Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can perform stable sheet conveyance, regardless of whether a sheet processing apparatus is connected thereto. The image forming apparatus can be connected to a sheet processing apparatus that performs post processing on each conveyed sheet. The image forming apparatus includes: a pair of discharge rollers that are located at the discharge outlet of the image forming main body for sheet conveyance, and have rotational members arranged so as to alternately face both sides of each sheet in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and an upper discharge roller holding member that changes the center distance between the discharge rollers from a first center distance observed when the sheet processing apparatus is not connected to the image forming main body to a second center distance observed when the sheet processing apparatus is connected to the image forming main body to convey a sheet to the sheet processing apparatus.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sheet media input tray comprises a base and opposing sidewalls. The base includes a first feature configured to support sheet media lying flat in the tray and a second feature intersecting the first feature across the width of the tray. The intersection between the first feature and the second feature defines an elongated fulcrum along which media sheets can bend when pressed against the base. In another embodiment, a sheet media input tray comprises a first elevated sheet supporting surface, a depressed portion immediately adjacent to and downstream from the first sheet supporting surface, and a second elevated sheet supporting surface immediately adjacent to and downstream from the depressed portion. The depressed portion spans the full width of sheet media that may be supported in the tray and the second sheet supporting surface lies in the same plane as the first sheet supporting surface.

Abstract: A printer 1 includes a sheet storage unit 6 in which a stack of sheets can be set, a pickup roller 12 which contacts one side of the stack of sheets set in the sheet storage unit 6, and a lid 10 which covers the other side of the stack of sheets. In this structure, each sheet 7 is conveyed toward a print mechanism unit 14 by the revolution of the pickup roller 12. The printer 1 is provided with first ribs 10a and a second rib 3a which forcibly curl the sheets 7 set in the sheet storage unit 6 in the sheet width direction.

Abstract: An entrance guide for externally fed sheet (4) to printer (1) is configured to bow the sheets. In one embodiment guides (5a, 5aa) within slot 7 have upper and lower configurations which force sheet into a bow. In one embodiment slot (7a) is bowed and is sufficiently narrow in height to only accept a bowed sheet. The bowed sheets do not sag against the printer (1), which aids in sheet registration.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a sheet media input tray comprises a base and opposing sidewalls. The base includes a first feature configured to support sheet media lying flat in the tray and a second feature intersecting the first feature across the width of the tray. The intersection between the first feature and the second feature defines an elongated fulcrum along which media sheets can bend when pressed against the base. In another embodiment, a sheet media input tray comprises a first elevated sheet supporting surface, a depression portion immediately adjacent to and downstream from the first sheet supporting surface, and a second elevated sheet supporting surface immediately adjacent to and downstream from the depressed portion. The depression portion spans the full width of sheet media that may be supported in the tray and the second sheet supporting surface lies in the same plane as the first sheet supporting surface.

Abstract: A substrate manager for a substrate exposure machine is used, in one example, as a platesetter. As such, it comprises a substrate storage system, containing one or more stacks of substrates, such as plates in one implementation. A substrate picker is provided for picking substrates from the stack of substrates. The substrates are then handed to a transfer system that conveys the substrates to an imaging engine. According to the invention, a substrate inverter system is also provided. This system inverts the substrates from being imaging or emulsion side down to emulsion side up in the present implementation. This allows plates, for example, which are stored emulsion side down in cassettes to be flipped to an emulsion side up orientation, and then transferred, using the substrate transfer system to the imaging engine. This flipping process has two advantages. First, the plates can be emulsion side up during the transfer. This prevents any damage to the sensitive plate emulsions.

Abstract: An apparatus for extracting and conveying a printing plate. The apparatus includes separation plates disposed at corners of a cassette accommodating at least printing plates. Air enters between an uppermost printing plate that is extracted and an underlying printing plate or an interleaf sheet, thereby separating the uppermost printing plate from the underlying printing plate or the interleaf sheet. Guide rails disposed above the cassette are parallel to a bottom of the cassette. Movable/rotatable bodies are disposed on the guide rails so as to be movable along the guide rails and be rotated about 180° within moving ranges, such that the uppermost printing plate is sent into an exposure section with an emulsion surface of the printing plate facing up.

