A medium feeding mechanism includes: a feeder that feeds a medium; a transport path that is coupled to the feeder; a transporter that transports the medium through the transport path; a transport drive that drives the transporter; an entry detection sensor that detects when the medium fed from the feeder has entered the transport path; a take-in transporter that takes in the medium transported by the transporter; and a transport controller that controls the feeder and the take-in transporter, wherein when the entry detection sensor detects entry of the medium at a time that falls within a first range set in advance, the controller controls the take-in transporter so as to take in the medium, and when the entry detection sensor detects entry of the medium at a time that falls within a second range following the first range.

A medium feeding mechanism includes: a feeder that feeds a medium; a transport path that is coupled to the feeder; a transporter that transports the medium through the transport path; a transport drive that drives the transporter; an entry detection sensor that detects when the medium fed from the feeder has entered the transport path; a take-in transporter that takes in the medium transported by the transporter; and a transport controller that controls the feeder and the take-in transporter, wherein when the entry detection sensor detects entry of the medium at a time that falls within a first range set in advance, the controller controls the take-in transporter so as to take in the medium, and when the entry detection sensor detects entry of the medium at a time that falls within a second range following the first range.

A vacuum plate which may be used in a system in which sheet material articles are handled by a vacuum plate. The vacuum plate comprises a first wall, a plurality of bores in the first wall, and at least one air outlet for connection to a source of vacuum pressure for applying a vacuum pressure to the bores. The first wall provides, in use, a vacuum lifting surface for pulling and holding the sheet material article to the vacuum surface when vacuum pressure is applied to the bores. Each bore comprises a flared opening terminating at the vacuum surface for admitting air pulled through the bore by the applied vacuum pressure, and opposite this opening, an exit for the air pulled through the bore, this exit being surrounded by a rim that extends above a surrounding surface of the second side of the first wall.

A vacuum plate which may be used in a system in which sheet material articles are handled by a vacuum plate. The vacuum plate comprises a first wall, a plurality of bores in the first wall, and at least one air outlet for connection to a source of vacuum pressure for applying a vacuum pressure to the bores. The first wall provides, in use, a vacuum lifting surface for pulling and holding the sheet material article to the vacuum surface when vacuum pressure is applied to the bores. Each bore comprises a flared opening terminating at the vacuum surface for admitting air pulled through the bore by the applied vacuum pressure, and opposite this opening, an exit for the air pulled through the bore, this exit being surrounded by a rim that extends above a surrounding surface of the second side of the first wall.

A feeding device includes a blowing unit that floats a plurality of stacked media by blowing air to side end portions of the media and that has a first blowing unit which blows the air from a defined region to the media and a second blowing unit which blows the air from a changing region to the media, a feeding unit that feeds the floating media, and a control unit that has a control mode in which the first blowing unit and the second blowing unit simultaneously perform air blowing on the media.

A feeding device includes a blowing unit that floats a plurality of stacked media by blowing air to side end portions of the media and that has a first blowing unit which blows the air from a defined region to the media and a second blowing unit which blows the air from a changing region to the media, a feeding unit that feeds the floating media, and a control unit that has a control mode in which the first blowing unit and the second blowing unit simultaneously perform air blowing on the media.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing one item of media at a time from an item of media container. The apparatus includes a movable element locatable in an abutting relationship with an elected item of media in a media container and disposed to vibrating against the elected item of media to permit the elected item of media to be subsequently be removed alone from the container.

A station for picking up and delivering shaped sheets that define box-like bodies of different types includes a magazine for the sheets and at least one handling element for at least one sheet at a time. The magazine accommodates a plurality of mutually aligned and juxtaposed sheets and the at least one handling element includes an end bracket provided with at least one grip element and at least one assembly with arms which are articulated with respect to the bracket and are independently movable with respect to a fixed frame. The bracket can move between a first configuration of alignment with the end sheet accommodated in the magazine, in the condition where the at least one grip element is in contact with the end sheet, and a second configuration of alignment with a conveyance line of the sheets which corresponds to the delivery region.

A workpiece transfer apparatus includes a mounting surface, a non-contact chuck, and an extracting mechanism. The mounting surface receives workpieces stacked one above the other. The non-contact chuck is located above the workpieces to draw the uppermost workpiece. The extracting mechanism extracts the uppermost workpiece drawn by the chuck by laterally sliding the uppermost workpiece in a predetermined extracting direction.

An apparatus of supplying a fuel cell stack material is provided. The apparatus includes a moving part in which a plurality of gas diffusion layers (GDLs) diffusing a gas fuel and supporting a catalyst layer are stacked and a cartridge having the moving part movably disposed therein. An adsorption pad is disposed above the cartridge to adsorb the plurality of gas diffusion layers and a nozzle part is configured to spray air above the plurality of gas diffusion layers to generate a lift on the plurality of gas diffusion layers.