A banknote feeder device (3) configured to interconnect and operate in conjunction with a banknote acceptor apparatus (2), the banknote feeder device (3) comprising a banknote transport mechanism operable, when the banknote feeder device (3) is connected to the banknote acceptor apparatus (2), to transport a banknote from a banknote input aperture to a banknote output aperture. The banknote transport mechanism comprises a linear succession of spaced-apart pairs of transport wheels (22) and each transport wheel extends at least partially through a banknote transport conduit surface into an interior cavity of the banknote transport conduit between the banknote input aperture and the banknote output aperture.

A media processing device includes: a hopper for supporting a stack of media units (e.g. cards), the hopper including (i) a gate wall configured to abut leading edges of the media units and (ii) an outlet defined at an end of the gate wall; a pick roller at the outlet for engaging an outer one of the media units in the stack and dispensing the outer media unit from the hopper to a media processing path; the gate wall including a flexible gate at the outlet, the flexible gate configured to deflect toward the media processing path responsive to the outer media unit being driven into the flexible gate by the pick roller, wherein the outer media unit deflects when passing by the flexible gate, permitting the outer media unit to be dispensed from the hopper.

An image reading apparatus includes a stacking unit having an abutment portion, a feeding unit, a conveyance unit, a reading unit, a rotating shaft, and a drive unit. The abutment portion abuts a document end in a widthwise direction of a document stacked on the stacking unit. The conveyance unit conveys the stacked document fed by the feeding unit in a feeding direction perpendicularly intersecting the document widthwise direction. The reading unit reads an image of the document. The drive unit rotates the stacking unit, rotatably supported by the rotating shaft, around the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is disposed at a position where at least a part of the rotating shaft exists between one end and other end in the document widthwise direction of a document having a maximum width conveyable by the conveyance unit in a state where the maximum width document abuts on the abutment portion.

An image reading apparatus includes a first stacking unit having a stacking surface, and an abutment portion that abuts a document stacked on the stacking surface, a feeding unit, a reading unit, a second stacking unit, a detection unit, a rotating shaft, a drive unit, and a control unit. The second stacking unit receives the document fed by the feeding unit and read by the reading unit. The detection unit detects presence or absence of the document stacked on the second stacking unit. The drive unit rotates the first stacking unit around the rotating shaft rotatably supporting the first stacking unit. Based on the detection of the absence of the document on the second stacking unit by the detection unit, the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the first stacking unit in a direction with which the abutment portion is lowered.

A medium transport device includes a feeding unit that can be disposed at a contact position and a retracted position, a first restriction member that rotates between a restriction position and a release position, and a transport guide positioned on a side opposite to the feeding unit with a transport path interposed therebetween. When the first restriction member is positioned at the restriction position, the first restriction member maintains a state in which the feeding unit is positioned at the retracted position by the tip end contacting the feeding unit. When the first restriction member is positioned at the restriction position, the tip end thereof is positioned closer to the mounting portion side than the position of the rotation axis of the first restriction member in the transport direction.

An image reading apparatus includes a stacking portion, a feeding unit, a reading unit, and a discharge portion provided below the stacking portion. The feeding unit feeds a sheet stacked on the stacking portion in a feeding direction. The reading unit reads an image on the fed sheet and the discharge portion discharges the read sheet. The stacking portion includes first and second support surfaces that support the sheet and first and second regulating units to regulate a position of the sheet in a widthwise direction using two opposing ends of the sheet. The second support surface is retractable from a predetermined section above the discharge portion. The first support surface includes a downstream support portion that supports the sheet on a downstream side of the predetermined section in the feeding direction. A part of the second regulating surface is positioned on the downstream support portion.

An image reading apparatus includes a first stacking unit having a stacking surface, and an abutment portion that abuts a document stacked on the stacking surface, a feeding unit, a reading unit, a second stacking unit, a first detection unit, a rotating shaft, a drive unit, and a control unit. The second stacking unit receives the document fed by the feeding unit and read by the reading unit. The first detection unit detects presence or absence of the document stacked on the first stacking unit. The drive unit rotates the first stacking unit around the rotating shaft rotatably supporting the first stacking unit. At a predetermined timing after the first detection unit detects the absence of the document on the first stacking unit, the control unit controls the drive unit to rotate the first stacking unit in a direction with which the abutment portion is lowered.

A document transporting device includes a main body unit that forms an inner side of an inverting path, a cover unit that exposes a portion of the inverting path, a movable unit, a transport roller, a driven roller, and a roller supporting unit that forms an outer side of the inverting path. By receiving a force from the cover unit, the roller supporting unit rotates in a direction in which the driven roller moves away from the transport roller. By receiving a force from the roller supporting unit, the movable unit rotates in a direction in which the movable unit retreats from the main body unit.

A method for franking mail items fed to a franking machine. The mail items are drawn from the underside of a stack for separation or are fed individually on a conveying section upstream of the franking machine to a printing unit for franking, after franking, are discharged in the opposite direction from the printing unit. The mail items are fed via a diverter section to the conveying section, after franking, are conveyed via the diverter section which is switched over to change the conveying direction into a depositing apparatus below the diverter section. The mail items are guided in the opening region of the franking machine into the printing position and are returned out of the printing position. The printing position of a mail item fed to the printing unit is determined by a print head movement-controlled from a readiness position pursuant to the format length of the mail item.

A sheet discharge device includes a sheet discharge portion, a sheet loading portion, and a stopper mechanism. The stopper mechanism includes a first stopper supported pivotably to a first retraction position and a first restriction position, a second stopper that is movable to a first position at which the second stopper is housed along a downstream end part of the sheet loading portion and a second position apart from the first position to a downstream side in a sheet discharge direction and is supported pivotably to a second retraction position and a second restriction position, and a link mechanism connecting the first stopper to the second stopper. When the second stopper is disposed at the first position, the first stopper is disposed at the first restriction position, and when the second stopper is disposed at the second position, the first stopper is disposed at the first retraction position.