Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first medium supply unit, a second medium supply unit, and an image forming unit. The image forming unit forms, upon receiving an instruction to print document data for a plural number of sets, an image of the document data on a medium supplied from the first medium supply unit up to a preset number of the plural number of sets and forms an image of the document data on a medium supplied from the second medium supply unit for a remaining number of the plural number of sets.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a tray, a paper feed member, a first detection section, and a second detection section. The tray has a placement surface having an upper surface on which a sheet is placed. The paper feed member is arranged on an entrance side of a sheet conveyance path and conveys the sheet in a conveyance direction. The first detection section detects a leading end side in the conveyance direction of the sheet placed on the placement surface. The second detection section detects a trailing end side in the conveyance direction of the sheet placed on the placement surface. The second detection section is arranged at an end section of the tray on a trailing end side in the conveyance direction.

Abstract: An image displaying apparatus includes a control unit and a display unit. The image displaying apparatus is connected to an image reading apparatus that includes a multifeed detecting mechanism. The control unit includes a display control unit that displays (i) an image of a medium which is read by the image reading apparatus and in which multifeed is detected by the multifeed detecting mechanism and (ii) a multifeed detected portion detected by the multifeed detecting mechanism on the display unit.

Abstract: In a sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus of the present invention having stable performance without occurrence of double-feeding and non-feeding regardless of a type of sheet, a sheet holding portion which distorts a sheet as restricting sheet movement in a sheet drawing direction by pressing the upper face of sheets stacked on a bottom plate of a sheet cassette is disposed to the downstream in the sheet drawing direction of a feeding roller which is capable of performing forward and reverse rotation and a sheet holding position by the sheet holding portion is set to be closer to the feeding roller with decrease of sheet stiffness.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a sheet storing portion storing sheets stacked on a stacking surface thereof; a feeding roller feeding each of the sheets by rotating while being in contact with a topmost one of the sheets; a support member having a support surface that supports downstream-side part, in a sheet feeding direction, of the sheets and, at the time of sheet feeding, being movable perpendicularly to the stacking surface while lifting the downstream-side part of the sheets with the topmost sheet kept in contact with the feeding roller; and a stopper member configured to come into contact with leading ends of some sheets to be fed by the feeding roller and to stop sheets other than the topmost sheet. The support surface of the support member slopes upward, with respect to the stacking surface, toward a downstream side in the sheet feeding direction.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a separation roller having a circumferential surface that contacts a first sheet to be fed first among stacked sheets and picks up the first sheet and one or more second sheets adjacent to the first sheet, a separation arm that is closer to the circumferential surface of the separation roller downstream in a feeding direction and configured to apply higher frictional resistance to the second sheets than the first sheet to feed the first sheet ahead of the second sheets, and a guide member including a guide portion that has a lower-friction surface than the separation arm and extends from the separation arm with a distal end thereof in contact with or close to the circumferential surface of the separation roller. The guide portion guides the first and second sheets along the circumferential surface of the separation roller.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device, which is configured to feed stacked sheets one by one in a sheet feed direction, is provided with a sheet tray configured to accommodate the stacked sheets, a feed-out roller protruded from the sheet tray and configured to feed the stacked sheets from the sheet tray, a feed-out nip member arranged above and opposite to the feed-out roller, the feed-out nip member being configured to contact an uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets and bias the sheets toward the feed-out roller, a separation unit located on a downstream side, in the sheet feed direction, of the feed-out roller, the separation unit separating a lowermost sheet from the stacked sheets fed by the feed-out roller, and a friction member configured to contact the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets at a position different from a position where the feed-out nip member contacts the uppermost sheet.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is provided to separate a sheet from a plurality of stacked sheets and feed the sheet. The sheet feeding device includes a sheet stacking portion on which the sheets are stacked, a suction conveyance belt which separates the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, one by one and feeds the sheet, and a separation rotating roller which is rotatable upon abutting on a rear portion, in a feeding direction, of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion. The separation rotating roller rotates in a direction which returns the sheet in synchronization with sheet feeding operation performed by the suction conveyance belt.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a feed tray including a bottom plate configured to hold a sheet, a feed roller configured to feed the sheet in a first direction from the feed tray to a first conveying path, and a pressing member configured to press the sheet in the feed tray against the bottom plate of the feed tray. The pressing member includes a contact portion configured to contact the sheet in the feed tray, and a first guide positioned at a downstream end of the pressing member in the first direction. The first guide extends between the downstream end and the contact portion obliquely with respect to the bottom plate, such that a distance between the bottom plate and the first guide increases along the first direction. The first guide is positioned upstream of the feed roller in the first direction.

