Abstract: There is disclosed a sheet post-processing device which can staple a corner of a sheet bunch conveyed from an image forming device and makes a transverse width of a housing smaller or compact. By disposing a stapler in one end on a sheet processing tray inside a sheet conveying port, the transverse width of the housing is made smaller. For this purpose, the sheet post-processing stores sheets conveyed from the image forming device, matches the sheet bunch stored staples the matched sheet bunch and transfers the matched sheet bunch toward the other end of the sheet bunch and subsequently transfers the stapled sheet bunch toward one end of the sheet bunch.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sheet accumulation processing device having a shielding mechanism of a sheet discharge opening which is simple in mechanism, low in cost and requires no complicated control. In the device, after an end of a sheet bunch sent via one end of a slit opening formed in a housing front face of the device is received by a sheet holding means disposed in the slit opening in a predetermined receiving position, the sheet holding means with the sheet bunch held therein is moved along the opening and, in a predetermined discharge position in the slit opening, discharges the sheet bunch onto a sheet accumulating tray in front of the housing. In the discharge position, a sheet holding section of the holding means is rotated forward and downward from its sheet-bunch holding condition and protruded forward from the housing front face, then releases the sheet bunch to place the sheet bunch onto the sheet accumulating tray.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sheet accumulation processing device having a shielding mechanism of a sheet discharge opening which is simple in mechanism, low in cost and requires no complicated control. In the device, after an end of a sheet bunch sent via one end of a slit opening formed in a housing front face of the device is received by a sheet holding means disposed in the slit opening in a predetermined receiving position, the sheet holding means with the sheet bunch held therein is moved along the opening and, in a predetermined discharge position in the slit opening, discharges the sheet bunch onto a sheet accumulating tray in front of the housing. In the discharge position, a sheet holding section of the holding means is rotated forward and downward from its sheet-bunch holding condition and protruded forward from the housing front face, then releases the sheet bunch to place the sheet bunch onto the sheet accumulating tray.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resetting a sheet processing device is disclosed in which even if a trouble occurs, a sheet processing can be continued after resetting without wasting the previous processing. In a sheet processing device in which a set of sheets conveyed from an image forming device is discharged to a discharge tray after a predetermined processing process, the processing process is finely divided into plural function units and the function units are individually reset. In a memory device, a status flag indicating the condition of each module unit is assigned to each unit. The presence of a partially performed operation is confirmed by the status flag, and only the function unit having partially performed operation is reset to its initial condition.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sheet accumulation processing device in which sheets with images formed thereon are processed as a bunch before the sheet bunch is efficiently sorted and discharged to any one of plural discharge trays.

Abstract: The intermediate tray of a copying machine for copying on both sides of recording paper or recording paper feeding apparatus incorporates a mechanism for loosening and separating recording papers by air blow in order to prevent duplicate feed. Conventionally, such constitution could not be commonly applied to recording papers of plural sizes, and the recording paper vibrated due to the air flow to give off a loud noise. In the invention, the air flow is formed by plural nozzles arranged in the widthwise direction of the recording paper, and the nozzles near the both ends are controlled by opening and closing depending on the paper size. When the recording paper is conveyed by vacuum attracting to the belt, the recording paper is attracted closely to the belt, eliminating the space for allowing the air flow to enter in, so that vibration may be prevented.

Abstract: Air flows are jetted at leading edge of sheets from nozzles aligned along the widthwise direction of the sheets so as to separate the bottommost or uppermost sheet from the remaining sheets. When the sheets are large-sized, all the aligned nozzles form the air flows for separating the sheets. When the air flows from all the nozzles are jetted at the small-sized sheets, the sheets are liable to flap. Accordingly, the nozzles arranged near the both ends are closed, so that only the nozzles jetting the air flows to effectively separate the small-sized sheets are used.

