Abstract: A sheet conveyance release mechanism has a movable guide unit and a fixed guide unit adjacent to the movable guide unit. The mechanism has a horizontal conveyance guide unit for conveying a sheet in a substantially horizontal direction, and a vertical conveyance guide unit for conveying a sheet in a substantially vertical direction. A jam release lever moves the movable guide unit from a first position adjacent to the fixed guide unit in the horizontal direction to a second position below the fixed guide unit, and moves the vertical conveyance guide unit so as to separate from a guide surface. The mechanism simplifies the handling of sheet jams by efficiently using the space in the apparatus and avoiding the need for excessive labor.

Abstract: A document reading apparatus and method are provided for outputting an image faithful to a document as possible even if the document is accidentally fed in an oblique fashion on the way of a sheet feeding path. For this purpose, a plurality of document end detecting sensors S1 to S3 are disposed on the way of the sheet feeding path 5, and further, a reading controller 20 calculates a skew quantity ? of the document with respect to the sheet feeding path 5 based on a signal output from the document end detecting sensor, thereby adjusting a document reading timing in accordance with the skew quantity.

Abstract: An original feeding apparatus includes a sheet feeding tray for stacking an original; a feeding device for feeding the original stacked on the sheet feeding tray one at a time; a transport roller for receiving the original from the feeding means at a predetermined nipping position and transporting the original along an outer surface of the roller; a drive device for driving the transport roller; and a detection device for detecting that a predetermined fixed position on the outer surface of the transport roller matches the nipping position. The transport roller can be controlled such that the transport roller receives a leading edge of the original fed from the feeding means at the fixed position, i.e. an original transport starting position.

Abstract: A document feeder apparatus is provided with the first switchback path using a space between a supply tray and a discharge tray arranged to overlap with each other, and the second switchback path between the discharge tray and a pressing cover of a platen. According to a length of an original, a flapper is switched to a position to guide the original to one of the first switchback path and the second switchback path. Through this configuration, it is possible to transport a large size double-sided original. The apparatus can be made small, and productivity of the double-sided original is improved.

Abstract: A document feeder apparatus is provided with the first switchback path using a space between a supply tray and a discharge tray arranged to overlap with each other, and the second switchback path between the discharge tray and a pressing cover of a platen. According to a length of an original, a flapper is switched to a position to guide the original to one of the first switchback path and the second switchback path. Through this configuration, it is possible to transport a large size double-sided original. The apparatus can be made small, and productivity of the double-sided original is improved.