A method and apparatus for preparing edges of reels of web material, where a reel is held with its axis horizontal; a manipulator applies a first adhesive element on an outer surface of the reel; a gripping member picks up the first adhesive element and forms a loop; and a cutting device transversely cuts the web material at the loop. A section of web material with a length equal to or greater than a circumference of the reel is unwound from the reel; a second adhesive element is applied on an outer surface or on an inner surface of the web material; and a scrap portion of the web material is cut and discarded by a suction device.

A recording-material-transporting device includes a suction unit that suctions a recording material included in a recording-material stack from above, the suction unit including a movable member that moves upward when pushed from below by the recording material moving upward with the suction, the suction unit being movable in an intersecting direction intersecting a vertical direction and moving the suctioned recording material in the intersecting direction, at least a part of the movable member serving as an outside advancing part that advances to an outside of a perimeter of the recording-material stack with the movement of the suction unit in the intersecting direction; and a restricting part that restricts a downward movement of the outside advancing part when the outside advancing part is free of support by the recording material from below.

A recording-material-transporting device includes a suction unit that suctions a recording material included in a recording-material stack from above, the suction unit including a movable member that moves upward when pushed from below by the recording material moving upward with the suction, the suction unit being movable in an intersecting direction intersecting a vertical direction and moving the suctioned recording material in the intersecting direction, at least a part of the movable member serving as an outside advancing part that advances to an outside of a perimeter of the recording-material stack with the movement of the suction unit in the intersecting direction; and a restricting part that restricts a downward movement of the outside advancing part when the outside advancing part is free of support by the recording material from below.

A sheet transfer apparatus and a method for transferring a sheet using a sheet transfer apparatus are provided. A sheet transfer apparatus includes: a table on which two or more sheets, which are continuously laminated, are configured to be seated; a sheet adsorbing part on the table to adsorb a first sheet, which is at an uppermost portion, of the two or more laminated sheets at a pressure; and an air discharge part on the table and adjacent to the sheet adsorbing part, and the air discharge part is configured to discharge air to a surface of the first sheet adsorbed to the sheet adsorbing part.

A vacuum plate lifting system for lifting sheet material articles comprises a vacuum lifter apparatus for lifting sheet material articles, a lifter actuation system configured to lift and/or move the vacuum lifter apparatus during use and a control system, the control system being configured to control the lifter actuation system during said movement. The vacuum lifter apparatus comprises: a substantially horizontal suction plate comprising a perforated suction lifting surface, said surface being downwardly oriented for making contact with an upper surface of said articles to be lifted, an airflow suction system for conveying vacuum air pressure to said perforated suction lifting surface; and at least one mount for connection of the suction plate to at least one actuator of the lifter actuation system for lifting and/or moving the suction plate during use. There is at least one suction lifter proximate an edge of the suction plate, said suction lifter comprising a downwardly oriented suction cup, said cup being movably mounted in a substantially vertical direction relative to the suction plate and being connected to a source of air pressure for providing air suction to said cup for plucking upwards a local area of said of articles to be lifted. A suction cup actuation system is configured to drive said movement of the suction cup between a raised orientation in which the suction cup is raised relative to a level of said suction lifting surface and a lowered orientation in which the suction cup is substantially at or below the level of said suction lifting surface whereby, in use, said air suction is directed substantially downwardly towards a sheet material article to be lifted when said suction cup is in the lowered orientation. The control system is operable to control the operation of the lifter actuation system and the operation of the suction cup actuation system to initially pluck said local area of said article to be lifted prior to applying said vacuum air pressure to said perforated suction lifting surface to lift the remainder of said article.

A transfer mechanism includes a main rotating member, a first driving unit, a support mechanism, a holding unit, a second driving unit and control unit and transfers a sheet member from a pickup position to a delivery position. The support mechanism is connected to the main rotating member and the holding unit. The control unit controls the second driving unit in such a manner that, when the sheet member is placed in at least one of the pickup position and the delivery position, a position of the holding unit is not substantially changed in a state where the main rotating member rotates around the rotational axis in the first rotation direction.

The invention relates to an insert-sheet pick-up device (13) for an insert-sheet loading device (10) of a station for receiving copy (500). The pick-up device (13) includes a suction element (20) configured to pick up an insert sheet. The pick-up device (13) includes a pivoting axis (30) and at least one telescopic arm (33) including a proximal arm (33a), one end of which is fixed to the pivoting axis (30), and a distal arm (33b), able to move with respect to the proximal arm (33a), and one end of which is pivot-articulated to the suction element (20) to move the suction element (20) between a raised position and a lowered position according to a vertical movement of the suction element (20). Also, the invention also relates to an insert-sheet loading device, a copy-receiving station and a machine for processing elements in sheet form including the insert-sheet pick-up device.

Methods and apparatus for forming containers from container blanks are provided. An apparatus comprises a blank holding apparatus operable to releasably hold a plurality of carton blanks in a first configuration. The apparatus also has a rotary apparatus operable to rotate an engagement device along a rotational path from a first retrieval location where the engagement device is operable to engage with and retrieve a blank from the plurality of blanks held in the blank holding apparatus, to a second operational location. The apparatus also has a movement apparatus inter-connected to the rotary apparatus. The movement apparatus is operable to move the rotary apparatus and the engagement device with the engaged blank away from the blank holding apparatus, which may be translational movement away from the blank holding apparatus.

A printing apparatus includes a printing cylinder (14) that can hold sheets (4) and transfer them one by one continuously, first to fourth inkjet heads (41-44), and a feeder unit (2). The printing apparatus includes a speed reducer (72) that switches the speed of the feeder unit (2) between single-sided printing and double-sided printing. In single-sided printing, the feeder unit (2) is driven at a first supply speed at which the sheets (4) are supplied to the printing cylinder (14) one by one continuously, and the printing cylinder (14) is driven at a transfer speed at which the sheets (4) supplied from the feeder unit (2) one by one continuously are transferred. In double-sided printing, the printing cylinder (14) is driven at the transfer speed, and the feeder unit (2) is driven at a second supply speed that is the first supply speed. The printing apparatus that operates stably in both single-sided printing and double-sided printing can be provided.

A printing apparatus includes a printing cylinder (14) that can hold sheets (4) and transfer them one by one continuously, first to fourth inkjet heads (41-44), and a feeder unit (2). The printing apparatus includes a speed reducer (72) that switches the speed of the feeder unit (2) between single-sided printing and double-sided printing. In single-sided printing, the feeder unit (2) is driven at a first supply speed at which the sheets (4) are supplied to the printing cylinder (14) one by one continuously, and the printing cylinder (14) is driven at a transfer speed at which the sheets (4) supplied from the feeder unit (2) one by one continuously are transferred. In double-sided printing, the printing cylinder (14) is driven at the transfer speed, and the feeder unit (2) is driven at a second supply speed that is the first supply speed. The printing apparatus that operates stably in both single-sided printing and double-sided printing can be provided.