Abstract: The present disclosure provides a printing device comprising a sheet buffer including a paper path having a plurality of nip pairs for selectively receiving and releasing a plurality of printer sheets. The plurality of nip pairs include a fixed load nip pair, a fixed unload nip pair, and at least another intermediate fixed nip pair therebetween. In a first operation each subsequent sheet of the plurality of sheets is shingled over a previous sheet wherein the plurality of sheets can be stopped in the intermediate nip pair or pairs. Individual sheets of the plurality of sheets can be advanced to the unload nip pair sequentially in a second operation whereupon the individual sheets are successively unloaded as needed in a first in first out order.

Abstract: The sheet conveyance apparatus includes a controller which controls a moving unit. The moving unit moves a sheet conveyance unit for conveying a sheet toward a direction intersecting with a sheet conveyance direction. The controller performs the control such that a moving speed of a shift moving unit is reduced when a shift amount of the sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus main body is small. Therefore, generation of a noise and vibration can be suppressed to save electric power consumption. When the shift amount of the sheet is large, the moving speed of the shift moving unit can be increased to shorten an operation time necessary to the movement.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a belt and a pressure roll contacting the belt. The pressure roll comprises at least two roll segments connected to a common axle and contacting the belt. The roll segments are offset from one another along the belt.

Abstract: According to detection results obtained by a plurality of printing medium detection device, a printing medium is carried in while controlling an operation of pressing a pinch roller to be in contact with a conveying roller and of separating the pinch roller from the conveying roller and an operation of pressing a spur to be in contact with a eject roller and of separating the spur from the eject roller. Accordingly, it is made possible to carry the printing medium into the apparatus in a proper state even when the printing medium is a nonstandard-sized printing medium. Moreover, while effectively utilizing one driving source, a plurality of mechanism is independently controlled. Hence, accurately controlled flat-pass printing can be realized despite of the relatively small number of components.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device is described for conveying, for example, a sheet bearing an image in an image forming apparatus. The sheet conveying device includes an upstream conveying roller pair, a downstream conveying roller pair, a sheet condition detector, and a pressure adjuster. The sheet condition detector detects a convey condition of the sheet when the sheet is nipped and conveyed by the upstream conveying roller pair and the downstream conveying roller pair. The pressure adjuster adjusts a pressure applied by at least one of the upstream conveying roller pair and the downstream conveying roller pair to the sheet based on a detection result provided by the sheet condition detector.

Abstract: An image reader has an image reading portion and first and second conveying portions each having plural pairs of rotating bodies. A first changing portion makes a changeover between a first state in which the plural pairs of rotating bodies in the first conveying portion nips the sheet and a second state in which at least one of the plural pairs of rotating bodies in the first conveying portion is separated and the other pairs of rotating bodies in the first conveying portion nip the sheet, and a second changing portion makes a changeover between a first state in which the plural pairs of rotating bodies of the second conveying portion nips the sheet and a second state in which at least one of the plural pairs of rotating bodies in the second conveying portion is separated and the other pairs of rotating bodies in the second conveying portion nip the sheet.

Abstract: A sheet-conveying device conveys a recording medium to a sheet support surface positioned downstream of the sheet-conveying device in a sheet-conveying direction when recording an image with an image-recording unit. A drive roller and a follower roller define a nip line therebetween. The nip line is positioned above the sheet support surface. A first support member rotatably supports the follower roller. A moving unit moves the first support member from a first position to a second position upstream of the first position in the paper-conveying direction immediately after a trailing edge of the recording medium leaves the sheet-conveying unit.

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

Abstract: A design support apparatus that can easily verify the conveyance design for a flexible medium based on input design information. A transit time is calculated when a flexible medium passes a characteristic point on a conveying path based a conveying conditions that are set.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a nip roller group for pressing a face of a conveyance belt on which a recording medium is held includes a pair of first end pressing parts which are arranged in the width direction of the conveyance belt at a distance corresponding to the recording medium having a predetermined size, and a first center pressing part which is arranged between the pair of first end pressing parts. Herein, a pressing force of the first center pressing part is set to be smaller than pressing forces of the first end pressing parts.

