Abstract: Sheet-like products are fed to the transfer location by a first conveyor. A detector arrangement determines the spacing between the products and controls the first predetermined speed of a second conveyor correspondingly, with the result that, at the transfer location, the formation of the products have a predefined spacing. If the second conveyor is driven, at the stationary transfer location, at the first predetermined speed which differs from a second predetermined speed at the stationary discharge location, the conveying length of the second conveyor changes, thereby displacing a deflection wheel. Different spacings between fed products can thus be evened out.

Abstract: A mail separating device has a conveyor channel, an input of which is connected to a sorting device for successively supplying the channel with flat mail items. The separating device includes a sensor which is located along the channel for generating a double-withdrawal signal on detecting a pair of at least partly superimposed mail items. The double-withdrawal signal activates a stop device, which is located along the channel and moves an appendix from an idle position to an activating position. A stop portion of the appendix contacts the vertical end edge of a first item in the pair. The impact of the stop portion on the vertical end edge arrests the first item while the second item in the pair continues traveling along the channel and is detached from the first item.

Abstract: A cutting roller having cutting blades and a receiving roller are provided downstream of pulling-out rollers for pulling out a web, and the web passing between them is cut. Accelerating rollers rotated at a transmitting speed higher than that of the pulling-out rollers apply a tension to the web. The cutting blades are formed with narrow cutouts, and the receiving roller is provided with narrow annular grooves. Stretched tension guide members extend through the notches and the narrow annular grooves so as to guide the web. The portions of the web corresponding to the notches and the narrow annular grooves are not cut by the cutting blades and are left as uncut portions. However, these portions are broken easily by the tension applied to the web. Since the widths of the cutouts and the annular grooves are very narrow, the torn marks on the broken portions of the web are not remarkable.

Abstract: A paper feeder is suitable for use in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer or the like and is capable of suitably correcting the direction of a sheet of paper conveyed from a registration device to a transfer unit. A paper conveying path is provided in curve form between a resist roller pair and a conveying roller pair provided on the upstream side of the resist roller pair as seen in a paper feeding direction. A fixed guide member is provided on the concave side of the paper conveying path. A movable guide member rotatably supported by a rotatable shaft with the rotatable shaft taken as the center, is provided on the convex side of the paper conveying path. The movable guide member is urged toward the fixed guide member by a torsion spring. A film-shaped elastic member which extends toward the downstream side as seen in the paper conveying direction, is mounted on a leading end portion of the movable guide member.

Abstract: There is provided a paper feed roller capable of being used for delivering and feeding paper, which is high in coefficient of friction, has sufficient hardwearing properties with the coefficient of friction not affected by the change in environment of temperature and humidity, is low in ink transferability and is small in change in passage of year of the coefficient of friction of the surface.A coating layer 5 formed of an elastic material such as rubber is formed on an surface of a core material 4 molded of a foamed material such as sponge, and a bonding agent 6 having an elasticity such as denatured silicon is coated on the surface of the coating layer 5 so that ceramic particles 7 are fixed without clearance to provide a paper feed roller 1. Alternatively, the bonding agent 6 is directly coated on the surface of the core material 4 molded of a pliable material such as soft rubber and sponge so that the ceramic particles 7 are fixed without clearance to provide the paper feed roller 9.

Abstract: The disclosed document feeder apparatus includes a document drive that comprises only a single line of feed rollers with a simple skew adjustment system. This drive is shown incorporated in a cassette-loaded automatic document feeder ("ADF") that is attachable to an existing independent engineering document copier in a non-intrusive manner. The cassette can be loaded, either when positioned in the ADF or at a location remote from the ADF, with a stack of large engineering documents of mixed media and varying sizes; and it is even possible for the cassette to carry a document several yards (meters) long. Documents are fed serially from the top of the stack through the ADF's document flow path by the document drive which is centered for alignment along a line positioned parallel to the document flow path.

Abstract: A synchronizing roller arrangement for transporting sheets into a sheet-processing machine, the synchronizing roller arrangement being mounted on a cyclically rotating shaft and pressable with adjustable contact pressure against a transport roller, and including a rotatably supported element, and a vertically-adjustable element whereon the rotatably supported element is secured.

