Abstract: A rotation-transmitting mechanism includes a first planetary gear mechanism and a locking mechanism. The first planetary gear mechanism transmits rotational driving force to the transportation unit through a first planet gear to rotate the transportation roller when the motor rotates in a first direction, and transmits rotational driving force to the transportation unit through a second planet gear to rotate the transportation roller when the motor rotates in a second direction. The locking mechanism can lock a planetary rocking member of the first planetary gear mechanism in such a condition that rotational driving force of the motor is transmitted to the transportation unit through the second planet gear. The locking mechanism terminates locking of the planetary rocking member of the first planetary gear mechanism by engaging with the sheet in the transportation path downstream of the transportation roller with respect to the direction in which the sheet is transported.

Abstract: A sheet feeder includes a feed roller feeding a sheet while rotating in a feeding direction, a driving gear that rotates in a predetermined direction and transmits a driving force, a first gear mechanism transmitting the force to the feed roller to rotate the feed roller in a reverse direction opposite to the feeding direction, and a second gear mechanism transmitting the force to the feed roller to rotate the feed roller in the feeding direction. The driving gear includes a first engaging member that engages with the first gear mechanism and transmits the force to the first gear mechanism at a rotational angle of the driving gear within a first range, and a second engaging member that engages with the second gear mechanism and transmits the force to the second gear mechanism at the rotational angle within a second range having no common range with the first range.

Abstract: A media path jam clearance apparatus installable in a supporting structure includes media drive mechanisms for moving flexible media through media paths and a rotatable, removable jam clearance element. Within the jam clearance element facing surfaces of guide elements define guide surfaces for media paths, with the guide elements having external surfaces capable of supporting the flexible media as it is wrapped around the external surfaces. A pivotal support element supports and enables rotational movement of the jam clearance element within the supporting structure. The jam clearance element may be partially or entirely extracted from the supporting structure.

Abstract: A media path jam clearance apparatus installable in a supporting structure includes media drive mechanisms for moving flexible media through media paths and a rotatable, removable jam clearance element. Within the jam clearance element facing surfaces of guide elements define guide surfaces for media paths, with the guide elements having external surfaces capable of supporting the flexible media as it is wrapped around the external surfaces. A pivotal support element supports and enables rotational movement of the jam clearance element within the supporting structure. The jam clearance element may be partially or entirely extracted from the supporting structure.

Abstract: This is a system that enables a marking system to automatically clear itself of paper jams even when the marking system is unattended. The paper transport is enabled to move forward and backward, and when a jam occurs it will automatically move backward or in reverse direction until the jam is cleared. Sensors indicate where the jam is and when it is cleared.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a feed tray including a bottom plate configured to hold a sheet, a feed roller configured to feed the sheet in a first direction from the feed tray to a first conveying path, and a pressing member configured to press the sheet in the feed tray against the bottom plate of the feed tray. The pressing member includes a contact portion configured to contact the sheet in the feed tray, and a first guide positioned at a downstream end of the pressing member in the first direction. The first guide extends between the downstream end and the contact portion obliquely with respect to the bottom plate, such that a distance between the bottom plate and the first guide increases along the first direction. The first guide is positioned upstream of the feed roller in the first direction.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path, a pair of rollers configured to rotate in a conveyance direction to convey a sheet in the path by holding the sheet, and to reversely rotate in a direction opposite thereto. The reverse rotation is regulated so that the pair of rollers may reversely rotate within a predetermined amount. A sub-unit is releasable from a body of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: This paper feed mechanism includes a paper feed cassette integrally having a paper contact portion on a position deviating from the center of a rear-side inner wall surface in the cross direction by a prescribed distance in the cross direction and an apparatus body mountable with the paper feed cassette, and the apparatus body includes a driving portion rotating a paper feed roller in a paper feed direction and a paper discharge direction and a control portion bringing the rear end of the paper into contact with the paper contact portion for generating torque for the paper and thereafter transporting the paper to the apparatus body in paper feeding.

