Abstract: In a medium conveying device, a projector projects light, a projection light amount of the light changes, at every fixed time, to a first projection light amount and a second projection light amount less than the first projection light amount, a receiver receives the light projected from the projector, a processor determines, at fixed sampling timings, whether a reception light amount of the receiver is at a first reception light level or a second reception light level smaller than the first reception light level, determines, when the reception light amount alternately changes to the first reception light level and the second reception light level, that a medium is not present on a conveying path, and determines, when the reception light amount is fixed to either the first reception light level or the second reception light level, that the medium is present on the conveying path.

Abstract: Alignment apparatuses include a frame and contact elements connected to the frame. The contact elements contact items that are to be transported in a processing direction relative to the frame. The contact elements are in permeant fixed positions relative to the frame, and do not move relative to the frame. Adjustable mounts are connected to the frame and move the frame in the processing direction and in a perpendicular cross-processing direction. A controller is electrically connected to the adjustable mounts, and the controller is adapted to control the adjustable mounts to simultaneously move the frame and all the contact elements in the cross-processing direction and the processing direction while rotating the frame. Methods laterally shift imaging on sheets that have had rotational correction performed by such alignment apparatuses.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a fabric separator comprising a body, a drum, a gas intake, a sensor, and a clamp. In some embodiments, the drum has an outer surface, is coupled with the body, and has a drum rotatable about an axis. The gas intake may flow gas in a rotational direction of the drum such that a low pressure zone is created on at least a portion of the outer surface of the drum. The sensor may be coupled with the body. The clamp may be in communication with the sensor and coupled with the body. The clamp having an engaged mode where the clamp is pressed against a portion of the drum and a disengaged where the clamp is not pressed against a portion of the drum, the clamp transitions from the engaged mode to the disengaged mode based on a signal from the sensor.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a transmitter, a receiver, a comparison circuit, and a control unit. The transmitter transmits an ultrasonic wave to a conveyance path through which a sheet is conveyed. The receiver faces the transmitter with the conveyance path in between, and receives the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the transmitter. The comparison circuit compares a level signal indicating a reception level of the ultrasonic wave received by the receiver with a threshold signal for determining whether or not the sheet is double-fed in the conveyance path, and outputs a comparison result signal according to the comparison result. The control unit determines whether or not there is a possibility of a defect in the double feed detection function of detecting double feed based on the comparison result signal and the level signal.

Abstract: A medium receiving tray has a first tray and a second tray. A movable support having a second support surface for supporting media is disposed in the second tray. When the medium receiving tray is in a first state, the movable support is positioned above a first support surface of the first tray. When the medium receiving tray is switched from the first state to a second state, a free end is detached from the downstream end of the first support surface and displaced downward, and the second support surface is thereby inclined upward toward the downstream in a medium discharging direction.

Abstract: A supply device includes: a loading portion where recording media are loaded; a transport unit to transport the media; a contact portion provided on the loading portion, the contact portion being in contact with a side end portion of the media having a first size in a direction intersecting with a transport direction, the contact portion having a blowing portion to blow air to the side end portion; a guide portion detachably attached to the contact portion when media having a second size smaller than the media having the first size are loaded, the guide portion being configured to guide a side end portion of the media having the second size; and a duct provided in the guide portion, the duct including a discharge port to blow the air from the blowing portion to an upper end portion of the media having the second size loaded on the loading portion.

Abstract: A medium feeding device includes: a medium mounting section that a medium is mounted; a feeding unit that feeds the medium in a feeding direction; a separation unit that separates the medium with the feeding unit; an operation detection unit that is disposed at a position facing a surface of the medium in the medium mounting section and detects a movement of the medium in the feeding direction; an interval forming unit that forms an interval in the feeding direction between a trailing end of a first medium which is the lowest medium fed among media mounted on the medium mounting section and a trailing end of a second medium which is bound with the first medium and stacked on the first medium; and a control unit that stops feeding of the medium based on a detection interval by a detection value of the operation detection unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a conveyance unit to convey a sheet toward an image forming position, a torque detection unit to detect a load torque applied to a motor driving the conveyance unit, and a control unit to perform a speed control for changing a rotational speed of the motor such that an interval at which a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet pass through the image forming position approaches a target interval while the conveyance unit is conveying the succeeding sheet. The control unit executes an interval change processing for changing the target interval in the speed control based on a magnitude of a detected load torque when the conveyance unit is driven by the motor, the control unit controls power input to the motor by transmitting a command signal to a driving circuit of the motor, and the torque detection unit detects the command signal.

Abstract: A vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles comprises an upper chassis, a modular lower suction plate supported beneath the chassis, a controller and a source of vacuum air pressure, the suction plate comprising a suction lifting surface for providing vacuum lifting pressure to said articles. The modular suction plate has plural side-by-side modules, each module providing a different portion of the suction lifting surface and having one or more air outlets, outlets of one module separate from outlets of other modules and in fluid communication with the corresponding portion of the suction lifting surface and not with different portions of the suction lifting surface. The chassis comprises at least one air outlet connected to said source of vacuum air pressure, and a plurality of separate air flow channels through the chassis. Each air flow channel has an associated air flow valve and a valve actuator.

