Abstract: A roller device may include a main body, a first roller configured to rotate around an first axis line extending in a predetermined axial direction, the first roller including an end portion in the axial direction, and a supporting member including a first supporting portion configured to rotatably support the end portion of the first roller and an engaging portion configured to engage the main body. Further, the main body including a regulating portion disposed inside the movable range when the supporting member is located at a third position and disposed outside the movable range when the supporting member is located at a fourth position.

Abstract: A sheet feed rolling element for an electrophotographic device includes a roller portion and shoulders on both sides formed by curved chamfers. A parting line between the fixed mold plate and the movable mold plate of an injection mold is located at the boundary between one shoulder and the roller portion outer periphery, a step is provided at the boundary due to a difference between the opening diameter of the cavity portion defined by the fixed mold plate and the opening diameter of the cavity portion defined by the movable mold plate so the one shoulder has a smaller diameter than the outer peripheral surface, and a chamfer is provided adjacent to the one shoulder to absorb any difference in molding shrinkage rate due to a difference in molecular orientation of resin at the step, thereby preventing circumferential bulging on the outer periphery of the formed roller portion.

Abstract: A pick system for a printer is disclosed. The pick system has at least two sets of replacement parts. Each set of replacements parts is tuned for a different type of media.

Abstract: A sheet feeder configured to hold a separation pad may include a pivotable housing having a connection element for attaching the separation pad. In one example, the connection element may correspond to a protrusion, with the separation pad including one or more corresponding recesses or holes. A fixing member configured to secure the separation pad may be slidably connected in the housing to be slidable, while connected to the housing, between a first position and a second position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a registration roller pair, which is arranged on a downstream side in a sheet feeding direction with respect to a nip portion of a sheet feeding roller and a separation roller, configured to cause a leading edge of a sheet, the sheet is conveyed while being nipped by the sheet feeding roller and the separation roller, to abut against the stopped registration roller pair to form warping in the sheet. And, a backup sheet is deformed toward a separation roller side by abutting against the sheet, which has been warped by abutting the leading edge of the sheet against the registration roller pair, from the separation roller side in a vicinity of the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction with respect to the nip portion.

Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus includes an opening unit (a lock shaft, a lock arm, a hopper, a link member, and a rotating member) that performs an opening operation in a direction in which rollers coming into press contact with each other on a conveying path for a medium are separated from each other when a conveyance error of the medium occurs. An error release operation control unit of a controller controls the opening unit by switching whether an opening operation is performed to the degree of opening in which a conveying roller and a driven roller are separated from each other or an opening operation is performed to the degree of opening in which a separating roller and a braking roller are separated from each other, according to an entering distance of the medium on the conveying path.

Abstract: The feeder device comprises a support structure (2) wherein, between a feeder plate (3) and an opposite surface (4), there is defined an input receptacle (5) for the introduction of one or more documents (BC) to be processed, and a motorized aligning and conveying de vice (6), adapted to engage and urge a document (BC) introduced into the input receptacle (5) towards a lateral stationary aligning surface (50).

Abstract: In an example embodiment, there is disclosed herein a picker that is operable to separate an individual sheet from a stack of sheets. The picker has a first rotatable picker member that includes a first high friction peripheral arcuate segment, where the first picker member is rotatable about an axis, a second rotatable member that includes a second high friction peripheral arcuate segment, wherein the second picker member is rotatable about the axis, and a drive in operative connection with the first and second rotatable picker members. The stack includes a bounding sheet having a sheet face bounding a side of the stack. The first and second arcuate segments are operable to concurrently engage the sheet face. The first and second picker members are operable to be separately rotationally movable about the axis responsive to operation of the drive.

Abstract: A selection module for separating envelopes one-by-one from a stack of envelopes and for transporting them downstream, wherein the selection module comprises a plurality of articulated guides co-operating with a plurality of selector rollers to select said envelopes one-by-one and to transport them downstream, the plurality of articulated guides comprising two parts (120, 122) connected one to the other by a first extremity (120a, 122a) crossed by a common pivot connection (16), the respective second extremities (120b, 122b) of the two parts articulated guide being adapted to pivot about first and second pivot axis (18, 22) in opposition to first and second resilient return means (20, 24) as the envelopes pass over the selector rollers, the second pivot axis being offset downstream is relative to the first pivot axis and the second resilient return means forms an inclination angle of about 45° regarding horizontally.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including a chassis with an opening formed on one side thereof; a first placement section, on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable; a cover configured to be openable to expose and closable to cover the opening and configured to form, when in a position to expose the opening, an outer part of the first placement section outside the chassis; and a second placement section arranged in an upper position with respect to the first placement section, and on which a sheet inserted through the opening is placeable, is provided. The second placement section is detachably attached to the chassis through the opening.

