Abstract: In the context of one or more shared servers equipped with one or more shared data storage units storing shared data shared by a plurality of users, a data monitoring apparatus for monitoring data stored by at least one of the shared data storage unit or units, the data monitoring apparatus comprising one or more evaluating units acquiring information pertaining to data stored by at least one of the shared data storage unit or units, carrying out one or more shareability evaluations of such data based on at least a portion of the information, and evaluating whether such data is involved in unauthorized use.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention comprise methods and systems for combining a print job characteristic description with a print job. In some embodiments, a print job separator page is combined with a print job thereby forming a single combined print job.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder feeds documents placed on a document table to a document exposure position, and has a document discharge means having a discharge roller for discharging the document after exposure onto the document table, the document discharge means being movable in the document conveying direction. The automatic document feeder includes a drive pulley mounted on an end portion of the discharge roller; a pair of transmission pulleys disposed outside the moving range of the drive pulley in the document conveying direction, and rotatably supported at a stationary part; a timing belt looped between the pair of transmission pulleys and the drive pulley; and a drive source transmittingly connected to one of the pair of transmission pulleys and disposed at a stationary part.

Abstract: A recirculating document feeder for use with an image forming machine having a transparent platen. This recirculating document feeder includes a document support disposed above the transparent platen and adapted to have a stack of documents placed thereon, with a selected side of each document facing down; a feed-out path extending from one end of the document support; a first switchback path having an upstream end connected to the downstream end of the feed-out path; a send-in path extending from its upstream end, which is connected to the upstream end of the first switchback path, to one end of the transparent platen; a send-out path extending from the other end of the transparent platen; a second switchback path having an upstream end connected to the downstream end of the send-out path; and a return path extending from its upstream end, which is connected to the upstream end of the second switchback path, to the other end of the document support.

Abstract: An automatic document conveyor for an image processing machine having an endless belt with a driven roller and a follower roller. The endless belt mechanism includes a front frame and a rear frame which are coupled together a distance apart in the direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the endless belt. First and second movable frames are coupled to first ends of each of the front frame and the rear frame and support the follower roller. A third movable frame is coupled to the second end of the front frame. The driven roller is supported by the third movable frame and the second end of the rear frame, and a drive source is coupled to the end of the driven roller adjacent the rear frame. Springs urge the three movable frames in directions tensioning the endless belt. The first and second movable frames can be moved against their springs to release the tension of the follower roller on the endless belt.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder for an image processing machine. The document feeder includes a main frame to be pivotally mounted on the image processing machine, a paper feeding unit, a paper discharging unit, and a conveyer belt for conveying papers from the paper feeding unit, across the image processing machine for image processing, to the paper discharging unit for discharge. A document discharging tray is positioned above the conveyer belt for receipt and stacking of papers discharged from a discharge port of the paper discharging unit. In the direction of document discharge, the document discharging tray has an ascending inclination, followed by a descending inclination. The ascending inclination and the descending inclination define a vertex spaced from the discharge port in the document discharging direction by more than one-half the length of the maximum-length document to be processed by the image processing machine.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder for an image processing machine. A main frame is so mounted as to be pivoted with respect to a platen glass provided on the housing of the image forming machine. A paper feeding unit is provided at one end of the main frame, and a paper discharging unit is provided at the other end. A conveyer belt mechanism is disposed between the paper feeding unit and the paper discharging unit. A document-placing table is attached to a table support means provided for the paper feeding unit, and is allowed to move in the back-and-forth direction of the image forming machine, so that its position can be adjusted, thereby permitting adjustment of any deviation between the optical axis of the image forming machine and the center line of the document fed by the automatic document feeder. The paper feeding unit is further provided with an open/close frame pivotally mounted on the main frame by at least one hollow split-bearing.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder for an image processing machine. A main frame is so mounted as to be pivoted with respect to a platen glass provided on the housing of the image forming machine. A paper feeding unit is provided at one end of the main frame, and a paper discharging unit is provided at the other end. A conveyer belt mechanism is disposed between the paper feeding unit and the paper discharging unit. A document-placing table is attached to a table support means provided for the paper feeding unit, and is allowed to move in the back-and-forth direction of the image forming machine, so that its position can be adjusted, thereby permitting adjustment of any deviation between the optical axis of the image forming machine and the center line of the document fed by the automatic document feeder.

Abstract: In the ADF of this invention, not only the conveying unit but also at least one of the paper feeding unit and the paper discharging unit are supported by a support frame via floating support mechanisms. The conveying unit and either one of the paper feeding unit and the paper discharging unit are provided with a plurality of contact pieces that come in contact with the platen glass and with the housing at the closed position of the support frame or the ADF. The load of either the paper feeding unit or the paper discharging unit is supported by said contact pieces at the closed position of the ADF.

