Patent ID: 8371579

Claim:
A sheet alignment apparatus, comprising: a sheet storage section configured to store one or more sheets; a sheet push-up section configured to push up a trailing edge, in a sheet conveyance direction, of a sheet stored in the sheet storage section to convey the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction; a sheet discharge section which is provided in a downstream of the sheet storage section in the sheet conveyance direction, is made up of a pair of rollers capable of rotating in forward and reverse directions, and is configured to align the sheet being conveyed by the sheet pushing-up section between the sheet discharge section and the sheet push-up section and then discharge the sheet from the sheet storage section by a forward rotation of the pair of rollers by holding the sheet in a nip portion formed by the pair of rollers; a sheet width direction alignment section which is provided between the sheet storage section and the sheet discharge section and is configured to align the sheet in a sheet width direction, which is perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, after the sheet is stored in the sheet storage section and before the sheet is discharged in the sheet conveyance direction by the pair of rollers; and a control section configured to control operations of the sheet push-up section, the sheet discharge section, and the sheet width direction alignment section such that when a leading edge, in the sheet conveyance direction, of the sheet being pushed up by the sheet push-up section has reached the sheet discharge section, the sheet is aligned in the sheet conveyance direction between the sheet discharge section and the sheet push-up section, and before the sheet is aligned in the sheet width direction by the sheet width direction alignment section, the pair of rollers reversely rotates so as to separate the leading edge of the sheet from the nip portion.