Abstract: A media transport includes first, second and third media transports to convey a substrate media. A force transducer outputs a force signal associated with a force between the first and second media transports. A sensor outputs a detection signal associated with substrate media being between the second and third media transports. A control unit outputs a first control signal to the first and/or second drive units, dependent upon a comparison of the force signal with a predetermined value. The first control signal commands the first or second drive unit to drive respective first or second media transports to maintain the force signal at or about no greater than the predetermined value. Responsive to the detection signal, the control unit outputs a second control signal in place of the first control signal, commanding the first and/or second drive unit at a predetermined speed.

Abstract: An edge alignment control apparatus for correcting vertical alignment of sheet members is disclosed to include two base units each having multiple first power drives controllable to reciprocate a respective horizontal reciprocating member, and adjustment units arranged between the base units, each adjustment unit having two holder blocks connected to the horizontal reciprocating members of the base units at one same elevation and movable by the respective horizontal reciprocating members horizontally, sheet-transfer rollers pivotally connected between the holder blocks, a bearing board connected between the holder blocks for receiving a sheet member from the sheet-transfer rollers and a suction hood suspending above the bearing board and defining with the bearing board a passage for the passing of a sheet member and controllable to suck up a sheet member from the bearing board for allowing adjustment of the position of the sheet member horizontally subject to the operation of the first power drive.

Abstract: An displacement correcting device is provided and includes: a rotation supporting member having a rotation shaft and rotating to support the endless belt-shaped member; a shaft supporting frame supporting a one-end supporting portion of the rotation shaft movably relative to an opposite-end supporting portion and supporting one end of the rotation shaft to be tilted about the other end; and a shaft displacing member having a rotation center disposed closer to one end portion in the axial direction than a rotation shaft supporting body and intersected by the axial direction and a rotation shaft contact portion contacting with the one end of the rotation shaft. The shaft displacing member allows the rotation shaft contact portion to rotate about the rotation center to tilt the rotation shaft when a movement sensing member detects the movement of the endless belt-shaped member to the one end of the rotation shaft.

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 sheet-processing machine comprises a plurality of modules which are passed through one after the other by the sheets to be processed. The modules each have a sheet input interface and/or a sheet output interface, wherein, in at least one of the modules, the sheet input interface and/or the sheet output interface can optionally be coupled to sheet output interfaces and sheet input interfaces, respectively, of at least two other modules.

Abstract: A medium feeding apparatus including: a feeding mechanism including a feeding member and configured to feed the recording medium; an adsorbing unit including first and second electrodes facing the feeding member and configured to adsorb the recording medium to the feeding member; first and second surface layer members respectively having higher volume resistivities than the first and second electrodes and respectively stacked on the first and second electrodes; and first and second low resistance members respectively having lower volume resistivities than the first and second surface layer members and respectively fixed to the first and second surface layer members at positions between the respective first and second surface layer members and the feeding member, wherein the first low resistance member and the second low resistance member are distant from each other.

Abstract: A warpage leveling unit includes a surface roughening member that is provided to oppose to a side end portion of an image carrier which has an endless-belt-shape, is entrained around a plurality of rollers, and carries an image on a surface of the image carrier, wherein the surface roughening member comes into contact with a surface of the side end portion which is warped.

Abstract: A recording medium includes lenticules and a guided portion guided by a guide portion which is provided in a supporter for supporting the recording medium provided on a recording apparatus carrying out a recording on the recording medium, so that the recording medium is guided in a predetermined conveying direction.

Abstract: A sheet processing system, comprising a number of drums for processing sheets, one of the drums comprising a seam area and a non-seam area, a gap between the drums, an actuator for displacing one of the drums for setting the gap, a manager, comprising a memory and a processor, that regulates the actuator current when the non-seam area passes through a nip so as to maintain a nip pressure, and signals the actuator to adjust the gap according to a predetermined gap setpoint profile when the seam area passes through the nip.

