Abstract: A vehicle body contour-based derailment detection method for a rail vehicle, including: measuring distances between measuring points and rails through a range finder mounted on an underframe of a vehicle body, and calculating a transverse displacement of the current vehicle body in a vehicle body coordinate system; measuring an inclination angle of the current vehicle body in the vehicle body coordinate system through an inclination sensor on the vehicle body; with reference to a size of the vehicle body and distribution positions of the measuring points, as well as the transverse displacement of the current vehicle body in the vehicle body coordinate system and the inclination angle of the vehicle body in the vehicle body coordinate system, obtaining a dynamic outer contour of the vehicle body in the vehicle body coordinate system and converting it into a dynamic outer contour in the rail coordinate system.

Abstract: A loop detection unit including a first contact portion in contact with a back surface of the recording material. A residual sheet detection unit including a second contact portion that is configured to come into contact with the back surface of the recording material. The first contact portion and the second contact portion are configured to rotate on the same rotation shaft. The second contact portion is configured to come into contact with the back surface of the recording material on a downstream of the first contact portion in the conveyance direction of the recording material.

Abstract: A liftable transport pinch is provided with a simplified construction to enhance lifetime and productivity. This transport device includes at least one roller mounted on an arm, and an actuator connected to a frame for moving the roller between a first and second position. The arm is mounted onto the frame by means of an elastic hinge element. The elastic hinge element provides a simple, cheap, wear-resistant, and easy-to-assembly alternative to prior art solutions.

Abstract: A medium passage switching mechanism disposed on a casing of an image forming device, includes a medium tray, a guiding component and a linking component. An entrance passage, a first exit passage and a second exit passage are formed inside the casing. The medium tray is pivoted to the casing. The guiding component is pivoted to the casing. The linking component is a one-piece structure and movably connected to the medium tray and the guiding component. When the medium tray pivots relative to the casing, the medium tray drives the linking component to drive the guiding component to pivot relative to the casing, so that the guiding component can guide a medium to enter into the first exit passage or the second exit passage selectively from the entrance passage.

Abstract: Methods for quantitatively determining the time (TNI) between (1) the application of this method and (2) the time at which the next out-of-service API 653 internal inspection of a steel, field-erected, aboveground storage tank (AST) containing petroleum/water products should be performed. These methods combine four in-service measurements of the thickness, integrity, and corrosion rate of the tank bottom with an empirical corrosion rate cumulative frequency distribution (CFD) for the tank of interest to develop a Bayesian tank bottom survival probability distribution to determine TNI. During this entire TNI time period, the risk of tank bottom failure is less than at the time these methods were applied. If available, the results of a previous out-of-service API 653 internal inspection are also used. These methods can be applied at any time while the tank is in-service to update the internal inspection interval previously determined in an out-of-service internal inspection of the tank.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an upper ejection roller and a lower ejection roller that are disposed vertically side by side in an apparatus body and transport a recording material, a relay section that is disposed at an upper part of the apparatus body and further transports the recording material transported from the lower ejection roller and that places the recording material transported from the upper ejection roller on an upper surface of the relay section, a post-processing section that is disposed on a side surface of the apparatus body, receives the recording material via the relay section, and performs post-processing, and a controller that performs a control such that the recording material is transported from the upper ejection roller to the upper surface of the relay section in a case where the recording material is a long sheet.

Abstract: A fluid distribution device, for applying a fluid onto a transfer roller, includes an elongated chamber, at least one inlet for letting a fluid into the chamber, a longitudinal opening extending in the axial direction and adapted to face a transfer roller to allow fluid to exit the chamber and contact the transfer roller, and at least one wiper blade extending along at least a portion of the longitudinal opening. The chamber includes, at each of the two axial ends of the chamber, a wall separating the chamber from a cavity. The wall has a wall surface arranged to face the transfer roller when the device is in use. The wall is dimensioned so that the wall surface will be distanced from the transfer roller when the device is in use, so as to allow fluid to be present in a gap between the wall surface and the transfer roller.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for monitoring damage of electrofusion joints of a non-metallic pipe are provided. In one aspect, a system includes: a data collector for collecting monitored resistance data of an electrofusion joint; one or more processors; and one or more memories having instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations including: storing a first damage critical value, a second damage critical value, and the monitored resistance data; processing the monitored resistance data to obtain a first monitored value and a second monitored value; comparing the first monitored value with the first damage critical value and the second monitored value with the second damage critical value; and determining the electrofusion joint is damaged in response to determining at least one of: the first monitored value being greater than the first damage critical value or the second monitored value being greater than the second damage critical value.

Abstract: A sheet detecting device includes a lever provided with a rotational shaft, a spring and a stopper. The lever is positioned in a stand-by position in a state of being in non-contacting with a sheet, and rotates about the rotational shaft from the stand-by position in a first rotational direction by being contacted with the sheet fed. The spring urges so as to rotate the lever in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction. The stopper restricts rotation of the lever beyond the stand-by position in the second rotational direction by being contacted with the lever after contacting of the sheet with the lever. A direction of a first force acting on the rotational shaft by the spring in a case in which the lever is positioned in the stand-by position is the substantially same direction as a direction of a second force which the lever receives from the stopper when the lever is in contact with the stopper by rotating in the second direction.

Abstract: A sheet guide comprising a first straight portion in an upstream end of the sheet guide in a conveyance direction of a sheet, a curved portion having a curvature, the curved portion continued from the first straight portion in the conveyance direction, and a second straight portion continued from the curved portion in a downstream end of the sheet guide in the conveyance direction. The curved portion includes a pair of guide plates defining a conveyance path through which the sheet is guided, and a shape retention member retaining a part of the pair of guide plates in a curved shape, the shape retention member holding each end of the pair of guide plates in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction.

