Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet stacker, an air blower, a float regulator, and a controller. The sheet stacker stacks sheets. The air blower blows air to the sheets. The float regulator regulates a floating position of the sheets and is movable between a float regulating position at which the float regulator regulates floating of the sheets and a retracted position. The controller transmits position information of the float regulator to a notification device.

Abstract: A sheet suction device includes a drum having multiple suction ports in a circumferential surface of the drum, the drum configured to bear a sheet on the circumferential surface and rotate in a circumferential direction of the drum, and a suction device configured to suck the sheet through the multiple suction ports to attract the sheet on the circumferential surface. The drum includes multiple suction regions aligned in the circumferential direction on the circumferential surface, each of the multiple suction regions includes the multiple suction ports aligned in the circumferential direction and in an axial direction of the drum on the circumferential surface, the multiple suction regions include an upstream region, a middle region, and a downstream region in the circumferential direction, and the middle region has the multiple suction ports at both outer sides in the axial direction of the drum.

Abstract: A medium conveying apparatus includes a suctioner that suctions a medium of a plurality of media to a feed belt, a driver that moves the feed belt to feed the medium, a first side blower that blows air at a first airflow rate to a first end face of the medium, a second side blower that blows air at a second airflow rate to a second end face of the medium, and a controller that controls the first side blower to blow air to the first end face at a third airflow rate that is greater than the first airflow rate and the second airflow rate when the medium has not been auctioned to a first portion of the feed belt close to the first end face and has been auctioned to a second portion of the feed belt close to the second end face.

Abstract: A printing system comprises an ink deposition assembly, a media transport device, and an airflow control system. The ink deposition assembly comprises printheads to deposit a print fluid, such as ink, on print media, such as paper, transported through a deposition region. The media transport device holds the print media against a moving support surface, such as a belt, by vacuum suction through holes in the media transport device and transports the print media though the deposition region. The airflow control system comprises a damper and an actuator configured to move the damper along a cross-process direction. The damper blocks airflow through a subset of the holes along a side of the media transport device, the subset varying based on a position of the damper. The damper is moved to change the subset of the holes blocked by the damper based on a size of the print medium.

Abstract: A belt conveyance device includes an endless belt, a duct having a suction port, and a rectifier inside the duct. The duct is surrounded by an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The rectifier extends in a width direction of the endless belt perpendicular to a direction of conveyance by the endless belt.

Abstract: Method for controlling a sheet feeding device (1) comprising an elevator (2) for a stack of sheets, and an air supply system (3) configured to supply and direct one of more air streams towards an upper region (4) of the sheet feeding device for floating a plurality of upper sheets of the stack of sheets, wherein the elevator comprises a vertically movable support (5) for supporting the stack of sheets from below, wherein the sheet feeding device comprises an optical sensor (6) positioned adjacent the floated sheets for measuring light reflected from the floated sheets at a plurality of different heights, wherein the method comprises the steps of: continuously deriving from the optical sensor a density reading (DR) indicating the density of sheets floated, continuously deriving an average density (AD) based on a plurality of density readings, continuously deriving an upper density limit (UDL) based on the average density multiplied by a predetermined upper density limit factor (UDLF), continuously deriving a l

Abstract: A transport device for a sheet-format substrate has at least one first substrate feed device and has at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one second substrate feed device comprises at least one forward stop and at least one singulating device. At least one substrate guiding device is arranged between the at least one first substrate feed device and the at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one substrate guiding device has at least one directing element. The at least one directing element is mounted such that it is movable or is moved in two different directions independently of one another.

Abstract: A folding roller for folding signatures in a folding apparatus comprises a cylindrical folding roller element comprising a jacket surface at least partially having an elastic coating that is compressible. As such, different folded products and/or folded products of different thicknesses can be produced without a change of the nip between the folding roller pair with consistent folding quality, and an adjustment of the nip is also not required during a production run printing or an ongoing production.

Abstract: A device for feeding sheet products into a thick sheet feeding machine including an insertion gantry, a feed carriage sliding on rails. The device includes an insertion head configured as a gantry. The insertion head includes a crosspiece and support legs positioned on the rails and a system of suction cups located in the crosspiece through a forward movement mechanism allowing the system to move. The device includes an insertion module moving vertically on guides of the insertion gantry, a base for placing the sheets, and an alignment control device for aligning the sheets with respect to the insertion module. The sheets are suctioned by the suction cups, which are moved by the forward movement mechanism in the direction of the insertion gantry.