Abstract: The sheet material inspection apparatus has a pitch detection section for detecting pitches between sheet materials on a conveying path and a control section which effects so that the sheet material is inserted from a predetermined position of a groove of a rotary body (impeller) by adjusting rotating speed of the rotary body or by using auxiliary conveying path even if a pitch deviation is produced. The sheet material conveying device for conveying sheet materials has a conveying unit which includes pairs of rollers disposed away a predetermined distance from each other, a belt stretched between the pairs of rollers and wound on the rollers through only a predetermined angle; and a guide member disposed between the pairs of rollers so that its upper surface is located more downward by a predetermined spacing than a conveying surface of the belt. Sheet materials are supported between the belt and the guide member and conveyed by driving the belt, which enables high-speed, and less damage, in conveying.

Abstract: An apparatus for attaching a tag on a neck portion of an article is disclosed. The apparatus includes an article-carrying member, a tag-supplying device, and a tag-carrying device disposed beyond the article-carrying member along a carrying direction of the article. The tag-carrying device includes two pairs of paired traveling belts disposed right and left of the tag and inclined so that each of the belts has a starting portion higher than the article and an ending portion of approximately the same height as a shoulder of the article. The tag-carrying device is adapted for carrying a tag synchronously with the carried article while holding both side edges of the tag between the upper and lower traveling belts to thereby insert a head of the article into a tag aperture and attach the tag to the neck portion of the article.

Abstract: A sheet feeding arrangement has a main body and a width direction. A sheet passage extends in a main body of the arrangement like a letter "U" in a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the arrangement. The "U" of the passage has a predetermined width in the width direction of the arrangement. A sheet feeding shaft is supported inside the "U" of the sheet passage and extends in the width direction of the arrangement. The sheet feeding shaft has a drive roller fixedly mounted thereon. The drive roller partly extends into the sheet passage to be able to contact a sheet in the sheet passage. A motor is connected with the sheet feeding shaft for driving the shaft to feed the sheet by the drive roller. A speed reduction mechanism is provided between the motor and the sheet feeding shaft to transmit drive power from the motor to the shaft with a reduced speed.

Abstract: A feed roller for feeding a document is disposed between a control panel and an original table on the top of a copier body. A document stocker provided rotatably relative to an original cover on the original table is rotated so as to cover the control panel, whereby the original cover is raised from the original table to create some clearance. In this situation, a document is inserted through the document stocker from a document inserting port. The document thus inserted is detected by the operation of a detecting lever, which activates the feed roller to convey the inserted document to the original table. As the rear part of the document thus conveyed is detected by the operation of the detecting lever, the feed roller is deactivated. In this condition, copying operation is carried out so that an image of the document conveyed onto the original table is formed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet conveying apparatus with a convey roller for conveying a sheet; a plurality of pinch rollers arranged along the convey roller and adapted to urge the sheet against the convey roller; a pinch roller holder formed as one piece for supporting the plurality of pinch rollers, the rigidity of the pinch roller holder in a sheet conveying direction being greater than the rigidity of the pinch roller holder in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and a biasing device for acting on the pinch roller holder to urge the pinch rollers against the convey roller.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus, such as a folder apparatus of a web-fed printing press, having a printed product delivery with two fan wheel arrangements overlapping each other. An exemplary embodiment includes a mechanism for continuously conveying flat products. The mechanism has devices attached thereto in a timed arrangement for positioning each flat product to be delivered, in its entirety, off a centerline of the fan wheel arrangements prior to the entry of the flat product into a pocket of the fan wheel arrangements.

Abstract: A sheet handler for deskewing and registering sheets en route to a processing station in an image processing apparatus includes cross rolls that drive each copy sheet against a registration edge for deskewing purposes. The angle of a driven one of the cross rolls with respect to the registration edge is adjusted, as well as, its speed varied based on the output of a sheet weight detector to a controller that controls pivotal movement of the driven cross roll.

