Abstract: A conveying apparatus, including: a conveyor mechanism; a housing; a first tray configured to receive a medium conveyed by the conveyor mechanism; an image reader disposed above the first tray, wherein a first discharge opening for discharging the medium outside the housing is formed in an upper surface of the housing so as not to overlap the image reader when viewed from above, and wherein the conveying apparatus further includes: a switcher for switching a destination of the medium selectively between the first tray and the first discharge opening; and a tray unit removably mountable on the upper surface of the housing and including a first introduction opening opposed to the first discharge opening, a second conveyance path for conveying the medium passed the first discharge opening and the first introduction opening, and at least one second tray for receiving the medium conveyed through the second conveyance path.

Abstract: A paper reversing apparatus includes a main conveyance path, a reversing path, first and second guiding plates and a hardware processor. The reversing path is disposed so as to form a predetermined angle with respect to the main conveyance path. Paper enters the reversing path from the main conveyance path and leaves the reversing path to the main conveyance path by being sent backward. When paper enters the reversing path, the processor moves the first guiding plate to a position for the paper to follow the first guiding plate and moves the second guiding plate to a position to avoid the paper. When paper leaves the reversing path, the processor moves the second guiding plate to a position for the paper to follow the second guiding plate and moves the first guiding plate to a position to avoid the paper.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device and a printing apparatus capable of estimating a number of remaining sheets without error include a loading member on which sheets are loaded, a lift unit that moves the loading member up and down, a position detection unit that detects a lift-up position to which the loading member moves up, a sheet detection unit that detects that a sheet at an uppermost position of the sheets loaded on the loading member has moved up to a feeding position by an upward movement of the loading member, a feeding roller that feeds a sheet at the feeding position, and an estimation unit that estimates the number of remaining sheets loaded on the loading member based on a combination of detection results of the sheet detection unit and the position detection unit.

Abstract: A power steering system for a motor vehicle may include a servomotor, which drives an axially-movable rack via a ball nut. The ball nut may be mounted in a bearing such that the ball nut can be rotated in a housing. The ball nut engages with a threaded spindle formed on the axially-movable rack and has a ball screw thread on an inside thereof for balls to roll on. An external ball return means may connect a beginning of the ball screw thread to an end of the ball screw thread to allow endless circulation of the balls. A deflector and a sleeve may form a return channel of the ball return means.

Abstract: A detection system for detecting double sheets being supplied to a lateral positioning device (100) for a sheet element (20, 20?) in a sheet element processing machine. The machine has a drive system including a cam disk (174) and a cam follower lever (172). The detection system includes a detector lever (130) mounted so as to be displaceable between a sheet receiving position and a detection position. The detector lever (130) has a sheet sensing end (132) for engagement with an upper face of the sheet element (20, 20?) when being in the detection position, and a position detector end (133) for cooperating, when being in the detection position, with a position detector (140) adapted for generating a signal dependent on the thickness of the sheet element (20, 20?), and further includes a raising lever (170) for raising the sheet sensing end (132) of the detector lever (130). The raising lever (170) is mounted on the cam follower lever (172) of the sheet element processing machine.

Abstract: A ball screw includes a screw having a primary spiral groove. A first nut unit includes a first nut and first balls. The first nut has a first spiral groove. The first balls are located in the first spiral groove and contact the inner surface of the first spiral groove by a first contact angle. A second nut unit includes a second nut and second balls. The second nut has a second spiral groove. The second balls are located in the second spiral groove and contact the inner surface of the second spiral groove by a second contact angle which is different from the first contact angle. When a first wearing trace is formed along the screw by the first balls, the first nut unit is replaced with the second nut unit. A second wearing trace is formed along the screw and not overlapped with the first wearing trace.

Abstract: A handlebar structure of bicycle suited for being assembled to a stem of a bicycle is provided. The handlebar structure includes a body and a reinforcement member. The body has a first segment fixed to the stem, a second segment, and a third segment held by a rider, wherein the second segment is connected between the first and the third segments. One portion of the reinforcement member is fixed to the stem, and another portion of the reinforcement member is disposed on the second segment. A two-dimensional Cartesian system x-y based on an orthogonal cross-section of the second segment is constructed, and a scope of the second segment being covered by the reinforcement member contains at least a second quadrant of the two-dimensional Cartesian system x-y, wherein the bicycle moves in a positive x-axis direction of the two-dimensional Cartesian system x-y.

Abstract: A prime mover is combined with a flywheel storage device and a control system to implement a flywheel pulse and glide system in a vehicle. In one embodiment, the control system is configured to cycle power delivery between the prime mover and the flywheel storage device to power the vehicle. The prime mover, when activated by the control system, is configured to power the vehicle and spin up the flywheel storage device to capture a sufficient amount of energy.

Abstract: Separation strips in a dam aid in the separation of adjacent sheets of media being fed from a stack of sheets so that only one sheet is fed to a process station and, more particularly, to separating the uppermost or top sheet of a stack of sheets from the next adjacent sheet during feeding of the top sheet from the stack of sheets of media. When a lift plate is present that adjusts the height of the media stack, rotation of the separation strips to maintain a constant separation angle improves media feed reliability. Curvature of the separation strips may also maintain the separation angle as the lift plate raises the position of the top media sheet.

