Abstract: The invention relates to a document handling apparatus for use in a copying machine which separates a document from the bottom of a stack of documents on a loading plate to an exposure location, feeds back the document onto the top of the stack after exposure. The document handling apparatus has a separator arm fixed to a rotatable shaft which is driven intermittently by a drive system. The separator arm contacts the top surface of the stack of documents to be fed to the exposure location with the weight of the arm, loads the documents having been returned from the exposure location on the separator arm, moves downwardly with the circulation of the documents until being released from the bottom of the stack of the documents. A partially toothed gear of the drive system is mounted on a rotatable shaft which is geared with the pinion gear to rotate the rotatable arm in its toothed circumferential portion and is free from the pinion gear out of the toothed circumferential portion.

Abstract: A control device for a copier of the type loaded with a recyclic document feeder (RDF) and operable in a two-sided copy mode for producing two-sided copies by sequentially stacking one-sided paper sheets and refeeding them for transferring images on the other side thereof. In the two-sided copy mode, side fences provided on an intermediate tray are moved toward and away from each other in matching relation to the paper size. Even when the entry of a paper sheet in and the refeed of a paper sheet from the intermediate tray occur alternately, paper sheets entered the tray can be accurately controlled in position with no regard to the paper size.

Abstract: An intermediate paper feeding device for a copier operable in a two-side copy mode. A stop for positioning paper sheets stacked on an intermediate tray guides, in the event of refeed, a paper sheet toward the contacting portion of a separating member pair. A presser member for pressing the top of a paper stack loaded on the intermediate tray is operated in interlocked relation to the stop. The stop and presser member, therefore, share a single drive mechanism. The presser member has a pressing surface which remains in surface-to-surface contact with the top of the paper stack on the tray over substantially the entire area thereof with no regard to the thickness of the paper stack.

Abstract: A copier operable in a two-sided copy mode and a combination copy mode. The copier effects both of the two different copy modes without resorting to a plurality of intermediate trays and by allowing a minimum of local contamination due to a toner to occur on copy sheets.

Abstract: A recirculating document handling apparatus for use in a copying machine having an exposure station at which a document to be copied is scanned. The RDH apparatus comprises a document support tray for accommodating a stack of documents to be copied, a recirculating transport mechanism for transporting each of the documents from the document support tray towards the exposure station and then from the exposure station back to the document support tray, and an auxiliary roller provided in the document support tray for feeding each of the documents towards a document feed unit. The auxiliary roller can be selectively operated at two different speeds to assist returning documents to the document feed unit.

Abstract: A sheet conveyer having a sheet registration device for an image forming apparatus having a sheet path for guiding a sheet having an image recorded on one side thereof back to an image forming unit for recording another image on the other side, comprises a mechanism for switching the sheet having the image recorded on one side thereof back to the sheet path, a mechanism for abutting the switched-back sheet against a lateral registration reference plane, and a preliminary shift function shared by the switch-back mechanism for shifting the sheet oppositely to the reference plane.

Abstract: An invention document feeder is provided with a first sheet path for guiding a document from stacker to below after inversion, a second sheet path branched from the first sheet path in a switchback fashion for guiding the sheet to a process position, and a third sheet path branched from the first sheet path in a switchback fashion for discharging the sheet, discharged from the process position, to a receiver after inversion.

Abstract: In an automatic two-sided copying apparatus, a recording sheet which has a toner image on its one side is reversed by an automatic duplex unit and the recording sheet is fed from the automatic duplex unit to be copied on its second side. The apparatus is provided with a feeding state detector which detects number of recording sheets set by an operator to be copied, have been conveyed from the sheet feeding section in the main body. A refeeding state detector which detects that refeeding of at least one of the stacked recording sheets in the automatic duplex unit is possible. A timing controller which receives detection outputs from both the feeding state detector and the refeeding state detector initiates the start of refeeding from the automatic duplex unit.

