Abstract: A feed table for a sheet processing machine, includes a double-sheet detector, and a device controllable by the detector for separating out double sheets, respectively, supplied to the feed table together with sheets to be printed, the device including first and second rotatable members for applying suction simultaneously to a sheet to be processed and to a double sheet, respectively, the first and second rotatable members being disposed on opposite sides of a sheet travel plane in which a sheet stream is conveyed, and a sheet guide disposed adjacent the sheet travel plane on the side thereof on which the first rotatable member is located, the first rotatable member being rotatable for guiding the sheet to be processed along the sheet guide and for conveying the sheet to be processed with the sheet stream.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a first rotating member for providing a sheet with a conveying force by rotating while contacting the sheet, a second rotating member for pressing the sheet against the first rotating member, a driving member for providing a driving force of a driving source, and a drive transmission for transmitting the driving force of the driving rotating member to the first rotating member. The drive transmission will produce a slip between the first rotating member and the driving rotating member when a load operating on the first rotating member is greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A transfer paper separating device for use in an image forming apparatus includes a separating claw for forcibly separating transfer paper passed through an image transfer process from a surface of a photosensitive drum. The separating claw is supported to a supporting shaft in such a manner to naturally rotate about the supporting shaft due to unbalanced weight, with the result that a tip of the separating claw is in contact with the drum surface.In addition, the separating claw is held in a position where the tip thereof is away from the drum surface by a guide member coaxially supported to the supporting shaft therewith. The separating claw and the guide member are respectively supported to the supporting shaft radially removably. Moreover, one side of the separating claw is in contact with the guide member, and the separating claw is thereby prevented from moving in one axial direction of the supporting shaft.

Abstract: At least one automaton for collectively controlling media inclusive of notes in a shop is located in a first corner, at least one automaton operated by customers is located in a second corner and at least one automaton operated by a clerk who is contacting or negotiating with a customer is located in a third corner. The automatons in individual corners are interconnected together by a sheet conveyor for aligning and conveying the media such as notes one by one. The amount of media stored in each automaton in each corner is always supervised and media are conveyed between automatons, as necessary, to effect supplementation/withdrawal of media. Furthermore, sheets are conveyed between opposed magnetic belts.

Abstract: In a paper supplying device in an image forming apparatus, a circular groove is formed at one position of a roller shaft of a paper supplying roller. An engaging-connecting portion is releasably engaged in such circular groove and is formed in a member to be pressed by a paper supplying cassette. The member thus is connected to the paper supplying roller but is rotatable relative thereto.

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device for an image processing machine in which a transparent plate, on which to place a document to be processed, is disposed on the upper surface of the housing. The automatic document conveying device includes a document table for holding documents to be processed, a document receiving tray for receiving documents after they have been processed, and means for feeding documents from the document table through the processing to the document receiving tray. A document delivery roller moves the document from the transparent plate, following processing of the document, along a document delivery passage. Document discharge rollers located at the downstream end of the document delivery passage move the document from that point to the document receiving tray. The document delivery rollers are driven at a higher speed than are the document discharge rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus in which a sheet is registered during the movement thereof. The sheet is moved along a path in a forward direction of movement and a lateral force is applied thereto. The lateral force causes the sheet edge to engage a moving registration edge at which time the lateral motion is discontinued and the sheet continues along its path with virtualy no loss of velocity. As a result of the movement of the registration guide the relative velocity between the sheet and the guide is zero thereby substantially eliminating wear to the guide.

Abstract: A power transmission apparatus for vehicles for transmitting a driving force by coupling an input shaft and an output shaft of a hydraulic pump to respective driving shafts of front and rear wheels of a four-wheel drive vehicle, wherein a throttle member which is located on the axis of a rotor and a casing interlocking respectively with the input and output shafts, rotated with interlocking with one of the rotor and casing and disposed movably along the axis to change the hydraulic fluid discharge passage area of the hydraulic pump responsive to its movement, and a driving unit which includes a magnetic member coupled coaxially to the throttle member and a coil installed around the magnetic member and supported nonrotatably, and moves the throttle member by movement of the magnetic member in connection with excitation of the coil are provided.

Abstract: The operation of an automatic sheet feeder provided with a plurality of sheet hoppers which are used selectively to feed sheets to a printer is controlled. A control unit of the printer supplies a multiplex control signal including a hopper select signal and a sheet delivery signal to the automatic sheet feeder through a single signal line. The width of pulses of the hopper select signal is smaller than a predetermined time, while the width of the sheet delivery signal is greater than the predetermiend time. The pulses of the multiplex control signal are compared with the predetermined time to discriminate the hopper select signal and the sheet delivery signal from each other. That sheet hopper corresponding to the number of pulses of the hopper select signal is selected, and then the automatic feeding of sheets from the selected sheet hopper commences upon the reception of the sheet delivery signal.

Abstract: A paper feed mechanism for a printing apparatus, comprises a case, a plurality of tables provided in the case for supporting at least two kinds of cut sheets thereon, the two kinds of cut sheets including large-sized cut sheets larger than each table and small-sized cut sheets substantially equal to each table, and a unit for moving the small-sized cut sheets on one table to another table when another table becomes empty of the small-sized cut sheets, wherein when the plurality of tables support the large-sized cut sheets, the plurality of tables function as one table, and when the plurality of tables support the small-sized cut sheets, the plurality of tables function separately independently of each other.