Abstract: A medium ejecting apparatus includes an ejection roller to eject medium, a first tray to place the medium ejected by the ejection roller, a second tray provided so as to be pulled out from the first tray, and a stopper accommodated in the first tray together with the second tray in a laid state, rotatably supported at a downstream end portion in a medium ejecting direction of the second tray, and provided with a slid portion. The first tray is provided with a sliding portion to slide with respect to the slid portion in response to an operation in which the second tray is pulled out from the first tray to raise the stopper.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a main apparatus body having an image forming unit and a discharge tray; and a controller. The main apparatus body includes a conveyance path along which a sheet passed through the image forming unit is conveyed; a discharge path branched from the conveyance path and connected to the discharge tray; and a reconveyance path having a first path different from the discharge path and a second path for conveying the sheet to the image forming unit. In a double-sided printing, if a first sheet has passed through the first path when a forward end of a second sheet arrives at a predetermined position in the conveyance path, the controller conveys the second sheet to the first path and then conveys the second sheet to the second path.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus including: a recording unit; an accommodation part configured to accommodate therein a plurality of recording media including first and second recording medium and having a support surface on which the plurality of the recording media is supported; a conveying path; a feeder roller contacting the recording medium in the accommodation part from above; a reversing path; a recording medium detection unit located above the support surface and between the feeder roller and a downstream end of the support surface in the conveying direction; and a controller configured to control the feeder roller so as to feed the second recording medium in a manner that a front end portion of the second recording medium overlaps a rear end portion of the first recording medium, when the recording medium detection unit detects the rear end portion of the first recording medium fed by the feeder roller.

Abstract: In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes at least one transport means of an infeed system, and the infeed system includes at least one cam mechanism including, in each case, at least one cam disk having an axis of rotation. At least one scanning element is arranged in each case to rest against the at least one cam disk. The at least one scanning element is connected to the at least one transport means via at least one drive lever. The at least one drive lever in each case has at least one mounting point. The mounting point and the axis of rotation may be adjusted relative to one another, and a position displacement of the mounting point relative to the axis of rotation may compensate for at least one position error of the at least one sheet.

Abstract: A media feeding apparatus includes a media mounting section, a first feed roller, a media pressing section for pressing media sheets against the first feed roller, and a pressing force adjuster for adjusting the pressing force of the media pressing section. The controller sets the pressing force of the media pressing section to first pressing force and drives the first feed roller and the second feed roller in a forward rotation direction, and in a case in which the first detector detects a passage of a leading edge of the media sheet and the second detector detects no passage of the leading edge of the media sheet after predetermined first set time has passed, the controller continues the rotation of the first feed roller and the second feed roller with second pressing force of the media pressing section greater than or equal to the first pressing force.

Abstract: A medium discharging device includes a first tray, a second tray receiving a medium from the first tray, a supporter which is configured to be displaced from a retreat position in the first tray and an advance position above the second tray and which supports the medium, an aligner which is provided in the supporter and that aligns a first end portion which is an upstream end portion in a discharge direction of the medium supported by the supporter, to be displaced together with the supporter, and a restrictor configured to be displaced between a restriction position where an upstream movement of the first end portion of the medium in a position of the aligner in the discharge direction and a non-restriction position where the movement is not restricted, when the supporter is in the advance position.

Abstract: A sheet conveyer, having a sheet tray, a tray-driving mechanism, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a conveyer-driving mechanism, a first sensor, and a controller, is provided. The controller controls the tray-driving mechanism and the conveyer-driving mechanism, during a sequential conveying action, when the first sensor detects an upper-surface level being at a lower limit of a correct range, delay a lift-start timing, at which the tray-driving mechanism starts moving the sheet tray upward, to be later at least than a timing, at which the feed roller after feeding one of the sheets completely and pausing resumes rotating for feeding a next one of the sheets, and cause the sheet tray to complete moving to a higher position prior to completion of feeding of the next sheet.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gripper bar body for a gripper bar in a gripper carriage arrangement in a machine for treating sheet material, the gripper bar body being configured to carry gripper brackets for movement between sheet gripping and sheet releasing positions. The gripper bar body is formed as a hollow structure comprising at least two different materials, the two different materials comprising at least a metal material and a composite material and the at least two different materials being at least partly arranged in a superposed manner. The resulting bar has a better resistance to wear than the ones of the state-of-the-art.

Abstract: A paper sheet processing device includes: an accommodating part that accommodates a paper sheet; and a sliding stage part that is provided within the accommodating part and supports the paper sheet accommodated within the accommodating part, the sliding stage part sliding with respect to the accommodating part to cause a portion of the sliding stage part to protrude to outside of the accommodating part, and the sliding stage part sliding with respect to the accommodating part to push the paper sheet to the outside of the accommodating part and cause a leading end of the paper sheet to protrude to the outside of the accommodating part.

Abstract: A transmitter transmits ultrasonic wave of a predetermined volume. A reflected ultrasonic wave receiver receives reflected ultrasonic wave, transmitted from the transmitter and reflected by a sheet. A permeated ultrasonic wave receiver receives permeated ultrasonic wave, transmitted by the transmitter and permeated through the sheet. A volume detector detects reflected volume of the reflected ultrasonic wave, and permeated volume of the permeated ultrasonic wave. The decider identifies a thickness of the sheet being transported by a transport device, and decides whether multifeed of the sheets is occurring, on a basis of a comparison result between the detected reflected volume and a reference reflected volume, and a comparison result between the detected permeated volume and a reference permeated volume.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding roller which feeds a sheet accumulated on a tray; and a hardware processor which: detects a movement speed of the sheet currently fed by the sheet feeding roller; and calculates a difference amount between the movement speed and a first reference speed, and determines a life of the sheet feeding roller based on the difference amount, wherein the hardware processor determines whether or not to use the movement speed of a first sheet for life determination based on a relationship between the movement speed of the first sheet and the movement speed of a sheet fed before the first sheet, and if the hardware processor determines not to use the movement speed of the first sheet for the life determination, the hardware processor calculates the difference amount by excluding the movement speed of the first sheet.