A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting unit, a sheet feed unit, an air separation unit configured to separate the uppermost sheet by blowing the air onto a side surface of the sheet bundle supported by the sheet supporting unit, a velocity detection unit configured to detect actual velocity of a sheet fed by the sheet feed unit, a drive load detection unit configured to detect an actual drive load for feeding the sheet by the sheet feed unit, and a controller configured to control the sheet feed unit and the air separation unit. In a case where the sheet is fed by the sheet feed unit, the controller is configured to control an operation of the air separation unit depending on the actual velocity of the sheet detected by the velocity detection unit and the actual drive load detected by the drive load detection unit.

An image forming apparatus includes a drawer unit, a sheet inverting unit, a sheet guide plate, and a projection. The drawer unit is drawable from an apparatus body. The sheet inverting unit is disposed in the apparatus body, and pulls a sheet into a lower portion of the drawer unit to invert the sheet. The sheet guide plate is disposed on the sheet inverting unit to face the drawer unit, and includes a recess extending in a pull-out direction of the drawer unit that crosses a direction in which the sheet is transported. The projection protrudes toward the recess from a portion of a lower surface of the drawer unit facing the sheet guide plate near a pull-out start point in the pull-out direction and on a rear of a transport area of the sheet.

An image forming apparatus includes a drawer unit, a sheet inverting unit, a sheet guide plate, and a projection. The drawer unit is drawable from an apparatus body. The sheet inverting unit is disposed in the apparatus body, and pulls a sheet into a lower portion of the drawer unit to invert the sheet. The sheet guide plate is disposed on the sheet inverting unit to face the drawer unit, and includes a recess extending in a pull-out direction of the drawer unit that crosses a direction in which the sheet is transported. The projection protrudes toward the recess from a portion of a lower surface of the drawer unit facing the sheet guide plate near a pull-out start point in the pull-out direction and on a rear of a transport area of the sheet.

A media-sheet stacking system for stacking media sheets on a device output tray comprises a kicker to advance a media sheet along the output tray by pushing a trailing edge of the media sheet as it exits the device, and a movable element arranged to face the output tray across a space that receives media sheets exiting the device. A drive mechanism is provided to drive the movable element in the direction of advance of the media sheet along the output tray.

Systems and methods that utilize a card reorienting mechanism are described. Generally, the card reorienting mechanism can transport and rotate a card without substantially contacting one of the principal surfaces of the card. The use of the card reorienting mechanism permits reorienting of the card without substantially contacting the principal surface of the card after the operation has been performed on the principal surface of the card. The card reorienting mechanism of the present disclosure can be useful where rotation of the card without contacting the principal surfaces of the card is desired moments after ink is applied to one of the principal surfaces of the card. In addition, substantially the entire principle surface is accessible for processing operations while the card is on the reorienting mechanism, such as for laser personalization or for image capture.

A single sheet handling device (14a to 14d, 30, 200, 252, 270, 350) for the input and the output of rectangular single sheets (38) respectively into and out of a container (12a to 12d). These rectangular single sheets can in particular be banknotes (38). The single sheet handling device (14a to 14d, 30, 200, 252, 270, 350) has a feeding device with feeding elements for the sheet-by-sheet feeding of single sheets (38) and for storing these single sheets (38) in a stack (36) of single sheets in the container (12a to 12d). Further, the single sheet handling device has a separating device with separating elements for the sheet-by-sheet removal of single sheets (38) of the stack (36) from the container (12a to 12d). The feeding elements and the separating elements are arranged separately from the container (12a to 12d).

A media-sheet stacking system for stacking media sheets on a device output tray comprises a kicker to advance a media sheet along the output tray by pushing a trailing edge of the media sheet as it exits the device, and a movable element arranged to face the output tray across a space that receives media sheets exiting the device. A drive mechanism is provided to drive the movable element in the direction of advance of the media sheet along the output tray.

A handoff mechanism for use with a media stacker of a media production apparatus comprises a plurality of kicker units (101) arranged across a width of the handoff mechanism. A common drive mechanism (103) is provided to move the plurality of kicker units (101) between a closed position and an open position. Each kicker unit (101), when in the closed position during use, applies a pressure to any media sheets that are already stacked in a stacker tray (105) while a new media sheet is being fed to the stacker tray. The pressure provided by each kicker unit (101) is independent of the pressure provided by the other kicker units (101).

A media-sheet stacking system (10) for stacking media sheets on a device output tray (OT) comprises a kicker (25) to advance a media sheet along the output tray by pushing a trailing edge of the media sheet as it exits the device, and a movable element (32a) arranged to face the output tray across a space that receives media sheets exiting the device. A drive mechanism (33) is provided to drive the movable element in the direction of advance of the media sheet along the output tray.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting unit, a sheet feed unit, an air separation unit configured to separate the uppermost sheet by blowing the air onto a side surface of the sheet bundle supported by the sheet supporting unit, a velocity detection unit configured to detect actual velocity of a sheet fed by the sheet feed unit, a drive load detection unit configured to detect an actual drive load for feeding the sheet by the sheet feed unit, and a controller configured to control the sheet feed unit and the air separation unit. In a case where the sheet is fed by the sheet feed unit, the controller is configured to control an operation of the air separation unit depending on the actual velocity of the sheet detected by the velocity detection unit and the actual drive load detected by the drive load detection unit.