An image forming apparatus includes plural rotating members that are rotatable; an annular circulating member that is wound around the plural rotating members and circulates when the rotating members rotate; a retaining member attached to an attaching portion of the circulating member and that circulates together with the circulating member, the retaining member being configured to retain a recording medium in an area where the attaching portion comes into contact with one of the rotating members; an image forming section that forms an image on the recording medium at an image forming position defined on a circulation path along which the circulating member circulates; a delivering unit that delivers the recording medium to a retaining position where the recording medium is to be retained by the retaining member; a detector that detects rotation of the one rotating member; and a controller that controls delivery of the recording medium from the delivering unit to the retaining position, the delivery being controlled with reference to information detected by the detector.

An image forming apparatus includes: a fixing cylinder that is rotatably supported, that has a groove formed in an outer portion thereof in a rotational radial direction thereof, and that causes an image transferred to a recording medium to be fixed to the recording medium when the recording medium passes along an outer surface of the fixing cylinder in the rotational radial direction; a delivery cylinder that is rotatably supported; a circulating member that is loop-shaped and wrapped at least around the fixing cylinder and the delivery cylinder; plural holding members configured to hold the recording medium when the recording medium passes around the delivery cylinder toward the fixing cylinder, the holding members being supported by the circulating member such that the holding members are arranged in a length direction of the circulating member with predetermined intervals therebetween, each holding member being disposed in the groove when the holding member passes along the outer portion of the fixing cylinder; and a pressure unit that is rotatably supported and that causes the recording medium to pass between the pressure unit and the fixing cylinder while a pressure is applied between the pressure unit and the fixing cylinder, the pressure unit coming into contact with an end portion of the groove in a rotation direction of the fixing cylinder before or after a period from when one of the holding members starts a holding operation for holding the recording medium to when the holding operation is completed.

An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer cylinder that is rotatably supported, that has a first groove formed in an outer portion thereof in a rotational radial direction thereof, and that causes an image to be transferred to a recording medium when the recording medium passes along an outer surface of the transfer cylinder in the rotational radial direction; a fixing cylinder that is rotatably supported, that has a second groove formed in an outer portion thereof in a rotational radial direction thereof, and that causes the image transferred to the recording medium to be fixed to the recording medium when the recording medium passes along an outer surface of the fixing cylinder in the rotational radial direction; a circulating member that is loop-shaped and wrapped at least around the transfer cylinder and the fixing cylinder; plural holding members configured to hold the recording medium and supported by the circulating member such that the holding members are arranged in a length direction of the circulating member with predetermined intervals therebetween, each holding member being disposed in the first groove when the holding member passes along the outer portion of the transfer cylinder and disposed in the second groove when the holding member passes along the outer portion of the fixing cylinder; a pressure unit that is rotatably supported and that causes the recording medium to pass between the pressure unit and the fixing cylinder while a pressure is applied between the pressure unit and the fixing cylinder; and a transfer roller that is rotatably supported and disposed at a location close to the transfer cylinder, the transfer roller opposing the first groove when a rotationally upstream end portion of the second groove in the fixing cylinder is in contact with the pressure unit.

A transport device includes: a first rotating body including a shaft portion, a cylindrical portion on an outer periphery of the shaft portion, and a recessed portion in an outer surface of the cylindrical portion; a second rotating body capable of moving from the first rotating body while contacting an outer surface of the first rotating body and nipping a recording medium; a transport unit that includes a holding portion that holds the recording medium, and that transports the recording medium by moving the holding portion in a rotation direction of the first rotating body while the holding portion is disposed in the recessed portion; and a moving mechanism including a cam portion on a side of the cylindrical portion and a contact portion connected to the second rotating body and that comes into contact with the cam portion to separate the second rotating body from the first rotating body.

A recording medium transport device includes: a circulating member that forms a part of a transport path for transporting a recording medium; a holding member that is fixed to the circulating member and thereby circulates and holds a front end portion of the recording medium; plural transport cylinders around which the circulating member is suspended and having a recessed part in which the holding member is stored; and a selection part that selects any one of the plural transport cylinders. A mode for stopping the selected one of the plural transport cylinders so that the recessed part of the selected one of the plural transport cylinders is located at a maintenance position is prepared.

A cylinder member includes: a cylinder body having a cross section and including a dent portion; a sheet member wrapped around the cylinder body and including a metal layer contacting the cylinder body and an outer layer; a first attachment member on a sheet member first end portion and removably attached to the dent portion; a second attachment member on a metal layer end portion protruding from the outer layer in the circumferential direction at a sheet member second end portion, the second attachment member being removably attached to the dent portion; a tension-applying mechanism pulling the second attachment member in a dent portion depth direction to apply tension to the metal layer; a projection on one of the second attachment member and metal layer end portion; and a fitting portion on other one of the second attachment member and the metal layer end portion and fitted to the projection.

The invention relates to a device (310) for holding a sheet-like element (10) during the stage of introducing it into a workstation (200, 300, 400) of a forming machine (1), such as a waste-ejection station (300), the said holding device (310) comprising a suction member (320) configured so as to partially retain each sheet (10) by its rear part during the stage when the said sheet (10) is introduced into the said workstation (200, 300, 400), characterized in that the suction member (320) has at least two motorized fans (13) with propellers (14) installed transversely at the entrance to the workstation (200, 300, 400), beneath the plane (P) along which the sheet-like elements move, the axes of rotation (A) of the propellers (14) of the fans (13) being substantially parallel to one another and perpendicular to the plane (P) along which the sheet-like elements move, the direction of rotation and the inclination of the propellers (14) being configured so as to generate a flow of air capable of applying suction to the rear of the lower face of the sheet-like element (10) during the stage in which the said sheet (10) is introduced into the said workstation (200, 300, 400).

A printing system comprises an ink deposition assembly, a media transport device, and an airflow control system. The ink deposition assembly comprises printheads to deposit a print fluid, such as ink, on print media, such as paper, transported through a deposition region. The media transport device holds the print media against a movable support surface, such as a belt, by vacuum suction through holes in the media transport device and transports the print media though the deposition region. The airflow control system comprises one or more valves that are actuatable between an open state and a closed state, each valve blocking a subset of the holes in the closed state. The airflow control system also comprises one or more actuators to actuate the valve(s). The actuator(s) selectively actuate the valve(s) between the open and closed states based on a position of an inter-media zone between adjacent print media.

A device and method for the processing of printed products with one or more transport systems for transporting the printed products between processing stations comprises a transport path lighting system that is divided into segments, wherein the type of illumination of such a segment is with respect to its color, intensity and/or variation in time defined by certain properties of the product located in this section or its production history.

A feed appliance for feeding products to a further processing appliance includes a standby circulatory apparatus with a takeover station and with several transport units that are circulatorily movable independently of one another for each receiving a product at the takeover station, a provision conveyor for feeding the products to the takeover station, and a control device for controlling the feed of the products and of the transport units into a takeover section of the takeover station and for controlling the takeover of the fed products by the transport units. The standby circulatory apparatus for creating a gapless product stream includes a release device for the cyclically controlled release of individual transport units into the takeover section. For this, the control device is designed to release a transport unit only given a feed of a cyclically correct product into the takeover section.