Abstract: A sheet-feeding cassette includes: a first tray having a first wall section and a sheet-urging plate; and a second tray having a second wall section, the second tray being coupled to the first tray in a movable manner whereby an interval between the first wall section and the second wall section is changeable. A wall surface of the second wall section, which comes into contact with the sheet, comes to a position upstream of an upstream end portion of the first tray main body. A downstream end portion of the second tray in the sheet-feeding direction comes to a position downstream of an upstream end portion of the sheet-urging plate in the sheet-feeding direction.

Abstract: A sliding mechanism includes a sheet position limiting member having a sheet position limiting surface, the sheet position limiting member being configured to slide in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sheet position limiting surface; and a guide member configured to guide the sliding of the sheet position limiting member.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus with a paper size determining means includes a paper tray, paper guide, a belt, a roller set, a sensing mechanism and a control unit. The paper tray has a front surface for supporting paper and a rear surface. The paper guide is movably disposed on the paper tray and for abutting against an edge of the paper in the paper tray. The roller set is rotatably disposed on the rear surface. The belt, connected to the paper guide and wound around the roller set, synchronously moves the paper guide and rotates the roller set. The sensing mechanism disposed on the rear surface senses a to-be-sensed component disposed on the belt or the roller set and thus outputs a sensing signal. The control unit receives the sensing signal and thus determines size of the paper.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus includes a cassette main body that stacks a paper therein, a sidewall that moves in a width direction of the cassette main body, an end wall that moves in a longitudinal direction of the cassette main body, a first movable member that is connected at one end to the sidewall and rotates around a shaft axially fixed to the cassette main body in connection with the sidewall, a second movable member that is connected at one end to the end wall and rotates around a shaft axially fixed to the cassette main body in connection with the end wall, a first detection unit that has a plurality of detection members and detects the size of the paper in the width direction, and a second detection unit that has a plurality of detection members and detects the size of the paper in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A partition is provided at the almost center of a parallel sheet feed tray in a main-scanning direction, and recording paper sheets such as postcards are mounted in two rows in parallel in the main-scanning direction. By bringing upper surfaces of the recording paper sheets into contact with a pick roller, the recording paper sheets are picked one by one per row and fed toward an inside of a housing. While the recording paper sheets are conveyed in a sub-scanning direction with being arranged in parallel in the main-scanning direction, ink drops are discharged to both the recording paper sheets with reciprocation of a carriage with the ink cartridges in the main-scanning direction. Images are formed on the two recording paper sheets simultaneously, thereby shortening time necessary for printing a lot of recording paper sheets.

Abstract: A sheet size detection device for detecting a size of sheets which are held in a sheet tray is disclosed. The device comprises first and second guide members, first and second brackets, and a plurality of switches. The first guide member is movable in accordance with a first dimension of the sheets. The second guide member is movable in accordance with a second dimension of the sheets. Each bracket is operatively connected to its respective guide member and includes a plurality of slots extending through a solid surface. The plurality of switches is configured for selective engagement by at least one of the brackets. The solid surface and the plurality of slots of each bracket are configured to interact with one another to selectively engage the plurality of switches. The selective engagement of the plurality of switches enables conveyance of two dimensions of the sheet size.

Abstract: A sheet feed tray including a regulating wall member being assembled in a displaceable manner with a placing tray, which includes a first tray side engagement portion, and regulating a position of a recording medium such that a wall portion of the regulating wall member contacts with the end portion of the recording medium, a first engagement member being disposed in the regulating wall member and including a first regulating wall member side engagement portion, the first regulating wall member engaging with the first tray side engagement portion regulates a displacement of the regulating wall member, an elastic unit being elastically deformable and generating a force for holding an engaging state between the first tray side engagement portion and the first regulating wall member side engagement portion, an elastic deformation regulating unit regulating a deformation amount of the elastic unit, and releasing operation unit releasing the engaging state.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a housing having a cassette housing part recessed horizontally from the front surface toward the depth direction and a sheet feed cassette that can be drawn from the cassette housing part. The sheet feed cassette has an open top for storing sheets of paper. The sheet feeder includes a pressure plate provided pivotably about a first pivot so as to be inclined downwardly toward the depth direction of the sheet feed cassette and a pressure mechanism that presses sheets of paper against a pick-up roller when the sheet feed cassette is pushed into the cassette housing part. The sheet feeder includes a pressure plate regulation mechanism that inclines the pressure plate downwardly toward the depth direction while separating sheets of paper on the pressure plate or the pressure plate from the pick-up roller when the sheet feed cassette is drawn from the cassette housing part.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a tray having a bottom surface. The tray holds at least one sheet therein, and has a recess formed in the bottom surface. A rotating member moves between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the rotating member contacts a sheet held in the tray, and in the second position, the rotating member is separated from the tray. The rotating member selectively rotates to convey a sheet held in the tray in a when the rotating member is in the first position. An operative portion moves in and out of the recess in the bottom surface of the tray, and movement of the operative portion corresponds to a movement of the rotating member into the second position.