Abstract: A hydrid nudger roll for use in a friction retard feeder includes alternating elastomeric and studded rolls positioned on a support shaft. The outer surface of the elastomeric rolls extends beyond the tips of the studded rolls, but when the elastomeric rolls are deformed against a stack of sheets due to normal force, the tips of the studded rolls extends beyond the outer surface of the elastomeric rolls.

Abstract: An envelope feeder which can be used on virtually all existing printing machines without the need to synchronize the latter comprises a low-pressure chamber (3), a perforated conveyor belt (4) and an adjustable barrier (6). An overlap with a very small overlap length (5) is thereby achieved. The envelope feeder can therefore be used not only for small envelopes (1), but also for those with very narrow flaps (2).

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus having a support on which sheets are supported in a sheet stack, at least one separating claw arranged adjacent a corner of a front end of the sheet stack supported on the support and having a pawl portion for pressing down an upper surface of the sheet stack and an abutment portion against which the front end of the sheet stack is abutted, a slit provided between the pawl portion and the abutment portion of the support for permitting the passage of only one sheet having a predetermined thickness, a guide for selectively positioning lateral edges of the sheet stack supported on the support between a first position where an uppermost sheet on the sheet stack can pass through the slit and a second position where the uppermost sheet is blocked by the separating claw, and a supply mechanism for feeding the sheet stacked on the support.

Abstract: An apparatus for the feeding of individual carton blanks from a stack of blanks held in a retaining magazine to an adjacent takeaway belt of a conveyor. A bi-directional roller of two or more wheels is provided whereby a cleat attached to the rim of one wheel is used to bias a package blank to an adjacent carton blank conveyor. A second wheel of the roller rotates in the opposite direction of the first wheel which engages and supports the remaining blanks.

Abstract: A Sheet Feeding System (10) having a reciprocating vacuum shuttle plate (52) includes a knife gate (112) and high-friction rollers 118 and 120 position between the knife gate and an additional conveyor formed by a driven feed roller 94 and an idler feed roller 96. The high-friction rollers form a singulator gap (188) with shoulders 184 of a vacuum-groove (186) on a sheet-engaging surface of the reciprocating shuttle plate. The sheet feeding system includes a transition tray (14) downstream of the additional conveyor for providing a transition to clamps of an endless chain (178). The transition tray comprises an endless conveyor belt (156) with a floating feed roller (160) biased thereagainst. The position of the floating feed roller can be adjusted so as to space it approximately a sheet length from a stationary clamp (176) on the endless chain.

Abstract: A roll feed device includes a rotatable main roll, and a rotatable sub-roll. The main roll includes an annular stator, and an annular rotor rotatably mounted around the annular stator. The annular stator and the annular rotor cooperate with each other to provide a direct drive motor. The sub-roll includes a rotatable annular roll disposed in opposed relation to the annular rotor of the main roll. A sheet-like material is supplied between the annular rotor and the annular roll to be fed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sheet feeder device including means for supporting a generally vertical stack of sheets. The supporting means include endless belts having an upper belt run position to extend across the bottom of the stack of sheets. A stationary gate forming member is provided which is positioned above the upper run of the belts and adjacent the forward side of the stack to define a nip which forms a gap between the gate forming member and the upper run for permitting the lowermost sheet of the stack to pass forwardly from the stack through the nip. The gate forming member is a cylindrical roll defining a central axis and an outer peripheral surface which is concentric to the central axis. The roll has a groove extending axially along the length thereof. An elastomeric bar is disposed in the groove, and the bar has a coefficient of friction which is higher than that of the material of the roll. Also, the bar is sized so as to extend radially beyond the peripheral surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for parting a shingled flow of two-layer paper products in the vertical direction with a rotatable deflector sheave and a wedged-shape deflector, both pivotally mounted above the shingled flow, wherein the wedged-shaped deflector may be inserted into the shingled flow and retracted at a speed in the conveying direction which exceeds the conveying speed of the shingled flow.

Abstract: A printing or duplicating machine has a suction control system which includes a source of vacuum and a conduit connecting the source of vacuum to a suction feeder. An operator panel is used to set a pattern of relative weight of each sheet in a stack. A controlled bleed valve is operatively associated with any of the suction feeder, source of vacuum or conduit for automatically adjusting vacuum at the suction feeder responsive to relative weight of any given sheet as selected by an operator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating a stream of signatures into discrete batches includes an infeed conveyor transporting signatures at a constant velocity V.sub.1, an outfeed conveyor transporting signatures at a higher constant velocity V.sub.2, and a plurality of parallel endless belts disposed between the infeed and outfeed conveyors. The plurality of parallel belts each include a raised portion for engaging and transporting signatures. Each belt is independently driven, and the belts are positioned with the raised portions staggered to engage successive portions of the incoming stream of signature. Each belt is driven alternatively at speeds V.sub.1 and V.sub.2, first matching the infeed velocity and then matching the outfeed velocity. As each successive raised portion fully engages a portion of signatures, it is accelerated to V.sub.2, thus introducing a gap between that portion of signatures and the remainder of the stream, which is engaged by the raised portion of the succeeding belt traveling at V.