Abstract: A paper feeding mechanism with a separator and paper blocking mechanisms. When feeding paper, a lift plate carrying paper is moved up to allow a pick-up roller and the separator to move one sheet from the lift plate. After feeding paper, the lift plate is lowered away from the pick-up roller, and the paper blocking mechanism pushes excess paper back to the lift plate.

Abstract: A sheet feeding mechanism including a singulating assembly and mechanism for accumulating sheets in a stack adjacent the singulating assembly. The singulating assembly comprises a retard roller and a guard adjacent thereto. The retard roller has a first bearing surface at a lower position. A mechanism is provided for feeding single sheets from the stack past the bearing surface of the retard roller and beneath it. The retard roller is adjustable to move the first bearing surface away from its lower position and replacing it with a second bearing surface at the lower position.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a digital copy machine to form an image on a group of sheets from an image of a group of documents, and a staple sorter sorting and discharging copied sheets from the digital copy machine. According to the staple sorter, control is provided so that a sheet of a long left period of time is transported from the bin to a nonsort tray when all of a plurality of bins provided in the staple sorter are used during a print operation. The left time of a sheet is monitored even when a print operation is not carried out. When the left time exceeds a predetermined time, control is provided so that the sheet left in the bin is transferred to the nonsort tray. As a result, a sheet discharge device is provided improved in operability of sheet discharge.

Abstract: A roll mounted T-shirt bag and dispensers for same are described. The bag is designed for fresh produce and includes front and rear panels, first and second side gussets, a bottom seam, a top seam and a U-shaped cutout forming an openable bag mouth and a pair of carrying handles. The bags are joined above and below the upper and lower seams at first and second perforation lines. The bags are wound onto a cylindrical core to form a compact roll. In a variant of the invention, the bags are folded inwardly from the side edges prior to rolling onto the core to form a more compact roll. Dispensers are described that are designed to hold the roll mounted bags in both folded and unfolded form. The dispensers include a separating tongue designed to engage the U-shaped cutout and permit the bags to be dispensed from the bottom of the bag roll. The dispensers are designed for mounting to either vertical or horizontal surfaces and function efficiently in very limited spaces.

Abstract: A paper-feeding roller, made of a cylindrical elastic material, which is used for a printing apparatus of ink jet type, with the paper-feeding roller mounted on a core, wherein a friction coefficient (&mgr;) of the paper-feeding roller is set not less than 1.5; and the following relationship is established among the friction coefficient (&mgr;) of the paper-feeding roller, a tensile elongation E (%) thereof, and a fracture-time strength T (MPa) thereof: 15>(E×T)/(&mgr;×100)≧5.

Abstract: A magnetic sheet fanner consisting of an elongated horseshoe magnet or bar magnet having an upper end and a lower end, the poles of such elongated magnet extending from the upper end to the lower end; a support frame having an interior space and having a sheet contact side; an axle and axle bearing assembly interlinking the elongated magnet and the support frame so that the elongated magnet may pivotally move between a first position “on” and a second “off” position within the interior space, the elongated magnet directing a magnetic field through the sheet contact side of the housing while the elongated magnet is in its first “on” position, the elongated magnet directing the magnetic field away from the sheet contact side upon pivotal motion to its second “off” position; and a pneumatic actuator adapted for selectively pivoting the elongated magnet between its first and second positions.

Abstract: A delivery station for a converting press for paper or cardboard sheets having a transverse roller located downstream from the delivery area of a blanking station, and a movable carriage downstream from the roller. The carriage receives a plurality of bars that form a non-stop delivery rack. The carriage is guided for motion in the longitudinal direction by a transporting device. The transporting device, the transverse roller and the carriage are mounted on a vertically movable frame suspended on opposite sides by chains ran by a power source through a transmission shaft. The vertical run of the delivery rack is adjustable between a high position and a low position, the low position being determined by the length of the lower blanking tool joggers of the blanking station.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a mailpiece sorting and stacking apparatus. The sorting and stacking apparatus has a series of stacking bins. Each stacking bin is designed to include a set of kicker fingers that engage the trailing ends of the mailpieces traveling towards a stop registration wall in each stacking bin. The stop registration wall in combination with the spring force exerted by the kicker fingers against the trailing ends of the mailpiece cause the end of each mailpiece to engage the outside surface of a pressure mailpiece conveying roller. The pressure mailpiece conveying roller is part of the conveying roller assembly leading to the stacking bin. The periphery of the pressure mailpiece conveying roller along with the deflection force against the trailing end of each mailpiece caused by the kicker fingers causes each mailpiece to stack against a pressure paddle inside the stacking bin.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller that is driven to rotate, and a base plate to stack sheets thereupon. The sheet feeding device is configured to rotate around a supporting axis thereof in directions to contact and separate from the feeding roller. A base plate pressing member is configured to press the base plate toward the feeding roller, such that an uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the base plate contacts the feeding roller in order to be fed by the feeding roller. A first friction device is arranged in a vicinity of a first part of an upper surface of the base plate so as to oppose the feeding roller. The first friction device is configured to provide a bottom sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the base plate with a first frictional resistance greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A filter dispenser is disclosed. The dispenser comprises a filter holder for horizontally holding a multiplicity of nested filters, an extractor positioned above the filter holder having a tacky material on its lower surface, and a resilient bridge connecting the extractor to the filter holder, whereby when the extractor is pressed downward the resilient bridge is bent until the tacky material contacts the uppermost of the filters, and, when released, returns to its original position with the uppermost filter attached to the tacky material. Also disclosed is a method of dispensing filters using the filter dispenser. The extractor is pressed downward until the tacky material contacts the uppermost filter in the stack. The extractor is permitted to return to its original position with the uppermost filter adhering to the tacky material and the uppermost filter is removed from the tacky material.

