Abstract: A sheet transport technique of clamping and transporting a sheet by a roller and a belt abutted against the roller, the technique capable of suppressing shift of the belt in the rotation axis direction of the roller without hindering downsizing of the apparatus is provided. A sheet transport apparatus is made up of a roller 101 being formed with a tubular cavity having a predetermined length in a rotation direction and covered with an elastic body on the outer periphery in the rotation radius direction of the cavity and a belt unit 102 for abutting a belt 102c of a width narrower than the width of the cavity in the rotation axis direction of the roller 101 against the roller face of the roller 101 so that it is positioned inside the range in which the cavity is formed in the rotation axis direction of the roller 101, and sandwiching a sheet 7 between the belt 102c and the roller 101 and transporting the sheet.

Abstract: When a sheet bundle is being conveyed by any one pair of plural pairs of rollers independently movable toward and away from the bundle sheet, before the bound portion of the sheet bundle passes the pair of rollers, the pair of rollers on the downstream side nearest to the bound portion are separated from the sheet bundle, and the pairs of rollers more downstream than that pair convey the sheet bundle. Thereby, it happens less often that the pairs of rollers gather the air collected between adjacent ones of the sheets of the sheet bundle to the bound portion to thereby cause a slack to the sheets, and the occurrence of wrinkles or twists in the sheet bundle can be reduced. Also, the pair of rollers are separated from the sheet bundle before the bound portion passes the pair of rollers, whereby it happens less often that the pair of rollers are damaged by the bound portion, and the sheet bundle can be conveyed smoothly.

Abstract: A paper note handling apparatus includes a pay-in and pay-out mouth through which a paper note is paid in or paid out, a conveyance for conveying the paper note, a discrimination part to discriminate authenticity and denomination of the conveyed paper note, a temporary hold part to temporarily hold the paper note, a storing part to store the paper note, and a shifter to shift a position of the paper note in a widthwise direction of conveyance. The shifter rotates in a direction inclined relative to a direction of conveyance of the paper note and comes into contact with the paper note to shift the position of the paper note in the widthwise direction of conveyance.

Abstract: A laser inscribing station controls the inscribing position (BP) of a laser beam in terms of two coordinates, one pair of feed and pressure rollers is disposed on both the infeed side and the outfeed side of the station. The credit card is positioned aligned in parallel lateral guide tracks, which are disposed in a turning mechanism together with a transfer conveyor, which displaces the credit card to such an extent that it is inserted in a first transfer position from the pair of infeed rollers into the guide tracks. In a second transfer position, the credit card is is held between the rollers pairs in such a manner that its entire surface is freely accessible for laser inscription. In a third transfer position, the card can be seized by the pair of outfeed rollers.

Abstract: A feeding roller is rotatable about an imaginary rotational axis extending in an axial direction and is configured to be rotatingly driven in a rotational direction for feeding a recording medium to a conveying path. A supporting section rotatably supports the feeding roller at a position in confrontation with the recording medium accommodated in a recording-medium accommodating section. A driving unit is configured to generate a rotational driving force. A transmitting unit is configured to transmit the rotational driving force to a central part of the feeding roller with respect to the axial direction. A guiding section prevents the recording medium accommodated in the recording-medium accommodating section from displacing in the axial direction. The supporting section rotatably supports the feeding roller in such a manner that an angle of the imaginary rotational axis relative to a reference direction can be changed by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus capable of easily detecting the width of a document is provided that can reduce the number of component parts. A surface to be detected of a moving section that moves in linkage with the movement of a document guide is detected using an image pickup device, so that the width dimension of the document is detected. This allows the image reading apparatus to detect the width dimension of the document by using the image pickup device.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus including: first reading sensor to read an image of an original document at a first position; a second reading sensor at second position downstream; a circulating transport path; a first switchback provided between the first and second positions; a second switchback provided between the second and first positions; a first gate at a branching point of the first switchback; a second gate at a branching point of the second switchback; a sheet exit; a third gate provided at a branching point of the sheet exit; and a controller, which controls such that: the original document is transported through two switchbacks, both face images are read by the two reading sensors; and in another mode, the original document is transported through one of the two switchback sections, and both face images are read by one of the two reading sensors.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for aligning bank notes in a transport system in which, when aligning bank notes in a transport system the alignment of a bank note transported separately in the transport system is detected, that it is checked, whether the detected alignment of the single bank note is a misalignment, that the single bank note according to the detected misalignment is aligned in a desired alignment by a movement of the single bank note in a direction deviating from the transport direction of the transport system, the alignment of the single bank note during the aligning being detected, and the aligning being terminated, as soon as the single bank note has the desired alignment.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet storage portion, an image forming portion, a sheet ejector, a sheet-reversing unit, first to fourth conveying paths, and a two-sided conveyance unit. The fourth conveying path includes a linear path formed between two conveyance guides constituting the two-sided conveyance unit. The two-sided conveyance unit is supported in a slidable manner along a slider provided to an apparatus main body. One of the two conveyance guides is made of a flat guide plate and is supported in such a manner that it can be opened or closed with respect to the other conveyance guide.

