A sheet feeding device includes a sheet tray, a blower, a feeder, an illuminator, an imager, and circuitry. The sheet tray stacks sheets. The blower blows air to the sheets stacked on the sheet tray and floats an uppermost sheet of the sheets. The feeder feeds the uppermost sheet. The illuminator illuminates the uppermost sheet floating. The imager captures an image including the uppermost sheet illuminated by the illuminator. The circuitry adjusts an imaging condition based on the image captured by the imager.

To downsize a curved transport route through which a transport target is transported without being deformed.

A transport path 401 includes a first curved transport tubular-body unit 415B having a first curved shape in which a bottom surface 411B located beside an air blowing tube 100 bulges into a convex shape toward the air blowing tube. The first curved transport tubular-body unit is configured to increase a distance H between the bottom surface and a top surface 413B opposite to the bottom surface from each end portion toward an intermediate portion in a transport direction x to prevent a banknote P retained by a transport body 500 from coming into contact with the top surface.

Apparatus, methods, and systems for a vacuum conveyor for inkjet printing with adjustment to the covered area are disclosed. In some embodiments, a controller of a vacuum conveyor expands first one or more actuators of multiple first actuators of a substrate transportation system to decrease a suction width of an area of suction provided by the vacuum conveyor in accordance with a substrate width of a substrate being inkjet printed using the vacuum conveyor. A second one or more actuators of the multiple first actuators being retracted. The controller retracts multiple second actuators of the vacuum conveyor to increase the suction length of the area of suction while the substrate transportation system moves the substrate along the vacuum conveyor for inkjet printing of the substrate. The controller expands the retracted actuators of the multiple first actuators to increase the suction length as the substrates exit the vacuum conveyor.

A device for overlapping sheets includes at least one blower box and a supply table. Multiple sheets are guided into a region of the blower box consecutively, in the same transport direction, and are arranged at a distance from one another on the supply table. A blower nozzle is arranged in the blower box, on the side thereof facing the supply table. A blowing direction of the blower nozzle is oriented and parallel to the supply table and against the transport direction of the sheets. The supply table is arranged below the blower box and multiple blower nozzles are arranged in the blower box, one after the other, in the transport direction of the sheets, on the side thereof facing the supply table. A respective blowing direction of the blower nozzles is oriented in parallel to the supply table, and against the transport direction of the sheets.

A transportation device for transferring bristles from one location to another location comprises a tube system and a baffle plate comprising conically shaped vents. The baffle plate is arranged at one end of the tube system in order to stop the movement of the bristles transported inside the tube system using airflow. Such a transportation system may be part of a device for automated production of brushes, in particular toothbrushes. A plurality of bristles can be transferred by such transportation system in order to be arranged in a pre-defined bristle pattern corresponding to a bristle field of a brush, in particular a tooth brush.

A vacuum wheel for transporting a substrate includes a fixed conduit that is connectable to a suction source. A vacuum surface on a circumference of the vacuum wheel includes vacuum openings that are distributed around the circumference, such that rotation of the wheel causes the vacuum openings to successively fluidically connect to the fixed conduit. When suction is applied to the fixed conduit, suction is applied to one or more of the vacuum openings that are currently fluidically connected to the fixed conduit. At least one contact surface on the circumference of the vacuum wheel is adjacent to, and extends outward beyond, the vacuum surface. When suction is applied to the vacuum openings, the substrate is drawn toward the vacuum surface so as to contact the contact surface without contacting the vacuum surface, creating a friction force that enables transport of the substrate when the wheel rotates.

A device for separating printed products out of a stack, the device including a feed device which defines a substantially horizontal plane, a first stop element which is arranged on a mounting support as well as a transfer device which defines a substantially horizontal plane, wherein the feed device moves the stack against the first stop element, wherein the transfer device accepts and transfers the bottommost printed product out of the stack from the feed device, wherein the feed device includes a vacuum conveyor, by means of which the bottom surface of the bottommost printed product is sucked up at least in portions, as well as to a corresponding method.

A sheet conveyance device transports a sheet to a predetermined processing unit, and includes a conveyance belt, a ventilation unit, and a suction unit. The conveyance belt has a first surface and a second surface, and is arranged to be opposed to the processing unit to transport the sheet on the first surface in a predetermined conveyance direction. On an upstream side of the processing unit in the conveyance direction, the ventilation unit blows out wind toward the sheet to adhere the sheet to the first surface of the conveyance belt. The suction unit is arranged to be opposed to the processing unit with the conveyance belt interposed therebetween to generate a negative pressure between the sheet adhered to the first surface by the ventilation unit and the conveyance belt, thereby bringing the sheet into close contact with the first surface of the conveyance belt.

A sheet conveyance device transports a sheet to a predetermined processing unit, and includes a conveyance belt, a ventilation unit, and a suction unit. The conveyance belt has a first surface and a second surface, and is arranged to be opposed to the processing unit to transport the sheet on the first surface in a predetermined conveyance direction. On an upstream side of the processing unit in the conveyance direction, the ventilation unit blows out wind toward the sheet to adhere the sheet to the first surface of the conveyance belt. The suction unit is arranged to be opposed to the processing unit with the conveyance belt interposed therebetween to generate a negative pressure between the sheet adhered to the first surface by the ventilation unit and the conveyance belt, thereby bringing the sheet into close contact with the first surface of the conveyance belt.

A vacuum wheel for transporting a substrate includes a fixed conduit that is connectable to a suction source. A vacuum surface on a circumference of the vacuum wheel includes vacuum openings that are distributed around the circumference, such that rotation of the wheel causes the vacuum openings to successively fluidically connect to the fixed conduit. When suction is applied to the fixed conduit, suction is applied to one or more of the vacuum openings that are currently fluidically connected to the fixed conduit. At least one contact surface on the circumference of the vacuum wheel is adjacent to, and extends outward beyond, the vacuum surface. When suction is applied to the vacuum openings, the substrate is drawn toward the vacuum surface so as to contact the contact surface without contacting the vacuum surface, creating a friction force that enables transport of the substrate when the wheel rotates.