Provided are systems and methods for identifying, isolating, and/or aligning sheets. An identification system can facilitate accurate identification of a sheet by (i) vacating one or more components of the system that are not the sheet from a zone of detection, and/or (ii) determining a reference axis of the sheet. An isolation system can facilitate accurate isolation of a sheet by (i) providing targeted air flow, and/or (ii) introducing a wave into the sheet. Identification systems and/or isolation systems described herein may facilitate isolation of sheets that were previously fastened together by one or more fasteners. An alignment system can facilitate accurate alignment of a first sheet at an upstream location relative to a second sheet at a downstream location via machine learning.

This disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for taking flexible sheets off a delivery belt, such as from a scanner or copier, and restacking them in the order and orientation (face) they were originally scanned in. This requires flipping over such sheets by use of a spindle wheel with a plurality of fingers defining slots therebetween for receiving the sheets and reversing their face (flipping). By knowing the speed of the delivery belt and using a continuously spinning spindle wheel it is possible to avoid the effects of momentum on the fingers which distorts their position during stopping and starting action. Instead, the spindle wheel is in constant rotation but the speed of rotation is adjusted from a first speed, then a second tapering speed, to a third speed which is adapted to ensure that the slot between fingers is accurately presented to the leading edge as it enters the slot and does not get rejected by an accidental encounter with a finger.

A turnover tray includes a tray body, at least one placement groove is disposed on a lateral surface of the tray body, and the placement groove is used for placing a glass cover plate. Further, when the glass cover plate is disposed in the placement groove, the glass cover plate is in a point contact or in a line contact with inner walls of the placement groove, and a hollow cavity is formed between the glass cover plate and the placement groove, thereby solving the phenomena of scratches on a surface of a glass cover plate and the problem of displacement occurring during a carrying process.

A turnover tray includes a tray body, at least one placement groove is disposed on a lateral surface of the tray body, and the placement groove is used for placing a glass cover plate. Further, when the glass cover plate is disposed in the placement groove, the glass cover plate is in a point contact or in a line contact with inner walls of the placement groove, and a hollow cavity is formed between the glass cover plate and the placement groove, thereby solving the phenomena of scratches on a surface of a glass cover plate and the problem of displacement occurring during a carrying process.

An image forming apparatus includes a first supporting member supporting a long sheet, a feeding unit for feeding the long sheet supported by the first supporting member with respect to a feeding direction and a second supporting member, rotatable about a rotational shaft, for supporting the long sheet with the first supporting member. In a state in which the sheet is bent so that a first portion of the long sheet is supported by the first supporting member and a second portion which is a more rear side than the first portion is positioned above the first portion, the second supporting member is movable between a first position where the second supporting member supports the second portion of the sheet and a second position where the center of gravity of the second supporting member is positioned downstream of a rotational center with respect to the feeding direction and the second supporting member maintains an attitude thereof by its own weight.

An image forming apparatus includes a first supporting member supporting a long sheet, a feeding unit for feeding the long sheet supported by the first supporting member with respect to a feeding direction and a second supporting member, rotatable about a rotational shaft, for supporting the long sheet with the first supporting member. In a state in which the sheet is bent so that a first portion of the long sheet is supported by the first supporting member and a second portion which is a more rear side than the first portion is positioned above the first portion, the second supporting member is movable between a first position where the second supporting member supports the second portion of the sheet and a second position where the center of gravity of the second supporting member is positioned downstream of a rotational center with respect to the feeding direction and the second supporting member maintains an attitude thereof by its own weight.

An image forming device, includes: a transfer unit that transfers a toner image onto a recording medium being conveyed; a main heating unit that is disposed at a downstream side of the transfer unit in a conveyance direction of the recording medium, heats the recording medium in contact with the recording medium, and fixes the toner image to the recording medium; a reversing unit that reverses front and back of the recording medium having the toner image fixed on a first surface of the recording medium by the main heating unit, and sends the recording medium to the transfer unit; a preheating unit that is arranged between the transfer unit and the main heating unit in the conveyance direction of the recording medium and heats the recording medium in a non-contact state, the preheating unit being configured to heat the recording medium so that, when the recording medium that is sent to the transfer unit by the reversing unit and on which the toner image is transferred to a second surface is heated, a temperature of the first surface of the recording medium is higher than a softening point of a toner before the recording medium is heated by the main heating unit; and a non-contact unit that brings a toner image forming region on the first surface of the recording medium on which the toner image is transferred onto the second surface and a member other than the recording medium between the preheating unit and the main heating unit in a non-contact state.

A medium reversing and discharging device includes a discharger that discharges a medium in a paper discharge direction from a discharge outlet, a holder that holds and reverses the medium, and a driver that moves the holder such that when a first plane along a portion of the medium in contact with the discharge outlet does not intersect with a second plane along a portion of the medium held by the holder on a downstream side in the paper discharge direction of the discharge outlet a moving speed at which the holder moves is lower than a discharge speed at which the medium is discharged from the discharge outlet.

A card flipper includes a frame, a receptacle, and a motor. The receptacle is supported by the frame for a rotation about a flipping axis. The receptacle is configured to support a card in a support plane and receive and discharge cards along a card feed axis. The motor is configured to drive rotation of the receptacle, the support plane and the card feed axis about the flipping axis. The flipping axis is oblique to the card feed axis and is displaced from the support plane.

Organizations and educational institutions are turning towards digitization of their examination processes. The existing devices are costly, time consuming and insecure for scanning the answer sheets. A device for performing secure and automatic flipping and scanning of documents has been provided. The device is configured to be assembled in the form of a box. The device comprising a scanning stand, a page flipping arm, one or more suction cups, one or more rollers, a controller and a mobile device. The controller is configured to control the operation of the scanning stand, the page flipper arm and the roller. The mobile device further comprises a mobile application which is further configured to control controller. The device further configured to scan the handwriting of a candidate to avoid malpractice during the examination.