Abstract: Automatic detection of mechanical defects in piece parts, such as floor covering planks, enables removal of the defective parts off an inspection path. A bypass conveyor system enables defective parts to be transported beyond or around a manual inspection, enabling personnel performing the subsequent inspection to focus on appearance defects. Once the remaining parts have been inspected by a manual process, the parts transported by the bypass conveyor system are returned to the production line. Defective parts may be distinguished by a marking capability that provides the ability to mark according to a variety of classes of defects.

Abstract: A paper-feeding device and a multi-functional printer are provided. The paper-feeding device includes a base, a driving axle, a position-limiting element and a retaining element. The base has a first assembling portion. The driving axle, the position-limiting and the retaining elements are all in the base. The position-limiting element has a second assembling portion and two position-limiting portions on radial directions of the second assembling portion between the inserting portion and the body. The retaining element includes a swing frame, a paper-separating element and a spring. The body of the swing frame is located between the two position-limiting portions. The first and second pivoting portions coaxial and connect the body are pivoted respectively to the first and second assembling portions. The inserting portion of the paper-separating element is sheathed by the body and the separating element leans against the driving axle.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes an endless belt member onto which sheets are stacked and which moves rotationally to convey the sheets; a plurality of holding members that is provided on the belt member and that holds the sheets down to a sheet stacking surface of the belt member to nip the sheets; and sheet detecting portions which detect presence or absence of sheets between the holding members and the sheet stacking surface of the belt member, the sheet detecting portions each include a light emitting portion that emits light and a light receiving portion that receives the light, and the light emitting portions and the light receiving portions are fixedly provided below the sheet stacking surface of the belt member so that the light emitting portions and the light receiving portions detect presence or absence of a sheet at times when facing the holding members.

Abstract: A device for forming stacks of sheet products, in particular of paper products, may include the paper products being supplied in an input stream by a feed conveyor to a transfer section. The device may also include at least two set-down tables each including a set-down surface for receiving stacks of the supplied paper products. The set-down tables may move along a circuit-like table-circulating path and may be flexible at least in some segments to conform to shapes of curvatures located in at least some parts and subregions of the table-circulating path. As a result, it is possible for the set-down tables to be guided into the curvatures with a leading front side edge of each of the set-down tables being a leading edge in a circulating direction of the set-down tables. The stacks of stacked paper products may then be transported away from a delivery section by a removal conveyor.

Abstract: A backing plate support system is provided for a mailpiece feeder mechanism wherein mailpieces are conveyed vertically, on-edge along a transport deck to a transfer station for subsequent sortation and delivery. The backing plate support system includes a guide track disposed along and adjacent to the transport deck and a plurality of backing plates each having a guide support fitting at its base. The guide support fitting engages the guide track and supports the backing plate in an orthogonal position relative to the transport deck. The backing plate support system, furthermore, includes an advancing belt disposed adjacent the guide track and adapted to be driven linearly along the transport deck and a mechanism for coupling each backing plate to the advancing belt. The mechanism facilitates relative movement of the backing support plate relative to the advancing belt in one direction while inhibiting relative motion thereof in an opposing direction.

Abstract: An accumulation device is adapted to accumulate a plurality of products according to at least one prescribed accumulation pattern. The accumulation device includes a receiving unit, a first accumulation processing unit, a second accumulation processing unit and a discharge unit. The first accumulation processing unit is configured and arranged to perform a first accumulation processing to a first group of the products received in the receiving unit. The second accumulation processing unit is disposed parallel to the first accumulation processing unit with respect to the receiving unit, and configured and arranged to perform a second accumulation processing to a second group of the products received in the receiving unit. The second accumulation processing is different from the first accumulation processing. The discharge unit is configured and arranged to transfer the products processed in the first and second accumulation processing units toward a downstream portion.

Abstract: In a sheet post-process apparatus of the present invention, a processing tray for loading sheets of paper fed via a standby tray for making ejected sheets of paper stand by or not via the standby tray and a standby tray roller for performing a first operation of making contact with sheets of paper loaded on the standby tray and matching and a second operation of making contact with sheets of paper loaded on the standby tray and conveying them toward a paper ejection tray are installed in the neighborhood of the standby tray.

