Abstract: An image reproduction device having a movable frame with a central aperture and an extendable soft cover. The soft cover can be extended from a storage position to at least partially span a platen and cover three dimensional objects resting on the platen. The frame can be lowered to seal the soft cover over and around the object and platen, such that it blocks light transmission into and out of the image reproduction device during scanning.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus includes a first pair of rollers having a drive roller and a pinch roller driven by the drive roller, a second pair of rollers provided downstream of the first pair of rollers, and an arm member supporting the drive roller and adapted to be swingable such that a force for pressing the drive roller against the pinch roller increases as a conveyance resistance of the sheet increases. The force for pressing the drive roller against the pinch roller decreases if driven by the moving sheet. The conveying speed of the second pair of rollers is set to be higher than the conveying speed of the drive roller so as to cause the drive roller to be driven by the sheet in the case where a skew of the sheet has been corrected and the sheet having the skew corrected is conveyed by the second pair of rollers.

Abstract: A recording-material transport apparatus includes a retracting member that moves at a speed lower than a transport speed of a recording material transported from an upstream side in a transport direction, to a downstream side in the transport direction along a transport path for the recording material, and that retracts from the transport path after a leading end of the recording material contacts with the retracting member, a first transport member that transports the recording material from the upstream side in the transport direction toward the retracting member, and a second transport member that further transports the recording material in contact with the retracting member to the downstream side. After the leading end of the recording material contacts with the retracting member, without being paused, transport of the recording material with the first transport member is continued to deliver the recording material to the second transport member.

Abstract: A paper feed unit for a printer to form an image on a print paper by an image former, the paper feed unit including: a paper feed tray that stacks print papers to be fed; a paper transfer route that transfers print papers; a register roller that is provided upstream of the image former in a paper transfer direction in the paper transfer route and holds a fed print paper to adjust a timing to transfer the fed print paper to the image former; a pick-up roller that transmits a print paper stacked in the paper feed tray to the register roller, the pick-up roller being smaller in width than a width of a print paper to be transmitted; and a regulator that comes into contact with a loose portion of a print paper loosened in a paper feed route in between the pick-up roller and the register roller.

Abstract: A sheet detecting apparatus that detects a sheet has a lever member; a biasing portion that biases the lever member for a first position where the abutting surface abuts against the leading end of the sheet; a supporting mechanism that movably supports the lever member to move in an order of the first position, a second position, and a third position, while keeping a abutting surface of lever member facing upstream; an interlocking portion that interlocks with the lever member; and a detector that detects a position of the interlocking portion.

Abstract: A sheet transport device includes an abutment member that moves downstream in a sheet transport direction and against which a leading end of a sheet that has been transported from upstream in the sheet transport direction abuts; and a transport unit that transports the sheet whose leading end has abutted against the abutment member further downstream. The abutment member moves at least to the transport unit in a state in which the leading end of the sheet abuts against the abutment member, and the abutment member is separated from the leading end of the sheet after the transport unit has started to transport the sheet.

Abstract: A paper deskew device for an automatic document feeder includes a transport roller assembly, a deskew roller assembly, and a power transmission mechanism. The transport roller assembly includes a first gear. The deskew roller assembly includes a second gear. Before a front edge of a paper is contacted with the deskew roller assembly, the first gear links the power transmission mechanism and the second gear, so that the transport roller assembly and the deskew roller assembly are respectively rotated in a first direction and a second direction. Once the front edge of the paper is contacted with the deskew roller assembly, the deskew roller assembly is continuously rotated in a second direction for a second direction for correcting the skew phenomenon of the paper. Afterwards, the second gear and the deskew roller assembly are driven by the first gear to be rotated in the first direction to transport the paper.

Abstract: A skew correction device includes a first conveying unit arranged in a sheet conveying path; a second conveying unit arranged downstream of the first conveying unit in a conveying direction of a sheet; and a skew correction unit. When the sheet is unfolded paper, the skew correction unit performs a first skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts on the second conveying unit that is stopped. When the sheet is fold paper, the skew correction unit performs a second skew correction that corrects for the skew of the sheet so that a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the first conveying unit abuts the second conveying unit and the second conveying unit is driven in a reverse direction to the conveying direction at a predetermined operational timing.