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: A transporting apparatus includes a base unit made of resin, a tray configured to support a sheet, a transporting section supported by an upper portion of the base unit and configured to transport the sheet, and a feeding section supported by a lower portion of the base unit and including a feeding roller configured to contact an upper surface of the sheet supported by the tray and to feed the sheet toward the transporting section. The base unit is integrally formed with an inner-side guide which defines an inner side of a curved path which is configured to guide the sheet fed by the feeding section to the transport section.

Abstract: The inventive sheet conveying roller includes a plurality of linear projections provided on an outer peripheral surface of a roller body of an elastic material and each having a generally right-angled triangular cross section which includes a hypotenuse edge and an adjoining edge provided on a forward side and on a rearward side, respectively, with respect to a roller body rotation direction, the adjoining edge aligning with a line perpendicular to a center axis of the roller body. The linear projections are rounded with the hypotenuse edges and the adjoining edges thereof connected to each other by curves as seen in section, and provided integrally with the roller body to be equidistantly arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a upstream roller pair arranged on the upstream side of a printing head with respect to a direction in which a sheet is conveyed; and a downstream roller pair arranged on the downstream side of the printing head with respect to the direction, wherein each of the upstream roller pair and the downstream roller pair includes a first roller and a second roller configured to hold the sheet therebetween. In both of the upstream roller pair and the downstream roller pair, a rotation shaft of the second roller is provided to be situated on the downstream side of a rotation shaft of the first roller with respect to the direction.

Abstract: A sheet ejector is provided that includes an ejection roller unit including a first roller and a second roller, a pushing member that rotates concentrically with the first roller and includes a projection formed on a circumferential surface thereof, the projection contacting a trailing end of a sheet to be ejected and pushing out the sheet in an ejecting direction, and a contact member including a contact portion disposed, in a view along a rotational-axis direction of the first roller, in such a position as to overlap or be downstream relative to a most downstream position of a rotational trajectory of the pushing member in the ejecting direction, the contact portion configured to extend up to a position closer to the second roller than the rotational axis of the first roller and contact the trailing end of the sheet ejected from the ejection roller unit.

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, and 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. When one of the media placed on the placing table is fed by the feeding unit and the one or more media are placed on the placing table, the space is formed by the medium fed by the feeding unit, the separating unit, and the one or more media placed on the placing table.

Abstract: A sheet feeding member is provided, which is made of a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising: a base polymer including a polyurethane thermoplastic elastomer and a polyester thermoplastic elastomer; and at least one ion conductive agent selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt and a lithium salt/polyol, wherein the ion conductive agent is present in a proportion of 0.2 to 4 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the base polymer in the thermoplastic elastomer composition.

Abstract: The sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet tray on which sheets are stacked, a feeding roller which contacts a top sheet on the sheet tray and feeds the sheet in a sheet feeding direction, and a pair of intermediate conveying rollers which receives the fed sheet and conveys the sheet in a sheet conveying direction. The sheet feeding apparatus further includes a fixed slope portion, a sheet separation member, and an opposite member. The fixed slope portion includes a separation slope which is inclined in downstream of the sheet feeding direction as it is closer to the pair of intermediate conveying rollers, so as to abut against the sheet fed by the feeding roller and separate the sheet one by one. The sheet separation member and the opposite member have a separation nip portion which separates the sheet having passed through the separation slope one by one.

Abstract: There is provided a recording apparatus including: a hopper which is swingably installed on which paper sheets are placed; a feeding roller which is rotatably installed in a downstream side of the hopper in a feeding direction and feeds the recording media; a media guide surface which is opposed to an outer peripheral surface of the feeding roller with a gap therebetween; a separating roller which is installed in a downstream side of the media guide surface in the feeding direction and separates the paper sheets through cooperation with the feeding roller, in which the shortest distance between the outer peripheral surface of the feeding roller and the media guide surface in the gap becomes long along with the rotation of the feeding roller during one rotation of the feeding roller.