Abstract: Recording papers stacked up on a tray are conveyed as being attracted in vacuum by the conveying belt located above or beneath. To convey the recording papers one by one, air flow is blown to the front edge of the recording papers to separate. Accordingly, plural nozzles are disposed in the widthwise direction of the recording paper, and the air flows from the nozzles are directed to converge at the upstream side in the conveying direction front the front edges of the recording papers. By setting this converging position near the both ends in the widthwise direction of the recording papers, the recording papers may be separated securely and stably.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus enables the uppermost sheet in sequence in a stack of recording papers be lifted by air flow to separate and to convey the recording paper. The feeding apparatus comprises a laying plate on which plural sheets are stacked, a sheet feeding means disposed above the stacked sheets, which means partially deforms the first sheet in sequence by negative pressure at the leading end part of the sheet, and air forming means which injects air flow between the first sheet and the next sheet near the both ends in the widthwise direction of the recording paper, which flow comprises a straightforward air flow, and an air flow directed outwardly in the widthwise direction. The recording paper is separated from the next sheet by the air flow.

Abstract: When stacking up recording papers on a tray and conveying one by one from the top or bottom, they are conveyed by attracting in vacuum to a conveying belt. An example of conveying from the bottom is illustrated. When one recording paper is conveyed, its rear end comes into the attraction region of the conveying belt, and the second recording paper is attracted into the region out of the first recording paper in the attraction region, which results in duplicate feed. Therefore, the size of the attraction region is variable depending on the size of the recording paper so that the attraction region of the conveying belt may not come out from the rear end of the recording paper until the first recording paper is conveyed and its front end is held by the rear rollers of the conveying belt or the like.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for reconveying copy paper sheets carrying an image to a transfer section by suction. Along the transport path to the apparatus is arranged a curl inducing mechanism that induces curls in the copy paper sheets, whereby the copy paper sheets with upwardly curled edges are loaded in the apparatus. With this arrangement, the copy paper sheets are surely separated by injecting air, thereby preventing multi-feeds.

Abstract: Air flows from an air flow forming means are jetted to near the downstream end of a plurality of sheets stacked on a laying plate so as to separate either a uppermost sheet or a bottommost sheet from the remaining sheets. The uppermost sheet or the bottommost sheet is vacuum attracted to a vacuum attracting area defined in a feeding belt by a vacuum attracting box. Based on the size of the sheet, the open suction area uncovered by the stacked sheets in the vacuum attracting area is controlled, thereby enabling the feeding belt to control the power of suction thereof to the sheets. Accordingly, a multiple feeding of the sheets can be prevented due to an excessive power of suction.

Abstract: A feeding device in accordance with the present invention includes an arm mounted such that one edge thereof is rotatably supported and is capable of moving freely in the horizontal plane, a rotating section rotatably supported by the other edge of the arm and is capable of rotating freely in the horizontal plane to at least two paper feed positions, i.e. longitudinal and lateral feed positions, and a pivotal paper holding plate that is capable of rising. A rotating device is rotatably mounted in the vicinity of a corner of the rotating section and moves back and forth in a straight line in a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction and permits the rotating section to rotate.

Abstract: A sheet supplying device has at least one sheet stacking portion for stacking a plurality of sheets to be fed, a unit for drawing the sheets out of the sheet stacking portion to feed the drawn sheet to a predetermined path, and a unit for returning a sheet into the sheet stacking portion. This sheet is drawn by the drawing unit but stayed in a position that the leading edge thereof is out of the sheet stacking portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a sheet supplying device having a feeding device capable of feeding a copying sheet from a plurality of stacked copying sheets in a sheet stacking portion and a reversing device capable of returning copying sheets desired not to be fed at an instance of feeding process includes an unit for applying a rotational driving force to the feeding device so as to draw a copying sheet out of the stacked copying sheets in the sheet stacking portion by rotating the feeding device in one direction, and an unit for applying a rotational driving force to the reversing device so as to return a copying sheet desired not to be fed to the sheet stacking portion at a time when a plurality of copying sheets are simultaneously fed out from the sheet stacking portion by rotating the reversing device in another direction.

Abstract: A feeding device in accordance with the present invention includes an arm mounted such that one edge thereof is rotatably supported and is capable of moving freely in the horizontal plane, a rotating section rotatably supported by the other edge of the arm and is capable of rotating freely in the horizontal plane to at least two paper feed positions, i.e. longitudinal and lateral feed positions, and a pivotal paper holding plate that is capable of rising. A rotating device is rotatably mounted in the vicinity of a corner of the rotating section and moves back and forth in a straight line in a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction and permits the rotating section to rotate.