Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus and a sorting method allowing paper sheets to be sorted by size or thickness from a bundle of documents that have been already printed with no need for adding a sensor, or the like, or during the time for printing preparation, or the like. The image forming apparatus includes a first detecting part, a paper discharging part and a control part. The first detecting part detects the pass of an edge part of the document. The control part determines the length of a document along the direction of conveyance from the time required from the moment when the document reaches the first detecting part to the moment when it pass the first detecting part, determining the sorting destination.

Abstract: A marking device for marking a truss element of a truss may include a print mechanism arranged to print selected truss information on lumber elements moving on a conveyance system passed the print mechanism, the selected truss information including one of an element identifying truss diagram, a truss plate location, and an intersecting member identifier, a position sensing device configured to sense the position of the lumber relative to the print mechanism, and a computing component, the computing component including a geometry extraction module for extracting the geometry of the element to be marked, an element marking generator for generating print instructions for the selected truss information, a position sensing module for interfacing with the position sensing device to ascertain the position of the lumber element, and a print control module for controlling the print mechanism to print the selected truss information.

Abstract: A system for depositing a fluid on a substrate is disclosed. The system can include a sleeve having a sleeve exit and an inner region and a rotating roll disposed within the inner region. A vascular network can be disposed within the rotating roll, the vascular network being configured for transporting the fluid in predetermined paths from the interior region to the exterior surface through a substantially radial path, the substantially radial path ending at an exit point of a fluid exit, wherein the exit point is associated with a sleeve exit.

Abstract: A cutting cylinder pair for cutting a substrate in a folder of a printing press is provided which includes a cutting cylinder, the cutting cylinder including a knife and a binding pin adjacent the knife in a circumferential direction of the cutting cylinder; and an anvil cylinder, the anvil cylinder including a cutting rubber, the cutting rubber engaging the knife and the binding pin as the cutting cylinder and anvil cylinder rotate, the binding pin positioned on the cutting cylinder to impart a dimple to a substrate passing between the cutting cylinder and anvil cylinder.

Abstract: An inking system of a printing press includes an impression cylinder for guiding a printing substrate, and at least one ink-transfer roller. The ink-transfer roller includes a cylinder mandrel, on which at least one cylinder sleeve is concentrically displaceable, and bearing blocks, in which ends of the ink-transfer roller are mounted and which are independently displaceable in the radial direction of the impression cylinder. The ink-transfer roller can be set against the impression cylinder or any other ink-transfer roller, with a bearing block being detachable from one end of the ink-transfer roller and displaceable relative to the ink-transfer roller so that the cylinder sleeve can be removed via this one end. A stop device, with which the cylinder sleeve can be brought into contact, has components that are movable in the axial direction of the print roller. The movable stop device components can be decelerated via a force-providing element.

Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes a side edge part removing portion that removes a side edge part from a sheet; a side edge part housing portion that houses the removed side edge part and is able to be pulled out from an apparatus body; a guide plate that is inclined in a direction intersecting with a moving direction of the side edge part and guides the removed side edge part along the moving direction to the housing portion; and a second guide plate that is arranged between the housing portion and the guide plate, and is transformable into a first form having substantially mountain-shaped inclined surfaces in which both end portions of the second guide plate along the moving direction are lower than a center portion thereof, and a second form having substantially valley-shaped inclined surfaces in which both the end portions are higher than the center portion.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a drawer portion that includes a pair of conveying rollers which convey a sheet; a conveying portion that includes a pair of separating rollers which convey the sheet; and a controller that controls operations of the drawer portion and the conveying portion such that, the pair of separating rollers are separated from each other if a jam of a sheet occurs in a state in which a subsequent sheet subsequent to a preceding sheet spans the drawer portion and the conveying portion, the pair of conveying rollers convey the subsequent sheet to a part between the pair of separating rollers, the separation of the pair of separating rollers is released, and the pair of separating rollers convey the subsequent sheet along with the preceding sheet to a position at which the subsequent sheet does not span the drawer portion and the conveying portion using.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to determine the wavelength dependent absorption coefficient of a turbid medium using overlapping illumination-detection areas comprising the steps of a) retrieving a calibration spectrum (CA) from a reference measurement using a reference sample; b) carrying out a measurement on an actual sample for determining the absolute reflection spectrum (Rabs) using a raw spectrum measured on the sample (Smedium) and the calibration spectrum (C?); C) using the absolute reflection spectrum (Rabs) for determining the wavelength dependent absorption coefficient by minimizing the difference between the measured absolute reflection spectrum (Rabs) and a model function (Rabsmodel).

Abstract: A modular decorator ink temperature control system for use with a blanket wheel, the blanket wheel having inker station configured with an inker station panel and at least one roller operatively mounted thereto. The modular decorator ink temperature control system includes a thermal transfer fluid conduit having an entry end distal to the blanket wheel and an exit end proximate to the blanket wheel with the thermal transfer fluid conduit in contact with the at least one roller and configured to convey at least one thermal transfer fluid therethrough. The modular decorator ink temperature control system also includes at least one control manifold device mounted on the inker station panel in operative communication with the thermal transfer fluid conduit.

Abstract: A method may include controlling a first switch to charge a reference capacitor to a first voltage level by applying a first voltage. The method may also include receiving a first analog signal from a touch sensor electrode at an input of an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) and converting the first analog signal to a first digital value provided at an output of the ADC. In certain embodiments, the method may additionally include controlling a second switch to charge the reference capacitor to a second voltage level by applying a second voltage, receiving a second analog signal from the touch sensor electrode at the input to the ADC, and converting the second analog signal to a second digital value at the output of the ADC. The method may further include detecting a touch to the touch sensor device based on the first digital value.