Abstract: An image reader may include a shaft, a roller, a guide, and a first side plate comprising a frame portion having a first frame portion, a pair of second frame portions, and a third frame portion connecting with the pair of second frame portions and a first hole surrounded by the frame portion. A first bearing member may be fitted in the first hole and include a bearing portion contacting the first frame portion. The first bearing member may be configured such that an end of the shaft is rotatably held. An engaged portion may extend from the bearing portion and include an engagement portion engaged with the first side plate. The image reader may further include a second side plate, a second bearing member disposed at the second side plate and configured such that the opposite side of the shaft is rotatably held, and a reading unit.

Abstract: A sheet transporting apparatus is provided, including a transport mechanism provided with a roller, a motor, a controller, and a measuring input unit, wherein a transport route has a curved area for inverting the sheet, and the controller is constructed such that the control on the motor is executed by a closed loop control system by using a measured value of an control output at an initial stage of the transport of a sheet from a tray, and the control on the motor is switched from the control performed by the closed loop control system to control performed by an open loop control system on condition that a preset phenomenon arises after the sheet is taken out of the tray.

Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a sheet supporting surface which receives a plurality of sheets set thereon, a separation roller which separates the sheets set on the sheet supporting surface sheet by sheet to transport a separated sheet in a predetermined transport direction, and a first detection unit which is disposed to the supporting surface and detects whether a sheet is set on the sheet supporting surface. The separation roller and the first detection unit are disposed to be separated at least in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the predetermined transport direction, and a distance between the first detection unit and an end edge of the separation roller at a side of the first detection unit is longer than a short side of a non-allowable sheet which is smaller than a minimum sheet size within an allowable transport range set in the sheet transport device.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a storage portion; a feeding portion; and a separation portion, wherein the separation portion includes: a separation member which rotates around a rotation center shaft to separate one by one the sheets; an urging portion which applies a force to the rotation center shaft toward the feeding portion; a torque imparting portion to impart a torque to the separation member in a direction opposite to a direction which the separation member rotates; a first and a second support member which supports one end and other end of the rotation center shaft while regulating rotation of the rotation center shaft; and a deviation restraining portion which restrains deviation of a reaction force of the torque applied to the separation member by the torque imparting portion and acting on the first support member and the second support member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a medium separating and supplying mechanism that may reduce the causes of jams and errors on a conveyance path and so forth from supply onward. Namely, by making the skew angle of a medium less than a limit angle ?max, at which skewing is regard to increase, when the medium reaches a gate portion, the present invention may prevent the medium from rotating at an overlap point in a direction in which the skew angle is increased, which occurs as a result of the medium reaching the overlap point.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device for moving print media in a printer includes: a rotatable shaft extending lengthwise along an axis of rotation and a hub. The hub is operatively and pivotally connected to the shaft at a connection such that the hub rotates with the shaft about the axis of rotation and so that the hub may tilt on the shaft relative to the axis of rotation. The device also includes a pick tire or other feature on the hub on each side of the connection to move print media when the shaft rotates the hub. In another embodiment, a method for moving print media in a printer includes: applying a force to a sheet of print media at two locations spaced apart across the sheet; and, simultaneously with the act of applying, equalizing the force applied at the two locations.

Abstract: A noncircular sheet feed roller includes a core and a rubber belt mounted on the core. The core includes a peripheral member having a peripheral surface which is arcuate about a center axis thereof, and a pair of support ribs which are provided opposite from the arcuate peripheral surface of the peripheral member to be spaced from the peripheral member by a space and extend parallel to the center axis symmetrically with respect to the center axis. The rubber belt is a looped belt which has a predetermined width as measured along the center axis and has an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface. The peripheral member is inserted in the rubber belt, and a portion of the rubber belt is fitted in the space between the peripheral member and the support ribs.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus has a separation section configured to supply a sheet one by one, at least three driving rollers arranged on a downstream, in a sheet conveying direction, of the separation section and configured to convey the sheet, at least three driven rollers configured to be urged by the driving rollers and driven to rotate by rotation of the driving rollers, respectively, and an image reader unit configured to read an image of the sheet conveyed in the conveying direction. Sheet conveying forces by one of at least three driven rollers and one of at least three driving rollers arranged at the central portions in the sheet width direction is greater than sheet conveying forces by others of the at least three driven rollers and others of the at least three driving rollers arranged at both side portions in the sheet width direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes: a feeding mechanism having a first roller and a second roller provided downstream in a sheet feeding path from the first roller and feeding a sheet by rotations of the first and second rollers; a control section executing a butting control by controlling the first and second rollers to feed the sheet from the first roller so as to butt against the second roller at an intake position, and executing an intake feeding control by controlling the second roller to feed the sheet downstream in the feeding path from the intake position; an obtaining section obtaining information indicating a rotation amount of the second roller in a period after the butting control to the start of the intake feeding control; and a target setting section setting a target rotation amount of the second roller that should be achieved in the intake feeding control.

