Abstract: An ATM includes a sheet driving system with a sheet path along which sheets travel, and sheet sensors and sheet drive mechanisms adjacent the sheet path. One sheet drive mechanism is disposed apart from another sheet drive mechanism in a direction relative to the sheet path, and each sheet drive mechanism is selectively operative to change relative speed and direction of movement of disposed areas of a sheet as the sheet travels adjacent to the sheet drive mechanisms along the sheet path. A control system is responsive to sensing a sheet with a sensor to selectively actuate a sheet drive mechanism to change the position of the sheet relative to the sheet path.

Abstract: An ATM includes a sheet driving system with a sheet path along which sheets travel, and sheet sensors and sheet drive mechanisms adjacent the sheet path. One sheet drive mechanism is disposed apart from another sheet drive mechanism in a direction relative to the sheet path, and each sheet drive mechanism is selectively operative to change relative speed and direction of movement of disposed areas of a sheet as the sheet travels adjacent to the sheet drive mechanisms along the sheet path. A control system is responsive to sensing a sheet with a sensor to selectively actuate a sheet drive mechanism to change the position of the sheet relative to the sheet path.

Abstract: A device for separating cards in single sheet includes: a support frame, and a driving shaft movably mounted on the support frame, a separating wheel being provided on the driving shaft. The driving shaft is movable freely up and down on the support frame, and an elastic component is provided between the driving shaft and the support frame. The elastic component has one end fixed to the support frame, and another end mounted on the driving shaft, which allows the separating wheel to always keep a downward pressure to cards under the action of an elastic force. The elastic component in contact with the driving shaft provides downward pressure to the driving shaft, thus the separating wheel always keeps downward pressure to the cards under the action of the elastic force.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sewing machine that can actuary detect a physical amount of a movement of a fabric without depending on an estimated value. Thus, thread tension can be precisely adjusted. A sewing machine 1 includes a spherical body 22a exposed partly from a needle plate 2. The spherical body 22a is rotated following a feed of a fabric 100. The rotation of the spherical body 22a is detected by rotary encoders 22c, 22d. A physical amount of the movement of the fabric 100 is calculated based on a detection result of the rotary encoders 22c, 22d. The physical amount of the movement of the fabric 100 is, for example, a moving amount and a moving speed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a corrugated paperboard sheet feeding apparatus which comprises: a plurality of sheet feeding rollers rotatable to feed a bottommost one of a plurality of stacked corrugated paperboard sheets; an up-and-down member movable up and down with respect to the plurality of sheet feeding rollers; a drive motor; a motion conversion mechanism configured to convert a unidirectional rotation of the drive motor into a motion for causing the up-and-down member to be moved up and lowered, and transmit the converted motion to the up-and-down member; and an up-and-down control section configured to perform variable speed control for the unidirectional rotation of the drive motor, according to a given up-and-down speed control pattern, wherein the up-and-down control section is operable to change the up-and-down speed control pattern in conformity to a sheet length of the corrugated paperboard sheet in a feeding direction.

Abstract: A tape printer includes a guide portion guiding a label and having a first and a second guide portion. The first guide portion is arranged on a first end portion side with respect to a central line in a width direction of a feed path such that the portion does not include the central line in the width direction. The second guide portion is arranged on a second end portion side in the width direction such that the portion includes the central line. When a connecting portion connecting the first and the second guide portion is taken as a reference, the first guide portion is formed such that a height of the first guide portion substantially increases toward the first end portion side in the width direction. The second guide portion is formed such that a height of the second guide portion is substantially uniform in the width direction.

Abstract: A front-edge paper feeding device is applicable for automatically conveying a stack of cardboards one by one. During operation, the stack of cardboards is placed on a grid plate, and a control element is provided for controlling the grid plate to elevate and descend reciprocally. When the grid plate elevates, the cardboards are separated from a conveyor wheel. When the grid plate descends, the conveyor wheel is exposed, such that the conveyor wheel is in contact with the cardboard. A servomotor is provided for controlling intermittent rotations of the transmission shaft while driving the conveyor wheel, so that the conveyor wheel drives the cardboard to move in order to convey and output the cardboard smoothly.