Abstract: A rotary shaft locking device includes a locking unit having a transmission gear receiving rotary torque from a power source, transmitting rotary torque to a rotary shaft as the transmission gear receives rotary torque from the power source, and locking the rotary shaft as transmission of rotary torque from the power source is cut off, and a first planetary gear and a second planetary gear provided to be meshed with a sun gear and to planetarily move around the sun gear, and displaced between a meshed position and an unmeshed position so as to be meshed with and separated from the transmission gear. The locking unit locks the rotary shaft for a power cutoff time which occurs when the rotation direction of the sun gear is switched and for which the transmission gear is not meshed with both the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet-fed printing press that prevents occurrence of troubles, such as damages of a surface treatment member such as a film for the surface treatment of, for example, a sheet of paper, by a simple structure. A gripping surface of a claw block provided in a cylinder of a treatment section is formed into an inclined surface that comes closer to the rotational axis as it advances downstream in a sheet conveying direction of the cylinder, so as not to have the gripper of the cylinder contacting the treatment means. A gripping surface of a claw block provided in a cylinder most adjacent to the treatment section, of plural cylinders, is formed into an inclined surface that, projects further through an outline of this cylinder as it advances downstream in the sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: A feed input assembly for accepting and conveying sheet material of variable length along a feed path including a processing station for performing an operation on the sheet material and an ingestion assembly adapted to capture the sheet material between the opposed friction drive surfaces and accept a leading edge of the sheet material from the processing station at a point of entry. The ingestion assembly includes transport elements having positionable opposed friction drive surfaces which are adapted to vary point of entry along the feed path. By varying the point of entry, sheet material of variable length can be accepted without varying the position of the processing station relative to the ingestion assembly. Also, a method for operating a feed input assembly having positionable friction drive surfaces.

Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus capable of preventing unnecessary sheet feeding when power is turned on. A state of a drive transmission portion 14A provided to transmit the driving of a drive portion to a feeding roller when a sheet is fed is switched from a second state that the driving of the drive portion is not transmitted to the feeding roller by a solenoid 19 to a first state that the driving of the drive portion is transmitted to the feeding roller and keep it. The controller for controlling the switching of the solenoid 19 and the driving of the drive portion to rotate the feeding roller drives the drive portion for a time necessary to return the drive transmission portion 14A from the first state to the second state to make the drive transmission portion 14A be in the second state when power is turned on.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, including: a recording head; a conveyor belt to convey the medium in a conveyance direction; an attraction device including a first electrode having first extending portions and a second electrode having second extending portions and configured to permit the belt to generate an attractive force to attract the medium to the belt by giving mutually different potentials to the first and second electrodes; and, a pressing device including a contact member having electrical conductivity and disposed at a position where the contact member is opposed to respective upstream sections of the first and second extending portions, which upstream sections are located on an upstream side of the head in the conveyance direction, the contact member being configured to contact the medium placed on the belt, the pressing device being configured to press the medium onto the belt by the contact member.

Abstract: An upstream-side printing unit group and a downstream-side printing unit group, respectively, are driven by separate prime motors and synchronously controlled. In addition to rotary encoders for the upstream-side and downstream-side prime motors, rotary encoders are provided on a last impression cylinder of the upstream-side printing unit group and a first transfer cylinder of the downstream-side printing unit group to detect differences between rotational phases, which the upstream-side and downstream-side printing unit groups should have, and the actual rotational phase of the last impression cylinder of the upstream-side printing unit group or the first transfer cylinder of the downstream-side printing unit group. In accordance with the rotational phase differences, the rotational speeds of the prime motors are corrected.

Abstract: A transporting roller is formed of a metal plate formed into a cylindrical shape so that a pair of end surfaces oppose each other and having a joint line extending in the axial direction formed by the pair of the end surfaces including: a high friction layer formed on a surface of the roller and configured to come into contact with a transported medium; an opening provided out of the high friction layer; and a gear member disposed so that an inner peripheral surface is located on the opening.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording medium overturning mechanism, comprising: a bracket (100); an entry (50) and an exit (60), arranged in the bracket (100); a first channel (10), communicating the entry (50) with the exit (60) to convey a recording medium which does not need to be overturned; a second channel (20), communicating with the entry (50) to convey a recording medium which needs to be overturned; a third channel (30), communicating with the exit (60) and the second channel (20) to convey the overturned recording medium, wherein the first channel (10), the second channel (20) and the third channel (30) are basically arranged in an inverted triangle and joined with each other; a channel switching mechanism (40), arranged on the bracket (100) and located at a joining area between the first channel (10) and the second channel (20); and an overturning roller (70), arranged on the bracket (100) and located at a joining area between the second channel (20) and the third channel (30), the overturnin

