Abstract: A fixing unit includes a casing, a heating unit, a second rotary member, a first guide portion, a separation unit, and a separation unit movement mechanism. The separation unit has a separation member and movable relative to the casing between a first position at which the separation unit is positioned when the heating unit is positioned at a position to form a fixing nip portion, and a second position at which the separation unit is positioned when the heating unit is retracted from the position to form the fixing nip portion. The separation unit movement mechanism is configured to move the separation unit from the second position to the first position with the heating unit mounting to the position to form the fixing nip portion.

Abstract: The fixing device includes a heated rotating body, a pressure rotating body, a heating unit configured to heat the heated rotating body, a separation claw, and a gap rolling member. The pressure rotating body is pressed against the heated rotating body to form a fixing nip portion. The separation claw separates the recording medium from the heated rotating body or the pressure rotating body. The gap rolling member is rotatably supported by the separation claw and abuts against an outer peripheral surface of the heated rotating body or the pressure rotating body to define a gap between the heated rotating body or the pressure rotating body and a tip portion of the separation claw. The separation claw has a conveyance surface facing the recording medium passing through the fixing nip portion, and a part of an outer peripheral surface of the gap rolling member protrudes from the conveyance surface.

Abstract: A system (100) for building a three dimensional object includes a powder delivery station (10) for applying a layer of powder material on a building tray (200), a digital printing station (30) for printing a mask pattern on the layer, a sintering station (50) for selectively sintering the portion of the layer that is defined by the mask to be sintered and a stage (250) for repeatedly advancing the building tray (200) to each of the powder delivery station, digital printing station and sintering station to build a plurality of layers that together form the three dimensional object. The mask pattern defines a negative portion of the layer to be sintered. Optionally, the system includes a die compaction station (40) for compacting per layer of powder material.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a print unit; a first roller that transport the medium; a plurality of second rollers cooperating with the first roller to nip the medium therebetween at positions that face the first rollers; a third roller that holds the medium which has been transported by the first roller and transport the medium to a print path in which printing is performed by the print unit; a specific second roller located most downstream in the transportation path among the second rollers; and a control unit that controls each of the roller and the print unit, wherein the control unit causes the specific second roller to be displaced to a separated position after the medium is held by the third roller.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing unit with a nip, two rollers, a guide member, a detection unit and an urging unit. The detection unit is disposed substantially parallel to the guide member opposite to the guide member across a recording medium conveyed between the nip and the two rollers. The detection unit detects jamming of the recording medium on the basis of a pressure greater than a predetermined value applied by the recording medium between the nip and the two rollers. The distance between the guide member and the detection unit is greater than the distance between the guide member and the recording medium passing between the nip and the two rollers while being urged by the urging unit.

Abstract: A pickup arm for print media arranged to engage a roller.

Abstract: A separating device includes a carrying-out portion for carrying-out a medium, and a conveying portion for conveying the medium carried out by the carrying-out portion. A separating portion is provided between the carrying-out portion and the conveying portion, and is rotatable about a rotation fulcrum. The separating portion has an end portion separably contacts the carrying-out portion to separate the medium therefrom. The separating portion includes a first guiding portion rotatably provided for guiding the medium separated from the carrying-out portion to the conveying portion. The first guiding portion is provided between the carrying-out portion and the conveying portion, and has a rotation center located on the carrying-out portion side with respect to the rotation fulcrum. When a straight line is defined by connecting contact areas of the carrying-out portion and the conveying portion, the rotation center is located on the straight line side with respect to the rotation fulcrum.