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 suction wheel attracts sheets by suction and transports them. The suction wheel contains a suction wheel body rotatable about an axis of rotation and provided with a plurality of suction openings formed in the circumferential surface of the suction wheel body. Accordingly, the suction wheel body is of a non-circular shape. In particular, the suction wheel includes an attraction area for attracting a sheet, a retaining area for retaining and conveying a sheet, and a release area for releasing a sheet. A sheet feeder ideally incorporates such a suction wheel.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a suction fan unit, a conveyor belt, a plurality of sheet-pressing rollers, and a control unit. The conveyor belt conveys a recording sheet suctioned by the suction fan unit, to a printer part. The sheet-pressing rollers are arranged at intervals in a main scanning direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the recording sheet by the conveyor belt, and press the recording sheet onto the conveyor belt before the recording sheet is conveyed to the printer part. When a type of the recording sheet is a type meeting a predetermined condition, the control unit controls a suction strength of a suction fan unit such that a suction strength at both end portions of the suction part in the main scanning direction is higher than a suction strength at a central portion of the suction part in the main scanning direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding printed sheets to a conveying device, with a gripper drum that has at least one gripper for removing the printed sheets one at a time from a stack; a pocket is permanently mounted essentially in the peripheral area of the gripper drum wherein the printed sheets are aligned against a stop with the fold forward and set down on the conveying device with reversal of direction; and with a decelerating device for slowing the speed of the printed sheets downstream towards the stop. The decelerating device has at least one secondary stop, which rotates in the same direction as the gripper drum, has a slower speed than the gripper drum for slowing down the printed sheets, and on which the printed sheets are slowed down upstream of the stop.

Abstract: Disclosed are a sheet conveying device and an ink jet recording apparatus capable of conveying a sheet in close contact with a drum without wrinkles. In a sheet conveying mechanism which presses a pressing roller against the front surface of a sheet being conveyed by a conveying drum to bring the sheet into close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the conveying drum, a back tension application device is provided at a position immediately before the sheet enters between the conveying drum and the pressing roller. The back tension application device sucks the front surface of the sheet to apply back tension to the sheet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent slackness of the sheet which enters between the pressing roller and the conveying drum and to prevent the occurrence of wrinkles.

Abstract: A sheet take-out apparatus includes a supplying structure configured to move a plurality of sheets supplied in a stacking state in a stacking direction and supply a sheet at a leading edge thereof in a movement direction to a take-out position, a take-out structure configured to make contact with the sheet supplied to the take-out position and rotate, thereby taking out the sheet in a direction almost orthogonal to the stacking direction, and move the sheet to a conveying route, a suction structure configured to generate an air current to suck the sheet at the leading edge in the movement direction to the take-out position on an upstream side of a position where the take-out structure makes contact with the sheet in the sheet take-out direction by the take-out structure, and a controller configured to control an operation of the suction structure so as to decrease suction force by the suction structure when the sheet at the leading edge in the movement direction is not taken out by the take-out structure.

Abstract: A sheet supply device including an elevation section for up and down movement of the sheet bundle accommodated on the sheet placement table, blow sections for blowing air to the upper side surface of the sheet bundle to float up the sheet from the aforementioned sheet bundle, and a non-contact sheet detection sensor for detecting the existence or nonexistence of a sheet at the predetermined position of the aforementioned sheet placement table. The elevation drive motor is controlled in such a way as to move the sheet bundle up and down, based on the frequency or ratio of the sheet existence in the detection result of the sheet detection sensor in the operation mode of the blow section.

Abstract: A placing table includes a placing surface on which a substrate is placed; a suction unit which sucks the substrate to the placing surface; a separation unit which separates the substrate from the placing surface; and a rotation unit, being a part of the placing surface and rotating about a vertical axis with respect to the placing surface. In the table, the suction unit sucks the substrate to the placing surface at the rotation unit and the separation unit separates the substrate from a part of the placing surface excluding the rotation unit if the rotation unit is rotated.

