A paper transport device includes a transport mechanism that transports paper to which an image is transferred to a fixing device while sucking the paper and a switching mechanism that switches between suction regions in a width direction of the transport mechanism, which corresponds to a width direction of the paper, according to a size of the paper.

A printing system includes a driving belt configured to drive media through the printing system relative to one or more print heads and a vacuum conveyor system. The vacuum conveyor system includes a vacuum chamber cover having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, as well as a plurality of slots through the cover that form openings from the first surface to the second surface. A seal, disposed within and extending along at least a portion of a length of a respective slot, is drivable to open or close the respective slot. A vacuum chamber below the second surface of the vacuum chamber cover is configured to apply a vacuum to the media through the plurality of slots. The applied vacuum constrains the media on the driving belt by flattening it against the driving belt.

A plate handling system (500, 600) for transporting printing plates between workstations in a process workflow. A plurality of vacuum gripper end effectors (512) configured to grip the printing plates are mounted to a computer-controlled transporter (514) configured to translate in at least three orthogonal directions and to rotate about at least one rotational axis. At least one sensor (560) detects orientation of the plate relative to a staging location and a controller (630) causes the transporter to move based upon programmed instructions in accordance with information provided by the sensor. A mobile preparation table (1000) may be provided in the staging location. A thickness measurement system (1090) may be included in some embodiments.

An image formation device includes: a registration roller pair configured to shift sheet in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction of a sheet feeding direction while holding the sheet; a feeding section provided upstream of the registration roller pair in the first direction and including a feeding belt configured to convey the sheet to the registration roller pair; a first air adjustment section configured to perform air suction or blowing for the sheet conveyed by the feeding belt; and a control section configured to switch between a first operation of controlling, when the sheet is conveyed by the feeding belt, the first air adjustment section to suck the sheet with air and a second operation of controlling, when the sheet is swung by the registration roller pair, the first air adjustment section to blow air on the sheet.

A vacuum belt moves between a print head and a manifold. The manifold has manifold chambers, and each of the manifold chambers has manifold openings. Vacuum lines are connected to the manifold chambers. The vacuum lines exert vacuum force upon the manifold chambers, and the manifold openings exert the vacuum force through belt perforations. A cylindrical valve structure is connected to the vacuum lines. The cylindrical valve structure includes a cylindrical sleeve (having sleeve openings connected to the vacuum lines) and an internal valve cylinder positioned within the cylindrical sleeve. The internal valve cylinder has groups of vacuum slots. The internal valve cylinder moves linearly within the cylindrical sleeve (in directions parallel to cylindrical walls of the cylindrical sleeve) to align only one of the groups of vacuum slots with the sleeve openings at a time, so as to control which of the manifold chambers receive the vacuum draw.

An image forming apparatus, comprising: a housing having a sheet discharge tray, a first opening, and a second opening disposed on an upper side of the first opening; an image forming unit; a sheet discharge path communicating with the first opening; a re-conveying path communicating with the second opening; and a swinging member having a first surface facing the first opening and a second surface, wherein the swinging member has a first end area swingably supported by the housing, a second end area, and a rib; the swinging member is disposed to be movable between a first position and a second position at which the second end area gets higher; and the rib is formed on the second surface opposing the first surface facing the sheet discharge tray in a state where the swinging member is disposed at the second position.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a rotary drive member configured to rotate by receiving transmission of driving force from a driving source, a driven rotary member arranged with a predetermined distance in a sheet conveyance direction from the rotary drive member, an endless belt member supported on the rotary drive member and the driven rotary member, and configured to be rotated by a rotation of the rotary drive member, and a guide member configured to guide a sheet conveyed by the belt member. The guide member is mounted to a shaft configured to support the rotary drive member, and the rotary drive member is supported on the shaft in a rotatable manner with respect to the shaft.

Belt conveyor system comprising: an endless mesh belt, the belt having a mesh structure and having edge areas at the lateral sides, a drive mechanism drivable by a drive motor to rotate the belt, and a steering roller for steering the lateral position of the belt, wherein an edge area comprises a band running substantially parallel to the lateral sides, the band comprising an elastic filler being provided inside the mesh structure, the elastic filler being discernible from the mesh structure, and wherein the belt conveyor system further comprises a band position detector for detecting the lateral position of the band.

A sheet conveying system includes an upstream conveyor section having an endless first conveyor belt movable in a first conveying direction x and extending in a first lateral direction z, the first conveying direction x and the first lateral direction z defining a first conveying plane xz; and a downstream conveyor section having an endless second conveyor belt that adjoins the first conveyor belt and is movable in a second conveying direction x′ and extends in a second lateral direction z′, the second conveying direction x′ and the second lateral direction z′ defining a second conveying plane x′z′. The conveyor sections are adapted to hold the sheets slip-free on the first and second conveyor belts. The second conveyor belt has a shear compliance in the second conveying plane x′z′ that is larger than the shear compliance of the first conveyor belt in the first conveying plane xz.

A transport device transports an individualized sheet-shaped workpiece. The transport device includes: an annular transport belt having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface and having a plurality of suction holes extending between the first surface and the second surface; first and second decompression chambers arranged along a moving direction of the transport belt; and a vacuum degree adjusting mechanism provided in the first decompression chamber and adjusting a vacuum degree in the first decompression chamber. The first and second decompression chambers each abut against the second surface, and each suction the workpiece through at least one of the plurality of suction holes toward the first surface such that the transport belt is capable of transporting the workpiece in the moving direction in a suspended state from the first surface.