A conveying apparatus for feeding sheets into a processing apparatus is discloses which comprises a plurality of nips within which sheets are gripped and driven along a conveying direction towards the processing apparatus, each nip being defined between a respective drive wheel and an opposing reaction surface. The drive wheels are omni-wheels configured to apply a frictional force to advance the sheets in the conveying direction while permitting free movement of the sheets in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, the reaction surfaces permitting free movement of the sheets in the transverse direction, and an elongate guide is arranged on one side of the conveying apparatus, to extend generally parallel to the conveying direction, the conveying apparatus being configured to urge conveyed sheets in the transverse direction into contact with the guide. A control system is provided to move the guide generally in the transverse direction in dependence upon sensed fiducials on the conveyed sheets, to ensure correct alignment of the sheets in the transverse direction with respect to the processing apparatus.

A sheet conveying apparatus including: a pair of inlet rollers; a pair of outlet rollers; a pair of movable rollers disposed between the inlet rollers and the outlet rollers; a moving unit configured to move the movable rollers; a pair of upstream rollers disposed between the inlet rollers and the movable rollers; a pair of downstream rollers disposed between the movable rollers and the outlet rollers; a first conveyance belt passed over a first inlet roller, a first outlet roller, a first movable roller, a first upstream roller, and a first downstream roller; and a second conveyance belt passed over a second inlet roller, a second outlet roller, a second movable roller, a second upstream roller, and a second downstream roller. A diameter of the pair of upstream rollers and a diameter of the pair of downstream rollers are smaller than a diameter of the pair of movable rollers.

The unwinder includes a pair of tailstocks adapted to engage and support a reel to be unwound and a peripheral unwinding device adapted to coact with a reel in the unwinding station. There is also provided a shuttle adapted to insert reels into the unwinding station, movable between a loading position of the reel on the shuttle and a position aligned with the pair of tailstocks, to transfer a reel from the shuttle to the tailstocks or vice versa. In use, the peripheral unwinding device is positioned under the reel of web material, so that the force exerted by the peripheral unwinding device on the reel being unwound has a component that is subtracted from the weight force of the reel.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a tray configured to support a sheet, a lifting unit configured to raise and lower the tray, an air blowing unit configured to blow air to a side edge of the sheet supported by the tray to float the sheet, an attraction and conveyance unit configured to execute a feeding operation of attracting and feeding the floated sheet, an upper surface detection unit configured to detect a lower state where an upper surface of the sheet is below a detection position, and a control unit configured to control the lifting unit and the attraction and conveyance unit. The control unit is configured to execute a mode in which the tray is raised by the lifting unit for a second time longer than a first time in which the lower state is detected.

An unwinder for unwinding reels of paper includes a supporting structure partially closed and defining an internal space suitable for unwinding at least one reel; the supporting structure includes: a first lateral support; a second lateral support spaced from the first support; a crosspiece interposed above between the first and the second support defining with the first support and second support the partially closed structure; the unwinder further includes: a first axial unwinding system placed at the first support and configured to axially unwind a first reel; a second axial unwinding system placed at the second support and configured to unwind a second reel; a joining device placed at the crosspiece and configured to make a joint between a first ply belonging to the first reel and a second ply belonging to the second reel to perform a reel exchange.

A method and an apparatus for stabilizing the position of a sheet-like element made of hard brittle material during transportation thereof along a transport path is provided in which the element is guided through a roller chicane having three rollers.

The unwinder includes a pair of tailstocks adapted to engage and support a reel to be unwound and a peripheral unwinding device adapted to coact with a reel in the unwinding station. There is also provided a shuttle adapted to insert reels into the unwinding station, movable between a loading position of the reel on the shuttle and a position aligned with the pair of tailstocks, to transfer a reel from the shuttle to the tailstocks or vice versa. In use, the peripheral unwinding device is positioned under the reel of web material, so that the force exerted by the peripheral unwinding device on the reel being unwound has a component that is subtracted from the weight force of the reel.

A conveying apparatus for feeding sheets into a processing apparatus is discloses which comprises a plurality of nips within which sheets are gripped and driven along a conveying direction towards the processing apparatus, each nip being defined between a respective drive wheel and an opposing reaction surface. The drive wheels are omni-wheels configured to apply a frictional force to advance the sheets in the conveying direction while permitting free movement of the sheets in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, the reaction surfaces permitting free movement of the sheets in the transverse direction, and an elongate guide is arranged on one side of the conveying apparatus, to extend generally parallel to the conveying direction, the conveying apparatus being configured to urge conveyed sheets in the transverse direction into contact with the guide. A control system is provided to move the guide generally in the transverse direction in dependence upon sensed fiducials on the conveyed sheets, to ensure correct alignment of the sheets in the transverse direction with respect to the processing apparatus.

A recording apparatus includes a recording head that performs recording on a medium, a transport belt that has an clinging surface that cling the medium, and transports the medium to a position facing the recording head, a first charging unit that is in contact with the transport belt to frictionally charge the clinging surface, and a second charging unit that applies a voltage to the transport belt to charge the clinging surface, in which a control unit, which switches between charging of the clinging surface by the first charging unit and charging of the clinging surface by the second charging unit, switches between the charging of the clinging surface by the first charging unit and the charging of the clinging surface by the second charging unit, according to a state of a surface of the medium, which is in contact with the clinging surface.

A recording apparatus includes a recording head that performs recording on a medium, a transport belt that has an clinging surface that cling the medium, and transports the medium to a position facing the recording head, a first charging unit that is in contact with the transport belt to frictionally charge the clinging surface, and a second charging unit that applies a voltage to the transport belt to charge the clinging surface, in which a control unit, which switches between charging of the clinging surface by the first charging unit and charging of the clinging surface by the second charging unit, switches between the charging of the clinging surface by the first charging unit and the charging of the clinging surface by the second charging unit, according to a state of a surface of the medium, which is in contact with the clinging surface.