A lifting apparatus includes a motor, circular support members, power transmission members, guide mechanisms, and electromagnets. The circular support members provide tensile forces to wires connected to a load. The power transmission members rotate around the rotation axis Ax as a center of rotation by driving force of the motor. The guide mechanisms support the circular support members so as to enable the circular support members to slide in a predetermined ranges along a radial direction of the rotation axis, respectively. The electromagnets forcibly arrange the circular support members using electromagnetic force at a position that the center axes of the circular support members agree with the rotation axis in the predetermined ranges.

The present invention includes a stacker unit SU that includes a transport body 500 moving along a transport route 400 while retaining paper sheets in an upright state and stopped at a paper sheet extraction position PP, and clamping means 812 and 803 clamping the paper sheets on the transport body, and that switches the direction of the paper sheets in a process of reciprocatively rotationally moving between an upper limit position and a lower limit position, and an operating mechanism 730 that rotationally moves the stacker unit forward and reversely. The clamping means performs an opening/closing operation to clamp paper sheets when the stacker unit is at the upper limit position, and performs an opening operation to cancel clamping of paper sheets after a time when the stacker unit reaches the lower limit position.

A sheet discharging device includes: a discharging roller, elastic pieces, and a discharge tray. The discharging roller includes: a shaft extending in a width direction, and a roller body configured to convey a sheet in a discharging direction. The elastic pieces protrude in the discharging direction and are arranged upward relative to the shaft and offset from the roller body in the width direction. Each elastic piece has a surface facing downward. The surface has a portion directly above the shaft. The portion is positioned downward relative to an upper end of the roller body while not contacting the sheet. The elastic pieces include: a first elastic piece including a bending portion bent toward the discharge tray, and second elastic pieces not including a bending portion bent toward the discharge tray. The first elastic piece and the second elastic pieces are alternately arranged in the width direction.

A manufacture of an electrode assembly in which first electrodes and second electrodes are alternately arranged between folded separators is described. The electrodes are stacked and stored in a magazine unit, and the plurality of electrodes are stored in a stacked manner. By disposing a stuck-electrodes prevention sheet between electrodes, the electrodes can be easily separated without sticking, and the stuck-electrodes prevention sheet removed after the electrodes are separated can be recycled.

A tape supply device is disclosed. The tape supply device comprises a supply roll supplying a tape having a first surface and a second surface formed opposite to the first surface; and a clamp gripping an end of the tape drawn from the supply roll. The clamp includes a first fixing part movable in an up-down direction, the first fixing part positioned above the tape, the first fixing part facing the first surface; a second fixing part positioned below the first fixing part, the second fixing part positioned below the tape, the second fixing part facing the second surface, and the second fixing part movable in the up-down direction, the second fixing part including a through hole; and a push rod positioned below the second fixing part. When the second fixing part moves down, the push rod passes through the through hole and protrudes upward from the second fixing part.

A sheet discharging device includes: a discharging roller, elastic pieces, and a discharge tray. The discharging roller includes: a shaft extending in a width direction, and a roller body configured to convey a sheet in a discharging direction. The elastic pieces protrude in the discharging direction and are arranged upward relative to the shaft and offset from the roller body in the width direction. Each elastic piece has a surface facing downward. The surface has a portion directly above the shaft. The portion is positioned downward relative to an upper end of the roller body while not contacting the sheet. The elastic pieces include: a first elastic piece including a bending portion bent toward the discharge tray, and second elastic pieces not including a bending portion bent toward the discharge tray. The first elastic piece and the second elastic pieces are alternately arranged in the width direction.

A tape supply device is disclosed. The tape supply device comprises a supply roll supplying a tape having a first surface and a second surface formed opposite to the first surface; and a clamp gripping an end of the tape drawn from the supply roll. The clamp includes a first fixing part movable in an up-down direction, the first fixing part positioned above the tape, the first fixing part facing the first surface; a second fixing part positioned below the first fixing part, the second fixing part positioned below the tape, the second fixing part facing the second surface, and the second fixing part movable in the up-down direction, the second fixing part including a through hole; and a push rod positioned below the second fixing part. When the second fixing part moves down, the push rod passes through the through hole and protrudes upward from the second fixing part.