A roll replacing device includes an unwinding member, a roll replacing member and a cutting member. The roll replacing member includes a first roll replacing mechanism and a second roll replacing mechanism arranged opposite to each other. The cutting member can cut off a first strip or a second strip pressed between the first roll replacing mechanism and the second roll replacing mechanism.

A medium stacker includes a stacking portion, a rotary portion, a medium holder, a medium mover, and circuitry. The stacking portion has a stacking face to stack a sheet medium on which an image is formed. The rotary portion is configured to hold a leading end of the sheet medium in a sheet conveyance direction, reverse the sheet medium on the stacking face of the stacking portion, and convey the sheet medium. The medium holder is configured to hold the sheet medium when the sheet medium is conveyed by the rotary portion. The medium mover is configured to move the sheet medium to a predetermined position in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction of the sheet medium while the sheet medium is held by the rotary portion. The circuitry is configured to control the rotary portion and the medium mover.

A sheet separation device separates a non-bonding portion of a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and bonded together at one end of the two-ply sheet. The sheet separation device includes a separator that includes a first separator and a second separator. The first separator is inserted into a gap between the two sheets of the two-ply sheet. The second separator is inserted between the two sheets at said another end of the two-ply sheet that is opposite to the one end of the two-ply sheet and moves in a width direction of the two-ply sheet after the first separator is inserted into the gap and relatively moves from the one end to said another end.

A sheet separation device separates a non-bonding portion of a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and bonded together at one end of the two-ply sheet. The sheet separation device includes a separator that includes a first separator and a second separator. The first separator is inserted into a gap between the two sheets of the two-ply sheet. The second separator is inserted between the two sheets at said another end of the two-ply sheet that is opposite to the one end of the two-ply sheet and moves in a width direction of the two-ply sheet after the first separator is inserted into the gap and relatively moves from the one end to said another end.

A medium stacker includes a stacking portion, a rotary portion, a medium holder, a medium mover, and circuitry. The stacking portion has a stacking face to stack a sheet medium on which an image is formed. The rotary portion is configured to hold a leading end of the sheet medium in a sheet conveyance direction, reverse the sheet medium on the stacking face of the stacking portion, and convey the sheet medium. The medium holder is configured to hold the sheet medium when the sheet medium is conveyed by the rotary portion. The medium mover is configured to move the sheet medium to a predetermined position in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction of the sheet medium while the sheet medium is held by the rotary portion. The circuitry is configured to control the rotary portion and the medium mover.

A method for operating a packaging machine including one or more of the method steps advancing a transport chain along a chain deflection pulley, wherein chain clips are arranged on the transport chain and moved during the advancing motion of the transport chain along a run-on contour, to open at least one of the chain clips; introducing a flat material blank into the at least one open chain clip using a feed device or by entraining the flat material blank using a connection to a second material blank preceding the flat material blank, wherein the material blank enters the open chain clip during an advancing motion of the transport chain; closing the chain clip by leaving the run-on contour, to grip and secure the material blank in the chain clip; and transporting the material blank to a work station using the transport chain.

A resin film is released from a supporting substrate without using light irradiation, with ease, and without damaging the resin film or the like. Preparation for separating the supporting substrate on which the resin film is cohesively formed into a first part and a second part; and at least one of the first part and the second part is allowed or caused to move in a direction parallel to an one surface of the first part while the first part of the supporting substrate and at least an edge of the second part facing the first part being moved with respect to one another, while a close contact between the resin film and an one surface of the second part of the supporting substrate being maintained, such that the first part and the edge of the second part are separated along a perpendicular direction to the one surface of the first part.

Provided is a film attachment apparatus and a film transport method by which it is easy to switch a film each time, and a film attachment apparatus including the film transport apparatus. The film transport apparatus includes: a film holding unit configured to hold a long-length film; and a film cutting unit configured to cut out the film, in which the film holding unit holds the plurality of films, and the film transport apparatus further includes: a temporary holding unit configured to include a plurality of temporary holding mechanisms that temporally hold the films between the film holding unit and the film cutting unit; and a first transport arm configured to select and pull out one film from the plurality of films which are held in the temporary holding unit.

Two-dimensional material sheets are stacked in a stacking device. One of a printing machine and a coating machine has at least one stacking unit having a stacking space. Material sheets are conveyed, via the stacking space of the stacking unit, comprised by the stacking device, and are deposited into a stack on top of one another on a loading aid. For two different production runs, the stacks are formed on the loading aid with the four corners of their areas in mutually different relative orientations with respect to the loading aid, which is arranged, in each case, in the stacking space of the stacking unit and is larger-format compared with the material sheets to be deposited in each case. For the two production runs, in each case, one loading aid of the same format is positioned on different positions, as seen in projection in the horizontal, in the stacking space of the stacking unit.

A method for operating a packaging machine including one or more of the method steps advancing a transport chain along a chain deflection pulley, wherein chain clips are arranged on the transport chain and moved during the advancing motion of the transport chain along a run-on contour, to open at least one of the chain clips; introducing a flat material blank into the at least one open chain clip using a feed device or by entraining the flat material blank using a connection to a second material blank preceding the flat material blank, wherein the material blank enters the open chain clip during an advancing motion of the transport chain; closing the chain clip by leaving the run-on contour, to grip and secure the material blank in the chain clip; and transporting the material blank to a work station using the transport chain.