Abstract: A paper feeding mechanism includes a vacuum absorption variable-speed paper feeding mechanism and a vacuum absorption constant-speed paper feeding mechanism, two edge pressing wheels are installed on a edge pressing paper feeding shaft arranged above a constant-speed paper feeding wheel in the middle, the gaps between the edge pressing wheels and the constant-speed paper feeding wheel in the middle are smaller than the thickness of a paper board, and the distance between the two edge pressing wheels is adjusted by moving on the edge pressing paper feeding wheel shaft.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, the image forming apparatus includes, an endless device having a plurality of suction holes, and a negative pressure chamber which communicates with the suction holes, a rotation mechanism which rotates the endless device, a suction mechanism which discharges air in the negative pressure chamber, an opening and closing mechanism which has a switching blade which opens and closes the suction holes, a driving mechanism which moves the switching blade to a first position and a second position, a recording head unit, a supply mechanism which supplies the recording medium to the endless device, and a controller. If the switching blade moves to the first position, the suction holes are shut. If the switching blade moves to the second position, the suction holes communicate with the negative pressure chamber. The controller drives the opening and closing mechanism according to the size of the recording medium.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a pickup device includes a separation mechanism for applying, to a to-be-subsequently-fed mail item picked up from accumulated mail items, a separation force exerting in a direction opposite to a mail item pickup direction. The separation mechanism comprises an outer drum with suction holes that face the to-be-subsequently-fed mail item during rotation, an inner drum provided inside and concentric with the outer drum and having air holes that overlap with the suction holes during rotation, a pump for drawing air through the suction holes facing the to-be-subsequently-fed mail item and the air holes overlapping with them to attach the to-be-subsequently-fed mail item to the outer peripheral surface of the outer drum. A controller rotates the inner and outer drums in association with each other to apply a sufficient separation force to the to-be-subsequently-fed mail item.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a sheet take out apparatus includes a supply table on which sheets are stacked; a detecting portion configured to detect a state of a top surface of the stacked sheets; a cylindrical take out rotor which is rotatably provided so as to face an end portion on a take out side of a top sheet and partially includes a suction hole to attract the sheet, the take out rotor taking out the sheets one by one by attracting the end portion on the take out side of the sheet with rotation; a suction portion which is provided inside the take out rotor and includes an air hole to attract the sheet through the suction hole, the suction portion provided so as to allow the air hole to rotationally move between a first opening position and a second opening position, the first opening position having a first distance away from the end portion on the take out side of the sheet, the second opening position having a second distance, which is longer than the first distance, away from the end portion on the

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus including: a sheet loading table; and an adsorption conveyance section having: multiple belts with through-holes; and an air suction section in an inside of the belts and absorbs air through the through-holes; wherein the conveyance section sucks air, allows the sheet to be adsorbed to the belt, and conveys it; the adsorption conveyance section further includes: a first roller provides driving force to the belts; a second roller rotated by the belts, and a third roller between the first roller and the second roller and rotated by the belts, and the belts are supported by those rollers; and an outer surface of the belts mostly protrudes towards the sheets on the table at a central part of the third roller in a cross section perpendicular to the conveyance direction containing a shaft of the third roller.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting a transportation target medium, including: an endless belt that has a plurality of belt-side suction holes; and a supporting section that has a plurality of supporting-section-side suction holes, wherein a force of suction acts at areas where the belt-side suction holes substantially overlap the supporting-section-side suction holes for transporting the transportation target medium, the belt-side suction holes are arranged at a first pitch in a first direction, the supporting-section-side suction holes are arranged at the first pitch in a second direction, either of the belt-side suction holes and the supporting-section-side suction holes, or both the belt-side suction holes and the supporting-section-side suction holes, are quadrangular holes, and the open width of each of the quadrangular holes is one half of the first pitch.