Abstract: A medium transport device includes a rotating member forming a nip region with a facing member; a guide member configured to rotate in first and second directions opposite to each other; a protrusion serving as a positioning reference for the guide member; and a restricting member including first and second surfaces. The restricting member restricts rotation of the guide member in the first direction such that the guide member does not rotate beyond a position at which the first surface is in contact with the protrusion and at which the guide member guides a sheet medium in an intended direction, and restricts rotation of the guide member in the second direction such that the guide member does not rotate beyond a position at which the second surface is in contact with the protrusion and at which the guide member is not in contact with the facing member.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with a fixing roller, a peeling claw that peels a recording paper from the fixing roller, a peeling claw holder that rotatably supports the peeling claw, and a support member that movably supports the peeling claw holder to enable the peeling claw to retract by moving apart from the fixing roller, wherein not less than two directions are set as retracting directions of the peeling claw holder to be moved when the peeling claw is caused to retract by moving apart from the fixing roller.

Abstract: A stripper blade system has been developed for high throughput inkjet printers. The stripper blade system includes a metallic blade having a leading edge that is less than 0.06 mm in thickness, a blade holder to which the metallic blade is mounted, and an actuator that is associated with the blade holder to move the metallic blade into and out of contact with an intermediate imaging member.

Abstract: A sheet separation mechanism includes a separation claw holder, a separation claw, a first coil spring and a second coil spring. The separation claw holder can be provided at a predetermined place in the image forming apparatus. The separation claw includes a separation claw base pivotally supported by the separation claw holder and a separation claw front-end pivotally supported by the separation claw base. The first coil spring is configured to apply a force to rotate the separation claw base toward an intermediate transfer belt. The second coil spring is configured to apply a force to rotate the separation claw front-end toward the intermediate transfer belt.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a pair of rotating bodies forming a nip portion, for fixing an image formed on the surface of a sheet to the sheet; and a separating pawl having a leading end portion and a tailing end portion, a tip part of the leading end portion being made press contact with a surface of at least one of the pair of rotating bodies. The separating pawl includes a pivotal portion integrally formed between the leading end portion and the tailing end portion, and the tailing end portion has a spring property capable of adjusting the press-contact force of the tip part.

Abstract: A stripper assembly strips a media sheet from a photoreceptor belt. A support bracket supports a stripping finger base which includes a multiplicity of attached stripping fingers. The support bracket is fixed proximate to the photoreceptor belt in a media stripping position. Each stripping finger has a protruding distal stripping end extending toward the photoreceptor belt to form a gap therewith. The magnitude of the stripping finger-photoreceptor belt gap is controlled by adjusting the position or spacing of the finger base with respect to the support bracket. The support bracket pivots about an inboard pivot axial. The opposite support bracket outboard end is releasable, thus enabling the support bracket to pivot away from the photoreceptor belt.

Abstract: A fixing device is provided with a fixing roller for fixing a toner image transferred on a sheet to the sheet, and a separating mechanism for separating the sheet from the fixing roller. The separating mechanism includes a claw member having a tip portion held in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller for separating the sheet from the fixing roller, a supporting member pivotably supporting the claw member, and a biasing member for biasing the claw member toward the outer circumferential surface of the fixing roller so that the tip portion of the claw member presses the fixing roller.

Abstract: A paper or sheet buffering system is provided which avoids having to shut down the entire system when the paper path or transport is overloaded. A rotating disk having an attached collection and dispensing finger(s) is used to pull excess sheets off the transport and hold them until it is suitable to dispense them back on to the transport.

Abstract: A removing claw 164 has a width W1 in a cross direction of 5 [mm] and a rectangular cross section with a height reduced toward a tip, and both ends of an upper side of the rectangle are chamfered to have a chamfered portion with a radius of r=1 [mm]. Consequently, a contact area of a toner sheet with the removing claw 164 is large. Therefore, a face pressure of a surface of the removing claw 164 where the toner sheet is to be delivered is reduced. Accordingly, the toner sheet can be delivered while being removed by the removing claw 164 without a material thereof rubbed and shaved by the surface of the removing claw and shaved by both ends of the upper side of the removing claw 164 even if the toner sheet comes in contact with the removing claw.

