Abstract: A sheet detecting apparatus including: a detection unit including a lever member having an abutment surface abutting a conveying sheet and a holding member configured to hold the lever member, the detection unit moved by the lever member pushed by the sheet; a first urging portion configured to urge the holding member to a waiting position after the sheet is separated from the abutment surface; a support portion configured to support the lever member movable with respect to the holding member to move the lever member to a retracted position for allowing the sheet to pass the lever member contacting a surface of the sheet when the holding member is in the waiting position; and a second urging portion configured to urge the lever member so that the lever member is moved from the retracted position to a position in which the abutment surface abuts a succeeding sheet.

Abstract: There is provided a feed apparatus including a support unit, a feed roller, a swingable arm to support the feed roller, a guide unit, a movable member movable to a retracted position and a protruding position at which the movable member can abut against the sheet supported by the support unit, a driving source, driving transmission units; and a contact-separating mechanism to move the feed roller to a separated position and an abutment position at which the feed roller abuts against the sheet supported by the support unit. In a state in which the movable member is the protruding position and the feed roller is the separated position, a time required to start feeding of the sheet by the feed roller moved from the separated position to the abutment position is longer than a time required to shift the movable member from the protruding position to the retracted position.

Abstract: A medium supply device includes a feeding unit that feeds a medium among one or more media placed on a placing table, a separating unit that is arranged to come into pressure-contact with the feeding unit, a blocking portion that is movable and blocks a space formed between the feeding unit and the separating unit in an upstream side of a nip region in a conveying direction of the medium, and a curve-forming portion that presses the medium against the feeding unit side to form a curve in a width direction of the medium.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: first and second recording modules; a storage accommodating a recording medium; a first path extending from the storage to the first recording module; and a second path extending from the storage to the second recording module and including a first shared portion shared with the first path. The controller is configured to: determine whether a trailing edge of the recording medium on which recording is being performed by the first recording module is located downstream of the first branch position on the first path; and when the trailing edge of the recording medium is located downstream of the first branch position on the first path, cause a recording medium to be supplied from the storage to the second recording module along the second path via the first shared portion and the first branch position.

Abstract: A sheet conveyer comprises a sheet support surface; a first roller to convey sheets; a second roller to separate one by one the sheets to convey a sheet downstream; a holder configured to be swingably supported about a swing center axis, wherein the first roller is attached to the holder to be rotatable; and a guide formed of a separate member and comprising a guide surface extending upstream with respect to an upstream end portion of the holder and the guide guides the sheet to a portion below the holder and the first roller.

Abstract: An auto document feeder includes a movable document table on which documents are stacked, a pickup roller that feeds a topmost document among the documents on the movable document table to a feed position via a feed opening, and a shielding member that is arranged on the upstream side of the pickup roller and above the topmost document, and that shields the feed opening. At least an end portion of the shielding member on the document table side is made of a flexible member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an output unit that transports and outputs a recording medium on which an image has been formed, a member having an opening through which the recording medium is output, and a shield member disposed at the opening, the shield member shielding the output unit. The shield member includes plural swing members and a shield plate. The swing members are swingably supported and arranged in an axial direction of the output unit. The shield plate is attached to a wall that restrains the recording medium that is output from returning toward the output unit.

Abstract: This invention relates to a printing apparatus and control method thereof. The standard size of an envelope to be stored in each of a plurality of paper storage units configured to store an envelope to be used in printing is set. An offset amount to be used to print an image on an envelope of the set standard size is set. A paper storage unit which stores an envelope to be used in printing is selected from the plurality of paper storage units based on a standard size of an envelope that is designated by a user. The position of an image is shifted in accordance with the set offset amount, and the image is printed on an envelope fed from the selected paper storage unit.

Abstract: A control apparatus discharges, into a stacking unit, sheets of a plurality of copies obtained by executing a first job that is set to print a plurality of copies, and discharges sheets of a plurality of copies obtained by executing a second job that is set to print a plurality of copies and follows the first job. The control apparatus carries out control so that a sheet discharge position for copies discharged by executing the first job changes from a first discharge position in the stacking unit to a second discharge position in the stacking unit between copies, and carries out control so that a sheet discharge position for the plurality of copies discharged by executing the second job changes from a third discharge position in the stacking unit to a fourth discharge position in the stacking unit between copies.

Abstract: The moving mechanism of a sheet feeding device has a first moving member and a second moving member. The first moving member is held in a position corresponding to the number of sheets supported by a sheet support member, and when moving in a specific direction can move the sheet support member in the separation direction away from a paper feed roller. The second moving member moves out and back through a specific range of movement in each revolution of the paper feed roller, engages the first moving member and moves the first moving member in the specific direction when moving out, and releases said engagement when moving back.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an endless belt, an image forming unit configured to form an image on the recording medium conveyed by the endless belt, a guide surface configured to guide a first surface of the recording medium to the endless belt, a pressing portion configured to press a center portion, in a width direction perpendicular to a conveyance direction, of a leading end of the recording medium from a second surface toward the guide surface, a moving portion disposed upstream relative to the pressing portion in the conveyance direction and configured to contact the recording medium and move according to a pressing force to be applied from the recording medium, and a transmission portion configured to transmit movement of the moving portion to the pressing portion and reduce a pressing force of the pressing portion in accordance with the movement of the moving portion.

