A sheet guiding device includes a cover unit, a swing guide, a link member, and a contact member. The cover unit is configured to be openably disposed on a housing of an image forming apparatus. The swing guide is configured to move between a guide position at which the swing guide is open to guide a sheet and a retracted position at which the swing guide is closed. The swing guide is configured to move from the retracted position to the guide position along with closing movement of the cover unit. The link member has one end configured to be held by the housing and an opposite end engaged with the swing guide. The contact member is disposed on the cover unit. The contact member is configured to contact the link member to rotate the link member in the closing movement of the cover unit.

A sheet guiding device includes a cover unit, a swing guide, a link member, and a contact member. The cover unit is configured to be openably disposed on a housing of an image forming apparatus. The swing guide is configured to move between a guide position at which the swing guide is open to guide a sheet and a retracted position at which the swing guide is closed. The swing guide is configured to move from the retracted position to the guide position along with closing movement of the cover unit. The link member has one end configured to be held by the housing and an opposite end engaged with the swing guide. The contact member is disposed on the cover unit. The contact member is configured to contact the link member to rotate the link member in the closing movement of the cover unit.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a suction feeder, a lifting mechanism, an elevation detection sensor, an elevation detection sensor, a feed detection sensor, and processing circuitry. The air blower blows air to float an uppermost sheet of sheets stacked on the sheet stacker. The processing circuitry drives the lifting mechanism such that the sheet stacker is lifted by an elevation amount determined based on a sheet thickness of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacker, each time a sheet is detected when a number of sheets detected is smaller than a threshold number of sheets, and stops lifting of the sheet stacker until a sheet is not detected when the number of sheets reaches the threshold number of sheets, while repeatedly feeding the uppermost sheet and counting the number of sheets.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a suction feeder, a lifting mechanism, an elevation detection sensor, an elevation detection sensor, a feed detection sensor, and processing circuitry. The air blower blows air to float an uppermost sheet of sheets stacked on the sheet stacker. The processing circuitry drives the lifting mechanism such that the sheet stacker is lifted by an elevation amount determined based on a sheet thickness of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacker, each time a sheet is detected when a number of sheets detected is smaller than a threshold number of sheets, and stops lifting of the sheet stacker until a sheet is not detected when the number of sheets reaches the threshold number of sheets, while repeatedly feeding the uppermost sheet and counting the number of sheets.

A sheet accommodating apparatus includes a loading portion onto which a sheet is loaded, a lifting and lowering unit that lifts and lowers the loading portion, a raising portion that raises a sheet loading surface with respect to a lowermost lowering position of the loading portion and above which a portion of the sheet is loaded, and an extension portion that extends to a position outward of the loading portion from the raising portion side as seen in plan view and supports another portion of the sheet.

A sheet accommodating apparatus includes a loading portion onto which a sheet is loaded, a lifting and lowering unit that lifts and lowers the loading portion, a raising portion that raises a sheet loading surface with respect to a lowermost lowering position of the loading portion and above which a portion of the sheet is loaded, and an extension portion that extends to a position outward of the loading portion from the raising portion side as seen in plan view and supports another portion of the sheet.

A material supply device includes a supply section that supplies a small piece made of a material containing a fiber, a weight measurement section that detects a weight of the small piece supplied from the supply section to a receiving portion, and a supply amount adjustment section that adjusts a supply amount per unit time of the small piece supplied by the supply section, based on a detection result detected by the weight measurement section. The supply section has a storage portion that stores the small piece, an outlet that discharges the small piece from the storage portion, and a shutter that opens and closes the outlet.

A material supply device includes a supply section that supplies a small piece made of a material containing a fiber, a weight measurement section that detects a weight of the small piece supplied from the supply section to a receiving portion, and a supply amount adjustment section that adjusts a supply amount per unit time of the small piece supplied by the supply section, based on a detection result detected by the weight measurement section. The supply section has a storage portion that stores the small piece, an outlet that discharges the small piece from the storage portion, and a shutter that opens and closes the outlet.

A sheet container includes a sheet loader, a pair of sheet regulators, a pressing member, and a pressing force adjusting device. The sheet loader is movable in a vertical direction and configured to load a sheet. The pair of sheet regulators is configured to regulate a position in a width direction of the sheet loaded on the sheet loader. The pressing member is disposed on at least one of the pair of sheet regulators and configured to press a lateral end face of the sheet, toward another one of the pair of sheet regulators in the width direction of the sheet. The pressing force adjusting device is configured to adjust pressing force generated by the pressing member to the sheet while maintaining a state in which the pressing member applies the pressing force to the sheet.

A sheet container includes a sheet loader, a pair of sheet regulators, a pressing member, and a pressing force adjusting device. The sheet loader is movable in a vertical direction and configured to load a sheet. The pair of sheet regulators is configured to regulate a position in a width direction of the sheet loaded on the sheet loader. The pressing member is disposed on at least one of the pair of sheet regulators and configured to press a lateral end face of the sheet, toward another one of the pair of sheet regulators in the width direction of the sheet. The pressing force adjusting device is configured to adjust pressing force generated by the pressing member to the sheet while maintaining a state in which the pressing member applies the pressing force to the sheet.