A medium aligning apparatus includes a load tray including a load surface on which a medium discharged from a discharge member that discharges a medium is loaded, a first aligning surface that aligns a plurality of mediums loaded on the load tray by positioning rear ends of the mediums, and a second aligning surface that aligns the mediums by positioning the rear ends of the mediums loaded on the load tray. In the medium aligning apparatus, the first aligning surface and the second aligning surface are switchable, and an angle formed between a wall surface in the discharge tray that receives the mediums discharged from the load tray, the wall surface having the rear ends of the mediums come in contact therewith, and the second aligning surface is smaller than an angle formed between the wall surface and the first aligning surface.

An original reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a pick-up roller, a feed roller, a conveyance roller, a conveyance motor, a clutch, and a controller unit to control the clutch and the conveyance motor such that the pick-up roller and the feed roller that receive a driving force from the conveyance motor rotate at a given rotation speed. The rotation speed is set to a first speed when reading an original having a first size at a first resolution, to a second speed higher than the first speed when reading an original having the first size at a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and to a third speed lower than the second speed, regardless of designation of the reading resolution, when reading an original having a second size smaller than the first size.

An original reading apparatus includes a reading unit, a pick-up roller, a feed roller, a conveyance roller, a conveyance motor, a clutch, and a controller unit to control the clutch and the conveyance motor such that the pick-up roller and the feed roller that receive a driving force from the conveyance motor rotate at a given rotation speed. The rotation speed is set to a first speed when reading an original having a first size at a first resolution, to a second speed higher than the first speed when reading an original having the first size at a second resolution lower than the first resolution, and to a third speed lower than the second speed, regardless of designation of the reading resolution, when reading an original having a second size smaller than the first size.

In a method and apparatus for length measurement of a flat good in a goods processing system having first and second stations, each having a sensor in the transport direction of the flat good, a control processor implements a path control and counts encoder pulses of an encoder in the first station. An event is determined by the sensor of the second station, and an associated numerical value Z1 of the encoder pulses is stored in the control processor, as is a numerical value Z2 for a distance between the two sensors is also stored. An additional event is determined by the sensor of the first station, and an associated numerical value Z3 of the encoder pulses is stored. As soon as both events are present, Z2 and the difference Δ=Z3−Z1 are added by the control processor, and the sum is used to designate the length.

Example implementations relate to print media stacks. In some examples, a device may include a sheet channel to guide a sheet of print media within the sheet channel above and separated in a vertical direction from a stack of printed media when the sheet of print media exits a print path of a printer. The device may include a plurality of clamps to control alignment of the sheet of print media on the stack of printed media when the sheet channel moves outboard from the sheet of print media to allow the sheet of print media to fall onto the stack of printed media, wherein the plurality of clamps sequentially pin the sheet of print media to the stack of printed media from a middle portion of the sheet of print media outward.

A sheet processing apparatus for processing sheets includes: a stack tray on which a sheet is stacked; a discharge roller pair composed of first and second rollers and configured to discharge a sheet onto the stack tray, the second roller being configured to be movable between a pressure contact position to contact with the first roller and a retracting position to separate from the first roller; and a pressure contact/separation mechanism for moving the second roller from the retracting position to the pressure contact position. The pressure contact/separation mechanism changes the timing at which the second roller reaches the pressure contact position according to the type of a sheet to be discharged.

A sheet processing apparatus for processing sheets includes: a stack tray on which a sheet is stacked; a discharge roller pair composed of first and second rollers and configured to discharge a sheet onto the stack tray, the second roller being configured to be movable between a pressure contact position to contact with the first roller and a retracting position to separate from the first roller; and a pressure contact/separation mechanism for moving the second roller from the retracting position to the pressure contact position. The pressure contact/separation mechanism changes the timing at which the second roller reaches the pressure contact position according to the type of a sheet to be discharged.

An inkjet printing machine for printing individual sheets comprises at least one printing station and a transport system defining a transport track for transporting the individual sheets through the printing station, along a transport direction. The transport system comprises a plurality of gripper conveyors (150) running along the transport track for holding the individual sheets during a printing process in the printing station. Each of the gripper conveyors (150) comprises an energy storage (161) for providing energy for operating a gripper mechanism (171) of the gripper conveyor (150). The printing machine allows for efficient and flexible handling of individual sheets, in particular large format sheets of materials such as corrugated cardboard or other materials that have a certain degree of inherent stability.

An inkjet printing machine for printing individual sheets comprises at least one printing station and a transport system defining a transport track for transporting the individual sheets through the printing station, along a transport direction. The transport system comprises a plurality of gripper conveyors (150) running along the transport track for holding the individual sheets during a printing process in the printing station. Each of the gripper conveyors (150) comprises an energy storage (161) for providing energy for operating a gripper mechanism (171) of the gripper conveyor (150). The printing machine allows for efficient and flexible handling of individual sheets, in particular large format sheets of materials such as corrugated cardboard or other materials that have a certain degree of inherent stability.

A sheet stacking apparatus includes a discharge unit, a stacking portion on which discharged sheets are stacked, a lifting unit, and first and second abutting portions. The lifting unit lifts and lowers the stacking portion. The first abutting portion abuts a trailing end of the stacked sheets in a sheet discharge direction. The first abutting portion does not move in an up-down direction. The second abutting portion abuts the stacked sheets trailing end. The first abutting portion supports the second abutting portion such that the second abutting portion is movable in the up-down direction. If the stacking portion is lowered from a first to a second position below the first position, the second abutting portion does not move in accordance with the stacking portion. If the stacking portion is further lowered beyond the second position, the second abutting portion moves in accordance with the stacking portion.