A conveyance device includes a support having a support face configured to support a conveyed object and a fluid introduction device disposed outside the support. The fluid introduction device is configured to introduce a fluid between the support face of the support and the conveyed object, to form a fluid layer for floating the conveyed object. The conveyance device further includes a conveyor configured to convey the conveyed object being floating from the support via the fluid layer.

A sheet postprocessing device includes a sheet conveying passage, a sheet tray, an inlet guide, a processing device, and a blowing device. Though the sheet conveying passage, a sheet on which an image has been formed is conveyed. The sheet tray is arranged downstream of the sheet conveying passage and has sheets stacked on it. The inlet guide is arranged at the downstream end of the sheet conveying passage and guides a sheet to the sheet tray. The processing device performs predetermined processing on a sheet stacked on the sheet tray. The blowing device blows air, from the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction, between the top face of the top-most sheet in the sheets stacked on the sheet tray and the bottom face of the subsequent sheet sent from the inlet guide into the sheet tray.

A delivery device for a sheet-processing machine, comprises at least one deposition station and a conveyer station, by the use of which, upstream-processed sheets of printed material can be picked up in a transfer location, and can be conveyed through the deposition station via a first conveying system, where they can be deposited optionally to form a stack, or can be conveyed beyond that stack. A holding device, which holds down the uppermost sheet of the stack during the transfer of a sheet to be conveyed against an entrainment or a lifting, is provided with one or with a plurality of holding assemblies which are spaced apart from each other transversely to the transport direction. A sheet-guiding element may be provided, which adjoins the deposition station and which is variable in its vertical position with at least its upstream end by the use of an actuating drive.

In order to properly suppress a discharge defect corresponding to an image ratio of a sheet, in the case where a coefficient of friction is different according to the image ratio of an image on the sheet, an air blowing section is arranged to blow air toward a downstream side in a transport direction from between a downstream-side end portion of a first stacking section and an upstream-side end portion of a second stacking section. When an image ratio of an image on a sheet by an image forming apparatus is a first value, the air blowing section sets an air quantity blown to the sheet at a first air quantity F1, while when the image ratio is a second value higher than the first value, setting the air quantity blown to the sheet at a second air quantity F2 larger than the first air quantity F1.

A paper stacking device includes: a stacker on which paper is stacked; a paper ejector that ejects the paper; an aligning plate that is provided on a side of the paper, and aligns a side end of the paper; a paper floating member that is provided in the aligning plate, and supports, from below, the side end of the paper; and a blower that is provided on the side of the paper across the aligning plate, and blows air, wherein the aligning plate includes a blowing opening through which air from the blower is blown, the paper floating member is switched between: a paper floating position; and a retreat position, when the paper floating member is located in the paper floating position, the blowing opening is opened, and when the paper floating member is located in the retreat position, the blowing opening is shielded.

A drying device includes: a supporting section that supports a medium on which printing was performed; a conveying section that conveys, along a conveying region, the medium supported by the supporting section; a heat generating section configured to heat, over a width direction, the medium supported by the supporting section; a fix-supporting section configured to support the heat generating section fixing the heat generating section; and free-supporting section configured to support the heat generating section so that the heat generating section can expand and contract, wherein the fix-supporting section is located in a first lateral region that is a region outside the conveying region in the width direction, and the free-supporting section is located in a second lateral region that is a region outside the conveying region in the width direction and different from the first lateral region.

A post-processing device includes a discharge port through which a sheet is discharged, an intermediate tray, a discharge tray and an air sending part. The air sending part includes an upper air sending member, an upper switching member, a lower air sending member, a lower switching member and a controller. The upper air sending member generates a downward air flow from above the discharge port. The upper switching member is distributable the air flow generated by the upper air sending member to above the intermediate tray and to above the discharge tray. The lower air sending member generates an upward air flow from below the discharge port. The lower switching member is distributable the air flow generated by the lower air sending member to below the intermediate tray and to above the discharge tray. The controller controls the upper switching member and the lower switching member.

A method of folding a pant-like disposable absorbent garment includes providing a garment defining first and second waist side regions, a waist center region positioned therebetween, and a crotch region longitudinally below the waist center region. In particular embodiments, the method further includes folding the garment along a transversely extending fold line so as to bring the crotch region into superposed relation with the waist center region; providing a chute having a floor and first and second side walls; urging the garment into the chute; and, while the garment is in the chute, folding the garment along longitudinally extending first and second fold lines so as to position the first and second waist side regions over the waist center region. The first and second fold lines are adjacent the first and second side walls, respectively.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting portion, a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion in a sheet feeding direction, an air blow unit including an air blower, an opening portion, a duct configured to form a flow path through which air flows, an adjustment portion configured to vary an opening dimension, the air blow unit being configured to separate a plurality of sheets, including an uppermost sheet, a drive source configured to drive the adjustment portion, and a control unit configured to execute a first mode in which the drive source is controlled such that the opening dimension is set to a first dimension, and a second mode in which the drive source is controlled such that the opening dimension is set to a second dimension that is smaller than the first dimension.

A paper feeder sucking and feeding a paper sheet from a stack of paper sheets loaded on a paper table, the paper feeder includes: a pair of blowing ports that are disposed across a stack of paper sheets and blow air toward a side surface of the stack of paper sheets to float a paper sheet; and a hardware processor that performs blowing control of blowing air to float a paper sheet in a first operation mode in which a height of one blowing ports is different from a height of another blowing ports.