Abstract: An implementation of a technology is described herein for automatically determining the heat-conductive properties of print media. More particularly, described herein is a technology for indirectly and automatically determining the heat-conductive properties of print media by determining the stiffness of print media, such as acetate and paper. At least one embodiment, described herein, includes a registration assembly of a laser printer. In this assembly, the print medium is deflected (i.e., bent, bowed, buckled, etc.). A measurement of such deflection is made. That measurement is an indication of the relative stiffness of the print medium. Assuming approximately similar densities, the stiffness of print media is directly related to its thickness. The thicker the medium the stiffer it is and vice versa. The thickness of print media is directly related to its heat conductivity.

Abstract: A system and method for feeding and transporting documents are provided. The system includes a feeder stage including a hopper, a feeder and a separator. The hopper includes a hopper wall extending toward the feeder with a waterfall step along the hopper wall and with the stack of documents engaging the hopper wall including the waterfall step to form a pocket area over a limited distance extending from the waterfall step along the hopper wall toward the feeder. A photo edge detector located in the pocket area faces the stack of documents such that when a feeding document trailing edge passes the waterfall step, the trailing edge is detected by the photo edge detector while in the pocket area. The system further includes a transport stage downstream of the feeder stage for receiving the fed documents.

Abstract: The invention is a magnet for facilitating separation of individual sheets from a stack of ferro-magnetic sheets; the invention is in the form of an elongate housing containing an elongate array of magnets which may be selectively positioned in relation to the housing so as to bring the array in proximity to the edge of the stack of ferro-magnetic sheets, thereby inducing a magnetic field in said sheets and causing the sheets to separate, thereby facilitating manipulation of the uppermost sheet from the stack.

Abstract: An ADF with simple structure includes an input tray and elastic film. The input tray is for receiving a document to be fed and the elastic film disposed upon the input tray is for supporting the document to be fed by bounce. The elastic film includes a jointing portion for fixing the elastic film onto the input tray and a supporting portion forming an angle with the input tray for supporting the document to be fed. The elastic film further includes a bending portion, wherein one end of the bending portion connects to the supporting portion and the other end of bending portion bends towards the input tray.

Abstract: A thermal printer includes a thermal printer component for image recording to a thermosensitive recording sheet. There is a loading opening through which the thermal printer component is supplied with the recording sheet. Plural guiding projections position the recording sheet in the loading opening. A recording sheet package includes a packaging case for containing a loose stack of plural recording sheets. The loading opening is loadable with the packaging case. A package outlet is formed in the packaging case for passage of each recording sheet, and set directed toward the thermal printer component. Plural cutouts are formed in a periphery of the packaging case, and receive the guiding projections. Blocking portions of a blocking frame are disposed inside the packaging case, and close the cut-outs. The blocking portions are shiftable inwards from the cutouts by the guiding projections.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of sheet feed units each for feeding a sheet, a single pair of registration rollers provided at the upstream side of the image formation site where an image is formed on the sheet with respect to the direction of sheet conveyance, for conveying the sheet in accordance with the timing of forming the image on the sheet, and a plurality pair of loop forming rollers provided in correspondence with the plurality of sheet feed units respectively at the upstream side of the pair of registration rollers with respect to the direction of sheet conveyance. Each of the plurality pair of loop forming rollers is controlled in a manner such that a loop is formed between each of the plurality pair of loop forming rollers and the pair of registration rollers.

Abstract: The pile of cut sheets (11) are fed one by one, being separated by a friction member (33) which is backed away by a cut sheet (11) advanced thereto by the action of a feeding roller (31). The static friction coefficient between the friction member (33) and a standard sheet of fine paper is set to be 1.0 to 1.5, so as to provide enough amount of frictional force to the interface between the friction member (33) and the cut sheets (11) to ensure the separation of the cut sheets (11).

