An apparatus for separating battery plates includes a work surface for receiving a stack of battery plates, and an alignment mechanism for aligning the battery plates on the work surface. The work surface is movable between a first position in which it is angled with respect to a horizontal plane and a second position in which it is substantially aligned with the horizontal plane. When the work surface moves between the first and second position adjacent battery plates of the stack are displaced relative to each other.

A post-processing apparatus includes a paper alignment tray including a loading table on which a paper is to be loaded, and a side guide and an end guide to align a side in a width direction and an end in a longitudinal direction of the paper stack, respectively, a first binder including a binding unit to bind the paper stack on the paper alignment tray in a stapleless manner, the first binder displaceable to a binding location to bind the paper stack and to a separation location to separate the binding unit from the paper stack, and a controller to move the paper stack relative to the binding unit while displacing the first binder from the binding location to the separation location.

A depalletizing machine for picking up and moving groups of articles, specifically bundles of blanks, includes a containing structure internally provided with at least one receiving area for a movable magazine containing one or more groups of articles. The machine also includes at least one access opening for allowing the magazine to be inserted into, or removed from, the receiving area. The machine also includes a collection zone configured for receiving a succession of groups of articles from the movable magazine and for moving the groups of articles towards the outside of the machine. The machine also includes at least one sensor configured for detecting a position of the movable magazine within the at least one receiving area and a pickup head configured to pick up groups of articles from the movable magazine and transferring them into the collection zone. The machine also includes a control unit configured for setting a predetermined law of motion for the pickup head as a function of at least one information item obtained from the sensor, regarding the position of the movable magazine.

A medium discharging apparatus includes a first tray in which a medium is received and placed, a second tray in which the medium discharged from the first tray is received, a discharging mechanism, a curl suppressing member, a link mechanism, a movement mechanism and a cam mechanism. The discharging mechanism discharges the medium from the first tray toward the second tray. The curl suppressing member suppresses curling of the medium discharged from the first tray to the second tray by the discharging mechanism. The curl suppressing member is provided in the link mechanism. The movement mechanism is configured to move the link mechanism and the curl suppressing member in both the discharge direction and a return direction opposite to the discharge direction. The cam mechanism guides movement of the link mechanism.

A medium discharging apparatus includes a first tray in which a medium is received and placed, a second tray in which the medium discharged from the first tray is received, a discharging mechanism, a curl suppressing member, a link mechanism, a movement mechanism and a cam mechanism. The discharging mechanism discharges the medium from the first tray toward the second tray. The curl suppressing member suppresses curling of the medium discharged from the first tray to the second tray by the discharging mechanism. The curl suppressing member is provided in the link mechanism. The movement mechanism is configured to move the link mechanism and the curl suppressing member in both the discharge direction and a return direction opposite to the discharge direction. The cam mechanism guides movement of the link mechanism.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet, a stacking portion on which the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit is stacked, a first regulation member configured to regulate a position of an edge portion, in a conveyance direction, of the sheet stacked on the stacking portion, a second regulation member configured to regulate a position of an edge portion, in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, of the sheet stacked on the stacking portion, a binding unit supported movably in the conveyance direction and configured to perform a binding process of binding the sheet stacked on the stacking portion, and a moving unit configured to move the second regulation member in the conveyance direction accompanied with a movement, in the conveyance direction, of the binding unit.

According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing device includes a first tray to receive sheets from an image forming unit, a second tray to receive sheets from the first tray, and a third tray to receive sheets from the second tray. The third tray is movable relative to the second tray. A bundle claw is configured to move sheets in a first direction from the second tray to the third tray. A controller is configured to move the third tray relative to the second tray according to the sheets on the second tray. Depending on various characteristics of the sheets on the second tray or the presence of sheets already on the third tray, the position of the third tray may be changed to reduce possible misalignments of sheets in the transfer from the second to third tray.

A medium discharging device includes a first tray, a second tray receiving a medium from the first tray, a supporter which is configured to be displaced from a retreat position in the first tray and an advance position above the second tray and which supports the medium, an aligner which is provided in the supporter and that aligns a first end portion which is an upstream end portion in a discharge direction of the medium supported by the supporter, to be displaced together with the supporter, and a restrictor configured to be displaced between a restriction position where an upstream movement of the first end portion of the medium in a position of the aligner in the discharge direction and a non-restriction position where the movement is not restricted, when the supporter is in the advance position.

A post-processing apparatus includes: a processing unit configured to pull in a recording medium transported from an upstream apparatus and perform processing on the recording medium; a discharge unit to which the recording medium processed by the processing unit is discharged; and a lifting drive device configured to, in a case where a folded recording medium is pulled into the processing unit, move the discharge unit downward such that a height of the discharge unit is lower than a height of the discharge unit in a case where an unfolded recording medium is pulled into the processing unit.

A method moves a stack of products by a robot. The robot has an articulated arm and at least one gripper disposed on the articulated arm to grip the stack of printed products and the stack of products selectively being turned. The method includes pivoting the stack of products through an effective angle α1< >180° and subsequently pivoting the stack through an effective angle α2=180°−α1 or pivoting the stack back through an effective angle α2=−α1. This method of moving stacks of products is performed in an automated way and in particular of depositing them in a turned or unturned arrangement.