Abstract: An image forming apparatus in which probability of sheet jamming is reduced and jammed sheet can be easily removed. The apparatus is provided with a guide plate, a movable guide plate defining a sheet feed passage therebetween, and a first sheet feed roller. A detachable sheet cassette is provided for attachment to a main body portion of the apparatus. In the sheet cassette, are provided a second sheet feed roller and a leaf spring which urges the second sheet feed roller toward the first sheet feed roller when the sheet cassette is attached to the main body portion. The sheet feed passage is opened by pivotal movement of the movable guide plate when the sheet cassette is detached from the main body portion, to thereby facilitate removal of the jamming sheet from the sheet feed passage.

Abstract: A recording sheet feeding apparatus comprises a tray frame with four vertical walls which surround an inner space, a stacking plate which is movable in the vertical direction within the inner space guided by the vertical walls, a winding roller for moving the stacking plate through a mechanical transmission which converts a rotation of the winding roller to the vertical movement of the stacking plate and a counterweight means for lifting up the stacking plate by applying a counterweight torque to the winding roller in accordance with the rotation angle thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing labels that are to be inserted into mail trays. A label printer is integrated into a mail sorting machine. Upon a specific bin of the mail sorting machine having sufficient mail pieces to fill a mail tray, the label printer prints a tray label for the mail in such bin. This tray label has printed thereon the zip code to which the mail is to be sent and the bin number in which the mail pieces are located. Upon the printing of such tray label, it is be conveyed by the mail sorter to the appropriate bin and is immediately available to the clerk for insertion into a mail tray.

Abstract: A device for discharging flat objects into a receptacle, especially pieces of mail or letters at the output of a sorting machine in which the letters are routed vertically disposed in pockets and are released above the said device, wherein the device comprises:a flat main guide surface inclined at an angle relative to the vertical plane and down which the flat object at the output of the pocket falls under gravity,a deflecting and retaining plate downstream of the main surface, anda receptacle inclined at an angle relative to the horizontal plane,the plate being movable from an initial position in which its lower edge is parallel to and close to the base of the lowermost wall of the receptacle, to an end position in which it is near to the uppermost wall of the receptacle.

Abstract: There is provided a sheet feeder for a sheet-fed press which allows an optimum separation state of printing sheets 27 to be established readily and certainly. Air is jetted out from an injection nozzle 6 toward the upper part of a bundle 2 of printing sheets to thereby float up printing sheets 27. A top printing sheet 27 thus floated is absorbed by an absorption foot 8 and conveyed to a printing process. The number of floating printing sheets 27 is detected using photoelectric sensors 21 and 22, and in order to establish the optimum separation state, is adjusted by varying the injection air quantity from the injection nozzle 6 or by moving the paper pressure bar 4 in directions of arrows 93 and 94. Further, by equalizing outputs G1 and G2 from detection areas M1 and M2, it is possible to place the top printing sheet 27 in parallel with the absorption surface 8Q of the absorption foot 8 and realize secure absorption. A fuzzy inference system may be used for adjustment.

Abstract: A bill escrow/return device is provided which includes a bill escrow chamber sized and positioned to receive a bill of a predetermined width, a bill pusher plate reciprocally mounted for movement into and out of the bill escrow chamber, a bill stacker unit for receiving the bill from the bill escrow chamber by means of the pusher plate upon confirmation of a vend transaction, and a bill return chute for deposit of the bill upon cancellation of the vend transaction.

Abstract: A sheet justifier provides a table having at least one rotational surface thereon that is substantially aligned with the table. A sheet is input to the table into contact with the rotational surface. A weighted ball is positioned over the rotating surface proximate an outer edge of the rotating surface. The sheet is grasped between the ball and the rotating surface and forced against a raised guide edge. Once the sheet is forced against the guide edge, all rotational driving force is translated in a downstream direction therealong so that the sheet is driven out of the guide edge with its edge aligned therewith in a justified orientation.

Abstract: This invention relates to a sheet feeding device having an endless belt for feeding a sheet; multiple rotation members bodies supporting the endless belt and including at least one crown roller, a cylindrical rotational member located between the crown roller and a first body member among the multiple rotation members from the crown roller in the endless belt moving direction.

Abstract: A tubular container with a non-removable workable cap, by means of which the cap itself is provided with a limitation in its closure on the tube. To do this, the cap is equipped with a vertical rib (7) which originates from the front internal face of the cap and from its inner side surface, which is interrupted at a certain distance from the free end of the outer skirt (9) of the cap. This cap makes contact, when it is turned in both directions, with a protrusion (8) made on the tube and is limited in the closure position by an L-shaped protrusion (3) on the tube itself.

Abstract: A sheet-material transporting device including a separation roller which is rotated in a predetermined direction; and a retarding member having an opposing surface opposing the separation roller, and forming a sheet-material transport passage between the opposing surface and the separation roller. The device is provided with a pressing member disposed in the opposing surface. The pressing member has a pressing surface which projects from the opposing surface and has a coefficient of friction smaller than that of the opposing surface. The pressing surface of the pressing member is caused to retract from its projecting position in correspondence with the thickness of the sheet material inserted into the transport passage. Accordingly, if, for example, two sheets are inserted in a superposed state into the transport passage, the pressing surface is caused to retract by a large amount.