Abstract: A card collection mechanism may include a card collection box for collecting a card, a feeding roller for carrying the card from a feeding passage to the card collection box, and a guide part for guiding the card to the card collection box. The guide part guides the card while the guide part causes the card to be resiliently bent in a direction where an urging force directed to a surface of the feeding roller is applied to the card when the card is fed to the card collection box, and the feeding roller carries the card to a state in which the card is capable of being collected in the card collection box. The card collection mechanism may be used in a card issuing device having a card issuing part.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a feeding section configured to feed a recording sheet, a first conveyance roller which conveys the recording sheet fed from the feeding section to a recording area and conveys the recording sheet during a recording operation, a recording section configured to record an image on the recording sheet at the recording area downstream from the first conveyance roller in the direction of feeding the recording sheet, a conveyance rate detection unit configured to detect the conveyance rate of the recording sheet conveyed by the first conveyance roller, a recording sheet end detection unit disposed downstream from the first conveyance roller and detects the end part of the recording sheet, and a correction unit configured to correct the conveyance rate of the recording sheet conveyed by the first conveyance roller based on a result detected by the conveyance rate detection unit.

Abstract: A booklet loading apparatus has a carry-out unit that sequentially carries out plural booklets to a predetermined carry-out position; a transfer unit that sequentially arranges the booklets carried out from the carry-out unit while the booklets overlap one another, the transfer unit transferring the booklets in a predetermined transfer direction, the transfer unit returning the booklet to an upstream side in the transfer direction once in each time when the booklet is carried out from the carry-out unit, then the transfer unit transferring the booklet in the transfer direction; a loading unit on which the booklet carried out by the transfer unit is loaded; and an orientation correcting unit arranged on the upstream side in the transfer direction with respect to the transfer position, the orientation correcting unit correcting an orientation of the booklet to a predetermined orientation by causing the booklet to abut on the orientation correcting unit.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a first conveying path configured to pass a sheet of a recording medium (e.g., paper) therethrough to a sheet processing device, a second conveying path branched from the first conveying path and configured to temporarily store the paper sheet conveyed therein, a sheet conveying mechanism configured to selectably convey the paper sheet in one of forward and backward directions to the sheet processing device, a guide member mounted at a branch point of the first and second conveying paths and configured to guide the paper sheet when the paper sheet is conveyed in the backward direction by the sheet conveying mechanism to the second conveying path, and a control unit configured to control the sheet conveying mechanism to change a distance between the branch point and the sheet conveying mechanism according to a length of the paper sheet in a forward sheet conveying direction.

Abstract: An apparatus for deflecting sheet material from a first transport direction to a second transport direction while maintaining the orientation of the sheet material comprises a deflecting area (5) with a sheet-material supply zone (5a) and a sheet-material removal zone (5b), as well as at least one slider (11) with slider elements (12), which engages on the trailing edge of the sheet material to be deflected. By moving the slider from the sheet-material supply zone to the sheet-material removal zone around a rotation axis (13) the sheet material is deflected by the desired deflection angle. The sheet-material transport path preferably has two steps and the rotation axis (13) of the sliders (11) is preferably arranged in such a fashion that the slider elements (12) substantially only engage with the sheet-material transport path in the deflecting area (5) and emerge from the sheet-material transport path both upstream of the sheet-material supply zone (5a) and downstream of the sheet-material removal zone (5b).

Abstract: This is a stacker/stitcher assembly having two disc stackers facing each other. In between the stackers is a common collection tray for receiving the stacked substrates. The assembly can handle printed output of up to 360 ppm. A bypass is provided to divert printed substrates to an exit tray or another finishing station including disc stackers.

Abstract: A sheet carrying device has a mechanism that prevents a sheet from being fed backward into a carriage path after once discharged from the device, and the sheet carrying device includes a carriage surface that guides a sheet, a reverse roller attached to a rotation shaft of a sheet discharging portion, whose rotation direction is switchable between forward and backward, and a backward-feed prevention valve that prevents an edge of a discharged sheet from entering into a nip portion of the reverse roller, and the backward-feed prevention valve includes a resin sheet and an elastic member disposed at one end on the sheet discharging side of the resin sheet, and the elastic member has one surface supported by the rotation shaft of the reverse roller and the other surface pressing the resin sheet against the carriage surface.

