Patent ID: 8191884

Claim:
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a processing tray on which sheets to be conveyed in a predetermined discharge direction are stacked; a stapling apparatus which staples an upstream side, in the discharge direction, of the sheets stacked on the processing tray and is configured to be movable in a width direction crossing the discharge direction, along the upstream side of the sheets stacked on the processing tray; a gripping apparatus which grips the upstream side of the sheets stapled by the stapling apparatus and is configured to be movable in the discharge direction and in the width direction; and a control section controlling the movements of the stapling apparatus and the gripping apparatus, wherein the control section controls the gripping apparatus to be retracted in the width direction if the control section controls the stapling apparatus to staple the sheets in a movement area for the gripping apparatus in the discharge direction, and wherein the control section controls the gripping apparatus to avoid retracting in the width direction if the control section controls the stapling apparatus to staple the sheets outside the movement area.