A switching device for switching transport directions of a recording medium includes a switching member and at least one rotation stopper. The switching member is configured to switch transport paths of the recording medium. The at least one rotation stopper is configured to hit the switching member to stop rotation of the switching member. The at least one rotation stopper is disposed asymmetrically in a direction perpendicular to a transport direction in which the switching member transports the recording medium.

A document feeder constituting an image forming apparatus includes a paper feeder to supply a document to a document transport path, a first transporter to transport the document toward image reading positions, and a second transporter to transport the document toward the document discharging tray while supplying the document to the image reading positions. Furthermore, the document feeder includes a motor provided on the first frame, a first driver provided on the first frame and to transmit driving force generated by the motor to the paper feeder and the first transporter, a second driver provided on the second frame and to transmit the driving force generated by the motor to the second transporter, and a second driver to transmit the driving force generated by the motor to the second transporter, and a relay transmission member to transmit the driving force generated by the motor to the second driver.

A winding device for winding a yarn onto a package tube has a spindle that holds and rotationally drives the package tube. A support roller abuts against a peripheral surface of the yarn winding package during winding of the yarn. The spindle is supported by a pivotably mounted swivel arm so as to swivel relative to the support roller. A contact-force control device is provided and includes an actuator disposed to actuate the swivel arm, and a control device configured with the actuator. A bending beam load cell is configured on the swivel arm to determine an actual value of a contact force between the yarn package and the support roller. The contact force is regulated to a predetermined target value via control of the actuator by the control device.

Example described herein relate to a print shoes. For instance, a print shoe can include a body including a first surface, a first arm extending from the first surface and including a first mounting mechanism to couple to a spring, and a second arm extending from the first surface in a position substantially coplanar with the first arm, where the second arm includes a second mounting mechanism to couple to the spring and dispose the first arm a distance away from the second arm when coupled to the spring.

A sheet feeding device includes a pickup roller, a lifting/lowering mechanism, and a driver device. The lifting/lowering mechanism includes a restricting member that releasably restricts the pickup roller from being lowered from a lifted position of the pickup roller at the lifted position. In the sheet feeding device, the driver device drives the lifting/lowering mechanism so that the pickup roller is lowered from the lifted position of the pickup roller, and a drive suspend operation is performed in which the driving of the lifting/lowering mechanism by driver device is suspended after a predetermined time during which the pickup roller does not contact a sheet loading tray or a sheet on the sheet loading tray elapses from a time point when the pickup roller is released from being restricted by the restricting member at the lifted position.

A method for monitoring a machine element in a paper finishing machine (10). The machine element mounted for rotation machine elements (16-19) equipped with a sensor assembly (24) measuring force or pressure, and a counter-pair (15, 20, 33, 44) for said machine element. The machine element is made to rotate against the counter-pair, a measurement signal (25) is generated between the machine element and the counter-pair with the sensor assembly, and recording a reference cross-directional profile (21) of force or pressure generated. Condition monitoring (38) of vibration with the reference profile is by comparison of current signals with the reference so as to detect periodic variation (39.1, 39.2) in the cross-directional pressure profile, and producing visual information (37) from the analysis for monitoring. The invention also relates to a corresponding system, a rotating machine element for the method or the system, and a computer program product.

Example described herein relate to a print shoes. For instance, a print shoe can include a body including a first surface, a first arm extending from the first surface and including a first mounting mechanism to couple to a spring, and a second arm extending from the first surface in a position substantially coplanar with the first arm, where the second arm includes a second mounting mechanism to couple to the spring and dispose the first arm a distance away from the second arm when coupled to the spring.

A switching device for switching transport directions of a recording medium includes a switching member and at least one rotation stopper. The switching member is configured to switch transport paths of the recording medium. The at least one rotation stopper is configured to hit the switching member to stop rotation of the switching member. The at least one rotation stopper is disposed asymmetrically in a direction perpendicular to a transport direction in which the switching member transports the recording medium.

A metal strip stabilization apparatus includes: a displacement measurement unit configured to measure a displacement of a metal strip during traveling in a non-contact manner; a control unit configured to generate a vibration suppression signal and a position correction signal based on a measurement signal; and an electromagnet unit including: a vibration suppression coil configured to generate a first magnetic force based on the vibration suppression signal; a position correction coil configured to generate a second magnetic force based on the position correction signal; and a core about which the vibration suppression coil and the position correction coil are wound concentrically, the core leading the first magnetic force.

A sheet sorting device includes a plurality of trays, a tray shifter, a tray stop position detector, and circuitry. The plurality of trays is disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet. The tray shifter is configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction. The tray stop position detector is configured to detect stop positions of the plurality of trays separately. The circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray in the tray shift direction. The circuitry is configured to, while moving the plurality of trays at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the trays in directions opposite to each other.