Abstract: An automated banking machine (10) identifies and stores documents such as currency bills deposited by a user. The machine then selectively recovers such documents from storage and dispenses them to other users. The machine includes a central transport (70) wherein documents deposited in a stack are unstacked, oriented and identified. Such documents are then routed to storage areas in recycling canisters (92, 94, 96, 98). When a user subsequently requests a dispense, documents stored in the storage areas are selectively picked therefrom and delivered to the user through an input/output area (50) of the machine.

Abstract: A sheet feeding device for a printer, e.g., a stencil printer including an ink drum with a master wrapped therearound and a press drum one of which is pressed against the other during printing is disclosed. The sheet feeding device is capable of feeding a sheet at a preselected speed without regard to a print speed varying every moment due to various factors particular to an ink drum driveline, i.e., whether a set print speed is higher than a standard print speed or lower than the same. This successfully obviates the short loop of a sheet which would result in a skew or a feed failure. In addition, the device reduces noise at print speeds lower than the standard print speed and used more often than the other print speeds.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a media tray for an imaging apparatus for receiving a sheet of media. The media tray includes a base having a first side region and a second side region, a first sheet support member, a second sheet support member, a first mechanism, a second mechanism, and a force applying mechanism. The first and second mechanisms pivotally couple the first and second sheet support members to the side regions of the base, respectively. The force applying mechanism applies a force on the first and second sheet support members such that each of the first and second sheet support members diverge upwardly and outwardly from the base. The force applying mechanism includes a first cam member or first spring mechanism positioned between the first sheet support member and the base and a second cam member or second spring mechanism positioned between the second sheet support member and the base.

Abstract: A label support for an integrated label, which includes a label portion and a thinner paper portion, includes a base having a support surface with its rear end higher than its front. When the label support is supported by a support surface of a media support tray, its front end is closest to an inclined dam of the media support tray. The label support has at least its rear end spaced from the support surface of the media support tray. In one embodiment, the base of the label support has a first substantially horizontal portion connected by an inclined portion to a second substantially horizontal portion, which rests on the support surface of the media support tray. This embodiment extends for less than the length of the support surface of the media support tray for sliding along the support surface of the media support tray to accommodate varying lengths of the integrated label.

Abstract: A bottom feed newspaper hopper utilizes a shuttle plate that reciprocates across the bottom of a stack of the papers to partially eject each successive lowermost newspaper from the stack during each feed stroke and present it to high speed nip rollers. The rollers grasp the leading edge of the partially ejected newspaper and quickly withdraw it the rest of the way from the stack. The stack of newspapers rests upon a fore-and-aft narrow rail on the shuttle plate so that a stiffening ridge is created in the body of the lowermost paper and at least several papers thereabove. During each feed stroke, a stop at the front of the hopper permits the lowermost paper to exit from the hopper but blocks similar movement of the second paper and all those above it. The stop is offset laterally from the path of travel of the rail so that the area immediately above the rail is open and unrestricted, allowing the peak of the ridge to pass out of the hopper even if the paper has an accidentally rolled up, fat leading edge.

Abstract: A sheet feeder unit being capable of separately supplying cut sheets of any thickness without causing any residual deformation. Cut sheets (11) in a pile are advanced one by one with a pair of feeding rollers (31) contacting thereto from one side thereof. A friction member (33) is disposed in the middle between the pair of feeding rollers (31) which is backed away by a proceeding cut sheet (11) thereby separating the outermost cut sheet (11) from the other sheets by the frictional force of contact therebetween.

Abstract: A curl eliminator for eliminating a curl from paper to be printed by a printer. The printer has a paper feeder including a paper tray for storage of the paper on a ferric top surface of the paper tray and for feeding the paper into the printer for subsequent printing. The curl eliminator has an elongated strip disposed at the top surface of the paper tray such that it opposes the curl of the paper thereby tending to flatten the curl. The curl eliminator also has a magnetic strip fastened to the elongated strip for mounting the elongated strip to the top surface of the paper tray. The elongated strip is mounted to the top surface of the paper tray by a magnetic attraction between the magnetic strip and the top surface of the paper tray. Also provided are a paper tray and printer having the curl eliminator of the present invention.