Abstract: Disclosed are a recording medium accumulating device and a method for accumulating recording medium. The device includes a cylindroid roller for winding up the recording medium and at least two endless belts, peripheral surfaces of the cylindroid roller contact with external surfaces of the endless belts respectively, and a closed medium-feeding passage is formed between the contacting surfaces, a medium-entering passage and a medium-discharging passage for the recording medium are respectively formed between two adjacent endless belts, the medium-entering passage and the medium-discharging passage connect with the medium-feeding passage, the medium-feeding passage drives the recording medium to rotate with the cylindroid roller using the friction force of the contacting surfaces, so as to accumulate the recording medium.

Abstract: A belt driving apparatus includes an endless belt stretched around a driving roller that drives the belt, a receiving roller that receives an external force through the belt, driven rollers arranged upstream of the receiving roller and downstream of the driving roller in a rotational direction of the belt, at least one of the driven rollers being supported to be movable in radially inward and outward directions of the belt in accordance with a tension in the belt. A braking unit performs braking by pressing a frictional member against a rotational shaft of one of the driven rollers and generating a frictional force, and converts a displacement of the movably supported driven roller in the radially outward direction into a relative displacement between the rotational shaft and the frictional member, the displacement being caused when the external force is applied to the receiving roller so as to decelerate rotation thereof.

Abstract: An offset correcting device includes: an endless belt-like member having an endless belt-like shape; a rotation supporting member that has a rotation shaft in which an axial direction extends along a width direction of the endless belt-like member, and that is rotated while supporting the endless belt-like member; an interlocking member that is supported by one end portion of the rotation shaft to be movable along the axial direction, and that is capable of being contacted with a width direction edge of the endless belt-like member; and a shaft displacing member as defined herein.

Abstract: The recording apparatus includes: a recording head having a recording surface; a conveyor unit having three rollers, and a conveyor belt looped around the rollers; and a roller moving mechanism. The mechanism moves at least one of the three rollers so as to allow the conveyor unit to shift between a first state and a second state. In the first state, an image can be formed by the recording head to a recording medium. A conveyor surface faces the recording surface with a predetermined gap therebetween, and the three rollers are in a predetermined relative positional relation so as to apply tension to the conveyor belt. In the second state, a gap larger than the predetermined gap exists between the conveyor surface and the recording surface, and the three rollers are in a relative positional relation different from the predetermined relative positional relation.

Abstract: An apparatus for pressing flat materials onto a transport module with a transport belt includes a holding carrier for pressing elements being disposed under a feed table. At least one of the pressing elements is mounted on the holding carrier with a multiplicity of individual resilient or sprung constituent parts, or a multiplicity of pressing elements are disposed on the holding carrier below the transport belt in a transport direction. The pressing elements can protrude through an opening in the feed table, in order to provide suitable pressure from below on the transport belt of the transport module.

Abstract: Disclosed is an idler roller assembly for a printing apparatus. The idler rolling assembly includes a shaft, at least one idler rolling element connected to the shaft, the at least one idler rolling element having an inner surface and an outer surface and being connected to the shaft at a substantially center portion of the idler rolling element, the at least one idler rolling element being cylindrically shaped and having an axis substantially parallel to an axis of the shaft, and at least one radial control movement element connected to the shaft, the at least one radial control movement element having a radius selected to leave a predetermined gap between an outer edge of the at least one radial control movement element and the inner surface of the idler rolling element.

Abstract: In a paper sheet transporting device, in an air duct portion of a suction duct, a suction confluence opening that collects air that is sucked and allows the air to pass through is disposed in a position included in a region where suction openings whose suction force is relatively the highest of plural suction openings exist and which position is away from the inner surface side of the suction surface portion, with the air duct portion being formed in a shape where the opening cross-sectional area of an air duct becomes relatively narrower away from the suction confluence opening in the rotating axial direction of a transport belt.

Abstract: The document conveying device (2) for use in a scanner (1) or the like comprises a conveyor belt (3) arranged to convey a document (4) between an outer surface (5) of the conveyor belt and a flat surface (6). The conveyor belt (3) has an inner surface (9) supported by a first and a second roller (10, 11). Each of the first and second rollers (10, 11) is supported at three or more positions along its length in order to at least partially counteract forces from the conveyor belt (3) tending to deflect said roller.