Abstract: A sheet supplying device includes: an air blow opening configured to blow air to a side portion of an uppermost part of stacked sheets; and a flow adjuster extending from above the air blow opening over an edge of a top sheet of the stacked sheets and configured to cause an air flow blown from the air blow opening to travel along an upper surface of the top sheet of the stacked sheets.

Abstract: Disclosed is a paper feeding device (10) comprising a storage surface (14) for a stack of papers (12), with a leading edge (14a), a trailing edge (14b), and a first and a second side edge (14c, 14d). The surface (14) is adapted to be moved vertically. The device further comprises a vacuum feeder (16) for feeding papers from their position on the storage surface (14) and imparting on an uppermost sheet of paper (12a) a horizontal displacement, and a blower arrangement (18, 20) adapted to provide a curtain of air separating the uppermost sheet of paper (12a) from the rest of the stack of papers. The device further comprises a sensor arrangement (22) arranged to determine where the upper paper sheets in the stack of papers (12) start to separate from the rest of the paper sheets, the sensor arrangement (22) comprising a plurality of infrared reflective sensors (22a).

Abstract: An inserter hopper device for handling a pile of inserts includes a framework, a belly plate that is connected to the framework, a carry-down cam assembly including a plurality of carry-down cams on a rotatable carry-down cam shaft having a fixed location relative to the framework and a carry-down roller assembly including a plurality of carry-down rollers on a rotatable carry-down roller shaft having a movable location relative to the framework. The carry-down rollers are opposed to and spaced from the carry-down cams, providing a nip having a nip distance therebetween. At least one biasing element biases the carry-down roller shaft toward the nip. The inserts are moved through the nip individually. A thickness tuning adjustment assembly moves the carry-down roller assembly to adjust the nip distance. A vacuum assembly is in communication with a movable sucker assembly that has sucker ports being movable toward and away from the nip.

Abstract: Embodiments of a system and method for shingulating, singulating, and synchronizing articles in an article feeder system are disclosed. The article feeder system may include a shingulating device configured to receive a stack of articles and to produce a positively lapped stack of articles, a plurality of picking devices configured to pick one or more articles from the positively lapped stack of articles and to produce one or more singulated articles, and one or more synchronization devices configured to deliver the one or more singulated articles to one or more sorter windows.

Abstract: A sheet feeding parameter management system includes: a plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses each including an air sheet feeder that feeds a sheet and enabled to change a sheet feeding parameter; and a management apparatus connected to the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses, wherein each of the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses includes: a sheet type information acquisitor that acquires sheet type information; and a hardware processor that: adjusts the sheet feeding parameter; and transmits the sheet type information and the sheet feeding parameter to the management apparatus, and the management apparatus includes the hardware processor that: causes a storage to store an adjustment result associated with the sheet type information and the sheet feeding parameter; and sets, based on the adjustment result, for an air sheet feeding apparatus to be processed among the plurality of air sheet feeding apparatuses.

Abstract: A workpiece transfer apparatus includes a mounting surface, a non-contact chuck, and an extracting mechanism. The mounting surface receives workpieces stacked one above the other. The non-contact chuck is located above the workpieces to draw the uppermost workpiece. The extracting mechanism extracts the uppermost workpiece drawn by the chuck by laterally sliding the uppermost workpiece in a predetermined extracting direction.

Abstract: An apparatus of supplying a fuel cell stack material is provided. The apparatus includes a moving part in which a plurality of gas diffusion layers (GDLs) diffusing a gas fuel and supporting a catalyst layer are stacked and a cartridge having the moving part movably disposed therein. An adsorption pad is disposed above the cartridge to adsorb the plurality of gas diffusion layers and a nozzle part is configured to spray air above the plurality of gas diffusion layers to generate a lift on the plurality of gas diffusion layers.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having a printer for printing an image on a sheet fed from an external sheet feeding apparatus sets the sheet feeding apparatus as a sheet feed source of the sheet to be used by the printer for printing and in accordance with the setting, makes a notification so as to notify a user to set a feeding parameter in the sheet feeding apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a reference face, a sheet loader, an air blowing device, an air drawing device, and a conveying body. The reference face stands upwardly at a downstream side of a sheet conveying direction. The sheet loader includes a body and a leading end disposed downstream from the body in the sheet conveying direction. The sheet loader moves upwardly to a position where the leading end rotates downwardly to the body. The air blowing device blows air toward a sheet bundle loaded on the sheet loader and lift an uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle. The air drawing device is configured to draw the uppermost sheet. The conveying body conveys the uppermost sheet in the sheet conveying direction while the uppermost sheet is in contact with the air drawing device due to attraction by air.

