A transport device for a sheet-format substrate has at least one first substrate feed device and has at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one second substrate feed device comprises at least one forward stop and at least one singulating device. At least one substrate guiding device is arranged between the at least one first substrate feed device and the at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one substrate guiding device has at least one directing element. The at least one directing element is mounted such that it is movable or is moved in two different directions independently of one another.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes first and second abutment surfaces in contact a leading edge of a conveyed sheet before the sheet is nipped by a conveyance portion, which nips the sheet while the first and second abutment members are moving from respective standby positions together with first and second rotary members by being pressed by the leading edge. The first and second rotary members are in contact with the sheet being conveyed by the second conveyance portion after the leading edge of the sheet passes through the first abutment surface, the first rotary member, and the second abutment surface, and the second rotary member, and the first and second abutment members move toward standby positions by urging members after a trailing edge of the sheet passing through the first and second rotary members.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes first and second abutment surfaces in contact a leading edge of a conveyed sheet before the sheet is nipped by a conveyance portion, which nips the sheet while the first and second abutment members are moving from respective standby positions together with first and second rotary members by being pressed by the leading edge. The first and second rotary members are in contact with the sheet being conveyed by the second conveyance portion after the leading edge of the sheet passes through the first abutment surface, the first rotary member, and the second abutment surface, and the second rotary member, and the first and second abutment members move toward standby positions by urging members after a trailing edge of the sheet passing through the first and second rotary members.

In order to downsize an overall apparatus without setting the swing angle of a swing member to be unnecessarily large, a pickup roller, which is for feeding a document disposed on a feeding tray, is supported by a pickup arm that is swingable about a rotation shaft. Depending on the rotational direction of the rotation axis, the pickup arm swings between a first position, in which the pickup roller is in contact with the document on the feeding tray, and a second position, in which the pickup roller is above and not in contact with the feeding tray. An arm member is rotated by rotation of the rotation axis after the pickup arm swings to the second position.

A transport device for a sheet-format substrate has at least one first substrate feed device and has at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one second substrate feed device comprises at least one forward stop and at least one singulating device. At least one substrate guiding device is arranged between the at least one first substrate feed device and the at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one substrate guiding device has at least one directing element. The at least one directing element is mounted such that it is movable or is moved in two different directions independently of one another.

A transport device for a sheet-format substrate has at least one first substrate feed device and has at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one second substrate feed device comprises at least one forward stop and at least one singulating device. At least one substrate guiding device is arranged between the at least one first substrate feed device and the at least one second substrate feed device. The at least one substrate guiding device has at least one directing element. The at least one directing element is mounted such that it is movable or is moved in two different directions independently of one another.

A medium regulating component for use in a medium feeding device feeding sheet media accommodated in an accommodating unit, the component for regulating excessive floating of a medium accommodated in the accommodating unit, the component includes: a regulating member protruding in a horizontal direction from an accommodating unit periphery and contacting the floating medium; a holding member holding the regulating member in a non-contact state with the medium; a first rotating shaft rotatably supporting the regulating member relative to the holding member; and a second rotating shaft rotatably supporting the holding member relative to the accommodating unit, in which when the regulating member receives a pressing force from below in a gravitational direction, rotates about the first rotating shaft in a state where movement of the holding member is suppressed, and pushes the holding member to rotate about the second rotating shaft.

A sheet discharge device includes: a sheet discharge portion; a sheet stacking portion having a sheet stacking surface for stacking a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge portion; and a stopper in the sheet stacking portion against which, for alignment, the leading end of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharge portion is thrust. The stopper has a support portion, a restricting portion, and an urging mechanism. The restricting portion is supported pivotally on a pivot shaft on the support portion, and is arranged either in a retracted position to lie flat substantially horizontally along the sheet stacking surface or in a restricting position to stand upright substantially vertically to the sheet stacking surface. The urging mechanism urges the restricting portion, when in retracted position, in a direction from restricting position to retracted position and, when in restricting position, in a direction from retracted position to restricting position.

A turnable sheet stopper blocks and passes a sheet conveyed on a sheet guide, and includes a proximal portion, a distal portion connected to the end of the proximal portion, and a folding mechanism that connects the distal portion to the proximal portion. The sheet stopper transitions between first and second positions. In the second position, the proximal and distal portions integrally turn to the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction to allow the sheet to pass. The sheet stopper transitions from the second position to a third position when a user draws out the sheet from an upstream side. In the third position, the distal portion folds toward the upstream side to allow the sheet to be drawn out. During transition from the second position to the third position, the edge of the distal portion is located on or away from an outer surface of the sheet guide.

A packaging machine having several work stations, a transport chain and a chain deflection pulley on which the transport chain is mounted. The transport chain comprises chain clips, each chain clip having an upper part and a lower part, wherein the upper part and/or the lower part may be moveable relative to each other to move the chain clips between an open position and a closed position. The material blank may be introduced into the open chain clips and secured in the closed chain clips to transport the material blank in a direction of transport using the transport chain. A chain opening mechanism may be actively and operably changed between an opening state and a closing state in order to open and close at least one chain clip disposed on a planar oriented section of the transport chain and/or to maintain an already opened chain clip in an open state.