Abstract: A separating device wherein two belts with different friction coefficients present respective straight portions facing each other and converging at a contact portion. The belts are fed with a number of mail items which are wedged in the V-shaped opening defined by the straight portions and are fed singly through the contact portion by the higher friction coefficient belt and to the input of a follow-up conveyor belt system. The device comprises a barrier of sensors located between the contact portion and the input of the conveyor belt system, and which provide for determining the form and spacing of the mail items. The signal generated by the barrier of sensors is used for adjusting operation of the higher friction coefficient belt.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding a fiber batt to a needle loom, in which a gusset gap between an upper reversing roller of a pre-compression means and an upper supply roller is filled by an upper slim transmission roller rotatably suspended at its end portions by bracket means. The transmission roller is made from a carbon fiber reinforced resin material. The bracket means are composed each of two parts which may be released from each other. One part of each bracket means is mounted on the axis of the supply roller, whereas the other part is suspended in a stationary frame of the apparatus. By realeasing the parts of each other, an easy disassembly of the supply roller is enabled.

Abstract: In an automatic document feeder (ADF) for an image forming apparatus, a table is loaded with multiple documents or a single document, as desired. A transport section transports the document or one of the documents fed from the table to a predetermined position on a glass platen included in a body of the apparatus, and then transports it away from the predetermined position. A feed section has a feeding member for feeding the document from the table to the transporting section, and a separating member movable in opposite direction to an intended direction of document feed into frictional engagement with the feeding member. A mode selecting section is accessible for selecting either of a multiple feed mode for sequentially feeding the multiple documents from the table while separating the individual documents, and a single feed mode for feeding the single document therefrom. A drive source drives the separating member while switching the drive direction thereof.

Abstract: A sheet transport roller device is disclosed, comprising a drive roller member and a free roller member disposed facing each other with a specified pressure between them and transport a sheet held between them, a device which allows each roller of the drive and free roller members to move in the axial direction, urging members disposed at both ends of the rollers, in which the roller devices are moved in the direction lateral to a sheet transport path as a sheet is being held by the roller devices, in accordance with an action moving said sheet in the direction lateral to the transport path.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying a paper along a paper conveying path, the apparatus includes a pair of guide plates for guiding a paper in the paper conveying path, the guide plates being movable between a first position located in the paper conveying path and a second position located out of the paper conveying path and a roller located in the paper conveying path for conveying the paper. The roller is rotated in response to the moving of the guide plates from the first position to the second position so that the paper in the paper conveying path is fed from the guide plates.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder (ADF) with a solid bracket suitable for use with an office machine to separate a plurality of documents one by one, and to feed the separated document to the office machine. The solid bracket comprises a pair of side plates, a stationary belt supporter and a shaftless roller supporter extending between the side plates, and a pair of spring supporters connected to the side plates through individual bent connections. The ADF further includes a rotatable shaft supporting the belt and controlling the tensile force of the belt, and a document separating roller coming into close contact with the belt at a position opposed to a shaftless roller. The tension coil springs are connected between the rotatable shaft and the spring supporters to bias the rotatable shaft and to control the tensile force of the belt. The endless document separating belt is rotatably supported by both the stationary belt supporter and the rotatable shaft.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for feeding sheets separately, the apparatus comprises a feed unit disposed over a stack of sheets for causing a conveyance force upon the uppermost of the stack thereby to feed the uppermost sheet from the stack with the conveyance force being directed in a sheet path direction. The feed unit has an alternating charged pattern on a surface thereof. The apparatus further comprises a separation unit disposed opposite to the feed unit so as to form a sheet path in association with the feed unit for causing a preventive force onto an under face of the fed sheet thereby to prevent the sheet from being fed. The preventive force is set to be less than the conveyance force and greater than a friction force between sheets. The separation unit has another alternating charged pattern on a surface thereof.

