A method of feeding a print medium comprises receiving a print medium by a media advance system; transporting the print medium by the media advance system to a print zone wherein the transporting comprises applying a first normal force when the print medium is at a first position of the media advance system and applying a second normal force when the print medium is at a second position of the media advance system, wherein the second normal force is different from the first normal force.

A medium conveying apparatus includes a suctioner that suctions a medium of a plurality of media to a feed belt, a driver that moves the feed belt to feed the medium, a first side blower that blows air at a first airflow rate to a first end face of the medium, a second side blower that blows air at a second airflow rate to a second end face of the medium, and a controller that controls the first side blower to blow air to the first end face at a third airflow rate that is greater than the first airflow rate and the second airflow rate when the medium has not been auctioned to a first portion of the feed belt close to the first end face and has been auctioned to a second portion of the feed belt close to the second end face.

A controller drives a floating unit and a conveyor to perform a sheet feed operation, during the sheet feed operation, acquires an amount of received light at a detector during floating of sheets floated by the floating unit each time each sheet is conveyed by the conveyor, and perform a following control of lifting a stacking tray upon the acquired amount of received light being less than a threshold value. The controller, after start of the sheet feed operation, samples amounts of received light at the detector during floating of the sheets floated by the floating unit, performs a threshold value determination process of determining the threshold value by using the sampled amounts of received light, and starts the following control upon determining the threshold value.

A marker transport system and a method of operating the marker transport system can include one or more print heads and a marker transport platen upon which a sheet of media moves. The transport platen can include airflow sections comprising process-direction slots. The plates can move in a cross-process direction, and can control airflow in an area under the print heads. The one or more plates in a first position can allow for airflow when the sheet of media is located at the first position and in a second position can block the airflow at the second position. A vacuum can be provided under the sheet of media as the sheet of media traverses a print path across the marker transport platen. A no-vacuum inter-document zone can be provided, which moves along with the sheet of media under the one or more print heads.

According to some embodiments a conveying device for conveying goods includes at least one conveyor belt with an outer contact face against which the goods to be conveyed are held during conveyance. A main negative pressure holding area is provided adjacent to the conveyor belt, the main negative pressure holding area being configured to hold or release the goods to or from the conveyor belt by negative pressure. The conveyor belt includes at least one suction chamber on the outer contact face forming an additional negative pressure holding area, the suction chamber being in fluid communication with negative pressure holding means through at least one opening transversely going through the conveyor belt.

A substrate printing system is disclosed having a perforated conveyor belt adapted for transporting on the same a substrate to be printed, wherein the perforated conveyor belt has a set of perforations; a perforated grill which has a set of perforations and which is configured such that the perforated conveyor belt can be moved over the perforated grill; and a suction chamber which has a suction element, the suction chamber being in communication with the perforated conveyor belt and with the perforated grill such that the suction flow created by the suction element is adapted for passing through perforations of the perforated conveyor belt and of the perforated grill to secure the substrate to the perforated conveyor belt.

A vacuum system for securing substrates is provided, having a suction line, the conveyor belt configured to receive and transport at least one substrate, wherein the conveyor belt is provided with a plurality of perforations, wherein the vacuum system is configured to produce fluid suction through the perforations towards the interior of the suction line, generating a securing force of the at least one substrate to the conveyor belt. The invention is characterized in that each perforation is equipped with a valve which allows the opening and closing of the perforation, allowing and impeding, respectively, the passage of a fluid flow through the perforation.

A substrate-feeding device has at least two acceleration devices, which are arranged one beside the other, beneath a storage region, and having a framework and a lifting frame, which lifting frame can be moved relative to the framework. The at least two acceleration devices are arranged for movement jointly with one another, and with the lifting frame. Each of the acceleration devices has at least one body of rotation, which is driven via a common shaft which has at least two shaft portions arranged one behind the other. Directly adjacent shaft portions are arranged in a state in which they are connected in each case, via a coupling. There are subassemblies provided which each have a deflecting device, a shaft portion and at least one transporting belt and which are each one of fastened on the lifting frame, and are arranged for movement jointly with the lifting frame and are connected to one another by virtue of their shaft portions being connected via couplings to form the common shaft. The invention also relates to a sheet-processing machine.

An air fan assembly includes a suction box including a wall having an open area distributed across the wall. The suction box is configured to contain an underpressure on an inner side of the wall, so as to cause a cut sheet to adhere to a perforated transport belt. An impingement unit is configured to expel air supplied thereto towards the perforated transport belt. An air fan is arranged to create and maintain the underpressure in the suction box and to supply the air to be expelled by the impingement unit via an air outlet of the suction box. A first valve is arranged upstream of the air fan for conditionally admitting an additional air flow into the suction box. An inkjet printer and a method of operating the air fan assembly include the air fan assembly.

A belt conveyance device includes an endless belt, a duct having a suction port, and a rectifier inside the duct. The duct is surrounded by an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The rectifier extends in a width direction of the endless belt perpendicular to a direction of conveyance by the endless belt.