A sheet conveying apparatus includes: a first conveying portion in which a band-shaped sheet including a first surface and a second surface is conveyed with the first surface facing downward; a turning portion located downstream of the first conveying portion and flips the sheet with the first surface facing inward; and a second conveying portion located downstream of the turning portion. The turning portion includes a convex curve along which the sheet is flipped. The convex curve includes a first and a second air ejection portions. The first air ejection portion is located in an upstream end region and ejects air toward the first surface of the sheet. The second air ejection portion is located downstream of the upstream end region and ejects air toward the first surface. The first air ejection portion ejects air to generate flotation larger than that of the second air ejection portion.

A sheet transport device includes a pair of movable transport rollers capable of transporting a sheet while holding the sheet and moving in an axial direction crossing a transportation direction; pairs of first transport rollers upstream from the pair of movable transport rollers in the transportation direction while being spaced apart from each other to transport the sheet while holding the sheet; and pairs of transport guides to define sheet transport spaces between the pair of movable transport rollers and the pairs of first transport rollers and between the pairs of first transport rollers. When the pair of movable transport rollers is to be moved in the axial direction, at least one pair of first transport rollers transports the sheet while bending the sheet in the transport space by producing a difference in transport rate within a portion of a section upstream from the pair of movable transport rollers.

A reversing unit has a drive roller, a discharge roller for forming a first nip portion N1 together with the drive roller, and a conveyance roller for forming a second nip portion together with the drive roller. The reversing unit moves any one of the rollers and nips a sheet at a plurality of nip portions when moving the roller to switch the nip portion for nipping a sheet from a first nip portion to a second nip portion and change the sheet conveyance direction from a first direction to a second direction.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part that forms an image on a paper sheet; a first conveyance path that conveys the paper sheet on which the image is formed and that includes a primary conveyance path; a second conveyance path that reverses the paper sheet and includes a reverse conveyance path; a connecting conveyance path that connects the second conveyance path to the first conveyance path, and, before reversal at a time of conveyance to the second conveyance path, sends the paper sheet to the first conveyance path, starting from one edge of the paper sheet; and a return conveyance path that connects the second conveyance path to the first conveyance path, and, after the reversal at a time of conveyance to the second conveyance path, sends the paper sheet to the first conveyance path, starting from the other edge of the paper sheet.

An orientation changing apparatus includes a transport path along which a transport object is transported and that includes a portion having a space; a changing unit that changes an orientation of the transport object transported toward the space, the changing unit changing the orientation in the space by applying a rotational force to the transport object in a direction that crosses a transporting direction in which the transport object is transported; and a receiving unit that receives the transport object after the orientation of the transport object is changed by the changing unit.

An apparatus is disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a paper feed to feed print media a single sheet at a time, a plurality of rotating discs, wherein each one of the plurality of rotating discs comprises an elastomer ring to secure a leading edge of the single sheet against a registration wall and initiate a flipping process, a plurality of fans to generate an air flow, wherein the air flow levitates a trailing edge of the single sheet during completion of the flipping process, and a movable platform to hold a stack of the print media.

A sheet transport device includes a pair of movable transport rollers capable of transporting a sheet while holding the sheet and capable of moving in an axial direction crossing a transportation direction; pairs of first transport rollers disposed at a distance from each other upstream from the pair of movable transport rollers in the transportation direction to transport the sheet while holding the sheet; and pairs of first transport guides disposed to define sheet transport spaces between the pair of movable transport rollers and the pairs of first transport rollers and between the pairs of first transport rollers. When the pair of movable transport rollers is moved in the axial direction, at least one of the pairs of first transport rollers is displaced in a direction to widen the transport space.

A sheet transport device includes a pair of movable transport rollers capable of transporting a sheet while holding the sheet and capable of moving in an axial direction crossing a transportation direction; pairs of first transport rollers disposed upstream from the pair of movable transport rollers in the transportation direction while being spaced apart from each other to transport the sheet while holding the sheet; and pairs of transport guides disposed to define sheet transport spaces between the pair of movable transport rollers and the pairs of first transport rollers and between the pairs of first transport rollers. When the pair of movable transport rollers is to be moved in the axial direction, first transport rollers in at least one of the pairs of first transport rollers are separated not to hold at least part of a portion of the transported sheet located upstream from the pair of movable transport rollers.

A sheet flipping device includes a receiving member for receiving a sheet, a flipping volume being the volume which in operation is defined by the flipping movement of the sheet, and a flipping element for flipping the sheet around an axis of rotation within the flipping volume onto the receiving member. The sheet flipping device further includes an air vortex ring generator having an air vortex ring exit nozzle defining a translational direction of a generated air vortex ring when the generated vortex ring is in operation generated from the air vortex ring exit nozzle. The air vortex ring generator is mounted such that in operation the sheet is urged onto the receiving member by the air vortex ring during the flipping motion of the sheet through the flipping volume. A sheet stacking device and a printing apparatus include the sheet flipping device.

A stack of products is moved using a robot. The robot has an articulated arm and grippers on the articulated arm to grip the stack of products. The stack of products is selectively turned in the depositing scheme. Two grippers are used in the method and, upon the deposit, the grippers are removed from the stack of products in the horizontal and in two directions perpendicular to one another. It is possible to move and selectively deposit stacks of product in a turned or unturned orientation.