Abstract: The method comprises the steps of feeding media from a media roll, arranged about an axis, through an input driving device and an output driving device of the media advance mechanism, wherein the output driving device engages the media with lower friction than said input driving device; releasing said input driving device such that it does not engage the media; and causing the media to move in the media advance mechanism such that the media is pulled taut between the roll and the output driving device and later the media slips with respect to said output driving device, whereby the media is aligned at right angles to the roll axis by effect of the friction between the media and the output driving device.

Abstract: Apparatus for rotating a sheet moving in a first direction, the rotator comprising: at least one first roller that rotates against a sheet first side, the at least one first roller having a first drive; at least one second roller that rotates against the sheet first side, the at least one second roller having a second drive that is capable of rotating the second roller independently of the first roller, the second roller being spaced a distance from the at least one first roller in a direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a controller that controls the first and second drives to rotate the sheet around an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the sheet.

Abstract: A printer includes a housing, one or more print cartridges, and a positioning system configured to position print media for printing by the one or more print cartridges. The positioning system including a rotatable star wheel for translating the print media relative to the housing, the star wheel including a plurality of teeth disposed around an outer perimeter of the star wheel. At least the tips of the star wheel teeth are formed from plastic.

Abstract: A sheet-conveying device designed to feed a sheet fed thereto through a fixing device toward a discharge unit includes first and second conveyance guides facing each other so as to define a sheet conveyance path and each having a conveying member designed to feed the sheet. The first conveyance guide includes a blower opening facing the sheet conveyance path for blowing air onto the sheet conveyance path, an exhaust opening provided on a downstream side in a sheet feeding direction with respect to the blower opening for removing air that has been blown onto the sheet conveyance path and discharging it outside the device.

Abstract: A device for placing suspended labels including a multiple-page information section onto a bottleneck. The device includes a bottle conveying device for conveying bottles into a work area, and an application device having a pair of essentially parallel cantilevers which define a horizontal distance therebetween and end in the work area. Each cantilever includes a supply unit for grasping one side of the suspended label and for supplying the suspended label, wherein the cantilevers define an open intermediate space therebetween and are arranged such that a bottle reaching the work area extends with its neck into the intermediate space. A stop is provided in the area of the supply units for straightening the information portion of the suspended label.

Abstract: A method for deskewing a sheet. The method includes positioning a lower roller pair and at least one upper roller pair to form a substantially vertical transport path, wherein the lower roller pair and at least one upper roller pair each form a nip. The method includes driving the lower roller pair and the at least one upper roller pair so as to transport the sheet upward along the substantially vertical transport path, opening the nip formed by the at least one upper roller pair as a trailing edge of the sheet approaches the lower roller pair. The method further includes continuing to drive the lower roller pair so that the trailing edge passes through the nip formed by the lower roller pair and upward movement of the sheet ceases with the trailing edge supported by the lower roller pair, wherein gravity and continued rotation of the lower roller pair work together align the trailing edge with the lower roller pair.