Abstract: A sheet inverter includes a sheet path, such as a curved sheet path. A sheet driver is positioned to receive a sheet along the sheet path. The sheet driver is adapted to draw in the sheet and reverse a direction of the sheet. An exit path is positioned to receive the sheet from the sheet driver. An inverter path is also positioned to receive the sheet from the sheet driver. The curve of the sheet path biases the sheet's trailing edge into the exit path and the inverter path, and the sheet is directed to the exit path or the inverter path depending only upon how far the sheet is drawn into the sheet driver.

Abstract: An individual sheet member output control method used in a sheet member dispenser to control reversing of a transferring roller set for a secondary dispensing by a dispensing roller set when a sensor detected delivery of overlapped sheet members toward a sheet member outlet. The reversing and re-dispensing procedure is repeated to have overlapped sheet members be separated, and the transferring roller set is reversed to move overlapped sheet members backwards and then the machine is shut down for examination if overlapped sheet members still cannot be separated after the reversing and re-dispensing procedure has been repeated a predetermined number of times.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder of the present invention is provided with a turning/discharging path in a reversing path in order to read images on both sides of documents in lengths less than the main size and discharge in a discharging tray. Further, an aligning wall is provided to bump ends of documents discharged from the turning/discharging path against it. Thus, the documents of which both sides are read are discharged in the sequentially collated state at a high-speed and the aligned state.

Abstract: Embodiments of example apparatuses and methods for changing nip pressure are described.

Abstract: A device for reversal of direction of planar letters has two cover band conveyor runs with reversible transport direction, driven by a common drive roller. The letters are distributed alternately on the cover band conveyor runs. The back-transported letters are led into removing cover band transport means. The drive roller is controlled such that on introduction of a following letter into a cover band conveyor run the preceding back-transported letter has already accelerated to the nominal speed, the braking process only being initiated when the rear edge of the relevant letter has left the introducing cover band transport run and the preceding letter is no longer held in one of the controlled and reversible cover band conveyor runs.

Abstract: Methods are provided for driving sheets through a transaction-based printer. A sheet drive forwards a sheet through a printing station to a cutting station where the sheet is severed from a spool by a cutter. Movement of a kicker element is coordinated with that of the cutter so that the severed sheet is kicked into a bin located in the top cover of the printer. The printer can be, for example, an ink-jet, dot matrix, dye sublimation or thermal printer used to print tickets, vouchers, coupons or the like.

Abstract: Parallel printing systems and methods incorporate inverter assemblies for not only inverting media during transport through the system but also to register the media and to provide a velocity buffer transport with different drive velocities. The inverter assemblies can include the capability to optionally deskew the media while providing lateral (cross-process) registration corrections. The method comprises simultaneously combining the inverting function selectively with deskewing, side registering, and/or velocity buffering functions.

Abstract: A sheet direction inverting apparatus has a switchback portion for inverting the conveying direction of mails and the switchback portion has a drive roller and a driven roller. The length of mails sent to nips of the two rollers in the conveying direction is detected by a sensor, and after switching back, the length of the mails sent from the switchback portion in the conveying direction is detected by a sensor, and an overlapped sheets detector compares detection results. When the detection results are different, the overlapped sheets detector detects overlapping of the mails.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for reducing a printing position error, in which the method includes the steps of (a) driving an encoder wheel as many times as a predetermined number of forward counts at a predetermined initial acceleration, thereby making the edge of a printing paper become separated from a sensing unit and conveyed in a forward direction, (b) driving the encoder wheel at the predetermined initial acceleration and conveying the printing paper in a backward direction, (c) calculating a difference value between the number of backward counts of the encoder wheel from a start time of the backward driving to a point when the sensing unit detects the edge of the printing paper and the number of forward counts, and (d) repeating the steps (a) through (c) for a designated number of times while varying the predetermined initial acceleration, and setting an initial acceleration corresponding to a smallest value among the difference values as the initial acceleration for driving the encoder wheel.

