A sheet aligning mechanism includes first and second conveyance mechanisms disposed on first and second sides of a sheet conveyance path, respectively. A nip is formed between the first and second conveyance mechanisms. The first conveyance mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller, and a first conveyance belt wound around the first and second rollers. The first and second rollers are configured to rotate in a first direction along a sheet conveying direction for sheet conveyance, and stop rotation or rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction for sheet alignment. The first conveyance belt includes an extended region between the first and second rollers in an extending direction inclined with respect to the sheet conveying direction, such that a width of the sheet conveyance path becomes narrower towards the nip in the sheet conveying direction.

A sheet aligning mechanism includes first and second conveyance mechanisms disposed on first and second sides of a sheet conveyance path, respectively. A nip is formed between the first and second conveyance mechanisms. The first conveyance mechanism includes a first roller, a second roller, and a first conveyance belt wound around the first and second rollers. The first and second rollers are configured to rotate in a first direction along a sheet conveying direction for sheet conveyance, and stop rotation or rotate in a second direction opposite to the first direction for sheet alignment. The first conveyance belt includes an extended region between the first and second rollers in an extending direction inclined with respect to the sheet conveying direction, such that a width of the sheet conveyance path becomes narrower towards the nip in the sheet conveying direction.

The present invention provides an adaptive control system to control a plant using direct output feedback in which a function of the full plant state, as opposed to estimates thereof, is used for feedback control of the plant. The adaptive control system of this invention is therefore highly useful in the control of plants, particularly plants for controlling the physical properties of rolls of web material and more particularly a calendering apparatus. Accordingly, in a particularly preferred embodiment the adaptive control system of this invention controls loading of a calender apparatus, such as a pair of opposed rolls forming a calendering stack, based upon the physical properties of a previously processed web.

The present invention provides an adaptive control system to control a plant using direct output feedback in which a function of the full plant state, as opposed to estimates thereof, is used for feedback control of the plant. The adaptive control system of this invention is therefore highly useful in the control of plants, particularly plants for controlling the physical properties of rolls of web material and more particularly a calendering apparatus. Accordingly, in a particularly preferred embodiment the adaptive control system of this invention controls loading of a calender apparatus, such as a pair of opposed rolls forming a calendering stack, based upon the physical properties of a previously processed web.

An apparatus for treating a stack of sheets of sheet material includes a means for moving the stack of sheets of sheet material towards a first and second fold roller means. The first and second fold roller means are arranged to assist with folding of the stack of sheets of sheet material. The apparatus also includes a first and a second clamping jaw defining a gap. The first and second clamping jaws are arranged to be movable relative to each other to increase and decrease the gap for selective application of a clamping force to the stack of sheets of sheet material having passed between the first and second fold roller means. The first and second fold roller means are mounted in a manner allowing for an increase and decrease in separation and thus between a stack-guiding configuration and a stack compressing configuration.

A paper sheet handling apparatus has a pickup roller, a stage, a pressure sensor, and a measuring unit. For each feeding process, in which the pickup roller feeds paper sheets until the pressure detected by the pressure sensor becomes less than a predetermined set value, the stage presses paper sheets against the pickup roller until the pressure detected by the pressure sensor reaches another set value. The pickup roller operates at a feeding speed of a first speed if a calculated feeding value is less than a threshold, and operates at a feeding speed of a second speed that is slower than the first speed if the calculated feeding value is equal to or greater than the threshold, the calculated feeding value being calculated based on: the amount of movement of the stage measured by the measuring unit; and the number of paper sheets fed by the feeding process.

A paper sheet handling apparatus has a pickup roller, a stage, a pressure sensor, and a measuring unit. For each feeding process, in which the pickup roller feeds paper sheets until the pressure detected by the pressure sensor becomes less than a predetermined set value, the stage presses paper sheets against the pickup roller until the pressure detected by the pressure sensor reaches another set value. The pickup roller operates at a feeding speed of a first speed if a calculated feeding value is less than a threshold, and operates at a feeding speed of a second speed that is slower than the first speed if the calculated feeding value is equal to or greater than the threshold, the calculated feeding value being calculated based on: the amount of movement of the stage measured by the measuring unit; and the number of paper sheets fed by the feeding process.

A printing apparatus includes a first discharge path that discharges a sheet and a second discharge path different from the first discharge path. An angle difference between a direction in which the sheet is discharged in the second discharge path and a conveyance direction of a conveyance roller is smaller than an angle difference between a direction in which the sheet is discharged in the first discharge path and the conveyance direction of the conveyance roller. The printing apparatus includes a control unit that discharges the sheet on which the image is printed using the second discharge path even in a case where an instruction to print an image indicates discharging the sheet to the first discharge path, if the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller is a sheet having a thickness equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

An image forming apparatus is provided that forms an image on a sheet material based on a sheet material setting relating to the sheet material. The image forming apparatus includes an accepting unit configured to accept a selection of a sheet material type, a thickness measurement unit configured to measure a thickness of the sheet material, and a setting determination unit configured to determine the sheet material setting that relates to the thickness of the sheet material based on the sheet material type accepted by the accepting unit and the thickness of the sheet material measured by the thickness measurement unit.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for making adjustments to the web converting machinery based upon the measured web caliper. Generally the web caliper is measured without contacting the web and in real time while the web is being conveyed at high rates of speed. The web caliper measuring system may be employed in the web converting system to improve web caliper control and improve winding. The web caliper measurement may be fed back to a calendering system to improve the caliper of web fed into a winding system, or the caliper may be fed forward to the web winding system to improve web tension and winding performance.