Abstract: Feed table in the vicinity of a side lay of a sheet-fed printing press includes a table cover having a continuous surface between a table surface covering a center of a feed table and a side lay, the table cover having the continuous surface being formed with regions having at least one characteristic of being compressible and expandable in a direction of lateral displacement of the side lay, support elements defining a uniform sheet guiding plane and being adjustable in position in the direction of lateral displacement of the side lay, and a device for adjusting the position of the support elements in accordance with an extent of compression and expansion, respectively, of the compressible and expandable regions.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus having a sheet deck for stacking a plurality of sheets and accommodating the sheets, a separation unit for separating the sheets stacked on the sheet deck one sheet after another, a sheet detecting unit mounted at the downstream of the separation unit for detecting the sheet separated by the separation unit, and a controller for activating again, if the sheet detecting unit does not detect the sheet after the start of the operation of the separation unit, the separation unit at a lower operation speed, and if the sheet detecting unit detects the sheet thereafter, setting the operation speed of the separation unit to an original speed.

Abstract: Vehicular acceleration is sensed and used to set and/or modify at least two of a plurality of control sensitivity values in a manner which increases one with respect to the other and thus avoids the situation wherein a limited amount of servo power is wasted by futile operation of a servo powered arrangement which cannot produce a large control effect under the instant operating conditions and enables an adequate amount servo power to be directed to the operation of a different arrangement which can be effective.

Abstract: A wafer transport module interconnects a horizontal wafer handler with a vertical wafer processor and includes an evacuatable housing with a first port in communication with the horizontal wafer handler and sized to permit passage of a wafer therethrough in horizontal orientation and a second port in communication with a load/unload station of the vertical wafer processor and sized to permit passage of wafers therethrough in vertical orientation. The transport module includes a wafer holder which supports a wafer on a pedestal and rotates the pedestal and wafer about an inclined axis between horizontal orientation adjacent the first port and vertical orientation adjacent and in alignment with the second port. The wafer holder horizontally extends the vertically oriented platen and wafer from the second position through the second port to the load/unload station of the vertical processor. After wafer processing, the sequence is reversed to return the wafer to the horizontal wafer handler.

Abstract: Apparatus for singulating paper sheets. The apparatus includes: a deck for supporting a plurality of paper sheets; a device for feeding the plurality of paper sheets along the deck; a retarding roller situated above the deck for retarding the plurality of paper sheets; and a feeding roller situated below the retarding roller for feeding the lowermost of the paper sheets past the retarding roller, which has a metal sleeve with a grit coating having a hardness on the Rockwell "C" scale of at least 60 and a grit size according to the U.S. Standard System between 10 and 320.

Abstract: In a time period from the time point where the forward end of a paper sheet fed from a pair of paper separation rollers reaches a registration roller to the time point where the registration roller is driven, when the load torque exerted on a forward roller is not less than second regulated torque, the transmission of power to the forward roller is released by a torque limiter provided for the forward roller. In this case, therefore, the force of paper feeding produced by the pair of paper separation rollers is regulated. Consequently, a suitable force of paper feeding can be applied to the paper sheet, thereby to make it possible to regulate the paper sheet straight in the direction of paper feeding as well as to prevent the paper sheet from continuing to be fed even if the amount of deflection of the paper sheet is saturated between the pair of paper separation rollers and the registration roller to prevent the paper sheet from being wrinkled.

Abstract: A sheet feed cassette for loading a recording sheet for an image forming apparatus in which the recording sheet can be loaded in a form of U between a lower supporting base and an upper casing member. The cassette further includes a sheet delivery guide member disposed between the supporting base and the casing member, wherein the U-shaped recording sheet is folded around the sheet delivery guide member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus comprising automatic sheet supply means for automatically supplying a sheet in an automatic mode, manual sheet insertion means for supplying a manually inserted sheet in a manual mode, first detection means capable of detecting the sheet supplied by the automatic sheet supply means and the sheet supplied by the manual sheet insertion means, second detection means disposed at a downstream side of the first detection means and capable of detecting the sheet, and control means for controlling the supply of the sheet to effect the switching between the automatic mode and the manual mode on the basis of the detection by the first detection means and to effect the pre-feed of the sheet on the basis of the detection by the second detection means.

Abstract: A bin tray is provided for supporting a mail bin which receives documents from a document processing machine. The bin tray is slidable so that it may be stored underneath the table when not in use and is lowerable and removable so as to facilitate access to the underside of the document processing machine. This is accomplished by use of a tray assembly which is removably and rotably attached to two support rods running underneath the table in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the documents as they enter the bin. The support rods are generally vertically oriented with respect to each other and provide support for a housing containing a slidable bin tray.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus comprising a feeding device for feeding a sheet, a regulating member for regulating a position of a lateral edge of the sheet fed by the feeding device, a first rotary member adapted to feed the sheet fed by the feeding device while urging the lateral edge of the sheet against the regulating member, a second rotary member adapted to feed the sheet fed by the first rotary member while urging the lateral edge of the sheet against the regulating member, and a guide device for guiding the sheet in such a manner that the sheet is curved between the feeding device and the first rotary member. An urging force of the first rotary member by which the sheet is urged against the regulating member is set to be equal to or smaller than an urging force of the second rotary member by which the sheet is urged against the regulating member.

