that discharges a medium; a medium-receiving tray that receives the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section; and a pressing member that is configured to be attached to and detached from to the device main body and presses the medium discharged by the medium-discharging section against the medium-receiving tray in a state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, in which the pressing member is configured to switch, in the state in which the pressing member is attached to the device main body, between a first state in which the pressing member comes into contact with the medium-receiving tray and a second state in which the pressing member retreats upward so as to be apart from the medium-receiving tray.

Disclosed is a sheet conveyance guide unit. The sheet conveyance guide unit includes a first sheet guide member which is of a sheet-like shape and which guides a sheet on which an image is formed and a second sheet guide member which is of a sheet-like shape and which is attached on a sheet guide surface of the first sheet guide member. A length of the second sheet guide member in a direction which crosses a sheet conveying direction is smaller than that of the first sheet guide member.

A paper feed roller of the present invention comprises a roller body 2 integrally formed of elastic material in a cylindrical shape in which a plurality of protruding lines 6 are disposed on a peripheral surface 5 at even intervals, wherein the roller body 2 is formed so that crest portions 6a and trough portions 6b are continuously provided in a circumferential direction, an opening angle is equal to or more than 2 and is equal to or less than 8, a radial height h of the protruding line is equal to or more than 0.051 mm and is equal to or less than 0.1 mm, and a curvature radius r1 at a shoulder is equal to or more than 0.55 mm.

A paper-sheet feeding unit includes: a feed roller configured to be rotated when feeding out a paper sheet, the feed roller having a high friction portion placed on a part of a circumference of an outer circumferential surface thereof, and a low friction portion placed on a location of the outer circumferential surface thereof other than the high friction portion, the low friction portion having a frictional coefficient smaller than that of the high friction portion; and a gate member arranged to be pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the feed roller, the gate member constituting a gate section configured to separate, one by one, the paper sheets fed out by the feed roller.

A spool unloading device comprising: a spindle; a first bulk spool of material is mounted on the spindle, wherein the spindle is rotatably controlled to dispense the material; a series of pulleys for receiving the unspooled material such that a variable length of the material is stored within the device before exiting the device to an upstream equipment; and a drive mechanism for indexing the unspooled material exiting the spool unloading machine at a controlled rate.