A foil transfer device which transfers foil onto a sheet is disclosed herein. When a nip/release mechanism moves a first roller and starts causing a foil film to be pressed against a confined surface region on a sheet, located apart from a leading edge of the sheet, a controller executes: a first process of causing a conveyor roller to start conveyance of the sheet, while the first roller is positioned in a separate position; a second process of causing the conveyor roller to stop conveyance of the sheet before a foil transfer area reaches a transfer position; a third process of causing the nip/release mechanism to start moving the first roller from the separate position to a nipping position while the conveyance of the sheet is stopped; and a fourth process of causing the conveyor roller to restart conveyance of the sheet before the first roller reaches the nipping position.

A foil transfer device which transfers foil onto a sheet is disclosed herein. When a nip/release mechanism moves a first roller and starts causing a foil film to be pressed against a confined surface region on a sheet, located apart from a leading edge of the sheet, a controller executes: a first process of causing a conveyor roller to start conveyance of the sheet, while the first roller is positioned in a separate position; a second process of causing the conveyor roller to stop conveyance of the sheet before a foil transfer area reaches a transfer position; a third process of causing the nip/release mechanism to start moving the first roller from the separate position to a nipping position while the conveyance of the sheet is stopped; and a fourth process of causing the conveyor roller to restart conveyance of the sheet before the first roller reaches the nipping position.

Provided is an aligner capable of aligning a sheet during transport in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction. The aligner includes: a transport path; a linear-motion transport unit that generates a drive force in a transport direction along the transport path to a sheet on the transport path; a left-skew transport unit that is disposed in a left direction with respect to the transport direction of the linear-motion transport unit and generates a drive force in a left-oblique direction inclined in the left direction to the sheet on the transport path; and a right-skew transport unit that is disposed in a right direction with respect to the transport direction of the linear-motion transport unit and generates a drive force in a right-oblique direction inclined in the right direction to the sheet on the transport path.

Provided is an aligner capable of aligning a sheet during transport in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction. The aligner includes: a transport path; a linear-motion transport unit that generates a drive force in a transport direction along the transport path to a sheet on the transport path; a left-skew transport unit that is disposed in a left direction with respect to the transport direction of the linear-motion transport unit and generates a drive force in a left-oblique direction inclined in the left direction to the sheet on the transport path; and a right-skew transport unit that is disposed in a right direction with respect to the transport direction of the linear-motion transport unit and generates a drive force in a right-oblique direction inclined in the right direction to the sheet on the transport path.

Medicine packaging apparatuses and methods for accurately determining a remaining sheet amount of a medicine packaging sheet are described. The apparatus includes: a roll support section to which a core tube of a medicine packaging sheet roll is attached; a sensor disposed in the roll support section for outputting a count value according to a rotation amount; a wireless reader-writer unit for writing information to a core tube IC tag and reading said information; an information generation section for generating information to be written to the core tube IC tag; a remaining sheet amount estimation section for estimating a current amount of remaining sheet based on the information and dimensional information of the core tube; and a controller which selectively performs an operation if a reference time-point count value is not yet written to the core tube IC tag and another operation if the count value is already written thereto.

Medicine packaging apparatuses and methods for accurately determining a remaining sheet amount of a medicine packaging sheet are described. The apparatus includes: a roll support section to which a core tube of a medicine packaging sheet roll is attached; a sensor disposed in the roll support section for outputting a count value according to a rotation amount; a wireless reader-writer unit for writing information to a core tube IC tag and reading said information; an information generation section for generating information to be written to the core tube IC tag; a remaining sheet amount estimation section for estimating a current amount of remaining sheet based on the information and dimensional information of the core tube; and a controller which selectively performs an operation if a reference time-point count value is not yet written to the core tube IC tag and another operation if the count value is already written thereto.

A sheet binding processing apparatus includes a conveying portion, a conveying path for sheets, a stacking portion on which sheets from the conveying path are stacked, a first regulating portion for regulating a sheet bundle on the stacking portion in a crossing direction, a second regulating portion for regulating a sheet bundle in the conveying direction, a manual setting portion for setting sheets from an outside of the apparatus, and a binding device which binds a sheet bundle by a staple and moves in the crossing direction. An angular posture of the binding device located at a third position is different from an angular posture located at a first position. An angular posture of the binding device located at the third position is different from an angular posture located at a second position. The second position is located at a second side of the first position.

A sheet binding processing apparatus includes a conveying portion, a conveying path for sheets, a stacking portion on which sheets from the conveying path are stacked, a first regulating portion for regulating a sheet bundle on the stacking portion in a crossing direction, a second regulating portion for regulating a sheet bundle in the conveying direction, a manual setting portion for setting sheets from an outside of the apparatus, and a binding device which binds a sheet bundle by a staple and moves in the crossing direction. An angular posture of the binding device located at a third position is different from an angular posture located at a first position. An angular posture of the binding device located at the third position is different from an angular posture located at a second position. The second position is located at a second side of the first position.

A cutting device is configured to cut, in an arc shape, an end of a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction. The cutting device includes an arc-shaped cutting blade; a switching mechanism; and a contact-and-separation mechanism. The switching mechanism is configured to switch a posture of the cutting blade in accordance with a position of the sheet facing the cutting blade. The contact-and-separation mechanism is configured to bring the cutting blade into contact with the sheet in a contact direction orthogonal to a surface of the sheet and away from the sheet in a separation direction opposite the contact direction, to cut the end of the sheet in the arc shape.

A cutting device is configured to cut, in an arc shape, an end of a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction. The cutting device includes an arc-shaped cutting blade; a switching mechanism; and a contact-and-separation mechanism. The switching mechanism is configured to switch a posture of the cutting blade in accordance with a position of the sheet facing the cutting blade. The contact-and-separation mechanism is configured to bring the cutting blade into contact with the sheet in a contact direction orthogonal to a surface of the sheet and away from the sheet in a separation direction opposite the contact direction, to cut the end of the sheet in the arc shape.