Abstract: A sheet feeding cassette, including a main body of the sheet feeding cassette accommodating sheets having a trench; a fence movably attached to the main body configured to define a setting position of the sheets; a fixing portion included in the fence that includes a tooth portion engaging with the trench and turns to substantially perpendicular direction of the moving direction of the fence; a lever portion included in the fence that is possible to move corresponding to the moving direction of the fence and the lever portion configured to rotate the fixing portion by moving of the lever portion.

Abstract: A media size sensing system includes independently moveable length and width edge guides, in a media tray, for positioning against orthogonal edges of media sheets. A linearly sliding sensor device is provided, and a single linkage connects the length and width edge guides to the sensor device, the single linkage providing a unique position indication that is a function of both length and width for a range of media sheet sizes.

Abstract: A recording material mounting face portion on which recording materials are stacked for being fed, a body slide portion that is attached to the recording material mounting face portion so as to be slidable in a widthwise direction or in a feeding direction of the recording material, a movable edge guide that includes a body operating portion having a guide face that contacts a side of the recording material while being fed and a fixing means that fixes a position of the movable edge guide in a slide direction of the movable edge guide are provided, wherein the fixing means includes notch columns that are provided on a surface of the recording material mounting face portion along the slide direction of the movable edge guide and engaging protrusions that are provided on the movable edge guide and that engage notches of the notch columns to realize the fixed state, wherein a plurality of the notch columns are formed, each of the notch columns is formed to have the notches at the same pitch, wherein the engaging

Abstract: A paper feeding unit and an image forming apparatus having the same capable of maintaining a constant paper feeding force regardless of a size of paper. The image forming apparatus includes a main body, a printing unit provided in the main body to form an image on paper, a paper feeding unit to supply the paper into the main body, and a force adjusting unit. The paper feeding unit includes a paper feeding cassette to load paper therein, a knock-up plate to guide the paper loaded in the paper feeding cassette to a pickup device, an elastic member to elastically bias the knock-up plate toward the pickup device, and guide sides provided at both sides of the knock-up plate. The guide sides are adjusted along a distance therebetween according to a width of the paper. The force adjusting unit adjusts an elastic force of the elastic member when the distance between the guide sides is adjusted according to a size of the paper.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device including a sheet feed cassette. The sheet feed cassette includes a tray extendable and contractible in a direction of sheet feed; a guide member having a long groove provided on a bottom plate of the sheet feed cassette in the direction of sheet feed; a pressing member having a shaft in a lower portion thereof loosely inserted into the guide member, the pressing member movable along the guide member and contacting a rear edge of a sheet stored in the sheet feed cassette; a link cam plate having a long guide groove into which the shaft of the pressing member is movably inserted, the link cam plate being swingably provided on the bottom plate of the sheet feed cassette; and a sheet size detector including a convex portion and a size detector to detect a size of the sheet stored in the sheet feed cassette.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a paper feeding cassette which selectively stores at least two kinds of paper sheets having different size with respect to a paper feeding direction, and includes a posterior end cursor which restricts a posterior end position of the stored paper sheets with respect to the paper feeding direction, wherein the height of the posterior end cursor is changeable. According to this construction, a smaller space is provided to stack large-sized paper sheets which are not frequently used while a larger space is provided to stack small-sized paper sheets which are frequently used can be reserved.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus is provided with a print medium storage device for storing a print medium. The print medium storage device includes a guide member for guiding the print medium thus stored; an engaging portion for engaging the guide member at a specific position; an engaged portion for engaging the engaging portion; an operation portion disposed to be movable for separating the engaging portion from the engaged portion; and an abutting portion for abutting against the operation portion to move the operation portion when the print medium storage device is situated at a first position, and for separating from the operation portion when the print medium storage device is situated at a second position.