Abstract: A suction device for feeding sheets of material comprises a housing (38) connectable by a pipe (40) to a vacuum device and having apertures (54a, 54b, 54c, 54d, 58) through which a suction effect can be created. An eccentric roller (46) imparts a corrugation to the attracted sheet. The apertures are shaped and located so that there is a boost in the suction exerted on the sheet at the time that it is distorted. Continuous and pulsed air flows are used as well as aids to separate sheets individually from a stack.

Abstract: A paper feeder comprises a control unit; a pair of side plates; a feed module having two or more separate feed rollers; a transport module having two or more separate transport rollers; a pusher module having a belt assembly and at least one pusher roller disposed under the belt assembly, the belt assembly further having two or more parallel shafts and two or more belts each having a protrusion and fitted on the shafts, the protrusions corresponding to each other; a first driving mechanism having a first motor and a first transmission mechanism, the first motor being connected to the first transmission mechanism which is in turn connected to at least one of the feed rollers; a second driving mechanism having a second motor and a second transmission mechanism, the second motor being connected to the second transmission mechanism which is in turn connected to at least one of the pusher rollers; a third driving mechanism having a third motor and a third transmission mechanism, the third motor being connected to

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding sheets from a sheet stack, having a feed deck for supporting the sheet stack and a pair of spaced apart parallel guide rails on the feed deck for receiving the sheet stack between the guide rails. A sheet feeding assembly is mounted in proximity to a sheet feeding end of the feed deck and is operative to feed individual lowermost sheets from the sheet stack, the sheet feeding assembly including a continuously rotating feed drum having an inner and outer circumference and a plurality of suction openings and a vacuum assembly received in the inner circumference of the feed drum and having at least one rotating cylinder coupled to a vacuum source and movable between an actuated position for drawing air downward through the portion of the feed drum extending above the planar surface of the feed deck and a default position preventing the drawing of air through the feed drum when a vacuum is applied to the at least one rotating cylinder.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet supplying apparatus comprising a sheet stacking means for stacking a plurality of sheets, a sheet supply means for feeding out the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking means, a separation means for separating the sheets one by one by abutting the sheets against the separation means to cause elastic angular change in the sheet thereby to ride the sheet over the separation means, and a guide means having a guide surface for guiding the sheet separated by the separation means toward a downstream side, and wherein the sheet stacking means is provided at its downstream end with a projection which protrudes toward downstream sides of the separation means and of the guide surface of the guide means.

Abstract: A paper feed unit having a paper tray or hopper where recesses or windows are formed on a bottom surface of the tray upon which the sheets of paper will rest. The recesses are at positions which can correspond to the positions of a plurality of roller pieces mounted on a roller shaft thereabove. The recesses enable the pressing force of each roller piece of the roller against the upper surface of the uppermost sheet of paper to be uniform.

Abstract: A document transport device provided with a document tray comprising a main tray and a foldable auxiliary tray disposed above a discharge tray. A document transport device provided with a projection and a projection on an auxiliary tray to guide ejected sheets to a discharge tray without buckling or bending at the gap and height differential at the order between a main tray and an auxiliary tray, and to allow both large size document and small size documents to be easily removed from a document tray.

Abstract: A sheet support tray having an upstream end portion, a downstream end portion and a sine wave shaped sheet support portion extending between the end portions and having at least one crest and two troughs, which is adapted to cause at least the trailing edge portion of a sheet having curled ends to lie relatively flat in the tray to avoid paper jams with the leading edge of an incoming sheet. Structure for facilitating grasping of a sheet in the tray is also described.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is capable of preventing both contamination on a recording surface due to a contact of a recording medium on an ink discharging surface even when recording on the recording medium with a concave/convex portion and an ill-discharged state of an ink. The recording apparatus has a feeding unit for feeding a recording medium and a recording head as a recording unit for recording an image on the recording medium fed by the feeding unit. A first guide member (shaft) and a second guide member that serve as a correcting mechanism are provided upstream in a feeding direction from the recording head, for correcting the concave/convex portion of the recording medium.

