In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a sheet material dispenser. The dispenser can include support for supporting a supply of the sheet material, and a feed roller arranged along a feed path of the sheet material downstream from the supply of sheet material that is operable to pull the sheet material from the supply of sheet material for feeding thereof. Additionally, the dispenser can include a controller that is in communication with the feed roller and includes programming for monitoring rotation of the feed roller during a dispensing cycle for feeding a selected length of the sheet material from the supply of sheet material. A material supply monitoring system further can be in communication with the controller, and operative to detect a number of rotations or an angle of rotation of the supply sheet material during at least a series of dispensing cycles.

Sheet product dispensers and methods are provided. A sheet product dispenser includes a loading station for sheet material, a sheet feeding mechanism configured to feed the sheet material, a presentation station for presenting one or more discrete sheet products to an end user, a sensor downstream of the feeding mechanism and upstream of the presentation station configured to detect a presence of the discrete sheet products, and a controller configured to facilitate dispensing of the one or more discrete sheet products in response to a signal, and to determine and store data associated with the dispensing of the sheet products.

Sheet product dispensers and methods are provided. A sheet product dispenser includes a loading station for sheet material, a sheet feeding mechanism configured to feed the sheet material, a presentation station for presenting one or more discrete sheet products to an end user, a sensor downstream of the feeding mechanism and upstream of the presentation station configured to detect a presence of the discrete sheet products, and a controller configured to facilitate dispensing of the one or more discrete sheet products in response to a signal, and to determine and store data associated with the dispensing of the sheet products.

A printing apparatus 10 includes support member 12 that supports a core body Ra of a roll medium R, a transport mechanism 17 that transports the print medium S drawn out from the roll medium R, a first accommodation sidewall 27 and a second accommodation sidewall 28 arranged in a width direction, a print head 22, and a trailing edge detection section 60 that detects that all of the print medium S that is drawable out from the roll medium R has been drawn out by the transport mechanism 17, wherein the first accommodation sidewall 27 has groove 50, and the roll medium R is accommodated in an accommodation section 11 by engaging the support member 12 with the groove 50 and the trailing edge detection section 60 detects that the support member 12 is separated from an engagement surface 52 of the groove 50.

An assembly for feeding backing ribbon for adhesive labels for labeling products to be labeled, comprising a splicing device and at least two supporting elements for the backing ribbon, the splicing device being intended to perform on command the splice between a first splicing region, formed on a first backing ribbon being unwound from a first supporting element, and a second splicing region, formed on a second backing ribbon wound on a second supporting element, the first backing ribbon supporting a plurality of adhesive labels which are arranged, mutually spaced, on the face directed toward the second splicing region; the first backing ribbon having, when associated with the respective first supporting element, at least one portion that is free from self-adhesive labels and forms the first splicing region; the portion is located substantially at the end of the first backing ribbon that is associated with the first supporting element.

Provided is a sheet material end detection mechanism including: a sheet material information part indicating information on a sheet material wound around a core member in which a through hole is formed; a reader configured to optically read the sheet material information part; and a detection unit configured to detect that the sheet material is used up. The sheet material information part extends from a portion corresponding to the through hole at an end of the sheet material wound around the core member to a portion adjacent to the through hole on an inner surface of the core member. The detection unit detects that the sheet material is present when a read signal of the sheet material information part read by the reader is received and that the sheet material is used up when the read signal disappears.

Provided is a sheet material end detection mechanism including: a sheet material information part indicating information on a sheet material wound around a core member in which a through hole is formed; a reader configured to optically read the sheet material information part; and a detection unit configured to detect that the sheet material is used up. The sheet material information part extends from a portion corresponding to the through hole at an end of the sheet material wound around the core member to a portion adjacent to the through hole on an inner surface of the core member. The detection unit detects that the sheet material is present when a read signal of the sheet material information part read by the reader is received and that the sheet material is used up when the read signal disappears.

Sheet product dispensers and methods are provided. A sheet product dispenser includes a loading station for sheet material, a sheet feeding mechanism configured to feed the sheet material, a presentation station for presenting one or more discrete sheet products to an end user, a sensor downstream of the feeding mechanism and upstream of the presentation station configured to detect a presence of the discrete sheet products, and a controller configured to facilitate dispensing of the one or more discrete sheet products in response to a signal, and to determine and store data associated with the dispensing of the sheet products.

Sheet product dispensers and methods are provided. A sheet product dispenser includes a loading station for sheet material, a sheet feeding mechanism configured to feed the sheet material, a presentation station for presenting one or more discrete sheet products to an end user, a sensor downstream of the feeding mechanism and upstream of the presentation station configured to detect a presence of the discrete sheet products, and a controller configured to facilitate dispensing of the one or more discrete sheet products in response to a signal, and to determine and store data associated with the dispensing of the sheet products.

A system and control method are provided for determining an amount of a product dispensed from or added to a product formation. At defined intervals, a mark is projected with a light source imager onto an aspect of the product formation that changes as the amount of product is depleted or added to the product formation. A digital image is taken of the aspect of the product formation that captures the projected mark and is transmitted to a digital imager processor, wherein a feature of the projected mark is analyzed that changes as the product formation decreases or increases in size as the product is dispensed or added. The analyzed feature is compared with a predetermined value of the feature at a predefined size of the product formation to determine an actual amount of the product on the product formation, or amount of product depleted from or added to the product formation.