Abstract: A printer includes a guide frame, a deforming section, and a lever member. The guide frame includes a transport path. The deforming section includes a toothed roller, a supporting holder, and a torsion spring and deforms paper. The toothed roller comes into contact with the paper discharged from the transport path. The supporting holder is configured to pivot between a first position at which the toothed roller is located on the transport path and a second position at which the toothed roller is not located on the transport path. The torsion spring presses the supporting holder from the second position to the first position. The lever member is configured to switch between a regulating state in which pivoting of the supporting holder at the first position or the second position is regulated and a non-regulating state in which pivoting of the supporting holder is not regulated.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a printing unit configured to print an image on a sheet; a first exit path from which the sheet with the image printed thereon by the printing unit is discharged while being reversed; a second exit path from which the sheet with the image printed thereon by the printing unit is discharged without being reversed; and a switch member configured to be pivotably arranged so as to switch between the first exit path and the second exit path. The first exit path passes above a pivot center of the switch member, and the second exit path passes below the pivot center.

Abstract: A drive mechanism that drives a rotator to rotate includes a main motor, an assist motor, and processing circuitry. The main motor drives the rotator. The assist motor drives the rotator and assists a drive of the rotator by the main motor. The processing circuitry controls a speed of the main motor so that a rotational speed of the rotator is constant, and controls a motor voltage of the assist motor so that the motor voltage of the assist motor changes according to a change in a motor current of the main motor.

Abstract: A paper feeding device includes a paper feeding roller and a separation roller. The paper feeding roller and the separation roller are arranged in a parallel direction. The paper feeding roller and the separation roller interpose a sheet. The paper feeding device includes a paper feeding roller, a separation roller, a shaft, a holder, and a rotation stopping portion. The paper feeding roller is configured to convey the sheet in a conveyance direction. The separation roller is configured to be pressed against the paper feeding roller. The shaft is configured to rotatably support the separation roller via a torque limiter. The holder is configured to include a supporting portion. The supporting portion is provided with a first guide surface and a second guide surface facing each other and extending in the parallel direction. The rotation stopping portion is configured to be attached to the shaft.

Abstract: A joint mechanism includes a first route member and a second route member. The first route member includes; a first pivot point disposed in a first apparatus, which forms a portion of a transport route opposite a first surface of a sheet; and a first pivot section that extends from the first pivot point toward a second apparatus and that has a first abutment member. The second route member includes: a second pivot point disposed in the second apparatus, which forms a portion of the transport route opposite a second surface of the sheet; and a second pivot section that extends from the second pivot point toward the first apparatus and that has a second abutment member. The first abutment member abuts against the second route member and the second abutment member abuts against the first route member to maintain a space to transport the sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including a housing, a sheet cassette, a second roller, a gear train, a pendulum gear, and a stop member. The gear train includes a gear rotatable together with the second roller. The pendulum gear is movable between a meshing position where the pendulum gear is in meshing engagement with the gear train and a separated position where the pendulum gear is separated away from the gear train. The stop member allows the pendulum gear to move from the separated position to the meshing position. In the state where the sheet cassette is at an internal position and the stop member is at the second position, the stop member is out of contact with a part of the sheet cassette in a first direction but contacts the part of the sheet cassette in a second direction.

Abstract: A pair of regulating guides is disposed on both sides of a conveying belt in a sheet width direction Y, each having a support surface that supports an end edge in the width direction of the sheet conveyed while being nipped by the conveying belt and balls and a guide surface that faces the end edge of the sheet in the width direction. Each of the pair of regulating guides is movable to a first guide position at which the end edge of the sheet in the width direction is supported by the support surface and guided by the guide surface and to a second guide position at which the end edge of the sheet in the sheet width direction is supported by the support surface and which is retracting further away from the end edge in the sheet width direction than the guide position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet accommodating portion, an image forming portion, an accommodating portion opening portion, a lifter plate, a lifter plate lifting and lowering mechanism, a lower-limit detecting portion, a control unit lowering the lifter plate and opening the accommodating portion in accordance with an operation in a set mode of a plurality of modes when the control unit receives an instruction to open the accommodating portion, wherein the modes includes a first mode in which the accommodating portion is opened irrespective of whether or not the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position and a second mode in which the accommodating portion is opened after the lifter plate lowers to the lower-limit position; and an operating portion operable by an operator for changing setting of the mode, between the modes, executed when the control unit receives the instruction to open the accommodating portion.

Abstract: A transport device transports an individualized sheet-shaped workpiece. The transport device includes: an annular transport belt having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and having a plurality of suction holes extending between the first surface and the second surface; first and second decompression chambers arranged along a moving direction of the transport belt; and a vacuum degree adjusting mechanism provided in the first decompression chamber and adjusting a vacuum degree in the first decompression chamber. The first and second decompression chambers each abut against the second surface, and each suction the workpiece through at least one of the plurality of suction holes toward the first surface such that the transport belt is capable of transporting the workpiece in the moving direction in a suspended state from the first surface.

Abstract: A medium processing device includes: a transaction unit including a transaction port and configured to perform at least one of a process of taking in a medium or a process of taking out the medium through the transaction port; a cassette mounting unit including a mounting port wherein a medium cassette is mounted to the mounting port; a cassette processing unit configured to perform at least one of a process of carrying in the medium from the medium cassette mounted to the cassette mounting unit or a process of carrying out the medium to the medium cassette; and a closing member configured to selectively close the transaction port or the mounting port.