Abstract: A document conveying device of the present disclosure includes a feeding unit, a stopper, and a restriction surface. The feeding unit is swingably supported on a first swinging fulcrum and is disposed selectively at a paper feeding position or at a retracted position. The stopper is swingably supported on a second swinging fulcrum, and has a document restriction portion and an engagement piece. The restriction surface is provided on the main body side of the document conveying device, and extends downward from a position coinciding with a first trajectory toward an inner side of the first trajectory, while extending downward from a position coinciding with a second trajectory toward an inner side of the second trajectory. When the feeding unit is at the retracted position, the engagement piece is engaged with the restriction surface, and when the feeding unit is at the paper feeding position, the engagement therebetween is released.

Abstract: A roller device may include a main body, a first roller configured to rotate around an first axis line extending in a predetermined axial direction, the first roller including an end portion in the axial direction, and a supporting member including a first supporting portion configured to rotatably support the end portion of the first roller and an engaging portion configured to engage the main body. Further, the main body including a regulating portion disposed inside the movable range when the supporting member is located at a third position and disposed outside the movable range when the supporting member is located at a fourth position.

Abstract: A print-medium storing unit, a print-medium storing apparatus including the same, and an image forming apparatus including the same which are provided in a power transmission mechanism, print-medium storing apparatus which is installed on a discharge path of a print-medium in an image forming apparatus, includes a plurality of storing units which is arranged with multi-layers, and a controller which controls to drive a feeding unit of another storing unit arranged between the storing unit through which the print-medium is to be discharged and the image forming apparatus, by a driving source of the storing unit through which the print-medium is to be discharged.

Abstract: A paper conveyance apparatus including a conveyance roller module including a pair of a sheet feeding roller and a separation roller opposite to each other across a paper conveyance path, a sound receiving aperture positioned on the same side as one side of the paper conveyance path, the one side including any one of the conveyance roller module, a sound shield positioned on a straight line between a nip portion of the conveyance roller module and the sound receiving aperture, a sound signal generator for generating a sound signal in response to a sound detected through the sound receiving aperture, and a sound jam detector for determining whether a jam has occurred based on the sound signal.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a sheet stacking portion on which sheets are to be stacked, a sheet conveyance path, a sheet feeding member, a driving unit, a stopper and an interlocking unit. The sheet is conveyed from the sheet stacking portion in a predetermined conveying direction in the sheet conveyance path. The sheet feeding member is arranged at an entrance side of the sheet conveyance path and conveys the sheet by being driven and rotated. The stopper is projectable into and retractable from the sheet conveyance path at a side upstream of the sheet feeding member in the conveying direction and prevents the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion from coming into contact with the sheet feeding member in a projecting state. The interlocking unit causes the stopper to project into and retract from the sheet conveyance path in accordance with rotational movements of the sheet feeding member.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a blocking member having a blocking surface with which a leading end of a sheet that is being conveyed comes into contact for obliquity correction. The blocking member is rotated by being pushed by the sheet against an urging force of a positioning unit that positions the blocking member to be in the standby position. The blocking member is rotatable to be in a sheet-passage-allowing orientation in which the sheet is allowed to pass. When a trailing end of the sheet that is being conveyed has passed the blocking member, the blocking member that is in the sheet-passage-allowing orientation rotates in a same direction as a sheet conveyance direction and is positioned to be in a standby position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism includes a sheet feeding roller configured to feed an uppermost recording medium from stacked recording mediums, an inclined portion located at a downstream position of the sheet feeding roller in a conveyance direction of the recording medium and having a surface inclined with respect to the conveyance direction, and a restriction member configured not to contact the recording medium before the sheet feeding roller feeds the recording medium, and configured to contact the recording medium in a state where the recording medium is fed by the sheet feeding roller and conveyed along the inclined portion.