Abstract: In a universal document feeder with which either conventional cut sheet documents or computer form (CF) web fan-folded documents may be fed to an imaging station, with an upper document loading tray with an associated feeder, but also having a separate side feeding entrance for feeding computer form web to the imaging station, there is provided a CF guide such as a bail pivotally mounted to the document feeder with a web guide surface positionable substantially above the upper document loading tray and adjacent the side of the document feeder having the side feeder entrance. This forms guide provides a path thereover for unfolding and upwardly feeding out CF which is fan-fold stacked in the upper document tray, and then downwardly in a path to the side entrance feeder, defining a web slack loop.

Abstract: A cleaning device capable of cleaning the surface of components, the cleaning device comprising: a cleaning member for cleaning the surface of the component which needs to be prevented from contamination; an arm made of a shape memory alloy and holding the cleaning member and also storing therein a first shape which can cause the cleaning member to be positioned on the surface of the component and a second shape which can cause the cleaning member to be retracted from the surface of the component; and shape transforming arrangement provided for the arm and transforming the shape between the first shape and the second shape.

Abstract: A sheet reversing apparatus comprises a support in which sheets are stacked, an entrance section for guiding the sheet to the support, a blowing mechanism for directing an air stream to a sheet stack on the support to separate a lowermost sheet from remaining sheets, and a feeding mechanism for attracting the sheet to feed it. Further, stopper plates are provided to be pivoted above the support so that it cooperates with the support to pinch and brake the sheet therebetween in a continuous reversing mode wherein the incoming sheet is immediately fed and that it abuts against the incoming sheet by a portion thereof opposing a leading end of the sheet in a stack reversing mode wherein while the sheets are being stacked the lowermost sheet is separated and fed.

Abstract: In a stacking system for sequentially feeding flimsy sheets to be stacked in a generally horizontal stack thereof in a stacking tray by ejecting the sheets sequentially out over the stack with a preset sheet ejection trajectory angle to fall by gravity and settle onto the top of the stack, first estimating the height of the stack in the stacking tray to provide a stack height control signal proportional to the height of the stack, and then changing the sheet ejection trajectory angle at which the sheets are to be ejected in response to this stack height control signal before the sheets are ejected such that the sheet ejection trajectory angle, and the height of the release point of the sheet at ejection relative to the tray, is automatically lowered for smaller stack heights and automatically raised for an increased stack height, to thereby minimize the settling time of ejected sheets onto the stack for improved restacking for a wide range of stack heights.

Abstract: A sheet dealing apparatus feeds sheets, received within the apparatus, to a user through a sheet delivery portion by an operation of the user or receives the sheets into the sheet dealing apparatus from the user. Also, this operation may be similarly applied to the sheet delivery mode between the sheet dealing apparatus and another sheet dealing apparatus. The sheet delivery portion is contructed so as to be retractable or extensible with respect to a body of the apparatus. A sheet delivery window formed at the delivery portion is variable in position as necessary.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sheet guide apparatus of the type that a recording sheet delivered by a rotary movement in peripheral contact between a fixing roller and a pressure roller drops by its own weight into an upper open-type sheet receiving unit disposed near a sheet delivery side of the pressure roller, and sheet delivery rollers or the like disposed on the sheet delivery side of a fixing apparatus are normally omitted, thereby permitting dimensional reduction of the apparatus and simplicity of its structure.

Abstract: A compact machine architecture is realized by combining the functions of copy sheet feeding and stacking into one integral apparatus. The apparatus is initially completely filled with copy sheets to be moved into the transfer/fusing area of a copier/duplicator machine. A vertically translatable stacker tray is positioned above the copy sheet input and is moved downward in vertical synchronism with copy sheets being fed from the input stack. A paper feed roller, attached to the bottom of the tray, continually feeds the top sheet from the input supply. As the input sheet stack is consumed, the output (feed) copies are deposited onto the stacker tray. As operation continues the supply stack is depleted while the finished stack increases, but the overall volume occupied by the copy sheets remains the same. Since there is no "empty" volume in the apparatus, the size and cost of the unit is greatly reduced.

