An image forming apparatus includes a first roller having a first portion between tapered portions, which are at each end of the first portion. An outer diameter of each tapered portion decreases with distance from the first portion along a width direction of the first roller. A second roller has a second portion facing the first portion of the first roller and third portions, which are at each end of the second portion. The third portions face the tapered portions of the first roller. A belt of the image forming apparatus has an inner surface contacting the first portion of the first roller and an outer surface forming a nip with the second portion of the second roller. The belt has a protruding portion on the inner surface at each end of the belt in the width direction. The protruding portions face the tapered portions of the first roller.

A belt driving device includes an annular belt member, rotary members, a protrusion, and a contact member. The belt member includes first and second edges. The belt member is wound around the rotary members. The protrusion protrudes from an inner peripheral surface of the belt member. The protrusion and each rotary member are arranged in an extending direction of the rotary member. The protrusion is provided at the second edge. The contact member is closer to the first edge. When the belt member deviates, the contact member comes into contact with the belt member. A difference between a position of the belt member when the protrusion comes into contact with an end surface of one of the rotary members and a position of the belt member when the belt member comes into contact with the contact member is equal to or less than a width of the protrusion.

A belt driving device includes an annular belt member, rotary members, a protrusion, and a contact member. The belt member includes first and second edges. The belt member is wound around the rotary members. The protrusion protrudes from an inner peripheral surface of the belt member. The protrusion and each rotary member are arranged in an extending direction of the rotary member. The protrusion is provided at the second edge. The contact member is closer to the first edge. When the belt member deviates, the contact member comes into contact with the belt member. A difference between a position of the belt member when the protrusion comes into contact with an end surface of one of the rotary members and a position of the belt member when the belt member comes into contact with the contact member is equal to or less than a width of the protrusion.

A bearing which supports one end side of a driving roller includes a first restriction portion which is restricted from rotating and moving with respect to a first frame, and a bearing which supports the other end side of the driving roller includes a second restriction portion which is restricted from rotating and moving with respect to a second frame. As viewed from a direction perpendicular to a width direction of an intermediate transfer belt, a phase of shape of the first restriction portion in a state of being held by the first frame and a phase of shape of the second restriction portion in a state of being held by the second frame are equal to each other.

An upper conveyor deck includes a plurality of belts each supported by an upstream end pulley and a downstream end pulley which belts are configured to be driven along a closed path having an interior such that a lower run of each of the belts travels in a downstream direction and an upper run of the each of the belt travels in an upstream direction. A first diversion pulley in the interior of at least one of the belts contacts the lower run of that belt, and a diversion guide outside the interior of the belt contacts the belt downstream from the first diversion pulley. A deflecting device at the first diversion pulley is configured to prevent scrap material from becoming pinched between the belt and the first diversion pulley.

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

A conveying apparatus for feeding sheets into a processing apparatus is discloses which comprises a plurality of nips within which sheets are gripped and driven along a conveying direction towards the processing apparatus, each nip being defined between a respective drive wheel and an opposing reaction surface. The drive wheels are omni-wheels configured to apply a frictional force to advance the sheets in the conveying direction while permitting free movement of the sheets in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, the reaction surfaces permitting free movement of the sheets in the transverse direction, and an elongate guide is arranged on one side of the conveying apparatus, to extend generally parallel to the conveying direction, the conveying apparatus being configured to urge conveyed sheets in the transverse direction into contact with the guide. A control system is provided to move the guide generally in the transverse direction in dependence upon sensed fiducials on the conveyed sheets, to ensure correct alignment of the sheets in the transverse direction with respect to the processing apparatus.

A sheet handling apparatus includes: a transport path along which a sheet is transported; a first transport member disposed on one side of the transport path; and a second transport member disposed opposed to the first transport member with the transport path interposed therebetween. The first transport member and the second transport member are driven to rotate. The sheet is transported by the first transport member rotating with an outer peripheral surface thereof being in contact with a first face of the sheet, and by the second transport member rotating in a direction opposite to a rotation direction of the first transport member, with an outer peripheral surface thereof being in contact with a second face of the sheet different from the first face.

A self-contained no-feed-roll computer controlled corrugated board or paperboard sheet feeder apparatus 200 is configured to upgrade an installed corrugated board processing machine (e.g., 10) and includes a feed table surface 210 for boards (e.g., 2) having drive wheels (222W, 224W, 226W) in an initial variable velocity zone 220 which drives the board in a first motion profile through a first vacuum zone, and a second velocity zone 230 which then drives the board in a second motion profile through a second vacuum zone Retrofittable sheet feeder 200 also includes a controller 300 configured to receive predetermined velocity signals from the host machine 10 and generate (i) a first initial variable velocity control signal for initial variable velocity zone 220 and (ii) a second velocity control signal for second velocity zone 230 in response.

A conveyor belt assembly (10) for transporting single sheets or stacks of a packaging material is described. It comprises at least one conveyor belt (12a) being arranged over at least two pulleys (20a-20d), wherein at least one of the pulleys (20a-20d) is adapted to drive the conveyor belt (12a) in a conveying direction (15). Furthermore, the conveyor belt assembly (10) comprises a conveying section (22) adapted for transporting the sheets or stacks and a return section (24) adapted to return the conveyor belt (12a) from an end (22b) of the conveying section (22) to a beginning (22a) of the conveying section (22). The conveying section (22) is equipped with a middle section (26), in which the conveyor belt (12a) is arranged in a substantially flat manner, and at least one transition section (28) arranged between the middle section (26) and the respective pulley (20a-20d), with the conveyor belt (12a) being arranged in the transition section (28) in a retracted position with respect to a plane (26a) defined by the middle section (26).