In order to increase a stored amount of cards in a card handling apparatus that discharges cards stored in the card cassettes one by one, the card handling apparatus is provided with two card cassettes. A first card cassette and a second card cassette are arranged along a conveying path for the card, and when all cards stored in the first card cassette is discharged, the card is discharged from the second card cassette. The first card cassette has a gate for allowing the card discharged from the second card cassette to enter on a back surface. The card discharged from the second card cassette enters the first card cassette from the gate, passing the inside and being discharged from a discharge port of the first card cassette.

In order to increase a stored amount of cards in a card handling apparatus that discharges cards stored in the card cassettes one by one, the card handling apparatus is provided with two card cassettes. A first card cassette and a second card cassette are arranged along a conveying path for the card, and when all cards stored in the first card cassette is discharged, the card is discharged from the second card cassette. The first card cassette has a gate for allowing the card discharged from the second card cassette to enter on a back surface. The card discharged from the second card cassette enters the first card cassette from the gate, passing the inside and being discharged from a discharge port of the first card cassette.

A method comprises obtaining a training dataset, the training dataset comprising sheet passage interval information associated with conveyance of a plurality of sheets in a sheet conveyance path of a training sheet processing apparatus, at least a portion of the sheets of the plurality of sheets having a known sheet classification of a set of sheet classifications; obtaining sheet timing data associated with the classifying, the sheet timing data comprising sheet passage interval information associated with conveyance of a predetermined number of sheets in the sheet conveyance path of a deployed sheet processing apparatus; classifying, using a machine learning model and the training dataset and the sheet timing data, for each interval window of a plurality of different interval windows, a predetermined number of sheets in a sheet conveyance path of a deployed sheet processing apparatus as a particular classification of the set of sheet classifications; and adjusting, based on the classifying, one or more operational parameters of a deployed sheet processing apparatus.

A method comprises obtaining a training dataset, the training dataset comprising sheet passage interval information associated with conveyance of a plurality of sheets in a sheet conveyance path of a training sheet processing apparatus, at least a portion of the sheets of the plurality of sheets having a known sheet classification of a set of sheet classifications; obtaining sheet timing data associated with the classifying, the sheet timing data comprising sheet passage interval information associated with conveyance of a predetermined number of sheets in the sheet conveyance path of a deployed sheet processing apparatus; classifying, using a machine learning model and the training dataset and the sheet timing data, for each interval window of a plurality of different interval windows, a predetermined number of sheets in a sheet conveyance path of a deployed sheet processing apparatus as a particular classification of the set of sheet classifications; and adjusting, based on the classifying, one or more operational parameters of a deployed sheet processing apparatus.

A vacuum belt conveyor sequentially delivers sheet articles to a digital printer. The sheets are held in position by vacuum on the underside of the sheets through apertures in the belt and covered by the sheets. A plurality of independent plenums on the underside of the belt have chambers respectively communicating with rows of apertures extending along the belt. Vacuum is selectively applied from a manifold only to the plenum chambers that supply apertures that are covered by the sheets so that the ink from the printer will not be directed from its intended position on the sheet by vacuum from adjacent uncovered belt apertures.

Machine for feeding flatwork articles to an ironer-dryer machine, the machine including loading posts (1) with a load conveyor (2) for loading flatwork articles (53); one pair of transferring grippers (6) at each loading post (1), two or more spreading grippers (7) at a pickup station movable along one transverse guide (8); an outgoing feed conveyor (9) to transfer the flatwork article (53); and a vacuum chamber (44) below the spreading grippers (7) and below conveyor (9). The spreading grippers (7) are independent of each other, to spread a flatwork article (53) at several different zones with regard to the conveyor (9), operative in one or more lanes. A suction entrance (45) of vacuum chamber (44) has associated movable separating blades (59) temporally preventing insertion of a spread flatwork article (53) into vacuum chamber (44) and a controller coordinates the movements of the transferring grippers (6), spreading grippers (7) and separating blades (59).

Machine for feeding flatwork articles to an ironer-dryer machine, the machine including loading posts (1) with a load conveyor (2) for loading flatwork articles (53); one pair of transferring grippers (6) at each loading post (1), two or more spreading grippers (7) at a pickup station movable along one transverse guide (8); an outgoing feed conveyor (9) to transfer the flatwork article (53); and a vacuum chamber (44) below the spreading grippers (7) and below conveyor (9). The spreading grippers (7) are independent of each other, to spread a flatwork article (53) at several different zones with regard to the conveyor (9), operative in one or more lanes. A suction entrance (45) of vacuum chamber (44) has associated movable separating blades (59) temporally preventing insertion of a spread flatwork article (53) into vacuum chamber (44) and a controller coordinates the movements of the transferring grippers (6), spreading grippers (7) and separating blades (59).

A sheet processing apparatus for processing sheets each with a wireless tag, includes a roller, a wireless tag reader/writer, and a controller configured to control the roller to convey a first sheet with a first tag along a path, control the reader/writer to acquire first strengths of radio signals received from the first tag during the conveyance and second strengths of radio signals received from wireless tags of sheets not being conveyed, determine a threshold value of signal strength for distinguishing a wireless tag being conveyed from wireless tags not being conveyed based on the first and second strengths, and control the roller to convey a second sheet with a second tag and control the reader/writer to write to the second tag when a strength of a radio signal from the second tag is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a tray on which a sheet is to be placed, a feeding roller, a separating portion that forms a separation nip to separate sheets, a rotating member provided between the feeding position and the separation nip in a sheet conveying direction, a first detecting sensor, a second detecting sensor, a driving source, and a control portion. The rotating member rotates by being pushed by a leading end of the sheet. The control portion detects a position of a trailing end of a preceding sheet separated by the separating portion by using the second detecting sensor, and detects presence or absence of a subsequent sheet placed on the tray by using the first detecting sensor. Based on detection results of the first detecting sensor and second detecting sensor, the control portion controls the driving source such that the feeding roller starts to feed the subsequent sheet.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet loading portion which is capable of elevating operation and on which a sheet is loaded, a feeding member for feeding the sheet loaded on the sheet loading portion, the feeding member being capable of elevating movement between a contacting position in contact with the sheet and a distanced position distanced upward from the sheet, and a control portion that controls the elevating operation of the sheet loading portion and the elevating movement of the feeding member. When the feeding member at the contacting position moves to the distanced position, the feeding member is distanced upward from the sheet loaded on the sheet loading portion after the sheet loading portion starts a descending operation.