A sheet takeout and separation device of an embodiment has a takeout section, a sending section, a separation portion. The takeout section takes out a sheet. The sending section sends out the sheet taken out by the takeout section. The separation portion is provided so as to come in contact with the sheets taken out in an overlapping state by the takeout section, and separates the sheets one by one. In addition, the separation portion has a separation portion main body and a cover. The separation portion main body elastically deforms in accordance with a thickness of the sheet. The cover is provided on the separation portion main body so as to come in contact with the sheet. And, on a surface of the cover, a surface roughening treatment for enhancing a friction coefficient of the relevant surface is performed.

An end unit includes: a processing tray including an upper surface on which a medium subjected to recording by a recording unit is mounted; a first paddle and a second paddle that transport, in direction +A, the medium mounted on the upper surface; an alignment section that aligns an edge portion of the medium, which was transported in direction +A by the first paddle and the second paddle, in direction +A; a post-processing section that performs post-processing for the medium aligned by the alignment section; and a load member that applies a load when the medium on the processing tray moves in direction −A opposite to direction +A.

A method of grouping sheet units, which belong together in sheet groups, a sheet stream comprising two superposed sheet units each by means of a grouping unit, a grouping unit for a sheet handling system, and a sheet handling system that allow a high processing speed and a high cycle efficiency of a sheet handling system are disclosed. A sheet unit can be held back in the grouping unit. Depending on whether the downstream subsequent sheet units transferred into the grouping unit belong to a sheet group, the held-back sheet unit can be released by itself and together with one or together with both downstream subsequent sheet units.

An apparatus for a single-track or multitrack provision of web-like interleaved sheet material at a cutting region in which products supplied on one track or on multiple tracks are cut into slices and interleaved sheets are introduced which are cut off from the provided interleaved sheet material in the cutting region, comprising an output device which is configured to eject at least one material web into the cutting region, wherein the output device comprises at least one driven feed roll and at least one counter-unit which forms a feed gap for the material web together with the feed roll.

A handling device having a holder for gripping web-shaped packaging material, which holder has a curvature in the longitudinal direction of the holder. When the packaging material is gripped by the handling device, a free end section of the packaging material is arched in the transverse direction of the packaging material and projects out from the handling device to be inserted into a processing station of a packaging machine.

A self-contained web cleaning apparatus is disclosed herein. The self-contained web cleaning apparatus includes a vacuum assembly, the vacuum assembly including a vacuum source, the vacuum source configured to create a vacuum for removing particulate matter from a continuous web of material; and at least one particulate extraction device fluidly coupled to the vacuum assembly, the at least one particulate extraction device defining a slot therein through which the particulate matter from the continuous web of material is extracted. The vacuum assembly and the at least one particulate extraction device are disposed within a self-contained structure without any connections to an external vacuum source located outside of the self-contained web cleaning apparatus.

A gripper, which removes blanks from a web of material lying flat, includes gripping elements which can each be actuated separately. The gripping elements are mounted independently of one another in a frame so as to be displaceable perpendicularly to a reference plane parallel to the web of material. The gripping elements are set against the web of material and actuated in a takeover position of the gripper aligned with respect to the blank by means of a control device. In addition to the gripping elements located inside the contour line, there are also other gripping elements adjacent to the blank and located outside the contour line that are set against the material web as downholders. Gripping elements within the contour line of the blank are actuated and retracted from the material web, taking along the blank, before the gripper is lifted off the material web from the takeover position.

An apparatus and method of conveying parts underneath an array of inkjet printheads in such a way as to minimize print defects caused by variation in motion. The conveyor is composed of a series of rigid conveyor track segments that are forced to move in a precise straight line due to a combination of accurate ball bearing wheel assemblies and precision machine guideways that are incorporated into the conveying system.

An end unit includes: a processing tray including an upper surface on which a medium subjected to recording by a recording unit is mounted; a first paddle and a second paddle that transport, in direction +A, the medium mounted on the upper surface; an alignment section that aligns an edge portion of the medium, which was transported in direction +A by the first paddle and the second paddle, in direction +A; a post-processing section that performs post-processing for the medium aligned by the alignment section; and a load member that applies a load when the medium on the processing tray moves in direction −A opposite to direction +A.

A positioning device (38) for holding a flat flexible part, especially a sheet, on a positioning surface (46) is presented. It comprises a body (44) having a suction opening (50) for aspiring the part and a fluid port (52) being in fluid communication with the suction opening (50). Furthermore, an abutment protrusion (60) is provided on a connection surface (48) for abutting the positioning device (38) against a base part (28) to which it may be mounted. Also a sealing protrusion (64) is arranged on the connection surface (48) for compressing a gasket (42) being interposed between the positioning device (38) and the base part (28). A height (H.sub.a) of the abutment protrusion (60) is bigger than a height (H.sub.s) of the sealing protrusion (64). Additionally, a positioning assembly (24) is presented which comprises at least one such positioning device (38). Furthermore, a sheet material processing machine comprising at least one such positioning assembly (24) is introduced.