Abstract: A sheet post processing apparatus of compact shape with good alignment can be obtained by providing an accumulation tray for aligning and accumulating sheets successively delivered, a post processing unit for performing a post process such as binding to a sheet stack accumulated on the accumulation tray, and a grip unit for gripping the post processed sheet stack. The post processing unit enables the accumulation tray to reciprocate in a direction transverse to a discharging direction of a sheet discharge tray. The grip unit has a grip part for gripping the sheet stack, a guide part for reciprocally guiding the grip part back and forth in the sheet discharging direction. The grip part is separable from the guide part during a movement of the post processing unit.

Abstract: There is provided a technique in which a retracting operation of a bundle of sheets from a stapler after a staple process can be stably performed irrespective of the number of sheets constituting the bundle of sheets or the transport resistance. When the bundle of sheets subjected to the staple process is moved by a stacker in a direction of retracting from the stapler, an alignment roller is caused to come in contact with the bundle of sheets held by the stacker and to assist the movement of the bundle of sheet.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including: a sheet supporting table that supports a sheet stack made of a plurality of sheets which have been folded; a stopper against which a first edge of the sheet stack which is a side to be cut of the sheet stack is pressed on the sheet supporting table; and a pushing member which pushes a second edge of the sheet stack so that the first edge is pressed against the stopper, wherein the pushing member comprises a first surface that is inclined with respect to a sheet supporting surface of the sheet supporting table so that the first surface restricts a height of the folded part of the sheet stack with respect to the sheet supporting surface when the pushing member presses the sheet stack towards the stopper.

Abstract: There is described a paper sheet post processing apparatus that includes a paper sheet stacking apparatus in which the paper sheet stacking operation can be smoothly and stably conducted during a high-speed post processing of paper sheets. The paper sheet stacking apparatus includes: a paper sheet stacking tray that is inclined with respect to a horizontal line; an ejecting member to press-push a lower end portion of the paper sheets stacked on the paper sheet stacking tray, so as to eject the paper sheets outside the paper sheet stacking apparatus; and a protrusion member to push up substantially a center portion of the paper sheets stacked on the paper sheet stacking tray. The protrusion member is formed as a separate member being independent of the ejecting member. Further, the height of the protrusion member is lower than that of the ejecting member.

Abstract: A sheet storing device that has a conveyance device that holds a folded sheet to convey and a sheet storing section on which a sheet falling after being released from holding is placed, and allows a position of holding lower end position of the aforesaid conveyance device to be variable, a post-processing apparatus equipped with the sheet storing device and an image forming system equipped with the aforesaid items.

Abstract: When a sheet bundle is being conveyed by any one pair of plural pairs of rollers independently movable toward and away from the bundle sheet, before the bound portion of the sheet bundle passes the pair of rollers, the pair of rollers on the downstream side nearest to the bound portion are separated from the sheet bundle, and the pairs of rollers more downstream than that pair convey the sheet bundle. Thereby, it happens less often that the pairs of rollers gather the air collected between adjacent ones of the sheets of the sheet bundle to the bound portion to thereby cause a slack to the sheets, and the occurrence of wrinkles or twists in the sheet bundle can be reduced. Also, the pair of rollers are separated from the sheet bundle before the bound portion passes the pair of rollers, whereby it happens less often that the pair of rollers are damaged by the bound portion, and the sheet bundle can be conveyed smoothly.

Abstract: An image forming system which is capable of preventing paper jam from occurring in a sheet processing apparatus to thereby maintain the stability of the system. An alignment plates of an alignment unit movable in a lateral direction each sheet are brought into abutment with opposite side edges of sheets stacked on the sheet stack unit to laterally align the sheets. A lateral registration sensor unit detects a lateral position of the sheet being conveyed. When the detected lateral position of the sheet is beyond a predetermined position, the CPU of the apparatus changes the standby positions of the alignment plates such that spacing therebetween in the lateral direction the sheet is widened by a predetermined amount, and extends the conveying interval of sheets in the image forming apparatus by a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking member for temporarily receiving a sheet conveyed thereto and stacking the sheet thereon and a conveyance unit for outputting the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking member therefrom, wherein the conveyance unit includes a sheet output face having a predetermined acute angle with respect to a sheet stacking face of the sheet stacking member and configured to output a stack of sheets by touching a back end of the stack of sheets and pushing the stack of sheets.

