A paper feed mechanism includes: a paper storage to store sheets of paper; an air blowing unit disposed on each of both sides of the paper storage in a second direction orthogonal to a first direction corresponding to a paper conveyance direction, in which the air blowing unit blows air to a side end of each of the sheets of paper in the paper storage to float one or some of the sheets of paper in the paper storage; and a paper conveyance unit disposed above the paper storage, in which the paper conveyance unit holds, by suction, an uppermost sheet of paper among the floated sheets of paper, and conveys the uppermost sheet of paper. An air blowing position of the air blowing unit is changeable in the first direction according to information about the sheets of paper.

A sheet stacker includes a sheet ejector, a sheet stack portion, and air blowers. The sheet ejector ejects a sheet. The sheet stack portion stacks the sheet ejected by the sheet ejector. The air blowers blow air from blow ports toward the sheet ejected from the sheet ejector. Each of the air blowers includes an air generator, an air guide, a first blow portion, a second blow portion, and a switcher. The air generator generates the air. The air guide guides the air to each of the blow ports. The first blow portion blows the air toward the sheet. The second blow portion blows the air in a direction different from a direction in which the first blow portion blows the air. The switcher performs switching so that the air guide guides the air to one of the first blow portion and the second blow portion.

A placement method using a placement device provided with a first process of pressing a transfer plate a topmost layer sheet member so as to pick up it when a restraint device is rendered a restraining state, a second process of rendering the restraint device a non-restraining state to render the transfer plate an inclined state while pressing down the plurality of sheet members from above in the stacking direction by a base end part side of the transfer plate rendered the inclined state, a third process of inserting the restraining blade into the space formed between the topmost layer sheet member and the sheet member of the layer below it and again render the restraint device the restraining state, and a fourth process of making the transfer plate retract upward while returning it to the horizontal state and transferring the topmost layer sheet member to the holder.

A roller for a transport belt of a vacuum transport assembly includes an elongate cylindrical body adapted for a rotatably fixed connection to a vacuum transport assembly. An outer surface of the roller defines a hollow inner channel, which extends along an axial region of the body. The outer surface is a running surface for a transport belt. An inlet at one end of the hollow inner channel receives air from an air source. Perforations are formed in the outer surface for allowing air pressure to be discharged from the hollow inner channel toward the transport belt. The air diffuses through the transport belt to detack a sheet from the transport belt.

A roller for a transport belt of a vacuum transport assembly includes an elongate cylindrical body adapted for a rotatably fixed connection to a vacuum transport assembly. An outer surface of the roller defines a hollow inner channel, which extends along an axial region of the body. The outer surface is a running surface for a transport belt. An inlet at one end of the hollow inner channel receives air from an air source. Perforations are formed in the outer surface for allowing air pressure to be discharged from the hollow inner channel toward the transport belt. The air diffuses through the transport belt to detack a sheet from the transport belt.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion, a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion in a sheet feeding direction, an air blow unit including an air blower, an opening portion, a duct configured to form a flow path through which air flows, an adjustment portion configured to vary an opening dimension, the air blow unit being configured to separate a plurality of sheets, including an uppermost sheet, a drive source configured to drive the adjustment portion, and a control unit configured to execute a first mode in which the drive source is controlled such that the opening dimension is set to a first dimension, and a second mode in which the drive source is controlled such that the opening dimension is set to a second dimension that is smaller than the first dimension.

A feeding device includes a supply unit that supplies air between plural stacked media and that floats the media, a feeding unit that makes the media floated by the supply unit stick thereto and that feeds the media, a separating unit that supplies the air obliquely downward to a front surface side of a second medium positioned immediately below a first medium stuck to the feeding unit from a downstream side to an upstream side in a medium feeding direction and that separates the second medium from the first medium, and a blasting unit that blasts the air obliquely downward to the front surface side of the second medium from the downstream side to the upstream side in the medium feeding direction and that has a blasting angle of the air with respect to the medium feeding direction larger than a supply angle of the air of the separating unit.

The present invention provides a sheet stacking device, a counter-ejector, and a carton former and is provided with: a hopper unit that stacks cardboard boxes; feed rollers that feed a cardboard box to the hopper unit; a first blower device that blows air from above the hopper unit toward the cardboard box fed by the feed rollers; and a second blower device that blows air between the cardboard box stacked in the hopper unit and the cardboard box fed by the feed roller.

A sheet stacking device includes a hopper unit on which box making sheet material is stacked; an ejection unit that ejects the sheet material to the hopper unit; a first blowing device that is disposed above the downstream side of the hopper unit in the transfer direction of the sheet material and that presses the sheet material downward by blowing air; a pressing device that is disposed above an upstream side of the hopper unit in the transfer direction of the sheet material and that presses the sheet material downward; and a control device that controls an operation of the first blowing device pressing a front end of the sheet material downward, and controls an operation of the pressing device so as to press a rear end of the sheet material downward with a pressing force higher than that applied to the front end of the sheet material.

A sheet stacker includes a sheet ejector, a sheet stack portion, and air blowers. The sheet ejector ejects a sheet. The sheet stack portion stacks the sheet ejected by the sheet ejector. The air blowers blow air from blow ports toward the sheet ejected from the sheet ejector. Each of the air blowers includes an air generator, an air guide, a first blow portion, a second blow portion, and a switcher. The air generator generates the air. The air guide guides the air to each of the blow ports. The first blow portion blows the air toward the sheet. The second blow portion blows the air in a direction different from a direction in which the first blow portion blows the air. The switcher performs switching so that the air guide guides the air to one of the first blow portion and the second blow portion.