Abstract: A tabbed sheet table is detachably attached to a lifting and lowering tray when a tabbed sheet is fed. A tabbed sheet regulating member is provided in a side surface on an upstream side in a sheet feeding direction of the tabbed sheet table while being movable in a vertical direction. The tabbed sheet regulating member includes an abutting portion and a contacting portion. The abutting portion is vertically extended, and the abutting portion abuts on a tab of the tabbed sheet. The contacting portion is extended along the tabbed sheet table, and the contacting portion is contacted on the top-most tabbed sheet placed on the tabbed sheet table. In lifting a tray, a length in a vertical direction of the tabbed sheet is set such that a state in which the regulating member is contacted on the tabbed sheet is maintained irrespective of the lifting of the tray.

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 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 fastener injector (18) includes a plurality of tubes (86) operable to transfer a plurality of different sizes and types of fasteners (20) in a desired orientation. The injector also includes a receiver (88) operable to receive the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation from the tubes (86). The receiver (88) includes a plurality of receiver fingers (90) operable to receive the fasteners (20) from the tubes (86) and retain the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation. An injector blade (106) is operable to transfer the fasteners (20) in the desired orientation from the receiver (88) to a fastener installation device.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a feeding roller that is driven to rotate, and a base plate to stack sheets thereupon. The sheet feeding device is configured to rotate around a supporting axis thereof in directions to contact and separate from the feeding roller. A base plate pressing member is configured to press the base plate toward the feeding roller, such that an uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the base plate contacts the feeding roller in order to be fed by the feeding roller. A first friction device is arranged in a vicinity of a first part of an upper surface of the base plate so as to oppose the feeding roller. The first friction device is configured to provide a bottom sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the base plate with a first frictional resistance greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: An improved insert hopper for use in conjunction with the insert feeding device of a document handling apparatus such as a mail insertion machine. The insert hopper includes a support deck, a front registration member, and a backstop member. A bottom support plate for the insert hopper has an outer surface constructed of a low-friction material such as PTFE, chrome, or finished stainless steel. One or more wedge blocks are mounted on the support deck. Each wedge block has an insert support surface supporting a trailing edge of the lowermost insert of an insert stack loaded in the insert hopper. The insert hopper can optionally have a tilted orientation with respect to the vertical.

Abstract: A paper feeding roller is provided in the vicinity of a first widthwise end of a transporting path extending to a recording apparatus. A hopper, for stacking a plurality of sheets of paper, includes an aligning face, on which leading ends of the stacked sheets are abutted to be aligned with each other. The aligning face is narrowed from a first side end thereof to a second side end thereof. Here, the first side end is in the vicinity of the first widthwise end of the transporting path, and the second side end is in the vicinity of a second widthwise end of the transporting path. The hopper includes a guide face provided on the first side end of the aligning face so as to extend parallel with the transporting path.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for delivery of sheet media to a printer includes a chassis, a drive motor, a media tray with elevatable pressure plate, a plurality of pick rollers situated opposite movable pinch rollers that come into contact with the pick rollers to form a roller assembly therebetween when in an extended position. A movable separator forms a throat between one of the pick rollers and the leading edge of the separator when it is in an extended position. A common transmission is used to simultaneously position the pinch rollers, separator, and the pressure plate. The apparatus also includes a media retarder for preventing multiple sheets of media from advancing through the apparatus at the same time. The method includes delaying the rotation of the pick rollers until a stack of media has been raised to press against the pick rollers, and the pinch rollers and separator are in an extended position.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for optimizing a production output of a processing device for processing flat articles, the processing device including at least one processing arrangement for receiving and processing the flat articles and which has function parameters controllable through actuators. Actual values of the function parameters are detected. Deviations of the actual values of the function parameters from set values are thereafter evaluated according to an empirically determined algorithm. A correction value for at least one of the actuators is calculated based on results of the above evaluation, and the actuator is operated based on the correction value for controlling the function parameters.

