Abstract: An image reading apparatus is provided with a scanning optical system movable to scan an original, the scanning optical system having a slit for passing therethrough part of light from the original, a sensor for reading the light passed through the slit, and detecting means for detecting the relative positional relationship between the slit and the sensor. The detection by the detecting means is effected at a plurality of detecting positions in the direction of movement of the scanning optical system.

Abstract: This invention relates to an overhead work suspension conveyor for conveying a piece of work, for example, a tailgate to a main body in an assembly line of a vehicle main body. An object of this invention is to efficiently and surely hold plural kinds of work pieces of different configurations in a suspended position and to permit their easy loading on a work conveyance mechanism. This invention therefore provides an overhead work suspension conveyor comprising a traverser main body, plural spindles turnably supported relative to the traverser main body, plural work support members fixed at upper ends thereof on the spindles and having work supports at lower ends thereof, said work supports being turnable responsive to turning of the corresponding spindles to support a piece of work at an outer periphery thereof, and a spindle drive mechanism arranged on the traverser main body and adapted to selectively turn the spindle depending on the kind of the work piece.

Abstract: The present invention is a vehicle body conveying apparatus in which a vehicle body (20) conveyed by a shuttle conveyor (32) is then conveyed in the order of an inclining belt conveyor (1) and a slat conveyor (21). A miniconveyor (26) is disposed between the inclining belt conveyor (1) and the slat conveyor (21) in such a relation that a rear end of the miniconveyor (26) overlaps a delivery side of the inclining belt conveyor (1), and the front end overlaps a receiving side of the slat conveyor (21) so as to ensure smooth transfer of the vehicle body (20) between them. Further, the inclining belt conveyor (1) is inclined by an elevating mechanism (8) to separate the vehicle body (20) from the shuttle conveyor (32).

Abstract: A pair of vertical guide rails of a workpiece transporting system are comprised of upper and lower rail portions, the upper rail portions being movable into axial alignment with the lower rail portions, the upper and lower rail portions being supported from a ceiling member of a building, and thus movable in unison with each other in the event of movement of the ceiling member of the building. A joint between the upper and lower rail portions of one guide rail is arranged at a vertical height different from that of the joint between the upper and lower rail portions of the other guide rail.

Abstract: Left side panels and right side panel are produced in a left side panel production line and a right side panel production line, respectively By vertical lifters, each left side panel and each right side panel are lifted at the delivery stations and then transferred to runners at work transfer positions. The runner with the left side panel held thereon travels along a rail while the runner with the right side panel held thereon travels along a rail. Both runners are stopped at a standby position and then conveyed to a runner transfer position simultaneously. The runners with the left and right side panels held thereon, respectively, are loaded on the traverser and then conveyed to a drop lifter arranged above a main body assembly line. The left and right side panels are transferred to the drop lifter. The drop lifter then descends and feeds the left and right side panels simultaneously on opposite sides of a floor panel in the main body assembly line.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image reading apparatus in which the scanning optical system having a slit is caused to scan in a short-side direction of the slit, and light passed through the slit and reflected from or transmitted through an original is guided to a solid-state image pickup element through an optical image forming element so that the image is formed on the solid-state image pickup element and is read. In the apparatus, opening portions for detecting a shift in relative positional relationship between the slit and the solid-state image pickup element are formed in both end portions of the slit in its longitudinal direction corresponding to a portion other than an effective image region of the solid-state image pickup element.

Abstract: A work conveying system used for conveying works such as side body panels in a car body assembling line. The system comprises hanger units, routes for conveying the hanger units which hold works to be carried, and opening-and-closing mechanisms. The hanger units are opened at a work loading or delivery area by the opening-and-closing mechanism.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a movable photosensitive member, a charger for uniformly charging the photosensitive member, exposure device for illuminating an original and exposing the photosensitive member charged by the charger to the light from the original, a scanner for scanning by a laser beam the photosensitive member charged by the charger, the scanner including a deflector for deflecting the laser beam, and wherein the deflector is disposed upstream of an exposure position of the exposure device with respect to movement direction of the photosensitive member, and a scanning position of the scanner is disposed downstream of the exposure position. The laser beam forms a margin on the photosensitive member for the leading edge of a copy sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive member, first optical system for illuminating an original and exposing the photosensitive member to light from the original, the first optical system including a lens unit having a lens for forming an image of the original on the photosensitive member, and a second optical system for projecting light on the photosensitive member, wherein the lens unit and the second optical systems are fixed on the same base member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, image forming station for forming a latent image on the image bearing member, a conveying passage extending toward the image bearing member to guide a developing device, a first moving mechanism for engaging with the developing device in the conveying passage and moving it in a substantially horizontal plane, wherein the image bearing member, the latent image forming station, the conveying passage and the first moving mechanism are provided in a main body of the image forming apparatus, a device for accommodating a plurality of developing devices.