Abstract: A printer and control method to control the operation of a printer to assure consistent print quality regardless of the paper length. A paper transportation control unit 101 and ASF control unit 103 drive a paper feed roller 78 and main paper transportation roller 23 for feeding a sheet S of print paper from the ASF 60 upon a paper transportation path and for advancing the sheet S of print paper on the paper transportation path in a first direction until the sheet S of print paper is discharged from the ASF 60, and then reversing the direction of travel of the sheet of paper S on the paper transportation path to convey the sheet S upon a reverse paper transportation path 80 disposed below the ASF 60 while positioning the sheet S to the print head 25a for printing by the print head 25a.

Abstract: A sheet reversing controller has a first conveying path for conveying sheets in the first direction, sensors to detect lengths of sheets in the conveying direction; a reversing portion comprising a reversing roller that is capable of normal/reverse rotations for taking and reversing sheets supplied from the first conveying path and a pinch roller, and a second conveying path for taking and conveying sheets supplied in the second direction that is the reverse direction to the conveying direction of the first conveying path from the reversing portion, and a controller to control the conveyance of sheets. The controller controls a conveying gap between a sheet and a succeeding sheet on the second conveying path regardless of the length of the sheets in the conveying direction.

Abstract: A platesetting system and method comprising a pair of dual capstan rollers that receives a recording medium and records an image on the received medium as the medium is transported through the system. The system and method advantageously enable at least a portion of the image to extend from a leading edge of the medium to a trailing edge of the medium.

Abstract: An apparatus for reversing a sheet, such as a banknote, from a front face to a rear face. In the reversing apparatus a first end of a common path communicates with an exit of a first conveyance path, a second end of common path communicates with an exit of a second conveyance path, and the first end of common path communicates with a merging path. Since the merging path is immediately after the common path, no delay is caused in the timing of feeding a banknote into the next processing step, improving reversing process performance. A first reversing roller rotates based on the on or off condition of a first electromagnetic clutch and a second reversing roller rotates based on on or off condition of a second electromagnetic clutch. A banknote can be quickly and surely conveyed in the common path.

Abstract: A platesetting system and method comprising a pair of dual capstan rollers that receives a recording medium and records an image on the received medium as the medium is transported through the system. The system and method advantageously enable at least a portion of the image to extend from a leading edge of the medium to a trailing edge of the medium.

Abstract: A banknote validator for determining the value and authenticity of a banknote is provided. The banknote validator includes a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, and a non-return gate. The magnetic sensor includes a magnetic circuit and an electronic circuit. The optical sensor includes a trapezoidal light guide, a broadband light source for illuminating a banknote via the light guide, and sensors for detecting light reflected from the banknote. The non-return gate includes banknote-guiding means for guiding the banknote along a banknote path and for controlling the direction of the banknote's travel based on its acceptability.

Abstract: The carrying apparatus includes a carrying device for carrying an object to be carried, along a carrying route having a corner part, a control device for temporarily stopping and holding the object carried by the carrying device, and a detection device for detecting the object positioned at a corner part of the carrying route, wherein if the detection device detects the object when the control device stops carrying the object, the control device controls the carrying device such that the carrying device carries the object until the detection device does not detect the object any more and the carrying device then stops carrying the object.

Abstract: In a paper convey method and device in an image forming apparatus according to this invention, a first sensor detects that the first paper sheet is fed from a paper feed unit, and a CPU outputs a control signal defining a desired cycle time at which paper sheets should be conveyed. A second sensor then detects the timing at which each paper sheet passes near a reverse motor in a reverse/paper discharge unit. The same or another CPU compares the timing of the passage of each paper sheet with the cycle time defined by the control signal and determines a delay or advance for each paper sheet. The desire cycle time is realized by controlling the reverse motor and a paper discharge motor in accordance with the determination result.

Abstract: A sheet re-feeding path (32) is disposed substantially horizontally at a location below a fixing unit (14) and an image forming unit. At a location below the sheet re-feeding path (32), sheet decks (3, 4) are disposed horizontally along a sheet conveying direction in the sheet re-feeding path (32). Also, a drawing path (37) for switchbacking the sheet is disposed substantially horizontally between the sheet re-feeding path (32) and the sheet decks (3, 4). A sheet feeding path (7) for feeding the sheet from the sheet deck (3) disposed at an upstream side crosses the drawing path (37) to join to the sheet re-feeding path (32). Accordingly, a space, which is occupied by component parts or devices related to the conveyance of the sheet, can be made compact, whereby sheet capacity can be increased.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus that can suppress the formation of creases when forming images on both surfaces of a sheet and can greatly reduce the incidence of unprinted areas. The image forming apparatus has a sheet stacking section in which sheets are stacked, a sheet conveying section that conveys a sheet, an image forming section that forms an image on the sheet while the sheet is conveyed, a re-conveying section that again conveys the sheet with the image formed on a first surface thereof to the image forming section, and a sheet feeding section that feeds a sheet from the sheet stacking section or the re-conveying section to the image forming section.