Abstract: A media size sensing system includes independently moveable length and width edge guides, in a media tray, for positioning against orthogonal edges of media sheets. A linearly sliding sensor device is provided, and a single linkage connects the length and width edge guides to the sensor device, the single linkage providing a unique position indication that is a function of both length and width for a range of media sheet sizes.

Abstract: An image forming device includes an image forming device body having an image forming unit in the interior thereof, and at least one paper tray attached to the image forming device on which paper is to be mounted. The paper tray includes a paper mounting unit having a paper mounting surface on which paper is to be mounted, and at least one movable auxiliary mounting unit. The auxiliary mounting unit is supported by the paper mounting unit, and includes an auxiliary mounting surface that is deployed from the paper mounting unit and which serves to extend the mounting surface. The brightnesses of the mounting surface and the auxiliary mounting surface of the paper tray are lower than the brightness of the paper to be mounted on each mounting surface, and the brightness of at least a portion of the auxiliary mounting surface is higher than the brightness of the mounting surface.

Abstract: A paper feeder cassette includes a bottom part, a pair of support plates that moves relative to the bottom part and supports the both lateral sides of the sheets of paper in a paper width direction perpendicular to a paper transporting direction, and a paper disposition plate that is disposed above the bottom part and disposes the sheet of paper thereon and includes an edge portion provided along a direction approximately perpendicular to the paper transporting direction on the downstream side of the pair of the support plates in the paper transporting direction and a contact avoidance portion for preventing the sheets of paper from making contact with the edge portion when disposition of the sheets of paper are performed by sliding the sheets of paper along the paper transporting direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus, in which a sheet can stably be fed with a simple configuration without decreasing strength of an intermediate plate. A fixed member 19 and a movable member 13, which regulate positions in a width direction of the sheet that is stacked on the dedicated cassette 30 detachably attached to an intermediate plate 6, are provided while facing each other. The fixed member 19 and the movable member 13 moved to a position that regulates the sheet are regulated by side regulating members 7 and 8. The side regulating members 7 and 8 that are movable in the width direction regulate the positions in the width direction of the sheet stacked on the intermediate plate 6.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a guide unit including: a length-adjusting assembly including a length-adjusting rack part, which is adjusted according to a length of printing medium; a width-adjusting assembly including a width-adjusting rack part, which is adjusted according to a width of printing medium; and a pinion assembly, which interlocks the width-adjusting assembly interlock with the length-adjusting assembly. The pinion assembly includes a first pinion part, which engages with the length-adjusting rack, and a second pinion part, which engages with the width-adjusting rack and rotates together with the first pinion part. The first pinion part and the second pinion part have a stepped shape.

Abstract: A body section of an image-forming apparatus accommodates a sheet cassette such that the sheet cassette can be drawn out along a first direction. The sheet cassette has a sheet-position-limiting member. When the sheet cassette is empty of image-recording media, the sheet-position-limiting member is moved in the first direction to a predetermined initial position. When the sheet cassette is drawn out in the first direction, the sheet-position-limiting member moves in a second direction in relation to the sheet cassette. The body section and the sheet cassette are configured such that the sheet-position-limiting member is positioned according to the amount of drawing of the sheet cassette.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including: a regulating member movable so as to regulate a position of a sheet in a sheet regulated position corresponding to the sheet to be contained in a cassette main body; a holding mechanism for holding the regulating member; and an operating portion disposed at the regulating member for releasing the regulating member from being held by the holding mechanism, wherein when the regulating member is moved in one direction or the other direction opposite to the one direction for regulating the sheet, the operating portion is press-operated in the direction intended to move so that the regulating member is released from being held by the holding mechanism.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder (ADF) paper feed tray, in a state where a sheet is placed, a center portion of the sheet in the width direction is supported by a first support portion, an outside portion of the sheet in the width direction is supported by a second support portion, and both side portions of the sheet in the width direction hang down substantially uniformly. By this arrangement, the ADF paper feed tray can be made small. As a result, in the case where the sheet is discharged below the ADF paper feed tray, the confirmation of the discharged sheet can be facilitated.