Abstract: An apparatus including a belt support system having a first belt support roller and a system for automatically moving the first belt support roller. The belt support system partially wraps a continuous belt on a belt drive roller. The belt support system includes the first belt support roller at an upstream side of the belt drive roller and a second belt support roller at a downstream side. The system for moving the first belt support roller moves the first roller from a first location relative to the belt drive roller to a second different location, based upon a predetermined load of the belt on the first belt support roller to thereby reduce an amount of wrap of the belt on the belt drive roller and reduce a length of the belt located proximate to the belt drive roller between the first and second belt support rollers.

Abstract: In an image recording apparatus using an inkjet mode, printing paper fed from a paper feeder 2 is supplied onto tables 1 movable by an endless transport mechanism of a table moving mechanism 5. After each table 1 is transferred from the endless transport mechanism to linear motor mechanisms 61 of the table moving mechanism 5, an image is recorded by an image recorder 3. Subsequently, the table 1 is transferred from the linear motor mechanisms 61 to the endless transport mechanism, and then the printing paper on the table 1 is discharged by a paper discharger 4.

Abstract: A shaft of a sheet conveying roller is a pipe shaft. Both ends of the pipe shaft are formed into small-diameter portions, and a mounted portion on which a friction member is provided is formed into a large-diameter portion, which has a diameter larger than a diameter of the both ends of the pipe shaft.

Abstract: A protrusion (13a) and a protrusion (13b) are formed a predetermined distance apart in the direction of a shaft in the outer circumferential surface of the roller main body (11). The cross sections of the protrusion (13a) and the protrusion (13b) are shaped such that a center portion of the roller main body (11) in the direction of the shaft is a boundary (14), and that on the left side of the boundary (14), a vertex (131a) is displaced to the left side from the perpendicular bisector (133a) of an opposite side (132a) whereas on the right side of the boundary (14), a vertex (131b) is displaced to the right side from the perpendicular bisector (133b) of an opposite side (132b). In this way, in a metallic movement roller that moves a strung endless belt, the winding movement and the like of the belt can be prevented, and the belt can be intentionally moved in a specific direction.

Abstract: A belt drive controller for controlling each belt stopping position with high accuracy during intermittent movement of a belt. This belt drive controller controls driving of a belt to intermittently move a belt wrapped around a plurality of supporting rollers including a driven roller and a drive roller. This controller detects a rotation angular displacement or a rotation angular velocity of two supporting rollers having mutually different diameters, and controls driving of the drive roller based on the detected rotation data so that the position of the belt in the direction of movement becomes a predetermined target position.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is capable of reliably correcting skew feeding of a recording sheet in an arrangement for conveying the recording sheet absorbed by a belt surface. The recording apparatus includes: a driving roller for driving the conveying belt wound around the driving roller and electrically charging the conveying belt by application of a voltage; and a pinching roller abutting against the driving roller via the conveying belt. A pinching section, which is formed by the driving roller and the pinching roller, corrects skew feeding of the recording sheet fed from the paper feed section and thereafter the voltage is applied to the driving roller to electrically charge the conveying belt.

Abstract: A document handling apparatus includes a document transport buffering apparatus including drive belts and aligner belts. Each of the drive belts has a general continuous loop shape. The aligner belts are intermixed with the drive belts. Each of the aligner belts has a general continuous loop shape and a projection extending in a general cantilever fashion from the aligner belt. A first drive system is adapted to rotate the drive belts. A second drive system is adapted to rotate the aligner belts individually. The first and second drive systems are adapted to rotate the drive belts and the aligner belts such that a plurality of spaced stacks of documents are transported by the drive belts with one of the projections at a leading edge of each of the stacks and another one of the projections at a trailing edge of each of the stacks.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for stacking vouchers that has at least one circumferential stacking belt (82). The stacking belt (82) has a circumferential belt body and at least one tongue pair (86a to 86c) provided outwardly on the belt body. The tongue pair (86a to 86c) has a transport tongue (90a to 90c) and a pressure tongue (88a to 88c). The pressure tongue (88a to 88c) and the transport tongue (90a to 90c) are configured and disposed such that the pressure tongue (88a to 88c) applies contact pressure to the transport tongue (90a to 90c) in the direction of the belt body at least in a circumferential area of the stacking belt (82).