Abstract: In a sheet aligning apparatus, a sheet is conveyed from a conveying-in path into a sheet storing section through an open end portion and the leading end of the sheet comes in with a stop member. Thereafter, when a shifting section shifts the stop member from an initial position to a first position, the sheet is shifted inversely together with the stop member and the back end of the sheet proceeds as the inversed leading end from the open end portion to a conveying-out path so that a succeeding sheet is allowed to be conveyed from the conveying-in path into the open end portion. When the sheet is shifted inversely, a shift regulating section regulates the shift of the sheet in such a way that the back end of the sheet is prevented from proceeding more than a predetermined distance due to the inertia of the shift.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet-conveying apparatus including: a skew-feeding correction member having an abutting portion which is brought into contact with a conveyed sheet; and a positioning portion positioning the skew-feeding correction member and having a biasing member for biasing the skew-feeding correction member to a direction opposite to a direction to which the skew-feeding correction member rotates by the sheet. The sheet-conveying apparatus is set so that a formula M+MS<MA is established when the sheet is pulled out, wherein a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to a resultant force of tensions to upstream and downstream sides is assumed to be MA, a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to a frictional force between the skew-feeding correction member and the sheet is assumed to be M, and a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to the biasing member is assumed to be MS.

Abstract: In an apparatus for handling sheets, first and second sheet transfer members are movable to transfer one of the sheets between the first and second sheet transfer members, the first and second sheet transfer members have respective transfer surfaces contactable with the one of the sheets so that the one of the sheets is driven to be transferred by at least one of the first and second sheet transfer members, and an information reader is arranged between the first and second sheet transfer members in such a manner that an information is readable from the one of the sheets even when the one of the sheets is transferred by one of the first and second sheet transfer members and is prevented from being transferred by both of the first and second sheet transfer members.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning sheets in a processing machine includes translationally movable stops or front lays which can be driven through the use of a coupler mechanism or individually actuable electric motors.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet-conveying apparatus including: a skew-feeding correction member having an abutting portion which is brought into contact with a conveyed sheet; and a positioning portion positioning the skew-feeding correction member and having a biasing member for biasing the skew-feeding correction member to a direction opposite to a direction to which the skew-feeding correction member rotates by the sheet. The sheet-conveying apparatus is set so that a formula M+MS<MA is established when the sheet is pulled out, wherein a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to a resultant force of tensions to upstream and downstream sides is assumed to be MA, a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to a frictional force between the skew-feeding correction member and the sheet is assumed to be M, and a moment generated in the skew-feeding correction member due to the biasing member is assumed to be MS.

Abstract: A registration device usable with an image forming apparatus includes a registration roller, a registration lever to rotate between an alignment position to block and align a leading edge of a paper sheet supplied to the registration roller and an opening position to allow the paper sheet to be fed beyond the registration lever, and a resilient member to resiliently urge the registration lever to rotate into the alignment position. The resilient member has a center portion and first and second arms extending from the center portion. An end of the first arm is coupled to the registration lever and the resilient member is pivotable about an end of the second arm.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus is configured so as to be capable of preventing the misalignment of the end edge of sheets to be scooped and transported from an intermediate tray, and reliably preventing the so-called displacement of end edges in the post-processing steps of sheets as a recording medium with an image formed thereon, and thereby preventing the inferior appearance during binding. A sheet folding apparatus enables a user to easily adjust the misalignment of the fold line of sheets that occurs during actual use, in the middle folding processing steps of sheets as a recording medium with an image formed thereon.

