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 conveyance guide includes a sheet material. The sheet material has a surface to face a sheet when the sheet conveyance guide guides the sheet travelling in a conveyance direction. The sheet material has irregularities over a whole area of the surface.

A recording material transporting device includes a transport belt having an endless shape and having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface having a friction coefficient smaller than a friction coefficient of the inner peripheral surface. The transport belt transports a recording material by using the outer peripheral surface toward a reader that reads an image. The recording material transporting device further includes a driving roller that rotates while being in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the transport belt and that rotatably drives the transport belt.

A paper separating roller, including a shaft body, a first friction member and a second friction member is provided. The first friction member covers a first surface of an outer periphery of the shaft body. The second friction member covers a second surface of the outer periphery of the shaft body, wherein the first friction member and the second friction member are formed of two different materials. With the design of the friction members being formed of composite materials, the paper separating roller has the advantages of two different material features at the same time, such that a wider range of performance capabilities can be achieved.

A sheet transfer guide, which is disposed along a sheet conveyance passage through which a sheet passes, provided to guide the sheet, and is included in an image forming apparatus and an image reading device, includes a base material, a coat layer formed on the base material and having a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the base material, and a guide face to which the sheet contacts. The coat layer is formed on the guide face.

A baseboard dispensing assembly includes a pair of plates including an upper plate and a lower plate. The upper plate is positioned on and attached to the lower plate. The upper and lower plates are rotatable with respect to each other. The upper plate has an upper surface and the lower plate has a lower surface. A securing member is attached to the upper surface and is configured to restrict the coil of the flexible baseboard from sliding off of the upper surface. The upper plate receives a coil of flexible baseboard such that the coil is uncoiled while the securing member retains the coil on the upper plate.

A recording apparatus which includes a transport belt which transports a medium; a pressing roller which presses the medium to the transport belt; and a support unit which can support the transport belt, in which at least a part of a portion of the support unit, which faces the pressing roller through the transport belt is subjected to friction relief processing. By setting to a recording apparatus with such a configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in friction force between the transport belt and the support unit which can support the transport belt.

A post-processing apparatus for post-processing paper discharged from an image forming apparatus comprises: a paper discharging roller for conveying both first and second paper sequentially discharged from an image forming apparatus to an intermediate loading part; a main paddle part for conveying the first and second paper loaded on the intermediate loading part to a compiling region; a reverse roller for conveying, together with the main paddle part, the first and second paper to the compiling region; and a binding part for processing the first and second paper conveyed to the compiling region, the paper discharging roller allows the first paper to stand by on a standby path, and conveys the first and second paper to the intermediate loading part in a state in which the leading end of the first paper protrudes further than the leading end of the second paper.

Methods and apparatus for transporting either an entire web or discrete components of disposable products such as diaper components down the machine using mechanical forces to grip the nonwoven web and transfer it from one belt or roll to another without or reducing added vacuum. There is a carrier nonwoven web that goes down the length of the machine and other substrates are added on top of this layer, and the machine provides sufficient gripping to allow transport of diaper components through the fabrication process. Securing and releasing forces are supplied so that the components can be retained at some points and released at others.

In a copier, printer, or similar device, paper is loaded in large quantities. To separate a top sheet of a stack of sheets from the next adjacent sheet, a dam is used, which is an element having an inclined surface in the path of the top sheet. This invention addresses devices with variably compliant separation strips, preferably a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer such as Pellethane®, that are part of the dam, so that the leading edge of a media sheet will strike the inclined surface of the separation strip. By adjusting the compliance of the separation strip, different weights of media may be accommodated while minimizing the multi-feeds that may cause jamming of the device.