This hand system comprises: a suction pad that sucks a conductive workpiece by fluid effect; at least three electrodes that are arranged on the suction pad; and an electrical characteristics measuring device that measures the electrical characteristics of an electrical circuit formed by the contact between any two of the electrodes and the workpiece.

Paper physical property detecting device includes a first detector that measures a sheet of paper (hereinafter, merely referred to as a paper) made to stop temporarily on a conveyance path and acquires a first value corresponding to a first physical property, a second detector that measures a paper while conveying the paper on the conveyance path and acquires a second value corresponding to a second physical property with regard to a physical property different from the first physical property; and a corrector that corrects the first value on a basis of the second value and creates post correction data.

A method of transporting a plurality of sheet-like members containing a magnetic material includes a first step of placing one of the members on an endless belt, and a second step of releasing the member from a portion of the endless belt which is moved and folded back along a roller. The endless belt includes a first magnetic force generating portion that generates first magnetic force, and a second magnetic force generating portion that generates second magnetic force that is stronger than the first magnetic force. In the first step, the member is placed on the belt, such that a first portion of the member containing the magnetic material is located in the first magnetic force generating portion, and a second portion of the member containing the magnetic material and located rearward of the first portion in a conveying direction is located in the second magnetic force generating portion.

In some embodiments, apparatus and methods are provided for improved handling of lithography masks including a mask inverter that includes a first contact pad dedicated to inverting masks that have not been cleaned; a second contact pad dedicated to inverting masks that have been cleaned; an actuator coupled to the first and second contact pads and operable to invert the first and second contact pads; and a controller coupled to the actuator and operative to control the actuator. Numerous other aspects are provided.

An adhesive tape for the flying roll change of flat web material wound on rolls has a carrier having a leading side and a trailing side. An optically detectable means and an exposable self-adhesive compound are arranged on the leading side. A cleavable adhesive system is located on the trailing side. An inductively detectable means is arranged in the adhesive tape in a visually inconspicuous manner.

An adhesive tape for the flying roll change of flat web material wound on rolls has a carrier having a leading side and a trailing side. An optically detectable means and an exposable self-adhesive compound are arranged on the leading side. A cleavable adhesive system is located on the trailing side. An inductively detectable means is arranged in the adhesive tape in a visually inconspicuous manner.

A sheet feeder includes a manual feeding tray to stack a sheet, the tray being openable and closable to a main body by rotation about a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction; a sheet width regulating member provided in the manual feeding tray to regulate a side edge of the sheet in a sheet width direction and to have a variable regulating width; an auxiliary tray that does not move with an opening/closing operation of the manual feeding tray and stacks the sheet with the manual feeding tray; a sheet width regulating member provided in the auxiliary tray to regulate the side edge of the sheet and to have a variable regulating width; a link member interlocking the regulating members; and a feeding roller provided in the main body to individually feed the sheet stacked over the manual feeding tray and the auxiliary tray.

A sheet feeder includes a manual feeding tray to stack a sheet, the tray being openable and closable to a main body by rotation about a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction; a sheet width regulating member provided in the manual feeding tray to regulate a side edge of the sheet in a sheet width direction and to have a variable regulating width; an auxiliary tray that does not move with an opening/closing operation of the manual feeding tray and stacks the sheet with the manual feeding tray; a sheet width regulating member provided in the auxiliary tray to regulate the side edge of the sheet and to have a variable regulating width; a link member interlocking the regulating members; and a feeding roller provided in the main body to individually feed the sheet stacked over the manual feeding tray and the auxiliary tray.

A paper conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus are described which can appropriately convey a sheet when the sheet is restarted after forming a loop. The paper conveying apparatus includes a conveying roller pair in the upstream side of a loop roller pair, a stepping motor for rotationally driving the conveying roller pair, and a processor for controlling rotation of the stepping motor by controlling pulse signals and excitation current supplied to the stepping motor. This processor halts rotation of the conveying roller pair by stopping output of the pulse signals when loop formation of the sheet is completed, and switches the excitation current to a lower current value which is lower than a reference current value at which excitation is turned on.

A paper conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus are described which can appropriately convey a sheet when the sheet is restarted after forming a loop. The paper conveying apparatus includes a conveying roller pair in the upstream side of a loop roller pair, a stepping motor for rotationally driving the conveying roller pair, and a processor for controlling rotation of the stepping motor by controlling pulse signals and excitation current supplied to the stepping motor. This processor halts rotation of the conveying roller pair by stopping output of the pulse signals when loop formation of the sheet is completed, and switches the excitation current to a lower current value which is lower than a reference current value at which excitation is turned on.