Abstract: An upper cassette for which a media feed direction length is shorter than that of a lower cassette is provided movably in a medium feed direction to a device main unit. When the upper cassette is not moving, and when the upper cassette is not in a feed state, if the upper cassette is at a position further to a side of a feed position than a removal position, the upper cassette is moved to the removal position.

Abstract: A paddle wheel compiler includes a paddle wheel that accepts sheets from the front of the paddle wheel to form a set, unlike a disk stacker which accepts sheets from the top or back of the disk and flips the sheet. The paddle wheel compiler is unique in that it maintains control of all sheets in a set, except for the top sheet during tamping. The top sheet is registered to the set with side tampers, followed by a scuffing action to register the sheet against a registration wall in the process direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet storage unit, a stacking unit, a raising unit, a sheet detection unit, an attachment detection unit, and a control unit. The sheet storage unit may be attached to and drawn out of an apparatus main body. The stacking unit is raised by the raising unit and is lowered when the sheet storage unit is drawn out. The attachment detection unit detects attachment of the sheet storage unit to the apparatus main body. The control unit determines whether an amount of sheets stacked on the stacking unit exceeds a predetermined amount based on detection results. If the sheet detection unit continues to detect sheets when the sheet storage unit goes from attached, to not attached, to attached to the apparatus main body, the control unit determines that the amount of sheets stacked on the stacking unit does not exceed the predetermined amount.

Abstract: A device, method, and system for analyzing aggregate are described. An exemplary device may include a housing with one or more grading screens. Aggregate and liquid may be received by a port within the housing. The liquid and any suspended fines, after passing through the one or more grading screens and aggregate, may be received into an observation container for observing the clarity of the liquid.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding device and a detector. The feeding device is configured to feed a sheet to a destination. The detector is configured to detect the sheet at the destination. If the detector does not detect the sheet within a predetermined time after the start of preparation for a feeding operation by the feeding device, it is determined that the sheet is misfed. Further, the start of the feeding operation of a sheet is changed in accordance with the result of detection by the detector of the presence or absence of a sheet standing by at the destination.

Abstract: A lower pressure plate (43) is disposed upon a paper currency pressing part (34) of a paper currency intake part (5) below an upper pressure plate (41) with a spring (44) interposed therebetween, and the paper currency pressing part (34) presses the lower pressure plate (43) upon stacked paper currency (BLC). Thus, when the stacked paper currency (BLC) oscillates vertically with the rotation of a picker roller (23), the paper currency pressing part (34) absorbs by the spring (44) an upward force which is applied from the stacked paper currency (BLC). Furthermore, the paper currency pressing part (34) presses the lower pressure plate (43) by a restoring force of the spring (44) with respect to the falling stacked paper currency (BLC).

Abstract: Provided are a mixture separation method and a separation apparatus in which agglomeration of particles contained in the mixture is suppressed, energy required in distillation treatment of a supporting liquid is small in comparison with conventional methods, and particles that cannot be separated by conventional methods can be separated from a mixture containing the particles. The separation method and separation apparatus of the present invention separate, by type, a plurality of types of particles formed of mutually different materials by applying a magnetic field having a magnetic field gradient to the mixture containing the plurality of types of particles in the supporting liquid. Alternatively, the separation method and separation apparatus of the present invention separate a specific type of particle from such mixture. The supporting liquid is an organic solvent solution obtained by dissolving one or more types of paramagnetic compounds in an organic solvent.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a first discharge opening and a second discharge opening, a sheet discharge portion, a restricting member and a sheet discharge tray. The sheet discharge portion is connected at a position below the first discharge opening, and the sheet discharged through the first discharge opening is to be placed thereon. The restricting member stands up on a downstream side of the sheet discharge portion in a discharging direction of the sheet and can come into contact with a downstream end edge of the sheet discharged to the sheet discharge portion in the discharging direction. The sheet discharge tray includes a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion to be fixed to an upper end part of the restricting member and is attachable above the sheet discharge portion, and a sheet discharged through the second discharge opening is to be placed thereon.

Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus includes an apparatus main body, and a medium cassette removably inserted into the apparatus main body. The medium cassette is configured to store a medium. The medium cassette includes a medium positioning unit for determining a position of the medium, and a locking unit that locks a movement of the medium positioning unit when the medium cassette is inserted into the apparatus main body and before the medium cassette reaches a predetermined position in the apparatus main body.