A transport mechanism includes a transport belt in which holes are formed and a suction clinging mechanism. The transport mechanism transports the medium in the first transporting direction, and when the upstream edge reaches a switching position, the transport mechanism transports the medium in the second transporting direction and stacks the medium in a stacker. The suction clinging mechanism includes an opening of a first suction chamber and an opening of a second suction chamber, and the opening of the first suction chamber is located downstream of the opening of the second suction chamber in the first transporting direction. The switching position is located upstream of the opening of the first suction chamber in the first transporting direction. In the first transporting direction, the distance from the switching position to the opening of the first suction chamber is longer than the length of each hole.

A suction mechanism for suctioning a loop transporting belt a medium processed by a processing unit, a rotation mechanism for rotating the transporting belt, a stacker for stacking the medium transported by the transporting belt, and a change mechanism for changing a movable area are included. The rotation mechanism, after suctioning the medium to the transporting belt to rotate in a first rotation direction to transport the medium in a first transport direction, rotates the transporting belt in a second rotation direction to transport the medium in a second transport direction to stack the medium on a stacker. The change mechanism narrows a movable area when the medium is transported in the second transport direction compared to an area when the medium is transported in the first transport direction.

A suction mechanism for suctioning a loop transporting belt a medium processed by a processing unit, a rotation mechanism for rotating the transporting belt, a stacker for stacking the medium transported by the transporting belt, and a change mechanism for changing a movable area are included. The rotation mechanism, after suctioning the medium to the transporting belt to rotate in a first rotation direction to transport the medium in a first transport direction, rotates the transporting belt in a second rotation direction to transport the medium in a second transport direction to stack the medium on a stacker. The change mechanism narrows a movable area when the medium is transported in the second transport direction compared to an area when the medium is transported in the first transport direction.

The present invention is directed to a method of loading workpieces using a piler conveyor P including a first conveyor which sequentially conveys the workpieces by continuous operation at a first speed, a second conveyor which magnetically attracts, on a lower surface, the workpieces passed from the first conveyor for sequential conveyance by intermittent operation, and a loading frame where the workpieces are placed, the method including a first step S1 of gradually accelerating the second conveyor to the second speed, a second step S2 of operating the second conveyor at the second speed and passing the workpieces 1 from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, a third step S3 of gradually decelerating the second conveyor from the second speed for operation, and a fourth step S4 of stopping the second conveyor and causing the second conveyor to lose a magnetic force and dropping a workpiece 1 positioned above the loading frame onto the loading frame 30, wherein the first speed and the second speed are set at an equal constant speed.

The present invention is directed to a method of loading workpieces using a piler conveyor P including a first conveyor which sequentially conveys the workpieces by continuous operation at a first speed, a second conveyor which magnetically attracts, on a lower surface, the workpieces passed from the first conveyor for sequential conveyance by intermittent operation, and a loading frame where the workpieces are placed, the method including a first step S1 of gradually accelerating the second conveyor to the second speed, a second step S2 of operating the second conveyor at the second speed and passing the workpieces 1 from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, a third step S3 of gradually decelerating the second conveyor from the second speed for operation, and a fourth step S4 of stopping the second conveyor and causing the second conveyor to lose a magnetic force and dropping a workpiece 1 positioned above the loading frame onto the loading frame 30, wherein the first speed and the second speed are set at an equal constant speed.

A system for creating sets of cards is provided, and includes: a card supply means; a card moving system; a card collecting means to collect a set of cards, each card collecting means of the plurality of card collecting means being provided under the conveyor belt at different positions along the direction of movement of the conveyor belt; a card identifying means to identify the cards carried by the card moving system; and a controlling means to assign each of the identified cards carried by the card moving system to a card collecting means. For each card collecting means, a releasing means is positioned at the same position along the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, the controlling means being adapted to activate the releasing means positioned at the card collecting means when a card passes the card collecting means it is assigned to.

A system for creating sets of cards is provided, and includes: a card supply means; a card moving system; a card collecting means to collect a set of cards, each card collecting means of the plurality of card collecting means being provided under the conveyor belt at different positions along the direction of movement of the conveyor belt; a card identifying means to identify the cards carried by the card moving system; and a controlling means to assign each of the identified cards carried by the card moving system to a card collecting means. For each card collecting means, a releasing means is positioned at the same position along the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, the controlling means being adapted to activate the releasing means positioned at the card collecting means when a card passes the card collecting means it is assigned to.

A glove stacking apparatus for forming a stack of gloves for packing into a box comprises a packing recess for receiving gloves to be stacked and for containing the stack as the stack is being formed, and a glove placement means for moving and depositing gloves at the recess one of top of another for forming the stack of gloves. The recess has a pair of opposite side edges. A movable floor within the recess is lowered as the stack of gloves grows whereby the stack of gloves continues to be retained within the recess as gloves are added to the stack. The glove placement means is arranged to deposit gloves with a portion of each glove overlapping alternately one or the other of the opposite side edges of the recess as subsequent gloves are deposited. The apparatus also comprises a pair of movable flaps adjacent the opposite side edges of the recess for folding alternately inwards towards the recess the portions of that gloves that overlap alternately one or another of the opposite side edges of the recess.

A glove stacking apparatus for forming a stack of gloves for packing into a box comprises a packing recess for receiving gloves to be stacked and for containing the stack as the stack is being formed, and a glove placement means for moving and depositing gloves at the recess one of top of another for forming the stack of gloves. The recess has a pair of opposite side edges. A movable floor within the recess is lowered as the stack of gloves grows whereby the stack of gloves continues to be retained within the recess as gloves are added to the stack. The glove placement means is arranged to deposit gloves with a portion of each glove overlapping alternately one or the other of the opposite side edges of the recess as subsequent gloves are deposited. The apparatus also comprises a pair of movable flaps adjacent the opposite side edges of the recess for folding alternately inwards towards the recess the portions of that gloves that overlap alternately one or another of the opposite side edges of the recess.

Apparatus for loading heat-activated adhesive binder strips into a binding machine where the loaded binder strip is utilized to bind a stack of sheets. A support arm with an attached thermal head is temporarily secured to the adhesive of a binder strip located external to the binding machine. The attached strip is transported into the binding machine and the released so that the strip can be used to carry out a binding operation. The thermal head temperature is controlled to levels above and below the adhesive melting point to accomplish securing and releasing the strip.