Abstract: A controller performs a positioning operation by driving an elevator motor before starting a paper feed operation using a paper feed roller unit. While the controller performs the paper feed operation using the paper feed roller unit after an upper limit sensor is brought into an on-state by the positioning operation, when the upper limit sensor is brought into an off-state, the controller performs a paper feed position following operation by driving the elevator motor to raise a paper feed tray until the upper limit sensor is brought into the on-state. The controller controls the elevator motor with setting a current limit in the positioning operation such that a current flowing to the elevator motor does not exceed a predetermined current limit value and controls the elevator motor without the current limit in the paper feed position following operation.

Abstract: A corrosion inhibitor container configured to be screwed into a core hole of a gearbox housing via at least one external thread includes at least one chamber for holding a corrosion inhibitor, at least one gas-permeable wall separating the at least one chamber from an interior of the gearbox housing when the corrosion inhibitor container is screwed into the core hole, the at least one external thread, at least one internal thread, and a screw plug configured to be screwed into the internal thread. The screw plug is configured to be screwed into the core hole when the corrosion inhibitor container is not screwed into the core hole.

Abstract: The two piece spindle grinder fixture is adapted to minimize the size of the frame by a two piece spindle assembled into a frame having a bearing race formed between the frame and the two piece spindle. An angularity adjustable angle indicator mounted concentric with a spindle axis to allow the indicator to be adjusted relative to a part attached to the two piece spindle, A chuck or other holding tool may be mounted on the chuck end of the two piece spindle opposite a handle on a handle end.

Abstract: A media diverter of a valuable media depository includes two integrated divert gates, each divert gate controlled by a separate stepper motor. The integrated divert gates are enclosed by two pivoting skid plates and two fixed skid plates. The stepper motors selectively position the integrated divert gates to define a media path for a media item from a source depository module to a destination depository module through the media diverter. In an embodiment, each of the two pivoting skid plates are adapted to be unlatched on one end to expose and provided access to different media paths for purposes of servicing media jams within the media diverter.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image processing apparatus comprises a first opening and closing member, a second opening and closing member, a first tooth section, a second tooth section, and an intermediary tooth section. The first opening and closing member is opened and closed with respect to an apparatus main body with a first hinge as the center. The second opening and closing member is opened and closed with a second hinge arranged in the first opening and closing member as the center. The first tooth section comprises a plurality of teeth fixed coaxially with the first hinge. The second tooth section comprises a plurality of teeth supported coaxially with the second hinge. The intermediary tooth section is engaged with the first tooth section and the second tooth section between the first tooth section and the second tooth section.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes a sheet stacking portion to be mounted into and drawn out of a mounting portion and provided with a side plate including a grip portion by which the sheet stacking portion can be drawn out in the draw-out direction. The sheet stacking portion is supported to be slidable in a draw-out direction by a rail, and the rail is supported to be slidable in the draw-out direction by a rail supporting portion provided in the mounting portion. A rotator is provided on either the rail supporting portion or the rail and disposed in contact with the other of the rail supporting portion and the rail. The rail, the rail supporting portion and the rotator are disposed on one side in the width direction of the sheet stacking portion, and the grip portion is disposed on the other side in the width direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for franking flat items of mail removed individually or at the underside of a supplied stack and guided in a transport direction at one side edge, includes a separating station formed from a feeder for items of mail separating device, and a downstream processing line of a franking machine, following in a conveying manner in the transport direction, for franking/printing the individual items of mail. The processing line in the transport region between feeder and the separating device of the separating station assigned to the latter includes a plurality of driven transport rollers which form a transport plane for receiving an item of mail or the respective lowest item of mail from a stack, which rollers are mounted in a frame in the transport direction of the items of mail transversely and beside one another and in the same direction and at the same peripheral speed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes at least one conveyance roller pair, an image forming unit, at least one brushless motor, a motor drive control unit, a delay amount detector, and an image formation control unit. The image formation control unit controls the motor drive control unit to convey the sheets at a predetermined timing toward the image forming unit. The image formation control unit, during a continuous image formation in which a plurality of sheets are continuously conveyed by the conveyance roller pair with a predetermined sheet spacing and images are sequentially formed on the respective sheets, controls the motor drive control unit to sequentially perform an on and off control of the brushless motor corresponding to the respective sheets, and adjusts the sheet spacing and a rise time in the on control of the brushless motor corresponding to the rotation delay amount detected by the delay amount detector.

Abstract: In a sheet stacking apparatus, a first notch portion in which a first limiting member is movable and a second notch portion in which a second limiting member is movable are formed in a stacking surface of a stacking unit, and the first and second notch portions are arranged such that a minimum distance between the first notch portion and a center of the stacking unit in the widthwise direction is shorter than a minimum distance between the second notch portion and the center of the stacking unit in the widthwise direction.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus, including: a sheet storage portion; a roller to convey sheets by rotating about a rotation axis; an arm rotatably supporting the roller and pivotable about an arm pivot axis; a presser plate pivotable about a presser-plate pivot axis; and a pivot mechanism to pivot the presser plate such that a contact angle, which is an angle defined upstream in a sheet conveyance direction by the arm and an uppermost one of the sheets contacting the roller, is less than a maximum angle in a time period from a sheet maximally loaded state to a sheet minimally loaded state, the maximum angle being an angle defined upstream in the conveyance direction by: only one sheet assumed to be placed on the presser plate which is the presser plate in the maximally loaded state; and the arm the roller of which contacts the one sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an optional device, a casing, an image forming section and a sheet conveyor device. The optional device performs optional processing. The image forming section is located inside of the casing and forms an image on a sheet. The sheet conveyor device conveys, to the optional device, the sheet with an image formed thereon by the image forming section. The optional device and the casing are fixed to each other. The sheet conveyor device is fixed to the optional device and the casing.