Abstract: A page stacking and binding apparatus for stacking and binding pre-glued pages includes a frame. A support tray is mounted on the frame and is configured to receive the fed pages such that the pages fed into the tray can rest in an aligned condition. The support tray is movable with respect to the frame. A vibrator is engaged with the support tray to impart vibratory movement to the support tray so as to facilitate said alignment. A binding press is operatively positioned with respect to the support tray to press the aligned pages against each other.

Abstract: A saddle stitcher for making paperback books is provided by the present invention. The saddle stitcher is provided for manually assembling one or a few (or a greater number if desired by the user) booklets in a cost-effective, yet professional manner. The saddle stitcher generally includes a tray, a saddle, and a plurality of staplers. The tray is provided for receiving a plurality of pages to be made into a booklet and in which the pages are stitched to form the booklet. The staplers are provided for stitching the plurality of pages to form a booklet and are pivotally and slidably mounted within the tray in order to accommodate booklets of varying sizes. An engagement device is provided for engaging each of the staplers in tandem in order to fabricate a booklet.

Abstract: A printing assembly comprising a printhead; a feed mechanism for feeding pages past the printhead; an adhesive application station for applying a two-part adhesive onto opposite sides of each page; and a page-binding tray for receiving the printed pages and binding the pages together.

Abstract: A stacker, including a sheet stacking section which receives sheets and stacks the sheets, a stopping member which stops the top edge of the sheet and aligns the sheet, plural paddle-wheels which press against the sheet and convey the sheet to the stopping member, and a control section which controls the paddle-wheels to shift perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, to be arranged on both side edges of the sheets, and to press against the both side edges of the sheets.

Abstract: A post-processing apparatus having a conveyance device to convey a sheet, a sheet bundle storing device to load and store the sheets conveyed by the conveyance device as a sheet bundle, a moving device to enable the sheet bundle storing device to be movable, a post-processing device to carry out post-process for the sheet bundle accumulated in the sheet bundle storing device, wherein the sheet bundle storing device can be withdrawn to outside the post-processing apparatus main body through the moving device so as to be capable of storing the sheet bundle from outside.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus comprising a sheet holding device capable of storing supplied sheets, a first sheet stacking tray on which sheets are stacked at a downstream side of the sheet holding device in a sheet conveying direction and on which the sheets are subjected to processing, a sheet discharging device for discharging the sheets stacked on the first sheet stacking tray, a second sheet stacking tray on which the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging device are stacked, and a controller for controlling the sheet discharging device and the sheet holding device if sheet jam occurs at an upstream side of the sheet holding device, in such a manner that, after the sheets on the first sheet stacking tray are discharged onto the second sheet stacking tray, the sheets stored in the sheet holding device are discharged onto the first sheet stacking tray.

Abstract: A support member 60 that projects to a sheet conveying direction and supports sheets, which are sorted and discharged, from a rear surface side thereof is provided in a discharge port 7a of a processing tray 12 or a standby tray 10. The support member 60 is installed not to interfere with a shutter 52 when the shutter 52 rises. The support member 60 is installed to be inclined upward at an angle equal to or larger than an installation angle of the processing tray 12 or the standby tray 10. The support member 60 may be formed of a conductor that conducts static electricity and installed in a metal section of the discharge port 7a.

Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus includes a bonding unit including a supply section configured to sequentially supply each of binding tapes, at one ends of which an adhesive is applied, to a conveyed sheet and a bonding section configured to bond a surface of the supplied binding tape, on which the adhesive is applied, to an end face of the conveyed sheet.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a sheet processing apparatus control unit; a folding motor, a rotating direction of which is controlled by the sheet processing apparatus control unit; a low-speed gear train configured to be driven when the folding motor normally rotates; a high-speed gear train configured to be driven when the folding motor reversely rotates; and a saddle-folding driving roller configured to be driven by a gear train selected from the low-speed gear train and the high-speed gear train. When the number of recording media to be saddle-stapled or saddle-folded exceeds predetermined numbers respectively set for the saddle stapling and the saddle folding, the sheet processing apparatus control unit drives the saddle-folding driving roller at low speed. When the number of recording media to be saddle-stapled or saddle-folded does not exceed the predetermined numbers, the sheet processing apparatus control unit drives the saddle-folding driving roller at high speed.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus discharges and conveys a sheet from a process tray to a storage tray, and decelerates a bundle hook and a paper discharge roller when the bundle hook reaches a discharge start position of a bundle of sheets. At this time, a tangential speed of the paper discharge roller is faster than a movement speed of the bundle hook. Subsequently, the sheet post-processing apparatus stops the paper discharge roller in accordance with a rotation position of the bundle hook, and then decelerates the movement speed of the bundle hook. After the sheets are stacked on the storage tray, the bundle hook accelerates to return to a home position. Additionally, the sheet post-processing apparatus includes a spool 17 having a sheet pressing guide member 16 with a bent portion 16A.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus of the present invention includes a post-processing unit provided inside a housing and configured to perform post-processing on sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus, a sheet discharge unit configured to guide sheets having undergone post-processing to a discharge port, a paper discharge tray configured to accommodate sheets discharged from the discharge port and allowed to ascend and descend within a specific height range lower than the discharge port, and a sheet member disposed directly below the discharge port and configured to move along a wall surface of the housing in association with ascending and descending of the paper discharge tray and receive rear ends of the sheets accommodated in the paper discharge tray, a width of a receiving portion thereof in a height direction varying with a quantity of the sheets accommodated in the paper discharge tray.