Abstract: An image formation device includes: a registration roller pair configured to shift sheet in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction of a sheet feeding direction while holding the sheet; a feeding section provided upstream of the registration roller pair in the first direction and including a feeding belt configured to convey the sheet to the registration roller pair; a first air adjustment section configured to perform air suction or blowing for the sheet conveyed by the feeding belt; and a control section configured to switch between a first operation of controlling, when the sheet is conveyed by the feeding belt, the first air adjustment section to suck the sheet with air and a second operation of controlling, when the sheet is swung by the registration roller pair, the first air adjustment section to blow air on the sheet.

Abstract: A paper feeding device of an embodiment includes a paper feed tray, a blower, and a flow regulating member. A paper bundle in which a plurality of sheets of paper are stacked can be placed on the paper feed tray. The blower is positioned next to the paper bundle placed on the paper feed tray. The blower can generate airflow. The flow regulating member is positioned above the paper bundle placed on the paper feed tray. The airflow from the blower causes the flow regulating member to generate a negative pressure between the flow regulating member and the uppermost sheet of paper of the paper bundle.

Abstract: A veneer feeder head used to peel a veneer sheet from a stack of veneer. A stationary head and an actuating head both contact the top veneer sheet and the actuating head moves into a peel state, where the one portion of the top veneer sheet is raised higher than another portion of the top veneer sheet. This peeling action separates the top veneer sheet from the next veneer sheet in the stack of veneer.

Abstract: A device for at least emptying a transport container having a stack of plate-shaped items, including semiconductor wafers and/or packaging material, includes at least one measuring device and a holder at least part of which can travel into the transport container. The holder has a holding surface, a number of holding nozzles for at least holding an item in the stack, and, in the region of the holding surface, at least one recess for the measuring device for acquiring measurement data from the item in the stack. At least one separating nozzle is arranged on the holder outside the holding surface such that the nozzle(s) can move between rest and separating positions. In the separating position, a gas stream directed towards the end face of the stack is formed, to release at least one item in the stack that is adhered to the item held by the holder.

Abstract: A Currency Cassette Replenishment Terminal (CCRT) and its method of use are disclosed. The CCRT includes a currency cassette support for locating a currency cassette in a loading position, a currency note support comprising at least one loading orifice located in said loading position, and a plunger located on a first side of the loading orifice and movable from a retracted position, through the loading orifice, to an extended position within the currency cassette.

Abstract: An apparatus for picking a product, including: at least one vacuum cup including at least one axis passing through the at least one vacuum cup; and at least one damping device surrounding at least a portion of the at least one vacuum cup in a radial direction orthogonal to the at least one axis. The at least one vacuum cup is arranged to create negative pressure and adhere, with the negative pressure, the at least one sheet of material to the at least one vacuum cup. The at least one damping device is arranged to contact the at least one sheet of material to limit displacement of the at least one sheet of material with respect to the at least one vacuum cup.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first sheet storage portion and a second sheet storage portion disposed side by side with the first sheet storage portion. The sheet feeding device includes a sheet bundle moving member configured to transfer sheets in the second sheet storage portion to the first sheet storage portion and a pickup roller configured to feed the sheet by abutting against the sheet stored in the first sheet storage portion. When transferring the sheet bundle in the second sheet storage portion to the first sheet storage portion, the pickup roller is rotated in the same direction as that during feeding.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1) for removing plate-shaped elements (2), in particular cardboard blanks, comprising a carrier device (16), a holding device (9) which is arranged on the carrier device (16) for holding the plate-shaped element (2), a drive (7) with a driven shaft (8), a first lever (11) which is arranged fixedly on the shaft (8) so as to rotate with it, a second lever (12) which is connected rotatably to the first lever (11) and rotatably to the carrier device (16), a fourth lever (14) which is arranged such that it can be rotated about a fixed point (18), wherein the fourth lever (14) is connected rotatably to the carrier device (16), and a third lever (13) which is connected rotatably to the first lever (11) and rotatably to the fourth lever (14).