Abstract: A multi-pass sorting machine includes a housing or supporting structure which has the configuration of an A-Frame. The A-Frame structure has a slanting front side supporting several individually functional devices and a slanting back side supporting other individually functional devices. The devices of the front side include an input feeder first transporting mechanisms, a singulating device, an accelerating mechanism, second transporting mechanisms, a bar code reader and associated electronic and computer equipment, a plurality of first sorting devices in the form of diverting vanes, an equal number of first pass stacker buffers, and a reversing member for transporting letters from the front side to the back side while at the same time retaining the same orientation of the letters to the planar surface as the letters go around the corner.

Abstract: In a method of and an apparatus for transferring supplementary paper money in an automatic teller machine that includes a paper-money processing mechanism that has a plurality of transport routes formed among the paper-money that provide a path between a plurality of paper-money containers, a cassette storing a supplementary money supply and a paper-money discriminator part for transporting paper money. A plurality of changeover gates are provided at the forks of the transport routes for changing the destination of paper money, and a control part for controlling the transportation routes and the changeover gates. The method and apparatus optimize the transfer of supplementary paper-money, and a control part for controlling the transport routes and the changeover gates. The method and apparatus optimize the transfer of supplementary paper-money by checking for times in which the paper-money processing mechanism, especially the transport routes, are not in use.

Abstract: A sheet original feeding apparatus comprises a sheet original stacking tray on which sheet originals to be treated are stacked as an original stack. A sheet original separator separates and supplies the sheet original one by one from the bottom of the original stack stacked on the sheet original stacking tray. A sheet original feeding path is provided for directing the sheet original separated by the sheet original separator. A sheet original feeder feeds in a forward direction the sheet original directed by the original feeding path to an image reading portion. The sheet original feeding means is also operable in a reverse direction, and the sheet original feeding path is arranged at one side of the sheet original feeder. A first sheet original ejecting path is further provided for returning the sheet original fed in the reverse direction by the sheet original feeder to the sheet original stacking tray from a same side of the sheet original feeder as the sheet original feeding path.

Abstract: A system and method for directly feeding unstacked paper sheets into a printing device having a moving image conducting element with a plurality of images placed thereon for transfer to the paper and having a wait station for controlling the timing of paper transfer to the image conducting element. A continuous stream of paper sheets is directed to a printing device wait station. The rate of the movement of the paper sheets into the wait station is controlled to present each paper sheet at a predetermined rate relative to the operating speed of the image conducting element. The spacing of the leading edge of each paper sheet, as it is presented to the wait station, is made relative to the linear spacing between consecutive images on the image conducting element.

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device for an image-processing machine including a housing having on its upper surface a transparent plate on which to place a document to be processed. The device includes an opening-closing frame member mounted on the housing so that it is free to pivot about a pivot axis extending along the rear edge of the transparent plate between a closed position at which it covers the transparent plate and an open position at which it exposes the transparent plate to view; a stationary frame member to be mounted on the housing adjacent to the upstream end of the transparent plate; a document table disposed on the stationary frame member; a document sending unit for sending a plurality of sheet-like documents placed on the document table to a document carrying-in passage one by one; and a document carrying-in unit for introducing the sheet-like documents sent to the document carrying-in passage toward the transparent plate.

Abstract: A device for determining the height of a pile of sheets, includes a measuring sensor formed as an expansion member and pneumatically drivable towards a top surface of the sheet pile.

Abstract: In the document feeder of the invention, the originals stacked in the document hopper always show the same surfaces upward during copy operation. Consequently, when an original document sheet causes paper jam or similar trouble in the transport path, the original may be restacked in the document hopper with the same surface facing upward as that facing upward when the original was first stacked in the document hopper. Consequently an operator is less likely to be confused as to the surface to face upward when stacking originals in the document hopper, resulting in improved operating performance. Further, the structure of installing the original feeding mechanism and the original restacking mechanism separately on both sides of the document hopper and bottom-feed, top-restack configuration of the document hopper simplifies the structure around the document hopper.