Abstract: An edge alignment control apparatus for correcting vertical alignment of sheet members is disclosed to include two base units each having multiple first power drives controllable to reciprocate a respective horizontal reciprocating member, and adjustment units arranged between the base units, each adjustment unit having two holder blocks connected to the horizontal reciprocating members of the base units at one same elevation and movable by the respective horizontal reciprocating members horizontally, sheet-transfer rollers pivotally connected between the holder blocks, a bearing board connected between the holder blocks for receiving a sheet member from the sheet-transfer rollers and a suction hood suspending above the bearing board and defining with the bearing board a passage for the passing of a sheet member and controllable to suck up a sheet member from the bearing board for allowing adjustment of the position of the sheet member horizontally subject to the operation of the first power drive.

Abstract: A single sheet handling device (14a to 14d, 30, 200, 252, 270, 350) for the input and the output of rectangular single sheets (38) respectively into and out of a container (12a to 12d). These rectangular single sheets can in particular be banknotes (38). The single sheet handling device (14a to 14d, 30, 200, 252, 270, 350) has a feeding device with feeding elements for the sheet-by-sheet feeding of single sheets (38) and for storing these single sheets (38) in a stack (36) of single sheets in the container (12a to 12d). Further, the single sheet handling device has a separating device with separating elements for the sheet-by-sheet removal of single sheets (38) of the stack (36) from the container (12a to 12d). The feeding elements and the separating elements are arranged separately from the container (12a to 12d).

Abstract: An apparatus for collating or inserting inserts including a raceway for transporting sets of inserts at a raceway transport rate and an insert feed line for feeding an individual insert to each of the sets of inserts on the raceway at the raceway transport rate. The insert feed line having a singulater for separating the individual insert from bundles of inserts at a separation rate, the singulater including a lifter lifting at least one insert from the bundles of inserts, the lifting effecting separation of the individual insert from the bundles of inserts at the separation rate wherein, the singulater has a controller for controlling the singulater separation rate so that the singulater separation rate is variable with respect to a predetermined raceway transport rate, to allow the insert feed line to feed the individual insert to each set of inserts transported on the raceway at the raceway transport rate.

Abstract: A vacuum feeding mechanism for a document handling apparatus, the feeding mechanism comprising: an adjustable pick for separating a stack of documents from a downstream transport system; a rotatable wheel connected to a vacuum port and operable to pull a document by suction from the top of the stack toward the wheel and move the document over the pick to the downstream transport system; the wheel and the pick being separated by a clearance distance; means for determining adjustment coordinates in dependence upon characteristics of a document in the stack; wherein the position of the pick is automatically adjustable in two independent dimensions in dependence upon said adjustment coordinates.

Abstract: A paper sheet feeding device for sequentially feeding, to a conveyance path, mail items simultaneously received includes a suction mechanism provided adjacent to a pickup position. The suction mechanism includes a chamber having an opening opposed to the pickup position, a guide plate provided at the opening of the chamber, and two projections vertically arranged on the surface of the guide plate. When air is drawn from the pickup position through a plurality of suction holes formed in the guide plate, the leading one of the mail items closest to the pickup position is drawn to the pickup position, and is curved between the two projections. A handling nozzle blows air into the space that is formed between the leading mail item and a subsequent mail item when the leading mail item is curved.

Abstract: A method and device for feeding sheets one by one from a stack of sheets to a transportation device are described. The sheet-feeding device comprises a number of parallel, separately driven shafts which are equidistantly spaced from one another and are enclosed in a low-pressure chamber and carry a plurality of feeding wheels. A separating device is arranged above the low-pressure chamber. At least one relieving element is arranged in a vertically displaceable manner between a sheet-supporting position and a non sheet supporting position. Each relieving element is positioned before each wheel shaft and the movement thereof as well as the rotational movement of the wheels are controlled by the control unit depending on the position of the rear edge of the sheet relatively to the wheels.

Abstract: A feeder head assembly is provided for transporting a material in a printing apparatus. The feeder head assembly includes a housing and a cap. The housing is at least partially rotatable about a longitudinal axis. Also, the housing includes an inner hollow chamber and an opening into the chamber. The inner hollow chamber is adapted to be in fluid communication with a vacuum source for decreasing pressure within the chamber. The opening is defined by a rim. The cap is removeably secured to at least a portion of the rim. The cap includes at least one aperture passing therethrough, wherein the at least one aperture is in fluid communication with the vacuum source.