Abstract: A printer assembly including a mechanism for rotating a stripper carriage includes a drum blade for stripping media from a drum and a transfix roller blade for stripping media from a transfix roller of an imaging device. The media stripper carriage is accessed and rotated so that a user may maintain parts of an imaging device without having to remove parts of the device. The stripper carriage pivots about a shaft of a transfix roller. A solenoid activates stripping of media from the drum and/or the transfix roller. When maintenance is required, the stripper carriage is rotated by a user and stops at an open position. The user may then clear a jam, clean parts or perform other maintenance on the imaging device. Then, an access door of the device is closed to automatically rotate the stripper carriage to a position in which the imaging device is ready for imaging.

Abstract: A fuser stripper baffle exit minimizes differential gloss marks due to paper contacting the fuser exit baffle. Portions of paper that touch the baffle cool differently than portions that don't, resulting in differential gloss in the paper path or spanwise direction. The exit baffle contains a series of axial-direction steps or plateaus in its upper surface, such that the highest step is nearest the fuser roll, while the lowest plateau is furthest from the roll. This reduces the surface area of the fuser stripper baffle exit that contacts the surface of the paper sheet as the paper sheet is stripped from the fuser roll. The paper thus touches the exit baffle for the minimum amount of time, thus minimizing the heat transfer to the baffle. This minimizes differential cooling effects which, in turn, minimizes differential gloss.

Abstract: This invention relates to a separation finger used in an Electro photographic device such as photocopying devices and laser-beam printers. More specifically, it relates to a separation finger with remarkably improved durability which has a sharp tips and is capable of preventing paper jams, caused by, for example, adhesion of the toner, over extended periods of time.

Abstract: A recording material separating apparatus has a rotary member contacting with a recording material, a separating member for contacting with the rotary member and separating the recording material from the rotary member, and a guide member for guiding that surface of the recording material separated from the rotary member which is adjacent to the rotary member. The guide member is provided for retraction from a guide position by the pressure of the recording material when jammed, and the separating member is retracted from a separating position in operative association with the retracting action of the guide member.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming apparatus that enables to transversely move a sheet separator without a dedicated drive source and with a simplified construction to thereby reduce production cost of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a thrust driving mechanism for reciprocating the sheet separator in an axial direction of a heater roller. The mechanism includes a worm gear which is rotated by a driving force of a drive source for rotating the heater roller, a helical gear which is meshed with the worm gear, and an eccentric cam which is mounted coaxially with an axis of rotation of the helical gear. A guide member for supporting the sheet separator is reciprocated in the axial direction of the heater roller in accordance with rotation of the eccentric cam.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling paper sheets and the like has a mechanism for discharging the paper sheets. The mechanism is provided with a scraper for scraping the paper sheets having wound around a wheel from the wheel. The scraper has a tip end and an opposite end that is rotatably supported in a direction close to or away from the wheel so that the tip end can maintain contact with an outer peripheral surface of the wound paper sheets. The scraper includes a first scraper section and a second scraper section. The first scraper section is rotatably supported in the direction close to or away from the wheel, and is urged toward an outer peripheral surface of the wheel. The second scraper section is rotatably supported on the first scraper section in the direction close to or away from the wheel, and is urged in a direction in which a tip end of the second scraper section rotates toward the outer peripheral surface of the wound paper sheets.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a roller arranged to come into contact with a recording member bearing an unfixed image thereon so as to fix the unfixed image to the recording member, and a separation member arranged to come into contact with the roller so as to separate the recording member from the roller. A fore end of the separation member on a side for coming into contact with the roller is formed in a curved surface and intrudes into the roller. An amount of intrusion of the separation member into a surface of the roller is not less than a radius of a circle of curvature of the curved surface of the fore end of the separation member and not more than a diameter of the circle of curvature.

Abstract: A stripper blade assembly for an ink jet offset printer has a thin blade fixedly mounted on a top surface of a blade holder. The blade holder includes at a trailing edge flexible eyelet portions that extend downwards to snap over protuberances on mechanical connectors overmolded onto a rotatable shaft in order to secure the blade holder to the shaft. The thin blade engages the surface of an offset drum of the ink jet offset printer along the width of the drum at an appropriate point in the print process to strip the leading edge of a print medium from the offset drum surface, minimizing damage to the offset drum surface and to the printed image on the print medium while also minimizing the risk of a jam.