Abstract: A mail document sorting device includes a document input feeder, and at least one singulation device for orienting and singulating the documents so that indicia on their faces can be disposed at a predetermined level about a data reference plane. Single documents pass to an indicia reader, which generates indicia indicating signals. An electronic/computer mechanism processes the indicating signals, and provides for sorting the read documents into bins. A plurality of the bins is located in side-by-side horizontal array, with an elongated belt disposed along the array of bins for moving documents received therefrom. The elongated belt has an inboard edge adjacent the array of bins and an outboard edge remote from the array of bins.

Abstract: An apparatus for the fault-free receiving and issue of sheets has guide rollers which are arranged on a carriage and which engage into belts to alter the geometry of the belts when the carriage is displaced on a rail over a stack by means of a drive. In the receiving or issue operation the sheet to be stacked or a top sheet to be issued rolls, without sliding, around one of the outer guide rollers, on the stack. Disposed between the outer guide rollers on a roller shaft are rotatable suction rollers whose suction cap sucks up the top sheet by means of reduced pressure at the beginnning of an issue cycle. A control arrangement is adapted to trigger off apparatus receiving and issue cycles and establishes predetermined positions of the carriage on the rail.

Abstract: An automatic original feeding handler adapted for transporting an original to a reading portion in an image forming apparatus. The automatic original feeding handler is provided with an accommodating portion upwardly provided with respect to the reading portion for accommodating originals stacked therein, a supplying member for supplying a lowermost original of the stacked originals one by one to the reading portion, a transporting member for transporting on the reading portion the original supplied by the supplying member and returning that original to the accommodating portion, a counting member for counting the number of the originals and a control member for controlling the supplying member so as to change the timing for start of supplying the original according to a count value counted by the counting member.

Abstract: An improved recirculating document feeder for presenting sheets from a document sheet stack individually to a station of the reproduction apparatus for reproducing of information contained on such sheets. The improved recirculating document feeder comprises a support for a document sheet stack. A feed path extends away from and then back to the document stack support, for directing sheets from the support into association with the reproducing station and then back to the stack. Document sheets are fed from the stack seriatim about the feed path. An array of sensors is provided with individual sensors of the array respectively positioned at predetermined locations about the feed path for detecting a document sheet at the predetermined locations as said document sheet is fed. The individual sensors respectively produce signals when detecting a document sheet.

Abstract: A device for facilitating stacking of sheets in a hopper of a sheet transporting apparatus in which sheets are directed seriatim onto a stack of sheets in the hopper and subsequently fed seriatim from the stack of sheets in the hopper. The facilitating device comprises at least one elongated member supported at one end thereof for substantially free pivotable movement in a vertical plane under the influence of gravity. The support for the elongated member is located to particularly position the elongated member whereby a sheet directed onto the stack in the hopper will strike the elongated member. The elongated member absorbs kinetic energy of the directed sheet to stop such sheet movement and pivot the elongated member in a first direction about the support and, when the elongated member pivots in the direction opposite the first direction under the influence of gravity, the elongated member strikes the sheet to urge the sheet into accurate operative engagement with the sheet feeder.

Abstract: In order to avoid ergonomic problems such as carpel tunnel syndrome while improving productivity, an apparatus for feeding signatures to a binding line is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pocket adjacent a binding line for receiving signatures to be delivered to the binding line. It also includes first and second signature feeders for feeding signatures from a source to a signature transfer mechanism which extends to the pocket adjacent the binding line. The apparatus further contemplates at least one of the signature feeders receiving signatures directly from the source. In order to facilitate the efficient operation of the signature feeders of the invention, the signature transfer mechanism has a signature receiving end. The signature receiving end is positioned above the signature feeders and is adapted to transfer signatures to the pocket in either a shingled stream fashion or a one-at-a-time fashion. The signature transfer mechanism also has a signature transferring end positioned adjacent the pocket.

