A feeding device includes a roller configured to feed an uppermost sheet of a plurality of sheets stacked in a stacking unit, and an inclined separator located downstream of the roller in a feed direction and configured to separate one sheet from another sheet. The inclined separator includes a first separator and a second separator that are arranged along the feed direction. Resistance imparted to each sheet by the first separator is greater than resistance imparted to each sheet by the second separator.

A sheet feeding device includes a feeder, a contact member, a movement restricting member, a moving mechanism, and control circuitry. The feeder is configured to feed a sheet. A leading end of the sheet in a feeding direction is to contact the contact member. The movement restricting member is configured to lock the contact member to restrict movement of the contact member from a contact position where the contact member contacts the sheet. The moving mechanism is configured to move the movement restricting member between a locking position and a lock releasing position. The contact member is configured to take the contact position by gravity or a biasing force of a biasing part. The control circuitry is configured to control the moving mechanism to move the movement restricting member to the lock releasing position and then to the locking position when a feeding operation of the sheet is finished.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a stacking portion on which the sheet having the image formed thereon is to be stacked, a first roller capable of forward and reverse rotations, a second roller capable of rotating with the first roller when the first roller makes a forward rotation, a third roller capable of rotating with the first roller when the first roller makes a reverse rotation and then the forward rotation, a regulation portion movable between a regulation position where entering of the sheet into a nip portion between the first and second rollers is prevented, and an allowing position where discharge of the sheet is allowed, and a movement unit configured to cause the regulation portion to be placed in the allowing position during forward rotation, and to be placed in the regulation position during reverse rotation.

A print medium finishing unit may include a load part in which print media is loaded, a stapler stapling the print media loaded in the load part while moving along one side end of the print media, and at least one arrangement member supporting one side end of the print media, wherein the arrangement member protrudes toward a moving path of the stapler to move between an arrangement position supporting one side end of the plurality of print media and an escape position escaping from a moving path of the stapler by receiving a force through the moving stapler. Therefore, a moving path of the stapler has a simple structure.

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.

Provided is a paper sheet loading device including a paper sheet loading unit having a bottom plate and a front wall, a feed roller that comes in contact with a bottom surface of a lowermost paper sheet of a batch of paper sheets and rotates to feed the lowermost paper sheet to outside of the paper sheet loading unit, and a load adjusting member arranged so as to protrude into the paper sheet loading unit and retreat to outside of the paper sheet loading unit. At a time of protrusion of the load adjusting member, the load adjusting member presses a front side face of the batch of paper sheets by a pressing surface to displace the front side face to an innermost part, and receives a load from the batch of paper sheets by the pressing surface, thereby reducing the load applied to the feed roller from the batch of paper sheets.

A recording apparatus includes a recording head; an output unit that outputs the recording medium; an output tray that receives the recording medium; a pressing member that is configured to be displaced in an up-down direction and that presses the recording medium toward the output tray by displacement of the pressing member from an upper side to a lower side with respect to the recording medium; and a restricting member configured to contact an upstream end portion in an output direction of the recording medium pressed by the pressing member, the restricting member including a contact position thereof with respect to the upstream end portion being configured to rotate. The restricting member restricts deformation of the upstream end portion pressed by the pressing member at the contact position. The pressing member is displaced upward in a state in which the restricting member restricts the deformation of the upstream end portion.

In some examples, a substrate handling system includes a sheet processing machine and at least one alignment device that includes at least four stops. At least one stop is configured as a front stop, at least one stop is configured as a rear stop, and at least two stops are configured as lateral stops. The at least two lateral stops are arranged opposite one another, and the at least one front stop and the at least one rear stop are arranged opposite one another. The alignment device includes at least one support element that is configured as a propping element for propping at least one partial stack of sheets in the alignment device. Further, at least one respective support element is arranged at the at least two lateral stops and at the at least one rear stop.

A sheet alignment apparatus includes a supporting portion configured to support a sheet, a first alignment member configured to abut an end portion in a first direction of the sheet supported by the supporting portion and align a position of the sheet in the first direction, a first moving unit configured to move the first alignment member in the first direction, a second alignment member configured to abut an end portion in a second direction of the sheet supported by the supporting portion and align a position of the sheet in the second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and a second moving unit configured to move the second alignment member in the second direction, wherein the first moving unit is disposed below the supporting portion, and wherein the second moving unit is disposed above the supporting portion.

A sheet alignment apparatus includes a supporting portion configured to support a sheet, a first alignment member configured to abut an end portion in a first direction of the sheet supported by the supporting portion and align a position of the sheet in the first direction, a first moving unit configured to move the first alignment member in the first direction, a second alignment member configured to abut an end portion in a second direction of the sheet supported by the supporting portion and align a position of the sheet in the second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and a second moving unit configured to move the second alignment member in the second direction, wherein the first moving unit is disposed below the supporting portion, and wherein the second moving unit is disposed above the supporting portion.