A fixing device includes a belt unit and an opposite member. The belt unit and opposite member are configured to, when a recording medium with a developer image transferred thereon passes through a nip region formed by the belt unit and opposite member, fix the developer image to the recording medium. The belt unit includes an endless belt, a heater group including a plurality of stacked heaters, and a holder that holds the heater group inside the belt.

A paper sheet handling apparatus including a paper sheet transport direction switching unit adapted to switch transport directions of paper sheets and to then feed the paper sheets, the paper sheet transport direction switching unit includes: a first direction switching and feeding member adapted to pressurize one side of a paper sheet transported, switch the transport direction of the paper sheet, and feed the paper sheet switched in direction; and a second direction switching and feeding member facing the first direction switching and feeding member in such a manner as to operate together with the first direction switching and feeding member to pressurize the other side of the paper sheet transported, switch the transport direction of the paper sheet, and feed the paper sheet switched in direction.

A paper sheet processing apparatus including a plurality of transport units connected in a transport direction to which a paper sheet is transported, each of the plurality of transport units including a paper sheet detection sensor configured to detect presence/absence of the paper sheet, a transport mechanism configured to transport the paper sheet, driving means configured to drive the transport mechanism, and a controller unit configured to control the driving means, wherein the controller unit controls the driving means so that the paper sheet is transported by the transport mechanism based on a detection result of the paper sheet detection sensor.

A layboy includes an upper belt section with a plurality of transversely spaced upper belts that extend in a longitudinal direction such that bottom portions of the upper belts lie in a first plane that defines an upper boundary of a transport path through the layboy and a lower belt section having a plurality of transversely spaced lower belts that extend in the longitudinal direction such that top portions of the lower belts lie in a second plane that defines an upper boundary of the transport path. The bottom portion of one of the top belts and/or the top portion of one of the bottom belts extends away from the transport path to define a gap in the transport path at which scrap moving through the layboy can fall out of the transport path.

A conveyor device for a folding apparatus for folding textiles includes an infeed region for a textile and an outfeed region for a folded textile. A first belt conveyor conveys the textile on a first conveyor plane from the infeed region to a first transfer unit, which feeds the textile to a second conveyor plane of a second belt conveyor. At least one second transfer unit and at least one additional belt conveyor having an additional conveyor plane are disposed downstream of the belt conveyor. At least two subassemblies, each configured as modular conveyor units are provided, into which one belt conveyor and at least one transfer unit are each integrated. The conveyor device is modularly configured, in that a plurality of modular conveyor units are disposed one atop the other and connected to each other.

An escrow unit has an escrow wheel and a movable-continuous belt. The escrow wheel rotates about an axis. The movable-continuous belt is wrapped partially around the escrow wheel forming an open gap between the belt and escrow wheel. The open gap allows the belt to transport a document through the open gap and to store the document by holding the document between the belt and the escrow wheel.

Disclosed is an automated insert feeding system and related methods, capable of removing bulk-packaged items from a tray or other package, and separating the bulk-packaged items individually for distribution into individual packages in high speed reliable fashion. The disclosed systems can also be loaded with multiple packages of the pre-packaged items for automatic feeding into the system which allows human operators to load several packages and allow the system to work unattended, thereby reducing man-hours spend on the process.

A transport device includes a first belt member, a second belt member, a first roller, a second roller, a third roller, a fourth roller, a fifth roller, and a sixth roller. The second belt member is in contact with the first belt member to form a contact portion in cooperation with the first belt member. The first roller is capable of adjusting a tilt in a longitudinal direction of the first roller. The second roller is capable of adjusting a tilt in a longitudinal direction of the second roller. The third and fourth rollers are located adjacent to the first roller. The fifth and sixth rollers are located adjacent to the second roller. The third roller, the fourth roller, the fifth roller, and the sixth roller each have a uniform diameter in a longitudinal direction of the roller, and are disposed at positions other than the contact portion.

A mail singulator system determines a position of an optical panel to automatically adjust a loading conveyor speed to prevent stacked and overlapped mailpieces in the singulator and large gaps between mailpieces. The optical panel is configured between the front mailpiece of a mail stack on the loading conveyor and the optical sensor. The optical panel changes position with the pressure exerted by the mail stack and provides signals to the controller to adjust the conveyor speed. An optical sensor may detect a far threshold position or limit distance to increase the speed of the conveyor and may detect a near threshold position of limit distance to reduce the speed of the conveyor. The optical panel may have a low friction surface to allow the mail to slide into the conveyor and an optical surface to allow reliable optical sensor detection of the optical panel position.

A packaging machine having several work stations, a transport chain and a chain deflection pulley on which the transport chain is mounted. The transport chain comprises chain clips, each chain clip having an upper part and a lower part, wherein the upper part and/or the lower part may be moveable relative to each other to move the chain clips between an open position and a closed position. The material blank may be introduced into the open chain clips and secured in the closed chain clips to transport the material blank in a direction of transport using the transport chain. A chain opening mechanism may be actively and operably changed between an opening state and a closing state in order to open and close at least one chain clip disposed on a planar oriented section of the transport chain and/or to maintain an already opened chain clip in an open state.