Abstract: This invention relates to the sheet transporting apparatus having a sheet storage device capable of storing sheets and provided in the middle of a sheet transport path; and a carriage unit with a sheet discharge mechanism for transporting a sheet to the sheet storage device and capable of reciprocating motion substantially above said sheet storage device.

Abstract: An improved recirculating document feeder for presenting sheets from a document sheet stack individually to a station of the reproduction apparatus for reproducing of information contained on such sheets. The improved recirculating document feeder comprises a housing containing a support for a document sheet stack. A feed path extends away from and then back to the document stack support, for directing sheets from the support into association with the reproducing station and then back to the stack. Document sheets are selectively fed from the stack seriatim about the feed path. The feed for the document sheets includes a transport assembly overlying at least a portion of the reproduction apparatus station.

Abstract: Paper sheets, which are typified by bank notes, are maintained substantially upright between a freely movable pressure plate and a rotatively driven delivery/stacking roller opposing the pressure plate. Contact pressure which the delivery/stacking roller applies to the paper sheets is sensed by a pressure sensor. With the sensed contact pressure serving as an input, fuzzy inference is performed in accordance with predetermined rules, thereby to control the movement of the pressure plate in such a manner that the contact pressure will attain a proper value at all times.

Abstract: Pressurized air and vacuum levels are controlled to facilitate sheet separation and feeding reliability based on the weight of a document sheet stack on the document sheet stack support. The weight of the stack is determined by counting the total number of individual document sheets in such document sheet stack, determining the height of the original topmost document sheet of such stack at a particular point in time, counting the number of individual document sheets fed from such stack from such particular point in time, computing the weight of each individual document sheet based on the counted number of document sheets from such particular point in time, and calculating the total weight of such stack based on the weight of each individual document sheet and the total number of document sheets in the such stack.

Abstract: A recycling automatic document feeder for a copier which feeds a stack of documents loaded on a document table one by one to a predetermined exposing position, returning the document to the top of the stack after imagewise exposure, and refeeding such documents one by one to the exposing position. A discharge section is movable on and along the table in an intended direction of document feed. The document feeder is capable of returning documents of various sides easily to the top of the document stack which is located at a document feed position on the table.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus using expendable supplies, the apparatus including a rotary portion of the paper tray for detecting the amount of expendable supplies which are available for use during image recording, a similar rotary portion of the document tray or an automated document feeder capable of counting sheets of paper for calculating the quantity of expendable supplies necessary for the selected recording operation, a comparator for comparing the detected amount with the calculated amount, and a display for informing an operator of the result of comparison.

Abstract: A stack of sheets contained in a containing member is loosened at the downstream edges in the feeding direction by air injected from an air injecting device, and fed one by one seriatim from the sheet on top in a predetermined feeding direction by a vacuum suction feeder disposed above the containing member. At this time, an upwardly directed impact is applied to the downstream edges in the feeding direction of the sheets from an impact generating device, thereby improving looseness of the downstream edge faces in the feeding direction by the air.The sheet fed from the containing member is returned to the bottom of the stack of sheets on the containig member. At this time, a claw formed on a feed roller pushes up the upstream edges in the returning direction of the sheet so as to force the sheet completely into the containing member.

Abstract: A transfer assembly to progressively transfer to a main vertical magazine located at the top of a machine for forming cardboard boxes, the cardboard box at the top of the pile of cardboard boxes located in an auxiliary magazine to one side of the forming machine. There is associated with the transfer assembly, opposite the top of auxiliary magazine, a solenoid valve through which the upward movement of the cardboard boxes in axiliary magazine is stopped in the time interval between the start of the withdrawal of the cardboard box from the auxiliary magazine and its positioning on rollers. At the top of the main magazine there is an upper photocell suitable for stopping the movement of the transfer assembly when the main magazine is full and a lower photocell suitable for putting the same assembly back in motion when the number of cardboard boxes contained in main magazine is lower than a certain threshold.

