A center-alignment apparatus for use in an ATM has a transport mechanism to transport a document into the ATM. One or more plates operable in tandem to move the document toward a centerline of a path the document is to travel. Edge-detection sensor(s) on the plate sense an edge of the document when the plate(s) is moved toward the centerline. A translate/rotate mechanism translates and rotates the document while the translate/rotate mechanism transversely moves the document toward the center until another edge-detection sensor detects an edge of the document to create a parallel-aligned document. The control logic controls the plate(s) to centers the parallel-aligned document about the centerline to create a centered document.

A sheet conveying device includes a detector configured to detect an attitude of a conveyance target medium, a corrector configured to perform a correcting operation based on a detection result of the detector, and circuitry configured to calculate an angular displacement correction amount and a lateral displacement correction amount of the conveyance target medium, cause the corrector to perform the correcting operation in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, based on the lateral displacement correction amount, after the corrector grips the conveyance target medium, and cause the corrector to rotate by the angular displacement correction amount of the conveyance target medium before the corrector grips the conveyance target medium and to perform the correcting operation in a direction of rotation of the conveyance target medium, based on the angular displacement correction amount, after the corrector grips the conveyance target medium.

A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus and a post processing device, includes multiple position detectors and a position corrector. The multiple position detectors are aligned along a sheet conveying direction and configured to detect a side end of a sheet. The position corrector is configured to convey the sheet and correct a position of the sheet based on a positional deviation amount of the sheet, obtained by a detection result of the multiple position detectors. The positional deviation amount of the sheet is obtained by an extreme downstream position detector in the sheet conveying direction, of the multiple position detectors. A position of a subsequent sheet is corrected based on a sum of the positional deviation amount of the sheet and a positional deviation amount of the subsequent sheet.

A sheet processing apparatus includes: a processing tray section having a sheet mounting surface on which a transported sheet is mounted and a processing section that performs processing on the sheet; a side edge alignment section that is provided on the processing tray section and aligns a side edge of the sheet; a lower support section that is provided downstream of the processing tray section in a transport direction of the sheet and supports the sheet from below; and a discharge tray located below the lower support section. The side edge alignment section performs a shift operation of shifting the sheet in a shift direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the sheet. The lower support section moves in the shift direction in conjunction with a movement of the sheet in a state of supporting the sheet from below during the shift operation by the side edge alignment section.

A center-alignment apparatus for use in an ATM has a transport mechanism to transport a document into the ATM. One or more plates operable in tandem to move the document toward a centerline of a path the document is to travel. Edge-detection sensor(s) on the plate sense an edge of the document when the plate(s) is moved toward the centerline. A translate/rotate mechanism translates and rotates the document while the translate/rotate mechanism transversely moves the document toward the center until another edge-detection sensor detects an edge of the document to create a parallel-aligned document. The control logic controls the plate(s) to centers the parallel-aligned document about the centerline to create a centered document.

A conveyor comprises a first conveyor roller unit and a side position adjustment mechanism. The side position adjustment mechanism includes a guide member and a position adjustment roller unit. The position adjustment roller unit includes a first position adjustment roller and a second position adjustment roller which holds a sheet-shaped medium with the first position adjustment roller. An angle between a rotational axial line of the first position adjustment roller and a part of a guide face of the guide member which part is on the downstream of an intersection between the rotational axial line of the first position adjustment roller and the guide face is an acute angle. The conveyor further comprises a first support member which supports a first driven roller of the first conveyor roller unit to allow a rotational axial line of the first driven roller to be swingable.

In a method of operating an ink jet card printer, which includes a transport belt, a print unit including an ink jet print head, a sensor and a gantry, a card is loaded onto the transport belt along a processing axis using an exposed surface of the transport belt. The sensor and the ink jet print head are moved relative to the card using the gantry. A current position of the card is detected using the sensor. An image is printed to the card using the ink jet print head when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is supported on the transport belt in a print position. Printing is interrupted when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is not in the print position.

In a method of operating an ink jet card printer, which includes a transport belt, a print unit including an ink jet print head, a sensor and a gantry, a card is loaded onto the transport belt along a processing axis using an exposed surface of the transport belt. The sensor and the ink jet print head are moved relative to the card using the gantry. A current position of the card is detected using the sensor. An image is printed to the card using the ink jet print head when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is supported on the transport belt in a print position. Printing is interrupted when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is not in the print position.

An ink jet card printer includes an ink jet print head, a gantry, and a card feeder. The ink jet print head is configured to perform a print operation on a card supported in a print position along a processing axis. The gantry is configured to move the print head through a print zone. The card feeder includes a feeder frame, a first pinch roller pair, and a lift mechanism. The first pinch roller pair is supported by the feeder frame and is configured to feed individual cards along a card feed axis. The lift mechanism is configured to move the feeder frame and the first pinch roller pair between a lowered position, in which the card feeder is displaced from the print zone, and a raised position, in which at least a portion of the card feeder extends into the print zone.

In a method of operating an ink jet card printer, which includes a transport belt, a print unit including an ink jet print head, a sensor and a gantry, a card is loaded onto the transport belt along a processing axis using an exposed surface of the transport belt. The sensor and the ink jet print head are moved relative to the card using the gantry. A current position of the card is detected using the sensor. An image is printed to the card using the ink jet print head when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is supported on the transport belt in a print position. Printing is interrupted when the detected current position of the card indicates that the card is not in the print position.