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: A document feeder of the invention is formed of a sheet feeding tray for receiving sheets or documents thereon; a feeding device for feeding the sheets on the sheet feeding tray in order; and a feeding roller for feeding the sheets transferred from the feeding device in a sheet feeding direction and having at least one space extending in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction. The document feeder further includes at least first and second separating devices. The first separating device is formed of a frictional member having a frictional coefficient relative to a sheet greater than that between the sheets. The first separating device contacts the feeding roller and permits one sheet to pass therebetween. The second separating device is formed of an elastic member and has at least one tongue piece with a forward end. The forward end is located in the space of the feeding roller for separating the sheets between the forward end and the feeding roller.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes a low profile, small footprint document output tray having an overall length of about one-half a document length and a shallow curvature with a centrally disposed medium depressor at the central region of the curve that forces a medium sheet to stiffen and to take the curved shape of the output tray.

Abstract: The sheet feeder of a recorder includes a sheet support, a shaft extending over the support, a feed roller rotatable on the axis of the shaft, and collars mounted rotatably around the shaft. Disks may be formed on the shaft. Each of the collars is supported rotatably on one of the disks. The inner periphery of at least one of the collars in the widthwise middle area of the support is spaced from the periphery of the associated disk. Even if the support is curved in such a manner that it is convex toward the roller, the distance between the shaft axis and the point or line where the at least one of the collars is in compressive contact with the top one of the sheets stacked on the support is shorter than the distances between the axis and the points or lines where the collars near the lateral ends of the support are in compressive contact with the top sheet. All of the collars can keep the roller and the sheet spaced at a predetermined distance from each other. Consequently, the sheets can be fed properly.

Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus for finishing a sheet, on which an image has been formed, conveyed from an image forming apparatus, the sheet finishing apparatus includes: a sheet ejecting member for ejecting the sheet after finishing; and an exit tray for receiving the sheet ejected by the sheet ejecting member after finishing is conducted. The exit tray includes a movable exit tray member on which the sheet is stacked, and a stationary exit tray member for supporting the movable exit tray member. The movable exit tray member has a sheet stacking surface on which the sheet is stacked, and a stopper portion provided adjacent to the sheet ejecting member to bring an edge of the sheet into contact with the stopper portion. The movable exit tray member is pivotally supported around a supporting shaft provided on a leading edge portion of the stationary exit tray member.

Abstract: A method for storing sheet-like products comprising the steps of providing a continuous stream of products, winding up a first and a further section of the products to form a first and a further roll, respectively, and unwinding the products from the first and the further roll, simultaneously. In this arrangement, the products are wound up on the two rolls with the same orientation and also unwound from the two rolls with the same orientation.

Abstract: The apparatus has, along with a magazine in which flat, flexible objects such as cords are stored in a stack, a retaining device for holding the stack in the magazine. Symmetrically disposed retaining elements aligned parallel to the surface of the objects are provided in the retaining device. The form of the retaining elements is selected such that an object of the stack can be singled by being arched past the retaining elements and an object can also be stacked in the magazine by being arched past the retaining elements. A gripping device is provided for moving the objects.

Abstract: In a device for transporting sheets between a pair of transport rollers of a delivery of a printing machine, each of the rollers feature, along its respective length, several roller sections having greater diameters and roller sections having smaller diameters, with roller sections of one roller having greater diameters facing roller sections of the other roller having smaller diameters in order to provide the sheets, in longitudinal direction, with a transversely extending corrugated profile for the purpose of stiffening the sheets. Due to the fact that either roller sections of roller having greater diameters or roller sections with smaller diameters are mounted so as to be freely rotatable and that, when rotating the respective other roller, the roller sections are entrained by driven opposite roller sections of the respective other roller, all roller surfaces have the same speed so that the surfaces of the sheets are not damaged when being transported onto a delivery pile.

