An apparatus and method for tracking defects in sheet materials. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading Abstract of the Disclosure. The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

The present application relates to a tracking arrangement for the tracking of a material defect in a sheet material, such as a container material or a product-packaging material. The tracking arrangement may comprise a defect sensor, which is configured to detect a material defect in a sheet material moving thereby or therethrough. The tracking arrangement may also comprise a first structure sensor, which is configured to detect at least one inherent structural feature of the sheet material itself in the region of the material defect, as well as a control arrangement, which is configured to receive data from said first structure sensor.

A device for processing a material web (3) that includes means (2) for conveying the material web in a longitudinal direction (L), wherein both an applied, in particular repeated printed image (9) and a control line (10, 11) extending in the longitudinal direction are configured on the material web (3). The control line (10, 11) has a defined position transverse to the material web (3), and the control line (10, 11) is scanned by means of a sensor (15, 16) in a material web (3) processing step. The control line (3) has a digital code structure in its longitudinal direction (L) that encodes a data set of at least four bits, in particular at least two bytes, of information content.

A binding device includes a receptacle, an aligner, a moving mechanism, first and second binders, and a guide. The aligner aligns a bundle of recording media in a width direction thereof on the receptacle. The moving mechanism moves the aligner in the width direction. A maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the second binder is smaller than that in the first binder. The guide is movable conforming to the maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the first binder, and conforming to that in the second binder, to guide and direct the bundle of recording media to a receiving portion of the first binder when the first binder binds the bundle of recording media, and to a receiving portion of the second binder when the second binder binds the bundle of recording media, respectively. The guide is movable in conjunction with the aligner.

A device for processing a material web (3) that includes means (2) for conveying the material web in a longitudinal direction (L), wherein both an applied, in particular repeated printed image (9) and a control line (10, 11) extending in the longitudinal direction are configured on the material web (3). The control line (10, 11) has a defined position transverse to the material web (3), and the control line (10, 11) is scanned by means of a sensor (15, 16) in a material web (3) processing step. The control line (3) has a digital code structure in its longitudinal direction (L) that encodes a data set of at least four bits, in particular at least two bytes, of information content.

A binding device includes a receptacle, an aligner, a moving mechanism, first and second binders, and a guide. The aligner aligns a bundle of recording media in a width direction thereof on the receptacle. The moving mechanism moves the aligner in the width direction. A maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the second binder is smaller than that in the first binder. The guide is movable conforming to the maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the first binder, and conforming to that in the second binder, to guide and direct the bundle of recording media to a receiving portion of the first binder when the first binder binds the bundle of recording media, and to a receiving portion of the second binder when the second binder binds the bundle of recording media, respectively. The guide is movable in conjunction with the aligner.

This disclosure describes various aspect of a unique standalone document handler that is coupable to and controllable by a fulfillment. The standalone documents handler is attachable to a standard printer or copier and has a drop chute that is designed to hold groups of fulfillment documents and drop them into a fulfillment receptacle positioned under the document handler. Upper and lower scanners scan document identification codes placed on one or more pages of the fulfillment document, which allows a system controller to control the timing of dispensing the correct documents in the designated fulfillment receptacle at the correct time.

Described is a control and programming system and method for producing a ball of thread having a plurality of stretches with different colors along the longitudinal direction with a ball winding machine comprising: a device for acquiring the chromatic characteristics of the thread connected to a respective control unit, a device for moving the thread towards the ball winding machine and a device for cutting the thread.

A sheet pile supporting assembly (24) for a sheet material processing machine is presented. It comprises a plurality of sheet pile supporting bars (28) and a movable guiding means for selectively moving one or more of the sheet pile supporting bars (28) from a retracted position to an extended position. Additionally, an automatic selection unit (30) is provided for automatically selecting the sheet pile supporting bars (28) to be moved to the extended position and for coupling the selected sheet pile supporting bars (28) to the movable guiding means. Moreover, a method for operating a sheet pile supporting assembly (24) for a sheet material processing machine is explained.

A medium conveyance apparatus including a first unit on one side of a conveyance path of a sheet-shaped medium, a second unit on the other side of the conveyance path and facing the first unit, a guide unit that is provided at the second unit and that contacts the medium between the first and second unit to move the second unit in a direction of separating from the conveyance path, an imaging unit provided at one of the first and second unit, a reference plate whose image can be captured by the imaging unit and that is provided at the other of the first and second unit, and a detecting unit for detecting the medium in the conveyance path, the detecting unit being provided in the conveyance path at an upstream position of a reading position where the imaging unit reads the medium.