A vehicle is provided for installing in a prepared area along a ground surface a protective structural support proximate a buried pipeline in an automated manner. The vehicle includes a chassis with a plurality of wheels and a payload release mechanism coupled to the chassis and including a roller for holding the protective structural support. The payload release mechanism is configured to dispense and lay down the protective structural support in the prepared area. The vehicle includes a liquid dispensing mechanism that is coupled to the chassis and is located downstream of the payload release mechanism. The liquid dispensing mechanism includes a liquid source and a dispenser that is in fluid communication with the liquid source and is configured to dispense liquid across a spray area.

A roll sheet, in which a continuous sheet is wound in a roll form, is caused to rotate in a forward direction to supply the sheet to a printing unit. First and second sensors are arranged at positions facing an outer circumferential surface of the roll sheet and deviated in an axis line direction of the roll sheet. Outputs of the first and second sensors are changed in accordance with a distance to a sheet of the roll sheet. A rotation direction of the roll sheet is switched from a forward direction to a reverse direction on the basis of the outputs of the first and second sensors while the roll sheet is being rotated in the reverse direction.

An apparatus for exchanging paper rolls includes a paper supply mechanism having an inclined arm and a clamp assembly for receiving and holding a first paper roll; a second-roll hanger assembly arranged above the paper supply mechanism for receiving and holding a second paper roll; a slide rail arranged between the paper supply mechanism and the second-roll hanger assembly; an elevating assembly movably mounted to the slide rail; and a driving assembly for driving the elevating assembly to move along the slide rail. The elevating assembly picks up the second paper roll from the second-roll hanger assembly. To exchange the first paper roll with the second paper roll, the clamp assembly pushes the first paper roll away from the paper supply mechanism, and the elevating assembly lowers down along the slide rail to place the second paper roll in the paper supply mechanism.

A feed device includes: a feed tray configured to accommodate a roll, in which a medium is rolled in a roll shape, rotatably; a housing configured to support the feed tray installable; and a pull-back mechanism configured to pull back the medium unrolled from the roll in a direction orthogonal to a rotation axis of the roll in conjunction with an outward movement of the feed tray from the housing in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the roll.

A vehicle is provided for installing in a prepared area along a ground surface a protective structural support proximate a buried pipeline in an automated manner. The vehicle includes a chassis with a plurality of wheels and a payload release mechanism coupled to the chassis and including a roller for holding the protective structural support. The payload release mechanism is configured to dispense and lay down the protective structural support in the prepared area. The vehicle includes a liquid dispensing mechanism that is coupled to the chassis and is located downstream of the payload release mechanism. The liquid dispensing mechanism includes a liquid source and a dispenser that is in fluid communication with the liquid source and is configured to dispense liquid across a spray area.

An unwinder for rolls of paper web material includes: a support frame; a spindle cylinder, rotationally associated with the frame, supporting a parent roll with a longitudinal axis; unwinder to unwind a paper web from the parent roll; actuator keeping the unwindier contacting the parent roll; a command and control unit; first motor rotating the spindle cylinder; two support and drive rollers; units to measure instantaneous radius of the parent roll, rotational speed of the spindle cylinder, quantity of web unrolled from the parent roll per unit time, and weight unloaded from the parent roll onto the support and drive rollers; second motor synchronously rotating the support and drive rollers; and third motor moving the spindle cylinder vertically. The control unit receives and processes values detected by the measurement unit, causing the motor to maintain the weight force unloaded onto the rollers from the roll as the diameter varies.

A media roll holder assembly for a roll is detachably supported in a printing system. A rotational drive includes a roll engaging element configured for fittingly engaging and driving a drive engaging element of a roller, for example an Oldham coupling. A first guide surface is configured to support and direct the roller in a loading direction. A second guide surface at least partially extends at an angle with respect to the first guide surface, such that movement of the roller over the first guide surface brings the drive engaging element in contact with the second guide surface. The second guide surface directs the drive engaging element into a predetermined orientation, which orientation aligns the drive engaging element with the roll engaging element in a loading orientation, such that further movement of the roller in the loading direction inserts the drive engaging element into the roll engaging element.

A printing apparatus provided with a transportation mechanism for a printing medium includes: a storage configured to store a machine-learned model that outputs a setting value of the transportation mechanism for causing, based on state variables including a print length as a length of a print product printed on the printing medium, the print length to be close to a reference; and a processor configured to perform printing by controlling the transportation mechanism in accordance with the setting value acquired based on the machine-learned model.

A device and a method for feeding a sheet material are provided. A conveying machine is disposed above a holding machine. A sensor detects a lateral position of a rubber sheet fed from the holding machine. At a position between a grip position below the conveying machine and a release position at an upstream side in a conveying direction above the conveying machine, a leading edge of the rubber sheet is gripped by a gripping machine. The gripping machine is revolved and moved to the release position using, as a revolution center, a position in a vertical direction midway between the grip position and the release position. The leading edge being released is pressed against a placement surface of the conveying machine by a pressing portion. The rubber sheet is placed on the placement surface and conveyed to a downstream side in the conveying direction by the conveying machine.

A dispenser having a feed roller that at least partially engages sheet material to facilitate dispensing thereof, and a cutting mechanism disposed within a chamber defined by a body of the feed roller. The cutting mechanism including a cutting blade and at least one movable support connected thereto. The at least one support further is operatively connected to the body of the feed roller and is actuated with rotation thereof to move the cutting blade into and out from one or more openings defined along the body of the feed roller to at least partially cut or perforate a selected portion of the sheet material as the sheet material is dispensed.