Abstract: A feeding device includes a feed roller configured to feed stacked sheets, a first transmission unit configured to transmit driving force to the feed roller, a separating member configured to separate a sheet having been fed by the feed roller from the other sheets, a moving unit configured to move the separating member to a separating position where the separating member is in contact with the sheet to separate the sheet and a retracting position where the separating member does not separate the sheet, a second transmission unit configured to transmit driving force to the moving unit to work the moving unit, and a transmission unit configured to simultaneously transmit driving force of a drive source to the first transmission unit and the second transmission unit.

Abstract: A feeding device includes a roller configured to feed an uppermost sheet of a plurality of sheets stacked in a stacking unit, and an inclined separator located downstream of the roller in a feed direction and configured to separate one sheet from another sheet. The inclined separator includes a first separator and a second separator that are arranged along the feed direction. Resistance imparted to each sheet by the first separator is greater than resistance imparted to each sheet by the second separator.

Abstract: A media transport assembly includes a loadstop drive assembly to gather and compress a media stack in a media tray before a pick and feed cycle, and a pick drive assembly to pick a sheet of media from the media stack and feed the sheet of media to a media path. The loadstop drive assembly is positioned on one side of a gear wall and the pick drive assembly is positioned on an opposite side of the gear wall such that the pick drive assembly is driven by the loadstop drive assembly through the gear wall.

Abstract: A sheet separator machine for cartons for packaging from a warehouse, typically a well warehouse, in which the cartons are stacked. More particularly, a machine for separating sheets of cartons. The machine includes a frame on which a handling station of the cartons, a warehouse for at least one stack of cartons, and a gripping station of the cartons, are mounted, in an operatively contiguous position. The gripping station includes a pair of counter-rotating motorized rolls for withdrawing a carton from the stack of cartons.

Abstract: In an imagining apparatus having a removable media input tray that moves in a direction transverse to a media feed direction and includes a reference edge surface and a media alignment guide moveable to a selected position within a predetermined range of travel with respect to a reference edge surface, a system for automatically translating the pick mechanism to a selected position during insertion of the media input tray based on the position of the media edge guide.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes an intermediate plate (21b) as a sheet receiving member configured to stack a sheet, a feed roller (22) as a feed rotator configured to feed the sheet stacked on the intermediate plate (21b), and a separation roller (23) as a separation member configured to separate the sheet from a sheet bundle stacked on the intermediate plate (21b). The sheet conveying apparatus further includes a restrict member (60) as a restrict portion disposed so as to reach a position overlapped in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction with the feed roller (22) as at least one member among the feed roller (22) and the separation roller (23) and offset in the width direction from the feed roller (22), and restricting a leading end position of the sheet stacked on the intermediate plate (21b).

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion on which sheets are stacked, a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, a slope portion arranged downstream of the sheets in a feeding direction of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion and configured to separate the sheets from each other, the sheets fed by the sheet feeding unit being bent when contacting the slope portion, and a contact width variable mechanism configured to change a contact width in which the slope portion and a leading edge of the sheet, in the feeding direction, fed by the sheet feeding unit are in contact with each other by moving part of the slope portion in the feeding direction or in a direction opposite to the feeding direction.