Abstract: Devices have a movable roller, a fixed-position roller contacting the movable roller to form an exit nip transporting planar media, biasing members operatively connected to the movable roller, and adjusters contacting the movable roller. Such devices are connectable to a first machine or a second machine. Contact areas of the first machine hold the adjusters in a first position to position the movable roller in a position resulting in the exit nip transporting the planar media in a first exit direction. The second machine instead has void areas positioned to allow movement of the adjusters to position the movable roller in a position resulting in the exit nip transporting the planar media in a second exit direction different from the first exit direction.

Abstract: A method for removing a substantially planar work piece (11) from the top of a stack (10) of work pieces comprises the steps of gripping the work piece (11) on a top surface of the work piece, lifting the gripped work piece, pre-separating the work piece from the stack by introducing a separator element (43) in between the lifted work piece and a neighboring work piece underneath the lifted work piece (11) and gripping and removing the pre-separated work piece (11) by a transport device. An apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a gripper (33) for gripping the work piece (11), the gripper (33) being movable in a vertical direction for lifting the gripped work piece (11), a separator element (43) being movable in a horizontal direction to be introduced in between the lifted work piece (11) and a neighboring work piece underneath the lifted work piece (11) and a transport device for gripping and removing the pre-separated work piece (11).

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet storage portion having a sheet stacking portion, a sheet feed portion, a drive portion configured to be capable of switching a lifting speed when lifting the sheet stacking portion between a first lifting speed and a second lifting speed, a height detecting portion configured to be capable of detecting the fact that the sheet reaches a decelerating position for switching the lifting speed of the sheet stacking portion from the first lifting speed to the second lifting speed, a time counting portion, and a control unit.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes frame, sheet stack portion, sheet stacking plate, feeding portion, conveyance portion, conveyance guide member, blower fan, air duct, and blowing control portion. Feeding portion feeds sheet stacked on sheet stacking plate. Conveyance portion is provided on downstream side in sheet conveyance direction relative to feeding portion. Conveyance guide member is provided on downstream side in sheet conveyance direction relative to feeding portion, and spaced from feeding portion by predetermined gap, and has guide surface to support lower surface of sheet fed by feeding portion and guide sheet downstream in sheet conveyance direction. An end portion of guide surface on upstream side in sheet conveyance direction is positioned lower than feeding position. Air duct blows air sent from blower fan, toward gap, from position lower than the gap. Blowing control portion controls blowing of air from air duct.

Abstract: In the present invention, when a status of clogging a paper due to some cause occurs, controls of inverting a conveyance roller and returning the jammed paper in a paper feeding tray is performed. At this time, the position of a paper damming up member is lowered by an actuator when the jammed paper is returned to the paper feeding tray and the conveyance roller is inverted so as to avoid a state in which the paper damming up member 33 hinders the returning of the paper and the paper cannot be returned to the paper feeding tray. The paper damming up member is lowered to a position that is lower than a conveyance guide plate at a downstream side in a paper conveying direction. Then, the paper is returned to the paper feeding tray without damage. The returned paper can be reused.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus includes: a tray on which a stack of sheets can be placed, an air blowing section that blows air towards the stack of sheets to float at least a topmost sheet, a sucking and conveying section, above the tray, that sucks said floating sheet(s) and conveys said sheet(s) in a prescribed direction, and a first light source that emits a first stripshaped slit light having a vertically extending component such that the slit light crosses at least a first edge of a first floating sheet and a second edge of a second floating sheet. An image capture section captures an image of the first slit light, a calculating section calculates a vertical clearance between the first and second sheets, and an air amount adjusting section adjusts an amount of air to be blown by the air blowing section based on the calculated vertical clearance.

Abstract: A sheet separator machine for cartons for packaging from a warehouse, typically a well warehouse, in which the cartons are stacked. More particularly, a machine for separating sheets of cartons. The machine includes a frame on which a handling station of the cartons, a warehouse for at least one stack of cartons, and a gripping station of the cartons, are mounted, in an operatively contiguous position. The gripping station includes a pair of counter-rotating motorized rolls for withdrawing a carton from the stack of cartons.

Abstract: Disclosed is a paper feeding device (71) including: a paper stacking tray (74) that carries thereon stacked sheets of printing paper and moves up/down along a stacking direction of the sheets of printing paper; a paper transport member (e.g., paper transport belts (81)) that sucks and transports a sheet of printing paper from the paper stacking tray (74); a separation fan (88) that generates an air flow separating the printing paper stacked on the paper stacking tray (74); an air sucking fan (84) that generates an air flow sucking a sheet of printing paper stacked on the paper stacking tray (74); and a relay duct (87) that guides air coming out of the air sucking fan (84) to the separation fan (88). The relay duct (87) extends along a straight line from an air outlet (84b) of the air sucking fan (84) to an air inlet (88a) of the separation fan (88).

