A sheet folding apparatus includes a sheet folding unit disposed to fold a sheet and a conveyance unit disposed to feed the sheet to the sheet folding unit in a feed direction orthogonal to a fold direction of the sheet folding unit while correcting a skew of the sheet. The conveyance unit includes an elongated reference guide, a conveyance mechanism disposed to convey the sheet in the feed direction while exerting a force on the sheet toward the reference guide, an adjustment mechanism disposed to adjust an inclination of the reference guide with respect to the feed direction. The apparatus further includes an input unit through which a user inputs a folding misalignment amount of the sheet folded by the sheet folding unit. The inclination of the reference guide is corrected by the adjustment mechanism based on at least the folding misalignment amount inputted through the input unit.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a feeder, and a relay device. The main body forms an image on a sheet. The feeder feeds the sheet toward the main body. The relay device connects the main body to the feeder. The main body is placed on a placement surface. The feeder is arranged opposite to the main body with the relay device therebetween in a direction along the placement surface. The relay device includes a conveyance unit and a casing which houses the conveyance unit. The conveyance unit conveys the sheet fed from the feeder to the main body and rotates relative to the casing with an axis as a pivot thereof. The axis extends in a cross direction intersecting with the placement surface.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a feeder, and a relay device. The main body forms an image on a sheet. The feeder feeds the sheet toward the main body. The relay device connects the main body to the feeder. The main body is placed on a placement surface. The feeder is arranged opposite to the main body with the relay device therebetween in a direction along the placement surface. The relay device includes a conveyance unit and a casing which houses the conveyance unit. The conveyance unit conveys the sheet fed from the feeder to the main body and rotates relative to the casing with an axis as a pivot thereof. The axis extends in a cross direction intersecting with the placement surface.

An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of paper sheet feeders, a conveying unit, an image forming unit, and a control unit. The plurality of paper sheet feeders each include an opening/closing detection unit and a sheet information detecting unit. The opening/closing detection unit detects opening and closing of the paper sheet feeder. The sheet information detecting unit detects sheet information. The sheet information indicates information regarding a sheet housed in the paper sheet feeder. When the opening/closing detection unit detects that the paper sheet feeder is closed after detecting that the paper sheet feeder was opened, the control unit: determines whether the sheet information has changed from before and after opening and closing the paper sheet feeder or not, and determines whether to switch the selected paper sheet feeder or not based on the determination result.

According to an example, an apparatus to prevent media transport jams may include an actuator to load and advance a media within a media path width. The apparatus may also include a first sensor and a second sensor to detect respective edges of the media, in which the first sensor and the second sensor may be positioned outside of a media action area and on opposite sides of the media path width. The apparatus may further include a controller to prevent the actuator from advancing the media along the media path in response to a detection of one or both of the first edge of the media by the first sensor and the second edge of the media by the second sensor.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part that forms an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveying path; a transfer part that transfers the image; a conveying roller that is arranged at the upstream of the transfer part in the conveying path, has rollers, and conveys the sheet to the transfer part; roller drive mechanisms that independently rotate the rollers; a first bend detection sensor that is arranged in the conveying path and detects a bend of a front end of the sheet relative to the conveying direction; a sheet rotation angle calculation part that calculates a first rotation offset angle of the front end of the sheet relative to an axial line of the conveying roller; a roller driving amount calculation part that calculates the driving amounts of the roller drive mechanisms; and a drive mechanism control part that controls operations of the roller drive mechanisms.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming part that forms an image on a sheet conveyed in a conveying path; a transfer part that transfers the image; a conveying roller that is arranged at the upstream of the transfer part in the conveying path, has rollers, and conveys the sheet to the transfer part; roller drive mechanisms that independently rotate the rollers; a first bend detection sensor that is arranged in the conveying path and detects a bend of a front end of the sheet relative to the conveying direction; a sheet rotation angle calculation part that calculates a first rotation offset angle of the front end of the sheet relative to an axial line of the conveying roller; a roller driving amount calculation part that calculates the driving amounts of the roller drive mechanisms; and a drive mechanism control part that controls operations of the roller drive mechanisms.

According to an example, an apparatus to prevent media transport jams may include an actuator to load and advance a media within a media path width. The apparatus may also include a first sensor and a second sensor to detect respective edges of the media, in which the first sensor and the second sensor may be positioned outside of a media action area and on opposite sides of the media path width. The apparatus may further include a controller to prevent the actuator from advancing the media along the media path in response to a detection of one or both of the first edge of the media by the first sensor and the second edge of the media by the second sensor.

The present invention includes a method and an apparatus (1) for handling flat material and/or film material wound onto rolls (5) and that serves as packaging material for the packaging of piece goods, bundles, or the like sets of articles. Rolls (5), which are at least partially unwound, are alternately removed from at least one installation position (EB1; EB2) of a packaging machine (3), and in each case a new roll (5) of flat material and/or film material is mounted in the particular installation position (EB1; EB2). After each mounting, an externally arranged layer (15) is extracted from the particular new roll (5) near or in the area of its free end and attached to a section of a material web of a further roll (5) being guided in the packaging machine (3). This is done in a manner such that flat material and/or film material is unwound interruption-free.

The present invention includes a method and an apparatus (1) for handling flat material and/or film material wound onto rolls (5) and that serves as packaging material for the packaging of piece goods, bundles, or the like sets of articles. Rolls (5), which are at least partially unwound, are alternately removed from at least one installation position (EB1; EB2) of a packaging machine (3), and in each case a new roll (5) of flat material and/or film material is mounted in the particular installation position (EB1; EB2). After each mounting, an externally arranged layer (15) is extracted from the particular new roll (5) near or in the area of its free end and attached to a section of a material web of a further roll (5) being guided in the packaging machine (3). This is done in a manner such that flat material and/or film material is unwound interruption-free.