Abstract: A printing machine is described that includes a rotary plate for decollating top sheet from a stack of sheets by turning the top sheet so as to expose a second sheet. The machine also has a clamping finger that tilts into position to hold the second sheet once the top sheet has been turned. The top sheet is then turned back to the original position, aligned with the feed direction.

Abstract: A paper feeder in a printer comprises a bottom recording paper guide, an extreme end recording paper guide, a roller, and a mechanism for transferring paper. The bottom recording paper guide is inclined in the paper feeding direction at an angle in the range of ten degrees to thirty degrees.

Abstract: In a sheet feeding and separating system for feeding sheets downstream from a stack of sheets in a sheet stacking tray, with an sheet retard system having a sheet kickback, a sheet kickback control system comprising a high friction surface member, such as an EPDM elastomer, mounted in the sheet stacking tray extending vertically above the sheet stack supporting surface and sloping downwardly at a small angle in the downstream direction. This raised and sloping high friction surface member is positioned upstream of the sheet feeding and separating system to underlie the upstream end of the stack of sheets in the sheet stacking tray and to frictionally engage and retard upstream kickback movement of the bottom sheet of the stack of sheets by the sheet retard system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet convey apparatus with a sheet stacking plate, supply roller for conveying a sheet from the sheet stacking plate, a separating device for separating or supplying the conveyed sheet to a treatment portion, a conveyer for conveying the sheet on the treatment portion, a discharger for discharging the sheet from the treatment portion onto the sheet stacking plate again, and an apparatus body cover. The sheet stacking plate cooperates with the cover to form a substantially horizontal sheet stacking surface and is arranged immediately above the conveyor.

Abstract: A sheet separating and feeding device for use as a component of a sheet processing apparatus is disclosed in which a first feeding device acts on the top of a stack of sheets to feed the top sheet toward a take away feeder for removal from the stack, during which a retaining force is applied to the upper surface of the exposed trailing edge portion of the next to top sheet to apply a retaining force thereto and to the rest of the stack, and simultaneously lifts the first feeding device off of the top sheet to remove the normal force from the weight of this device from the stack. When the top sheet is entirely removed from the stack, the first feeding device is lowered to engage the new top sheet and the retaining force is removed therefrom so that it can be fed to the take away feeder.

Abstract: A multifeed resistance system 90 which is a simple and low cost modification of known non-retard type bottom sheet separator/feeders, especially a vacuum feeder 17 in which the stack 14 of sheets is fluffed by an air knife 18 and the front area of the bottom sheet 98 is pulled down by vacuum and fed vacuum out from the bottom of the stack 14 with the corrugating vacuum belt feeder 17 and there fed out of the tray 16 from underneath the stack 14. A limited area of special multifeed resisting or retarding member 92 under the rear area of the stack 14 has been found to be effective in resisting multifeeds, yet not interfere with effective bottom sheet sequential feeding. One or more areas of the double feeding resistance member 92 overly the rear or upstream portion of the stack supporting bottom surface 15 of the stacking tray 16. This is an oriented (one-way) fiber mat, cloth or pad material, the fibers 94 of which are angled upstream (oriented towards the rear of the tray 16).

Abstract: A scuff sheet separating mechanism includes a device for gripping the rear portion of a stack of sheets, not including the one being fed, and pulling the portion gripped away from a sheet separating nip until the sheet is fed. The device includes a pair of fingers which are periodically closed and then laterally reciprocated to grip the stack and pull it away from the nip and move it back into position to separate another sheet. This mechanism is particularly useful in the intermediate tray of a copier or similar apparatus to prevent toner on one side of the sheet being fed from scraping off onto an adjoining sheet because of the force between a scuff device and a feed mechanism.

Abstract: An air floatation bottom feeder employing a whip or paddle/impact feeder to positively separate single sheets from the bottom of the sheet stack and prevent multifeeds or mis-feeds, the air floatation feature being utilized to provide air bearings above and below the sheet being fed while at the same time, a portion of the air floatation jets which are canted move the bottom sheet toward side and rear registration edges for accurate positioning of the sheet.