Abstract: A paper feed cassette includes a pair of side guides, the side guides are arranged opposite to each other such that the side guides guide both side portions of the recording papers with respect to a transporting direction of the recording papers, and the side guides have a guide width adjusting mechanism for adjusting a guide width. One of the side guides is formed of synthetic resin and includes a position adjusting portion for operating the guide width adjusting mechanism, and the other side guide is formed of a metal plate.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet serving as a recording medium and effectively reduces energy consumption includes a movable sheet supporting device configured to support sheets, a sheet size detecting device configured to detect a size of the sheets by detecting a location of the sheet supporting device, a gap detecting device configured to detect a gap between the sheets and the sheet supporting device, and a reporting device configured to notify an operator of a gap detected by the gap detecting device.

Abstract: A system, method, and resulting resilient belt type sheet compiler with a mixed sheet length mode is provided. The device includes a resilient belt transport for sequentially feeding sheets from a sheet inlet to a compiler tray, the compiler tray having a lead edge stop and a trail edge wall. A monitoring means is positioned proximate to the trail edge wall for detecting a lead end and a trail end of sequentially fed sheets from the sheet inlet to the compiler tray. A sheet brake, responsive to the monitoring means detecting a short sheet, selectively stalls the detected short sheet until a lead end of a subsequent sheet is detected by the sensor or subsequent sheets are absent.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device for manually feeding a sheet to a specified apparatus such as an image forming apparatus is provided with a manual feed tray for guiding a sheet being manually fed, and a pair of cursors provided on the manual feed tray and movable in opposite directions along a sheet width direction normal to a sheet conveyance direction in accordance with the width of the sheet. The pair of cursors are operable such that the front end positions and/or the rear end positions thereof with respect to the sheet conveyance direction are shifted along the sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet accommodation portion that accommodates piled sheets, and a guide formed by bending a plate-shaped member and having an abutting surface that abuts on the piled sheets so as to restrict a position of the piled sheets. An inclined surface is formed in a top end portion of the abutting surface. Preferably, one or more than one protruding strip is provided to the guide on a surface on a side where the abutting surface is formed along a direction in which the sheets are inserted into the sheet accommodation portion.

Abstract: A media tray includes a housing and a media restraint assembly mounted in the housing having a position selection mechanism for placing respective floor portions of the housing in a selected one position of a multiplicity of closely spaced apart positions. The position selection mechanism includes an actuator adapted for undergoing movement relative to the floor portions along a first direction between extended and retracted positions and a position securement arrangement adapted for undergoing conversion along a second direction transverse to the first direction between engaged and disengaged conditions in response to movement of the actuator between the extended and retracted positions to correspondingly select and de-select the selected one position of the floor portions and accordingly set the floor portions at and release the floor portions from the selected one position thereof. The media restraint assembly also includes an actuation lever and a lock mechanism for the lever.

Abstract: A trailing end of a sheet stored in a cassette body is regulated by a first trailing end regulating member 4 and a second trailing end regulating member 5. the member 4 is provided to be slid in a cassette case 3 where the sheet is stored, and the member 5 is provided in the member 4 to be slid. In addition, at positions according to a size of the sheet that is stored in the cassette case 3, the member 4 is held by a first holding portion and the member 5 is held by a second holding portion. In addition, holding of the member 4 by the first holding portion and holding of the member 5 by the second holding portion are released by the operation of a trailing end regulating lever 61.

Abstract: A sheet feeder having a stack hopper for holding a stack of sheets, and feed belts for advancing the bottom-most sheet from the stack, is constructed to move at least one of the feed belts laterally toward and away from another of the feed belts while the belts are being driven. Preferably, side guides extend substantially to the end of the feeder, and extend both above and below the upper surface of belts to which they are adjacent. The belts extend between and around shafts of uniform diameter through the reach of lateral movement of the belts. The shafts are journaled in bearings mounted in such a way that they can be lifted out to change belts quickly and easily.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a main body (110) and a sheet feeding tray (600) that stores the stack of media (601). The sheet feeding tray (600) includes retractable guides (620) that restrict lateral ends of the media (601) stacked in the sheet feeding tray (600). The retractable guides (620) can be kept laid when the sheet feeding tray (600) is not in use. Therefore, even when the retractable guides (620) are sufficiently large, the sheet feeding tray (600) can be compact when the sheet feeding tray (600) is not in use. Thus, when the sheet feeding tray (600) is housed in the main body (110), it is not necessary to provide a large recess space in the main body (110), and therefore it is not necessary to increase the size of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including: a regulating member movable so as to regulate a position of a sheet in a sheet regulated position corresponding to the sheet to be contained in a cassette main body; a holding mechanism for holding the regulating member; and an operating portion disposed at the regulating member for releasing the regulating member from being held by the holding mechanism, wherein when the regulating member is moved in one direction or the other direction opposite to the one direction for regulating the sheet, the operating portion is press-operated in the direction intended to move so that the regulating member is released from being held by the holding mechanism.