Abstract: Featured is a sheet feed unit including a first transport path in which is transported a first sheet, a second transport path and a protrusion. A second sheet is transported in the second transport path and guided at a prescribed angle relative to the first transport path. The protrusion is located or fixed at a confluence of the first transport path and the second transport path. The protrusion also has a guide surface that is placed to allow the second sheet to be guided along the first transport path.

Abstract: A claw apparatus for a liquid electrophotographic printer prevents a sheet of paper passing through a transfer roller and the fixation roller from adhering to and curling around the transfer roller due to a peel force. In the claw apparatus, a guide portion guides the paper passing between the transfer roller and the fixation roller. A curved portion encompasses a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the transfer roller. An injection portion, formed at the curved portion, injects air through a gap formed between the curved portion and the transfer roller so that the paper passing between the transfer roller and the fixation roller can be guided toward the guide portion.

Abstract: A sheet feeder for feeding mails includes a mounting table having a slanted top surface for mounting thereon a plurality of sheets in a substantially upright posture thereof, a transfer belt for transferring the sheets in the slanted posture in the direction perpendicular to the surfaces of the sheets, and a take-out section for taking out the sheets in the horizontal direction parallel to the surfaces of the sheets. A mail having an envelope and a belt wrapper covering the envelope can be taken out as it is, without pulling-off of the belt wrapper from the envelope.

Abstract: A device and a method for depositing products or signatures on a conveying belt utilizes both a fixed stripper and a rotating stripper, in conjunction with a delivery paddle wheel. The cooperation of the fixed and rotating strippers deposits the signatures or folded products onto the delivery belt in an efficient manner while preventing damage to the products or signatures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the steady feeding of flat items for separation by suction of material input into a distribution unit by using a feeding device, preferably comprising a separating blade and a conveyor belt underneath it. In accordance with the invention, the thickness of the pulled-off items is measured within a main control circuit (HR). The feeding device conveys the item stack (SS) by the amount of this thickness in the direction of the suction separation system. In a static correction control circuit (KR), the stack pressure is measured outside of the suction separation system and is adjusted via the movement of the feeding device within the limits of the permissible stack pressure range.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first image carrier for carrying a toner image formed by an toner image forming device; a second image carrier for carrying thereon the toner image transferred from the first image carrier, and for transferring a transfer sheet thereon; a first transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the first image carrier onto the second image carrier or a front side of the transfer sheet; a second transfer device for transferring the toner image carried on the second image carrier onto a back side of the transfer sheet; a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred on the transfer sheet, wherein the second image carrier has a curvature portion at an edge thereof facing the fixing device; and a conveyance section provided between the curvature portion and the fixing device, having a claw member provided adjacent to the curvature portion for lifting a leading edge of the transfer sheet conveyed along the curvature portion.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a hopper loader apparatus for separating and forming an overlapping shingled stream of individual signatures of sheet materials from a vertically aligned, parallelepiped shaped stack of such signatures for subsequent handling operations. The hopper-loader has a chassis; a first continuous, downwardly inclined planar conveyor mounted on the chassis which moves a stack of vertically aligned signatures and deposits them onto a second conveyor as a separated, shingled stream of the signatures. The second conveyor is mounted on the chassis and aligned with an end of the first conveyor. It has a plurality of driven belts which travel over each of an upwardly inclined planar ramp segment, an arched transition segment, and a planar exit segment. The arched transition segment comprises either a belt slide or a plurality of serially arranged rollers.