Abstract: In the present invention, when a status of clogging a paper due to some cause occurs, controls of inverting a conveyance roller and returning the jammed paper in a paper feeding tray is performed. At this time, the position of a paper damming up member is lowered by an actuator when the jammed paper is returned to the paper feeding tray and the conveyance roller is inverted so as to avoid a state in which the paper damming up member 33 hinders the returning of the paper and the paper cannot be returned to the paper feeding tray. The paper damming up member is lowered to a position that is lower than a conveyance guide plate at a downstream side in a paper conveying direction. Then, the paper is returned to the paper feeding tray without damage. The returned paper can be reused.

Abstract: A conveyor device includes a support portion in which a through hole is formed and which is configured to support a to-be-conveyed medium;a negative pressure chamber configured to cause negative pressure to act on the to-be-conveyed medium through the through hole to suck the to-be-conveyed medium to the support portion; and a conveyance section configured to convey the to-be-conveyed medium sucked to the support portion. The negative pressure chamber includes a wall in which a communication hole to communicate the negative pressure chamber with the air is formed. The conveyor device further includes a shutter configured to slide on the wall of the negative pressure chamber to open/close the communication hole.

Abstract: A conveyance apparatus is provided with a conveyance body that suction adheres and conveys a sheet form medium, and a pressing body that presses the sheet form medium against a suction adhesion face of the conveyance body that suction adheres the sheet form medium, the paper press roller pressing more strongly portions that are present at plural locations along the suction adhesion face width direction where the suction adhesion force of the suction adhesion face is weak than the pressing body presses other portions. The pressing body of the conveyance apparatus includes large diameter portions that press the sheet form medium at plural locations along the width direction, thereby preventing lift-off of the sheet form medium at suction hole unformed regions that are portions where the suction adhesion force to the suction adhesion face of the conveyance body is weaker than in the vicinity thereof.

Abstract: A high productivity sheet feeding apparatus in which there is no occurrence of abnormalities related to sheet feeding irrespective of the size and type of sheet, and an image forming system having that sheet feeding apparatus are provided. This sheet feeding apparatus has the feature that it has, a stacking unit for stacking sheets, a conveying unit that is placed above and spaced from said stacking unit and that conveys the sheets, a flotation unit that makes the sheets in the upper part of the sheets stacked in said stacking unit float up towards said conveying unit, and a suction unit that sucks the air included in between the plurality of sheets that have been made to float up towards said conveying unit by said flotation unit.

Abstract: A sheet transport apparatus in a sheet processing machine has at least one driven transport belt for the transport of sheet printing materials from a first location to a second location. It being possible for the transport belt to be driven at different transport speeds. The acceptance of the sheet printing materials at the first location is carried out at a relatively low transport speed, and the transfer of the sheet printing materials at the second location is carried out at a relatively high transport speed.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes frame, sheet stack portion, sheet stacking plate, feeding portion, conveyance portion, conveyance guide member, blower fan, air duct, and blowing control portion. Feeding portion feeds sheet stacked on sheet stacking plate. Conveyance portion is provided on downstream side in sheet conveyance direction relative to feeding portion. Conveyance guide member is provided on downstream side in sheet conveyance direction relative to feeding portion, and spaced from feeding portion by predetermined gap, and has guide surface to support lower surface of sheet fed by feeding portion and guide sheet downstream in sheet conveyance direction. An end portion of guide surface on upstream side in sheet conveyance direction is positioned lower than feeding position. Air duct blows air sent from blower fan, toward gap, from position lower than the gap. Blowing control portion controls blowing of air from air duct.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes an air blower adapted to blow air onto an end face of a stacked sheet bundle to thereby float the sheets of the sheet bundle, a conveying section adapted to convey the uppermost floated sheet, a brightness measuring section adapted to measure brightness of light reflected from the end face of the sheet bundle at two or more points in the height direction of the sheet bundle, a determination unit adapted to determine, based on the brightness of each point measured by the brightness measuring section, whether or not the air blowing amount of the air blower is appropriate, and a controller adapted to control the air blowing amount of the air blower based on the determination of the determination unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section that forms an image on a recording material, and a feeder that feeds the recording material to the image forming section, wherein the feeder includes a recording material accommodating unit that accommodates recording materials, a suction device that sucks air, forming members that are provided with an opening formed close to the recording materials accommodated in the recording material accommodating unit, and form a negative-pressure space, which has negative pressure due to suction by the suction device, together with the recording material facing the opening, partition members that include edge portions formed close to the opening, are formed so as to extend from the edge portions toward the inside of the negative-pressure space, and partition the negative-pressure space into two or more spaces, and feeding members that feed the recording material pulled toward the forming members when the negative-pressure space has negative pressure.