Abstract: A sheet feeder system for a sheet-fed printing press includes a device for causing a sheet pile to sag at least partly in at least an upper region thereof, and at least two contact elements disposed in mutually spaced-apart relationship on an upper side of the sheet pile and having respective contact surfaces for pressing against the upper side of the sheet pile at least partly or temporarily, at least one of the contact elements being drivable so as to move the respective contact surfaces pressing against the upper side of the sheet pile towards and away from one another, respectively, for forming an interspace between the uppermost sheet of the sheet pile and a sheet immediately therebelow, and a method for individually separating sheets.

Abstract: An apparatus has a first conveyor for conveying a recording medium into an image forming unit which forms an image on a recording medium, a second conveyor for re-conveying the recording medium having an image formed thereon by the image forming unit to the second conveyor, and a curl straightener, formed by a plurality of rollers forming a bent path within the second conveyor, for straightening the curl on the recording medium. The conveyance speed of the second conveyor is switchable between a first speed equal to the conveyance speed of the first conveyor and a second speed which is greater than the first speed. The first speed is the speed of the recording medium until at least a predetermined length of the recording medium passes the curl straightener, and the second speed is the speed of the recording medium after passage therethrough.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet supply apparatus with a sheet support for supporting sheets, a sheet supply roller for feeding out the sheet supported by the sheet support, and a separating unit against which the sheet fed by the sheet supply roller abuts to cause elastic angular displacement of the sheet and adapted to permit the separation of the sheet when the sheet rides over the separating unit. The separating unit is formed from a thin plated-shaped member which includes at least one aperture or one notch.

Abstract: A dam has a plurality of substantially parallel ribs with recesses therebetween. At least one of the recesses has a pad therein with its sheet engaging surface being interior of the sheet engaging surfaces of the ribs. The rib surfaces, which are engaged first by the sheets being fed, have a lower coefficient of friction with the sheets than the sheet engaging surface of the pad. If more than one sheet is fed from a stack to the dam, the sheets will strike the rib surfaces first and then the pad surface if not separated from each other by the rib surfaces. Since the pad surface has a coefficient of friction substantially equal to the sheet to sheet friction, this step function in friction helps to separate the top sheet from the next adjacent sheet.

Abstract: An image-related device has an image-medium receiving tray. The tray is designed by a method that enables the tray to control the contouring of sheets of image medium during reception. The tray has a planar surface and a curved surface. The curved surface is designed by selecting a series of transverse and longitudinal curves to define a curved surface that is generally concave in the transverse direction while also sloping upward in the longitudinal direction. The combined concave and sloped shape of the curved surface causes the leading-edge region of the image medium to transversely curl and thereby obtain sufficient rigidity to extend beyond the front end of the tray.

Abstract: A discharged sheet accommodating tray in which sheets discharged from a discharging section along surfaces of the sheets are successively stacked, includes: a placement surface on which the sheets discharged from the discharging section are placed; and a sheet ride-on portion provided at the placement surface and which sheets being discharged ride on. The sheet ride-on portion can be a convex portion or an inclined plate located in an intermediate central portion of the placement surface, or can be a plurality of convex portions or inclined plates disposed in an intermediate central portion of the placement surface along a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction. Accordingly, sheets which have already been placed on the placement surface have a mountain-shaped configuration at the sheet ride-on portion.