Abstract: According to one aspect of this disclosure, a printing apparatus and method is provided. The printing apparatus comprising a media sheet first inverter and a media sheet second inverter, the first inverter and second inverter operatively connected to provide a media sheet pass-through route, wherein the media sheet pass-through route transports a media sheet through the first inverter and the second inverter. According to another aspect of this disclosure, a printing system is disclosed. The printing system comprising an inverter module. The inverter module comprising a first media sheet input/output zone, and a second media sheet input/output zone, the first and second media sheet input/output zones operatively connected to provide a media sheet pass-through route. The inverter module is configured to selectably route a media sheet to a printing device for image transfer and the inverter module is configured to invert a media sheet from the printing device media sheet output.

Abstract: A transport track extends through first and second stations for transporting paper postal items through the stations. The first and second stations are equipped with first and second drives for driving circulatable surfaces of the respective station along the transport track. The second drive is controlled for driving at least one of the second station's circulatable surfaces at a circumferential speed higher than the circumferential speed of the first station's circulatable surfaces. While a stack of postal items passes from the first station to the second station, highest normal force exerted thereon by the circulatable surfaces of the second station is larger or smaller than the highest normal force exerted thereon by the circulatable surfaces of the first station.

Abstract: In a sheet conveyance device, a plurality of driving rollers opposes a plurality of driven rollers to form nip portions between the plurality of driving rollers and the plurality of driven rollers. A center portion of a driving shaft for supporting the plurality of driving rollers in an axial direction of the driving shaft is bent downstream in a sheet conveyance direction so that the plurality of driving rollers is shifted downstream in the sheet conveyance direction and tilted with respect to the sheet conveyance direction in a V-like shape about a center line in a width direction of a sheet. The plurality of driven rollers is shifted downstream in the sheet conveyance direction by an amount determined by an amount by which the plurality of driving rollers is shifted downstream in the sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: A paper guide adjusting mechanism of an office machine includes a main body, a plurality of elastic elements, a transmission member, a plurality of fixing elements and a pressing plate. The main body includes a plurality of confining elements, which have respective recess structures. The transmission member includes a roller axle and a plurality of rollers, wherein the roller axle is partially received in the recess structures and the rollers are sheathed around the roller axle. The fixing elements are disposed in respective recess structures of the confining elements, wherein each fixing element has a base and the base has a first surface sustained against a corresponding elastic element and a second surface sustained against the roller axle. The pressing plate is sustained against the elastic elements.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, a cam of a pitch adjustment mechanism can be slid and moved along a first shaft. When a sheet is a standard paper, the pitch adjustment mechanism is ejected from an adjustment position by an urging force of a movement spring and is moved to a standby position, and slide contact between the cam and a second shaft is released. When a sheet is a thick paper, a solenoid is turned on, the pitch adjustment mechanism is disposed at the adjustment position by a plunger, and it is prevented that the registration roller pair abruptly come in contact with each other after the thick paper passes through.

Abstract: A sheet material conveyer system includes a sheet-transfer conveyer having an endless sheet-transfer belt for conveying sheet materials, a heater provided below the elevation of the endless sheet-transfer belt for heating the sheet materials being carried on the endless sheet-transfer belt to a dry state, an impression belt assembly having an endless impression belt disposed above the endless sheet-transfer belt for guiding movement of the sheet materials with the endless sheet-transfer belt, and tension supports insertable into a conveying space between the endless sheet-transfer belt and the endless impression belt from two opposite lateral sides to support the endless impression belt in shape and to control the tension of the endless impression belt.

Abstract: In a method for sorting flat mail items, mail items are routed longitudinal direction according to determined destination addresses via a transport and point section into sorting terminals assigned to the destination addresses. Gaps between two mail items are adjusted by a controllable gap adjustment device in front of the transport and point. The average set gap between mail items leaving the separation device is selected to be smaller than the minimum gap between the mail items, which are to be sorted in the sorting terminals with the longest transport distances. The gaps between two mail items are adjusted by means of the controllable gap adjustment device as a function of the mail item with the shorter transport distance to the assigned sorting terminal in each instance. To create necessary space to displace the mail items in the flow of mail items, disruptive mail items are ejected.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus includes an endless conveyor belt, a counter roller, and a clutch part. The endless conveyor belt is rotatable to convey paper with a surface of the conveyor belt being charged. The counter roller holds the paper between the conveyor belt and the counter roller and conveys the paper. The clutch part is caused to slip by the difference in velocity between the conveyor belt and the counter roller. The counter roller is driven through the clutch part.