Abstract: A hopper loader apparatus for transferring and separating individual signatures of sheet material from a vertically aligned, parallelepiped shaped stack of such signatures. The separated, individual signatures may then be subjected to handling operations such as stapling or stitching. The hopper-loader has a first, downwardly inclined, planar conveyor, a second upwardly inclined, planar ramp conveyor which separates individual signatures from the stack and moves the signatures at a faster speed than the first conveyor. An included angle is formed between the first and second conveyors which ranges from about 125.degree. to about 145.degree. . Signatures are delivered to a pocket having spaced side walls and having a floor comprising a third intermittent indexing conveyor which sequentially moves the individual signatures away from the second conveyor and makes them available to stapling or stitching equipment.

Abstract: The uppermost printed product is lifted from an intermediate stack, that was loaded from below, by a suction arrangement. The lifted product is fed into the active range of a pushing arrangement that is driven in synchronism with the suction arrangement. The pushing arrangement has stops which are arranged one behind another at a distance and circulate along a closed peripheral path and function to push the printed products released by the suction arrangement, one after another, by acting on the trailing edge of the printed products. The printed products are conveyed from the intermediate stack into the effective range of a conveying apparatus.

Abstract: A stripping finger, for use in an electrophotographic apparatus, formed by molding a glass polymer consisting of phosphate glass and resin. The stripping finger does not attack the peripheral surface of a roller of the electrophotographic apparatus. The material of the stripping finger can be molded precisely by injection molding; has a sufficient degree of heat load resistance, heat deformation property, and heat fatigue resistance; and is capable of maintaining the original shape of its tip.

Abstract: A vertically oriented feeder for a packaging manufacturing system is provided. The feeder supports a stack of blanks in an upright position and in a confronting relationship with a vertical vacuum belt. The vacuum belt draws a front blank off of the stack and pulls it upward past a gate and between the vacuum belt and a friction belt. After the blank is pulled upward past the gate, a lifting device is activated to push the stack away from the vacuum belt and prevent additional blanks from being drawn upward by the vacuum belt until the lifting device is retracted or de-energized. The lifting device ensures that adequate spacing is provided between adjacent blanks and that the timing of the placement of the blanks on the succeeding flighted belt is sufficiently accurate so that downstream operations may be carried out by automated equipment.

Abstract: A plate handling apparatus (10) including a plate feeder (12) for sequentially advancing a stack of plates (11) and a pick-up assembly (14) for successively removing the forwardmost plate from the stack is disclosed. The plate feeder (12) includes a conveyor (18), a pair of clutches (22,24), and a crank assembly (26) for moving the stack a first distance toward the pick-up assembly and for subsequently moving the stack a second, slightly shorter distance away from the pick-up assembly before the pick-up assembly removes the forwardmost plate from the stack. This consecutively feeds the stack of plates towards the pick-up assembly so that the forwardmost plate in the stack can be removed from the stack by the pick-up assembly. This also provides a gap between the stack of plates and the pick-up assembly immediately before the pick-up assembly removes the forwardmost plate from the stack for preventing the removed plate from striking the remaining plates in the stack.

Abstract: In an apparatus for feeding an original document, the time which is needed until the first original document is transported onto a transportation path after storing original documents is shortened. The original documents stacked on an original document supporting plate are successively supplied one by one in order from an uppermost original document. A discharged original document is steadily and easily inserted between the original document supporting plate and the original documents stacked on the original document supporting plate. When a hopper sensor detects that the original documents are stacked on the original document supporting plate, the original document supporting plate is moved upward until the upper surface of the uppermost one of the original documents contact a level sensor. At this stage, the original documents are supplied successively one by one from the uppermost original document by a paper feeding mechanism.

Abstract: An in-feed magazine apparatus for loading documents includes a magazine feed ramp having one or more document conveyor belts disposed along a bottom surface, the belts being arranged to engage the bottom boundary of the documents. The conveyer belts are configured to effect forward movement of the stack of documents toward a document shingler mechanism along a linear axis defined by forward movement of the conveyer belts. Also included is a backing plate having a lower portion disposed proximal to the conveyor belt, an upper portion disposed vertically upward from the lower portion, and a generally planar face parallel to the plane defined by the face of the documents. An upper and lower sensor sense contact with the front end of the stack of documents while a controller operatively coupled to the upper and the lower sensors determines when the front end of the stack of documents lies in a plane substantially parallel to the face of the backing plate.

