A method for franking packages individually supplied from a stack on a conveyor line to a franking machine, such as envelopes, mailing bags, sleeves, cards, labels, printed products, or the like, which are removed at the lower side of the stack for separation and which are supplied on the upstream conveyor line to a printing mechanism of the franking machine and which, after printing of the packages, are discharged from the franking machine. The packages are supplied on the conveyor portion via a switch to the franking machine and after printing are supplied counter to the supply direction from the printing mechanism of the franking machine via the transposed switch of a depositing device which is provided therebelow for printed packages.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a pickup roller that feeds a medium from a medium mount section. A support member supports a pickup roller and swings around a swing axis to switch between a feeding position and a non-feeding position. A separation roller separates the medium from other media. A feed roller feeds the medium toward the downstream end. The separation and feed rollers are disposed downstream of the pickup roller. A control section controls a position of the support member. After the pickup roller and the feed roller start rotating, when the control section determines that the separation roller stops rotating or returns the medium by rotating in a reverse direction, based on a detection signal from a rotation sensing section configured to detect rotation of the separation roller, the control section causes the support member to switch from the feeding position to the non-feeding position.

A document conveyance apparatus includes a first conveyance path, a first image reading part, a curved second conveyance path, a third conveyance path, a branch guide, a first discharge port, a document stacking section, a second discharge port and a tray support part. The first conveyance path extends linearly. The curved second conveyance path is branched from the first conveyance path at a branch point. The third conveyance path is branched from the first conveyance path at the branch point and extends linearly. Through the first discharge port, the document conveyed along the second conveyance path is discharged. The document stacking section is provided with a discharge tray. Through the second discharge port, the document conveyed along the third conveyance path is discharged. To the tray support part, the detached discharge tray is supported such that the document discharged through the second discharge port is stacked.

According to one embodiment, provided is an automatic document feeder including a conveying unit, a first tray, a storage unit, and a paper discharge guide. The conveying unit is configured to convey paper to the paper discharge tray. The first tray is a paper discharge tray on which paper discharged by the conveying unit is stacked. The storage unit is a groove-shaped hole provided below the first tray. The paper discharge guide is a member for guiding paper having a predetermined size discharged by the conveying unit to the storage unit.

A sheet feeder includes an ejection tray, an ejector, an aligner, a pressing member, a friction member, and a switching device. The ejection tray stacks sheets. The ejector ejects a sheet to the ejection tray. The aligner is disposed downstream of the ejector in a direction of ejection of the sheet. The aligner is rotatable in a normal direction and a reverse direction. The pressing member applies pressure between the sheet and the aligner to enable the aligner to convey the sheet by rotation in the normal direction and the reverse direction. The friction member contacts the sheet ejected on the ejection tray to prevent conveyance of the sheet. The switching device switches contact and separation of the friction member with respect to the sheet.

A sheet discharge device includes: a sheet discharge portion; a sheet stacking portion having a sheet stacking surface for stacking a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge portion; and a stopper in the sheet stacking portion against which, for alignment, the leading end of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharge portion is thrust. The stopper has a support portion, a restricting portion, and an urging mechanism. The restricting portion is supported pivotally on a pivot shaft on the support portion, and is arranged either in a retracted position to lie flat substantially horizontally along the sheet stacking surface or in a restricting position to stand upright substantially vertically to the sheet stacking surface. The urging mechanism urges the restricting portion, when in retracted position, in a direction from restricting position to retracted position and, when in restricting position, in a direction from retracted position to restricting position.

An image scanner is configured to perform: controlling the sheet feed roller to feed the document supported on the sheet feed tray, controlling the conveyor to convey the fed document to the reading position, controlling the image sensor to read the image of the document at the reading position, and controlling the sheet discharge unit to discharge the read document to the sheet discharge tray; in response to detecting, by the sheet feed sensor, a state change from the first state to the second state, moving the movable plate upward until the sheet feed roller changes from the second state to the first state; after moving the movable plate, controlling the distance sensor to detect the document distance; and moving the sheet discharge unit vertically based on the detected document distance.

There is disclosed a sheet media processing machine comprising a media inlet to receive sheet media along a feed direction from a first side of the machine and a media outlet to discharge sheet media along a discharge direction towards the first side of the machine. There is a feed mechanism to convey sheet media from the media inlet to the media outlet, and a re-feed prevention element disposed upstream of the media inlet with respect to the feed direction to inhibit recirculation of discharged sheet media along an external recirculation path between the media outlet and the media inlet. The re-feed prevention element is exposed to contact with sheet media and comprises an elastomer. There is also disclosed a feed guide comprising a re-feed prevention element, and a method in which such a feed guide is installed on a sheet media processing machine.

A document conveyance apparatus includes a loading portion having a loading surface for a document, a rotating member, a detection unit, a feeding roller, and a support portion. The rotating member includes a front end portion protruding from the loading surface and rotates about a rotary shaft by being in contact with the loaded document. The detection unit detects rotation of the rotating member and detects presence or absence of the loaded document. The feeding roller feeds the document by being in contact with the document loaded on the loading surface. The support portion rotatably supports the rotary shaft. When the rotary shaft is viewed from an axial direction, the rotary shaft includes a recessed portion recessed from an outer periphery section of the rotary shaft toward a shaft center of the rotary shaft. The support portion is in contact with the recessed portion to rotatably support the rotating member.

A sheet discharge device includes a discharge member, a discharge tray and a stopper. The discharge tray includes a groove and a fixed magnetic body. The groove is formed along a discharge direction. The fixed magnetic body is disposed at a predetermined position along the groove. The stopper includes a guide piece, a contact piece and a moving magnet body. The guide piece is engaged with the groove in a slidable manner. With the contact piece, the leading edge of the sheet is allowed to be come into contact. The moving magnetic body generates a magnetic force in a direction in which the moving magnetic body and the fixed magnetic body are attracted each other. When the guide piece is slid along the groove and the moving magnetic body reaches the predetermined position, a resistance is applied to a sliding movement of the guide piece by the magnetic force.