Patent ID: 7300046

Claim:
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a first sheet stacking portion, which stacks a sheet thereon; a second sheet stacking portion provided downstream of said first sheet stacking portion with respect to a sheet conveying direction; sheet holding means for holding down the sheet stacked on said first sheet stacking portion from above; and a driving device, which moves said sheet holding means between a holding position for holding the sheet and a stop position provided downstream of the holding position with respect to the sheet conveying direction, said driving device moving said sheet holding means from the holding position to the stop position with said sheet holding means holding down the sheet from above; and hold releasing means for releasing a hold of the sheet by said sheet holding means, by said sheet holding means being engaged with said hold releasing means by a movement of said sheet holding means from the stop position to a discharging position in a direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction to discharge the sheet to said second sheet stacking portion at a discharging position spaced apart by a predetermined distance toward an upstream side from the stop position.