The invention describes contact rolls for pressing at least one web of material, preferably a web of plastic film, against at least one rotating winding device, the contact roll comprising a surface layer.

At least two segments are provided which are spaced axially apart and which extend around, in which segments the quality of the surface layer differs from the quality of the other areas of the surface layer, at least some portions of said segments being in contact with the edges of the at least one web of material.

A sheet transport device includes pre-transfer sheet-transport rollers that transport a sheet to a transfer position at which an unfixed image is transferred, the pre-transfer sheet-transport rollers including a first roller in which three or more separate rollers attached to a first shaft rotate, and a second roller in which three or more separate rollers attached to a second shaft are in contact with the separate rollers of the first roller and rotate. The hardness of an inner separate roller of the first roller is lower than the hardness of end separate rollers of the first roller. The outside diameter of an inner separate roller of the second roller is greater than the outside diameter of end separate rollers of the second roller.

The invention describes contact rolls for pressing at least one web of material, preferably a web of plastic film, against at least one rotating winding device, the contact roll comprising a surface layer. At least two segments are provided which are spaced axially apart and which extend around, in which segments the quality of the surface layer differs from the quality of the other areas of the surface layer, at least some portions of said segments being in contact with the edges of the at least one web of material.

A contact interface includes a first contact member including a first contact surface with a first material subsurface and a second material subsurface. The second material subsurface protrudes transversely above the first material subsurface. A second contact member includes a second contact surface to slide in contact with the first contact surface. The first material subsurface comprises a first material. The second material subsurface comprises a second material. The second material has a lower hardness than the first material.

A sheet-conveying device contains a first linear sheet-conveying path on which the sheet is conveyed, a curved sheet-conveying path connecting the first linear sheet-conveying path and a second linear sheet-conveying path connecting the curved sheet-conveying path. A curved conveying guide is provided at only an outside of a curved sheet-conveying route. Conveying guide rollers are provided at an upstream side of the curved conveying guide. The conveying guide rollers contain a driving roller which is arranged at outside of the curved sheet-conveying path and a driven roller which is arranged at inside of the curved sheet-conveying path. The driven roller has a diameter more than that of the driving roller. The driven roller also has hardness less than that of the driving roller.

A hearth roll includes a base roll, a thermally sprayed coating formed on the base roll, and a modified coating formed on the thermally sprayed coating. The modified coating is formed by modifying a part or the whole of a surface of the thermally sprayed coating by melting and solidification of the thermally sprayed coating, by irradiating a part or the whole of the surface of the thermally sprayed coating with an energy beam. The thickness of the modified coating is from 2 to 20 m, and the Vickers hardness HV of the modified coating is from 1.2 to 1.4 times larger than the Vickers hardness HV of the thermally sprayed coating.

A sheet transport device includes pre-transfer sheet-transport rollers that transport a sheet to a transfer position at which an unfixed image is transferred, the pre-transfer sheet-transport rollers including a first roller in which three or more separate rollers attached to a first shaft rotate, and a second roller in which three or more separate rollers attached to a second shaft are in contact with the separate rollers of the first roller and rotate. The hardness of an inner separate roller of the first roller is lower than the hardness of end separate rollers of the first roller. The outside diameter of an inner separate roller of the second roller is greater than the outside diameter of end separate rollers of the second roller.

A conveyor includes multiple conveying rollers to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction, and the multiple conveying rollers: arranged in the conveyance direction; and shifted with each other in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction.

A contact interface includes a first contact member including a first contact surface with a first material subsurface and a second material subsurface. The second material subsurface protrudes transversely above the first material subsurface. A second contact member includes a second contact surface to slide in contact with the first contact surface. The first material subsurface comprises a first material. The second material subsurface comprises a second material. The second material has a lower hardness than the first material.

A conveyor includes: a first guide plate including: a first roller shaft; and a first roller having a first hardness and attached to the first roller shaft; and a second guide plate disposed opposite to the first guide plate and including: a second roller shaft; a second roller having a second hardness higher than the first hardness of the first roller and attached to the second roller shaft, wherein parallelism between the first roller shaft and the second roller shaft is variable, and the first guide plate and the second guide plate guide the target, and the first roller and the second roller nips and conveys the target in a conveyance direction.