Abstract: A sheet abnormality detection apparatus includes a plurality of abutting members which move upon coming into contact with at least one of sheets conveyed to overlap while being shifted from each other in a convey direction and an object attached to a sheet. The plurality of abutting members are disposed side by side in a direction perpendicular to a sheet convey direction. The apparatus also includes an abnormality detection unit which detects a sheet abnormality on the basis of a relative positional shift among the plurality of abutting members. A sheet abnormality detection method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A label feeder unit associated with a machine for packing tobacco products holds a stack of labels placed in a channel presenting an infeed end, and an outfeed end from which the labels are released to a take-up station, then picked up singly and transferred to a further unit of the machine. The outfeed end of the channel incorporates a transfer mechanism comprising a pair of contrarotating rollers placed on either side of the channel at a distance less than the width of the stack in such a way as to intercept the labels and transfer them to the take-up station, which is movable relative to the outfeed end of the channel under the pressure transmitted to the station by the labels taken up between the rollers. The transfer mechanism forms part of a feedback control loop by which the pressure registering through the labels at the take-up station is kept within prescribed limits.

Abstract: An unstacker device for unstacking flat objects, which device comprises a motor-driven feed magazine controlled so as to move flat objects in a stack and on edge facing an unstacking head provided with a motor-driven drive having a perforated belt and a suction chamber, which motor driven drive is actuated so as to separate a current first object from the stack and so as to eject it in a direction that is transverse to the direction in which the stack of flat objects is moved, in which device the motor-driven drive is actuated and stopped each time a current object is unstacked, and the stack of flat objects is straightened up in the magazine in response to detection of signals delivered by a plurality of sensors disposed in the unstacking head.

Abstract: A sheet take-out apparatus is disclosed that includes a sheet-feeding member on which sheets are placed. The apparatus includes an air spout unit to spout out air towards a right or left side of a front portion of the sheets with respect to a take-out direction of the sheets. A take-out unit takes out one sheet from in a predetermined take-out direction. A depression member depresses the sheets against the sheet-feeding member on a rear portion of the sheets. In addition, a method is disclosed for taking-out sheets by means of a sheet take-out apparatus. The sheet take-out apparatus and method are capable of taking out one necessary sheet at a time, regardless of surface conditions of the sheet.

Abstract: A feed device for stacks of paper or plastic material has at least one transport unit with a supporting member for the stack and at least one transport element. A separating unit with at least one rotatably driven feed drum is provided for removing individual sheets from the stack. The transport unit transports the stack to the separating unit and is pretensioned in the transport direction toward the feed drum such that the stack rests with pretension against the feed drum. The pretension can be provided by a spring acting on the transport unit.

Abstract: Paperboard sheets are fed by a feeder including driven wheels which engage the lowermost sheet of a stack and drive it through the nip rolls of a box-finishing machine in synchronism with the latter. Supporting the sheets is a grate moveable between a raised position wherein the wheels are spaced from the sheet and a lowered position wherein the lowermost sheet engages the wheels and is fed thereby to the nip rolls. Below the grate is a vacuum box for holding the sheet on the wheels. Raising and lowering of the grate is effected by a cam which may be adjusted to vary the feed stroke in accordance with the length of the sheets. For driving the wheels there is provided a dual input drive mechanism including a constant velocity such that when the wheels initially engage the sheet, the wheels are at nearly zero or absolute zero velocity and subsequently the wheels reach a constant velocity for driving the sheet at said constant velocity which is matched with the surface velocity of the nip rolls.

Abstract: An insert feeding assembly includes an insert support, an overlapping feeding assembly, a separating assembly, and a main drive assembly. The insert support provides support for a stack of inserts, the overlapping feeding assembly converts the stack of inserts into an overlapping stream of inserts, and the separating assembly separates individual inserts from the overlapping stream and ejects these separated inserts out of the feeding assembly. The insert support includes an insert plate assembly and an insert guide assembly. The overlapping feeding assembly includes a suction cup assembly, a lap roller drive assembly, and a belt conveyor assembly. The separating mechanism includes a speed up roller assembly. The feeding assembly includes approximately 50% fewer parts than other known feeders and can operate at a printer press speed of approximately 75,000 inserts per hour.

