Disclosed is a thermal print apparatus including a medium detection sensor arranged from a thermal head at a distance shorter than an outer circumferential length of the platen roller, and a controller. The controller determines that the print medium is wrapped around the platen roller if the print medium is not detected by the medium detection sensor even when the print medium is fed by a feed amount at which the leading edge of the print medium reaches the medium detection sensor after starting of printing on the print medium. In this case, the print medium is fed backward by reversely rotating the platen roller.

A sheet feeding apparatus is provided with a pick-up roller that contacts sheets loaded on a load tray to pick up, a paper feed roller that feeds a picked-up sheet, and a separation roller brought into press-contact with the paper feed roller to separate the sheet, where the sheets are separated from the pick-up roller, the separation roller is rotated in a sheet return direction different from a sheet feed direction, and subsequently, the paper feed roller is separated from the separation roller. It is possible to prevent damage to a sheet and sheet jam from occurring in pulling out the load tray loaded with sheets to the front side.

A device (10) for optically controlling a face (13) of a blank (12) has a vacuum conveyor (20) capable of transporting the blank (12) along a path of travel (15) and which includes a conveyor belt (22) having an apertured structure of which the conveying path follows the path of travel (15) of the blank (12). A suction device (40) is suitable for pressing the blank (12) against the conveyor belt (14). An inspection device (30) inspects the face (13) of the blank (12) during its conveyance by the vacuum conveyor (20). The inspection device is located on the side opposite the vacuum conveyor (20). The suction device (40) delimits three separate successive suction sections (41, 42, 43) along the path of travel (15), including a central suction section (42) that extends opposite the inspection device (30), an upstream suction section (41) and a downstream suction section (43).

A device (10) for optically controlling a face (13) of a blank (12) has a vacuum conveyor (20) capable of transporting the blank (12) along a path of travel (15) and which includes a conveyor belt (22) having an apertured structure of which the conveying path follows the path of travel (15) of the blank (12). A suction device (40) is suitable for pressing the blank (12) against the conveyor belt (14). An inspection device (30) inspects the face (13) of the blank (12) during its conveyance by the vacuum conveyor (20). The inspection device is located on the side opposite the vacuum conveyor (20). The suction device (40) delimits three separate successive suction sections (41, 42, 43) along the path of travel (15), including a central suction section (42) that extends opposite the inspection device (30), an upstream suction section (41) and a downstream suction section (43).

An image forming apparatus includes an accommodation unit, feeding, conveying, and separating members, and detecting, control, image forming, and regulating units. The conveying member conveys a fed recording material. The separating member forms a nip and separates recording materials. The detecting unit detects that the recording material has been fed to the nip. The feeding member starts feeding an accommodated recording material and, where a recording material is fed to the nip, causes the feeding to be finished. An image is formed on a fed recording material. The regulating unit regulates an end on an upstream side. The control unit measures a period from a recording material feeding to detection that a recording material is fed to the nip. Based on the measured period, information is output indicating that a position of the regulating unit is deviated from a position according to a size of the accommodated recording materials.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for aligning a bill supplied to a transfer path with a center line of the transfer path. The apparatus may include: a first centering roller arranged at one side of the transfer path and applying a frictional force to a portion of the bill positioned at one side of the transfer path so that the bill is moved to the center line, the first centering roller having a first driven wheel formed in a border part to face one edge line of the transfer path; and a second centering roller arranged at the other side of the transfer path and applying a frictional force to another portion of the bill positioned at the other side of the transfer path so that the bill is moved to the center line, the second centering roller having a second driven wheel formed in a border part to face the other edge line of the transfer path.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for aligning a bill supplied to a transfer path with a center line of the transfer path. The apparatus may include: a first centering roller arranged at one side of the transfer path and applying a frictional force to a portion of the bill positioned at one side of the transfer path so that the bill is moved to the center line, the first centering roller having a first driven wheel formed in a border part to face one edge line of the transfer path; and a second centering roller arranged at the other side of the transfer path and applying a frictional force to another portion of the bill positioned at the other side of the transfer path so that the bill is moved to the center line, the second centering roller having a second driven wheel formed in a border part to face the other edge line of the transfer path.

A transport mechanism for a peripheral device and an operating method including the same are provided. The transport mechanism includes a tray, at least a transport roller, a detector, a trigger component and a processor. The tray includes an opening extending through the tray. The transport roller is rotatably installed in the opening and protruded from the tray to transport a flexible object to move along a transport path. The detector near the tray has a detecting area. The trigger component is located in the opening and spaced apart from the flexible object on the transport path. The flexible object deviated from the transport path presses the trigger component to enter or leave the detecting area and triggers the detector to transmit an abnormal detecting signal. The processor receives the abnormal detecting signal to stop the transport roller.

A transport mechanism for a peripheral device and an operating method including the same are provided. The transport mechanism includes a tray, at least a transport roller, a detector, a trigger component and a processor. The tray includes an opening extending through the tray. The transport roller is rotatably installed in the opening and protruded from the tray to transport a flexible object to move along a transport path. The detector near the tray has a detecting area. The trigger component is located in the opening and spaced apart from the flexible object on the transport path. The flexible object deviated from the transport path presses the trigger component to enter or leave the detecting area and triggers the detector to transmit an abnormal detecting signal. The processor receives the abnormal detecting signal to stop the transport roller.

A sheet transfer assembly is provided for transferring a sheet from a supplying conveyor to a receiving conveyor. The receiving conveyor includes a transport belt having a support surface for supporting the sheet on a contact side of the sheet. The supplying conveyor is arranged for advancing the sheet in a transport direction towards the receiving conveyor. The sheet transfer assembly includes a sheet guidance element arranged downstream of the supplying conveyor in the transport direction for guiding the sheet towards the receiving conveyor, the sheet guidance element includes a guidance surface for supporting the sheet at its contact side; wherein the guidance surface includes two guide faces. Both guide faces extending in the transport direction over the support surface of the transport belt and being cooperatively arranged for supporting both side edge portions at the sides of the sheet in a lateral direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, thereby forming a space in between one another allowing a middle portion of the sheet to move towards the support surface of the transport belt.