Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a loading member, an attraction separation unit, and a control device. The loading member carries sheet materials. The attraction separation unit includes an endless dielectric belt, holding rollers, and an adjustment device. The endless belt attracts and holds the uppermost one of the sheet materials. The holding rollers holding the endless belt include upstream and downstream holding rollers. The upstream holding roller is rotated around a shaft of the downstream holding roller as the rotation axis in accordance with rotation of the downstream holding roller. The adjustment device provided to the upstream holding roller adjusts the movement range of the upstream holding roller in the height direction. The control device controls, in accordance with the type of sheet materials, an operation of lifting and lowering the loading member, to thereby allow the adjustment device to adjust the movement range of the upstream holding roller.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a first guide located downstream of the first conveyance unit in a conveyance direction and configured to guide a first side end of the conveyed sheet, a skew unit configured to convey the sheet in an oblique direction to come closer to the first guide, a second guide configured to contact a second side end opposite the first side end to guide the second side end, a second conveyance unit located downstream of the first guide in the conveyance direction, and a control unit configured to perform control so that, after conveying the sheet by the skew unit with the first guide contacting the first side end while the second guide is separated from the second side end, the second guide moves to a position close to the second side end.

Abstract: A sheet adjusting device applicable to a sheet holding receptacle, an image forming mechanism, and an image reading mechanism includes a sheet setting plate to place a sheet thereon; first and second regulating member to slidably move in a given direction, and a friction-reducing unit disposed on the sheet setting plate to reduce a frictional force on an underside of the sheet. Alternatively, a sheet adjusting device includes a sheet setting plate, a sheet contact face disposed downstream of the sheet setting plate to cause the leading edge of the sheet abuts against the sheet contact face, first and second regulating member, and a friction-reducing unit disposed on the sheet contact face to reduce a frictional force on the sheet contact face and the leading edge of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes: an attraction separation unit including an attraction belt stretched between rollers and facing the upper surface of a sheet bundle to attract an uppermost sheet thereof, rotatably supported by a support member at a position upstream of the attraction belt in a sheet feeding direction, and supporting the rollers to be released from the support upon contact of the rollers with the uppermost sheet via the attraction belt; and a swing device for swinging the attraction separation unit around the support member as a pivot to move the attraction belt between an attraction position and a feed position more distant from the sheet bundle than the attraction position, and swinging, after the uppermost sheet has been attracted to the attraction belt at the attraction position, the attraction belt to the feed position to be rotated to feed the uppermost sheet.

Abstract: To provide a sheet take-out apparatus for preventing double feed of sheets and controlling gaps to a desired value, a sheet processing apparatus, and a sheet take-out method. A take-out apparatus includes a supply structure for supplying postal matter to a take-out position, a take-out structure for taking out the postal matter from the take-out position, and a conveying structure for receiving and conveying the postal matter taken out on a conveying path. When a leading edge of the postal matter is held by the conveying structure, an absorbing operation of a vacuum pump is stopped and a moving speed of a take-out belt is reduced. Furthermore, when the postal matter is detected by a sensor, the take-out belt is stopped.

Abstract: A sheet eject device is provided for detecting whether a sheet eject tray is filled with ejected sheets. The sheet eject device includes an ejecting unit that ejects sheets onto the sheet eject tray; a counting unit that counts an accumulated eject number every time a sheet is ejected by the ejecting unit; a storing unit that stores a defined eject number threshold and a defined eject interval time; a fullness detecting unit that detects that the sheet eject tray is filled with ejected sheets when the accumulated eject number counted by the counting unit exceeds the defined eject number threshold; and a reset unit that resets the accumulated eject number counted by the counting unit when an eject interval time exceeds the defined eject interval time, the eject interval time extending from when one sheet is ejected until a next sheet is ejected by the ejecting unit.

Abstract: A sheet loading device that includes a tray having a sheet loading surface, transports sheets one by one to the tray along a transport path, and loads the sheets one by one onto the sheet loading surface, comprising: a guide member for guiding a sheet to the tray along the transport path; a drive member; a restriction member; and a bias mechanism. Along a course of movement for pressing a loaded sheet against the sheet loading surface, the guide member engages with the restriction member, causes the restriction member to move to a position for restricting forming of a curl on the loaded sheet, and thereby prevents the transport path from being blocked by the curl. When the engagement between the guide member and the restriction member is released, the restriction member returns to an initial position by bias force applied by the bias mechanism.

Abstract: A machine and method to sort documents in a plurality of pockets includes a stacker having a tier of the plurality of pockets and two magazines positioned at the same end of the stacker. A first transport and a second transport are operably associated with the first magazine and the second magazine, respectively, and are adapted to carry the documents through the stacker. The method includes separating the documents into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being carried by a first transport through a first end of a stacker, the second portion being carried by a second transport and through a second end of the stacker, and merging the second portion with the first portion.