Abstract: A paper sheet take-out apparatus comprises a paper feed table on which paper sheets are placed as a stack, a take-out rotor which absorbs and takes out the uppermost paper sheet placed on the paper feed table, and a positioning mechanism which positions the uppermost paper sheet with respect to the take-out rotor by causing an absorption block to absorb the paper sheet before taking out the uppermost paper sheet.

Abstract: A printing-machine cylinder includes a basic cylinder body and a covering element fitted to the basic cylinder body, one of the basic cylinder body and the covering element being formed with a multiplicity of recesses connectable to one of a suction-air source and a blast-air source and having, in the region of the recesses, through-channels extending from the recesses to the peripheral surface of the covering element and defining blasting/suction sections for acting upon the underside of a sheet conveyed on the peripheral surface of the cylinder; a printing machine Including the cylinder; and a method for producing the cylinder.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing slip sheets from printing plates has two concentric cylinders that are mutually rotatable about a common axis. Suction exerted via two elongated slots separates a deformable sheet from a relatively rigid object to which it is adhered. The deformable sheet is drawn into a recess presented by the two aligned slots. The concentric cylinders are then rotated to grip the deformable sheet between opposing edges of the slots.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for feeding sheets one by one from a stack of sheets to a transportation device. The sheet-feeding device comprises a number of parallel, separately driven shafts which are equidistantly spaced from one another and are enclosed in a first and a second low-pressure chamber and carry a plurality of feeding wheels which protrude through associated openings in the feeding table, which forms the top side of the respective low pressure chambers. A sheet support is arranged above one of the shafts in the first low-pressure chamber, and at least one sensor is arranged at the second low-pressure chamber. The sensor detects the front edge of the fed sheet and sends signals to a control unit for correcting, if necessary, the position of the sheet by controlling the motors associated with the shafts. The invention also relates to a method for feeding sheets.

Abstract: An article feeder includes a feeder bin for holding and advancing a stack of articles. A stripper belt mechanism engages the first article contained in the stack and singularly draws the article from the stack. The stripper belt mechanism includes a source of vacuum for drawing vacuum onto the first article. A biasing mechanism biases the stripper belt mechanism against the stack of articles and applies back pressure thereto. The biasing mechanism is adjustable for varying the back pressure against the stack of articles to accommodate articles of varying thickness. A method for operating an article feeder is also disclosed.

Abstract: This invention involves an apparatus which is able to payout surly and speedily sheet bodies one by one, while minimizing the overall dimensions of the apparatus and with a simplified structure. This present invention is an apparatus for paying out a sheet body which comprises at least a suction device which has an opening to absorb a sheet body, and a sending out device to send out the sheet body which is absorbed on this suction device, resisting to the absorption.

Abstract: A taking part has a taking unit that comes in contact with the piled sheets to generate a taking force and to take the sheets one by one with the taking force. A movable lever is arranged in a side of the taking unit with respect to the piled sheets, and a driving unit gives a driving force in a linear or rotational direction to the movable lever. A force controller controls the driving force given to the movable lever by the driving unit. A detecting unit detects a position of the movable lever, and a sheet supplying unit supplies the piled sheets to the taking unit. A sheet supplying unit controller controls the sheets supplying unit on the basis of the position of the movable lever detected by the detecting unit. The sheets are pressed by the lever at a preparatory step, and then the sheets are lifted and pressed to the taking unit while canceling the driving force by the lever. The sheet and the taking unit are assured to become in good contact with each other to make the taking operation stable.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus is disclosed for feeding astride signatures (3) to a collection path. The signatures (3) are removed from a magazine (4) with a conveyor drum (6) and transferred to an opening device (16). The transport speed of the signature lifted from the magazine (4) is first increased relative to a circumferential speed of the conveyor drum, in order to lengthen the time interval until the next signature (3) is removed. Thereafter, the transport speed of the signature (3) is decreased again either before or inside a region of the discharge location or in a capture region of the opening device, whereby the signature (3) is moved again in the opposite direction with respect to the circumference of the conveyor drum.

