A feed and cutting unit for selectively cutting and dispensing individual weight material segments from a common strip of backing material is disclosed. The feed and cutting unit comprises a feed assembly, a sensor and a cutter member. The feed assembly includes a drive roller and a follower roller that frictionally engages first and second surfaces of a strip of weight material to selectively move the strip of weight material to a cutter member. The sensor is connected to a controller and measures an amount of segmented weight material on the backing material as the strip of weight material moves past the sensor. The cutter member is actuated to separate weight material segments from the backing material by cutting at least a portion of the backing material in a gap disposed between adjacent segments. Weight apply devices that receive the segments for application to an imbalanced member, are also disclosed.

A feed and cutting unit for selectively cutting and dispensing individual weight material segments from a common strip of backing material is disclosed. The feed and cutting unit comprises a feed assembly, a sensor and a cutter member. The feed assembly includes a drive roller and a follower roller that frictionally engages first and second surfaces of a strip of weight material to selectively move the strip of weight material to a cutter member. The sensor is connected to a controller and measures an amount of segmented weight material on the backing material as the strip of weight material moves past the sensor. The cutter member is actuated to separate weight material segments from the backing material by cutting at least a portion of the backing material in a gap disposed between adjacent segments. Weight apply devices that receive the segments for application to an imbalanced member, are also disclosed.

A medium feeding device for feeding a medium through a feed opening, the medium feeding device including: a stacked unit that extends to pass through the feed opening and on which a medium is stacked; a feeding unit that feeds a medium stacked on the stacked unit; a regulating unit that regulates a position of a medium stacked on the stacked unit, in width directions; and a cover that opens and closes relative to the feed opening, wherein the regulating unit includes a main regulating member movable in the width directions and attached to the stacked unit and a subordinate regulating member movable in the width directions and attached to the cover, a downstream end, in a feed direction, of the main regulating member is located downstream of the feed opening, and the main regulating member is linked to and cooperates with the subordinate regulating member.

An image forming apparatus includes first and second light emitting units, a light receiving unit for receiving light of the first light emitting unit when it is reflected, and receiving light of the second light emitting unit when it is not reflected, to output a signal of a predetermined level, and a control unit for starting light emission of the first light emitting unit before a front end of a paper sheet reaches an area, stopping light emission of the first light emitting unit while starting light emission of the second light emitting unit before a rear end of the paper sheet passes the area, and detecting a length of the paper sheet based on time after the output signal becomes a predetermined level during light emission of the first light emitting unit until the output signal becomes the predetermined level during light emission of the second light emitting unit.

An image forming apparatus includes first and second light emitting units, a light receiving unit for receiving light of the first light emitting unit when it is reflected, and receiving light of the second light emitting unit when it is not reflected, to output a signal of a predetermined level, and a control unit for starting light emission of the first light emitting unit before a front end of a paper sheet reaches an area, stopping light emission of the first light emitting unit while starting light emission of the second light emitting unit before a rear end of the paper sheet passes the area, and detecting a length of the paper sheet based on time after the output signal becomes a predetermined level during light emission of the first light emitting unit until the output signal becomes the predetermined level during light emission of the second light emitting unit.

A sheet conveyer, having a sheet tray, a tray-driving mechanism, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a conveyer-driving mechanism, a first sensor, and a controller, is provided. The controller controls the tray-driving mechanism and the conveyer-driving mechanism, during a sequential conveying action, when the first sensor detects an upper-surface level being at a lower limit of a correct range, delay a lift-start timing, at which the tray-driving mechanism starts moving the sheet tray upward, to be later at least than a timing, at which the feed roller after feeding one of the sheets completely and pausing resumes rotating for feeding a next one of the sheets, and cause the sheet tray to complete moving to a higher position prior to completion of feeding of the next sheet.

A sheet conveyer, having a sheet tray, a tray-driving mechanism, a conveyance guide, a feed roller, a conveyer-driving mechanism, a first sensor, and a controller, is provided. The controller controls the tray-driving mechanism and the conveyer-driving mechanism, during a sequential conveying action, when the first sensor detects an upper-surface level being at a lower limit of a correct range, delay a lift-start timing, at which the tray-driving mechanism starts moving the sheet tray upward, to be later at least than a timing, at which the feed roller after feeding one of the sheets completely and pausing resumes rotating for feeding a next one of the sheets, and cause the sheet tray to complete moving to a higher position prior to completion of feeding of the next sheet.

A fiber product folding apparatus includes a first dashed-line cutting device used to form a plurality of first dashed lines on a first fiber product. Through control of the rotational speed of the first dashed-line roller, the interval between adjacent first dashed lines is adjusted. A first severing device receives the first fiber product with the first dashed lines by a predetermined length and cuts off the first fiber product. A second dashed-line cutting device is used to form a plurality of second dashed lines on a second fiber product. Through control of the rotational speed of the second dashed-line roller, the interval between adjacent second dashed lines can be adjusted. A second severing device receives the second fiber product that includes the second dashed lines by a predetermined length and cuts off the second fiber product. Finally, the first fiber product and the second fiber product are conducted to pass between a first folding roller and a second folding roller to proceed with folding. Since the dashed line interval of the fiber products is the size or length of a single sheet of fiber product, controlling the rotational speeds of the dashed-line rollers would allow for adjustment such that folding can be performed for multiple forms.

A fiber product folding apparatus includes a first dashed-line cutting device used to form a plurality of first dashed lines on a first fiber product. Through control of the rotational speed of the first dashed-line roller, the interval between adjacent first dashed lines is adjusted. A first severing device receives the first fiber product with the first dashed lines by a predetermined length and cuts off the first fiber product. A second dashed-line cutting device is used to form a plurality of second dashed lines on a second fiber product. Through control of the rotational speed of the second dashed-line roller, the interval between adjacent second dashed lines can be adjusted. A second severing device receives the second fiber product that includes the second dashed lines by a predetermined length and cuts off the second fiber product. Finally, the first fiber product and the second fiber product are conducted to pass between a first folding roller and a second folding roller to proceed with folding. Since the dashed line interval of the fiber products is the size or length of a single sheet of fiber product, controlling the rotational speeds of the dashed-line rollers would allow for adjustment such that folding can be performed for multiple forms.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet feeding portion, a side end regulating portion, a feeding portion, first and second feeding roller pairs, an abutment member, an obliquely feeding roller pair, and first and second contact-and-separation mechanisms. Feeding of a long sheet is stopped after the sheet is fed to an upstream side of the second feeding roller pair by the feeding portion, and then is resumed in a state in which the first feeding roller pair is changed from a separated state to a feedable state and in a state in which the obliquely feeding roller pair is put in a separated state, and then the sheet is fed to the second feeding roller pair. A short sheet fed by the first feeding roller pair is obliquely fed by the obliquely feeding roller pair and then is fed to the second feeding roller pair.