Abstract: A document feeder feeds document sheets one by one from a stack on a tray by pressing one or more pick-up rollers against an uppermost document sheet and guiding one widthwise edge of the document sheet. The width direction is perpendicular to a document transport direction. The document feeder includes: a document size obtainer that obtains size information indicating a width of the document sheet; and a center-of-contact shifting mechanism that shifts a center of contact of each pick-up roller along an axial direction of the pick-up roller according to the obtained size information. The center of contact is a central point of an area where the pick-up roller is in contact with the document sheet. Each pick-up roller is in a barrel shape. The center-of-contact shifting mechanism shifts the center of contact of each pick-up roller by axially tilting the pick-up roller relative to the document surface.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a pair of upstream sheet conveying rollers, a pair of downstream sheet conveying rollers, and a gate unit including multiple striking faces disposed adjacent to the pair of downstream sheet conveying rollers. The gate unit is enabled to enter and evacuate from a sheet conveyance path. A skew correction control mechanism is provided to correct skew by bringing the gate unit into the sheet conveyance path to cause the striking faces to collide with a leading end of the sheet with the skew while rotating the pair of upstream sheet conveying rollers. One or more rollers are included in one of the pair of upstream sheet conveying rollers and are disposed in the vicinity of a widthwise center of the sheet conveyance path. A width of one or more rollers is smaller than a widthwise interval between the multiple striking faces.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a first conveying guide that has a first conveying face of a conveying path; a second conveying guide that has a second conveying face opposed to the first conveying face; and a guide portion that is provided at any one of the first conveying guide and the second conveying guide, the guide portion has an elastic member that is fixed to one of the first conveying guide and the second conveying guide, and a rigid member that is provided on the face side of the elastic member on which the sheet passes and that has a surface more rigid than that of the elastic member, and the elastic member is deformed by pressing of the conveyed sheet when the sheet passes through the guide portion.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a casing with an internal space, a sheet placing portion, a sheet feeding unit, a driving unit, an opening/closing cover and a drive switching unit. A sheet is to be placed on the sheet placing portion. The sheet feeding unit includes a sheet feeding member. The driving unit is arranged in the internal space and coupled to a rotational drive system of the sheet feeding member and transmits a rotational drive force to the sheet feeding member. The opening/closing cover is openably and closably arranged on the casing to cover a opening formed in the casing. The drive switching unit uncouples the driving unit and the sheet feeding member in association with a switching movement of the opening/closing cover from a closed state to the open state. The sheet feeding unit is mountable into and removable from the internal space through the opening.

Abstract: A paper-sheet feeding unit includes: a feed roller configured to be rotated when feeding out a paper sheet, the feed roller having a high friction portion placed on a part of a circumference of an outer circumferential surface thereof, and a low friction portion placed on a location of the outer circumferential surface thereof other than the high friction portion, the low friction portion having a frictional coefficient smaller than that of the high friction portion; and a gate member arranged to be pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the feed roller, the gate member constituting a gate section configured to separate, one by one, the paper sheets fed out by the feed roller.

Abstract: A mailpiece feed device designed to be mounted upstream from a franking machine, and comprising at least a mailpiece feed zone for receiving a stack of mailpieces of various formats supported by a first plurality of drive rollers and a separation zone for individually selecting the mailpieces and having a second plurality of drive rollers, at least first clutch means E3 being provided for actuating said first plurality of drive rollers, said mailpiece feed device further comprising at least one sensor CN for detecting passage of said mailpieces as they enter said separation zone, and control means for subjecting said first clutch means to forced deactivation followed by an activation/deactivation series so long as the sensor CN is not activated, so as to cause a rapid succession of horizontal movements generating jerky motion on said stack, conducive to facilitating mutual separation of said mailpieces.

Abstract: A recording apparatus including: a roller disposed at a set position and configured to convey a recording medium; a shaft member configured to support the roller located at the set position, wherein the roller is disengageable from the shaft member by moving in a direction toward one of opposite ends of the shaft member; a roller moving mechanism configured to move the roller in the direction toward the one end by applying a force to the roller in the direction toward the one end; and a movement inhibiting and allowing member configured to: inhibit the roller from moving in the direction toward the one end by being positioned at a first position at which the roller is positioned where the roller has been moved in the direction toward the one end; and allow the roller to move in the direction toward the one end by moving from the first position to a second position different from the first position.

Abstract: A drive transmission apparatus includes a sun gear driven by a drive source, a planetary gear, a supporting member that supports the planetary gear capable of revolving around the sun gear in a rotatably engaged state with the sun gear, a driven gear that is engaged with the planetary gear when the planetary gear revolves and moves to an engagement position by the rotation of the sun gear in a first direction, and a rotational force providing unit that provides a rotational force to the driven gear to rotate the sun gear in a second direction opposite to the first direction via the planetary gear when the planetary gear is engaged with the driven gear. When the sun gear is rotated in the second direction by the drive source, the rotational force providing unit blocks the revolution of the planetary gear by rotating the planetary gear via the driven gear.