Abstract: Above a processing tray, a standby tray for making sheets of paper P stand by is installed. The sheets of paper P on the standby tray are dropped, fed, and moved to the processing tray, thus the conveying path from the standby tray to the processing tray is shortened. Furthermore, a Z-folding mechanism is arranged above the standby tray, and the sheets of paper P folded in a Z shape are dropped, and are mixed and stapled on the standby tray or processing tray, and even when performing a plurality of post processes for sheets, miniaturization of a sheet post-process system is retained.

Abstract: Above a processing tray, a standby tray for making sheets of paper P stand by is installed. The sheets of paper P on the standby tray are dropped, fed, and moved to the processing tray, thus the conveying path from the standby tray to the processing tray is shortened. A conveyor belt is arranged at an angle with the processing tray so that the front end side of the sheets is positioned higher than the rear end side thereof and the conveyor belt on the front end side of the sheets is projected from the processing tray. By doing this, frictional force of the conveyor belt with the sheets of paper P on the rear end side is made smaller, and frictional force with the sheets of paper P on the front end side is made larger, and the ejectability of sheets from the processing tray after ending of the post process is improved.

Abstract: A sheet post-process apparatus includes a waiting tray and a processing tray. The waiting tray is provided in the middle of a conveying path so that a downward side end in a conveying direction of sheets is oriented upwardly. In the case where a postprocess is required, sheets are made standby. The processing tray has a function which causes the sheets made standby on the waiting sheet to be dropped by self-weight. With this function, the processing tray receives the sheets moved to be dropped and the sheets conveyed from the conveying path without intervening the waiting tray, before carrying out the post-process. In addition, an upstream side end in a conveying direction of the sheets on the waiting tray and a downstream side end in a conveying direction of the sheets on the processing tray are allocated to overlap on each other in the conveying direction of the sheets.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing device of the present invention includes a jam-disposal mechanism for moving a moving section which is provided opposite to a staple tray to the outside of the device. That is, in the sheet post-processing device, since a portion of the moving section can be moved to the outside, it is possible to form a space in front of the staple tray. Thus, it is easy to perform the jam-disposal by using the space. Further, since the staple tray is not moved in forming the space, consistency of placed sheets is not lost. Further, since it is not required that a space to perform the jam-disposal is prepared inside the device in advance, it is easy to miniaturize the device. Thus, the sheet post-processing device of the present invention is a compact sheet post-processing device by which the jam-disposal can be performed without losing the consistency of a sheet bundle placed on the staple tray.

Abstract: A sheet post-process apparatus of the present invention, when sending sheets of paper collected on a standby tray to a processing tray, has a standby tray realizing an improved lining capacity of sheets of paper and a pair of tray members for loading ejected sheets of paper is formed so as to project from the wall face of the standby tray.

Abstract: A waiting tray is provided at some midpoint of a conveying path, and a sheet is caused to be in a waiting state when a post-process is required. Before performing the post-process, a processing tray receives the sheet conveyed from the waiting tray and the sheet conveyed from a conveying path without passing through the waiting tray. At this point, waiting tray parts are moved toward a direction in which the waiting tray parts are separated from each other, and a bundle of paper starts fall-down. When the bundle of paper falls down, the waiting tray parts are moved toward the direction in which the waiting tray parts are brought close to each other, and an alignment member performs alignment in a transverse direction of the bundle of paper.

Abstract: A waiting tray is provided in a sheet-conveying path and holds sheets if the sheets need to be post-processed. A processing tray receives sheets conveyed from the waiting tray. It may receive sheets conveyed through the sheet-conveying path and coming not via the waiting tray, before the sheets are post-processed. A conveying mechanism is provided, which causes the sheets to fall, due to gravity, from the waiting tray onto a processing tray. A sheet-aligning mechanism aligns the sheets on the processing tray, at their transverse edges and longitudinal edges. On the processing tray, the sheets are post-processed, forming a bundle. The conveying mechanism conveys the bundle of sheets to a storage tray. A control mechanism controls the speed of sheet-feeding rollers provided at upstream of the waiting tray, thereby to the place sheets at a preset position on the waiting tray.

Abstract: A processing tray comprises a transport belt which transports a sheet, and a push feed arm mounted to be projected onto a surface on a sheet transport side of the belt, the arm retaining a sheet distal end so that the sheet distal end can be pushed and fed, wherein the transport belt forms a through hole through which the push feed arm penetrates, and the push feed arm comprises a push feed face which pushes and feeds the sheet distal end, a penetrating projection portion which reaches a transport belt lower face from the push feed face through the through hole, and a hook shaped engagingly lock portion engagingly locked on the belt lower face after being bent from the penetrating projection portion to the transport belt traveling direction.