Abstract: When a sheet bundle is being conveyed by any one pair of plural pairs of rollers independently movable toward and away from the bundle sheet, before the bound portion of the sheet bundle passes the pair of rollers, the pair of rollers on the downstream side nearest to the bound portion are separated from the sheet bundle, and the pairs of rollers more downstream than that pair convey the sheet bundle. Thereby, it happens less often that the pairs of rollers gather the air collected between adjacent ones of the sheets of the sheet bundle to the bound portion to thereby cause a slack to the sheets, and the occurrence of wrinkles or twists in the sheet bundle can be reduced. Also, the pair of rollers are separated from the sheet bundle before the bound portion passes the pair of rollers, whereby it happens less often that the pair of rollers are damaged by the bound portion, and the sheet bundle can be conveyed smoothly.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus including: a sheet conveying section for conveying sheets to an intermediate stacker by a plurality of conveying rollers containing a conveying roller capable of changing the pressing force against an opposing roller; and a control section wherein, when the first sheet to be assigned to a succeeding bundle of sheets has passed through the conveying roller capable of changing the aforementioned pressing force, and has arrived upstream from the aforementioned intermediate stacker during post-processing a preceding bundle of sheets, the pressing force of the conveying roller capable of changing the aforementioned pressing force is made smaller than the value at the time of conveyance; and after a second sheet has passed through the conveying roller capable of changing the aforementioned pressing force, the pressure is changed to the value at the time of the conveyance.

Abstract: There is provided a sensor 48 for detecting penetration of a sheet by a punch hole aligning pin 42, and there is provided controlling means for retrying a penetrating operation by returning the punch hole aligning pin to an initial position when a time period from starting to move the pin to penetrating the sheet exceeds a reference time period. Even when a degree of unalignment of the punch hole of the sheet P is considerable and the punch hole aligning pin cannot penetrate through the sheet by once, the punch hole aligning pin is penetrated therethrough frequently by repeating the penetrating operation and therefore, an error in aligning the sheet can be reduced. In a case in which the pin is not penetrated through the sheet even when the penetrating operation is carried out by a predetermined number of times, the pin is returned to the initial position and an error is displayed.

Abstract: A vertical sheet compiling apparatus and method compile sheets in a slot that accumulates a plurality of sheets. The slot includes a first baffle and a second baffle that each define generally vertical sides of a sheet path of the slot. The first and second baffles are separated from each other by a space therebetween. An actuator is coupled to at least one of the first and second baffles to move one of the baffles toward or away from the other one of the baffles, thereby adjusting a width of the sheet path as the sheets compile in the slot. A binding mechanism fastens the plurality of sheets together. The apparatus and method may also include a sensing device for determining an amount of available space in the slot during compilation of the sheets in the slot. The determined amount of space can be used to control movement of the baffle(s).

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises: an first stack portion which temporarily stacks a sheet thereon; a first stack portion which is disposed under the first stack portion and stacks thereon a sheet discharged from the first stack portion; a second stack portion which is disposed above the first stack portion and stacks a sheet thereon; a stack reference wall which serves as an abutment reference at an end of the sheet on the second stack portion; and an alignment reference wall which is disposed more upstream in the sheet conveyance direction than the stack reference wall and serves as an abutment reference at an end of the sheet on the first stack portion; wherein the second stack portion has such a length that an end of the sheet stacked on the first stack portion cannot project from the second stack portion, as viewed from above in a vertical direction.

