Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a swing shaft to swingably support a support member, an urging member to urge a rotary separation member toward a rotary feeding member, a frame member including a first support portion to fix a first end portion of the swing shaft and a second support portion to movably support a second end portion of the swing shaft, and an adjustment mechanism having an extended opening formed in the second support portion and a fixing member configured to fix the second end portion of the swing shaft to a frame member through the extended opening. The extended opening is extended in a vertical direction and the second end portion of the swing shaft can be fixed at a plurality of positions which vary in the vertical direction to the second support portion with the fixing member.

Abstract: According to aspects of the present disclosure, there is provided a tray swinging mechanism including a document tray. A movable plate of the document tray is configured to be swingable about a tray shaft and extends leftward. A lifter is configured to be swingable about a lifter shaft extending in the front-rear direction at a position different from the tray shaft. On a lower surface of the movable plate, a cam surface configured to contact a tip of the lifter is formed. The cam surface includes a parallel part parallel to an upper surface of the movable plate and a curved part spaced from the upper surface farther toward a right side. According to a shape of the cam surface, each time the lifter is rotated by a particular angle, the tip of the movable plate moves by a particular amount.

Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus includes: a placement mount on which a plurality of media are placed; a transportation mechanism that transports an uppermost medium of the plurality of media placed on the placement mount; a floating-air blowout mechanism that blows out air to float at least the uppermost medium; a suction mechanism that sucks air to cause the uppermost medium floated by the floating-air blowout mechanism blowing out air to be attracted to the transportation mechanism; and a floating-air control unit that causes the floating-air blowout mechanism to start to blow out air while the uppermost medium is being attracted to the transportation mechanism after starting to be transported by the transportation mechanism, so as to float at least a second medium located below the uppermost medium, and causes the floating-air blowout mechanism to stop blowing out air before the second medium starts to be transported by the transportation mechanism.

Abstract: A system and method for advancing sticky media through printers includes one or more feed rollers comprised of a grit roller. The grit roller contacts an adhesive side of liner-less label stock removed from a roll or stack for printing. The grit roller works cooperatively with an opposing, counter-rotating roller to remove the label stock from the roll and feed it to a printer.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance device includes a conveyance roller pair. A skew correction roller pair conveys the sheet after contacting two nip portions, and a sheet skew is corrected in a state in which the skew correction roller pair is being stopped. The sheet having a toner image is bent by a first conveyance guide such that a sheet first surface becomes an inside surface. The sheet is bent by the first and second conveyance guides to cause the sheet first surface to be the inside surface and a sheet second surface to be an outside surface. The skew correction roller pair includes two first rotary members of a first roller. A second roller and the two first rotary members form the two nip portions. The second roller and the first conveyance guide contact the sheet first surface. The first roller and the second conveyance guide contact the sheet second surface.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for classifying value documents includes least two sensor devices arranged to capture waves reflected on a front side and on a back side of a value document and to generate corresponding sensor data or to capture properties of the value document in at least two different regions of the value document by means of different measuring principles and to generate corresponding sensor data. At least one evaluation device is arranged to classify the value document with the aid of the sensor data generated by the at least two sensor devices, which sensor data relate to the waves reflected on the front side and back side of the value document or to the properties of the value document captured in the at least two different regions of the value document by means of different measuring principles.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods for sorting sperm cells in a microfluidic chip. In particular, various steps are incorporated to align and orienting sperm in flow channels, as well as, to determining sperm orientation and measure relative DNA content for analysis and/or sorting.

Abstract: There is provided a sheet storage device including a regulation unit that includes a first contact portion configured to contact a stacking unit, and a second contact portion configured to contact a facing member. The first contact portion contacts the stacking unit in a state of being urged toward the stacking unit. The second contact portion contacts the facing member in a state of being urged toward the facing member.

Abstract: In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes an at least one pile formation device. The at least one pile formation device is arranged so as to be displaceable at least in an inward-moving direction. The at least one pile formation device includes a plane. The at least one pile formation device is displaceable at least in a vertical direction relative to at least one lower multiple-up separating tool by means of a lifting device. In a temporary storage position, at least the plane is arranged in a vertical direction beneath a plane of the at least one lower multiple-up separating tool.

Abstract: A retaining ring 1 for a shaft 2a usable with a bearing 3 having an outer ring 3a and an inner ring 3b fixed on the shaft, wherein the inner ring 3b and the outer ring 3a are rotatable relative to each other, and the retaining ring 1 is provided on the shaft 2a adjacent to the bearing 3 in a thrust direction to restrict a position of the bearing 3 in the thrust direction, the retaining ring 1 includes a protrusion 1a protruding in the thrust direction from a surface opposing the inner ring 3b in the thrust direction to contact the inner ring 3b so that the retaining ring 1 is out of contact from the outer ring 3a.