Abstract: Portable apparatus for supporting a stack of sheets, the apparatus comprising: an elongate tray including a base wall and opposed longitudinally extending side walls, the side walls extending upwardly from the base wall and defining therewith opposed end openings through which sheets may be successively fed; at least one sheet-stack supporting wall slidably connected to one of the side walls of the tray for movement between the end openings, the supporting wall including a rectangularly-shaped portion thereof dimensioned to extend transversely of the tray between the side walls; memory structure connected to the tray for storing data relating to respective sheets fed thereto and structure for removably interfacing the apparatus with at least one external structure.

Abstract: A paper refeeding device incorporated in a copier for stacking one-sided paper sheets each carrying an image on one side thereof on an intermediate tray and then refeeding the paper sheets from the tray for forming an image on the other side thereof. In a two-sided copy mode operation, the device reduces the copying time while eliminating paper jam, missfeed and other troubles. The device stacks one-sided paper sheets stably on the intermediate tray and refeeds them without any skew. In addition, the device is simple in construction and implements automatic timing control.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, sheet stacking means for successively stacking sheets on which the image is formed by the image forming means, with shifting by a predetermined amount in a sheet feeding direction one from the other, feeding means for feeding the sheet one by one from a sheet stack obtained by stacking the sheets with shifting by the predetermined amount one from the other, conveying means for conveying the sheet stack formed by the sheet stacking means in normal and reverse directions between the sheet stacking means and the feeding means, and control means for controlling the conveying means in such a manner that the conveying means returns said sheet stack from the feeding means to the sheet stacking means to stack the sheets on which the image is formed by the image forming means after they have been fed by the feeding means, for obtaining a new sheet stack.

Abstract: An original document feeder which is so arranged that directions indicated by front and reverse surfaces of the original documents stacked in an original document accommodating section remain the same as the directions of front and reverse surfaces of the original documents initially accommodated in the accommodating section at all times during the copying operation, while constructions around the original document accommodating section can be simplified for efficient operation.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a guide member which has a flexible thin piece. A plurality of recesses are formed in a free end of the guide member in spaced-apart relationship in a width direction to provide the plurality of recesses and a plurality of protrusions adjacent to the recesses. The recesses and protrusions are formed and disposed so that both side edges of original documents of various standard sizes may pass tip portions or outside edge portions of the protrusions. By this, both side edges of the original documents are without foil scopped by the protrusions. Accordingly, both edges of original documents do not enter the interior most portions of the recesses and thus a paper jam does not occur.

Abstract: In a recirculating feeder, for example for a copying machine, a stack of sheets is placed on a placing member. A detection protrusion, which is rotatable about an axis extending along the placing member, contacts the underside of the stack. A spring urges the detection protrusion in an upward direction so that a top sheet of the stack comes in contact with a pressing member. As the top sheet of the stack is fed, sheets are returned to the placing member under the detection protrusion to form another stack of sheets. After the detection protrusion has urged the last sheet of a stack upward and this last sheet is fed, the detection protrusion cooperates with a sensor to indicate the feeding of the stack is completed. Thereafter, the detection protrusion can rotate to come in contact with the underside of another stack of sheets and the operation can be repeated.

Abstract: Magazine signatures which are manually loaded as a stack into a product hopper are stripped therefrom and are conveyed as a rough and non-uniform shingle to an accumulating hopper while being elevated from a low level to a substantially higher level. The signatures are stripped from the accumulating hopper and are formed into a thin and uniform running shingle with a comparatively large setback for transport along a horizontal path to a receiver hopper which is located at a relatively high elevation to feed the collating conveyor of a binding machine. The shingles are fed on an on-demand basis both to the accumulating hopper and to the receiver hopper in order to keep stacks of consistently low height and weight in the hoppers and thereby promote consistent stripping of shingle signatures from the hoppers.

