Abstract: A virtual execution device includes a hardware processor, the hardware processor forming a virtual device by simulating an image forming apparatus in operation, in the case where a predetermined allowing condition is unsatisfied by an operation state of the image forming apparatus, acquiring a plurality of respective jobs that have been externally received by the image forming apparatus before the allowing condition becomes unsatisfied by the operation state of the image forming apparatus as reference jobs, selecting one or more reference jobs as exclusion jobs from among the plurality of acquired reference jobs, causing the virtual device to process subject jobs that are not the one or more selected exclusion jobs among the plurality of acquired reference jobs, and in the case where the allowing condition is satisfied by an operation state of the virtual device, specifying the exclusion jobs as cause jobs that have caused errors in the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes: a separation sheet feeding mechanism having a paper feeding belt and a separation roller; and an adjustment mechanism that changes contact state of the paper feeding belt to the separation roller by changing relative position of the paper feeding belt and the separation roller, and changes and adjusts separation performance of the separation roller for the subsequent sheet, wherein the adjustment mechanism includes a cam follower member changing the relative position of the feeding belt and the separation roller, the cam member includes a first cam face and a second cam face which are formed at each rotation radius position in accordance with the rotation angle position, and are spaced apart in the rotation radius direction, and the cam follower member has a contact unit guided by the first cam face and the second cam face.

Abstract: A sheet feed device comprises: a retaining section retaining a sheet; a drive section raising the retaining section; a conveyance section conveying a sheet on the raised retaining section; a sheet detection section detecting an end of the conveyed sheet; and a control section. At the time that a sheet feed instruction is received, when a sheet is detected by the sheet detection section, the control section causes the conveyance section to feed the sheet further. When a sheet is not detected, the control section causes the drive section to raise the retaining section and then causes the conveyance section to start conveyance of a sheet.

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. A method for operating a feed input assembly having positionable friction drive surfaces is also described.

Abstract: A design support method of inspecting control on an image forming apparatus based on a simulation result of operation control on a virtual device which is modeled to simulate operation of the image forming apparatus includes the steps of referring to control definition information for determining whether an operation request is proper with respect to a virtual device for which the operation request is input, in accordance with an operating state of the virtual device, and determining, based on the control definition information referred to in the referring step whether operation of the virtual device can be performed.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus distributes and conveys sheets to plural storage trays. The apparatus includes a flapper configured to guide a sheet to each of the plural storage trays by changing an angle thereof, a conveying roller configured to discharge the sheet moved along the flapper to each of the storage trays, and a link member which is connected to the flapper and the conveying roller, and rotates to change the angle of the flapper and a position of the conveying roller with respect to the plural storage trays.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic document feeder comprising a pick up roller module, a drive roller module, an ejecting idle roller module and a main belt. A main driving roller of the driving roller module drives the main belt to transport the document, and the main belt encircles the main driving roller and a first ejecting idle roller of the ejecting idle roller module.

Abstract: For separating individual flat and bendable objects (2) from the underside of a stack of such objects (2), and for the onward transportation of &the objects, the invention provides a stacking space (1), a carrier wheel (3) on which suction devices (4) and grippers (5) are mounted, and transportation means (16), wherein the carrier wheel (3) is disposed below the stacking space (1) in such a manner that the suction devices (4), rotating with the carrier wheel (3), can consecutively take hold of an edge region of the object (2) at the bottom of the stack and bend it downward into the jaws of the following gripper (5), and in such a manner that the object (2) is then transported onward by the gripper (5) and can be deposited on the transportation means (6).

Abstract: A device for effecting the positionally accurate conveyance of flat articles to be sorted to an input device for a sorting conveyor has a draw-off unit and a feed unit. The draw-off unit periodically separates the flat articles to be sorted, and feeds them in separated form onto a conveyor line. The feed unit transfers the separated articles with a defined advance to the input device after these articles have reached a predetermined conveyance location of the conveyor line. A section of the conveyor line immediately preceding the predetermined conveyance point is arranged substantially vertical and includes a pair of belts for guiding the article to be sorted, with one belt of the pair running around two rollers and the other belt of the pair configured to be raised for a predetermined time.

Abstract: There is provided a sheet handling machine (1) comprising: a drive source (300); a first driven shaft (336, 384) arranged to receive drive from said drive source at least when said drive source drives in a first direction of rotation; a feed roller shaft (339, 390); a feed roller (102, 202) mounted on said feed roller shaft for feeding sheets (S) when said feed roller shaft is driven; and rotatably supported drive transmission means (500, 526, 600, 612) for selectively engaging drive transmission from said first driven shaft to said feed roller shaft in dependence upon the rotational position of said drive transmission means. A mailpiece creation apparatus is also provided, illustrating one application of such a machine, as well as associated methods for sheet handling and mailpiece creation.

Abstract: A tape transport system for printed products includes a tape having a tape width, a pulley, and a lever arm supporting the pulley, the lever arm having a first side and a second side. The pulley has a first section disposed on the first side of the lever arm and a second section disposed on the second side of the lever arm, the first and second sections supporting the tape so that the lever arm is within the tape width.

Abstract: A feeder/separator apparatus for separating and moving sheets from a stack of sheets is described. The feeder/separator includes an input area for positioning the stack of sheets; a first and second series of rollers for jointly feeding a sheet on the bottom of the stack into an area of the apparatus including a third and forth series of rollers and a first series of belts; a pre-separation brake adapted to act in a pivoting pattern only on the first series of belts to cause a first stage separation of the bottom sheet; a separation brake adapted to act in a linear pattern only on the fourth series of rollers to cause a second stage separation of the bottom sheet, the pre-separation and separation brakes permitting the bottom sheets to be separated from the stack; and a fifth series of rollers and a second series of belts both being adapted to feed the bottom sheets away from the feeder/separator apparatus in a sheet feed path.

Abstract: Systems and methods of registration system control are provided that compensate for differences in physical properties of various substrates being transported through the system that impact velocity of the substrate. Exemplary systems of the Invention include at least one roll pair formed by a first, driven roll and a second roll defining a nip therebetween that is part of the transport path through which a substrate is passed. A prestored lookup table includes empirically-derived compensation factors for plural different kinds of substrates, with each compensation factor being based on physical characteristics of the substrate that impact displacement and velocity of the substrate along the transport path, such as the substrate's mass per unit area, which has been found to have a strong correlation with detected deviations in linear travel displacement and velocity.

Abstract: An arrangement for feeding documents piecemeal from a document bundle (9) comprises a banknote separator (200) which includes two mutually biased rollers (4,6) that are driven by a drive motor (1) that also drives a dispensing roller (3) which functions to dispense documents from the bundle. The rollers (4,6) of the roll pair are rotationally coupled together via a freewheeling hub. The second roller (6) does not rotate during dispensing of a document. Upon completion of a dispensing operation, the drive direction of the motor (1) is reversed, so as to bring the second roller (6) to a new angular position.