Abstract: A sheet feeder including at least a pair of variable outer diameter rollers and having a compact, simple and long life construction. The variable outer diameter roller includes a generally cylindrical pipe having four equally spaced penetrating holes radially disposed in its cylindrical wall, a sealing means having a diaphragm positioned adjacent each of the penetrating holes and fitted to the pipe support, and sliders forming a roller peripheral face fitted into each penetrating hole to be able to slide smoothly. Each slider is moved by diaphragms in a direction so the roller outer diameter expands by compressed air supplied through a fluid supply passage in a rotary axle which supports the roller. Exhausting the compressed air causes the roller outer diameter to decrease and restores the roller to its original size.

Abstract: A dual drive document deskew and sheet feeder. Paper sheets of various sizes and thicknesses are joggled and aligned into a stack relative to one side and a top of the documents, for example, and the stack is placed in a hinged hopper which is pivoted to be raised relative to left and right special picker rollers. Left and right drive rollers located downstream in a feeding direction from the picker rollers are independently driven by left and right drive stepper motors. Sensors which interact with the leading edge of a document are used to sense whether the document is skewed relative to the feeding direction. A controller receives the outputs from the sensors, and the outputs are used to dynamically deskew the document so that it can be fed into a document receiving apparatus in a deskewed or aligned orientation. The special picker rollers subject the top document being fed to alternating high and low friction forces which minimizes double feeds.

Abstract: The invention uses two very inexpensive rotary encoders in combination--a close-coupled one (or more) for high accuracy, and a remote-coupled one for high resolution. High-accuracy information is then combined with high resolution information in a digital processing system to yield composite information that is high in both accuracy and resolution. This information can be used to establish image positioning on a print medium. The overall system cost is lower than with an equivalent single encoder. Insidious cyclical errors in the coupling system (gear train or the like) are removable without expensive high tolerances and assembly or test fixtures. Residual cyclical error due to eccentric mounting or other error in the direct-coupled encoder scale also can be substantially removed, if desired, by adding another one or more encoders reading that scale, and suitably combining the information about that scale from the different sensors.

Abstract: A document accumulator capable of tool-less adjustment to accommodate a plurality of paper sizes includes first and second shafts laterally oriented across a paper path through the accumulator, first and second multi-grooved pulleys affixed to the first and second shafts, respectively, and at least one endless belt extending between the shafts, the endless belt engaging a first groove of the first multi-grooved pulley and a first groove of the second multi-grooved pulley. The belt is translatable without the use of tools into a second groove of the first multi-grooved pulley and a second groove of the second multi-grooved pulley for making a paper-size adjustment.

Abstract: A pressure roller assembly for use in a transport system. The transport system including a drive system in operative engagement with the pressure roller assembly for feeding an article in a path of travel. The pressure roller assembly including: a shaft; a roller having an inner diameter; a pair of first hubs each having a bearing surface and fixably mounted to the shaft in spaced apart relationship so that the first hub bearing surfaces are facing each other; a pair of second hubs each including an through hole having a diameter greater that the shaft diameter and a bearing surface corresponding to the first hub bearing surfaces, respectively, the second hubs spaced along the shaft between the first hubs and slideably mounted to and in bearing engagement with the roller inner diameter so that the second hub bearing surfaces are facing the first hub bearing surfaces, respectively; and means for biasing the second hub bearing surfaces into bearing engagement with the first hub bearing surfaces, respectively.

Abstract: Disclosed is a corrugated board sheet transporting system in a printing line, in which a plurality of printers, each provided with an ascendable printing cylinder having a printing die mounted thereon and a press roll opposing to the printing cylinder, are aligned in a corrugated board sheet forwarding direction. This system consists of a first feed belt unit and a second feed belt unit for holding the corrugated board sheet with the first feed belt unit, which are disposed between every adjacent two printers; the first feed belt unit consisting of a first conveyor belt which is fixed with respect to the sheet forwarding direction and a second conveyor belt which can be shifted forward and backward with respect to the sheet forwarding direction; wherein the second conveyor belt is designed to be shifted, when the printing cylinder is ascended or descended to be spaced from the press roll, to advance to a position closer to the printing cylinder in the printer.

