A system and method for folding a discrete absorbent sanitary product includes conveying a product in a machine direction along a main conveyor, folding the product at a first folding station, and later folding the absorbent sanitary product at a second folding station. The product is folded at each of the first and second folding stations by engaging the product with a first drum and rotating the absorbent sanitary product in a first rotational direction, contacting the product with one or more folding fingers traveling in the machine direction, engaging the product with a rotating member adjacent to the first drum and downstream therefrom in the machine direction, the rotating member rotating in the first rotational direction, and folding the product over the one or more folding fingers via rotation of the rotating member in the first rotational direction.

A sheet feed device includes a pair of sheet feed rollers, a pair of separation pads, and a first contact portion. The pair of sheet feed rollers are provided in alignment with an interval between them in a width direction perpendicular to a feeding direction in which sheets placed on a sheet placing portion are fed, and feed a sheet from the sheet placing portion. When an overlapping sheet overlaps under a target sheet that is in contact with the pair of sheet feed rollers, the pair of separation pads separate the overlapping sheet from the target sheet. The first contact portion is provided on the holder at a position between the pair of separation pads and projecting more than contact surfaces of the pair of separation pads, and comes in contact with the lower surface of the sheet.

A recording-medium transport device includes: a driving roller that rotates in a driving manner; a discharge-side driven roller that is externally in contact with the driving roller and guides a recording medium to a discharge path located downstream of the driving roller in cooperation with the driving roller; a duplex-path-side driven roller that is externally in contact with the driving roller and guides, in cooperation with the driving roller, the recording medium from the discharge path to a duplex printing path; and a projection projecting further toward the discharge path than an outer circumferential surface of the driving roller.

A system and method for folding a discrete absorbent sanitary product includes conveying a product in a machine direction along a main conveyor, folding the product at a first folding station, and later folding the absorbent sanitary product at a second folding station. The product is folded at each of the first and second folding stations by engaging the product with a first drum and rotating the absorbent sanitary product in a first rotational direction, contacting the product with one or more folding fingers traveling in the machine direction, engaging the product with a rotating member adjacent to the first drum and downstream therefrom in the machine direction, the rotating member rotating in the first rotational direction, and folding the product over the one or more folding fingers via rotation of the rotating member in the first rotational direction.

The present invention relates to a converting machine, i.e., a machine for winding or unwinding a strip of material on coils, particularly configured to process a delicate material.

In particular, the invention is directed to a machine (1) for converting coils of a material into smaller coils, comprising a loading unit (2) for automatically loading a strip (N) of material into the machine (1), an accumulation unit (3) of the strip (N) being processed, and a winding unit (4) of the strip (N) on a winding shaft (5, 5) to form respective coils (B), characterized in that the loading unit (2) comprises an accompanying system (6) for the strip (N) from the loading unit (2) to the winding unit (4), said accompanying system (6) consisting of a double chain (7), comprising a first chain (7a) and a second chain (7b) and an accompanying bar (9) driven by said first and second chains (7a, 7b), wherein the double chain (7) develops in a loop along a path (P) and wherein the accompanying bar (9) is movable along the loop-shaped path (P) and is configured to drive the strip (N) from the loading unit (2) to the winding unit (4) and then, after releasing the strip (N), to return to the starting point in the loading unit (2).

An extendable spool is disclosed. The length of the extendable spool is able to continuously varied. The extendable spool accounts for length variances in flow lines by extending the flow line rather than redirecting the flow. Because the flow direction does not make any turns, erosion is minimized on both the extendable spool and downstream parts. The extendable spool is readily scalable from small diameters to large diameters. Because of this, it requires fewer lines and therefore less setup time to account for length differences between large diameter lines.

A printing apparatus including a transport guiding portion with high manufacturing yield, is provided. A printing apparatus includes a printing portion which is able to print on a medium, a transport portion which transports the medium, and a transport guiding portion on which a transport surface on which the medium is transported is formed and which has a plurality of bent portions, in which the transport guiding portion is provided with a first guiding member which has a bent portion and forms the transport surface on a transport direction upstream side of the medium and a second guiding member which has a bent portion and forms the transport surface on a transport direction downstream side of the medium.

A bow spreader bar provides lateral stress on a web of plastic film as it travels past. An elongated arcuate bow member is supported on a rotatable support bar that can be rotated by a first actuator to adjust pitch angle of the bow member relative to the plane of the film. A second actuator mounted on a midportion of the rotatable bar has a rod connected to a center part of the arcuate member and adjusts the amount of bow or arc of the arcuate member. A remote control arrangement has a receiver coupled to the first and second actuators and a remote transmitter permitting an operator to control the pitch angle and amount of bow from a location remote from the film processing equipment.

A first feeder contacts a first surface of a first sheet held in a first tray and feeds the first sheet toward a recording unit. A second feeder contacts a first surface of a second sheet held in a second tray and feeds the second sheet toward the recording unit. An inner member is disposed above a standing plate. An outer member comprises an upstream portion opposing the standing plate, and a downstream portion opposing the inner member. The inner member guides the first surface of the first sheet and the first surface of the second sheet. The standing plate guides the first surface of the second sheet. The upstream portion of the outer member guides a second surface of the second sheet, and the downstream portion guides a second surface of the first sheet and the second surface of the second sheet. The standing plate moves relative to the outer member.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a curved path that is a medium feeding path formed between a first pair of feeding rollers and a second pair of feeding rollers. The medium is transported along the curved path while being curved downward. The medium feeding apparatus further includes an accommodating portion formed outside a curve of the curved path and configured to accommodate a deformed part of the medium at the curved path. The first pair of feeding rollers is provided at a center area in a medium width direction intersecting with a medium feeding direction. The accommodating portion has a pushing member configured to push the deformed part of the medium upstream in the medium feeding direction.