Abstract: A sheet registration mechanism for aligning a sheet moving along a substantially planar transport path relative to such transport path in a plurality of orthogonal directions (e.g., the cross-track and in-track directions and remove skew). The mechanism comprises a first roller assembly having a first urging roller mounted for rotation about an axis lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the transport path, and substantially perpendicular to the direction of sheet travel along the transport path. A second roller assembly has a second urging roller mounted for rotation about an axis lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the transport path, and substantially perpendicular to the direction of sheet travel along the transport path. A third roller assembly has a third urging roller mounted for rotation about an axis lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the transport path, and substantially perpendicular to the direction of sheet travel along the transport path.

Abstract: An improvement for an apparatus conveying sheets of paper seriatim along a deck between a plurality of roller pairs, including lower driven rollers and corresponding upper biased idler rollers. The improvement comprises a roller and guide plate assembly pivotably mounted on the deck. The roller and guide plate assembly includes a guide plate operatively coupled to rigid support shafts and upper roller assemblies of the roller pairs, and means for supporting the guide plate a fixed distance above the deck. The guide plate is mounted to at least two shaft support blocks, the rigid support shafts for the upper roller assemblies being mounted to the support blocks above the guide plate, the guide plate including slots through which the biased upper rollers of the upper roller assemblies extend therethrough to cooperate with the corresponding lower driven rollers to convey sheets across the deck.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding a fiber batt to a needle loom, in which a gusset gap is filled between the reversing roller of an upper pre-compression conveyor band and an upper supply roller by means of a slim transmission roller, which is suspended at its length at several locations, in order to avoid sagging. The suspensions can consist of ribbons, which carry the transmission roller, or they can be formed by holding fingers which are integrally formed with guide fingers of a finger roller and which are located in respective circumferential grooves in the transmission roller. In an alternative the transmission roller is divided into several segments and roller bearings are provided at the connection positions of the segments and are suspended from above (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A device for picking up a top layer of limp sheet material from a lay-up of sheet material includes a head assembly including a pair of rollers between which the top layer is retainably gripped and a double-acting cylinder for lifting the head assembly, with the top layer held thereby, to an elevated condition above the remainder of the lay-up. The device compensates for the reduction in the height of the lay-up as the layers are singularly picked up from the layer and includes a controller for automatically controlling the sequencing of operations of the device.

Abstract: A belt transport system for conveying thin sheet material, in which the sheet material is engaged by one side of a conveyor belt and one side of at least one baffle plate and conveyed in a clamped state through a clamping area. The system includes smoothing elements having smoothing surfaces disposed on the opposite side of the belt from the sheet side, the smoothing elements being disposed in such a way that bent parts or dog-ears of the sheet material protruding beyond the conveyor belt to its opposite side run into the smoothing element during transport and are thereby urged away from the clamping area of the belt.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding a transfer sheet to a transfer region of an image forming machine such as a copier and a printer. The sheet feeder has a driving roller for driving a idle roller so that the transfer sheet is nipped between the driving roller and the idle roller, and conveyed to the transfer region; the idle roller for being rotated by the movement of the driving roller, in which a hardness of the idle roller is more than 0.degree. and not more than 60.degree. in Asuka C Scale; and a shutter for suspending and allowing the conveyance of the transfer sheet by opening and closing operations of the shutter. The driving roller of the sheet feeder is still rotating while the shutter is suspending the conveyance of the transfer sheet.

Abstract: An XY plotter includes a pair of grip and pinch rollers for feeding recording paper in one direction while gripping the recording paper therebetween, a pen carriage arranged to be movable in the direction perpendicular to the one direction, a pen supported by the pen carriage for performing recording on the recording paper, a grip roller shaft provided parallel to the traveling direction of the pen carriage, the grip roller shaft having a non-circular section, a movable stand arranged so that the position thereof is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the grip roller shaft, and the grip and pinch roller including a movable partial grip roller and a pinch roller, the movable partial grip roller being mounted on the movable stand so that the movable partial grip roller is not rotatable relative to the grip roller shaft but is movable on the grip roller shaft in the longitudinal direction thereof, the pinch roller being supported on the movable stand so that the pinch roller is made to come into contact