Abstract: In a primary paper feeding device, a document is conveyed from a document stock section to a pair of registration rollers by a first conveying device. The document conveyed to the registration rollers is further conveyed forward in a downstream direction by the registration rollers. When the lead (downstream) edge of the document arrives at a predetermined first reference position downstream of the registration rollers, document conveying by the registration rollers terminates. In this way, the document is conveyed such that the trailing edge thereof does not pass through the registration rollers. Thereafter, when a document change signal occurs, the registration rollers again are driven so that the document advances toward a position for document reading.

Abstract: A sorter incorporating a stapler is an apparatus for sorting and stapling sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus. This sorter includes a plurality of vertically movable bins for storing the supplied sheets, a bin drive unit for conveying the bins, a stapler for stapling the sheets stored in the bins, a pair of lateral guides, and a lateral guide drive unit for moving the lateral guides. The lateral guides are movable in the width direction of the sheets in the bins and abut on both sides of stacks of the sheets to arrange them into widthwise adjustment, and then to move them into the stapling position of the stapler.

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device is applied to an image processor that has a transparent plate. The automatic document conveying device can convey a continuous document that has folding lines extending in the direction of width at stated intervals in the conveying direction and feed holes formed in both side edges thereof at stated intervals in the conveying direction. The automatic document conveying device includes a continuous document placing device on which will be placed the continuous document in a condition where it is folded along the folding lines, a conveying devices for conveying the continuous document passing on the transparent plate of the image processor, and a continuous document receiving device for receiving the continuous document conveyed passing on the transparent plate.

Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus is provided adjacent to an image forming apparatus. The sheet handling apparatus staples sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus, and it includes a plurality of bins, a stapler, a discharge mechanism, and a stack tray. The sheets are stapled while they are nipped by the discharge mechanism. The bins store the sheets supplied from the image forming apparatus. The stapler staples the sheets stored in the bins. The discharge mechanism discharges the stapled sheets from the bins frontward with respect to the image forming apparatus, where an operator normally stands. The sheet storer is conveyable in both a vertical and a lateral direction. The stack tray is located alongside the front of the image forming apparatus, and stores the sheets discharged by the discharge mechanism.

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 automatic document conveying device for an image processor having a transparent plate disposed on the upper surface of a housing for placement of a document to be processed thereon. The automatic document conveying device comprises a document introduction portion, a main portion and a document delivery portion. The document introduction portion includes an introduction portion frame member, a document table extending upstream from the introduction portion frame member, a document introduction passage extending from the document table to the transparent plate inside the introduction frame member, a document sender for sending the document into the document introduction passage from the document table, and a document introducer for introducing the document onto the transparent plate from the document introduction passage.

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device for an image processor having a transparent plate disposed on the upper surface of a housing for placement of a document to be processed thereon. The automatic document conveying device comprises a document introduction portion, a main portion and a document delivery portion. The document introduction portion includes an introduction portion frame member, a document table extending upstreams from the introduction portion frame member, a document introduction passage extending from the document table to the transparent plate inside the introduction frame member, a document sender for sending the document into the document introduction passage from the document table, and a document introductor for introducing the document onto the transparent plate from passage.

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device is provided in an image-processing machine having a transparent plate on which a transparent plate on which to place a document to be processed, the transparent plate having been disposed on the upper surface of a housing. The automatic conveying device is provided with a document delivery re-introduction section which sends a document delivered through a document introduction section and a central main portion selectively to a first document receiving tray, a second document receiving tray and a transparent plate by use of multiple branched sheet passageways. The document delivery re-introduction section is provided with a first branched passage for sending a document into the first document receiving tray, a second branched passage for sending the document into the second document receiving tray, and a re-introduction passage for re-introducing the document into a transparent plate.

Abstract: An automatic document conveying device to be applied to an image processor with a transparent plate on which to place document to be processed being disposed on the upper surface of a housing. The automatic document conveying device comprises a document table, a document introduction passage extending from the document table to one end edge of the transparent plate, a first document receiving tray, a second document receiving tray and a document delivery passage. The document delivery passage includes a common passage extending from the other end edge of the transparent plate, a first branched passage extending from the downstream end of the common passage to the first document receiving tray, and a second branched passage extending from the downstream end of the common passage to the second document receiving tray.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a display for image forming apparatus to enable indication of the number of processing sheets and also indication of impossible paper feeding on the paper feed pass on one display by time-sharing at different times, and particularly concerning the point that indication of disabled paper feeding and indication of the above mentioned number of processing sheets are made alternatively when the indication of disabled paper feeding is given by providing a paper sensing switch in the paper supplying mechanism.