A gripper assembly for recovering a layout (22) from a sheet material (12) is presented. It comprises a vacuum gripper (26) with a gripper body (32) on which an array of air flow openings (34a, 34b) is arranged. Air flow openings (34a) associated with one or more blanks (20) of the layout (22) are selectively open and air flow openings (34b) associated to waste (28) of the sheet material (12) are selectively closed. Additionally, an apparatus for recovering a layout (22) from a sheet material (12) comprising such a gripper assembly is described. Furthermore, a method for separating a layout (22) from waste (28) of a sheet material (12) is explained.

A gripper assembly for recovering a layout (22) from a sheet material (12) is presented. It comprises a vacuum gripper (26) with a gripper body (32) on which an array of air flow openings (34a, 34b) is arranged. Air flow openings (34a) associated with one or more blanks (20) of the layout (22) are selectively open and air flow openings (34b) associated to waste (28) of the sheet material (12) are selectively closed. Additionally, an apparatus for recovering a layout (22) from a sheet material (12) comprising such a gripper assembly is described. Furthermore, a method for separating a layout (22) from waste (28) of a sheet material (12) is explained.

Described herein is a conveyor belt including: —a support structure; —a mobile belt; —a plurality of rollers, which are associated to the support structure and are suitable to support and move the belt along a closed path. Said plurality of rollers includes a drive roller and at least three idler rollers. Two rollers are supported directly by the support structure, while two rollers are supported by a mobile frame, which is slidingly associated to the support structure to be moved between a retracted position, in which a roller arranged at the second end is positioned completely inside said support structure, and an extracted position, in which said roller protrudes outside the support structure. In the transition between the two positions, the length of the useful conveyor area of the belt varies and is compensated by an equivalent variation in length of another portion of the closed path.

Described herein is a conveyor belt including: —a support structure; —a mobile belt; —a plurality of rollers, which are associated to the support structure and are suitable to support and move the belt along a closed path. Said plurality of rollers includes a drive roller and at least three idler rollers. Two rollers are supported directly by the support structure, while two rollers are supported by a mobile frame, which is slidingly associated to the support structure to be moved between a retracted position, in which a roller arranged at the second end is positioned completely inside said support structure, and an extracted position, in which said roller protrudes outside the support structure. In the transition between the two positions, the length of the useful conveyor area of the belt varies and is compensated by an equivalent variation in length of another portion of the closed path.

A stacker includes a medium stacking portion for receiving and stacking a medium processed and discharged by a processing unit, a medium butting portion for aligning the medium by contacting a leading end of the medium, and a paddle that includes a feeding portion and is for transporting the medium received by the medium stacking portion in a direction toward the medium butting portion by rotating. Furthermore, the stacker has a first mode in which the paddle stops in a state in which the feeding portion does not contact the medium on the medium stacking portion and a second mode in which the paddle stops in a state in which the feeding portion comes into contact with the medium on the medium stacking portion and is deformed.

A stacker includes a medium stacking portion for receiving and stacking a medium processed and discharged by a processing unit, a medium butting portion for aligning the medium by contacting a leading end of the medium, and a paddle that includes a feeding portion and is for transporting the medium received by the medium stacking portion in a direction toward the medium butting portion by rotating. Furthermore, the stacker has a first mode in which the paddle stops in a state in which the feeding portion does not contact the medium on the medium stacking portion and a second mode in which the paddle stops in a state in which the feeding portion comes into contact with the medium on the medium stacking portion and is deformed.

A sheet transport device includes a loading unit at which a sheet to be conveyed is loaded, a transport unit configured to impart to the sheet loaded at a sheet loading surface of the loading unit a transport force for transporting the sheet toward an alignment unit, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the transport force. The adjustment unit includes a movable loading unit formed so that at least part of the sheet loading surface is configured to protrude toward the transport unit and a driving unit configured to displace the movable loading unit in a protruding direction and a retracting direction.

A sheet transport device includes a loading unit at which a sheet to be conveyed is loaded, a transport unit configured to impart to the sheet loaded at a sheet loading surface of the loading unit a transport force for transporting the sheet toward an alignment unit, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the transport force. The adjustment unit includes a movable loading unit formed so that at least part of the sheet loading surface is configured to protrude toward the transport unit and a driving unit configured to displace the movable loading unit in a protruding direction and a retracting direction.

According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing apparatus includes a guide member, a matching member, a post-processing mechanism, a support member, and a drive unit. The guide member has a loading surface on which a sheet is loaded in a standing state. The matching member supports a lower end of the sheet loaded on the guide member in a free raising and lowering manner. The post-processing mechanism performs post-processing on the sheet. The support member supports the matching member. The drive unit raises and lowers the support member. The matching member is configured to be raised and lowered with respect to the support member.

According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing apparatus includes a guide member, a matching member, a post-processing mechanism, a support member, and a drive unit. The guide member has a loading surface on which a sheet is loaded in a standing state. The matching member supports a lower end of the sheet loaded on the guide member in a free raising and lowering manner. The post-processing mechanism performs post-processing on the sheet. The support member supports the matching member. The drive unit raises and lowers the support member. The matching member is configured to be raised and lowered with respect to the support member.