Abstract: A paper feed roller for delivering and feeding paper, which has a high coefficient of friction that is not affected by changes in temperature or humidity, good hardwearing properties, and is low in ink transferability. The paper feed roller includes a coating layer formed of an elastic material such as rubber which is formed on a surface of a core material molded of a foamed material such as sponge. A bonding agent having an elasticity such as denatured silicon is coated on the surface of the coating layer. Ceramic particles are embedded and fixed in the bonding agent In an alternative embodiment the bonding agent is directly coated on the surface of core material which is molded from a pliable material such as soft rubber and sponge.

Abstract: The present invention provides a double function-mode scanner. It includes a scanner body scanning a content of an article to be scanned, and a feeder connected to the scanner body to have the article transmitted through a passage between the scanner body and the feeder so that the content of the article can be scanned and having a light source for allowing the sheet-feed scanner to perform not only a reflection-mode scanning but a penetration-mode scanning.

Abstract: The printing products (33) to be pressed run through in an imbricated formation (S), in which the fold edges (33a) of the printing products (33) lie at the top, between the pressing rollers (3, 4, 5, 6) of two pairs of pressing rollers (1, 2) arranged one behind the other. The upper pressing rollers (3, 5) of each pair of pressing rollers (1, 2), which come directly into contact with the fold edges (33a), are fixedly mounted. On the other hand, the other pressing rollers (4, 6) of each pair of pressing rollers (1, 2) are mounted on each side in a common mounting (15), with the sides being resiliently mounted on pneumatic springs (16). The pressing rollers (3, 4, 5, 6) are driven individually by means of flexible drive belts (17, 18, 19, 20). By this arrangement, the printing products (33) can be pressed satisfactorily and gently even at high conveying speed.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus for conveying paper sheets having a plurality of conveyor path units which are connected to form a continuous conveyor path. Each unit includes a housing having both longitudinal ends opened, a sheet conveyor, provided in the housing, for conveying the paper sheets while holding the paper sheets between endless belts and a connecting structure provided on both longitudinal ends to enable each unit to be connected in series with other units. The conveyor is disposed near both longitudinal ends to make a distance between an adjacent conveyor, when the units are connected, small.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the transportation speed of a sheet, such as a printed sheet or manuscript, includes a sheet transportation system and a speed controller. The transportation system includes a single drive motor and a plurality of rollers driven by the single motor and arranged in such a manner that a sheet to be transported is held by the rollers one after another. The speed controller includes a sensor for detecting the position of the sheet. The number of rollers which hold the sheet is determined. A speed controller provides the motor with a designated speed command calculated on the basis of the numbers of rollers, so that the actual sheet transportation speed is always constant regardless of the numbers of rollers which hold the sheet.

Abstract: In a method for the automated processing of bulk mail, envelopes are transferred to a receiving apparatus in bulk fashion (from incoming mail trays or the like) for the extraction of documents contained by the envelopes, and the extracted documents are delivered to a remittance processing device, preferably both automatically and without the need for human intervention. Subsequent processing of the extracted documents within the remittance processing device then proceeds in usual fashion, completing the acquisition of information which is necessary to ready such documents for deposit into the banking system. Also disclosed are various presorting functions so that only envelopes containing documents of a specified type will be fully processed, other sorting functions such as the identification of specific types of documents (invoices or checks) for separate processing, and the use of a single extraction device to deliver extracted documents to either one, or a series of remittance processing devices.

Abstract: Uniform diameter rollers are used with eccentric members to impart a V-shape to a signature stream in the infeed section of a stacker. At least one of the rollers of the shaft includes an eccentric member to offset the rotational axis of that roller. A roller of the second set provided on a second shaft is similarly offset so that sheet product fed between the rollers will be bent to add rigidity and stiffness to the signature stream.

Abstract: There is disclosed an adjustable pressure roller assembly for use in a paper feeding machine having a paper feed path and a feed roller for feeding various paper items, such as envelopes, single sheets, a plurality of layered sheets, etc. along the feed path. The pressure roller assembly has a back up pressure roller disposed on the opposite side of the feed path in juxtaposition to the feed roller of the paper feeding machine. There is structure for mounting the pressure roller for movement toward and away from the feed roller to vary the amount of pressure exerted by the pressure roller against a paper item disposed between the pressure roller and the feed roller. An actuating assembly is provided for controlling the direction and extent of movement of the pressuer roller So that the pressure roller and feed roller can accommodate a wide variety of thicknesses, types and grades of paper without risk of mutilating or misfeeding the paper.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus with a regulating guide disposed along a sheet feeding path and adapted to regulate a position of a lateral edge of a sheet, first and second rotary members for feeding the sheet along the sheet feeding path and for applying force to the sheet to urge the lateral edge of the sheet against the regulating guide, and a support device for supporting the first and second rotary members in such a manner that they can be shifted in response to reaction force corresponding to the aforementioned force and received from the sheet.