Abstract: A paper guide up unit pivotally supporting a transport driven roller making contact with a transport driving roller is provided so as to be able to be displaced by the rotation of cams. The angle ? made by a straight line passing the rotation axis line position of the transport driving roller and the rotation axis line position of the transport driven roller when viewed from the paper transport pathway side and a straight perpendicular to the paper transport direction is changed by the displacement of the paper guide up unit. Control means for controlling the displacement operation of the paper guide up unit reduces the angle ? before the paper back end is passed through the nip point of the transport driving roller and the transport driven roller.

Abstract: A transport roller is provided in a transport path in order to transport paper, the transport roller transporting the paper downstream in the transport path by making contact with the paper, and At least one contact portion that makes contact with the paper is provided in the transport roller. The contact portion is deformable in a direction that releases pressing force received from the paper when transporting the paper.

Abstract: A follower roller mounting mechanism for a paper feeding apparatus is provided, which has at least one follower roller and a shaft passing through the follower roller. The follower roller mounting mechanism includes a base having a trough and a hole on a top surface thereof. The trough has a back wall, a bottom wall, and two opposite lateral walls. The bottom wall and the back wall are adjacent to each other. Each of the lateral walls has a sliding slot. The shaft is disposed inside the base passing through the trough via the sliding slot for making the follower roller protruding from the top surface through the hole. An elastic element is disposed between the shaft and the back wall for generating elastic force, pushing the shaft sliding along the sliding slot, and making the follower roller to constantly rise above the top surface through the hole.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a sheet conveyance path designed so as to include nonlinear portions; a first conveyance roller pair which is provided at predetermined positions of the sheet conveyance path and which has a conveyance width capable of nipping and conveying a sheet having the minimum size sheet passing width among sheets to be passed through the sheet conveying apparatus; a guide plate which is placed in a downstream side or an upstream side of the first conveyance roller pair in a sheet conveyance direction and has a curved guide surface; and a plurality of guide ribs which are extended on the guide surface in the sheet conveyance direction and are provided in a sheet passing width direction of the sheet in a region corresponding to the conveyance width of the first conveyance roller pair.

Abstract: A feeding device including a drive roller and a driven roller opposed to the drive roller and biased toward the drive roller, such that the drive and driven rollers cooperate to feed a sheet while holding the sheet therebetween. The driven roller includes a toothed wheel portion and a contactable portion having a diameter smaller than that of the toothed wheel portion. The drive roller includes first and second portions. A radially outer end of the second portion is more distant from an axis of the drive roller than a radially outer end of the first portion. During absence of the sheet between the drive and driven rollers, the contactable portion of the driven roller is held in contact at its circumferential surface with a circumferential surface of the second portion of the drive roller, while a radially outer end of the toothed wheel portion is not in contact with a circumferential surface of the first portion. Also disclosed is an image recording apparatus including the above-described feeding device.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a casing, an image recording unit, a first conveying unit, a second conveying unit, a first support member, and a second support member. The first support member is supported by the casing. The second support member rotatably supports the follow roller and has an urging member that applies an urging force to the follow roller for urging the follow roller toward the drive roller. The second support member is supported on the first support member via a rolling bearing, allowing the second support member to rollingly move to a first position when the first conveying unit nippingly conveys the recording medium and allowing the second support member to rollingly move to a second position upstream of the first position in the conveying direction when the recording medium is separated from the first conveying unit.

Abstract: A document processing system includes a feeder stage, a transport stage, and a retractable document handling mechanism cooperating with a portion of the document track. The mechanism includes an assertable member arranged with respect to the document track such that assertion of the member causes retraction of the opposed track walls in the cooperating portion of the document track by retracting a movable base member from a fixed base member. This provides access to the document track, and the retraction is sufficient to provide a track opening sufficient to allow the operator to relieve document jams.