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking, registering and attaching one or multiple sets of electrophotographic printing machine output. The copy sheets are discharged from the machine and fall into an inclined compiling tray and are longitudinally registered by flexible, endless belts contacting the top surface of each sheet. Each sheet is then laterally shifted by a tamping mechanism which has upwardly flared baffle to corrugate the sheet as it is shifted to increase the sheet beam strength and facilitate easier and more complete registration. The discharge nip assembly which includes the flexible belts is vertically adjustable either based on discharged sheet count or in response to feedback from a stack height sensor so as to maintain optimum contact by the endless registration belt and allow for high capacity compiling. The compiling tray can also be adjustable.

Abstract: Sheets, such as business forms, are turned so that their orientation is changed from landscape to portrait mode, or vice versa. Simple apparatus effects sheet rotation, and includes a conveyance surface on which a sheet travels in a first direction, first and second rollers for engaging the sheet traveling on the conveyance surface, and first and second drives (e.g., D.C. stepper motors) for driving the first and second rollers independently of each other. A sensor senses the position of the sheet just downstream of the rollers, and a controller (computer)--in response to the sensor--controls the speed and direction of rotation of the motors so that one roller rotates with a given tangential speed in a first direction of rotation, while the other roller rotates at that same speed in an opposite direction of rotation.

Abstract: A sheet calendering method and apparatus including a calendering cylinder, a delivering cylinder, and a conveyor for transporting sheets between the calendering cylinder and the delivering cylinder; wherein the conveyor includes two flexible elongated members forming parallel endless loops around the calendering and delivering cylinders, a plurality of support members attached between the parallel loops, and a plurality of calendering plates each linked to an adjacent plate by the support members to form an endless belt.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sheet curl control apparatus including a decurler (350) for reducing the curl in sheet material passing therethrough and adjusting means coupled to the decurler (350) for adjusting the decurling action of the decurler (350). Sensing means (406) in the form of an infra-red emitter (408) and two infra-red detectors (410 and 412) are employed for sensing the extent of any residual curl left in the sheet material after it has passed through the decurler (350), and for feeding a signal indicative of the residual curl to control means, conveniently including a stepper motor, for automatically adjusting the adjusting means, for example a rack and pinion arrangement, thereby to alter the decurling action of the decurler (350) in a predetermined manner. The sheet curl control apparatus is described in relation to its use in a copier for duplex copying.

Abstract: A cut sheet registration device comprises at least two idler rolls biassed into contact with an intermittently-driven feed roll, the idler rolls being pivoted on a bar which is itself pivotable with respect to the axis of the feed roll, so as to adjust the angle which the contact joints of the idler rolls make with the feed roll. The angle of the bar is adjustable at the factory to allow for any misalignment etc. in the downstream sheet-using devices.

Abstract: In order to spread and flatten a signature for printing, and to hold the signature to prevent it from shifting, a binding line mail table includes a plate for supporting the signature in a flat orientation as the signature moves along the signature supporting plate. It also includes a first pair of drive belts disposed on the signature supporting plate in spaced apart relation and a second pair of drive belts disposed on the respective ones of the first pair of drive belts on the sides thereof opposite the signature supporting plate and, further, the drive belts are all then driven at substantially the same speed. With this unique arrangement, and to ensure that the signature is in a flat orientation as it moves along the signature supporting plate for printing thereon, at least one of the drive belts of one of the pairs diverges relative to the respective one of the drive belts of the other of the pairs.

Abstract: A sheet feeding system includes a first conveyor and a second endless, clamp conveyor wherein the first conveyor includes an endless belt and an idler roller which is biased toward the belt and adjustably mounted along the belt relative to a clamp on the endless, clamp conveyor. The roller is spaced from the clamp a distance approximately equal to the length of a sheet being conveyed so that the sheet remains in a nip between the idler roller and the belt until the leading edge of the sheet is driven into the clamp and the trailing edge of the sheet clears the nip so that the sheet is not driven further into the clamp.