Abstract: A first shaft 21 and a second shaft 31 parallel with each other are provided near an inlet 14 of a bill storage chamber 10. Taking-in runners 20 are disposed on the first shaft 21 and taking-in rollers 30 are disposed on the second shaft 31. The taking-in runners 20 and the taking-in rollers 30 differ in position in a direction in which the shafts extend. Further, the sum of the radius of each taking-in runner 20 and that of each taking-in roller 30 is larger than the spacing between the first shaft 21 and the second shaft 31. Thus, if a plurality of overlapped bills are caught in the space between the taking-in runners 20 and the taking-in rollers 30, they are bent in a wavy form and the intimate contact force between the bill is lowered significantly, causing the bills to be easily aligned.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a spread of generally thin, pliable material from a roll thereof onto a table includes a cradle for holding the roll of the material which is selectively operable to rotate the roll of material for feeding a web of material generally forwardly from the roll. An endless conveyor including a series of flights spaced at intervals therealong with openings between the flights is driven for forward travel, and the web from the roll of the material is received on and carried forward by a flight in the upper reach of the conveyor. A knife is operable to cut the web to separate a first sheet of material from the roll of material. The first sheet of material is thereafter held from forward movement with the supporting flight by grippers selectively operable for gripping the first sheet of material on the supporting flight in the upper reach of the conveyor. Thus, the supporting flight slides out from under the first sheet of material with the first sheet falling onto the table.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for automatically stacking pieces of limp material including an endless conveyor having a forward traveling upper reach. The conveyor has a series of flights spaced at intervals therealong with spaces between the flights. Each flight is constructed for carrying one of the pieces thereon with the piece so positioned on the flight as to have a trailing end overhanging the trailing end of the flight. The apparatus further includes a platen or table at a stacking station along the length of the upper reach of the conveyor and below the upper reach for stacking pieces thereon one upon another and for holding the stack. A gripper mechanism is engageable with an upwardly facing surface of the piece for gripping the piece to stop it from moving forward. Thereafter, as the flight travels forward it moves out from under the piece and the piece is deposited at the station for accumulation of piece one on top of another on the table.

Abstract: A stacker for flat flexible sheets, such as pillow cases, is provided to add sheets to the bottom of a stack without relative frictional movement between the articles being stacked or between the stacking mechanism and the stacked articles. The stacker comprises a stacking plate, clamp bars adjacent the leading edge of successive sheets, and a fold bar movable in a fixed path above and rearwardly of the stacking plate against the upper surface of successive sheets while gripped at their leading edges. Movement of the fold bar under the stack while the leading edge of the sheet is clamped at the front of the stack folds the sheet on itself while the fold bar moves beyond the clamping mechanism toward the rear of the stack and positions the surface of the sheet opposite that engaged by the fold bar against the lower surface of a previously stacked sheet without frictional movement between the two sheets or between the fold bar and the last stacked sheet.

Abstract: A garment stacking apparatus having a pair of belts travelling together at the same speed in which one belt provided with polyurethane on its surface feeds and urges a garment section on the second belt provided with a frictionless shutter and open space and, when the first belt is suddenly stopped while the second belt continues its movement, the garment section slides from the frictionless shutter onto the open space and drops into a receptacle.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises an endless conveyor formed in its conveying surface with slit-like dropping openings for permitting soft panels to pass therethrough, suction means disposed above a downstream portion of the conveying surface to attract and halt a traveling soft panel on the conveying surface, and a table positioned close to and below the conveying surface in opposed relation to the suction means. When the soft panel is held to the suction means by suction, continuous travel of the conveyor surface causes the rear end of the halted panel to enter the dropping opening, permitting the panel to project from the rear side of the conveying surface with the advance of the dropping opening and to be transferred onto the table in its standby position therebelow.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for stacking bundles such as bundles of paperboard sheets on a receiver. The apparatus includes an L-shaped conveyor having a top run and a bottom run. The top run of the conveyor has a position defined by the location of spaced first and second carriers having discrete guide members contacting the conveyor. The carriers are individually elevated with the second carrier being progressively elevated in stages while the first carrier moves up and down from a receiving position to a position corresponding to the current position of the second carrier.