A sheet feed cassette monitor includes an actuator with another end portion, a detecting circuit, a plurality of protrusions, a signal monitoring circuit, and a signal determining circuit. When the one end portion is in contact with a paper sheet, the other end portion swings in a first direction. When the one end portion is not in contact with the paper sheet, the other end portion swings in a second direction opposite direction to the first direction. The detecting circuit detects the swinging of the other end portion on the actuator. The plurality of protrusions are convexly installed in an asymmetric manner with respect to a putting-in/taking-out direction of the feed cassette. The signal determining circuit determines a presence/absence state of the paper sheet housed in the sheet feed cassette and an open/close state of the sheet feed cassette based on a pattern of change in the monitored signal.

In one example a bend sensor is disclosed. The bend sensor extends into a media tray. The bend sensor has a tip where a deflection amount of the tip indicates a media parameter.

In one example a bend sensor is disclosed. The bend sensor extends into a media tray. The bend sensor has a tip where a deflection amount of the tip indicates a media parameter.

The invention relates to a reel-up (2) for receiving and winding into a roll (3) a paper web (W) that arrives from a drying cylinder (17) in a paper making machine (1). The reel-up (2) comprises a rotatably mounted reel spool (4) onto which a paper web (W) can be wound to create a paper roll (3) of increasing diameter and an endless flexible belt (5) mounted for rotation along a predetermined path of travel such that the flexible belt (5) forms a loop. The flexible belt (5) is positioned adjacent to the reel spool (4) to engage the paper web (W) against the reel spool (4) during winding such that the flexible belt (5) is deflected from the predetermined path of travel. According to the invention, the endless flexible belt (5) comprises electrically conductive material such that static electricity in the flexible belt (5) is dissipated away from the flexible belt (5). The invention also relates to a paper making machine in which the inventive reel-up is used and to a method of winding a paper web.

A sheet feeding device (4) includes a placing plate (34) on which a sheet is placed; a pickup roller (71) which feeds the sheet to a conveying path (25); a lift member (36) which is turned around a rotating shaft (46) to elevate the placing plate (34) and to make an downstream side end portion of an uppermost sheet in a conveying direction come into contact with the pickup roller (71); a drive unit (37) which rotates the rotating shaft (46); a variable resistor (54) which changes an electric resistance value depending on a rotating angle of the rotating shaft (46); and a control part (77) which calculates the rotating angle of the rotating shaft (46) using the electric resistance value measured by the variable resistor (54) and detects an amount of the sheets based on the calculated rotating angle.

A sheet feeding device (4) includes a placing plate (34) on which a sheet is placed; a pickup roller (71) which feeds the sheet to a conveying path (25); a lift member (36) which is turned around a rotating shaft (46) to elevate the placing plate (34) and to make an downstream side end portion of an uppermost sheet in a conveying direction come into contact with the pickup roller (71); a drive unit (37) which rotates the rotating shaft (46); a variable resistor (54) which changes an electric resistance value depending on a rotating angle of the rotating shaft (46); and a control part (77) which calculates the rotating angle of the rotating shaft (46) using the electric resistance value measured by the variable resistor (54) and detects an amount of the sheets based on the calculated rotating angle.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a feeding unit configured to feed a sheet member; a conveying roller that is provided downstream of the feeding unit in a conveying direction, and that is configured to convey the sheet member fed by the feeding unit downstream in the conveying direction; a motor configured to drive the conveying roller. In a state where the conveying roller is conveying a first sheet member that was fed by the feeding unit, if a value of a torque current component of a drive current flowing in a winding of the motor changes from a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value to a value less than the predetermined value, the feeding unit starts feeding of a second sheet member that is to be fed after the first sheet member.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a feeding unit configured to feed a sheet member; a conveying roller that is provided downstream of the feeding unit in a conveying direction, and that is configured to convey the sheet member fed by the feeding unit downstream in the conveying direction; a motor configured to drive the conveying roller. In a state where the conveying roller is conveying a first sheet member that was fed by the feeding unit, if a value of a torque current component of a drive current flowing in a winding of the motor changes from a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value to a value less than the predetermined value, the feeding unit starts feeding of a second sheet member that is to be fed after the first sheet member.

A medium transport apparatus includes a controller that determines how many transport roller pairs disposed on a medium transport route are transporting a medium, based on detection information from detectors disposed in relation to respective transport roller pairs. Then, the controller sets a threshold to a larger value as a larger number of transport roller pairs are transporting the medium and sets the threshold to a lower value as a smaller number of transport roller pairs are transporting the medium.

A medium transporting apparatus includes a feeding roller that rotates to transport a medium along a transportation path, an electrode installed downstream of the feeding roller on the transportation path and having conductivity, and an electric charge detecting circuit that outputs a signal having a magnitude corresponding to an amount of an electric charge, which moves from the medium to the electrode after the medium being transported along the transportation path comes into contact with the electrode.