Abstract: A passbook transport and handling apparatus (10) for transporting a passbook between a customer using an automated banking machine and a printer (12) located inside the banking machine includes first belt flights (32) movable on first pulleys (22). The transport further includes second belt flights (34) movable on second pulleys (28). The second belt flights are disposed traversely intermediate of the first belt flights so that a passbook carried therein between is engaged firmly but with limited slippage. The passbook is guided through the transport by a first fixed edge guide (44). A second edge guide (46) is mounted on a spring (48) so as to bias the passbook into alignment as it passes through the transport. A gate member (72) is movable between positions blocking or admitting a passbook to the transport. Movement of the gate member as well as the belt flights is under control of a processor.

Abstract: A paper strip conveying apparatus provided along an objective conveying path, comprising an endless belt having its periphery in contact with one of the two faces of the paper strip and a plurality of pulleys provided along the conveying path so that their peripheries come in contact with the other face of the paper strip, between which a paper strip is pinched and conveyed. The object of the present invention is to shorten the length of the electric wire through which static electricity charged in a pulley flows out. In the present invention, both a pulley fixing board which supports the pulleys and a main body frame formed along the conveying path are formed of conductive material, and are electrically connected by a conductor.

Abstract: A paper strip transporting apparatus includes a drive pulley and a driven pulley (22, 23) which are separated from each other; a belt (25) which is disposed between and around the pulleys; a plurality of transporting rollers (27, 28) disposed along the belt (25) between the drive and driven pulleys (22, 23); and a drive unit (21) for driving drive pulley (22). Either one of the transporting rollers (27, 28) and the belt (25) has a convex portion and the other has a concave portion corresponding thereto at respective facing areas thereof. The transporting rollers (27, 28) are disposed with respect to the belt (25) so that the convex portion is positioned within the concave portion in a non-contacting relationship therebetween.

Abstract: A method is provided for temporarily storing a series of successive textile sheets having a length L in an overlapping relationship in a collecting apparatus, including the successive steps of conveying the textile sheets one after another to an inlet of a carrier mechanism, while preventing an uncontrolled relative movement with a neighboring sheet in an overlapping contact area, clamping each textile sheet between the carrier mechanism and cooperating clamping means and conveying the clamped textile sheets along a path to an outlet of the carrier mechanism in successive steps having an adjustable step length d, removing the textile sheets from the collection apparatus at the outlet without disturbing a position of a neighboring sheets and displacing the carrier mechanism by one of translation, rotation and translation combined with rotation around one of a vertical axis and at least one horizontal axis.

Abstract: An improved transmission system for a document feeder, in which a constant one-way-rotating gear train is mounted in an output zone so as to cause a transmission shaft in the output zone to rotate in one direction only to send out a sheet of document no matter the driving gear rotates clockwise or counter-clockwise; therefore, as soon as a first sheet of document moves out of the scanning line without moving out of the output zone, the driving gear will change its rotation clockwise so as to have a next sheet of document fed into the scanning zone; therefore, the feeding distance between two sheets of document will be reduced, and consequently the whole feeding time for a document will be reduced, too.

Abstract: The paper strip conveying apparatus includes a conveying roller which is provided in such a manner that the outer peripheral plane comes into contact with one surface of a paper strip, a roller drive mechanism which rotates the conveying roller and a paper strip biasing member which is provided in such a manner that the tip portion comes into contact with the other surface of the paper strip. A convex portion is formed circularly along the outer peripheral plane of the conveying roller. The paper strip biasing member has a concave portion into which the convex portion of the conveying roller fits without contact at the tip portion. When the paper strip is sandwiched between the conveying roller and the paper strip biasing member, since the convex portion of the conveying roller fits into the concave portion of the paper strip biasing member, the paper strip is forcedly flexed so as to be urged onto the convex portion of the conveying roller and conveyed by the rotation of the conveying roller.