Abstract: A sheet conveyor apparatus is provided with a first rotator for supplying the feeding force to a sheet in contact with the sheet, a second rotator for supplying the feeding force to the sheet in contact with the sheet and from the opposite side of the sheet, a drive rotator rotatable by the drive force from a drive source, and a drive transmission for transmitting the drive force of the drive rotator to the second rotator so as to rotate the second rotator at a peripheral velocity higher than that of the first rotator. While the sheet is being conveyed, the drive transmission allows a slip as it transmits the drive force so that the second rotator can rotate at a peripheral velocity in conformance with that of the sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus for decurling a sheet is disclosed. The apparatus includes a decurler shaft and a first belt positionable to contact an arcuate portion of the decurler shaft. The apparatus further includes a second belt positionable to cantact the first belt and to bend around the arcuate portion of the decurler shaft. Moreover, the apparatus includes a mechanism for advancing the sheet between the first belt and the second belt so as to bend the sheet around the arcuate portion of the decurler shaft.

Abstract: This carrier apparatus employs an ultrasonic actuator comprising a piezoelectric actuator made of a piezoelectric element which extends and contracts in the radial direction of a cylindrical vibrator in the inner space of the cylindrical vibrator as a power source. This ultrasonic actuator elastically deforms the cross section of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical vibrator into an elliptical shape by the extension and contraction of the piezoelectric actuator, and transmits a driving force in a tangential direction to an article pressed on a predetermined position on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body by utilizing the circumferential and radial transformations (or displacements) generated on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical vibrator upon elastic deformation of the elliptical shape.

Abstract: Sheet transport apparatus has a pair of driven transport rolls and a pair of associated idler nip rolls forming sheet transport nips therebetween and defining a sheet transport path, one of the pair of transport rolls and pair of idler rolls being fixedly supported in a sheet feed table, the other of the pair of transport rolls and pair of idler rolls being mounted on a shaft which is pivotally mounted about an axis perpendicular to the shaft and parallel to the sheet feeding path, the shaft being pivotally mounted at the midpoint between the pair of rolls in a pivot housing extending across the sheet feeding path, one end of the pivot housing fixedly engaging the sheet feed table and including a spring to bias the other end of the pivot housing toward the sheet feed table to enable the shaft to pivot about the axis to provide the same nip force between each of the driven transport roll and its associated idler nip roll.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying paper in a printer adapted to convey cut-sheet and fan-fold paper bi-directionally in a paper path. The apparatus includes a pair of paper conveying rollers positioned downstream of a print head and a pair of paper conveying rollers positioned upstream of the print head. At least one roller of one of the paper conveying roller pair has projections circumferentially extending away from the roller. The projections can be pressed against the roller to reduce the diameter and speed of the roller relative to its speed and diameter before compression to convey the paper in a first direction while preventing the formation of slack across the paper. In addition, the projections can be extended away from the roller to increase the diameter and speed of the roller relative to its speed and diameter before extension to convey the paper in a second direction while preventing the formation of slack across the paper.

Abstract: The multi-pass sorting machine of this disclosure includes a supporting structure which has the configuration of an A-Frame. The A-Frame structure has a slanting front side supporting several individually functional devices and a slanting back side supporting other individually functional devices. The devices of the front side include an input feeding means, a first transporting means, a singulating means, an accelerating means, a second transporting means, a bar code reader and associated electronic and computer means, a plurality of first sorting means in the form of diverting vanes, an equal number of first pass stacker buffer means, and a reversing member for transporting letters from the front side to the back side while at the same time retaining the same orientation of the letters to the planar surface as the letters go around the corner.

Abstract: The sheet conveying unit of the present invention has a roller for conveying a sheet which contacts therewith, a supporting portion for rotatably supporting both sides of the roller, a drive motor for rotatively driving the roller, and a frame portion for holding the supporting portion and the drive motor and making them integral with each other. The rotary shaft of the roller and the rotary shaft of the drive motor are a common shaft. The rotor of the drive motor is mounted on the common shaft, and the stator of the drive motor is mounted on the frame portion.