Abstract: A paper discharging apparatus for a printer includes: a plurality of support plates for supporting the paper and rotating in a direction parallel to a paper proceeding direction; a rotation shaft of a feed roller arranged in a direction perpendicular to the paper proceeding direction, and to which a feed roller contacting the paper is coupled; a power transfer portion having a sector gear installed on the rotation shaft so that the sector gear doe not rotate when the rotation shaft rotates in a forward direction, and the sector gear does rotate when the rotation shaft rotates in a reverse direction; a crank rod having one end connected to the sector gear, and reciprocating when the sector gear rotates; and a cam shaft connected to the crank rod and rotating in correspondence to the reciprocation of the crank rod.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tablet vessel feed apparatus comprising a stock container for storing a plurality of tablet vessels, a vessel takeout section for taking out the tablet vessels from the stock container, and a conveyor for conveying the tablet vessels taken out from the stock container. The apparatus further comprises an auxiliary conveyor for conveying the tablet vessel taken out from the stock container toward the conveyor; a delivery table for receiving the tablet vessel conveyed by the auxiliary conveyor to retain and then deliver the tablet vessel to the conveyor; a tablet vessel sensor for detecting the tablet vessel on at least any one of the auxiliary conveyor and the delivery table; and a controller. The controller allows the vessel takeout section to stop taking out the tablet vessels from the stock container while the tablet vessel sensor detects the tablet vessel.

Abstract: An unloading and erecting apparatus has a frame fixed to a magazine holding a stack of flattened cartons, an outer horizontal guide on the frame, an outer horizontal slide horizontally displaceable on the outer horizontal guide and carrying a nonstraight outer vertical guide. A drive motor connected to the outer horizontal slide horizontally displaces same. A vertical guide on the frame carries a vertical slide and another drive motor connected to the vertical slide vertically displaces same. A shaft pivotal about a generally horizontal axis transverse to the forward direction on the vertical slide is fixed horizontally relative to the outer horizontal slide.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for turning sheets. A sheet to be turned is guided into a gap between two transport elements moving in opposite directions and is pressed against the reverse-moving transport element or the forward-moving transport element depending on whether or not said sheet should be turned. The following transport elements then guide the turned or unturned sheet to the output of the device. The device preferably is configured such that the same transport time is required for turned and unturned sheets so that the order of the sheets and the interval between the sheets upstream and downstream of the turning device remain the same.

Abstract: A pre-registration system increases the latitude of present active registration systems by decreasing the lateral offset of sheets before they reach the active registration system. This is accomplished by pivoting and translating a sheet supply elevator with stepper motors in conjunction with sensing a lateral edge of sheets in order to direct the sheets to the proper lateral position to be fed into the active registration system with a minimum of lateral offset.

Abstract: An adjustable tray for receiving and storing sheets of web material, such as photographic paper and film, has adjustable sheet width aligning and sheet receiving guide members that can alignably accommodate various sizes of paper. Independent quick release/latch mechanisms enable easy and quick deployment of the adjustable sheet width aligning and sheet receiving guide members.

Abstract: An electronic component feeding apparatus which conveys electronic components in a ranging condition and feeds a foremost electronic component to a component taking-out position. This apparatus includes a component conveying passage, a shutter for opening and closing a component outlet port of the component passage, a component stopper including an air suction path which leads to the component outlet port, a shutter for opening and closing the component outlet port, an air suction unit having an air suction port, an air tube for communicating an air suction force from the air suction port to the air suction path, and a lever mechanism for operating the shutter and the air suction unit.

Abstract: In an image recording apparatus with excellent quality which can prevent image degradation and the like due to stacking too much recording material on a discharge tray, when the recording operation is carried out, a sensor measures the distance from the upper surface of a flapper to the stacked object. The output obtained here is taken in by a distance detecting circuit. After a calculation circuit carries out comparison and calculation, the distance is calculated and is transmitted to a control circuit. By comparing the calculated distance with thickness data with regard to the recording material and the like stored in advance in a memory device in the control circuit, the allowable residual amount of stack and the allowable residual number of sheets of stack are further presumed.

Abstract: A device for braking sample and defective sheets of a machine for processing sheet-like printing materials includes a sheet-guiding part for guiding a sheet therealong, a roller resting on the sheet-guiding part and being movable at least in a vertical direction, for braking a sheet guided between the sheet-guiding part and the roller; and a machine for processing sheet-like printing material, such as a printing machine, including the braking device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus that has sheet feeding device for abutting against an upper surface of a sheet stacked and feeding out the sheet, biasing device for biasing the sheet feeding device toward the upper surface of the sheet, and lifting and lowering device for lifting and lowering the sheet feeding device, the lifting and lowering device including a holding member for engaging with the sheet feeding device and shifting the sheet feeding device in an up-and-down direction by a motor, and maintaining device for regulating the holding member so as to maintain the sheet feeding device at a position where the sheet feeding device is spaced apart from the upper surface of the sheet, in opposition to a biasing force of the biasing device.