A sheet-type medium transporter comprises separation rollers to separate a sheet-type medium from sheet-type media picked up from a load tray in which the sheet-type media are loaded to be transported out of the load tray in a transporting direction; and an air blower coupled to at least one separation roller of the separation rollers to be driven by the at least one separation roller, to supply air in a direction substantially opposite to the transporting direction of the load tray and toward the sheet-type media, to lift the sheet-type medium from the sheet-type media, which is to be separated by the separation rollers.

A sheet separation device includes a separating member to contact a feed roller and to separate sheet-type media transported between the feed roller and the separating member, the separating member movable to contact the feed roller at a plurality of contact points on the feed roller along the withdrawing direction to apply different pressing forces corresponding to the plurality of contact points.

A sheet supplying apparatus includes a cam gear to rotate about a first axis of rotation between first and second rotating positions, and an alignment member rotatable to an alignment position to block a fore-end of a sheet of a printing medium contained on a loading table, and a transport-allowing position to allow a sheet picked up by a pickup member to be transported, according to the rotating position of the cam gear. The sheet supplying apparatus includes a main gear to rotate about a second axis of rotation, a swing arm rotatable about the second axis of rotation, and first and second swing gears, supported by the swing arm, to selectively contact the cam gear according to a rotating direction of the main gear so as to rotate the cam gear between the first and second rotating positions.

An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding roller which feeds a sheet accumulated on a tray; and a hardware processor which: detects a movement speed of the sheet currently fed by the sheet feeding roller; and calculates a difference amount between the movement speed and a first reference speed, and determines a life of the sheet feeding roller based on the difference amount, wherein the hardware processor determines whether or not to use the movement speed of a first sheet for life determination based on a relationship between the movement speed of the first sheet and the movement speed of a sheet fed before the first sheet, and if the hardware processor determines not to use the movement speed of the first sheet for the life determination, the hardware processor calculates the difference amount by excluding the movement speed of the first sheet.

A medium feed apparatus includes a first sensor, a second sensor, a third sensor to detect rotation of the separation roller, and a processor. The processor controls a motor to put the separation roller on hold from when starting the feed of the medium to when the second sensor detects a front end of the medium and generate the drive force from when the second sensor detects the front end of the medium to when the first sensor detects a back end of the medium, and controls the motor to stop the feed roller while generating the drive force if the third sensor detects rotation of the separation roller in the opposite direction to the medium feed direction during feed of the medium.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a storage unit storing a sheet, a conveyance member to convey a sheet, a support shaft portion, and a separation unit. The support shaft portion has one end fixed to a main body of the sheet conveyance apparatus and the other end as a free end that is not fixed to the main body. The separation unit pinches and conveys a sheet with the conveyance member and separates a plurality of sheets stored in and fed from the storage unit one by one. The separation unit includes a separation member that is supported by the support shaft portion and rotatable with the support shaft portion, and a holding member to hold the separation member. By moving the holding member in an axial direction of the support shaft portion, the separation unit is removed from the apparatus with the holding member holding the separation member.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a conveyance roller, a drive input shaft, a joint, a first engaging portion, a first engaged portion, a second engaging portion, and a second engaged portion. When viewed in an axial direction of the joint, an angle formed by a first straight line and a second straight line is within a range of 80 degrees or greater and 100 degrees or smaller, the first straight line passing through the first engagement position and a center of rotation of the drive input shaft, the second straight line passing through the second engagement position and a center of rotation of the retard shaft.

A paper sheet feeding unit includes: a plurality of feed rollers; a plurality of gate rollers respectively disposed opposite to the plurality of feed rollers in a one-to-one relationship; a biasing member that biases the plurality of gate rollers individually in a direction of the plurality of feed rollers; and a supporting member that supports the plurality of gate rollers and the biasing member.

A sheet feeding device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a roller detachably attached to the image forming apparatus and configured to feed a sheet in a sheet conveying direction, a shaft configured to engage with the roller and transmit a driving force to the roller, a movable body configured to rotate in a direction of rotational axis and includes a holding portion configured to engage with the second engaging portion of the roller and rotatably hold the roller and a guide configured to guide attachment of the second engaging portion of the roller to the holding portion, and a biasing body configured to apply a biasing force and bias the movable body from a drive receiving side to a drive transmitting side.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacker to stack at least one sheet; a sheet feed roller disposed at one side of the sheet stacker and to feed a sheet fed from the sheet stacker; a multi-feed prevention roller disposed to face the sheet feed roller and to prevent multi-feed of the sheet fed from the sheet stacker; a magnetic torque limiter disposed coaxially with the multi-feed prevention roller; a hall sensor disposed at one side of the magnetic torque limiter and to detect rotation of the magnetic torque limiter; and a controller configured to rotate the sheet feed roller in a state in which the sheet feed roller and the multi-feed prevention roller are in contact with each other without a sheet and to identify a lifetime of the multi-feed prevention roller by using a signal output from the hall sensor.