Abstract: A ball bearing in a conveyor device for sheets includes ball guide bodies having ball guide openings formed therein. Balls are to be disposed in the openings. The ball guide bodies have lateral contact slits formed therein through which the balls can be removed and replaced through the ball guide openings by contact with the balls from the outside.

Abstract: An improved printer paper pullout apparatus is described. In its preferred embodiment, the pullout apparatus includes a grasping mechanism, a capture mechanism and a securing mechanism. The grasping mechanism facilitates concurrent paper tray and paper stack movement from a printer feed zone. The securing mechanism ensures proper paper gripping before the paper tray can be released and extended from the printer feed zone. In addition, the grasping mechanism is shaped and positioned on the paper tray for ease of operator grip when manually extending the paper tray from the printer feed zone.

Abstract: There is disclosed a device for feeding a number of stacked documents accurately one by one into a machine such as a copy machine or facsimile including a table for loading the stacked documents, a pick-up roll for picking up the lowermost document of the stacked documents, and a pick-up rubber for cooperating with the pick-up roll so as to only convey the lowermost document into the machine. The free end portion of the pick-up rubber is pressed against a portion of the surface of the pick-up roll by a compression spring via a pressure plate. There are at least one pair of protrusions each positioned on one end portion of the circumferential surface of the pick-up roll and symmetrically facing each other along a line parallel with the axis of the pick-up roll.

Abstract: An improved shell egg culling system includes a conveying system having sites for conveying shell eggs, an illuminator together with a video camera in conjunction with a computer having a first algorithm and a second algorithm for determining which of the sites contain shell eggs having broken shells and which contain shell eggs having soiled shells, a plurality of bridges in side-by-side relationship which are controlled by the computer to remove shell eggs having broken shells from the conveying system for discarding, and a platform having a plurality of downwardly directed, suction-activated lifters which are controlled by the computer to remove shell eggs having soiled shells from the conveying system for recycling through a washer.

Abstract: In an inserting machine, guide apparatus for maintaining control of individual sheets and collations that are conveyed along a transport deck by at least one pair of pushers, comprises a mounting beam coupled to a frame member of the inserting machine, and a plurality of guide arms pivotally mounted at one end to the mounting beam and biased against the transport deck. Each of the guide arms has a second end resting against the deck between the pair of pushers. Each of the guide arms has a curved shape for engaging a collation gradually An idler roller is rotatably mounted to the second end of each of the guide arms. The mounting beam is pivotally mounted at one end to the frame member of the inserting machine, whereby the other end of the guide apparatus is pivotable away from the transport deck.

Abstract: A copying machine including a paper sheet deflecting device is disclosed. For compact copying machines an excessively curved sheet deflection is achieved for a space-saving construction. In order to reliably and independently of the type of sheets ensure a deflection with a relatively pronounced curvature, the deflecting device of the new copying machine is constructed as a guiding element which partially surrounds a withdrawal roller and which, while leaving an introducing gap, rests with a predetermined contact force against the circumference of the withdrawal roller. The resulting active contact pressure force on the withdrawal roller for the sheet to be drawn in permits a secure paper transport with a simultaneous deflection with a small radius of curvature.

Abstract: A document registration apparatus for use in a document inserting station or a document queuing station is provided. The apparatus includes a document registration unit having a plurality of laterally-spaced registration stops which pivot about a horizontal axis for stopping motion of a document and registering a particular edge of a document to a particular direction in the apparatus. There is at least one urge roller for moving the registered document away from the apparatus for further processing. The document registration apparatus also includes structure for pivoting the documentation registration unit about a vertical axis for skew adjustment of the registration unit.

Abstract: Sheet stacking utilizing an orbital nip system by initially orbiting the nip with the sheet in the nip until the nip angle is aimed well up on the registration stacking wall above the stacking tray and adjacent the desired maximum stack height even if the tray is empty; feeding the sheet in this initial nip position out towards the wall at a preset nip feeding velocity without substantially orbiting the nip; then, when the edge of the sheet is within approximately 10 millimeters of the registration stacking wall, starting to orbit the nip with the sheet in the nip, away from the wall and downwardly at an orbiting angular velocity which is substantially slower (0.4 to 0.

Abstract: A side edge alignment system for pre-aligning side edges of sheet stock prior to feeding them into a printing press employs a sheet engaging vacuum suction member driven reciprocatingly across the feed path of the press. As the member travels towards a side alignment stop the engaged sheet is aligned upon engaging the stop. The suction level is adjustable so that the suction member disengages to slide over the top surface of the aligned sheet after engagement with the side alignment stop. Suction is terminated before the return stroke of the suction member. For stack feeding operations the side alignment stop is configured as a rail having planar upper and lower vertical wall surfaces, the upper being offset away from the suction member. Initial stack alignment is secured by lower elements of the stack engaging the lower face of the side alignment stop, leaving upper sheets at a standoff distance from the upper stop surface.

Abstract: An automatic paper feeding device includes a pivotable member around which a sending out roller and a driving shaft are pivotally supported. Provided between a transmission gear of driving shaft and the transmitted gear of sending out roller is an intermediate gear. One of intermediate gear and transmitted gear has a rotational load, and sending out roller is elevated toward an insert guide plate disposed at the upper portion by the force of this rotational load. Original paper installed between inside guide plate and sending out roller are sequentially separated and sent into a machine from its bottom end. According to the structure, separate paper feeding is ensured, the number of parts necessary is reduced, thereby achieving cost reduction as a result.