Abstract: A paper feeding device includes a guide member that guides both sides of a sheet of paper stacked in a paper feeding cassette and a support unit that prevents the guide members from being moved due to inertia of sheets of paper during installation of the paper feeding cassette. Accordingly, the paper feeding device contacts and supports one side of the guide unit and prevents the guide unit from being moved. Therefore, a sheet of paper may prevented from being separated from a finger during installation of the paper feeding cassette. Furthermore, a paper jam or skew due to the separation of the paper may be prevented.

Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus includes: a pivot unit, supporting a medium and pivoting to cause the medium to come in contact with and to separate from a feeding unit; a first guide unit, guiding one side end of the medium supported on the pivot unit; a second guide unit, guiding the other side end of the medium; a first moving unit, moving the first guide unit to come in contact with and to separate from the one side end of the medium in conjunction with the pivoting motion of the pivot unit; and a second moving unit, moving the second guide unit to come in contact with and to separate from the other side end of the fed medium in conjunction with the movement of the first guide unit.

Abstract: An edge regulating device that regulates edge of a printing medium by an edge guide includes a first holding unit that is able to hold the edge guide with a predetermined pitch along the direction of displacement of the edge guide and a second holding unit that is able to hold the edge guide with a pitch larger than the holding pitch by the first holding unit along the direction of displacement of the edge guide.

Abstract: A media support apparatus for a media cassette of an automatic media dispenser includes a base plate having a guide piece which is provided with a guide slot. A link mechanism has at least one connection pin, which is moved along the guide slot, and two connection link plates, the height of which, relative to the base plate, can be adjusted. A media seat is seated on each connection link plate. The horizontal spacing between the media seats can be adjusted. The apparatus is advantageous in that a single media cassette can be adapted to supply media of various sizes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet size detection device including a sheet width direction regulating member, a sheet conveyance direction regulating member, two levers, a detection sensor, and a pattern supplementing device. The levers each have a concavo-convex pattern and interlock with the regulating members, respectively, and are superimposed to have the same center of rotation and the same locus formed by a leading end of the concavo-convex pattern. The concavo-convex pattern of at least one of the levers is shaped to prevent, in a detection pattern, erroneous detection attributed to positional displacement of the concavo-convex pattern. The detection sensor including push switches detects the sheet size according to a combined concavo-convex pattern formed by the superimposed levers.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has: a tray on which sheets to be fed are stacked; a sheet feeding portion which separates and feeds the sheets stacked on the tray one by one; and a sensor which discriminates a type of sheet. In a state in which one sheet of the sheets stacked on the tray is protruded from the tray by the sheet feeding portion, the sensor discriminates the type of the protruded sheet.

Abstract: A medium feeding cassette includes a cassette main body, a cassette extension member mounted to the cassette main body so as to be movable with respect to the cassette main body, and a locking mechanism configured to lock the cassette extension member at a predetermined position with respect to the cassette main body according to a size of the medium. The locking mechanism includes a locking member and a first locking groove that engage each other so as to lock the cassette extension member in the predetermined position. The locking member moves in a direction to release locking of the cassette extension member when a force is applied to the cassette extension member in a direction to retract the cassette extension member into the cassette main body.

Abstract: A sheet tray device including: (a) a first tray accommodating a first size sheet to be moved toward an image processor portion and (b) a second tray accommodating a second size sheet to be moved toward the image processor portion. The second tray is disposed above the first tray, and receives the first or second size sheet having been moved back from the image processor portion. The second tray has (b-i) a rear guide to be in contact with a rear end of the accommodated second size sheet and (ii) a pair of side guides to be in contact with respective side ends of the accommodated second size sheet. The side guides have respective upper ends at which the first or second size sheet having been moved back from the image processor portion is received. At least one of the side guides has a height that is not smaller than a height of the rear guide. Also disclosed is an image forming apparatus including the sheet tray device.

