A sheet 200 for an array of vacuum apertures 152 in a substrate support unit 150 of a printer is provided. The sheet 200 comprises a plurality of valves 202 formed into the sheet 200. The sheet 200 is made from a resilient material. Each valve 202 comprises a valve head 204 for sealing a vacuum aperture 152 in the substrate support unit 150, and a valve lever arm 206 for permitting movement of the valve head 204 towards and away from the vacuum aperture 152 in order to open and close the valve 202.

A substrate support system 10 for a conveyor printer is provided, comprising a support unit 100 comprising a plurality of vacuum apertures 108 arranged for fluidic communication with a source of negative pressure. The support unit 100 also comprises at least one air bearing 114 arranged for fluidic communication with a source of positive pressure. The air bearing 114 comprises porous media 116. The substrate support system 10 also comprises a conveyor belt 150 arranged over the support unit 100 for supporting a substrate 170 to be printed on. The conveyor belt 150 comprises a plurality of belt apertures. The vacuum apertures 108 are arranged to convey a negative pressure through the belt apertures for retaining the substrate 170 on the conveyor belt 150. The at least one air bearing 114 is arranged to convey a positive pressure to support the conveyor belt 150.

A marker transport system and a method of operating the marker transport system. A group of print bars is located with respect to a marker transport platen and a marker transport belt. A vacuum source and a pneumatic solenoid block are associated with the marker transport platen. The marker transport platen includes airflow sections divided into process-direction slots and cross-section direction slots. The cross-section direction slots are located beneath the print bars and are connected to the vacuum source via the pneumatic solenoid block, which facilitates an individual control of each of the cross-process direction slots. Pneumatic valves are associated with the pneumatic solenoid block, which supplies a flow of vacuum to the cross-process direction vacuum slots. The pneumatic vales can be timed to allow the vacuum to be present when a sheet is present over a corresponding vacuum slot among the process-direction slots and the cross-section direction slots.

A medium-suction apparatus includes a conveyer to convey a medium in a conveyance direction, a first suction unit to perform suction operation on the medium to attract the medium to the conveyer, and a second suction unit to perform the suction operation on the medium to attract the medium to the conveyer. The second suction unit being disposed next to the first suction unit in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The second suction unit starts the suction operation after the first suction unit stalls the suction operation.

An image formation device includes: a registration roller pair configured to shift sheet in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction of a sheet feeding direction while holding the sheet; a feeding section provided upstream of the registration roller pair in the first direction and including a feeding belt configured to convey the sheet to the registration roller pair; a first air adjustment section configured to perform air suction or blowing for the sheet conveyed by the feeding belt; and a control section configured to switch between a first operation of controlling, when the sheet is conveyed by the feeding belt, the first air adjustment section to suck the sheet with air and a second operation of controlling, when the sheet is swung by the registration roller pair, the first air adjustment section to blow air on the sheet.

A vacuum belt moves between a print head and a manifold. The manifold has manifold chambers, and each of the manifold chambers has manifold openings. Vacuum lines are connected to the manifold chambers. The vacuum lines exert vacuum force upon the manifold chambers, and the manifold openings exert the vacuum force through belt perforations. A cylindrical valve structure is connected to the vacuum lines. The cylindrical valve structure includes a cylindrical sleeve (having sleeve openings connected to the vacuum lines) and an internal valve cylinder positioned within the cylindrical sleeve. The internal valve cylinder has groups of vacuum slots. The internal valve cylinder moves linearly within the cylindrical sleeve (in directions parallel to cylindrical walls of the cylindrical sleeve) to align only one of the groups of vacuum slots with the sleeve openings at a time, so as to control which of the manifold chambers receive the vacuum draw.

A contact-less liquid application apparatus, and in particular a printing apparatus, for applying a liquid in a contact-less manner on a moving medium. The liquid application apparatus includes a liquid application means configured for applying a liquid on a moving medium, a media transport system configured for moving the medium in a movement direction at a distance of the liquid application means, and a flow control means configured to evacuate at least a portion of the air displaced by the moving of the medium, at least before the medium is in a liquid application position, where the liquid application position is a position in which the liquid application means is applying liquid on the medium.

In an example, a media conveyor includes a media support platform having a suction hole, and a valve to selectively close the suction hole. A valve actuator to actuate the valve includes an air tube having an air inlet and a seal to selectively seal the air inlet.

A marker transport system and a method of operating the marker transport system. A group of print bars is located with respect to a marker transport platen and a marker transport belt. A vacuum source and a pneumatic solenoid block are associated with the marker transport platen. The marker transport platen includes airflow sections divided into process-direction slots and cross-section direction slots. The cross-section direction slots are located beneath the print bars and are connected to the vacuum source via the pneumatic solenoid block, which facilitates an individual control of each of the cross-process direction slots. Pneumatic valves are associated with the pneumatic solenoid block, which supplies a flow of vacuum to the cross-process direction vacuum slots. The pneumatic vales can be timed to allow the vacuum to be present when a sheet is present over a corresponding vacuum slot among the process-direction slots and the cross-section direction slots.

An insertion assembly for the continuous and automated feeding of laminar elements into a graphic printing station without the involvement of roller elements in the process, allowing the distance between the laminar elements in question to be adjusted such that adjacent laminar elements may be positioned very close to each other regardless of their length. Said assembly comprises an insertion device (1) that includes a rotating belt system on which the laminar elements (3) can be moved horizontally, and suction means, with the insertion device (1) connected to a stacking area (4) and; a pulling device (2) that includes a rotating belt system on which the laminar elements from the insertion device (1) can be moved, and suction means, with the pulling device (2) connected to a graphic printing station, said pulling device adjoining the insertion device (1) in a direction of forward motion.