Abstract: A post-processing apparatus has a standby tray to receive a paper sheet to be supplied from a digital copier, a processing tray to receive a paper sheet dropped from a standby tray, a feed member which guides the rear end of a paper sheet received in a standby tray in the feeding direction to a processing tray, and scrapes and sends the rear end of a paper sheet dropped onto a processing tray to a stopper, a press member which clamps the rear end of a paper sheet received in a standby tray by cooperating with two feed members, and a stapler to staple the aligned rear ends of paper sheets. When a first paper sheet is supplied to the standby tray, the press member presses the rear end of the first paper sheet, to receive a second paper.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus is configured so as to be capable of preventing the misalignment of the end edge of sheets to be scooped and transported from an intermediate tray, and reliably preventing the so-called displacement of end edges in the post-processing steps of sheets as a recording medium with an image formed thereon, and thereby preventing the inferior appearance during binding. A sheet folding apparatus enables a user to easily adjust the misalignment of the fold line of sheets that occurs during actual use, in the middle folding processing steps of sheets as a recording medium with an image formed thereon.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus of the invention includes a post-processing unit that applies post-processing to sheets conveyed from an image forming apparatus, a vertical aligning unit that conveys the sheets to the post-processing unit and brings an edge of the sheets into contact with a movable stopper arranged in a conveying path for the sheets to align the sheets in a conveying direction, and a horizontal aligning unit that holds the sheets with a pair of movable aligning plates from both sides along the conveying direction to align the sheets in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. The sheet processing apparatus further includes a control unit that switches a position of the stopper according to a size of the sheets and controls the aligning plates to be located on both sides close to the center of the sheets when the sheets are brought into contact with the stopper. The post-processing unit applies the post-processing to the sheets aligned.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include an image forming mechanism configured to form an image and transfer the image on a sheet member, and/or a sheet processing unit. The sheet processing unit may include a sheet aligning unit, an ejection sheet tray configured to stack the sheet member, a sheet stopper configured to align the sheet member at a trailing edge thereof, a return mechanism configured to return the sheet member stacked on the ejection sheet tray to the sheet stopper, and/or a discharging mechanism configured to discharge the sheet member, aligned by the return mechanism, from the sheet stopper to the ejection sheet tray. The sheet aligning unit may include a stacking mechanism configured to stack the sheet member transferred into the sheet aligning unit and/or a sheet aligning mechanism configured to align the sheet member.

Abstract: A post-processing apparatus that is set beside an image forming apparatus and applies staple processing to sheets subjected to image formation and folds the sheets to manufacture a booklet includes a hooking control mechanism that is provided on the opposite side of center folding rollers across a sheet bundle and pushes the sheet bundle in a stapler direction to prevent a bent staple from hooking on an edge of an anvil.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus of the invention includes a standby tray on which a sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus is placed, a processing tray on which the sheet dropped from the standby tray is received and placed, and a post-processing mechanism to perform a post-processing on the sheet placed on the processing tray, and further, an electricity removing brush is attached integrally to a rotation shaft disposed in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the sheet at a height position between the standby tray and the processing tray. The electricity removing brush comes in contact with a lowermost surface of the sheet placed on the standby tray or an uppermost surface of the sheet placed on the processing tray by rotation of the rotation shaft, and removes the electricity of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet aligning apparatus includes an alignment surface formed in a planar shape and that presses an end of a sheet to move and align the sheet; and a holding unit that holds the end of the sheet at a position contacting the alignment surface in a state that a curled end of the sheet contacts the alignment surface and the sheet is thus pressed.

Abstract: An aligning unit is provided with a tray having a placing surface on which sheet-like transfer materials discharged with printing applied thereto are held stacked, a first restricting member movable back and forth along an advancing direction of the transfer material being discharged onto the tray while facing the front end of the transfer material with respect to the advancing direction, and a second restricting member for defining the rear end position of the transfer material with respect to the advancing direction. The transfer materials stacked on the tray are aligned by the first restricting member being moved back and forth along the advancing direction. The first restricting member includes a contact surface extending substantially vertically above the placing surface of the tray, and an inclined surface extending from the contact surface toward the placing surface and inclined downward along a direction opposite to the advancing direction.