Abstract: A skew correction device including: a first guide member which supports the sheet transported by the transport roller from a lower side thereof in a vertical direction and guides the sheet to the gate member; and a second guide member which is provided on an upper position from the first guide member in a vertical direction and guides the sheet to the gate member. Here, the first guide member includes at least one rotating member which faces a transport passage of the sheet interposed between the first guide member and the second guide member and is rotatably provided at least in the center of the second guide member in a width direction intersecting a transport direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A skew correction device includes: a first guide member which supports the sheet transported from a lower side thereof in a vertical direction by the transport roller and guides the sheet to the gate member; and a second guide member which is provided on an upper position from the first guide member in a vertical direction and guides the sheet to the gate member. Here, the second guide member includes at least one rotating member which faces a transport passage of the sheet interposed between the first guide member and the second guide member and is rotatably provided at least in the center of the second guide member in a width direction intersecting a transport direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet size detecting apparatus having a first arm moved by a moving sheet contacting therewith, a second arm moved by the moving sheet contacting therewith, the second arm being disposed at a location differing from that of the first arm in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the sheet, and a sensor, wherein the output level of the sensor when only one of the first arm and the second arm has been moved is the same as the output level thereof when neither of the first arm and the second arm is moved, and the output level of the sensor when both of the first arm and the second arm have been moved differs from the output level thereof when neither of the first arm and the second arm is not moved. Thereby, the cost can be suppressed and yet, the wrong detection of the sheet size can be prevented.

Abstract: A media sheet guide device for maintaining proper sheet alignment in an image forming machine includes a body extending between spaced apart reference edges of respective upstream and downstream media alignment mechanisms and a face on the body defining a path along which a sheet moves lengthwise from the upstream reference edge to the downstream reference edge. The face has a section extending widthwise and defining a portion of the path about which the sheet bends widthwise as the sheet moves lengthwise along the path portion. The face section has first and second segments differing in curvature for applying a differential drag widthwise across the sheet causing a rotation of the sheet sufficiently to displace a leading end of the sheet away from the downstream reference edge to thereby ensure that a leading corner of the sheet can enter into the downstream reference edge without jamming against an entry end thereof.

Abstract: A method for correcting the lateral position of a printing material, includes gripping the printing material with a transport unit, rotating the transport unit in a lateral position correction angular range for correcting the lateral position of the printing material, and rotating the transport unit out of the lateral position correction angular range while retaining the correction of the lateral position of the printing material. An apparatus for correcting the lateral position of a printing material, a printing material conveying system and a machine for processing printing material, are also provided.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes: a transporting unit that transports a sheet; guiding members that regulate side portions, in a sheet transporting direction, of the sheet, and that guide the sheet being transported; a distance changing member that is configured to be movable, that is coupled with the guiding members, and that changes a distance between the guiding members; and a restricting unit that restricts movement of the distance changing member in conjunction with a transporting operation of the transporting unit.

Abstract: A stapler is provided in a housing of a finisher. The stapler has a sheet insertion opening extending in a direction along conveyed sheets. The stapler staples the sheets inserted into the sheet insertion opening in the housing. The finisher includes a rotating mechanism that rotates, when the stapler is moved in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the sheets and removed to the outside of the housing, the stapler such that the sheet insertion opening of the stapler faces a further upper side than the direction along the sheets.