Abstract: A paper feed device that uses a separating pawl for preventing overlapped feeding of sheets of recording paper wherein the separating pawl does not resist the feed of paper, thereby ensuring smooth paper feed. In the paper feed device, a sheet of paper is fed from a hopper and moved along a separating tilt plane to be separated from the stacked paper by the separating pawl which is pressed toward the paper path by a spring. Each separate sheet of paper is fed between a paper guide plane and an arm section to a print head by a feed roller and a follower roller. When a paper supply roller is in a stopped state, the sheet of recording paper is pulled by the feed roller to be straightened between a collar member and the paper guide plane such that the sheet of paper is away from the separating pawl and therefore is not affected by the resistance of the separating pawl, ensuring a smooth feed.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus with a sheet supporting unit for supporting sheets, a sheet absorb device for air-absorbing a lowermost sheet from among the sheets supported by the sheet supporting unit, a conveyer for conveying the sheet absorbed to the sheet absorb device, a regulator for regulating a downward movement of the sheets supported by the sheet supporting unit by abutting tip ends of such sheets against the regulator, a passage arranged between the conveyer and the regulator and adapted to guide the sheet conveyed by the conveyer, and a controller for driving the conveyer in a reverse direction after the sheet conveyed by the conveyer is fed out through the passage.

Abstract: A system for light-tight handling of a supply of media between a supply station, a workstation and a collecting station, comprises a media handling apparatus defined by a frame and a housing enclosing an internal confine. Within this confine are a supply station and a collecting station disposed at opposite ends of the frame. A positioning drive is suspended above the supply and collecting stations to move media between the supply, collecting and work stations. A lifting shoe is provided as part of the positioning drive and includes a flexible material handling sheet which assumes a first and a second given radius when respectively energized and reverse energized to engage the media supported in curved form. Also, supply and collecting cassettes are provided with a tambour coverings for respectively automatically uncovering and covering the supported media while still maintained in the light-tight confines of the housing.

Abstract: Pocket signature feeding machines have been provided with a double indicia scale on a pocket backplate and the scale is related to the centerline of the pocket so that the signatures may be precisely centered in the pocket when the left and right signature guides have their respective indicators pointing to the same indicia on the pocket backplate scale. A sheet that is 10 inches in width can be centered by having the respective left and right indicators set at a number 10 on each scale portion of the double scale. The signatures are bowed by side guides engaging opposite vertical edges of the signatures in the hopper. Also, an outer scale with indicia thereon is provided for setting the side guides at a distance that will cause an automatic, correct bowing of signatures. A gripper mechanism cooperating with a signature picker times the drop of signatures onto the saddle of the gathering conveyor.

Abstract: Firming folds for increasing the firmness of the stencil itself are generated at a leading end of the stencil to be mounted to a cylindrical printing drum of a rotary stencil printer or a trailing end of the stencil mounted to the printing or both. To do so, a pair of rollers one of which has projections to form the folds at the stencil are provided to feed the stencil therebetween toward a stencil leading end mounting means of the printing drum positioned at a standby position.

Abstract: A device for transporting material, in the form of discrete sheets, seriatim to a stack of discrete sheets, and subsequently seriatim away from such stack. The discrete sheet material transport device comprises a support for a stack of discrete sheets. The stack support includes a first stop for a first marginal edge of a discrete sheet, and opposed second and third stops for opposed marginal edges of a discrete sheet perpendicular to the first marginal edge of such discrete sheet. Discrete sheets are delivered seriatim to the vicinity of the stack support and are urged in a first direction into engagement with the first stop to form a stack of discrete sheets on the stack support. The discrete sheets are subsequently urged seriatim in a direction opposite the first direction to remove discrete sheets seriatim from the stack on the stack support. The second and third stops are located to accurately position the stack of discrete sheets on the stack support.

Abstract: To feed a plurality of cut sheets of paper to a recorder, in a one-by-one picking up manner, a stack plate supports the cut sheets placed on a paper stacking side thereof, a spring member is provided on an opposite side to the paper stacking side of the stack plate, a feed roller is rotated to force out in a paper feed direction a top sheet of the cut sheets placed on the stack plate, as the stack plate is elastically urged by the spring member toward the feed roller, a pawl member separates the top sheet from the rest, as it is forced in the paper feed direction by the feed roller, and a convex stripe part is provided on the paper stacking side of the stack plate, the stripe part extending in a crossing direction with the paper feed direction.