Abstract: Sheet finishing apparatus constructed to prevent sheet skewing during stacking conveyance, and stack-disarranging sheet slippage. A sheet-stacking tray is disposed forming a break in a discharge path below a discharge outlet. A first discharge roller unit is disposed at the discharge outlet, and a second discharge roller unit is arranged to convey, in cooperation with the first discharge roller unit, sheets downstream to the stacking tray. The second discharge roller unit is supported allowing it to rise and lower between an engage position where it catches sheet(s) on the storage tray, and a retracted position. A registering wall is provided in the stacking tray, for positionally registering the leading/trailing edge of the sheets. A gripper pressingly holds the uppermost sheet stacked on the storage tray, and a controller controls the movement of the gripper between an operational position where it engages the uppermost sheet, and a non-operational retract position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which enables the user to easily remove a sheet bundle left in the apparatus after a bookbinding-mode job is stopped in the middle of execution thereof. In a bookbinding mode of the apparatus, in a sheet stacking section, a plurality of sheets having images formed thereon are stacked as a sheet bundle; in a gluing section, glue is applied to an end face of the sheet bundle; and in a bonding section, a cover sheet is bonded to the sheet bundle to wrap the sheet bundle in the cover sheet. When a bookbinding-mode job is canceled during execution thereof, in the gluing section, glue is applied to the sheet bundle stacked in the stacking section before the job is stopped, and a discharge section discharges the glue-applied sheet bundle which is neither wrapped nor trimmed.

Abstract: A bookmaking apparatus includes: a first path for horizontally conveying a sheet bundle; a second path for vertically conveying a cover sheet; a joining stage for joining the cover sheet and sheet bundle; a gripping conveyance device at an upstream side of the joining stage for gripping and conveying the sheet bundle along the first path; and a folding conveyance device arranged at a downstream side of the joining stage for folding and conveying out the cover sheet and sheet bundle. The gripping conveyance device includes opening and closing clamping members for gripping the sheet bundle and clamping control device for opening and closing the clamping members. The clamping control device operates to vary a gripping position of the sheet bundle by the clamping members when joining the sheet bundle to the cover sheet at the joining stage and when conveying the joined sheet bundle to the folding conveyance device.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes a regulating portion which regulates the opening of the folded sheet bundle, and a conveying portion which pushes the sheet bundle from an upstream side in a conveying direction in a state that the regulating portion regulates the opening of folded sheet bundle.

Abstract: A bundle discharge roller pair is made to rotate backward in a holding state in which the sheets are held between the bundle discharge roller pair, and, at the same time, the upper bundle discharge roller of the pair is separated from the lower bundle discharge roller of the pair. The released sheets slide down on the inclined processing tray at a return velocity Vb; and are made to run into the rear end stopper for aligning. The return velocity Vb may be controlled according to the reverse-rotational speed of the bundle discharge roller pair and is set at a low velocity, when it is found that, for example, the size of the sheet is large, and the return velocity Vb is increased in the case of coated paper with a large coefficient of friction.

Abstract: A paper pressing unit is composed of two cylindrical paper pressing portions, connecting members to which the paper pressing portions are each connected, and rotational shafts protruding outward from the central parts of the connecting members along the longer sides thereof, and is rotatably supported between frames provided inside the apparatus and disposed in the width direction of the processing tray (in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 2). The paper pressing portions are disposed in such a way that a surface of a circular cylinder whose cylindrical axis corresponds to a line passing through the rotational shafts is divided thereby into equal parts (into two equal parts). The paper pressing portions travel on the same orbit as the paper pressing unit rotates.

Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus comprises: a stacking mechanism to stack sheets of one or more printable media as a sheaf; a sheet conveyance mechanism to transport the sheaf to a respective position; a stapling mechanism to perform a stapling operation with respect to the sheaf; and a plurality of sheet regulating mechanisms disposed at positions spaced from each other along a sheet conveyance path, each sheet regulating mechanism being operable to align ends of the sheets in the sheaf according to a sheet conveyance direction. An image forming apparatus comprises such a sheet handling apparatus and an image forming device to form respective images upon the sheets and to provide the sheets to the sheet handling apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus may include a conveyance path and a tray. The conveyance path may convey sheets. The tray may receive the sheets conveyed from the conveyance path. The tray may include a stapler and a folding member. The stapler may staple the sheets. The folding member may fold the stapled sheets and may be provided upstream from the stapler relative to a sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: A finishing apparatus in a copying machine is disclosed, which can finish large sized papers without enlarging the size of a tray base. The finishing apparatus includes a jogging assembly 170 aligning papers in left and right directions, a paper contact plate 166 provided with a stapler 196, a paper roller 200 pushing the papers to a paper stacker 134, ends of the papers being positioned in the stapler, a tray base 10 moving in a direction opposite to the paper roller to guide alignment of a set of the papers, and an angle adjusting unit guiding the papers by adjusting a tilt angle of the papers in accordance with the size of the papers.

