A sheet handling apparatus (e.g., banknote insertion/discharge mechanism 20) includes a transport unit (e.g., first transport unit 30) configured to transport a sheet (e.g., banknote) in a first transport path 30a; and driving units 36m and 38m configured to move, along the width direction of the first transport path 30a, at least portions of guiding members 36 and 38 forming edges of the first transport path 30a.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for print media buffering and sorting. An apparatus for performing at least one of buffering and sorting during an operation includes a storage section, an input section configured to receive at the storage section at least a portion of a printed element, a gripper associated with the input section, the gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section.

An image forming apparatus includes a transport section that transports a recording material, a grasping section that grasps a remaining situation of a recording material remaining in a transport path through which the recording material is transported by the transport section, a reception section that receives, from a user, an input of the number of removed sheets of recording material removed from the transport path by the user in a case where the transport of the recording material by the transport section is stopped, and a start section that starts the stopped transport by the transport section based on the number of removed sheets input by the user.

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.

A tray unit assembly includes a housing, a separating/stacking unit, a tray unit and an elevating member. The separating/stacking unit includes a separating roller unit and a stacking roller unit provided in the housing. The tray unit is provided to be inserted into the housing and includes a first tray body fixed to the housing when the tray unit is inserted into the housing, and a second tray body connected to the first tray body to be slidable in a vertical direction and having a media stacking space formed therein. The elevating member is disposed to be movable up and down and configured to be in contact with a bottom surface of the second tray body to move the second tray body toward the stacking roller unit or the separating roller unit.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for print media buffering and sorting. An apparatus for performing at least one of buffering and sorting during an operation includes an enclosure, a storage section within the enclosure, an input section configured to receive at the enclosure at least a portion of a printed element, a gripper associated with the input section, the gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section within the enclosure, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the enclosure.

A document feeder assisting device includes a document stacker to stack a document to be conveyed toward a feed port of an automatic document feeder, a pressing device to press the document toward a document placement surface of the document stacker, and a conveyance device to convey the document. The document is stacked on the document placement surface exposed above with the pressing device moved.

A portioning system for portioning stackable flat carton elements in a stack (101) for further processing. A feeder device (105) includes a lifting platform (106) and a pushing platform (107), wherein the feeder device (105) is movable along a linear path (108) for pushing the stack (101) to a delivery position. The feeder device (105) is further movable along a lifting direction (110) having at least a component parallel to the gravity direction. The feeder device (105) is configured such that the lifting platform (106) is movable partially below the flat elements defining the stack (101) such that an edge portion (111) of the stack (101) is arranged on the lifting platform (106) for being liftable by the lifting platform (106). The feeder device (105) is further configured such that the stack (101) is pushable by the pushing platform (107) along the linear path (108) until the stack (101) is arranged at the delivery position.

Sheet collating device for accumulating sheets from at least one hopper, comprising: a lower transport path and an upper transport path; a switchable guide for directing the sheets from the at least one hopper to the lower or the upper transport path; left and right upper drive shafts connected to a right and a left upper drive pulleys supporting a pair of upper belts, a drive direction of the pair of upper belts being changed dependent on what transport path of the upper and lower transport paths is selected; first and second lower drive shafts connected to a right and a left lower drive pulleys supporting first and second pairs of lower belts; and a first series of right paddles mounted on the first pair of lower belts and a first series of left paddles mounted on the second pair of lower belts for registering a collated set of sheets.

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.