Abstract: A belt tension adjusting mechanism comprises a belt tension adjusting pulley over which the endless belt is placed; a plate having a plurality of recesses in which a rotary shaft of the belt tension adjusting pulley is received; a handle having, at one end thereof, a pin engageable with the recess; and a linking member connected, at one end thereof, with the rotary shaft of the belt tension adjusting pulley and connected, at the other end thereof, with an intermediate portion of the handle.

Abstract: An arrangement for charging successive pockets on a conveyor path of an insetting machine with inset products with a given edge first. A sheet feeder disposed to convey the inset products approximately perpendicular to a conveying direction of the insetting machine is provided. Above the pockets a conveyor segment ends that is disposed downstream of the sheet feeder. The conveyor segment is formed by two endless adjacent flat belts and conveys the inset products from the sheet feeder to the pockets of the insetting machine. The inset products are grasped between respective conveying surfaces of the flat belts. Deflector rollers circulate the flat belts.

Abstract: An external media transport buffer has a carriage supported for linear motion on parallel guide rails between an imagesetter and a processor. A pair of transport rollers is mounted for rotation on the carriage. Two sensors are mounted within the buffer to detect media movement. A first sensor is positioned at an entrance to the buffer and a second sensor is positioned on the carriage on an exit side of the transport rollers. Signals are sent from the sensors to a roller transport motor and carriage transport motor and the signals are coordinated to start and stop the motors according to a predetermined sequence. A leading end of media enters the nip of the transport rollers and is held in the nip as the carriage travels from the imagesetter to the processor. A slack loop of media forms between the carriage and the imagesetter as the imagesetter feeds the media to the buffer faster than the carriage travels to the processor.

Abstract: It is an object of this invention to allow detection of multiple paper-conveying of an original sheet in image reading or forming operation and facilitate a recovery operation. An automatic original feeding apparatus of this invention uses pressure sensitive conductive rubber in a feeding roller, and changes in length and thickness of a sheet are changed into electrical signals, so that the conveyed state such as multiple paper-conveying of the sheet can be detected.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating and advancing documents includes a first assembly having movable belts for frictionally engaging and advancing one of the documents along a path, and a second assembly having stationary belts and retrogressingly moving a portion of an endless belt along the path to frictionally engage and halt the remainder of the documents. The retrogressional movement of the endless belt distributing wear experienced by the engaging and halting of documents over the length of the endless belt. The movable belts of the first assembly and the belts of the second assembly are disposed in relative juxtaposition whereby the one document is gripped between the first assembly and second assembly and advanced along the path under the influence of the first assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus feed paper sheets to a photosensitive dram of an electronic copier, negatively charged toner adhering the dram. The apparatus incorporates a paper feed roller and a rubber member located adjacent the roller for supporting paper sheets in contacting relation to the roller. The robber member has a polymer, vulcanizer, vulcanization aid and filler; and at least one component selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, barium oxide, nylon short fibers, powder of nylon short fibers and nigrosine compound. The component is present in an amount of 1 to 100 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the polymer. The paper sheet becomes electrostatically charged negatively, when contacting the rubber member during sheet feeding by the roller, thus preventing electrostatic attraction between the paper approaching the dram and negatively charged toner on the dram.

Abstract: In order to avoid ergonomic problems such as carpel tunnel syndrome while improving productivity, an apparatus for feeding signatures to a patent bound binding line is disclosed. The apparatus includes a pocket adjacent a binding line for receiving signatures to be delivered to the binding line. It also includes a signature feeder for feeding signatures from a source in a generally vertical direction to a signature receiving and transferring mechanism. The signature receiving and transferring mechanism has a signature receiving end positioned in generally vertically spaced relation to the source and a signature transferring end positioned generally adjacent to the pocket. The signature receiving and transferring mechanism has a signature conveyor for conveying signatures in a continuous stream from the signature receiving end to the signature transferring end for delivery into the pocket.