Abstract: A device for printing two-dimensional parts, particularly plastic substrates, preferably plastic cards, having a depot comprising the parts to be imprinted, a printing station with a printing device, and a transport device for transporting the parts through the printing station, characterized in that aligning means serving the alignment of the parts on the transport device are provided in front of the printing station.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing sheet registration are described. A device having a plurality of drive rolls may receive a sheet. Each drive roll may operate with an associated angular acceleration. A state vector, including a plurality of state variables, may be identified. Error-space state feedback values may be determined based on a difference between each state variable and a corresponding reference state variable based on a desired sheet trajectory. Control input variable values may be determined based on the error-space feedback values and one or more gains. A motor control signal for a motor for each drive roll may be determined based on the control input variable values and the state variables. Each motor control signal may impart a desired angular acceleration for at least one drive roll. The identifying step and each determining step may be performed repeatedly to register the sheet to the desired trajectory.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing sheet registration are described. A device having a plurality of drive rolls may receive a sheet. Each drive roll may operate with an associated angular velocity. A state vector, including a plurality of state variables, may be identified. Error-space state feedback values may be determined based on a difference between each state variable and a corresponding reference state variable based on a desired sheet trajectory. Control input variable values may be determined based on the error-space feedback values and one or more gains. A motor control signal for a motor for each drive roll may be determined based on the control input variable values and the state variables. Each motor control signal may impart a desired angular velocity for at least one drive roll. The identifying step and each determining step may be performed repeatedly to register the sheet to the desired trajectory.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling substrate flatness for sensor measurements in printing device. A flow of air may be provided from a blower to a plenum. A printed sheet of media may be transported between upper and lower transport baffles that are generally spaced apart to permit the sheet of media to pass. Located on one of transport baffles may be a sensor to measure a property of the printed sheet. Air from the plenum is provided to the back surface of the sheet to urge it toward the sensor.

Abstract: A sheet inputting mechanism includes a first body, a first roller, a second body, a second roller and a stopper. The first roller is mounted on the first body. The second body is rotatably connected to the first body. The second roller is mounted on the second body. The stopper rotatably mounted on the first body is directly driven by the second body. When the second body is rotated to a first state relatively to the first body, the stopper is rotated to a closing state relatively to the first body to prevent a sheet from being moved to a sheet input position. When the second body is rotated to a second state relatively to the first body, the stopper is rotated to an open state relatively to the first body to allow the sheet to be moved to the sheet input position and in contact with the first roller.

Abstract: An apparatus for registering sheet material while being conveyed along a feed path including: (i) a conveyance deck for conveying sheet material along a support surface, (ii) a registration member defining an abutment surface operative to align an edge of the sheet material as the sheet material is conveyed along the support surface of the conveyance deck, and (iii) a drive mechanism disposed adjacent to the registration member and along the conveyance deck. The drive mechanism includes a flexible belt disposed about and supported by at least two rolling elements, and a means for driving the flexible belt about the rolling elements. The flexible belt includes a twisted section defining a plurality of spiral edge segments operative to (i) frictionally engage a surface of the sheet material to urge the sheet material against the abutment surface and (ii) convey the sheet material along the conveyance deck.

Abstract: Sheets fed out of a cassette supporting the sheets by a pickup roller are separated and fed by a sheet separation feeding unit having a feed roller and a separating roller which is rotatable in a direction opposite to a sheet feeding direction. A charge eliminating mechanism for eliminating charges of the separating roller is arranged on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction in a separation nip portion between the feed roller and the separating roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a transfer attitude correcting section for correcting a transfer attitude of the transfer sheet to receive the toner image and for conveying the corrected transfer sheet to the transfer section with a timing to match with the movement of the toner image. The transfer attitude correcting section includes a roller unit including a base board rotatable around a center of rotation and a registration roller mounted on the base board, a detecting section for detecting a position of the transfer sheet being conveyed by the registration roller; and a control section for control the roller unit based on detection data detected by the detecting section so as to correct a skew of the transfer sheet by rotating the base board and to correct a deviation of a transfer position of the transfer sheet by shifting the registration roller on the base board.

Abstract: An inkjet printer containing a print zone and an inkjet printhead for printing on a substrate in the print zone, a supply unit for storing and delivering the substrate for printing, and a transport unit for transporting the substrate from the supply unit to the print zone, in which printer the supply unit contains a number of substrate holders, each holding a roll on which a substrate web is wound, each substrate holder being operatively connected to a sensor for detecting the end of the web in the substrate holder corresponding to that sensor, wherein the transport unit includes a first transport means for engaging and transporting the substrate emerging from the supply unit, a downstream, second transport means for further transporting the substrate and positioning the same in the print zone, and a guide element rotatably disposed between the first transport means and the second transport means.

Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus is provided with a print medium storage device for storing a print medium. The print medium storage device includes a guide member for guiding the print medium thus stored; an engaging portion for engaging the guide member at a specific position; an engaged portion for engaging the engaging portion; an operation portion disposed to be movable for separating the engaging portion from the engaged portion; and an abutting portion for abutting against the operation portion to move the operation portion when the print medium storage device is situated at a first position, and for separating from the operation portion when the print medium storage device is situated at a second position.

Abstract: A shifting unit shifts a plurality of sheets discharged on a tray to a different position in a sheet width direction that is perpendicular to a sheet discharging direction in a set of sheets. A first width-direction aligning unit and a second width-direction aligning unit align both sides of the sheets in the sheet width direction. A leading-edge aligning unit aligns leading edges of the sheets in the sheet discharging direction.

Abstract: A feeding mechanism for feeding a web of paper in a paper handling system includes a feeding nip assembly having a driven roller structured to be rotatably driven about a first axis, and an idler roller structured to rotate about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis. In addition, the feeding nip assembly is structured to apply a force to the idler roller to push the idler roller toward the driven roller. The force is applied in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis. The idler roller is also structured to pivot about a third axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the second axis, and the direction of the force.

Abstract: A sheet handling apparatus is proposed to be able to stably shift a position of a sheet.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for feeding sheets to a processing machine, in particular a printing press, provision is made for the sheet to be accelerated to processing speed by use of at least two acceleration stations arranged one after the other. One of the acceleration stations is arranged such that the acceleration station can be displaced in order to align the sheet.

Abstract: When a new paper sheet is supplied onto a compiling tray, a sub-paddle holds down paper sheets having already been stacked on the compiling tray until a leading edge of the new paper sheet S touches the stacked paper sheets. Thereafter, the sub-paddle gets apart from the sheets stacked on the compiling tray with timing, with which the rear edge of the new paper sheet falls on the compiling tray.

Abstract: This is a paper registration system that allows for a lateral reset while the paper is present in the nip space. By separating the nips, the carriage can move to reset position for the next sheet while the previous sheet is still present in the carriage. In addition, the configuration of the system of the invention is reduced or elimination of reaction forces on the carriage lead screw is provided. The registration embodiments of the present system are especially useful in a high speed marking system.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing unit in which sheets are stacked, and a regulator in the housing unit including a body that has surfaces at which ends of the sheets are regulated. The apparatus further includes a stopper in the regulator, a retainer in the housing unit configured to engage with the stopper to lock the regulator to the housing unit, and a movement mechanism configured to move, when the body is pushed in a direction in which the regulator is to be moved, the stopper away from the retainer to disengage the stopper from the retainer.

Abstract: This application relates to systems and methods for determining the lateral component of skew for a sheet of media. First, the skew angle of a sheet of media is determined. Then, the lateral component of the skew is determined. During a lateral registration operation, the lateral component of the skew is accounted and compensated for. In one implementation, the slope of the angle of the skew may be determined by taking the regression of the function characterizing the edge of the sheet as it passes an edge detection sensor.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus of an embodiment of the invention includes a pair of conveyance rollers to nip and convey a sheet on which a formed image is recorded, a turning amount detection section which is disposed downstream of the pair of conveyance rollers and includes a bearing section coming in contact with the sheet, a thickness detection section to detect a thickness of the sheet based on a turning amount detected by the turning amount detection section, a pair of register rollers which is disposed downstream of the bearing section and aligns the sheet, and an image recording and fixing section to record and fix the image on the sheet passing through the pair of register rollers. A distance from a center point of a contact portion of the pair of conveyance rollers to a point where the bearing section contacts with the sheet is zero or more and about 3 mm or less.

Abstract: To provide an image forming apparatus that can highly accurately position and convey, even if an inter-sheet distance of sheets to be conveyed is reduced, the sheets from registration rollers to a transfer position when a toner image on an image bearing member moving at process speed is transferred onto the sheet in the transfer position. A sheet fed from a paper feeding cassette by a pulse-motor driven paper feeding roller is conveyed to pulse-motor driven registration rollers by pulse-motor driven conveying rollers. When the sheet is conveyed to the transfer position according to restart of the registration rollers, the sheet is conveyed by the registration rollers at sheet conveying speed different from the process speed before the leading end of the sheet reaches the transfer position and is conveyed at the process speed after that.

