A stripper assembly can include a feed wheel, a stripping tire, a drag clutch, and first and second stripping elements. The feed wheel and stripping tire can be mounted for rotation in clockwise (CW) and counter-clockwise (CCW) directions and can contact one another to define a nip through which papers are directed. The drag clutch can be interposed between the stripping tire and the shaft it is mounted upon. The first and second stripping elements can be positioned on the shaft of the stripping tire on opposite sides of the nip. Each of the stripping elements can be configured and positioned to engage papers passing through the nip. The drag clutch is not interposed between either of the first and second stripping elements and the shaft of the stripping tire.

According to an embodiment, a decoloring device is disclosed. A decoloring unit decolors an image formed with decolorable colorant on a sheet. A reading unit reads a surface of the sheet to determine whether the surface of the sheet is reusable. When the surface of the sheet read by the reading unit is determined to be not reusable, a marking unit adds a mark to the read surface. A first tray receives the sheet on which a mark is added by the marking unit.

A post-processing apparatus for post-processing paper discharged from an image forming apparatus comprises: a paper discharging roller for conveying both first and second paper sequentially discharged from an image forming apparatus to an intermediate loading part; a main paddle part for conveying the first and second paper loaded on the intermediate loading part to a compiling region; a reverse roller for conveying, together with the main paddle part, the first and second paper to the compiling region; and a binding part for processing the first and second paper conveyed to the compiling region, the paper discharging roller allows the first paper to stand by on a standby path, and conveys the first and second paper to the intermediate loading part in a state in which the leading end of the first paper protrudes further than the leading end of the second paper.

A driving force transmitting apparatus includes first and second planetary gear units and switching and urging members. The first planetary gear unit includes a first mesh gear and a first locked gear provided with first locked portions. The second planetary gear unit includes a second locked gear provided with second locked portions, and a second mesh gear meshing with the first mesh gear. The switching member includes first and second locking portions and can move to (i) a first stop position at which the first locking portion stop the first locked gear, and, urged by the urging member, (ii) a second stop position at which the second locking portion stops the second locked gear. An interval between the second locked portions in a rotational direction of the second locked gear is larger than an interval between the first locked portions in a rotational direction of the first locked gear.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a torque limiter provided on a rotation axis of the separation roller, a unit including a first gear, a second gear provided on the rotation axis, and a third gear provided between the first gear and the second gear. The separation roller is pressed toward a feed roller side by a force generated by the torque limiter. The first gear rotates in a direction for generating a force for separating the separation roller from the feed roller. The third gear is a two-stage gear. The number of teeth of a gear on the second gear side of the third gear is more than the number of teeth of a gear on the first gear side of the third gear.

A driving force transmitting apparatus includes first and second planetary gear units and switching and urging members. The first planetary gear unit includes a first mesh gear and a first locked gear provided with first locked portions. The second planetary gear unit includes a second locked gear provided with second locked portions, and a second mesh gear meshing with the first mesh gear. The switching member includes first and second locking portions and can move to (i) a first stop position at which the first locking portion stop the first locked gear, and, urged by the urging member, (ii) a second stop position at which the second locking portion stops the second locked gear. An interval between the second locked portions in a rotational direction of the second locked gear is larger than an interval between the first locked portions in a rotational direction of the first locked gear.

A medium feeding device includes a medium feeding mechanism switching between a first state in which the medium is fed from the feeding tray and a second state in which the medium is not fed from the feeding tray, a feeding roller rotationally driven in a forward rotation direction, and a separation roller that is rotationally driven in the reverse rotation direction when the feeding roller is rotationally driven in the forward rotation direction, wherein when the separation roller is rotationally driven in the forward rotation direction, the feeding roller is configured to be passively rotatable with respect to the separation roller, and wherein a rotation direction of the first motor when the cam member switches the medium feeding mechanism from the first state to the second state is the same as a rotation direction of the first motor when the separation roller rotates in the forward rotation direction.

A printing apparatus includes a first conveyance path, a conveyance roller, a printing unit, a reverse roller provided at a position on a downstream side of the printing unit in a first direction, a second conveyance path configured to reverse the front and back of the print medium, and a control unit. In a case where a first print medium on which printing has been performed first is conveyed in a second direction via the second conveyance path, the control unit controls the conveyance roller and the reverse roller, such that a trailing edge of the first print medium in the second direction passes through the reverse roller before a second print medium conveyed by the conveyance roller subsequent to the first print medium reaches the reverse roller.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a pickup roller that feeds a medium from a medium mount section. A support member supports a pickup roller and swings around a swing axis to switch between a feeding position and a non-feeding position. A separation roller separates the medium from other media. A feed roller feeds the medium toward the downstream end. The separation and feed rollers are disposed downstream of the pickup roller. A control section controls a position of the support member. After the pickup roller and the feed roller start rotating, when the control section determines that the separation roller stops rotating or returns the medium by rotating in a reverse direction, based on a detection signal from a rotation sensing section configured to detect rotation of the separation roller, the control section causes the support member to switch from the feeding position to the non-feeding position.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit; a reverse conveying roller; a discharge unit including a reverse conveying path, an openable and closable member, an open/close sensor, a discharge tray, a sheet conveyance unit, and a failure detector; and a controller. If the controller determines that the sheet conveyance unit is in failure based on a detection result of the failure detector and determines that the openable and closable member is closed based on a detection result of the open/close sensor, the controller prohibits discharge of the sheet to the discharge tray and permits conveyance of the sheet to the reverse conveying path, and if the controller determines that the sheet conveyance unit is in failure and determines that the openable and closable member is open, the controller prohibits the conveyance of the sheet to the reverse conveying path.