Abstract: A sheet cutting apparatus includes: a cutting unit that includes a plurality of cutting blades for cutting a sheet along a conveyance direction of the sheet, the plurality of cutting blades configured to be able to move to a cutting position and a retracted position; and a control unit. The plurality of cutting blades are provided at different positions in a widthwise direction that is perpendicular to the conveyance direction and a perpendicular direction perpendicular to a surface of the sheet. The control unit is configured to set a first cutting blade to the cutting position or the retracted position by changing a position in the perpendicular direction of the first cutting blade and set a second cutting blade to the cutting position or the retracted position by changing a position in the widthwise direction of the second cutting blade.

Abstract: Fountain solution latent images are provided on an inking blanket without using laser-induced evaporation systems. Approaches include a rotatable charge retentive surface configured to receive an unfused toned electrostatic pattern of toner particles adhered thereto via electrophotography. The toner includes small diameter polymeric or inorganic particles that may have no color pigment to appear transparent or translucent. Fountain solution is disposed on at least one of the toner, the charge retentive surface and a transfer substrate. The transfer substrate is adjacent the charge retentive surface and forms a nip therebetween, with the transfer substrate sandwiching the unfused toned electrostatic pattern of toner particles and fountain solution against the charge retentive surface at the nip.

Abstract: A printer and corresponding method of printing an image on a surface of a plurality of food products by providing a system having a printer with an extendable and retractable receiving arm and a movable food product delivery tray for continuously and automatically providing delivery of unprinted food products which are retracted into the printer, printed on, and returned by the receiving arm to the rotatable delivery tray and the tray further moves to deliver subsequent food products for printing. A motorized base spaced apart from the printer supports the delivery tray during and printing processes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a rotating body having a recess in an outer peripheral surface thereof; a sprocket provided coaxially with the rotating body to rotate integrally with the rotating body; a chain having plural links, the chain being wound around the sprocket to circulate in a circulating direction so as to shift from a rotary movement in which the chain rotates in an arc shape conforming to an outer periphery of the sprocket along with the sprocket, to a linear movement; a holder fixed to at least one link of the links of the chain, the holder being configured to hold a leading end portion of a recording medium, the holder being configured to transport the recording medium by performing the rotary movement along with the rotating body and the chain in a state of (i) holding the leading end portion of the recording medium placed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body and (ii) being located in the recess, and then shifting to the linear movement along with the chain; and an imag

Abstract: An embossing stamp for embossing an identifying mark on a motor vehicle component includes an embossing wheel assembly. The embossing wheel assembly can be set individually for the motor vehicle component being embossed depending on the identifying mark to be stamped. The embossing wheel assembly includes a negative representation of the identifying mark to be stamped. A transmission device is provided to transmit an identification signal characterizing the embossed identifying mark and the motor vehicle component marked with the identifying mark to a computer device external to the embossing stamp.

Abstract: Based on evaporation of fountain solution from a rotating blanket cylinder to create an image that may be inked and printed, a digitally addressable heater array at or just below the blanket surface evaporates deposited fountain solution and forms a fountain solution latent image on the surface. The heater array has controllable heating elements (e.g., field effect transistors, thin film transistors) that provide a transient heat pattern on the surface to evaporate the fountain solution. Heat is generated by current flow in the heating elements, and power developed by the heating circuit is the product of source-drain voltage and current in the channel. Current may be supplied along data lines by an external voltage controlled by digital electronics to provide the desired heat at heating elements addressed by a specific gate line. The heater array may include a current return line that may be a 2-dimensional mesh.

Abstract: A method and system method for estimating fatigue damage in a structure obtains fatigue damage data collected using at least one sensor associated with the structure during at least one test operation and also obtains structure use parameter data collected during the at least one test operation. The obtained fatigue data and the obtained use parameter data are used to compute coefficients of at least one generic polynomial function that outputs a fatigue damage value based on inputs representing use parameter data. The at least one generic polynomial function is used to output an estimated fatigue damage value based on inputs representing use parameter data collected during use of the structure.

Abstract: A recording material processing apparatus includes: first teeth that are used for binding processing of a recording material bundle; second teeth configured to move toward the first teeth and to press the recording material bundle positioned between the first teeth and the second teeth; a first metal block configured to support the first teeth; and a second metal block configured to support the second teeth.

Abstract: There is described a printing press adapted to carry out printing on a sheet-like or web-like substrate, in particular for the production of security documents such as banknotes, comprising a substrate feeding device for feeding the substrate to be treated, at least a printing unit designed to print a first side and/or a second side of the substrate and a delivery unit for receiving the treated substrate. The printing press in the conveying path for the substrate between the feeding device and the delivery unit further comprises an in-line casting device adapted to apply a layer of material acting as an optical medium on a portion of the second side of the substrate and to replicate and form a micro-optical structure in the layer of material acting as optical medium, wherein the printing unit comprises a first printing group comprising a printing cylinder and being adapted to print at least one printed pattern on the first or second side of the substrate in register with the micro-optical structure.

Abstract: A sheet transport device includes a transport roller, a drive source, and a gear train. The transport roller transports a sheet. The gear train transmits rotating force from the drive source to the transport roller. The gear train includes a movable gear and a leaf spring. The movable gear is configured to move between a normal position where transmission of the rotating force to the transport roller is enabled, and a disengaged position where the transmission of the rotating force to the transport roller is interrupted, and also to move in an axial direction, and includes a helical gear that generates force to axially move in one direction, when the movable gear moves from the normal position to the disengaged position. The leaf spring buffers the movement of the movable gear in the one direction.