Abstract: In an apparatus where a printer module outputs print sheets into a finisher module, such as for stapling, a sheet buffer is used to withhold two or more sheets between the printer module and the finisher module so that the finisher module can complete a finishing operation. The withheld sheets are output from the buffer in overlapping fashion when the finisher is ready to accept them. The buffer can be under the control of the printer module or the finisher module.

Abstract: A variable pressure document infeed transport provides a first driving pressure on a document being transported in a first direction along a document transport path of a self-service terminal, and provides a second driving pressure which is greater than the first driving pressure on a document being transported in a second direction which is opposite the first direction along the document transport path of the self-service terminal. The first driving pressure means may be provided by a first plurality of idlers centered along the document transport path, and the second driving pressure means may be provided by a second plurality of idlers off-centered along the document transport path.

Abstract: An articulated flag body member permitting bi-directional passage of an object. The articulated flag body member has a flag body pivotably connected to a flag foot. As rotation of the flag foot occurs in one direction, the flag body rotates by engagement of a recess of the flag foot with a stop member extending along a projecting leg of the flag body. As the flag body rotates, a notch at the upper portion of the flag body changes positions such that light, or other signals, may no longer pass through the notch. Thus, positional indication of an object detected by rotation of the flag body. As rotation of the flag foot occurs in an opposite direction, an object may be extricated or removed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus reverses a sheet, on one side of which an image has been formed in an image forming section, transports the sheet back to the image forming section, and forms an image on the other side of the sheet, the apparatus has an inlet feed path for transporting a sheet, on one side of which an image has been formed; a switchback path for withdrawing the sheet transported from the inlet feed path; a plurality of reverse feed paths branching from the switchback path at plural positions, each of the reverse feed paths transporting a sheet while reversing the sheet; and a re-feed path for transporting the reversed sheet from any of the reverse feed paths back to the image forming section.

Abstract: A device for reversing the direction of motion of a paper sheet has a passage for guiding the paper sheet inside and includes a plurality of rollers each having a specified function. A first roller serves as a driver roller, its rotation causing the paper sheet to be transported into and out of the passage. A second roller is for contacting and rotating with the first roller and thereby transporting the paper sheet in the first direction into the passage. A third roller is disposed on the opposite side of the first roller from the second roller and serves to transport the paper sheet in the second direction out of the passage by contacting and rotating with the first roller. A fourth roller is another driver roller and is disposed in the passage. It allows the front edge of the paper sheet to pass by when it is transported in the first direction by means of the first and second rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying a sheet-like recording material is provided. The conveying apparatus includes a recording material feeding device for feeding the sheet-like recording material to a rotating drum from a feeding guide disposed in a direction tangential to the drum; and a recording material ejecting device for ejecting the recording material from the drum to an ejecting guide disposed in a direction tangential to the rotating drum. The feeding guide and the ejecting guide of the conveying apparatus are disposed near to each other in a thickness direction thereof, and the drum is in the same rotational position at the commencement of feeding the recording material to the drum and when the ejection of the recording material from the drum is completed.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for rotating a drive roller includes an input transmission mechanism for transmitting a drive force from a motor, an output transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force to the drive roller, an intermediate transmission mechanism for selectively transmitting the drive force from the input transmission mechanism to the output transmission mechanism in either a first direction or a second direction, and a switching mechanism for moving the intermediate transmission mechanism to a first position to drive the output transmission mechanism in the first direction or a second position to drive the output transmission mechanism in the second direction.

Abstract: A card processing apparatus allows for a more compact apparatus that does not cause a reduction in card transporting and printing processing capacity, but improves the freedom of design as an apparatus by establishing a plurality of processing units such as a printer and coating unit in a rational manner.

