The invention provides a delivery system and layered stacking device for paper packages. The layered stacking device comprises a upper layer mechanism, a lower layer mechanism, and a pushing mechanism. The upper layer mechanism protrudes to an outlet of a delivery device to receive at least two paper packages. The paper packages will be stacked and neatly arranged on the upper layer mechanism. When the lower layer mechanism is raised to a first height and therefore close to the outlet, the upper layer mechanism will be withdrawn from the outlet of the delivery device, thereby the lower layer mechanism will receive the stacked paper packages that are dropped from the upper layer mechanism. Afterwards, when the lower layer mechanism is fallen to a second height, the pushing mechanism will push the stacked paper packages on the lower layer mechanism to a feeding device next the lower layer mechanism.

An automatic loader for delivering vertically stacked media to a hopper of a feeder. The automatic loader includes a powered conveying device, actuated plates, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The first sensors detects a height of the vertically stacked media that is in the hopper, and the second sensor detects a separation between the hopper and the vertically stacked media that is in a staging area of the conveying device. Based on signals generated by the first and second sensors, the conveying device automatically delivers the vertically stacked media that is in the staging area to the hopper of the feeder.

A scanner includes a reading unit that reads an image of a paper, a medium feeding portion that is capable of selecting a first feeding mode in which a separation feeding for separately feeding a paper bundle in which a plurality of sheets of paper is overlapped with each other is performed and a second feeding mode in which a non-separation feeding for collectively feeding the paper bundle without separating is performed, and a pair of first transporting rollers and a pair of second transporting rollers that transport the paper fed by the medium feeding portion, in a case in which the medium feeding portion feeds the paper in the second feeding mode, a first driven roller and a second driven roller respectively constituting the pair of first transporting rollers and the pair of second transporting rollers are driven in a rotation direction where the paper is transported.

A method for feeding laminar elements into an introducer associated with a graphic printing station provided for printing at least one of the faces of the laminar element, wherein a plurality of laminar elements are grouped in an orderly manner in a stacked group of laminar elements that extends upwards, such that the longitudinal axis of each of the laminar elements is located perpendicular with respect to an advance direction of the group, the advance direction of the group being perpendicular to the advance direction of the introducer. This group of laminar elements is turned 180 degrees with respect to a rotation axis that is parallel to the advance direction of the introducer, such that the upper face of each one of the laminar elements is oriented downwards, the turned laminar element advancing in a direction perpendicular to the advance direction of the introducer.

Disclosed is an automated insert feeding system and related methods, capable of removing bulk-packaged items from a tray or other package, and separating the bulk-packaged items individually for distribution into individual packages in high speed reliable fashion. The disclosed systems can also be loaded with multiple packages of the pre-packaged items for automatic feeding into the system which allows human operators to load several packages and allow the system to work unattended, thereby reducing man-hours spend on the process.

An accommodating device includes a device body, an accommodating unit that is movable to a supply position where a user is able to supply a medium by being pulled out from the device body in a pulling direction and of which a centroid position is located on one side surface side with respect to a center in an intersecting direction with the pulling direction, a first expanding and contracting member that expands and contracts to connect the accommodating unit to the device body so as to be able to be pulled out and is fixed to one side surface of the accommodating unit in the intersecting direction, and a second expanding and contracting member that expands and contracts to connect the accommodating unit to the device body so as to be able to be pulled out and is fixed at a position higher than the first expanding and contracting member on the other side surface of the accommodating unit in the intersecting direction.

The present invention relates to a handling installation for handling sheets of cardboard or similar material applicable for implementation thereof in an automated production facility, comprising a first receiving station (1) configured to receive packages formed by cardboard sheets, each of the sheets being defined by four sides, and a second distribution station (2) in which the sheets are delivered face-down coming from the receiving station by means of sheet handling means. The first and second stations comprise modules that are independent from each other, the handling means comprising a robot arm provided with a head with clamping means to hold the package of sheets on any of the four sides, the head having a hinge point that can be coupled to a robot arm, capable of conveniently moving and orienting the clamping means in any of the coordinate axes, the robot arm being mounted on a base that is independent with respect to the first and second stations.

A bag conveyance method includes the steps of: causing a holding member to hold a bag bundle including a plurality of bags; delivering the bag bundle in a standing posture from the holding member to a delivery unit; rotating the delivery unit in such a manner that a posture of the bag bundle held by the delivery unit is changed from the standing posture to a lying posture; and conveying the bag bundle in the lying posture from the delivery unit to a supply unit.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transporting items of media along a transport path. The apparatus comprises at least one clamp member to apply a clamp force to a bunch of media items located between a support surface and said clamp member, wherein said clamp member is selectively moveable towards or away from said support surface to apply a predetermined clamp force to the bunch of media items.

Provided is a technique capable of detecting the amount of a stack of discharged print media and increasing print speed. A printing apparatus includes a displacement member configured to be in contact with the discharged print media and be displaced according to the amount of the stack of the print media, and detects the stack amount based on the displacement of the displacement member. The apparatus performs a first or second detection operation based on the detected stack amount. In the first detection operation, after a specified number of print media are discharged with the displacement member positioned at the evacuation position where it does not come into contact with a print medium, the displacement member is brought into contact with the print media to detect the stack amount. In the second detection operation, the stack amount is detected with the displacement member in contact with the print media.