Abstract: A method for stacking objects in a container including the step of measuring a thickness value of each object at a plurality of predetermined locations along a face surface of the respective object. A cumulative thickness profile is developed indicative of a plurality of stacked objects, i.e., juxtaposed along each face surface. The cumulative thickness profile is, furthermore, calculated by summing each of the measured thickness dimensions at each of the predetermined locations. Next, a maximum thickness value is determined as each of the objects is measured and compared to a maximum fill value for each container to determine an overfill condition/number. The overfill condition corresponds to the number of objects which additively cause the maximum thickness value to exceed the maximum fill value. The objects may then be stacked based upon the overfill condition such that the total number of objects is less than the number corresponding to the overfill condition.

Abstract: A paper feeder according to the present invention includes a paper entrance block arranged above a flapper on au upstream side of a paper feed roller in a paper feeding direction. The flapper is configured to be capable of swinging in a vertical direction so as to alter its position between a first position in which part of a top face thereof on a downstream side in the paper feeding direction comes into contact with the paper feed roller and a second position in which the part thereof is located lower than the first position. The paper entrance block is configured so that when the flapper is in the first position, the lower end thereof comes into contact with the flapper and when the flapper is in the second position, a clearance is formed in a vertical direction between the paper entrance block and the flapper.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sheet transport device (1) comprising a first and a second opposing transport units (3, 5), each comprising at least one circulating conveyor belt (15) and one vacuum suction device (9, 11) that is in relation with the conveyor belt, said vacuum suction devices being individually actuatable so as to attract a sheet (19), located between the transport units, to the one or the other conveyor belt. Such a sheet transport device is used, for example, in a printing machine. The invention also relates to a method for transporting a sheet to this sheet transport device.

Abstract: A method and a device for electrostatically separating polyvalent granular insulating materials that have good properties, are energy efficient, and easily adapt to ambient atmospheric conditions and to physiochemical properties of the granules to be separated.

Abstract: A sheet discharged from a sheet discharging portion arranged at a distance from a sheet stacking portion, to a stacking portion, is conveyed along the sheet stacking portion while the sheet edge on an upstream side in a sheet discharging direction is held. A shifting unit arranged downstream of the sheet stacking portion in the sheet discharging direction shifts the discharged sheet from the sheet discharging portion toward the downstream side in the sheet discharging direction while a pressing member presses the sheet to the sheet stacking portion.

Abstract: A machine to sort documents includes a stacker having a tier of the plurality of pockets and a magazine positioned at one end of the stacker. A first transport and a second transport operably associated with the magazine are configured to carry the documents through the stacker. A method to sort documents includes separating the documents into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being carried by a first transport through a first end of a stacker, the second portion being carried by a second transport and through a second end of the stacker, and then merging the second portion with the first portion of documents.

Abstract: A paper feeding device and a multi-function printer using the same are provided. The paper feeding device includes a frame, a top cover, a set of gear chains, a power unit and a set of driving gears. The set of gear chains and the power unit are disposed on a side of the frame. The set of driving gears is disposed on the top cover. When the top cover is closed relatively to the frame, the set of driving gears interferes with the power unit, and the power unit provides a power to enable the set of driving gears to rotate, so as to drive the set of gear chains. When the top cover is opened relatively to the frame, the set of driving gears releases interference with the power unit and the set of gear chains, and the set of gear chains is at a free rotation status.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a holding unit that holds the recorded recording medium fed out from the medium discharge unit in a standing position; and a medium pressing unit that protrudes to the holding unit with respect to a virtual surface in the feeding-out direction of the recording medium by the nip roller of the medium discharge unit, opposite to the holding unit, and presses the recorded recording medium fed out from the medium discharge unit against the holding unit.

Abstract: A printer has a paper feed mechanism that can reliably balance the paper feed force of the paper feed roller and paper pressure roller on the left and right sides of the recording paper width. Using the self-centering action of a pressure lever fulcrum and adjustment of the position where an extension spring applies force, the paper feed mechanism of a printer can press the paper pressure roller that is supported by a pressure lever to a paper feed roller so that the paper pressure roller applies equal pressure at all points along the width of the paper feed roller, can balance the paper feed force applied by the paper feed roller and the paper pressure roller to the recording paper left and right widthwise to the paper, and can prevent the recording paper from meandering, skewing, and jamming.

Abstract: There is provided a feeding guide unit that slides according to a width size of the feeding material in a receiving unit that receives a plurality of feeding materials, and a separation unit having an inclined surface structure that abuts on a tip of the fed feed material so that a separating load is exerted, and separates the following feed material to feed only the feed material at the uppermost position. The separating load of the separation unit is changed to at least two stages in conjunction with a movement in a width direction of the feeding guide unit.

Abstract: A method of displaying a map on a portable electronic device entails requesting map data that includes label data for at least one map label for a map feature known alternatively by a first name and a second name. The method further involves determining, based on a predetermined criterion, which of the first name and the second name is to be displayed on the portable electronic device. The predetermined criterion may be, for example, the current location of the device, a carrier identifier, or a personal identifier containing geographically relevant information from which a preferred map label may be inferred.

Abstract: A roller device includes a roller having a body and a pair of support shafts extending from both ends of the body; and a wire bearing made of a wire and having a pair of coils wound around each of the support shafts and a connection portion connecting the pair of coils.