Abstract: An apparatus for the alignment of a stack of sheets including at least one pair of trimming elements which can be adjusted at distances relative to each other in a substantially continuous manner in order to accommodate and align the stack between said trimming elements. The trimming elements are coupled to allow their counter-directional movement with respect to each other, such that an automatic stop means preventing an enlargement of the distance between the trimming elements can be deactivated if required.

Abstract: In a recording material guiding device, a second guide member 606 is comprised of a hopper swinging surface 23c, an edge guide member 25 including a second side end guide member 25a, and a liftup preventing guide 251. The hopper swinging surface 23c is engaged in an opening provided in a side surface of a reference end guide 24 serving as a first guide member 603. The second guide member 606 can be slid in a main scanning direction with respect to the reference end guide 24 (first guide member 603). During recording a gap d1 can be formed between the second side end guide member 25a and a side end Pa of the recording paper P by sliding the second side end guide member 25a from a first position 604 to a second position 605, so that frictional contact can be prevented at the side end Pa of the recording paper P on the second side end guide member side.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically registering a stack of media includes a lever device adapted to be secured to a media tray of a printer, and to pivot in relation to the media tray when the media tray is inserted into the printer, and a registration wall mechanically coupled to the lever device such that the registration wall is repositioned toward the stack of media when the media tray is inserted into the printer.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus has a sheet loading plate, a sheet feeding member, a side regulating member on the sheet loading plate and a torsion spring to generate an elastic biasing force, so as to bias the sheet loading plate to bring the uppermost sheet into contact with the sheet feeding means. The torsion spring biases the sheet loading plate so that a torsion moment generated by the end-arm portions of the torsion spring is made variable depending on a position of other of the end-arm portions engaged with the side regulating member.

Abstract: In a printing system in which the print media sheets are alternately fed from the same stack in the same tray by two sheet feeders at opposite sides into different sheet paths, at least one of the sheet feeders is repositionable towards and away from the other for feeding different size sheets, and the connecting sheet path is repositionable with the repositioning of the sheet feeder. The repositioning of the sheet feeder and its associated sheet path may be automatic in coordination with the normal resetting of a tray stack edge guide with the loading of different size sheets into the tray. The enhanced rate sheet feeding may be for a dual print engine printing system and/or selectably common or reversed sheet facing. Alternating coordinated lifting of a nudger roll of one sheet feeder with operation of the opposing sheet feeder, and retard nips spaced from the stack, may be provided.

Abstract: A feeder is adapted to feed a medium to a down stream section in a first direction. A feeding tray has a supporting face adapted to support the medium thereon and formed with a groove. A first edge guide is provided on the supporting face so as to be slidable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A second edge guide is provided on the supporting face so as to oppose to the first edge guide, so that the medium is placed therebetween. An auxiliary guide body is provided in the first edge guide and having a projection slidably engaged with the groove, the auxiliary guide body being slidable relative to the first edge guide in the first direction and a third direction opposite to the first direction, in accordance with the slide movement of the first edge guide in the second direction by way of the engagement between the projection and the groove.

Abstract: The position of a sheet accommodated in a sheet storage portion is restricted by a restricting member provided movably on a sheet storage portion. This restricting member has a holding portion which is movable freely and is attached detachably to the sheet storage portion so as to hold the restricting member at a restricted position corresponding to a sheet size. The end portion of the sheet whose rear end position is restricted is pressed from above by a pressing member provided movably in a vertical direction on the end portion restricting member. Then, to move the restricting member, an operation portion is operated and the holding portion is moved in a direction of releasing the engagement and the pressing member is raised upward of accommodated sheets.

Abstract: A media feeder for feeding media items includes a moveable media side guide. A force limiting mechanism is coupled to move the side guide such that the side guide can be moved into engagement with media items with a force that will not exceed a predetermined level. A second mechanism is coupled to move the side guide a predetermined distance away from the media items. In one arrangement a first and a second moveable media side guides are mounted adjacent a media elevator platform. A first force limiting drive means is connected to a side guide adjustment mechanism operable to cause the guides toward or away from each other. A second drive means is connected to the side guide adjustment mechanism and is operable to cause the side guide adjustment mechanism to move the guides such that a predefined gap is established between the media items on the platform and the side guides after the side guides are moved into engagement with the media items.