Abstract: A sheet guiding apparatus and an image forming apparatus incorporating same. The copy sheet being transported to the transfer station by a pair of feed rollers is guided by a pair of guide panels arranged in one direction and an opposite direction. These guide panels are located in an extension state with a substantial intervening spacing at the moment transport starts, and are located in a contracted state with a narrow intervening spacing at the completion of sheet transport so as to prevent transport error and transfer dislocation. The timing by which the guide panels change form the extension state to the contraction state changing in accordance with the copy sheet size to assure guidability regardless of the size of the copy sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying sheets of paper along a paper path comprises an outer frame having an inlet end for connection to an upstream conveying device and an outlet end for connection to a downstream conveying device. The outer frame has a hollow interior and an opening in each of the inlet and outlet ends for conveying sheets through. There is a drawer frame slidably mounted to the outer frame. The drawer frame is slidable through an open side of the outer frame between a closed position within the outer frame to an open position outside the outer frame. There is structure mounted in the drawer frame for conveying along a paper path sheets of paper received from the upstream conveying device to the downstream conveying device. The conveying structure includes structure for driving the conveying structure.

Abstract: There is described a sheet feeding apparatus having a stacking tray on which sheets are stacked, a first sheet feeding rotary member for supplying a sheet from the stacking tray, and a second sheet feeding rotary member for feeding the sheet from the first sheet feeding rotary member toward a predetermined processing position. The feeding apparatus has a control for rotating the second sheet feeding rotary member for a predetermined time during the feeding of a preceding sheet, for stopping the preceding sheet with a trailing end thereof being retained in a nip of the second sheet feeding rotary member and then for rotating the second sheet feeding rotary member with a leading end of a next sheet being inserted into the nip to feed the preceding and next sheeets simultaneously.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for reconveying copy paper sheets carrying an image to a transfer section by suction. Along the transport path to the apparatus is arranged a curl inducing mechanism that induces curls in the copy paper sheets, whereby the copy paper sheets with upwardly curled edges are loaded in the apparatus. With this arrangement, the copy paper sheets are surely separated by injecting air, thereby preventing multi-feeds.

Abstract: An automatic paper feeder for feeding a sheet of paper from a paper supply bin to a platen of a printer, comprises: a paper feed roller by which an outermost one of the sheets of paper stacked in the paper supply bin is fed toward the platen while being separated from the rest of sheets of paper; at least one conveyance roller provided between the platen and the paper feed roller train, the conveyance roller receiving a forward turning power from a drive shaft of the printer through a drive gear train having a gear unit; and a one-way torque transmission member provided between the gear unit and a shaft of the conveyance roller nearest to the platen, for transmitting the forward turning powr from the gear unit to the conveyance roller shaft only when the drive shaft of the printer is rotated in the forward direction, wherein a lost motion member is provided to the gear unit and the one-way torque member for preventing the forward turning power of the drive shaft from transmitting to the conveyance roller shaf

Abstract: A sheet feed mechanism for a plotter comprises a main drive roller, and a plurality of sub drive rollers which are serially arranged at predetermined spacings from the main drive roller. A main pinch roller is arranged in opposition to the main drive roller so as to be rotatable and movable over and axially of the main drive roller, and a sub pinch roller is arranged in opposition to the sub drive rollers so as to be rotatable and movable over and axially of the sub drive rollers. The axial length of the main drive roller is made greater than that of the main pinch roller. The side edges of a sheet are respectively held between the main drive roller and the main pinch roller and between one of the sub drive rollers and the sub pinch roller, and the main and drive rollers are synchronously rotated, thereby to feed the sheet in the lengthwise direction thereof.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a first rotating member for providing a sheet with a conveying force by rotating while contacting the sheet, a second rotating member for pressing the sheet against the first rotating member, a driving member for providing a driving force of a driving source, and a drive transmission for transmitting the driving force of the driving rotating member to the first rotating member. The drive transmission will produce a slip between the first rotating member and the driving rotating member when a load operating on the first rotating member is greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: At least one automaton for collectively controlling media inclusive of notes in a shop is located in a first corner, at least one automaton operated by customers is located in a second corner and at least one automaton operated by a clerk who is contacting or negotiating with a customer is located in a third corner. The automatons in individual corners are interconnected together by a sheet conveyor for aligning and conveying the media such as notes one by one. The amount of media stored in each automaton in each corner is always supervised and media are conveyed between automatons, as necessary, to effect supplementation/withdrawal of media. Furthermore, sheets are conveyed between opposed magnetic belts.