Abstract: A method includes the steps of rotating an input roller to transport a first leading edge of a first document from an input tray to an input passageway, a scanning position and an output passageway sequentially; rotating the input roller to transport a second leading edge of a second document from the input tray to the input passageway after a first trailing edge of the first document deviates from the input roller; rotating an output roller to transport the first leading edge from the output passageway to an output tray; and generating a linear speed difference between the input roller and the output roller, after the first trailing edge deviates from the scanning position, to transport the first trailing edge to the output tray, such that the second leading edge is still within the input passageway or the input tray when the first trailing edge deviates from the output roller.

Abstract: A document conveying apparatus comprises an inlet channel for receiving at least one document. A drive member is positioned for engagement with at least one document in the channel and is operable to move at least one document from the channel. An elongated member is associated with the channel and is movable to a first position towards the drive member which biases the at least one document towards the drive member. One portion of the elongated member is movable to a second position away from the drive member so as to allow insertion of at least one additional document into the inlet channel. Another portion of the elongated member is movable towards the drive member to bias the at least one document in the inlet channel into engagement with the drive member when the one portion of the elongated member is moved to the second position.

Abstract: An energy storage apparatus has one or more camshafts, one or more cams connected to the camshaft, one or more followers contacting the cam, one or more biasing members connected to the follower, and one or more tracks connected to the follower. With embodiments herein the track limits movement of the follower to a constrained path intersecting the axis about which the camshaft rotates. Alternatively, the biasing member itself can limit the movement of the follower to this linear path. The biasing member can comprise any force member such as a spring, a piston, a flexible member, a compressible member, etc. that has the ability to bias the follower toward the axis of the camshaft. The embodiments herein store and transfer potential energy to reduce the total reflected torque on the motor.

Abstract: Various apparatus and methods for bending a sheet of media are disclosed.

Abstract: A conveyance apparatus increases the conveyance precision of a conveyance unit. The conveyance apparatus has first and second conveyance rollers. The conveyance apparatus includes a DC motor serving as a driving source for the conveyance rollers, a first encoder which outputs a first pulse signal in accordance with rotation of the first conveyance roller, a second encoder which outputs a second pulse signal in accordance with rotation of the second conveyance roller, and a control unit having a first mode in which the DC motor is controlled based on first information about the first pulse signal when executing a conveyance operation to convey a sheet by using the first and second conveyance rollers, and a second mode in which the DC motor is controlled based on second information about the second pulse signal when executing a conveyance operation to convey a sheet by using the second conveyance roller.

Abstract: A printing medium feeding device includes: a driving roller having a roller circumferential surface coming in contact with a printing medium to apply a feeding force to the printing medium around a core line of a rotation shaft and rotating to feeding the printing medium downstream; a driven roller in contact with the driving roller and following the rotation thereof; a shaft supporting member supporting the rotation shaft at least at two supporting positions; and a regulation unit regulating a core position of the rotation shaft between the two supporting positions at which the rotation shaft is supported by the shaft supporting member, wherein the regulation unit has a pressing surface coming in contact with the rotation shaft from the upstream side or the downstream side of the rotation shaft, and wherein the core position of the rotation shaft at the position of the regulation unit is located by the pressing surface to be more downstream than a straight line passing through the core positions of the rotat

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

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a chassis, a feed roller rotatably supported by the chassis, a feed roller gear relatively unrotatably coupled to the feed roller, a motor that drives the feed roller, a drive gear that receives driving force from the motor, and an intermediate gear having a gear portion that engages the drive gear and the feed roller gear and an axle portion that is rotatably supported to the chassis via intermediate gear bearings. At least one of the intermediate gear bearings includes a substantially circular inner surface and a stepped portion that is depressed from the circular inner surface. The axle portion of the intermediate gear is supported by the stepped portion while the intermediate gear transmits driving force the motor from the drive gear to the feed roller gear during printing.

Abstract: A paper feed mechanism is provided. The paper feed mechanism includes a pair of paper feed rollers at the upstream side and the downstream side of a printing device in a direction in which a recording paper is fed during printing, and press contact rollers in press contact therewith. The back surface of the recording paper receives a pushing force from projections formed on the pair of paper feed rollers by a predetermined depth such that the recording paper is fed during printing by the printing device.