Abstract: A sheet bending apparatus and a sheet postprocessing apparatus are provided for improved alignment of recording sheets during center-folding. A center-folding unit mounted in a sheet postprocessing apparatus performs a center-folding processing to a stack of recording sheets aligned on their sides and placed in a sheet holding member. Side aligning is performed near a central portion in a sheet conveyance direction of the sheet holding member. The center-folding unit includes: two upper end aligning members positioned upstream in the sheet conveyance direction on the sheet holding member and movable equally in opposite width directions of the sheet holding member; and a pair of lower side end aligning members positioned on downstream in the sheet conveyance direction on the sheet holding member and are movable equally in opposite width directions of the sheet holding member and independently from the upper end aligning members.

Abstract: A printing system is configured to be able to use a plurality of types of stacking units. The printing system comprises a first controller configured to execute operations to stack printed material which is printed by a printing unit to a stacking unit such that the printed material is stacked in a state shifted a defined amount as to other printed material stacked on the stacking unit. The printing system further includes a second controller configured to inhibit the operations based on information relating to a specified type of the stacking unit in the plurality of types of stacking units.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus, such as a finisher or sorter, for implementing predetermined processing such as alignment and stapling on an inserted sheet material (i.e. any sheet-form recording medium such as recording paper, transfer paper, or an OHP sheet), and an image forming apparatus comprising the sheet processing apparatus. The sheet processing apparatus comprises a rear end fence horizontal portion that contacts the end portion of the sheet member on the upstream side of a sheet member conveyance direction during alignment of the sheet member, a rear end fence vertical portion for supporting the other parts of the sheet member, and a staple unit for stapling the sheet member. The stapling direction in which a staple is punched by a stapler of the staple unit is set to be parallel to the rear end fence horizontal portion that contacts the rear end portion of the sheet member.

Abstract: A flexible strip of low coefficient of friction material is attached to a paddle wheel hub and placed over a predetermined length of the drive side of the paddle wheel blades in order to reduce the drive force of the paddle wheel blades on the top sheet in a stack to thereby allow the accurate compiling of a greater range of curled sheets.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for high capacity stacking and stitching in an image production device is disclosed.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including a cross-directionally moving device for moving a sheet in a direction crossing a sheet discharging direction, and a cross-side restricting member for receiving one side edge of the sheet moved in the crossing direction by the cross-directionally moving device, and restricting the movement of the sheet, wherein the cross-directionally moving device moves the next sheet from a position between the other side edge of the sheet received by the cross-side restricting member and the cross-side restricting member to the cross-side restricting member.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus having a sheet post-processing unit for performing a post process such as aligning or binding sheets. The sheet processing apparatus is composed of a tray for supporting a sheet bundle, an auxiliary conveying unit including a first arm for hooking an end of the sheet bundle on the tray for moving the first arm, thereby conveying the sheet bundle to a predetermined position on the tray, and returning the first arm from the predetermined position to a home position, and a main conveying unit having a second arm for taking over the sheet bundle from the first arm at the predetermined position on the tray and hooking an end of the sheet bundle for moving the second arm, conveying the sheet bundle taken over, and discharging it from the tray.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including: a stapler; a conveying path, which conveys a sheet to the stapler; a bundle forming device to form a sheet bundle in the conveying path, the bundle forming device having a pinch device, which successively pinches an upstream end portion of the sheet to pinch plural sheets integrally; a control portion, which controls the stapler and the bundle forming device to staple the sheet bundle selectively between at one end of the sheet bundle for the side stitching and on the fold line of the sheet bundle for the saddle stitching; a discharging device, which discharges the sheet bundle stapled at the one end onto a stacking portion, a two-fold device, which folds the sheet bundle stapled on the fold line in two along the fold line, and a joining device, which joins the sheet bundle folded by the two-fold device into the discharging device.

Abstract: At the time when an aligning unit collects and aligns a recording sheet, the front portion of a movable supporting member of a collecting tray is moved toward the recording sheet to close a space in the collecting tray. Moreover, the front portion of the movable supporting member abuts against the front end of the recording sheet. As a result, the front end of the recording sheet does not hang loose in the space.