Abstract: A planar article or sheet, such as a divider sheet for stacked products, and the method of supplying substantially planar articles from a supply magazine to an article transfer device, which then transfers the article to a desired location for further processing. The planar article itself can be a divider sheet for stacked beverage containers, folded paperboard cartons for carriers, or any other substantially planar article which is adapted to be consecutively arranged with other such articles in a group, and placed in a supply magazine for singular delivery to an article transfer device. The method of the present invention is specifically designed to insure that only one sheet at a time is removed from the group by the article transfer device. The sheets or articles themselves, are designed to cooperate with the supply magazine to facilitate singular delivery.

Abstract: An arrangement has a rotor with rotor arms that are arranged in a drum-like manner around an axis of rotation and project on one side from a carrying element that is driven in rotation. The arrangement also has a sucker arrangement that includes a carrying arm which is driven by a drive. At a free end of the carrying arm there is arranged an extension arm with a suction head. The movement path of the suction head runs in the interior of the rotor, with the exception of an approximately V-shaped section of the movement path projecting in a radial direction outside the rotor. When the extension arm runs through this section, it passes through a cutout of the rotor in order to grip a corner region of a printed product and move the printed product into the interior of the rotor. A rotor arm then engages beneath the printed product and lifts it further in order to deliver it to a range of action of a removal conveyor.

Abstract: The apparatus comprisesa magazine (M) for the acceptance of the stacked unit load and for offering the unit load in an upper fetching position (A) of the stack,a guide profile (FP) of the magazine (M) that is at least approximately L-shaped in crossection and that is arranged inclined such that the unit load lies against both legs of the guide profile, anda rotor (R) that carries at least one suction grab (SG) that is adjustable in radial direction and swivellably arranged, anda conveyor (F) for the acceptance and further-transport of the separated unit load, wherebymagazine (M), rotor (R) and conveyor (F) are aligned such relative to one another in terms of their spatial position that the suction grab (SG) can seize the unit load respectively offered in the fetching position (A) of the magazine (M) and transfer it to the conveyor (F) after a rotation of the rotor(R).

Abstract: A hopper assembly for feeding literature to a literature dispenser. The literature dispenser and a label dispenser are positioned on opposite sides of a conveyor on which products being furnished with literature and labels are transported. The hopper assembly includes a chute which is designed to have an upstream chute portion adjacent the conveyor. The upstream chute portion is positioned within the reach of an operator who is stationed on the same side of the conveyer as the label dispenser, and a single operator can load both the hopper assembly and the label dispenser without moving from one side of the conveyor to the other. The hopper assembly also includes a literature escapement having a plurality of retaining members mounted on a pair of support elements. The retaining members engage a forward facing surface of a piece of literature and are arranged in spaced relationship to provide an opening through which the piece of literature is removable from the hopper assembly in the forward direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for handling and automatically positioning film samples such that individual film samples can be retrieved from a magazine and moved precisely to a position where a subsequent operation can be performed such as the reading thereof by a densitometer. Individual samples are acquired from the magazine by means of a vacuum pad supported on a rotatable arm. Once acquired, the sample is repositioned in a horizontal plane through rotation of the arm. A second arm is moved into position such that clamping jaws grasp one end of the sample. Once the sample has been grasped by the clamping jaws, the sample is released from the vacuum pad. The second arm which is rotatable in a horizontal plane is mounted on a linear slide such that through operation of the linear slide and rotation of the arm, the acquired film sample can be automatically and precisely positioned through computer control thereof.