Abstract: A measurement module for a printer generally includes a page diverter mechanism configured to selectively divert a sheet of media from a main media path to a module media path; a rotating drum configured to receive the media from the module media path and to affix the media on an outer surface of the drum; a measuring device spaced adjacent to the drum and configured to measure as aspect of the media affixed to the surface of the drum; and a sheet transport configured to remove the media from the drum. According to one embodiment, the module may include a drum with an electrostatic hold-down mechanism that captures a sheet and an axially translating measuring device that is configured to read the entire surface as the drum rotates. The measurement module also allows the printed media to cool to eliminate problems with color measurements due to thermo chromaticity.

Abstract: A drive control method for a sheet processing machine includes the steps of operating a driving motor of a sheet feed device which feeds a sheet to a sheet processing device that processes the sheet, in synchronism with a rotary member of the sheet processing device, and adjusting a rotary phase of the rotary member of the sheet processing device and a rotary phase of the driving motor of the sheet feed device relative to each other.

Abstract: Provided is a unit for preventing abnormal conveyance when unreeling a banknote from a drum. A device for storing and discharging paper/paper-like sheets is provided with first and second reels for winding first and second tapes onto, a drum for winding the first and second tapes onto with a banknote sandwiched between respective conveying surfaces of the first and second tapes, and first and second deflecting rollers disposed facing a banknote inlet-outlet and respectively deflecting the first and second tapes toward the drum. The device takes up, or unwinds, the first and second tapes entrained between the drum and the first and second reels via the first and second deflecting rollers so as to store or discharge the banknote. The device is also provided with a guide having a projection projecting toward the drum.

Abstract: A belt drive device includes a plurality of rollers and an endless belt stretched around the rollers, and configured to drive the endless belt by rotating the rollers. The belt drive device further includes a roller-shaft shifting member that shifts at least one end of a shaft of at least one roller of the above described rollers in accordance with the movement of the endless belt in the axial direction of the roller.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a vacuum belt having belt edges and a contact surface between the belt edges. The contact surface is adapted to contact sheets of print media and the sheets of print media have sheet edges and a central sheet region. The contact surface has a central belt region located where the central sheet region of the sheets of print media contacts the contact surface of the vacuum belt. The contact surface has border regions located where the sheet edges of the sheets of print media contact the contact surface of the vacuum belt. The central belt region is located between the border regions. The contact surface has vacuum holes, and the vacuum holes comprise an irregular pattern, such that a different density of holes is located within the border regions relative to the central belt region.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a plurality of linear motor mechanisms for transporting a plurality of tables in a first transport section including at least an area in which an image is recorded on recording media, and an endless transport mechanism for transporting the plurality of tables in at least a second transport section contiguous with the first transport section and capable of transporting the plurality of tables in the first transport section. The image recording apparatus further includes an unused linear motor mechanism determination part for determining an unused linear motor mechanism. When the unused linear motor mechanism is determined, the endless transport mechanism is used as an alternative to transport at least one of the tables which is to be transported in the first transport section but which is able to be transported by none of the plurality of linear motor mechanisms.

Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a main body to fold a sheet bundle and to form a booklet, a base plate which is inclined downward and extends from a side wall of the main body and stacks plural booklets successively discharged from an outlet provided in the side wall, an upper arm which is provided above the base plate and substantially in parallel to a stacking surface of the base plate and a base end of which is rotatably supported at an upper part of the outlet of the side wall, a fore arm which extends from a front end of the upper arm to the stacking surface to be substantially perpendicular to the base plate and receives a leading edge of the booklet stacked on the base plate, and an alignment roller which is provided at the front end of the upper arm, presses an upper surface of the booklet stacked on the base plate and rotates in a direction of urging the booklet to the fore arm.