Abstract: A magnetic clutch provides an adjustable slip torque. A housing, having an outer surface of a predetermined frictional coefficient, is disposed around a portion of a shaft, and is rotatable relative to the shaft An outer magnetic member is disposed on the inner surface of the housing, and an inner magnetic member is attached to the shaft and disposed within the housing. The slip torque is adjusted by varying the amount of surface area exposure between the inner magnetic member and the outer magnetic member.

Abstract: A sheetlike article conveying roller assembly comprises at least one rotary shaft, a plurality of rollers mounted on the rotary shafts at an optional positions, and a plurality of rings held on the rollers. The rollers on one of a pair of shafts are axially arranged in staggered position with those on the other shaft. The rings of the rollers on one of the pair of the rotary shaft and those on the rollers on the other rotary shaft overlap axially. A sheetlike article is conveyed by the rollers through a travelling path defined between the rotary shafts.

Abstract: A sheet dealing apparatus feeds sheets, received within the apparatus, to a user through a sheet delivery portion by an operation of the user or receives the sheets into the sheet dealing apparatus from the user. Also, this operation may be similarly applied to the sheet delivery mode between the sheet dealing apparatus and another sheet dealing apparatus. The sheet delivery portion is contructed so as to be retractable or extensible with respect to a body of the apparatus. A sheet delivery window formed at the delivery portion is variable in position as necessary.

Abstract: A shingling device for use in a mail document sorting apparatus includes a first conveyor belt for receiving a vertical stack of sorted documents. A guide element is oblique to the conveyor belt for shifting the moving vertical stack into a shifted oblique stack and defines a gap between the belt and the guide element to enable passage of documents from the lower portion of the stack. A rotatable roller is disposed adjacent and downstream from the guide element and has a lower surface partially obstructing the gap. The roller rotates opposite to movement of the first conveyor belt for shingling documents passing through the gap. A second conveyor belt cooperates with the first conveyor belt to confine shingled documents advancing on the first belt, and cooperates with the roller so that the second belt has a longitudinal velocity substantially equal to the tangential velocity of the roller.

Abstract: A feed table unit of a sheet-fed printing machine with machine side frames for feeding sheets of paper from a stacker to a printing unit includes a feed table including a table top, two side parts holding the table top, a conveyor having a drive for revolving the conveyor about the table top, and deflection rollers supported in the side parts for guiding the conveyor, the feed table being supported so as to be laterally displaceable with respect to the machine side frames from an operating position to a rest position, the feed table being laterally lockable into the operating position thereof, the printing unit having a drive connected with the deflection rollers in the operating position of the feed table.

Abstract: A roll feed device includes a rotatable main roll, and a rotatable sub-roll. The main roll includes an annular stator, and an annular rotor rotatably mounted around the annular stator. The annular stator and the annular rotor cooperate with each other to provide a direct drive motor. The sub-roll includes a rotatable annular roll disposed in opposed relation to the annular rotor of the main roll. A sheet-like material is supplied between the annular rotor and the annular roll to be fed.