Abstract: Examples include: a leveling system for a top feeder of a printer, where the top feeder includes a media positioning arrangement. The leveling system has a detector for detecting reflected light and generating a three-dimensional image comprising media positioning regions corresponding to the media positioning arrangement on a top sheet of a media stack installed into the top feeder. Also, the leveling system has an actuator configured to adjust heights of different points of the bottom of the media stack. Further, it has a controller for selecting, based on the three-dimensional image, adjustments to the heights for improving leveling of at least one of the media positioning regions; and controlling the actuator to implement the adjustments.

Abstract: A positioning device (38) for holding a flat flexible part, especially a sheet, on a positioning surface (46) is presented. It comprises a body (44) having a suction opening (50) for aspiring the part and a fluid port (52) being in fluid communication with the suction opening (50). Furthermore, an abutment protrusion (60) is provided on a connection surface (48) for abutting the positioning device (38) against a base part (28) to which it may be mounted. Also a sealing protrusion (64) is arranged on the connection surface (48) for compressing a gasket (42) being interposed between the positioning device (38) and the base part (28). A height (Ha) of the abutment protrusion (60) is bigger than a height (Hs) of the sealing protrusion (64). Additionally, a positioning assembly (24) is presented which comprises at least one such positioning device (38). Furthermore, a sheet material processing machine comprising at least one such positioning assembly (24) is introduced.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller pair, a first guide, a door including a second guide and rotatable between a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction through first to third positions, a damping mechanism, and an engaging portion including an elastic member. A first resisting force is set so that moment acting around a shaft by a self-weight of the door is larger than the first resisting force of the damping mechanism when the door is positioned between the second position and the third position. A resultant force of the first resisting force of the damping mechanism and a second resisting force of the elastic portion is set so that the moment acting around the shaft by the self-weight of the door is larger than the resultant force when the door is positioned between the second position and the third position.

Abstract: A sheet suction device includes a sheet bearer having a plurality of suction holes, a suction unit, a first member, and a second member. The first member has grooves arranged in a radial direction, and each of the grooves extends in a circumferential direction. The second member has a plurality of hole rows including a plurality of holes. The plurality of holes in each of the plurality of hole rows is arranged in the circumferential direction, and the plurality of hole rows is arranged in the radial direction. When the first member rotates with respect to the second member, the number of holes communicating with the grooves is changed to change the number of the plurality of suction holes communicating with the suction unit. The plurality of holes includes two or more holes that simultaneously communicate with the suction unit when the first member rotates by a unit rotation amount.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a sheet conveying device detects double feeding of sheets by an ultrasonic wave oscillator and an ultrasonic waves receiver provided across a conveying path of the sheets. The sheet conveying device calibrates a threshold voltage on the basis of an offset voltage of an amplifier circuit when the receiver has not received ultrasonic waves.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a configuration facilitating removal of a sheet stopped on a conveying belt. In a sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet using a conveying belt and balls, a sheet may be jammed and stopped on the conveying belt. In this case, it is difficult for a user to take out the sheet through a take-out port if the sheet is nipped by conveying roller pairs disposed upstream and downstream relative to the conveying belt in a sheet conveying direction. Thus, conveying roller pairs and the conveying belt are operated such that the sheet, which is stopped on the conveying belt and hence should be taken out through the take-out port, is brought into a state of being nipped only by the conveying belt and balls.

Abstract: To ensure reliable and productive processing of printed sheets into stacks, a sheet stacker includes: a flipping device for flipping a sheet with respect to the sheet's orientation before being received by the flipping device onto a stack support or a stack of sheets on the stack support; a sensor assembly for detecting an out-of-plane deformation of a top sheet with respect to the underlying stack support or a stack of sheets on the stack support at least for each sheet added to the stack; and a controller configured to determine from data from the sensor assembly whether the top sheet was successfully flipped and stacked.

Abstract: A machine for processing individual sheets comprises at least one processing station, in particular in inkjet printing station, and a transport system (100) for transporting the individual sheets through the processing station, along a transport direction. The transport system (100) comprises at least one gripper conveyor (150) movable along the transport direction, for gripping one of the individual sheets defining a sheet position in transport direction. The transport system (100) further comprises at least one support conveyor (190) movable along the transport direction for supporting a region of the individual sheet, wherein the support conveyor (190) comprises a vacuum system for supporting the individual sheet on an interacting surface of the support conveyor, the vacuum system comprising a plurality of orifices in the interacting surface.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a configuration facilitating removal of a sheet stopped on a conveying belt. Regulating guides are disposed on both sides of a conveying belt in a sheet width direction Y and can guide both end edges in the sheet width direction of a sheet S conveyed while being nipped by the conveying belt and the balls. A take-out port is provided on the side closer to the regulating guide in the sheet width direction Y, through which a sheet stopped on the conveying belt is taken out. A guide moving part moves the regulating guides. When a sheet is stopped on the conveying belt, the guide moving part moves the first and second regulating guides such that the regulating guide is retracted to a position at which a support surface does not support a first sheet end edge.

Abstract: A sheet discharger includes: an accommodator configured to accommodate sheets; a conveyor configured to convey and discharge a sheet to the accommodator; a detector configured to detect whether a jam of a sheet has occurred in the accommodator and a state of the jam; and a controller configured to control the conveyor to continue sheet discharge upon detection by the detector of the jam in a state where sheet discharge of a jammed sheet is possible.