A dispenser, apparatus, system and method for automatically dispensing portable or sterile items from a continuous length of packages of items ideally packaged as a stack, including a support shaped and configured to support the stack, a feed mechanism arranged in flow communication relative to the support for feeding the stack towards a dispensing point, a separation means extending from the feed mechanism, shaped and configured for separating an item from the stack at the dispensing point, an electric motor configured to drive the feed mechanism; and a sensor shaped and configured to detect a dispensing parameter, wherein in use, the dispenser is activated by a user providing the dispensing parameter to the sensor thereby activating the feed mechanism to automatically feed the stack towards the dispensing point such that the separation means separates the item from stack thereby allowing for the item to be dispensed.

A medium discharge device includes a discharge roller pair that is provided with a discharge driving roller and a discharge driven roller which drivably rotates in contact with the discharge driving roller, and a medium receiving tray which receives the medium that is fed and discharged by the discharge roller pair, in which the medium receiving tray includes a guide member which guides such that a tip end of the medium which is discharged from the discharge roller pair enters the medium mounting surface at a predetermined angle, and the guide member is provided to be elastically displaceable in an advancing and retreating direction with respect to the medium mounting surface of the medium receiving tray and is displaced in a direction coming close to the medium mounting surface according to raising of a pressing load due to the medium that is discharged to the medium receiving tray.

A medium discharge device includes a discharge roller pair that is provided with a discharge driving roller and a discharge driven roller which drivably rotates in contact with the discharge driving roller, and a medium receiving tray which receives the medium that is fed and discharged by the discharge roller pair, in which the medium receiving tray includes a guide member which guides such that a tip end of the medium which is discharged from the discharge roller pair enters the medium mounting surface at a predetermined angle, and the guide member is provided to be elastically displaceable in an advancing and retreating direction with respect to the medium mounting surface of the medium receiving tray and is displaced in a direction coming close to the medium mounting surface according to raising of a pressing load due to the medium that is discharged to the medium receiving tray.

An agitator for agitating sheets of material passing through a sheet transport device that has upper and lower guide sections defining a sheet transport path therebetween. The agitator includes first and second sets of rollers each having a roller axis of rotation and a width, and the rollers are mounted to at least one holder such that the axes of rotation of the rollers are radially spaced from a line and such that rotating the at least one holder around the line causes the rollers to orbit around the line. At least one support supports the holder for rotation around the line, and the set of first rollers is spaced from the set of second rollers in the direction of the line by a distance greater than the width of the rollers. Also a sheet transport device including the agitator.

A layboy includes an upper belt section with a plurality of transversely spaced upper belts that extend in a longitudinal direction such that bottom portions of the upper belts lie in a first plane that defines an upper boundary of a transport path through the layboy and a lower belt section having a plurality of transversely spaced lower belts that extend in the longitudinal direction such that top portions of the lower belts lie in a second plane that defines an upper boundary of the transport path. The bottom portion of one of the top belts and/or the top portion of one of the bottom belts extends away from the transport path to define a gap in the transport path at which scrap moving through the layboy can fall out of the transport path.

A layboy includes an upper belt section with a plurality of transversely spaced upper belts that extend in a longitudinal direction such that bottom portions of the upper belts lie in a first plane that defines an upper boundary of a transport path through the layboy and a lower belt section having a plurality of transversely spaced lower belts that extend in the longitudinal direction such that top portions of the lower belts lie in a second plane that defines an upper boundary of the transport path. The bottom portion of one of the top belts and/or the top portion of one of the bottom belts extends away from the transport path to define a gap in the transport path at which scrap moving through the layboy can fall out of the transport path.

Provided is an image forming apparatus that together with being able to suppress rotation unevenness is capable of preventing unexpected downtime due to a broken belt. A guide member guides the swing of a swing gear on an arc that connects a first position where the swing gear is engaged with an idle gear, and a second position where the swing gear is not engaged with the idle gear. A transmission cutoff mechanism cuts off transmission of a drive force transmitted to a driven pulley via a belt to a driven shaft when a motor rotates in the reverse direction. A control unit, in a case where rotation unevenness meets a condition, causes the swing gear to swing to the first position by reverse rotation of the motor, which causes the drive force to be transmitted to the driven shaft.

Provided is an image forming apparatus that together with being able to suppress rotation unevenness is capable of preventing unexpected downtime due to a broken belt. A guide member guides the swing of a swing gear on an arc that connects a first position where the swing gear is engaged with an idle gear, and a second position where the swing gear is not engaged with the idle gear. A transmission cutoff mechanism cuts off transmission of a drive force transmitted to a driven pulley via a belt to a driven shaft when a motor rotates in the reverse direction. A control unit, in a case where rotation unevenness meets a condition, causes the swing gear to swing to the first position by reverse rotation of the motor, which causes the drive force to be transmitted to the driven shaft.

A medium ejection apparatus includes an ejection tray having a first stacking surface, and an extension tray rotatably attached to an end part of the ejection tray at a downstream side in a medium ejection direction, and having a second stacking surface. An end part of the ejection tray at the downstream side is provided with a first abutting part and a second abutting part. An end part of the extension tray at the ejection tray side is provided with a first abutted part and a second abutted part. The second stacking surface is located forming a first angle with respect to the first stacking surface by the first abutted part abutting against the first abutting part. The second stacking surface is located forming a second angle, different from the first angle, with respect to the first stacking surface by the second abutted part abutting against the first abutting part.

A card processing device may include a print unit and a card inverting unit that inverts front/rear of the card. The print unit may include a thermal head and a card conveyance mechanism. The card inverting unit may include a card holding part, a card drawing and feeding mechanism, and a rotating mechanism that rotates the card holding part. A conveyance path may be provided inside the card holding part. The conveyance path may be linear. The card drawing and feeding mechanism may include two drive rollers, and two pad rollers. A distance between a center of the drive roller and a center of the thermal head may be shorter than a length of the card. The thermal head may print on the card while the card conveyance mechanism conveys the card. The rotating mechanism may rotate the card holding part such that the conveyance path is inclined.