Abstract: Provided among other things is a method of conducting on-site quality control during production of underground argon, comprising: (1) concurrent with extraction of underground argon material, periodically sampling the argon material; (2) measuring an index amount of at least one of (a) an 36Ar to 40Ar ratio or (b) an 38Ar to 40Ar ratio from the sampled argon material; and (3) conducting one or more of the following: (a) interrupting production to determine a source of infiltration when a measured index amount for a sample indicates an infiltration of atmospheric argon that is outside a production quality standard, or (b) cataloging whether a production run satisfies a product quality standard for lack of atmospheric argon based on the measured index amounts for the samples when a production run for the argon is complete.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for producing variable pearlescent image elements or portions on image receiving media substrates using a variable digital data offset lithographic architecture which provides for varying lithographic images between cycles of a marking device. Pearlescent inks are provided with a solid particle pearlescent pigment components in a proportion of at least 30% by weight suspended in solution in an ink composition. Pearlescent inks are provided with a solid particle pearlescent pigment components having particle sizes in excess of ten microns suspended in solution in the ink composition. The disclosed systems and methods provide for variable pearlescent image elements or portions to be formed on an image receiving medium substrate separate from, or in combination with, other ink image elements or portions applied using other inks in a single device, and/or in a single pass of the image receiving media substrates through an image forming system.

Abstract: A sheet processing device for pressing a fold line formed in a sheet, the sheet processing device comprises a pressing portion configured to press a sheet while rotating about a rotation axis. The pressing portion includes a pressing unit having a projecting shape, disposed over a predetermined range in a direction of the rotation axis to have a position in a rotation direction about the rotation axis changed according to the direction of the rotation axis, and an impact absorbing member provided at a part of the pressing unit of the pressing portion, abutting on the sheet at first in the rotation direction of the pressing portion, the impact absorbing member configured to reduce impact upon abutting on the sheet.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a control unit configured to control a printing unit to start printing on sheets after confirming that a number of sheets used for printing does not exceed an upper limit number of sheets bindable by a first binding processing in a case where the first binding processing is specified and control the printing unit to start printing on sheets without confirming that a number of sheets used for printing does not exceed an upper limit number of sheets bindable by a second binding processing in a case where the second binding processing is specified.

Abstract: A system, including a moving web of material unwound from a support and a stamp mounted on a roller, wherein the stamp includes a base surface and a continuous, regular array of pattern elements having a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and extending above the base surface, and wherein the stamping elements each have a substantially planar stamping surface. An inking roller with an inking surface at least periodicially contacts the stamping surface of the stamping elements. The inking surface is impregnated with an ink composition including an organosulfur compound having a thiol functional group selected to bind to a major surface of the web material to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) thereon according to the array of pattern elements on the stamping surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of aligning magnetic flakes, which includes: coating a substrate with a carrier having the flakes dispersed therein, moving the substrate in a magnetic field so as to align the flakes along force lines of the magnetic field in the absence of an effect from a solidifying means, and at least partially solidifying the carrier using a solidifying means while further moving the substrate in the magnetic field so as to secure the magnetic flakes in the carrier while the magnetic field maintains alignment of the magnetic flakes. An apparatus is provided, which has a belt for moving a substrate along a magnet assembly for aligning magnetic flakes. The apparatus also includes a solidifying means, such as a UV- or e-beam source, and a cover above a portion of the magnet assembly for protecting the flakes from the effect of the solidifying means.

Abstract: A system and a method for automatically processing a plurality of sheets. The method includes receiving printing instructions, receiving finishing instructions, after printing, in order to form a stack of printed and finished sheets, the finishing instructions includes an instruction to create a new target stack edge extending in a direction of a stack height on each of the plurality of sheets, printing a mark on each sheet of a group of sheets of the plurality of sheets, the mark intended to hit the new target stack edge in a group of at least one target hit point, and finishing the plurality of printed sheets according to the finishing instructions to create a new actual stack edge. A plurality of actual hit points form a pattern on the new actual stack edge and comprises a continuous proportional indication for a degree of correctness of the printing and/or finishing operation.

Abstract: A controller of a printing apparatus is configured to determine whether there is a stack-full tray, restrict discharging of the printing sheet to the stack-full tray and reduce the number of copies made in the sort printing process, store the page number of the page currently printed in association with a stack-full tray, obtain image data corresponding to the page associated with the stack-full tray onwards when it is determined that the full stack status of the stack-full trays is released, and the obtained print images with making the tray of which status is changed from the full status to the non-full status.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device has a body and a frame supporting it, and is insertable or extractable along a sheet stacking face formed in an in-body discharge space in an image forming apparatus and having an inclined face with an upward gradient toward the downstream side in the sheet discharge direction. On the face of the frame opposite the sheet stacking face, a plurality of first and second wheels rotatable in the insertion or extraction direction are provided downward of the center of the opposite face in the insertion direction. The first wheels are arranged downstream of the second wheels in the insertion direction, and protrude from the opposite face farther than the second wheels. The first wheels fit into a concave portion formed in the sheet stacking face by the inclined face and thereby enable the second wheels to make contact with the sheet stacking face.

Abstract: Structural health monitoring (“SHM”) methods, apparatus and techniques involve building deformation fields maps (amplitude and phase related to excitation) on the surface of the structural component under monitoring based on a network of strain measurements by fiber Bragg grating sensors.