Abstract: A retractable scuffer includes an arm with foldaway drive wheels connected thereto that are independently pivotable to ensure even drive force on a sheet. The drive wheels flips down in a counter clockwise direction as the scuffer arm is driven to an extended position by a lead screw mechanism. This provides a shallow angle of contact with the sheet and allows the sheet to be pulled against a registration gate by the drive wheels versus being pushed, thereby eliminating unwanted reaction forces inherent in existing systems that push a sheet against a registration gate.

Abstract: A first conveying mechanism includes an intermediate conveying roller for conveying a recording sheet, an intermediate conveying roller shaft for supporting the intermediate conveying roller, an intermediate conveying roller drive mechanism for rotationally driving the intermediate conveying roller shaft, and a roller control mechanism for controlling movements of the intermediate conveying roller relative to the intermediate conveying roller shaft.

Abstract: An aspect of the invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image reading apparatus, in which generation of skew feeding caused by the shock in pressure contact of a rotation body can be reduced. An interlocking mechanism brings a driven roller 222 biased by a biasing member into pressure contact with a feeding portion 221c of a driving roller 221 in conjunction with rotation of the driving roller 221. The driving roller 221 includes a non-feeding portion 221d in a circumferential surface thereof. The driven roller 222 is caused to abut on a pressure holder 225 before the driven roller 222 moved in a direction in which the interlocking mechanism brings the driven roller 222 into the pressure contact with the driving roller 221 is brought into the pressure contact with the driving roller 221.

Abstract: Systems and methods systems and methods for orienting media for improved scan quality are disclosed. In an exemplary implementation, a method may include receiving a transparency media in a media holder, and guiding the transparency media into the media holder. The method may also include accepting the transparency media in the media holder only if the transparency media is oriented with an emulsion side facing toward an imaging surface. The method may also include self-ejecting the transparency media from the media holder if the transparency media is oriented with the emulsion side facing away from the imaging surface.

Abstract: An apparatus of the present invention includes a first guide supported by a cover body in such a manner that the first guide can swing around a hinge with respect to the main body of the apparatus and a second guide provided on the apparatus main body. The first guide is supported in such a manner that it can move with respect to the cover body. When the cover body swings so as to open a sheet conveyance path, a site of the first guide on the side of the hinge swings with respect to the cover body in such a direction so as to separate from the second guide.

Abstract: A recording apparatus is capable of reliably correcting skew feeding of a recording sheet in an arrangement for conveying the recording sheet absorbed by a belt surface. The recording apparatus includes: a driving roller for driving the conveying belt wound around the driving roller and electrically charging the conveying belt by application of a voltage; and a pinching roller abutting against the driving roller via the conveying belt. A pinching section, which is formed by the driving roller and the pinching roller, corrects skew feeding of the recording sheet fed from the paper feed section and thereafter the voltage is applied to the driving roller to electrically charge the conveying belt.

Abstract: A recording sheet moving device includes: a moving unit that moves a recording sheet; a recording sheet specifying unit that specifies a length in the transport direction and a weight per unit area of the recording sheet; a first memory configured to record, for each of plural recording sheets, a threshold for a length in the transport direction in association with a weight per unit area; and a movement control unit that retrieves a threshold for a length on the basis of the specified weight per unit area from the first memory, and compares the retrieved threshold for a length and the specified length, to determine whether to cause the moving unit to move the recording sheet, and if it is determined that the recording sheet should be moved, causes the moving unit to move the recording sheet.

Abstract: A roller module is adapted for use with an automatic document feeder, and is adapted for feeding of a document sheet therethrough. The roller module comprises a first roller, a second roller disposed adjacent to and parallel to the first roller and cooperating with the first roller to define a nip, a driven component co-rotatable with the first roller, and a driving component rotatable for abutting against and driving the driven component to rotate, thereby permitting feeding of the document sheet through the nip. During rotation of the driving component, the document sheet is brought into contact with the first and second rollers for a predetermined time period to perform skew correction before the driving component rotates the driven component.