Provided is a drive transmission switching mechanism that can switch and drive two circulation units by one motor in response to a switching operation of a paper sheet transport direction. A paper sheet storage unit includes a first circulation unit 100 and a second circulation unit 200 that respectively receive transported paper sheets upon reception of a drive force from a single motor 302 and feed paper sheets stored therein, a sorter 310 that sorts paper sheets to either one of the circulation units, and a drive transmission switching mechanism 400 that transmits a drive force from the motor to either one of the circulation units. The drive transmission switching mechanism is activated in conjunction with an operation to change the posture of the sorter, thereby switching and transmitting the drive force to either one of the circulation units.

A recording apparatus includes a housing configured to house a recording portion recording an image on a sheet and to have a side including an opening through which the sheet passes, a tray configured to rotate about a rotation shaft, relative to the housing, between a closed position at a first angle for closing the opening and an open position at a second angle for loading the sheet, and an urging mechanism configured to urge the tray toward the closed position when an angle about the rotation shaft of the tray is between the first angle and a third angle and to urge the tray toward the open position when an angle about the rotation shaft of the tray is between the third angle and the second angle. The third angle is an angle between the first angle and the second angle.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a feed roller to feed a medium, a separation roller opposed to the feed roller, a motor to generate driving force by being supplied with electric power, a cam member rotated in a first direction by the driving force to press the separation roller toward the feed roller, and a driving force transmitting mechanism between the motor and the cam member, the driving force transmitting mechanism being configured to transmit the driving force from the motor to the cam member and provided such that the cam member keeps pressing the separation roller toward the feed roller without rotating the cam member in a second direction opposite to the first direction even if electric power supply to the motor is shut off.

Provided is a plate material feeding device that can achieve reduced power consumption, improve durability, and supply plate material with high precision. A plate material feeding device is provided with a housing, a lower roll, an upper roll, a lower roll support member for supporting the lower roll, an upper roll support member for supporting the upper roll, and a slider movable in the horizontal direction along the upper roll support member, and can feed plate material clamped by the lower roll and the upper roll. A hole is provided in the slider, and a rod is provided in the upper roll support member. By inserting at least part of the rod in the hole in a slidable manner, the upper roll support member can move in the vertical direction when the slider moves in the horizontal direction.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a first conveyance path, a second conveyance path, a curved conveyance path, a first roller pair, a second roller pair disposed along the curved conveyance path, an inner guide, and an outer guide opposing the inner guide, constituting at least part of the curved conveyance path between the first roller pair and the second roller pair together with the inner guide, and provided on an outer side in a curving direction of the curved conveyance path. A nip line of the first roller pair and a nip line of the second roller pair intersect with each other. The outer guide is movable between a first position and a second position that is farther away from the inner guide than the first position.

In an example, a retainer may include a transition arm having a lift tab. The retainer may further include a pinch arm pivotably or movably engaged with the transition arm. The pinch arm may be movable between an engaged position and a stowed position, and may have a pinching member disposed on a pinching end of the pinch arm. Further, the transition arm may move the pinch arm form the engaged position to the stowed position upon the lift tab being moved about a retainer pivot point.

A paper blocking device includes a pick roller, a cover plate, a paper blocking component, a driving mechanism, a gear mechanism and a motor. The cover plate has a pick roller window penetrated the cover plate. The pick roller is positioned in the pick roller window. The paper blocking component is coupled to the cover plate. The driving mechanism has a driving shaft and a cam being connected to the driving shaft. The cam is connected to the paper blocking component. The gear mechanism is connected to the driving shaft. The motor is connected to the gear mechanism. As described above, the paper blocking device can block papers and align the leading edges of papers.

A method and apparatus for determining at least a portion of a media item pathway are disclosed. The apparatus includes a transfer module comprising shafts that are rotatable and spaced apart in a substantially parallel relationship. A removable module is located with respect to the transfer module to selectively locate spaced apart rows of protruding guide elements with respect to the arm elements. At least one arm element comprises an abutment member that moves with the arm element and abuts with an abutment region of at least one guide element when a respective shaft element is rotated. A portion of a media item pathway is at least partially determined via opposed guide surfaces of the guide elements and the arm elements.

A medium feeder includes a feed roller that feeds a medium loaded on a medium loading section; a transport roller disposed downstream relative to the feed roller; a first driving source that drives at least the feed roller; a second driving source that drives at least the transport roller; and a housing that houses the feed roller, the transport roller, the first driving source, and the second driving source, wherein the housing includes a lower unit that constitutes a lower part of the housing, and an upper unit openable relative to the lower unit, and the first driving source and the second driving source are disposed on both sides relative to a center part of the lower unit in a width direction perpendicular to a medium transportation direction.

A banknote pay-out device includes a pay-out port where a banknote bundle is handed over to a user, a shutter that is provided so as to capable of closing or opening the pay-out port, a gripping conveyance guide and a stage that guide the banknote bundle W, and a push-out plate that is disposed facing the gripping conveyance guide and the stage, and that moves in a handover direction toward the pay-out port while contacting one edge side of the banknote bundle to convey the banknote bundle toward the pay-out port. The banknote pay-out device also includes a shutter opening-and-closing projection that, as the push-out plate moves toward the pay-out port, moves together with the push-out plate and moves the shutter toward an opening direction to open the pay-out port.