A paper sheet conveyance device for generating an airstream in a conveyance duct and for conveying a paper sheet inserted into the conveyance duct by being pushed from behind by a conveyance subsidiary body moving in the conveyance duct by receiving the airstream. The paper sheet conveyance device includes an air volume adjustment unit that adjusts a strength of the airstream according to a position of the conveyance subsidiary body moving in the conveyance path.

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A drop feeder conveys the document packets to the feeder. A sensor provides information related to the thickness of the document packets and the drop feeder is controlled in response to the information related to the thickness of a packet in the feeder. The method includes the control of the drop feeder in response to information related to the thickness of a document packet at the feeder.

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

A sheet conveyance device includes a conveyance roller pair to convey a sheet, a skew correction roller pair to correct a skew of the sheet in a state in which the skew correction roller pair is being stopped, first and second conveyance guides, and a protrusion. The first conveyance guide includes a bend contact portion to come into contact with a portion forming a bend on the first surface of the sheet. The second conveyance guides the sheet. The protrusion is disposed between the skew correction roller pair and the bend contact portion to come into contact with the first surface of the sheet. The protrusion protrudes toward the second conveyance guide from the first conveyance guide in a manner as to intersect with a straight line connecting two nip portions and the bend contact portion in a cross section perpendicular to a width direction.

A sheet conveyance device includes a conveyance roller pair to convey a sheet, a skew correction roller pair to correct a skew of the sheet in a state in which the skew correction roller pair is being stopped, first and second conveyance guides, and a protrusion. The first conveyance guide includes a bend contact portion to come into contact with a portion forming a bend on the first surface of the sheet. The second conveyance guides the sheet. The protrusion is disposed between the skew correction roller pair and the bend contact portion to come into contact with the first surface of the sheet. The protrusion protrudes toward the second conveyance guide from the first conveyance guide in a manner as to intersect with a straight line connecting two nip portions and the bend contact portion in a cross section perpendicular to a width direction.

A sheet transport device includes: a first transport roller that transports a sheet and that has two first nip parts, which are spaced apart in a sheet width direction and nip portions of the sheet; a second transport roller that transports the sheet, that is disposed upstream of the first transport roller in a sheet transport direction, that has a second nip part, which nips a portion of the sheet at a position different from at least one of the first nip parts in the width direction, and that stops exerting a force that transports the sheet when the sheet has been transferred to the first transport roller; and two tension-applying parts that are provided on the first transport roller, on the outer side of the two first nip parts in the width direction, and that apply, to the sheet, tension pulling the sheet outward in the width direction.

A flattening device includes: a holder configured to support the following components; at least one flattening roller set, including a first flattening roller and a second flattening roller arranged oppositely at two sides of a sheet medium conveying path; and a power mechanism configured to drive the first and second flattening rollers to rotate. A surface of the first flattening roller is distributed with n arc-shaped grooves arranged in parallel with an axis direction of the first flattening roller, wherein n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1; and a surface of the second flattening roller is provided with at least one arc-shaped protruding portion in rolling engagement with the arc-shaped grooves of the first flattening roller; and wherein, the first flattening roller and the second flattening roller are in rolling engagement to form a conveying passage for the sheet medium.

An image reading apparatus according to an embodiment includes a first sensor, a roller, a correction unit, a second sensor, a control unit, and a scanner. Upstream to downstream positions with regard to a transportation direction of the sheet are determined in the following order: the first position, a second position, a third position. The first sensor detects the presence or absence of a fold of the sheet in the first position. If it is detected in the first position that the fold is present, the roller transports a sheet in a reverse transportation direction. The correction unit corrects the fold in the first position. The second sensor detects the presence or absence of the fold in the second position. If it is detected in the second position that the fold is present, the control unit controls drive of the roller in such a manner that the sheet is transported up to the first position in the reverse transportation direction. The scanner reads an image on the sheet of which the fold is corrected in the first position.

A paper sheet conveyance device for conveying a paper sheet by an airstream generated in a tubular conveyance path. The paper sheet conveyance device includes a frame member that supports the conveyance path and are provided along an installation route of the conveyance path, pedestal units attached to the frame member and that slide along a longitudinal direction of the frame member, and a plurality of paper sheet capturing devices that send out the paper sheet to be conveyed into the conveyance path and are provided in the conveyance path. Each of the paper sheet capturing devices includes a path part that forms a part of the conveyance path, which is formed by joining a plurality of conveyance ducts and the path parts of the paper sheet capturing devices. The pedestal unit is provided for and holds each of the paper sheet capturing devices.

A sheet handling apparatus (for example, banknote handling apparatus 20) includes a storing and feeding unit (25) in which a sheet is stored on a rotary member (for example, drum (25a)) by winding the sheet on the rotary member and the sheet wound on the rotary member can be fed from the rotary member, a transport unit (23) that transports the sheet fed from the storing and feeding unit (25), a curl correction mechanism (70) that corrects a curl of the sheet transported by the transport unit (23), and a stacking unit (for example, banknote collection bag (34)) in which the sheet that has passed through the curl correction mechanism (70) is stacked.