An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a feeder, and a relay device. The main body forms an image on a sheet. The feeder feeds the sheet toward the main body. The relay device connects the main body to the feeder. The main body is placed on a placement surface. The feeder is arranged opposite to the main body with the relay device therebetween in a direction along the placement surface. The relay device includes a conveyance unit and a casing which houses the conveyance unit. The conveyance unit conveys the sheet fed from the feeder to the main body and rotates relative to the casing with an axis as a pivot thereof. The axis extends in a cross direction intersecting with the placement surface.

This disclosure relates to a winding machine which has a plurality of equi-rotating rolls, at least two guide elements arranged mirror-wise, between which the sheets to be rolled up pass, with arched distal portions arranged in a mirror-like manner, the two guide elements being connected to a support configured to position in a mutually exclusive manner only one guide element at a time in the rolling space defined between the winding rollers. Moreover, the winding machine is equipped with a motor unit controlled so as to rotate the winding rollers in a direction or in the opposite direction depending on which of the two guide elements has its respective distal portion facing the rolling space.

An image reading device includes: a discharge guide including a discharge opening for discharging the sheet conveyed by the conveyance guide to the discharge tray, the discharge guide being configured to move from a third position to a fourth position according to the decrease in the number of the sheet to be supported by the supply tray, the fourth position being higher than the third position; a discharge roller configured to discharge the sheet through the discharge opening; and a first drive source which generates a first drive force for moving the discharge guide between the third position and the fourth position, wherein the first drive force is also used for rotating the discharge roller.

A sheet conveyance unit includes a sheet inlet port, an inlet guide, and a guide switching mechanism. The inlet guide has an upper guide and a lower guide below the upper guide. The guide switching mechanism switches a position of the inlet guide between a conveyance position at which the upper guide and the lower guide face each other with a first distance and a separation position at which the upper guide and the lower guide are spaced from each other by a second distance greater than the first distance. To connect the sheet conveyance unit to the sheet discharge unit, the inlet guide is disposed to the separation position before the discharge guide is inserted between the upper guide and the lower guide, and is disposed to the conveyance position after the discharge guide is inserted between the upper guide and the lower guide.

An image reading device includes: a controller which performs a first drive operation for rotating the discharge roller, and a second drive operation for moving the discharge guide between the third position and the fourth position. The controller stops the first drive operation when performing the second drive operation, and stops the second drive operation when performing the first drive operation.

A discharge unit includes a first discharge guide which guides the sheet conveyed by the conveyance guide, a second discharge guide which includes the discharge opening, and guides the sheet guided by the first discharge guide toward the discharge tray, and a discharge roller and a discharge pinch roller which are provided in the second discharge guide. The first discharge guide is rotatable around a first axis which is parallel with an axial direction of the discharge roller. The second discharge guide is connected to the first discharge guide to be rotatable around a second axis which is parallel with the first axis. An angle at which the second discharge guide is inclined with respect to a sheet supporting surface in the discharge tray is constant while the discharge unit is moving from the third position up to the fourth position.

Sheet collating device for accumulating sheets from at least one hopper, comprising: a lower transport path and an upper transport path; a switchable guide for directing the sheets from the at least one hopper to the lower or the upper transport path; left and right upper drive shafts connected to a right and a left upper drive pulleys supporting a pair of upper belts, a drive direction of the pair of upper belts being changed dependent on what transport path of the upper and lower transport paths is selected; first and second lower drive shafts connected to a right and a left lower drive pulleys supporting first and second pairs of lower belts; and a first series of right paddles mounted on the first pair of lower belts and a first series of left paddles mounted on the second pair of lower belts for registering a collated set of sheets.

An image reading apparatus includes: a supply tray; a discharge tray, which is positioned below the supply tray to support the sheet; a conveyance guide, which conveys the sheet from the supply tray to the discharge tray; a reading sensor, which reads an image on the sheet conveyed on the conveyance guide; a discharge unit, which includes a discharge port to discharge the sheet conveyed by the conveyance guide to the discharge tray and is configured to move from a third position to a fourth position, the fourth position being higher than the third position; a first drive source, which generates a drive force; and a second drive source, which generates a drive force, wherein the movable plate is moved by the drive force from the first drive source, and the discharge unit is moved by the drive force from the second drive source.

An image reading apparatus includes: a supply tray, which supports sheets to be supplied and includes a movable plate configured to move from a first position to a second position as the sheet supported by the paper feed tray is decreased, the second position being higher than the first position; a discharge tray; a conveyance guide; a reading sensor; a discharge unit, which includes a discharge opening to discharge the sheet conveyed by the conveyance guide to the discharge tray and is configured to move from a third position to a fourth position as the sheet supported by the paper feed tray is decreased, the fourth position being higher than the third position; and a first drive source, which generates a drive force, wherein the discharge unit is configured to move by receiving the drive force and to transmit the drive force to the movable plate.

A paper reversing apparatus includes a main conveyance path, a reversing path, first and second guiding plates and a hardware processor. The reversing path is disposed so as to form a predetermined angle with respect to the main conveyance path. Paper enters the reversing path from the main conveyance path and leaves the reversing path to the main conveyance path by being sent backward. When paper enters the reversing path, the processor moves the first guiding plate to a position for the paper to follow the first guiding plate and moves the second guiding plate to a position to avoid the paper. When paper leaves the reversing path, the processor moves the second guiding plate to a position for the paper to follow the second guiding plate and moves the first guiding plate to a position to avoid the paper.