A recording-material-transporting device includes an attracting part to which a recording material is attracted from below, and a blowing device that blows air from a position higher than the attracting part to an edge of the recording material attracted to the attracting part.

The invention relates to a device for gas and/or vacuum distribution (1) for a sheet processing machine (100), the device includes: at least one controllable pilot valve (4; 40), a fixed body (5) including: at least one main gas inlet (7) to be connected to a gas or vacuum source, at least one main gas outlet (8) intended to be connected to at least one suction cup and/or to at least one nozzle, at least a first and a second control gas openings (10, 11), at least one of the openings being connected to the controllable pilot valve (4; 40), at least one housing (9) having a first chamber (9a) communicating with the main gas inlet (7) and outlet (8) and a second chamber (9b) communicating with the first and second control gas openings (10, 11), at least one mobile piston (6) axially movable in the housing (9) by the action of a control gas or vacuum supplied in the second chamber (9b) through the at least one control gas opening (10, 11) connected to the controllable pilot valve (4; 40), the mobile piston (6) being movable between: a closed position in which the mobile piston (6) blocks a gas path (16) between the main gas inlet (7) and outlet (8) in the first chamber (9a), and an open position in which the mobile piston (6) releases the gas path (16), first and second chambers (9a, 9b) isolated from each other by cooperation of shapes between the mobile piston (6) and the housing (9) without frictional seal between the mobile piston (6) and the housing (9). Also disclosed are a suction unit and a feeder including such a device for gas and/or vacuum distribution and a sheet processing machine comprising such feeder or such a device for gas and/or vacuum distribution.

A feeding device includes: a supply unit that supplies air into space between plural media loaded to float the media; a feeder that adsorbs the media floated by the supply unit and feeds the media; a separator that supplies air to a second medium disposed immediately below a first medium adsorbed by the feeder to separate the second medium from the first medium; a detector that detects a position of at least one of the first medium and the second medium after air is supplied by the separator; and a modifier that modifies a condition related to a feeding operation of the feeder based a position detected by the detector.

A feeding device includes: a supply unit that supplies air into space between plural media loaded to float the media; a feeder that adsorbs the media floated by the supply unit and feeds the media; a separator that supplies air to a second medium disposed immediately below a first medium adsorbed by the feeder to separate the second medium from the first medium; a detector that detects a position of at least one of the first medium and the second medium after air is supplied by the separator; and a modifier that modifies a condition related to a feeding operation of the feeder based a position detected by the detector.

A feeder includes a body, a mount portion disposed in the body to support from below part of recording media stacked thereon, a lift that raises the mount portion, a support portion connected to the body to support from below another part of the recording media while the mount portion is raised, the support portion being located higher than a position of a mount surface of the mount portion while the recording media are stacked on the mount portion, a blowing portion that blows air between the recording media stacked on the mount portion, and a transport portion that transports the recording media stacked on the mount portion.

A robotic manipulator for handling an object is provided. The robotic manipulator includes a first robotic arm and a first end effector coupled to the first robotic arm. A movement of the first robotic arm orients the first end effector with respect to the object. The robotic manipulator includes a housing, a first conveyor operably coupled to the housing, a second conveyor operably coupled to the housing at an angle with respect to the first conveyor, and a first actuation mechanism. The first and second conveyors are arranged to form a top surface and the bottom surface respectively of a spatula-shaped base. The first actuation mechanism operates the first and second conveyors in one of a first direction and a second direction to manipulate the object. The operation of the first conveyor is independent of the operation of the second conveyor.

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 a vibrating against the elected item of media to permit the elected item of media to be subsequently be removed alone from the container by a pick arm lever.

A feeding system for carton blanks is disclosed, comprising a pivotable linkage, a gripper head connected to the pivotable linkage at a first rotational axis. The feeding system comprises a magazine configured to store a plurality of stacked carton blanks in a stacking direction. The carton blanks are confined in a cassette being dimensioned so that the carton blanks are confined to extend between proximal and distal internal surfaces of the cassette along a cassette direction which is perpendicular to the stacking direction and the first rotational axis. The proximal internal surface is arranged to align proximal edges of the carton blanks in a proximal alignment plane being perpendicular to the cassette direction, the proximal alignment plane extending between the gripper head and said first rotational axis. The first rotational joint is positioned in relation to the magazine such that there is a separation distance between the proximal alignment plane and the first rotational axis.

A paper sheet storage container capable of accurately taking out paper sheets one-by-one. A paper sheet group is held by a paper sheet placing table and holding members, while the paper sheet placing table is being biased upward by an elastic member so that the position of an uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheet group placed on the paper sheet placing table is substantially the same position as the positions of holes through which air flows. In this state, in the paper sheet storage container, air is blown from a side to the uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheet group placed on the paper sheet placing table thereby allowing the uppermost paper sheet to be brought into a state in which the vicinity of the center thereof has been raised.

A paper sheet storage container capable of accurately taking out paper sheets one-by-one. A paper sheet group is held by a paper sheet placing table and holding members, while the paper sheet placing table is being biased upward by an elastic member so that the position of an uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheet group placed on the paper sheet placing table is substantially the same position as the positions of holes through which air flows. In this state, in the paper sheet storage container, air is blown from a side to the uppermost paper sheet of the paper sheet group placed on the paper sheet placing table thereby allowing the uppermost paper sheet to be brought into a state in which the vicinity of the center thereof has been raised.