Abstract: A paper refeeding device incorporated in an image forming apparatus for temporarily stacking paper sheets each coming out of an image forming section and carrying an image on one side on a refeed tray and, then, refeeding the paper sheets to the image forming section. An air velocity switching mechanism causes an air knife to blow air at a breeze velocity or a zero velocity which does not lift the paper sheets stacked on the refeed tray, until more than a predetermined number of paper sheets have been discharged by discharge rollers and stacked on the refeed tray.

Abstract: Sheet feeding apparatus for a buffer tray of a xerographic reproduction machine comprises a belt for conveying sheets to the tray, input and output rolls which co-operate with the belt at the input and the output respectively of the apparatus, and an intermediate roll which can co-operate with the belt at a point intermediate its length. The output roll is mounted on an end guide of the buffer tray and, as a result, moves lengthwise of the belt when the end guide is moved to enable the tray to receive sheets of different lengths. If the output roll is moved from one side of the intermediate roll, remote from the input roll, to the other, it causes the intermediate roll to move to an inoperative position (in which it does not co-operate with the belt) and operates a latch to hold the intermediate roll in that position. The reverse movement of the output roll releases the latch and allows the intermediate roll to return to the position in which it co-operates with the belt.

Abstract: An improved recirculating document feeder for presenting sheets from a document sheet stack individually to a station of the reproduction apparatus for reproducing of information contained on such sheets. The improved recirculating document feeder comprises a support for a document sheet stack with a selected side of each document sheet facing up and with the selected side of the topmost document sheet in said stack for ready viewing. A feed path extends away from the then back to the document stack support, for directing sheets from the support into association with the reproducing station and then back to the stack, the feed path defining with the support a closed-loop that inverts a sheet and directs the sheet into association with the reproducing station selected side down and then inverts the sheet again and directs the sheet to the top of the stack selected side up. Document sheets are selectively fed from the stack seriatim about the feed path.

Abstract: Between a sheet separation arrangement and a sheet skew correction means which are disposed along a non-linear sheet guide passage, there is provided at least one idle roller partly protruding into the passage so that the transferring efficiency of a sheet feeding device can be improved. Additionally by providing a damping member within the sheet guide passage, a sheet can be smoothly transferred along the passage at a high speed without producing harsh noises.

Abstract: An automatic document handler adapted for transporting an original document to a reading portion in an image forming apparatus. The automatic document handler is provided with an accommodating portion the reading portion for accommodating stacked original documents therein, a supplying member for supplying a lowermost original document of the stacked original documents one by one to the reading portion, a transporting member for transporting on the reading portion the original supplied by the supplying member and returning the original to the accommodating portion, a counting member for counting the number of the original documents and a control member for controlling the supplying member so as to change the timing for the start of the supplying of the original document according to a count value counted by the counting member.

Abstract: A sheet storing apparatus wherein sheets ejected from a copying machine one after another are stacked in order, and the sheets are supplied to the copying machine again. The apparatus comprises a sheet storing unit wherein sheets are stored, a transporter for transporting sheets to the storing unit, a regulator for preventing sheets supported by a sheet support surface of the storing unit from moving back toward the entrance thereof, a pressure member for pressing each sheet transported to the unit against the support surface and a refeeder for feeding out the stored sheets one by one. Each time a sheet is transported to the unit, the pressure member presses the sheet, whereby the end of the sheet passes through the regulator to be put between the support surface and the regulator. Also, in feeding sheets out of the unit, the pressure member presses the sheet stack against the refeeder.

Abstract: An electrophotographic recording apparatus comprising these units which are arranged vertically: a sheet feeder for feeding a sheet of recording paper to a sheet feed inlet; an image forming unit for forming a printing image onto a photosensitive drum based on printing data and transferring the printing image onto the sheet; and a fixing unit for fixing the transferred image on the sheet. The apparatus further comprises a sheet switching guide mechanism by which the head end of the sheet is switched to both upper and lower directions. When the sheet switching guide mechanism is set to the upper direction, the printed sheet is forwarded by a sheet guide member to thereby pass through the printing path the sheet has already been through with the rear side of the sheet being the front, and the printing data is written from the last line during this process.