Abstract: A sheet material insert feeder device for feeding sheets of material from a substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material onto a transport track. The sheet material insert feeder device includes a trough with a surface to receive the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material, the surface including a front end and a back end, a conveyor to move the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material along the surface, an aperture at the front end of the surface, the aperture housing an insert movable between an upper position and a lower position, a breaker plate near the front end of the surface to support the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material there against, and a suction device near the front end of the surface to suction and separate a sheet from the substantially horizontal stack of sheets of material.

Abstract: A sheet-handling apparatus is disclosed that reliably separates sheet-like articles and prevents double take-outs, regardless of the thickness of the sheet-like articles that are taken out. The sheet-handling apparatus includes a take-out portion to take out sheet-like articles; a feeding portion to feed the sheet-like articles that have been taken out by the take-out portion; and a separation portion facing the feeding portion across a gap, the separation portion being adapted to separate sheet-like articles that have been taken out by the take-out portion in an overlapping state into individual sheet-like articles; wherein the separation portion is adapted to elastically deform depending on a thickness of the sheet-like articles and vary the size of the gap.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes drawing and conveying a sheet, applying negative pressure for sheet suction via a suction opening, moving a shutter member between a closing position where the suction opening in an upstream side in a sheet feeding direction is partially closed and an open position where the suction opening is opened, and controlling the shutter member to follow a preceding sheet that is drawn onto the suction conveyance member to move to the downstream side in the feeding direction to close the suction opening, and return to an open position at a predetermined timing to draw the sheets onto the suction conveyance member in a state where an upstream edge of the preceding sheet in the feeding direction and a downstream edge of the subsequent sheet in the feeding direction are overlaid by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for separating sheets from a stack and for feeding the sheets to a downstream sheet processing machine includes a first suction wheel and a second suction wheel. The first suction wheel is disposed above the stack and the second suction wheel is disposed downstream of the stack and below a sheet travel plane. The first suction wheel separates a respective sheet from the stack and the second suction wheel accelerates the sheet.

Abstract: A paper feed device includes a paper stacking shelf, a paper trailing edge guide that regulates a position of a paper bundle, a contact member that is disposed on the paper trailing edge guide, and a position switch portion that moves the contact member to either a withdrawn away position or a contact position with respect to an upper face of the paper bundle. The position switch portion is provided with a rod that is moved in conjunction with an operation for causing the paper feed device to be pulled out from and pushed into the accommodation space, and a rotatable member that is rotated in conjunction with the movement of the rod. The position switch portion supports the contact member, and causes the contact member to be rotationally moved to either the withdrawn away position or the contact position in conjunction with the rotation of the rotatable member.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device, capable of reliably feeding sheets that have a curl, includes a sheet surface detection mechanism configured to detect an upper surface of a topmost sheet of sheets supported on a tray. The sheet surface detection mechanism includes a sensor unit arranged on a upstream side of a suction and conveyance mechanism in a sheet conveyance direction, a sensor lever configured to turn the sensor unit ON/OFF, and a detection unit having one end connected to the sensor lever and another end that extends toward a downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction. The detection unit includes, on a downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction, a protruding member that protrudes in a downward direction and that is capable of contacting the topmost sheet supported on the tray.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus capable of reliably feeding a sheet even when a gap is formed between the sheet and a regulating portion, and an image forming apparatus are provided. A tail end regulating plate 13 regulates a movement of a sheet supported by a tray supporting the sheet so as to be lifted or lowered, and when a gap is formed between the tail end regulating plate 13 and the sheet supported by the tray, tail end regulating projections 18H and 18I which are provided so as to protrude to the gap regulate the movement of the sheet toward the tail end regulating plate 13.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing sets of sheets. The apparatus includes a frame, a hopper for moving a stack of sheets, a pre-singulator for separating a portion of a sheet from the stack, a sheet peeler for peeling part of a pre-singulated sheet from the stack, a sheet picker for gathering peeled sheets into a set, and a sheet discharger for clearing the set of sheets. The sheet peeler may include at least one rotating drum. The sheet picker may include one or more augers.