Abstract: Provided is a document conveying apparatus that properly discharges documents regardless of the amount of documents stacked on a discharge tray without complicated construction of a transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to conveying rollers. A conveying roller pair is provided at an end portion on an upstream side. A swing mechanism swings a discharge mechanism centered around a drive shaft of the conveying roller pair. An upper surface height measuring unit measures the height of the upper surface of documents stacked on the discharge tray. A control unit, by causing the swing mechanism to swing the discharge mechanism according to the height measured by the upper surface height measuring unit, performs control so that the difference between a discharge port and the upper surface of the documents stacked on the discharge tray is within a specified range.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet feeding roller including a core portion to rotatably support the feeding roller on a feeding roller shaft and a roller portion provided on an outer periphery of the core portion, with the core portion including an engaging mechanism to engage with the feeding roller shaft to restrict movement of the feeding roller in an axial direction of the feeding roller shaft. The core portion also includes a protrusion extending in the axial direction and located on an opposite side of the feeding roller shaft from the engaging mechanism. An end portion of the protrusion is positioned at downstream side of a tip portion of the feeding roller shaft in a removing direction of the feeding roller from the feeding roller shaft.

Abstract: At least one mobile part included in a plate separator is configured movable between a first position and a second position, which is different from the first position. At least one biasing portion biases the at least one mobile part toward the first position. The at least one mobile part includes a contact portion that comes into contact with the top plate when a plate holder lifts the top plate upward. The at least one mobile part is configured to be moved toward the second position as being pushed by the top plate when the top plate in contact with the at least one contact portion is moved further upward, thereby allowing an upward movement of the top plate.

Abstract: A sheet guiding device includes a cover unit, a swing guide, a link member, and a contact member. The cover unit is configured to be openably disposed on a housing of an image forming apparatus. The swing guide is configured to move between a guide position at which the swing guide is open to guide a sheet and a retracted position at which the swing guide is closed. The swing guide is configured to move from the retracted position to the guide position along with closing movement of the cover unit. The link member has one end configured to be held by the housing and an opposite end engaged with the swing guide. The contact member is disposed on the cover unit. The contact member is configured to contact the link member to rotate the link member in the closing movement of the cover unit.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems for dispensing a printed document from a printer machine with a dispensing device. For instance, a document being printed out from the printer machine may be monitored for, and a determination that a document is being printed out from the printer machine may be made based on the monitoring. The printed document may be engaged with an arm mechanism of the dispensing device, the printed document may be urged towards a slot of the dispensing device with the arm mechanism, and the printed document may be dispensed out of the slot with the arm mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a sheet storage unit that stores a sheet and that is disposed in a housing having a bottom plate such that a gap is provided between the sheet storage unit and the bottom plate, the gap extending horizontally; a sheet transport unit that feeds the sheet from the sheet storage unit and transports the fed sheet along a transport passage including a reversing transport path along which the sheet is transported downward and then upward to reverse the sheet front to back, the reversing transport path extending vertically and being connected to the gap; and a first gate unit that prevents passage of the sheet that has entered the reversing transport path when the sheet free falls and allows passage of the sheet when the sheet receives a sheet transport driving force from the sheet transport unit.

Abstract: A value note box (10) has a first storage compartment (44) for storing notes of value as well as at least a second storage compartment (46) for storing notes of value. Further, the value note box comprises a switch unit (48) for selectively feeding notes of value into the first storage compartment (44) or into the second storage compartment (46). A switch unit (48) comprises a switch element (50), a portion (52) of which delimits one side of the first storage compartment (44).

Abstract: In a transport device, a cover defining a portion of a transport path is pivotable between a closed state and an open state. The cover is movable while in the closed state between a first position and a second position lower than the first position. An urging member urges the cover from the second position toward the first position. The cover includes a main body for guiding the sheet in the transport direction and an engagement portion engaged with a frame when the cover is at the first position to restrict pivoting of the cover from the first position to a third position at which the cover is in the open state. The engagement portion is disengaged from the frame when the cover is at the second position to allow pivoting of the cover from the second position to the third position.

Abstract: A medium conveyance device includes a first separator that separates a first medium from a plurality of mediums, a processor that processes the first medium and sends the processed first medium as a second medium, a second separator that when a non-separation mode is set, conveys the second medium to a next processor, and when a separation mode is set, conveys a third medium, which is separated from the second medium, to the next processor, and a controller that switches between the non-separation mode and the separation mode based on information obtained as a result of processing the first medium.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet supporting tray to support a sheet, a sheet conveyance unit to convey the sheet supported on the sheet supporting tray, a first detection sensor to detect the supported sheet at a first detection position, and a second detection sensor to detect the supported sheet at a second detection position farther from a center of the sheet supporting tray in a sheet width direction than the first detection position. In addition, a control unit controls the sheet conveyance unit in a first mode in a case where the first and second detection sensors detect the sheet, and controls the sheet conveyance unit in a second mode in which a sheet conveyance speed is slower than that of the first mode in a case where the first detection sensor detects the sheet and the second detection sensor detects no sheet.