A printer includes a record section, a discharge section, a mount section, a movable rib, a move section, and a control section. The record section records on a sheet by ejecting an ink to the sheet. The discharge section discharges the sheet. The mount section has a mount surface on which the sheet discharged is mounted. A movable rib is configured to protrude from the mount surface and supports the sheet. The dimension of the movable rib in an A-direction is larger than the dimension thereof in a Y-direction. The move section moves the movable rib in a C-direction. The control section controls, based on temperature and humidity information, movement of the movable rib made by the move section.

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.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, conveying members, a switching unit, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The sheet conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path having a conveying load for a sheet larger than the first conveying path. The switching unit selectively switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path. The control unit determines whether the sheets are first sheets or second sheets thicker than the first sheets, based on sheet thickness information received by the receiving unit. If the sheets are the first sheets, the switching unit switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path alternately. If the sheets are the second sheets, the switching unit switches to fix the sheet conveying path to the first conveying path.

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, conveying members, a switching unit, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The sheet conveying path includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path having a conveying load for a sheet larger than the first conveying path. The switching unit selectively switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path. The control unit determines whether the sheets are first sheets or second sheets thicker than the first sheets, based on sheet thickness information received by the receiving unit. If the sheets are the first sheets, the switching unit switches the sheet conveying path between the first conveying path and the second conveying path alternately. If the sheets are the second sheets, the switching unit switches to fix the sheet conveying path to the first conveying path.

A printing device includes: a casing; a first accommodating unit accommodating therein a printing medium; an image recording unit; a cutting unit; a supporting unit; a second accommodating unit; a first conveying passage; and a second conveying passage branching from the first conveying passage. The image recording unit is configured to record an image on the printing medium. The cutting unit is configured to divide the printing medium into a first medium and a second medium. The supporting unit is configured to support the printing medium conveyed in a first direction. The printing medium accommodated in the first accommodating unit is conveyed to the supporting unit along the first conveying passage. The second accommodating unit is positioned upstream of the image recording unit in the first direction and configured to accommodate therein the second medium. The second medium is conveyed to the second accommodating unit along the second conveying passage.

A sheet folding system includes a plurality of sheet folding apparatuses configured to receive and perform a folding process on a sheet and circuitry configured to distribute sheets to the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses. Each of the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses includes a folding device configured to fold the sheet, a first conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet downstream in a sheet conveyance direction without passing through the folding device, a second conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet to the folding device, a third conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet from the folding device downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and a junction between the first conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage. The circuitry controls sheet conveyance to prevent an interference, at the junction, between the sheet conveyed from the first conveyance passage and the sheet conveyed from the third conveyance passage.

A sheet separation device separates a non-bonding portion of a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and bonded together at a bonding portion of the two-ply sheet. The sheet separation device includes a separator, an abnormality detection device, and circuitry. The separator is configured to move to be inserted into a gap formed between the two sheets of the two-ply sheet. The abnormality detection device is configured to detect an abnormal state in which the gap larger than a predetermined size is not formed between the two sheets before the separator is inserted into the gap. The circuitry is configured to control movement of the separator based on a result detected by the abnormality detection device.

A recording device includes a recording unit configured to record on a medium, a transportation unit configured to transport the medium, a driving member, a plurality of gears configured to transmit a driving force of the driving member, and a sound absorber having an opening and a hollow space in communication with the opening. The sound absorber is located between a side end of the medium being transported by the transportation unit and the plurality of gears.

The method of transporting a piece of fabric material using a Morton™ picker comprises the steps of aligning a weight vector of the piece of fabric material being lifted, from the gap between the toothed wheel and the pressing foot of the picker and into a region between a tangent to the toothed wheel and a right angle to the pressing surface of the pressing foot; and lifting and transporting the piece of fabric material while maintaining the alignment of the weight vector in that region. In another aspect, there is provided robotic installation comprising a robotic arm and a Morton™ picker for manipulating pieces of fabric material. The robotic arm is configured for simultaneously rotating an axis of the picker and moving the picker along a hyperbolic trajectory, in a single complex motion without jitter, while maintaining the aforesaid alignment of the weight vector.

An image reading apparatus includes a common transport route, a first and a second transport route, a first and a second image sensor, a first and a second discharge tray, and a controller. The controller executes a first reading mode including guiding the document from the common transport route to the first transport route, reading the image on the first face of the document with the first image sensor, and discharging the document to the first discharge tray, or a second reading mode including reading the image on the second face of the document with the second image sensor, guiding the document from the common transport route to the second transport route, and discharging the document to the second discharge tray, inhibits the first reading mode, upon deciding that the first discharge tray is full, and inhibits the second reading mode, upon deciding that the second discharge tray is full.