A separating element operates a transport device, which is configured to pile a plurality of partial book blocks for forming a book block along a book channel associated with the transport device, the finished piled book block being feedible to a processing machine. The book channel includes at least one transfer portion. At least one first separating element is arranged within the transport device as a link between an upstream transfer portion and a downstream transfer portion. The first separating element is configured to be operated by at least one drive and is configured to: receive a partial book block fed horizontally from the upstream transfer portion, horizontally transport the partial book block onward via the conveying portion formed by the first separating element, and then horizontally hand the partial book block over to the downstream transfer portion in keeping with a cycle.

A paper feeder includes: first and second accommodation units which are arranged side by side in a casing along a recording paper conveyance direction and in which recording paper is loaded in a specified accommodation orientation; and an erroneous loading detection unit which is provided in a non-loaded region between the first and second accommodation units, detects whether or not the recording paper is loaded, and detects recording paper accommodated in an orientation other than the specified accommodation orientation, wherein the paper feeder can shift a bundle of the recording paper loaded in the second accommodation unit to the first accommodation unit arranged on a downstream side of the recording paper conveyance direction.

The invention provides a delivery system and layered stacking device for paper packages. The layered stacking device comprises a upper layer mechanism, a lower layer mechanism, and a pushing mechanism. The upper layer mechanism protrudes to an outlet of a delivery device to receive at least two paper packages. The paper packages will be stacked and neatly arranged on the upper layer mechanism. When the lower layer mechanism is raised to a first height and therefore close to the outlet, the upper layer mechanism will be withdrawn from the outlet of the delivery device, thereby the lower layer mechanism will receive the stacked paper packages that are dropped from the upper layer mechanism. Afterwards, when the lower layer mechanism is fallen to a second height, the pushing mechanism will push the stacked paper packages on the lower layer mechanism to a feeding device next the lower layer mechanism.

The present invention relates to a handling installation for handling sheets of cardboard or similar material applicable for implementation thereof in an automated production facility, comprising a first receiving station (1) configured to receive packages formed by cardboard sheets, each of the sheets being defined by four sides, and a second distribution station (2) in which the sheets are delivered face-down coming from the receiving station by means of sheet handling means. The first and second stations comprise modules that are independent from each other, the handling means comprising a robot arm provided with a head with clamping means to hold the package of sheets on any of the four sides, the head having a hinge point that can be coupled to a robot arm, capable of conveniently moving and orienting the clamping means in any of the coordinate axes, the robot arm being mounted on a base that is independent with respect to the first and second stations.

A bag conveyance method includes the steps of: causing a holding member to hold a bag bundle including a plurality of bags; delivering the bag bundle in a standing posture from the holding member to a delivery unit; rotating the delivery unit in such a manner that a posture of the bag bundle held by the delivery unit is changed from the standing posture to a lying posture; and conveying the bag bundle in the lying posture from the delivery unit to a supply unit.

A portioning system for portioning stackable flat carton elements in a stack (101) for further processing. A feeder device (105) includes a lifting platform (106) and a pushing platform (107), wherein the feeder device (105) is movable along a linear path (108) for pushing the stack (101) to a delivery position. The feeder device (105) is further movable along a lifting direction (110) having at least a component parallel to the gravity direction. The feeder device (105) is configured such that the lifting platform (106) is movable partially below the flat elements defining the stack (101) such that an edge portion (111) of the stack (101) is arranged on the lifting platform (106) for being liftable by the lifting platform (106). The feeder device (105) is further configured such that the stack (101) is pushable by the pushing platform (107) along the linear path (108) until the stack (101) is arranged at the delivery position.

The present application discloses a post-processing apparatus including a second tray which receives a sheet stack ejected from a first tray, a pushing mechanism including a pushing portion which pushes the sheet stack against the second tray, a motion detector which detects a motion of the pushing mechanism, and a controller including an ejection controller which controls an ejector. When the ejector ejects the sheet stack, the pushing mechanism moves the pushing portion in a first direction away from the second tray. When the ejector finishes ejection of the sheet stack, the pushing mechanism moves the pushing portion in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction. Unless the motion detector detects the motion of the pushing mechanism moving the pushing portion in the first direction when the ejector ejects the sheet stack, the ejection controller executes interruption control of stopping the ejection of the sheet stack.

A post-processing apparatus includes a storing unit in which plural recording media are stored for performing post-processing, and a pushing member that latches onto and pushes trailing ends of the recording media stored in the storing unit toward an ejection port. When the number of the recording media stacked on the storing unit is small, the pushing member latches onto and pushes the trailing ends of the recording media at a position different from a position at which the pushing member latches onto and pushes the trailing ends of the recording media when the number of the recording media stacked on the storing unit is large.

A separating element operates a transport device, which is configured to pile a plurality of partial book blocks for forming a book block along a book channel associated with the transport device, the finished piled book block being feedible to a processing machine. The book channel includes at least one transfer portion. At least one first separating element is arranged within the transport device as a link between an upstream transfer portion and a downstream transfer portion. The first separating element is configured to be operated by at least one drive and is configured to: receive a partial book block fed horizontally from the upstream transfer portion, horizontally transport the partial book block onward via the conveying portion formed by the first separating element, and then horizontally hand the partial book block over to the downstream transfer portion in keeping with a cycle.

A post-processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus includes a processing tray on which a sheet bundle is placed for discharging onto a discharge tray, a detector configured to detect presence or absence of the sheet bundle on the processing tray, and a controller. The controller is configured to control driving of the processing tray to discharge the sheet bundle onto the discharge tray and to determine whether or not to output an error if a detection result of the detector after the processing tray has been driven to discharge the sheet bundle onto the discharge tray indicates presence of the sheet bundle. The controller outputs the error if the sheet bundle is not a last sheet bundle of a post-processing job and does not output the error if the sheet bundle is the last sheet bundle of the post-processing job.