Abstract: A modular customer installable bypass paper transport that allows printed output from a printer to bypass an output tray of the printer and pass directly into a separate finisher includes a cover assembly and two locating springs that are essential for proper location of idler which are part of the cover and drive rollers during re-engagement of the idler and drive rollers after a jam has been cleared. The two wire form springs are attached to the cover and a cover support member and are stressed from a home position when the cover is slid to a remote position for jam clearing. As the cover is slid back to its home position, the springs pull the cover and idler rollers into proper alignment with mating drive rollers.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus inhibiting recording of abnormally-fed sheets includes conveying structure for conveying a sheet along a predetermined conveying path. Detection circuitry is provided for detecting a dimension of a sheet being fed by the conveying structure. A memory is provided for storing a reference value corresponding to a dimension of a sample sheet detected by the detection circuitry. Judging circuitry is provided for judging the abnormal feeding of a sheet by comparing the dimension of the sheet detected by the detection circuitry with the reference value stored in the memory. Reading circuitry is provided for reading information from the sheet, and a control circuit is provided for inhibiting the reading of the information from a sheet which is judged to have been abnormally fed, but for allowing the reading of the information from a sheet which has been judged to have been normally fed. Preferably, the detected dimension is the thickness and/or the length of the sheet.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus with an image forming device for forming an unfixed image on a recording material and; first and second rotatable members for forming a nip for conveying the recording material supporting the unfixed image. The second rotatable member has its maximum diameters between a longitudinal center and one longitudinal end and between the center and the other longitudinal end thereof.

Abstract: Printing products (44) are inclined in an imbricated formation (S) and with respect to a conveying direction (F) and are led into a pressing nip defined by two pressing rolls (22') pretensioned toward one another. The pressing roll (22') thus rolls in the course of the further conveying of the printing products (44) along a folded edge (46) of the printing product, which results in an especially good pressing action.

Abstract: An article of manufacture for use in letter processing apparatus, the article comprising; a frame including two elongate generally rectangularly-shaped side walls; a pair of axially parallel spaced rollers extending between the side walls of the frame and rotatably connected thereto, each of the rollers including an outer surface having formed therein a plurality of circumferentially-extending ridges which are respectively serrated in transverse cross-section; and an elongate endless belt including an inner surface having formed therein a plurality of longitudinally-extending ridges which are respectively serrated in transverse cross-section, and the belt looped about the rollers for disposing the belt ridges in meshing engagement with the ridges of the respective rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving a document 10 along a track 12 comprises conductive driven members 16 and idler member 18 together with circuit 54 for detecting electrical continuity there-between. Presence of an insulating document 10 between the members 16, 18 breaks an electrical circuit. The driven member 16 has a motor 36 controlled by a motor control switch 38b which can receive a control signal 40 to switch the motor on and another control signal 42 to switch the motor off. Space along a track, drive sets 14 cooperate to move a document along the track 12 with only 2 drive sets switched on at any time and without need for central control.

Abstract: A scanner is operative with an imaging system for inducing a mechanical movement of a subject during an optical scanning of the subject to provide an image of the subject. The subject which is in the shape of a card is advanced along a travel path past an optical viewing site by means of a drum, the scanner including a first roller and a second roller which urge the subject against the drum. Initially, the first roller is located between the viewing site and the entry port for receipt of the subject in a first nip between the first roller and the drum. The second roller is positioned fixed on the opposite side of the viewing site. The first roller is supported by an arm which swings about a rotational axis of the drum to vary the spacing between the two rollers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus comprising image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, sheet stacking means for successively stacking sheets on which the image is formed by the image forming means, with shifting by a predetermined amount in a sheet feeding direction one from the other, feeding means for feeding the sheet one by one from a sheet stack obtained by stacking the sheets with shifting by the predetermined amount one from the other, conveying means for conveying the sheet stack formed by the sheet stacking means in normal and reverse directions between the sheet stacking means and the feeding means, and control means for controlling the conveying means in such a manner that the conveying means returns said sheet stack from the feeding means to the sheet stacking means to stack the sheets on which the image is formed by the image forming means after they have been fed by the feeding means, for obtaining a new sheet stack.