Abstract: A sheet puncher includes; a reversal conveying section having a displaceable stopping member by which a sheet is stopped at a predetermined position, and punching device; a conveying-in and conveying-out section having a conveying-in device and conveying-out device by which the sheet is conveyed from a main conveying path into the reversal conveying section, and the sheet is conveyed out from reversal conveying section to the main conveying path, wherein the sheet is conveyed into the reversal conveying section by the conveying-in device, and after the sheet is stopped at a predetermined position by the stopping member, the sheet is punched by the punch device, and the conveying direction is reversed by the stopping member and the sheet is carried from the reversal conveying section by the conveying-out device.

Abstract: In a sheet-processing rotary printing machine operatable in recto printing and recto/verso printing modes, there is provided a device for reversing sheets, which includes a transfer drum bounded by two sheet-guiding cylinders, a reversing/storage drum and an additional transport element assigned to the transfer drum, the transfer drum being drivable in opposite directions of rotation in the recto printing and the recto/verso printing modes, and gripper systems actable in both directions of rotation of the transfer drum, the gripper systems being accommodated on an imaginary jacket surface of the transfer drum; a printing unit including the components of the device; and the printing machine being a multicolor printing machine.

Abstract: Systems and methods for duplex printing of print sheets are described. In one aspect, a duplex module is configured so that print sheets may be controllably and reliably re-introduced into a print module in an orientation that is suitable for marking the second side of the print sheet without requiring a support structure that spans the entire width of the print sheet. In large format printing applications, this feature avoids large and heavy support structures, such as feed rollers, that otherwise would be needed to support the print sheets, as well as their own weight. In this way, a printing apparatus may provide duplex printing functionality with a structure that has a relatively light weight and a relatively small overall footprint.

Abstract: A double-sided printing device for paper handling is proposed by the invention to allow users to print on both sides of a sheet of paper. The double-sided printing device employs the interaction between the switches, the obstructing unit and the turning unit to allow a sheet of paper to enter the turning unit and be turned over so that its back side will be directed to the printing unit.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus has a branching claw with a first guide surface along a side of a sheet to be fed into a reversing path and a second guide surface along a side of a sheet to be fed out of the reversing path. This branching claw is disposed so as to enable switching between a first switching position where the sheet is allowed to be fed into the reversing path through its conveyance along the first guide surface, and a second switching position where the sheet is allowed to be forwarded from the reversing path toward the downstream side of a sheet conveying path through its conveyance along the second guide surface.

Abstract: In a sheet finisher having a stacker for sheets conveyed from an image forming apparatus and a stapler for stacked sheets, the sheet finisher further has a conveying timing adjustment section arranged upstream of the stacker including: a conveying-in section for a sheet from the image forming apparatus; a conveying-out section separately provided from the conveying-in section; and a reversal conveying section for reversing a conveying direction of the sheet conveyed in one direction from the conveying-in section and for conveying-out from the conveying-out section. A controller controls the reversal conveying section such that at least a second bundle or a bundle after the second bundle of sheet bundles to be stapled by the stapler, in which a plurality of sheets having at least a top sheet and a succeeding sheet to the top sheet are overlapped each other, is conveyed-out from the reversal conveying section.

Abstract: A paper feeder including a platen roller for feeding paper sheet supplied from a manual paper supply opening to a printing section and conveying the same after printing again to the manual paper supply opening so as to be discharged. In the paper feeder, the length of the paper sheet supplied from the manual paper supply opening is the same as the distance between a paper sensor disposed at the manual paper supply opening and the paper catching position of the platen roller, and the platen roller is inversely rotated by the length when the power source is switched on, and therefore a paper sheet remaining in a conveyance path can be discharged certainly to the manual paper supply opening.

Abstract: Before stopper members (25) of a skew correcting mechanism (10) are evacuated from a sheet conveyor path, sheet conveyor roller pairs (8) rotate a set angle in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction such that a sheet is separated from the stopper members (25). The sheet conveyor roller pairs (8) are arranged so that at least one of the rollers of each pair is independently pressed against the other with a force corresponding to the type of the sheet.