Abstract: A paper arranging device includes a driving roller and an idle roller disposed adjacent to each other to form a nip, a first sensor to sense a location of moving paper, and a lever having a first end which extends to a perimeter of the nip to block a tip of the paper moving toward the nip and the other end which extends to a perimeter of the sensor, the lever being rotatable with respect to a predetermined pivot axis between the first end and the second end of the lever. When the first end of the lever is pressed by the tip of the moving paper and reaches a first position, the first sensor determines that the tip of the paper is entering the nip and generates a first sensing signal. When the first end of the lever is pressed by the tip of the moving paper and reaches a second position at which the paper has proceeded farther than at the first position, the first sensor determines that the tip of the paper passes through the nip and generates a second sensing signal.

Abstract: In a sheet conveyance device, a plurality of driving rollers opposes a plurality of driven rollers to form nip portions between the plurality of driving rollers and the plurality of driven rollers. A center portion of a driving shaft for supporting the plurality of driving rollers in an axial direction of the driving shaft is bent downstream in a sheet conveyance direction so that the plurality of driving rollers is shifted downstream in the sheet conveyance direction and tilted with respect to the sheet conveyance direction in a V-like shape about a center line in a width direction of a sheet. The plurality of driven rollers is shifted downstream in the sheet conveyance direction by an amount determined by an amount by which the plurality of driving rollers is shifted downstream in the sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a torque estimation unit that, based upon a first load torque generated at a time that a sheet-like member passes through a first nip between a first driving roller and a first driven roller of an upstream sheet conveying unit, estimates a second load torque generated at a time that the sheet-like member passes through a second nip between a second driving roller and a second driven roller of a downstream sheet conveying unit; and a control unit that controls the driving torque such that the second load torque is counterbalanced by applying a counterbalancing torque in synchronization with a timing of entry of the sheet-like member into the second nip.

Abstract: The first aspect of the present invention is a paper sheet transport mechanism. This mechanism comprises a first paper sheet guide that forms a first paper sheet transport path, the first paper sheet guide having a rotating shaft; a pushing unit that pushes the first paper sheet guide in a specified direction around the rotating shaft; a projecting member that moves in conjunction with movement of the first paper sheet guide; a second paper sheet guide that forms a second paper sheet transport path such that paper sheets are transferred between the first and second paper sheet guides; and a alignment unit that moves in conjunction with a retune movement of the second paper sheet guide to be in contact with the projecting member against the pushing by the pushing unit and to align one end of the first paper sheet guide and one end of the second paper sheet guide.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a recording head, a transport driving roller, and a transport driven roller. The recording head discharges ink onto a transported recording medium, thereby performing recording. The transport driving roller is provided on the upstream side of the recording head in the transport direction and includes driving side roller portions and depressed portions. The driving side roller portions are rotationally driven, thereby transporting the recording medium. The diameter of the depressed portions is smaller than that of the driving side roller portions. The driving side roller portions and the depressed portions are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium in such a manner that at least one driving side roller portion alternates with at least one depressed portion. The transport driven roller is provided opposite the transport driving roller and includes driven side roller portions and presser rollers.

Abstract: In a driving apparatus, a drive force interruption/transmission device transmits or interrupts a drive force from a drive source, a load unit is operated by the drive force transmitted from the drive force interruption/transmission device, a torque control unit varies the output torque of the drive source, a drive force interruption control unit controls the operation of the drive force interruption/transmission device, and a drive timing control unit for controls the torque control unit and the drive force interruption/transmission control unit. After the output torque of the drive force is increased the drive force from the drive source is transmitted to the load unit.

Abstract: An item printing system for printing imprints on moving items, comprising: an item transport path through which items are in use transported in a transport direction; an item transport unit for transporting items through the item transport path; a printing unit (11) for printing imprints on items transported through the item transport path; a free roller (27) driven by respective items transported through the item transport path; and a speed measurement unit for measuring speed of rotation of the free roller, wherein the measured speed of rotation of the free roller is utilised to provide relative control of printing by the printing unit and speed of transport of items by the item transport unit.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an opening/closing member which is turnably supported by an apparatus body and through which a user accesses the apparatus, and a conveying guide which is movably supported by a user access door and which includes a sheet conveying surface. When the opening/closing member is opened in a state where a sheet remains on the sheet conveying surface, the conveying guide is separated from the opening/closing member by the remaining sheet.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus for OCR/VSC integrated systems, which selectively delivers postal items to upper- and lower-side stackers, includes at least one pair of conveyor belts bifurcating from a bifurcation gate to the down-side stackers, and at least one pair of conveyor belts bifurcating from the bifurcation gate to the upper-side stackers. The conveyor belts include a first twisted section, an S-shaped ascending portion, and a second twisted portion. Each postal item is tilted by the first twisted portion, then raised by the S-shaped ascending portion with its tilted attitude maintained, and returned to upright by the second twisted portion.