Abstract: A transfer wheel removes flat products from one location, such as an overhead conveyor, spaces the products apart, reorients them and then transfers the products to a second conveyor or other location. The transfer wheel is eccentrically mounted within a circular frame. Grippers mounted on radially-moving spokes of the transfer wheel rotate as the wheel turns, to reorient the products, for example from vertical to horizontal, so they can be laid flat on the second conveyor. The eccentric mounting of the wheel causes the spokes to increase the spacing between adjacent products as the wheel turns, to prepare the products for later processing.

Abstract: A method for aligning print media on a feedpath includes the steps of: aligning a sheet of print media using a deskew mechanism; measuring the skew of the sheet after it has been aligned; and comparing the measured skew with a specified skew, and if the measured value is greater than the specified value, reversing the sheet through the deskew mechanism followed by repeating the aligning, measuring and comparing steps. An apparatus for implementing alignment of print media on a feedpath comprises a deskew mechanism and sensors positioned downstream on the feedpath from the deskew mechanism to provide data sufficient to calculate the skew of the sheet.

Abstract: A recording apparatus has a paper feeder wherein single sheets of paper can be set, a paper delivery device for transporting paper fed from the paper feeder to a recorder, and a control unit for controlling operation of the paper feeder and the paper delivery device. The control unit has a skew removal execution mode of only the first sheet of paper where the paper tip is bitten into a paper delivery roller forming a part of the paper delivery device and then the paper delivery roller is reversely rotated for ejecting the paper tip for the first sheet of paper at the start of recording and then forward rotating the paper delivery roller for delivering the sheet of paper whose skew is removed to the recorder and delivering the second and later sheets of paper to a record area without executing the skew removal.

Abstract: A method for aligning print media on a feedpath includes the steps of: aligning a sheet of print media using a deskew mechanism; measuring the skew of the sheet after it has been aligned; and comparing the measured skew with a specified skew, and if the measured value is greater than the specified value, reversing the sheet through the deskew mechanism followed by repeating the aligning, measuring and comparing steps. An apparatus for implementing alignment of print media on a feedpath comprises a deskew mechanism and sensors positioned downstream on the feedpath from the deskew mechanism to provide data sufficient to calculate the skew of the sheet.

Abstract: The skew of a sheet of print media is precisely controlled by intentionally inducing print media deformation, so that cooperative mechanical and gravitational forces may be used to align the leading edge of the sheet. The sheet is driven into a nip region of deskew rollers in a manner that causes the print media to deform, lifting a movable member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the feedpath into the nip region. The movable member applies a return force that is generally equal along a widthwise surface region of the print media. As a result, there is a reduced likelihood that the print media will be skewed relative to the nip region. In some applications, the return force is adjustable.

Abstract: A device of aligning or arranging a paper in a printer comprising a transport part including feed roller and pinch roller, and which transports or counter-transport a paper between the rollers; a pickup roller which supplies a sheet of papers of paper load cassette to the roller; a paper feed plate providing the pressure for the frictional power to pick up a paper; and one-way clutch for preserving frictional power between a pickup roller and a paper when the feed roller which drives the pickup roller rotates in a counter direction.

Abstract: A paper feeding apparatus for an office automation system constructed to accommodate the storage of paper, a sheet feeder that guides paper to travel in a selected direction of travel, and a device that aligns paper that is being stored to conform to the state of the feeder.

Abstract: A sheet media realignment mechanism is described for use in, for example, a printer. Preferably, the mechanism includes a lever located in the sheet-feeding path adjacent and beneath a rotatable member that mounts a plurality of sheet-feeding rollers. At the beginning of a sheet-feeding cycle, the lever is urged from its extreme upstream pivotal orientation by a pivot-mounted strut into a downstream orientation in which a top sheet of the printer's infeed stack is fed by frictional forces into the feed zone. Upon release of the lever by the strut at a predefined pivotal orientation of the rotatable member, the lever is urged farther into an extreme downstream orientation by the sheet being advanced.

Abstract: A printing machine system includes a printing machine which discharges a printed material after the printing operation is completed. The printing machine system also includes a drier which dries the printed material discharged from the printing machine. A stacker is disposed intermediate the printing machine and the drier. The stacker includes a frame, and a storage for storing the printed materials discharged from the drier. A transfer apparatus is disposed in the proximity of the upper portion of the stacker, for conveying the printed materials discharged from the printing machine to the drier one by one.