Abstract: A portable watercraft lift including a pair of transverse, laterally spaced apart, arch shaped support members which are each detachably connected at the top thereof to one end of an elongated connector beam member. An electrically powered winch, having a winch drum, is detachably mounted on the elongated connector beam member at a point equidistant between the arch shaped support members. Each of the transverse arch shaped support members is provided with lifting cord means and associated pulley means, and one end of each of said cord means is operatively attached to the winch drum. Each of the lifting cord means and associated pulley means are connectable as a combination to a watercraft support member for supporting a watercraft by either a lifting ring, a cradle or lifting straps. When the power winch is operated the cords attached to the drum of the power winches are pulled in from both directions simultaneously creating a lift on a watercraft.

Abstract: A paper cassette unit includes a base part installed in an image forming system, a paper cassette having a compartment in which sheets of paper are accommodated, the paper cassette being detachably mounted in the base part, a cassette cover for covering an opening of the compartment when the paper cassette is mounted in the base part, and a connecting part connecting the cassette cover to the base part in such a way that only the cover stays in the base part when the paper cassette is demounted from the base part.

Abstract: A device for grasping a sheet member includes a support unit, a pair of grasping units having sharp pawls, respectively, and supported by the support unit rotatably about parallel pivot axes, respectively, and a pivotally rotating unit for rotating the grasping units to move the pawls away from each other to bite the sheet member, thereby grasping the sheet member. The device is supported by a movable base through a universal joint to an apparatus for supplying the sheet member from a pallet to a conveyor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reserving type original feeding apparatus comprising a circulating original feeding portion having a first stack tray on which originals are supported, a first separating/supplying means unit for separating and supplying the originals supported in the first stack tray one by one from the bottom, an introduction sheet path for introducing the original supplied by the first separating/supplying unit to a processing portion, and an ejection sheet path for introducing the original processed by the processing portion to the first supply tray from the processing portion; a reserving original feeding portion having a second stack tray on which originals are supported, a second separating/supplying unit for separating and supplying the originals supported in the second stack tray one by one from the bottom, and a second introduction sheet path for introducing the original supplied by the second separating/supplying unit to the processing portion; an original ejector tray arranged subs

Abstract: An accessory which is used with paper tray devices or cassettes which are used with printers and printing devices associated with computing systems and the like. The detector operates to provide an alarm signal when the tray or cassette is empty of paper.

Abstract: An improved slow down system in sheet handling equipment which makes possible high speed handling of paper and plastic materials, including limp-bodied paper and plastic stocks, such as lightweight and recycled paper and plastic bags. In the prior high speed sheet handling systems, the slow down sections tend to jam because the limp-bodied sheets are easily deformed at higher speeds. A conventional snubber and a laydown device just following the high speed section of the sheet handling equipment lays down the trailing portion and edges of the first and successive incoming sheets, so that the lead edge of each successive sheet will clear all parts of the previous sheet. The sheets are squared by a tape slow down section, which comprises sets of adjustable slow down tapes with idler rollers and lower slow speed tapes with idler rollers, all running at the same speed. The idler rollers are adjustable so that the optimum stream can be obtained for any limp-bodied or lightweight sheets.

Abstract: A succession of sheets are delivered by a main conveyor in a direction at high speed to a braking station and are thereafter piled up by a stacker. A braking apparatus at the station has an endless braking belt having a section of predetermined limited length formed with throughgoing belt holes and a section of substantially greater length that is substantially imperforate. A support holds the belt in the station with a stretch of the belt generally aligned with the direction and positioned to receive the sheets from the main conveyor. A suction box underneath the stretch has a face engaging the stretch, formed with throughgoing suction holes, and having a length in the direction shorter than the length of the imperforate section of the belt. A drive advances the belt such that the stretch moves in the direction at a periodically varying speed with the belt holes and suction holes only aligning periodically.

Abstract: A manually operable dispensing cap for use with granulated and powdered material containers such as powdered milk jars, coffee cans and the like is disclosed. The cap has a slider contained within a railing mounted on a main body and which dispenses material to a receiving compartment. The slider is manually operated and regulates the flow of material into the receiving compartment. Overflow is eliminated by locating the receiving cup within close proximity to the mounting via positioning means extending from the top of the cap.

Abstract: A device for determining the height of a pile of sheets includes a measuring sensor formed as an expansion member and drivable by compressed air with given contacting force towards a top surface of the sheet pile, and a measuring device for determining the position of the top surface of the sheet pile in accordance with a characteristic curve for time rate of change of pressure of the compressed air.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding flexible sheets singly from the top of a stack of sheets comprises a pick-up device which includes a gas deflector and gas supplying holes for directing a stream of gas at the topmost sheet on the stack to cause the sheet to separate from the stack. One of the gas supplying holes also directs a further gas stream at the gas deflector, with this further gas stream attaching itself to the gas deflector by the Coanda effect and entraining the topmost sheet into contact with the gas deflector.