Abstract: A sheet transportation device includes a transportation roller driven during operation, a guiding element and an actuation device that is used to switchably affect the interspacing between the transportation roller and the guiding element. In a closed state during operation, a sheet is guided against the driven roller by the guiding element. The sheet transportation device also includes a freely rotatably arranged roller that is positioned in the vicinity of and arranged concentrically relative to the transportation roller. The freely rotatably arranged roller extends in a radial direction beyond a circumferential edge of the transportation roller. A reversing station and a printer can also include a sheet transportation device of this kind.

Abstract: A paper delivering device to deliver printing paper, including: a lower frame; an upper frame rotatably coupling with the lower frame by a hinge part and rotating between a driving position in which the upper frame is disposed to parallel with respect to the lower frame with putting a delivery pathway of the printing paper between there and an opened position where the upper frame is spaced from the driving position; an upper delivery roller disposed on a lateral surface facing to the lower frame in the upper frame; a plate, interposed between the lower frame and the upper frame, to be detachable from the lower frame in a surface direction of the printing paper; and a lower delivery roller disposed on a lateral surface facing the upper frame of the plate and delivering the printing paper by oppositely rotating with the upper delivery roller when the plate is disposed at the lower frame.

Abstract: A sheet of paper is conveyed by a convey roller to a print receiving member and pushed forward thereon while being supported by ribs and pressed downward by pressing members so as to keep a predetermined distance between the paper and a recording head while an image is printed on the paper. Since the pressing members press respective side portions of the paper, the paper can be bent downward outside the outmost ribs and prevented from rising at the side portions.

Abstract: A sheet feed assembly with a pair of rollers (2,3) to feed sheets of media along a feed path. The roller pair has a drive roller 2 and an idler roller 3. The drive roller 2 is mounted between two bearings 4 and 5 for rotation about its longitudinal axis. The idler roller 3 is shorter than the drive roller 2 and is held against the drive roller by two guide formations 7 and 8 at either end. The guide formations bias the idler roller against the drive roller while allowing some lateral displacement of the idler roller from the drive roller.

Abstract: A conveying device of an image recording apparatus includes a drive roller, a follow roller, an urging member, a bearing member, a pivoting support member, and a driving unit. The urging member applies pressure to the follow roller for pressing the follow roller against the drive roller. The bearing member supports the urging member and rotatably supports the follow roller. The pivoting support member supports the bearing member such that the bearing member is pivotally movable about either one of a rotational axis of the drive roller and another axis different from the rotational axis. The driving unit pivotally moves the pivoting support member and the bearing member between a first position at which the follow roller is located on a conveying path for conveying a recording medium and a second position at which the follow roller is retracted from the conveying path.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus that can print high quality images under simple control includes a conveying roller disposed upstream of a printing section to convey a print medium, a pinch roller that rotates in cooperation with the conveying roller and discharging rollers that convey the print medium downstream of the printing section. The pinch roller, before a trailing end of the print medium reaches a nip portion between the conveying roller and the pinch roller, moves from a pressure contact position with respect to the conveying roller. A conveyance amount of the print medium varies between before and after separation of the pinch roller from the conveying roller.

Abstract: A sheet material feeding apparatus capable of favorably guiding a sheet material to perform smooth feeding comprises a pair of rolls and first and second guide members and permits a sheet material to pass between the first guide member and the second guide member. One of the rolls has a plurality of circumferential grooves arranged between both ends of a sheet material feeding surface in an axial direction and spaced from one another in the axial direction, and the first guide member includes guide portions passing through the respective circumferential grooves and extending continuously to a downstream side from an upstream side between the pair of rolls in a sheet-material conveyance direction.