Abstract: An applicator system and method for automatically applying and securing an adhesive backed (or gummed) label onto a corner surface of a typically three-dimensional, right-angle polygonal object such that the body of the label is applied and adhered to one surface (usually one major surface) of the object and one flap (or usually two) continuous with the body of the label is applied and adhered to a side of the object adjacent the one surface. The applicator system includes an applicator head to receive the adhesive backed label, mechanically secured to an applicator arm which serves to move the applicator head relative to the object.

Abstract: A printing system for customizing folded signatures in a collating and binding line having a number of spaced signature feeders includes an auxiliary feeder for conveying signatures in a particular orientation to a primary feeder located in the line, and a printer positioned between the auxiliary and primary feeders for printing signatures before their delivery to the line such that the printing on the signatures lies substantially transverse to the folds of the signatures. The system further includes an arrangement for aligning the signatures in a particular orientation between the auxiliary feeder and primary feeder.

Abstract: A sheet-fed rotary printing machine having an impression cylinder, rotary members movable in accordance with the motion of the impression cylinder, a paper cassette disposed near the impression cylinder for containing a stack of sheets of printing paper, and a feed member for holding each sheet of the printing paper by suction from above to feed it directly to a predetermined position on the impression cylinder. The feed member feeds the printing paper to the outer circumference of the impression cylinder by means of a vertically moving mechanism and a horizontally moving mechanism. Also, the feed member moves in synchronization with the rotation of the impression cylinder by means of a first timing mechanism and a second timing mechanism.

Abstract: A device for forming separate batches of flat objects, such as folded box blanks, from a flow of blanks received from a delivery station of a processing machines, such as a folder-gluer, includes a belt conveyor, a counting device, and a movable stop which is movable parallel to the belt surface and also movable vertical to the belt surface with a control device to move the stop in response to sensed conditions. The control device controls a drive arrangement for the belt conveyor so that the speed of the belt conveyor can be driven at a greater rate than the speed of discharge from the delivery station during a selected period for separating the batch of blanks from the remaining flow.

Abstract: Document sheet handling apparatus for a copier for sequentially feeding document sheets on to and off of the copying platen with a document feeder frictionally engaging a document sheet inserted at a first side of the platen and transporting a document sheet over the platen by continued engagement, and a flexible platen cover integrally connecting to the document feeder for movement therewith over the platen, and a reel system, including a retracting spring for reeling up the flexible platen cover into a scroll adjacent the first side of the platen and above the document sheet input, so that a document sheet may be fed under the scroll, the flexible platen cover being unreeled to extend over the platen by the movement of the integral document feeder to overly the platen and provide an opague and light reflective platen cover, and a releasable latch adjacent the opposite side of the platen for latching the document feeder and the flexible platen cover over the platen in a position for copying the document, and

Abstract: Printed goods (8,8") are aligned and positioned in predetermined staggered or shingled or imbricated arrangement on a transport conveyor (7,15) by placing, between distribution wheels (1,1') located axially spaced on a shaft (2,2'), a group of abutment wheels (4,4') which rotate with the distribution wheels but at a slower speed, for example by having an internal gearing matching a gear wheel (5) located on the shaft (2), the abutment wheels (4,4') being eccentrically positioned with respect to the shaft (2) by being guided in their movement by a disc (3,3') eccentrically positioned with respect to the shaft (2), and held in position by a suitable bracket or the like. These discs (3,3') form cams.

Abstract: In apparatus for conveying successive stacks of sheets to a station at which an operation is to be performed on the stack, the sheets are advanced by pushing elements (14) to the station, at which a resilient finger (17) projects through a slot (16) in the track. The finger (17) aligns the leading edges of the sheets in the stack. When the stack of sheets is to be advanced, a slide (20) retracts. The finger (17) is pivotally mounted on the slide and its upper inclined edge engages the bottom rear corner of the slot when the slide is retracted, causing the finger to sink below the track until the slide is returned in time for the alignment of the next stack.