Abstract: An apparatus for presenting documents to a remittance processing device includes an arm for receiving a plurality of the documents for presentation to the remittance processing device and a conveyor for drawing the received documents along the arm and to a delivery point adjacent to the remittance processing device, for serial presentation at the remittance processing device for remittance processing of the received documents. The apparatus can also operate to stack received documents, to separate paired documents, and to justify documents to a reference surface, for eventual presentation to the arm and its conveyor.

Abstract: A turnover-sequencer staging apparatus for sheets comprises: a receiver, a turnover-sequencer, and a staging segment. The receiving device receives at least two side-by-side sheets and supplies these to the turnover-sequencer wherein the sheets are overturned and rerouted in a substantially orthogonal direction, the relationship between sheets having been converted to sequential whereby the sheets become disposed seriatim and imbricated. The overturned and rerouted seriatim-imbricated sheets are selectively de-imbricated in the staging segment by separation of selected consecutive sheets. Separation is effected by braking or stopping of the conveying motion of the trailing one of two consecutive sheets. In other embodiments, separation can be accomplished by changing the speed of conveying of one of two consecutive sheets; either by speeding up of the leading sheet or by slowing down of the trailing sheet.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus having components which are secured and supported by a resin apparatus body. The body if formed of mutually separable upper and lower casings, which are coupled in shiplap style. At least the upper casing is formed of a monocoque construction, and the lower casing may be formed of a monocoque construction as well.

Abstract: In order to make it unnecessary to shift a finishing machine (12) out of a position adjacent to a printing or copying machine (10) the invention provides a transfer device for sets of sheets leaving the printing or copying machine (10) for the set finishing machine (12). The printing or copying machine (10) comprises a door (14) with an ejection opening for the sets and the said finishing machine (12) possesses an inlet side opposite such opening, such door (14) opening toward the inlet side of the finishing machine (12).

Abstract: Endless drive belts are provided in a spaced-apart relation to each other such that one endless driven belt is set in contact with one of these drive belts and the other endless driven belt is set in contact with the other drive belt. The one drive belt is driven by one pulse motor through one drive roller and that other drive belt is driven by the other pulse motor through the other drive roller. A bill is conveyed with its opposed edges gripped by the drive and driven belts. A controller measures the skew of the bill and bill-to-bill interval on the basis of output signals detected by forward-stage detecting units against the conveying bill and controls the respective rotational speeds of the one pulse motor and that other pulse motor on the basis of a result of measurement.

Abstract: A coupling, supportable by a first and second O-ring belt, has two gear sheaves in mating contact. The inner portion of each gear sheave has a friction surface for mating with one of the O-ring belts. The rotational drive of the first O-ring is imparted to the first of the gear sheaves through the first frictional surface causing the sheave to rotate. The rotation of the first sheave then causes the second sheave, through the mating gears, to rotate in a direction opposite the direction of the first gear sheave. The frictional surface of the second sheave then imparts the rotation of the second sheave to the second O-ring. In this manner the rotational drive of the first O-ring is reversed when transmitted by the second O-ring as said O-rings support said sheaves.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for printing or coating material and supporting the material during printing or coating thereon by either offset-gravure or direct roll equipment includes a cylindrical support member having flexible bristles radiating therefrom. The bristles are of a suitable diameter, length and spacing to form a generally cylindrical brush that is oriented in spaced relation to a contact printing or coating roller and adapted to yield or bend when coming in contact with contoured or uneven portions of the material and thereby fully support the lower surface of the material as the upper surface of the material is being printed upon or coated.

Abstract: A decurling apparatus and method to decurl a substrate in a xerography machine. The invention combines a decurling apparatus having a penetration roller with a small diameter penetrating into a belt. The penetration roller is adjustable and as it pushes into the belt, more decurling of a copy sheet will occur. A controller determines the amount of decurling that is necessary and sends an electrical signal to a driver which operates the penetration roller. The penetration roller is either pressed into or away from the decurling belt. A cam shaft is turned by a motor to cause the cams to move the penetration roller. Although the controller stores the information on the cam location, a home sensor is required to indicate home position. The cam shaft is returned to home position before adjusting the penetration roller to a new level of decurling.