Abstract: A connecting apparatus includes a rotation conveyance section whose end is positioned below a recording medium discharge port of a recording medium discharging apparatus, and which is constructed separately from an inlet roller to nip and convey a recording medium and is rotated to receive and guide the recording medium discharged from the recording medium discharging apparatus to an inside of a recording medium receiving apparatus, and an upper conveyance mechanism whose end is positioned above the recording medium discharge port of the recording medium discharging apparatus and which is constructed separately from the inlet roller. An upper end of the connecting apparatus at a recording medium discharging apparatus side is positioned above the recording medium discharge port of the recording medium discharging apparatus, and a lower end is positioned below the recording medium discharge port of the recording medium discharging apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a belt and a pressure roll contacting the belt. The pressure roll comprises at least two roll segments connected to a common axle and contacting the belt. The roll segments are offset from one another along the belt.

Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a pair of rollers whose axes of rotation are parallel to each other. An endless conveyor belt is stretched between the pair of rollers. The conveyor belt conveys a print medium in the conveyance direction attendant upon rotations of the pair of rollers. The conveyor belt has, on its outer circumferential surface, an ink receiving groove extending in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction. The depth of the ink receiving groove gradually increases toward the center of the ink receiving groove in the conveyance direction in at least one of regions continuous from front and rear ends of the ink receiving groove in the conveyance direction.

Abstract: Provided are a paper media transfer device and an automatic teller machine having the same. The paper media transfer device may include: a medium guide portion being provided on one side of a transfer direction of the paper media, and including a guide surface having at least one high point and at least one low point along the transfer direction of the paper media; and a medium transfer portion forming a transfer path of the paper media together with the medium guide portion to transfer the paper media, and including a belt member that is curved in correspondence to the guide surface, and a belt roller that drives the belt member and maintains the curved shape of the belt member, or adds a tension to the belt. Through this, it is possible to improve a tightening force.

Abstract: A transport device for transporting sheet elements into a folder-gluer comprising two longitudinal support structures between which there extend one or more movement slides, one or more lead screws and a drive shaft for a belt. At least one longitudinal member supports at least one endless conveyor belt driven by the shaft. The longitudinal member is mounted in sliding connection on the movement slides and on the drive shaft and is in helical connection with the lead screws. A protecting device over the drive shaft blocks user access to the shaft. It is illustrated as a profile over the shaft and slide. The protecting device transversely connects the two longitudinal support structures.

Abstract: Card transfer system in which a card is transferred may include transfer roller which touches and transfers the card, and rotary shaft on which transfer roller is fixed, and rotating member rotatably supported on rotary shaft, and drive mechanism coupled to rotating member to rotate rotating member, and clutch mechanism which interrupts the power transmission between rotary shaft and rotating member. Rotating member is rotatably supported on rotary shaft by antifriction bearings.

Abstract: A transfer belt has a two-layer structure consisting of two inner belts formed of metal, such as stainless steel, and an outer belt formed of an elastic material, such as silicone rubber, being spread across the inner belts. The inner belts are endless and wound around transfer rollers, while the outer belt has its ends which are not joined with each other and form an opening therebetween. Distortion of the outer belt due to stress is designed to be suppressed by using a reinforcing member around the opening.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus with a buffer system is disclosed, in which a sheet feeding drum has a certain rotational speed regardless of the size of the sheet to feed a plurality of sheets to a sheet finisher and eject the sheets after exactly aligning them. The sheet feeding apparatus includes sheet feeding grips 36a, 36b, 36c and 36d provided on the outside of a sheet feeding drum 105 at certain intervals, and a sheet feeding grip controller (cam) 42 allowing the sheet feeding grips to selectively grip the sheets moving through the outside of the sheet feeding drum 105. The sheets gripped by the sheet feeding grips are buffered by the end fence and are ejected to a sheet finisher through a sheet ejection path when the end fence is opened.

Abstract: A recording target medium includes a base material, a recording portion, and a guided-array portion. The recording portion is formed on or at one surface of the base material. The recording portion includes an ink-accepting layer. The guided-array portion is formed on the base material at a side opposite to an observation side of the recording portion.

Abstract: A transport track extends through first and second stations for transporting paper postal items through the stations. The first and second stations are equipped with first and second drives for driving circulatable surfaces of the respective station along the transport track. The second drive is controlled for driving at least one of the second station's circulatable surfaces at a circumferential speed higher than the circumferential speed of the first station's circulatable surfaces. While a stack of postal items passes from the first station to the second station, highest normal force exerted thereon by the circulatable surfaces of the second station is larger or smaller than the highest normal force exerted thereon by the circulatable surfaces of the first station.