Abstract: In an apparatus for feeding an original document, the time which is needed until the first original document is transported onto a transportation path after storing original documents is shortened. The original documents stacked on an original document supporting plate are successively supplied one by one in order from an uppermost original document. A discharged original document is steadily and easily inserted between the original document supporting plate and the original documents stacked on the original document supporting plate. When a hopper sensor detects that the original documents are stacked on the original document supporting plate, the original document supporting plate is moved upward until the upper surface of the uppermost one of the original documents contact a level sensor. At this stage, the original documents are supplied successively one by one from the uppermost original document by a paper feeding mechanism.

Abstract: A sheet feed assembly for feeding sheets from a stack comprises a vacuum feed device which is movable to feed a sheet from the stack in the feed direction while the sheet is held on the feed device under vacuum. A sheet holding device is spaced from the vacuum feed device adjacent the stack in use for selectively preventing sheets from being fed from the stack. A control device coupled to the vacuum feed device and to the sheet holding device selectively supplies a vacuum to the vacuum feed device to cause the device to feed a sheet and, at substantially the same time, to deactivate the sheet holding device so as to allow a single sheet to be fed by the vacuum feed device.

Abstract: Pocket signature feeding machines have been provided with a double indicia scale on a pocket backplate and the scale is related to the centerline of the pocket so that the signatures may be precisely centered in the pocket when the left and right signature guides have their respective indicators pointing to the same indicia on the pocket backplate scale. A sheet that is 10 inches in width can be centered by having the respective left and right indicators set at a number 10 on each scale portion of the double scale. The signatures are bowed by side guides engaging opposite vertical edges of the signatures in the hopper. Also, an outer scale with indicia thereon is provided for setting the side guides at a distance that will cause an automatic, correct bowing of signatures. A gripper mechanism cooperating with a signature picker times the drop of signatures onto the saddle of the gathering conveyor.

Abstract: Folded printed products are conveyed in a first imbricated formation up to a stop by a first conveying device. In the first imbricated formation each printed product rests on the following printed product with its leading bottom edge formed by its folded edge. At the stacking location formed by the stop, the printed products are stacked up in layers to form an intermediate stack. The uppermost printed product is moved by a lifting member into the conveying region of a removal conveyor and then to a further-processing station. The removal conveyor has a conveying wheel that is driven synchronously with the lifting member, and a pressing-on member that, as a strand of a belt conveyor, is assigned to a part of the circumferential surface of the conveying wheel. The conveying wheel and the pressing-on member together form a guidance gap for the printed products. The conveying wheel is provided with a plurality of cutouts that are distributed uniformly on the circumferential surface.

Abstract: An endlessly driven belt extends around a drum and carries a product. Removal of the product from the belt is effected by a doctor blade which bears against a portion of the belt traversing the drum. The doctor blade is fixedly connected to the drum for movement therewith to remain parallel to a surface of the belt. The doctor blade is attached to shafts that are mounted in respective bearing assemblies that permit movement of the shafts along their mutually aligned axes. The doctor blade can be positioned between upstanding ribs formed on the belt whereby the ribs can displace the doctor blade in response to pivoting of the drum in order to keep the doctor blade parallel to the axis of the drum.

Abstract: A media handling unit is a selfcontained device which is capable of being moved to existing photoplotting structures to transport media sheets from a supply cassette housed within the unit and advanced into the plotter for conducting a plotting operation. The unit also retreives the scanned media from the photoplotter returning it the unit in a light tight environment where the scanned film is deposited onto a collecting tray. The supply of film is provided in a cassette having a semi-cyldrical support surface causing the film to take on a preformed configuration which is generally coincident with the shape of the support surface on the plotter.

Abstract: A sheet feed assembly for feeding sheets from a stack comprises a vacuum feed device which is movable to feed a sheet from the stack in the feed direction while the sheet is held on the feed device under vacuum. A sheet holding device is spaced from the vacuum feed device adjacent the stack in use for selectively preventing sheets from being fed from the stack. A control device coupled to the vacuum feed device and to the sheet holding device selectively supplies a vacuum to the vacuum feed device to cause the device to feed a sheet and, at substantially the same time, to deactivate the sheet holding device so as to allow a single sheet to be fed by the vacuum feed device.