A printing apparatus comprises a sheet eject tray; a movable guide arranged on an upstream side of the sheet eject tray in a direction of conveyance of a sheet and is configured to be able to move to a protruding position and a retracted position; and a driving mechanism configured to cause the movable guide to move to the protruding position when a leading edge of a sheet is conveyed along the movable guide and cause the movable guide to move to the retracted position when a trailing edge of a sheet is conveyed along the movable guide, wherein the protruding position includes a first position at which the movable guide presses a sheet to the sheet eject tray and a second position between the first position and the retracted position.

A sheet feed device includes: a tray provided in a device body in a manner capable of being pulled out and having a loading part that is moved up and down; an extension part attached to the device body to support a portion of a sheet to be fed through the tray; a lifting mechanism that has a lifting/lowering part for moving the loading part up and down and a driving part for lifting and holding the loading part via the lifting/lowering part; and a disconnecting part that disconnects the lifting/lowering part and the driving part when an uncoupling operation is accepted in a state in which the tray is accommodated in the device body.

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 sheet storage apparatus and a printing apparatus include simplified mechanisms for supporting a sheet and for guiding the sheet. A sheet storage device that can store a sheet discharged from a discharge port of a printing apparatus includes multiple flappers provided below the discharge port and arranged in a width direction of the sheet, each flapper being rotatable between a first posture in which the sheet discharged from the discharge port is guided downward in a gravitational direction by using a first surface, and a second posture in which the sheet is supported by using a second surface being different from the first surface; and a connecting unit which connects the plurality of flappers to one another.

Provided is a pile preparation unit for changing a pallet support of a pile of sheets with a first end and a second end where the pallet has a support side supporting the pile of sheets at the first end. The pile preparation unit may include a rotation unit configured with an infeed opening for receiving a pallet with a pile of sheets, the rotation unit configured with a rotating structure to rotate a lift unit about a rotational axis. The lift unit is configured with a lift structure fixed to the rotating structure and has a lift plate movable along the lift structure to engage with the second end of the pile of sheets and to move and position the pile of sheets transverse, relative to the rotational axis, providing a portal for changing a pallet.

A scanner apparatus includes a housing including an insertion port into which a medium is inserted, a discharge port from which the medium is discharged, a conveying roller configured to convey the medium inserted from the scanning insertion port, and a scanning unit configured to scan the medium conveyed by the conveying roller. The scanning insertion port and the discharge port are provided on a +Y direction side of the housing. The housing includes a placement face extending in a −Y direction from the scanning insertion port. The placement face, when a first end of the medium is inserted into the scanning insertion port, is able to support a portion of the medium on a second end side opposite to the first end. The first end of the medium is discharged from the discharge port in a direction on the +Y direction side or in a −Z direction.

A stack of products is moved using a robot. The robot has an articulated arm and grippers on the articulated arm to grip the stack of products. The stack of products is selectively turned in the depositing scheme. Two grippers are used in the method and, upon the deposit, the grippers are removed from the stack of products in the horizontal and in two directions perpendicular to one another. It is possible to move and selectively deposit stacks of product in a turned or unturned orientation.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet stacking unit, a long sheet stacking unit, a first guide, a first detector, and a closing unit. The sheet stacking unit is movable up and down. Sheets are stacked on the sheet stacking unit. The long sheet stacking unit is detachably mounted on the sheet stacking unit. Long sheets are stacked on the long sheet stacking unit. The first guide is movable along a feeding direction through a groove. The first guide is deformable into a shape that does not interfere with the long sheet stacking unit. The first guide guides a rear end portion of the sheets in the feeding direction. The first detector is provided in the first guide. The first detector detects the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit. The closing unit is detachably attached to the groove in the sheet stacking unit. The closing unit closes the groove.

An image forming apparatus includes a first supporting member supporting a long sheet, a feeding unit for feeding the long sheet supported by the first supporting member with respect to a feeding direction and a second supporting member, rotatable about a rotational shaft, for supporting the long sheet with the first supporting member. In a state in which the sheet is bent so that a first portion of the long sheet is supported by the first supporting member and a second portion which is a more rear side than the first portion is positioned above the first portion, the second supporting member is movable between a first position where the second supporting member supports the second portion of the sheet and a second position where the center of gravity of the second supporting member is positioned downstream of a rotational center with respect to the feeding direction and the second supporting member maintains an attitude thereof by its own weight.

In an example, a media catcher may include a first frame member and a second frame member spaced away from the first frame member along a lateral direction, thereby defining a catcher width of the media catcher. Additionally, the media catcher may also include a device interface disposed at a top end of the first frame member or the second frame member. The device interface may attach the media catcher to an imaging device. The media catcher may further include a catch panel extending between the first frame member and the second frame member to catch and support media.