Abstract: A laser unit includes a laser source for emitting a laser beam, a collimator lens for collimating the laser beam emitted from the laser source, a supporting member, made of a good thermal conductivity material, for supporting the laser source, and a heat insulating layer disposed between the supporting member and the collimator lens.

Abstract: An automatic original feeding apparatus has a coordinates position detecting device provided with a supporting table for supporting thereon a sheet original of which the area during image formation is to be designated, a conveying device for directing the inserted sheet original to a predetermined position, and a feed device provided upstream of the conveying device and responsive to the termination of the area designation to change over to a feeding position and feed the sheet original on the supporting table to the conveying device.

Abstract: A copying apparatus having an optical scanning system includes an upper casing that can be opened and closed and a scanning device on the upper casing for scanning an original. The scanning device includes an abnormality detector for detecting the occurrence of an abnormality during a copy operation. When an abnormality is detected by the detector, the scanning device is moved to a scanning start position.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes sheet accommodating cassette for accommodating sheets, a device for forming images on the sheets, a first sheet conveying passage for conveying the sheet to the image forming device from the sheet accommodating cassette, a conveyor for accommodating a bundle of sheets having been subjected to an image forming operation by the image forming means at first sides thereof in a form in which leading edges of the sheets are gradually deviated in a sheet advancement direction, and for conveying the bundle as a whole, a feeder, disposed downstream of the conveyor with respect to the sheet advancement direction, for feeding one by one the sheets of the bundle from the sheet closest to the feeder, a second sheet conveying passage merging into the first passage for refeeding to the image forming device the sheets fed by the feeder, and a confining device for confining the sheets of the bundle other than the sheet being fed by the feeder.

Abstract: A document feeding apparatus comprising a first original supporting device on which an original is placed, an original inlet port for receiving the original placed on the first original supporting device, a conveying device for guiding the original fed from the inlet port to a predetermined position and exhausting the original from the predetermined position, and a second original supporting device mounted on a housing of the document feeding apparatus and having an image area designation device for designating an image area of the original. In an image area designation mode of the apparatus, the original is placed on the image area designation device, a desired image area is designated, and the original is placed on the first original supporting device and is guided to the predetermined position through the inlet port.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station for forming an image on a sheet; a rotatable member for transferring the sheet in a first direction toward the image forming station; supporting device for supporting the rotatable member for displacement in a second direction which crosses the first direction; driving device for displacing the rotatable member in the second direction to correct deviation of the sheet in the second direction; and inlet guide for guiding the sheet to the rotatable member, the guide being displaceable in the second direction together with the rotatable member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of reproducing in different colors a plurality of image areas selected from a plurality of different originals on a single copy sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station for conveying a sheet material along a lateral reference position and for forming an image on the sheet material; refeeding device for refeeding to the image forming station the sheet material on which the image has been formed in the image forming station; means, provided in the sheet refeeding means, for shifting the sheet material in the lateral direction from the lateral reference position by a predetermined amount, wherein the amount of the shift is predetermined on the basis of a change in a lateral dimension of the sheet material resulting from an image forming operation in the image station.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of effecting plural image forming operations on one transfer sheet includes an image transfer device for transferring an image on the transfer sheet, an image magnification changing mechanism for changing the magnification of the image to be transferred onto the transfer sheet, and a control device for controlling the magnification changing mechanism in accordance with deformation of the transfer sheet caused by an image forming operation on the transfer sheet, after a first image is formed on the transfer sheet and before a second image is formed on the same transfer sheet, whereby those images are correctly registered.

Abstract: A sheet stacking device and an image forming apparatus provided with the sheet stacking device. The sheet stacking device has a sheet sorting function, and in addition, sheet re-feeding function so as to make it possible to produce a duplex copy or superimposed copy. It is further possible to use the sorter portion as a sheet feeding facility.