An image forming apparatus includes: as a conveyance to convey an object formed with an image, an upstream-side conveyance path; an intermediate conveyance path connected to a downstream end part of the upstream-side conveyance path via a first bent part; and a downstream-side conveyance path connected to the intermediate conveyance path via a second bent part, wherein the second bent part is bent to a side opposite to the first bent part, on an inner side of a bend of the first bent part, a friction reducing part capable of abutting with the object conveyed in the first bent part is provided, and the intermediate conveyance path includes: a pair of guide parts forming the intermediate conveyance path; and a friction reducing part that is provided on both a pair of the guide parts and is capable of abutting with the object conveyed between a pair of the guide parts.

Disclosed are methods and systems for dispensing a printed document from a printer machine with a dispensing device. For instance, a document being printed out from the printer machine may be monitored for, and a determination that a document is being printed out from the printer machine may be made based on the monitoring. The printed document may be engaged with an arm mechanism of the dispensing device, the printed document may be urged towards a slot of the dispensing device with the arm mechanism, and the printed document may be dispensed out of the slot with the arm mechanism.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a conveyance guide, a driven rotary member, and a support portion. The support portion supports a shaft portion of the rotary member driven to rotate by a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit and guided by the conveyance guide. The support portion includes first and second contact portions that support the shaft portion of the driven rotary member while being in contact with the shaft portion. With respect to a cross section of the shaft portion perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft portion, the driven rotary member is disposed so that a portion, of the driven rotary member, that is on a lower side in a vertical direction relative to a horizontal line and is on one side in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical line comes into contact with the sheet.

An assembly to manufacture a roll of prepreg material. The assembly includes a moving system for picking a sheet of prepreg material from a stack of sheets and moving the sheet along a feed path. An alignment system aligns a leading edge of the sheets with a trailing edge of a roll of the prepreg material. A welding system connects the sheet to the roll.

A device (110) for sampling sheet elements (20) in a sorting unit (100) comprises: transport means (111, 112) defining a plane (P0) and able to move (A) a sheet element (20) longitudinally upstream to downstream, an axis (R1) situated at the level of the transport means (111, 112) and extending transversely, a diversion part (113) rotatable about the axis (R1) and having at least one end (114) so that during the rotation of the diversion part (113) through a first angular sector (S1) the horizontal projection of the end (114) remains below the plane (P0) and during the rotation through a second angular sector (S2) complementary to the first angular sector the horizontal projection of the end (114) moves above the plane (P0) so as to divert a sheet element (20) in a direction different from the plane (P0) and thus to sample the sheet element (20).

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a conveyance guide, a driven rotary member, and a support portion. The support portion supports a shaft portion of the rotary member driven to rotate by a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit and guided by the conveyance guide. The support portion includes first and second contact portions that support the shaft portion of the driven rotary member while being in contact with the shaft portion. With respect to a cross section of the shaft portion perpendicular to an axial direction of the shaft portion, the driven rotary member is disposed so that a portion, of the driven rotary member, that is on a lower side in a vertical direction relative to a horizontal line and is on one side in a horizontal direction relative to a vertical line comes into contact with the sheet.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveyor, a processing tool, a tool contact separation device, a tool moving device, and a tool facing device. The sheet conveyor is configured to convey a sheet. The processing tool is configured to perform processing to the sheet. The tool contact separation device is configured to contact and separate the processing tool with respect to the sheet. The tool moving device is configured to move the processing tool in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the sheet. The tool facing device includes a tool facing portion and a sheet gripper. The tool facing portion includes a rotary member supported by a shaft and is disposed at a position facing the processing tool via the sheet. The sheet gripper includes a rotary member supported by a shaft and is configured to grip the sheet with the tool facing portion.

A sheet processing apparatus is configured to press a fold line that is formed on a sheet. The sheet processing apparatus includes: a sheet supporting unit configured to support the sheet in a pressing direction for pressing the fold line; a pressing unit configured to press the fold line that is formed on the sheet that is supported by the sheet supporting unit; and a pressing-force generating unit configured to generate a pressing force for pressing the sheet supporting unit against the pressing unit at a central part in a direction along which the fold line is formed.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a printing apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction, a print head configured to perform printing on the sheet conveyed in the conveyance direction by the conveyance unit, a discharge port from which the sheet printed by the print head is discharged, a stacking portion located below the discharge port and configured to stack the sheet discharged from the discharge port in a state where a leading end of the sheet is directed to an upstream side in the conveyance direction, and a holding unit disposed in a sheet discharge path below the discharge port and configured to move between a holding position in which the holding unit holds the sheet and a releasing position in which the holding unit releases the sheet.

An assembly to manufacture a roll of prepreg material. The assembly includes a moving system for picking a sheet of prepreg material from a stack of sheets and moving the sheet along a feed path. An alignment system aligns a leading edge of the sheets with a trailing edge of a roll of the prepreg material. A welding system connects the sheet to the roll.