Abstract: A daylight cassette unloader comprises a mechanism for unlocking and opening a radiographic film cassette introduced therein, and mounted in inclined position so that after opening the film is permitted to slide out of the cassette. At the outlet of the unloader a supplementary mechanism is provided in order to align the film in such a way, that it is reproducibly fed to the inlet opening of a film processor. Preferably the latter mechanism comprises a pair of rollers which start rotating only after the impact of the film on one of the rollers.

Abstract: A device for registering of sheets, received in an underlapped stream, upon a feed table. The feed table has a retractable front stop and a side guide defining a condition of accurate register for the sheet. Cooperating with the side guide is a wiping mechanism which includes a lower wiping member and a cooperating upper wiping member for engaging a sheet between them for wiping the same into laterally registered position. A pre-gripper grips the leading edge of a registered leading sheet for transporting it forwardly and upwardly to a receiving cylinder thereby forming a wedged-shaped gap above the following sheet. Upon formation of the gap the upper wiping member is momentarily inserted into the gap in active wiping position, with the result that the following sheet is fully registered while it is still partially covered by the leading sheet.

Abstract: In a document copier machine wherein an image is placed on a drum and transferred to copy paper, an embossing gate roller which places a small embossed section in the leading edge of copy paper so that the embossed section stands away from the surface of the drum to allow a stripper to coact with the copy paper and remove it from the drum.

Abstract: A system for presenting documents to a slit-scan exposure station includes a first fluidic storage station in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction. Fluid is used to move a document in a pocket partially out of the storage apparatus through an opening and into registration with a gate and a wall of the pocket. Thereafter, the gate is opened and a drive associated with the exposure station moves the partially ejected document past a scan window. The rack is then vertically stepped to align another pocket with the opening and the procedure is repeated. Exposed documents are moved to a second fluidic storage station, similar to the first. At this station fluid drawn through an opening moves a document into a pocket of a rack and vertical movement of the rack is used to provide a separate pocket for each of the documents.

Abstract: A machine for feeding inserts, for example, newspaper advertisements, to a device which separates or orients the inserts into a shinglelike arrangement and delivers them to a device which inserts them into the main portion of the newspaper. An oscillating or vibrating plate is utilized which moves into and out of the flow path of the inserts to strike the inserts from a direction which is perpendicular to the path of movement thereof to gradually orient the inserts as they move along a conveyor belt toward the separating device. A diaphragm plate effects the proper separation of the inserts prior to their delivery to the device which effects an insertion of the insert into the main portion of the newspaper.

Abstract: Apparatus for registering a pair of rectangular sheets includes a rectangular sleeve whose width is variable, and a retractable gate located at one end of the sleeve. In a first embodiment, fluid injected into the other end of the sleeve provides first and second fluid streams which register one of the sheets with the gate and one of the narrow walls of the sleeve, and register the other of the sheets with the gate and the other narrow wall of the sleeve. In a second embodiment, the sheets are registered against a centrally disposed vented manifold and the gate. In a third embodiment, fluid drawn into the sleeve provides first and second fluid streams which register one of the sheets with the gate and one of the narrow walls, and register the other of the sheets with the gate and the other of the narrow walls.

Abstract: The method and apparatus aligns the leading edge of pliable sheet material such as paper, transverse to its intended direction of travel. Feed means positively advances the material between guide members towards an alignment member pivotally mounted but releasably secured by a latch means in the plane of the desired leading edge orientation for the sheet material. Position sensing means adjacent the alignment member senses proper leading edge orientation. The latch means responds to the position sensing means operation to release the alignment member and sheet material for movement towards transport means adapted to positively engage the sheet material leading edge to convey the properly orientated sheet material.In a typical configuration, the feed means is a set of feed rollers, the alignment member is a pivotally mounted mechanical gate assembly, and the leading edge alignment sensing means is a mechanical trigger member or photoelectric sensing means.