A method of transporting a plurality of sheet-like members containing a magnetic material includes a first step of placing one of the members on an endless belt, and a second step of releasing the member from a portion of the endless belt which is moved and folded back along a roller. The endless belt includes a first magnetic force generating portion that generates first magnetic force, and a second magnetic force generating portion that generates second magnetic force that is stronger than the first magnetic force. In the first step, the member is placed on the belt, such that a first portion of the member containing the magnetic material is located in the first magnetic force generating portion, and a second portion of the member containing the magnetic material and located rearward of the first portion in a conveying direction is located in the second magnetic force generating portion.

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.

Belt conveyor system comprising: an endless mesh belt, the belt having a mesh structure and having edge areas at the lateral sides, a drive mechanism drivable by a drive motor to rotate the belt, and a steering roller for steering the lateral position of the belt, wherein an edge area comprises a band running substantially parallel to the lateral sides, the band comprising an elastic filler being provided inside the mesh structure, the elastic filler being discernible from the mesh structure, and wherein the belt conveyor system further comprises a band position detector for detecting the lateral position of the band.

A printer includes a recording head, a belt, a scale unit, a reading head, a gripping unit. The belt includes a first surface configured to support a medium and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The gripping unit includes a first abutting portion that comes into contact with the first surface, and a second abutting portion that comes into contact with the second surface. The gripping unit can be changed between a gripping state of moving along with the glue belt while gripping the glue belt, and a release state of being separated from the glue belt. When the gripping unit is in the release state, the second abutting portion is separated from the second surface in conjunction with the first abutting portion being separated from the first surface.

A method of transporting a plurality of sheet-like members containing a magnetic material includes a first step of placing one of the members on an endless belt, and a second step of releasing the member from a portion of the endless belt which is moved and folded back along a roller. The endless belt includes a first magnetic force generating portion that generates first magnetic force, and a second magnetic force generating portion that generates second magnetic force that is stronger than the first magnetic force. In the first step, the member is placed on the belt, such that a first portion of the member containing the magnetic material is located in the first magnetic force generating portion, and a second portion of the member containing the magnetic material and located rearward of the first portion in a conveying direction is located in the second magnetic force generating portion.

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 printer includes a recording head, a belt, a scale unit, a reading head, a gripping unit. The belt includes a first surface configured to support a medium and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The gripping unit includes a first abutting portion that comes into contact with the first surface, and a second abutting portion that comes into contact with the second surface. The gripping unit can be changed between a gripping state of moving along with the glue belt while gripping the glue belt, and a release state of being separated from the glue belt. When the gripping unit is in the release state, the second abutting portion is separated from the second surface in conjunction with the first abutting portion being separated from the first surface.

Belt conveyor system comprising: an endless mesh belt, the belt having a mesh structure and having edge areas at the lateral sides, a drive mechanism drivable by a drive motor to rotate the belt, and a steering roller for steering the lateral position of the belt, wherein an edge area comprises a band running substantially parallel to the lateral sides, the band comprising an elastic filler being provided inside the mesh structure, the elastic filler being discernible from the mesh structure, and wherein the belt conveyor system further comprises a band position detector for detecting the lateral position of the band.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a first and second electrode elements arranged on an attracting member, including a plurality of attracting force generation electrodes and power feeding electrodes corresponding to the respective attracting force generation electrodes. The attracting force generation electrodes of the first and second electrode elements are alternately arranged. Further, the sheet feeding apparatus includes a power feeding brush arranged at a position different from an attracting position and capable of supplying voltages to the electrode elements, respectively, and a neutralization roller pair arranged at a position different from the attracting position and the power feeding brush and configured to be brought into contact with the electrode elements to remove a residual charge on the attracting member. With this, decrease in productivity is prevented by enabling both of the generation of the electrostatic attracting force and the neutralization without control of switching between power feeding and neutralization.

Provided is a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus capable of performing sheet feeding by electrostatic adsorption at a low noise with a simple configuration. A first outer nip conveying roller 201b and a second outer nip conveying roller 202b that nip an adsorbing member 200 supported in a state an inside is loose by a first inner nip conveying roller 201a and a second inner nip conveying roller 202b are provided.