Sheet conveying apparatus

A sheet conveying apparatus that receives and conveys a sheet conveyed by a conveying member for conveying a sheet in a conveying direction, comprising:

• an endless conveying belt that is provided downstream relative to the conveying member in the conveying direction, the belt having a conveying surface extending in the conveying direction and conveying the sheet passed to the conveying surface in the conveying direction;
• a plurality of balls that is disposed in the conveying direction so as to face the conveying surface and configured to be rotatable in any direction while nipping the sheet with the conveying surface;
• a first regulating guide disposed on a first side relative to the conveying belt in a sheet width direction crossing the conveying direction, having a first support surface for supporting a first sheet end edge on the first side of the sheet conveyed while being nipped by the conveying belt and the balls, and configured to move in the sheet width direction with the first sheet end edge supported by the first support surface to regulate the first sheet end edge;
• a second regulating guide disposed on a second side relative to the conveying belt in the sheet width direction, having a second support surface for supporting a second sheet end edge on the second side of the sheet conveyed while being nipped by the conveying belt and the balls, and configured to move in the sheet width direction with the second sheet end edge supported by the second support surface to regulate the second sheet end edge;
• a guide moving unit configured to move the first and second regulating guides in the sheet width direction;
• and
• a take-out port provided on the first side relative to the conveying belt in the sheet width direction, through which a sheet stopped on the conveying belt can be taken out in a state where the first sheet end edge falls within a predetermined area, wherein
• when a sheet is stopped on the conveying belt, the guide moving unit moves the first and second regulating guides such that the first support surface is located at a position at which it does not support the first sheet end edge in a state where the first sheet end edge falls within the predetermined area.