Abstract: An apparatus has a paper cassette capable of accommodating a recording medium such as large-size recording sheets or OHP film, and an accommodating unit capable of accommodating recording sheets such as plain paper. The types of recording sheets that are accommodated in the paper cassette and accommodating unit are sensed by paper sensors. If the recording sheets accommodated in the paper cassette are large in size or consist of resin film, then one of these recording sheets is attracted by suction using a suction cup and is thus fed from the paper cassette. If the recording sheets accommodated in the accommodating unit are plain paper, one of these recording sheets is extracted from the accommodating unit by a rotating separation roller. The paper cassette and the accommodating unit are respectively provided with a feed unit relying upon the suction cup and a feed unit relying upon the separation roller.

Abstract: A recording/reading apparatus includes a recording/reading device for recording or reading information on sheets, a suction cup for picking up an object by suction, with the suction cup having an air outlet hole, a container having an inner space that is closed except for an opening for connection with the air outlet hole. The container has a flexible portion, and the volume of the inner space is variable through deformation of the flexible portion. Also provided is a driving device for deformation-driving of the container and a hollow member for connecting the opening for connection with the air outlet hole of the suction cup.

Abstract: A sheet feed assembly for feeding sheets from a stack comprises a vacuum feed device which is movable to feed a sheet from the stack in the feed direction while the sheet is held on the feed device under vacuum. A sheet holding device is spaced from the vacuum feed device adjacent the stack in use for selectively preventing sheets from being fed from the stack. A control device coupled to the vacuum feed device and to the sheet holding device selectively supplies a vacuum to the vacuum feed device to cause the device to feed a sheet and, at substantially the same time, to deactivate the sheet holding device so as to allow a single sheet to be fed by the vacuum feed device.

Abstract: A rotating separator disk is movable between sheet material articles in a stack of sheet material articles. A variable speed drive which is connected with the separator disk and rotates the separator disk. The variable speed drive is operable to vary the speed of rotation of the separator disk between a high speed and a low speed during each revolution of the separator disk. First and second restrictor members engage a sheet material article in the stack of sheet material articles. A suction applicator head is operable to disengage one sheet material article from the first restrictor member. A leading edge of the rotating separator disk is then moved between the one sheet material article and an adjacent sheet material article. As this occurs, the speed of rotation of the separator disk is increased and the one sheet material article is disengaged from the second restrictor member by the separator disk.

Abstract: A paperboard processing machine is disclosed for printing and otherwise processing sheets of paperboard, such as corrugated container blanks, and in which the sheets are conveyed from one section of the machine to another section by one or more vacuum transfer systems. Each vacuum transfer system comprises an enclosure which is closed by a closure plate for creating a subatmospheric pressure, which pressure forces the sheets into frictional engagement with the reaches of a plurality of conveyor belts whereby the sheets are transported without contact of the opposite side of the sheet not contacted by the conveyor reach.

Abstract: A sheet guide surface is provided with an air intake port through which a circumferential portion of a fan rotor of a fan for drawing air radially inwardly through the air intake port projects above the sheet guide surface so that the sheet is drawn onto the sheet guide surface at the position of the air intake port while contacting the circumferential portion of the fan rotor thereby being applied with a flexible driving force in the sheet transfer direction due to the rotation of the fan rotor.

Abstract: A self-mailer machine for producing self-adhered mailers from single sheets has improved vacuum feed for high operating speed and larger batch loading than has been previously available. The machine also has an improved glue reservoir system wherein glue is provided in sealed containers to be punctured at the time of loading the glue to the reservoir. Optional features are a forms compactor to keep glued forms together until glue sets, and a rotator/perforator for rotating forms at high speed to perforate lines at a right angle to previously perforated lines.