Provided are: a sheet feed device that is capable of suppressing the occurrence of a sheet feeding fault by changing the pressing contact force of a retard roller against a feed roller; and an image formation device equipped with the same. This sheet feed unit (50) is provided with: a pickup roller (29); a feed roller (31); a retard roller (32); a holding member (40) that holds the retard roller (32); a first biasing member (42) that biases the holding member (40); and a pressing contact force changing mechanism (60) that changes the pressing contact force of the retard roller (32) against the feed roller (31). The pressing contact force changing mechanism (60) has: a rotary shaft (61) disposed parallel to the axial direction of the retard roller (32); a cam member (70) that rotates with the rotary shaft (61); and a movable member (80) that contacts the cam member (70), moves in the axial direction in conjunction with the rotation of the cam member (70), and changes the biasing force generated by the first biasing member (42).

A sheet feed device includes: a tray provided in a device body in a manner capable of being pulled out and having a loading part that is moved up and down; an extension part attached to the device body to support a portion of a sheet to be fed through the tray; a lifting mechanism that has a lifting/lowering part for moving the loading part up and down and a driving part for lifting and holding the loading part via the lifting/lowering part; and a disconnecting part that disconnects the lifting/lowering part and the driving part when an uncoupling operation is accepted in a state in which the tray is accommodated in the device body.

A sheet feed device comprises a first conveyance path and a second conveyance path which are different sheet conveyance paths, and a conveyance path merging section for merging the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path together. At least one of the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path includes an upstream side roller that feeds sheet to downstream side in a conveyance direction. The conveyance path merging section comprises a conveyance roller pair that conveys the sheet fed from the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path through a nip; a variable mechanism that makes an arrangement angle of one roller of the conveyance roller pair to the other roller thereof variable; and a transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force from the upstream side roller provided in one of the first conveyance path and the second conveyance path to the variable mechanism.

A drive switching device includes: a covering member that is rotatably provided on a support shaft provided in a housing including a driver, and is rotatable from a closed position for covering an inside of the housing to an open position for exposing the inside of the housing; an input unit that is provided in the covering member, and receives an input of displacement caused by rotation of the covering member; a release member provided in a direction apart from the input unit inside the housing and including a cam that moves in conjunction with movement of the input unit, the release member being configured to, upon rotation of the covering member toward the open position, disconnect a drive transmission path of the driver by the cam; and multiple links connected to the input unit and the cam, the multiple links being configured to, upon rotation of the covering member, move the cam in an opposite direction to a direction in which the input unit is moved.

A device (12) for changing a sheet pile in a sheet feeder (10) for a sheet treating machine is described. The device (12) comprises a main pile supporting unit (18) having a supporting surface (22) adapted to support a pallet (16) carrying a sheet pile. Furthermore, the device (12) comprises a residual pile supporting unit (24) with a plurality of residual pile bars (28), which can be moved into a sheet pile region (30) when the sheet pile is to be changed. The residual pile bars (28) are then carrying the sheet pile. When in the sheet pile region (30), each of the residual pile bars (28) is movable in a direction substantially orthogonal to the supporting surface (22), wherein the residual pile bars (28) are movable independently from each other. Furthermore, a method for changing the sheet pile in a sheet feeder (10) for a sheet treating machine is explained.

Provided is a drive transmission switching mechanism that can switch and drive two circulation units by one motor in response to a switching operation of a paper sheet transport direction. A paper sheet storage unit includes a first circulation unit 100 and a second circulation unit 200 that respectively receive transported paper sheets upon reception of a drive force from a single motor 302 and feed paper sheets stored therein, a sorter 310 that sorts paper sheets to either one of the circulation units, and a drive transmission switching mechanism 400 that transmits a drive force from the motor to either one of the circulation units. The drive transmission switching mechanism is activated in conjunction with an operation to change the posture of the sorter, thereby switching and transmitting the drive force to either one of the circulation units.

The present invention relates to apparatuses and processes for forming tabs on adhesive backed products. Specifically, the apparatus of the present invention provides a sequential series of mechanisms to form a tab on an adhesive-backed product, such as adhesive tape, so that the same may be easy to remove from an article at a later date. More specifically, the apparatus of the present invention provides a sequential series of mechanisms to form a tab that is formed solely of the adhesive-backed product itself, which may be utilized for the subsequent removal thereof after placement on an article.

A sheet storage apparatus, including an apparatus body, a storage portion, a regulating portion configured to slidably move in a first direction with respect to the storage portion, a cam member provided in the storage portion and configured to slidably move in a second direction by interlocking with a movement of the regulating portion in the first direction, the second direction intersecting with the first direction and being along an attaching/detaching direction of the storage portion, a slide member provided in the apparatus body and configured to slidably move in the second direction by engaging with the cam member, and a sensor including a moving portion and outputting a detection value that varies in response to a position of the moving portion in the second direction, the moving portion slidably moving in the second direction by engaging with the slide member.

A printing device includes a discharging roller, opposing rollers opposing the discharging roller, a discharge motor, a first coupling mechanism, a moving mechanism, and a second coupling mechanism. The first coupling mechanism rotates the discharging roller in a direction where a tape is transported downstream when the discharge motor rotates forward (arrow R1). The moving mechanism moves the discharging roller to a nip position to hold the tape with the opposing rollers and a release position spaced from the tape. The second coupling mechanism includes a one-way clutch that couples the discharge motor and the moving mechanism in a manner drivable together when the discharge motor rotates reversely (arrow R2) and decouples the discharge motor from the moving mechanism when the discharge motor rotates forward (arrow R1).

Suction roller structure for the pneumatic transport of sheets inside an interfolding unit, comprising a suction source, an external roller (3) rotating with respect to the cylinder (1) and provided with longitudinal rows of bores (4) angularly spaced and selectively communicating with said internal cavity (2) during the angular rotation of the roller (3), a distribution of pneumatic valves (5) that are normally closed, inserted between said internal cavity (2) and at least one bore (4), cam means (6) operatively associated with the rotation of the roller (3) and arranged to open one or more of said valves (5) at one or more angular positions taken by the roller (3).