Methods and apparatus for transporting a flexible substrate are provided. In one embodiment, an air turn is disclosed that includes a body, a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body, and two seals. Each of the two seals are positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a second zone and by a third zone. The second zone and third zone are each positioned outside of a respective seal. The body includes a first opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the body, and a plurality of second openings formed in the body at a position other than along the longitudinal axis.

Methods and apparatus for transporting a flexible substrate are provided. In one embodiment, an air turn is disclosed that includes a body, a porous cover disposed about a circumference of the body, and two seals. Each of the two seals are positioned about the circumference of the body and spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the body to define a central zone bounded by a second zone and by a third zone. The second zone and third zone are each positioned outside of a respective seal. The body includes a first opening formed along a longitudinal axis of the body, and a plurality of second openings formed in the body at a position other than along the longitudinal axis.

A roller has knit fabric at its surface and which is employed in an apparatus permitting achievement of conservation of resources, conservation of energy, and low cost, and an apparatus employing such a roller. Roller 1 covered with covering 3 including knit fabric at its surface causes conveyance, supply, or other such movement of an object, or uses an to dry or cool an object as it is moved, or rotates while causing an object to be subjected to suction. Knit fabric 3a covering the roller surface has gaps having air permeability and steps 6 comprising stripes in a pattern of bands at the front and back surfaces; the stripes in the pattern of bands are perpendicular to the direction of rotation at the surface of the rotating support body 2. Loops making up knit fabric 3a have domains of small loops 4c and large loops 4b.

The negative pressure roll 1 is provided with a rotating shaft 2, an internal cylinder 3, an intermediate cylinder 4 and a multi-layered non-woven fabric laminated outer layer 5. Further, the rotating shaft 2 is a member at the center of rotation of the negative pressure roll 1 and connected to the internal cylinder 3 by a reinforcement circular disk 9. Still further, the internal cylinder 3 is formed in a tubular shape and rotates together with the rotating shaft 2. In addition, the rotating shaft 2 and the internal cylinder 3 correspond to a rotating main body. Further, the intermediate cylinder 4 is a cylindrical tubular material formed outside the internal cylinder 3 and rotates in association with the rotating shaft 2 and the internal cylinder 3. Still further, the multi-layered non-woven fabric laminated outer layer 5 is formed outside the intermediate cylinder 4 and given as a part at which the negative pressure roll 1 is in contact with the metal strip 13. The multi-layered non-woven fabric laminated outer layer 5 also rotates in association with the rotating shaft 2, the internal cylinder 3 and the intermediate cylinder 4. In addition, the negative pressure roll 1 is provided with a controller 6 for suppressing rotation of the negative pressure roll 1.

An inkjet printer system includes a porous printing table and thereunder a vacuum chamber that may be divided into sub-vacuum chambers by a movable vacuum divider and a brush attached to prevent contamination and vacuum leakages in the vacuum chamber.

The invention involves a spreading device (1) for multiple material sheet strips (4) cut from a material sheet (5) by a material sheet cutting device. The material sheet strips (4) are fed to the spreading device (1) along a transport path in order to be subsequently transported, offset parallel to one another, to a winding shaft arrangement and to be wound onto a common winding shaft. The spreading device (1) comprises two deflection elements (2 and 3), which each extend transversely to the transport path and are configured and arranged such that a strip spacing (9) between two adjacent to one another along a transport path are successively enlarged over the first and second deflection elements (2 and 3) of the guided material sheet strips (4). The deflection elements (2, 3) are arranged in a rotationally fixed manner. Each deflection element (2 and 3) comprises a number of openings (15) in a transport contact area (13) of a deflection sheath surface (12) of the deflection elements (2 and 3) covered by the material sheet strips (4) transported over it, through which compressed air can be blown in order to create a friction-reducing air layer between the material sheet strips (4) and the deflection sheath surfaces (12) of the deflection elements (2 and 3) in the transport contact area (13).