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 conveying unit includes a rotatable roller having a first through-hole between the inside and the outside of the roller. A cylindrical member inside the roller has an opening and defines an annular chamber between the member and the roller. An insert borne by the roller inserted in the first through-hole thereof and contacting an external surface of the cylindrical member has a second through-hole in communication with the outside of the roller and extending through the first through-hole and the annular chamber. The first through-hole of the opening is configured such that, when the roller rotates, the insert transits at the opening, temporarily placing the outside of the roller in fluid communication with the annular chamber via the second through-hole, so that a sheet outside the roller and at the first through-hole is pulled against the roller by aspirating means and is conveyed.

A conveying unit includes a rotatable roller having a first through-hole between the inside and the outside of the roller. A cylindrical member inside the roller has an opening and defines an annular chamber between the member and the roller. An insert borne by the roller inserted in the first through-hole thereof and contacting an external surface of the cylindrical member has a second through-hole in communication with the outside of the roller and extending through the first through-hole and the annular chamber. The first through-hole of the opening is configured such that, when the roller rotates, the insert transits at the opening, temporarily placing the outside of the roller in fluid communication with the annular chamber via the second through-hole, so that a sheet outside the roller and at the first through-hole is pulled against the roller by aspirating means and is conveyed.

The invention relates to a method and a device for arranging sheets in an overlapping position in a transfer unit arranged between a first processing station and a second processing station following the first processing station in a transport direction of the sheets. The sheets to be overlapped are transported from the first processing station to the transfer unit, in a transport plane and each individually lying behind one another. A respective rear, in the transport direction, edge of the sheets coming from the first processing station, is raised relative to the transport plane exclusively by the use of blown air, and a second subsequent sheet is slid under the rear edge of the respective preceding first sheet.

The invention relates to a method and a device for arranging sheets in an overlapping position in a transfer unit arranged between a first processing station and a second processing station following the first processing station in a transport direction of the sheets. The sheets to be overlapped are transported from the first processing station to the transfer unit, in a transport plane and each individually lying behind one another. A respective rear, in the transport direction, edge of the sheets coming from the first processing station, is raised relative to the transport plane exclusively by the use of blown air, and a second subsequent sheet is slid under the rear edge of the respective preceding first sheet.

An electrode manufacturing apparatus includes a support roll supporting an electrode sheet, at least one pressure roll, a level sensor, and a control unit. The electrode sheet includes a coated portion and an uncoated portion, and the support roll transports the electrode sheet in a first direction. The pressure roll contacts the support roll with the electrode sheet disposed therebetween and pressurizes the uncoated portion of the electrode sheet. The level sensor detects a level of the uncoated portion, and the control unit controls the pressure roll in response to the level detected by the level sensor. The at least one pressure roll is movable in a second direction crossing the first direction.

A web transport assembly is provided for transporting a web along a processing unit for processing the web, the web transport assembly comprising: a transport device arranged for moving the web in a transport direction through a transport path along the processing unit, the transport device being arranged downstream of the processing unit relative to the transport direction; and a friction-based tensioning device arranged upstream of the processing unit relative to the transport direction; wherein the friction-based tensioning device comprises a guiding surface for guiding the web towards the processing unit and a plurality of suction holes distributed over the guiding surface for providing a suction force to a contact side of the web, the plurality of suction holes being arranged in fluid communication to a suction source, which generates the suction force, wherein the guiding surface is configured to exert a friction force on the web in response to the suction force provided to the contact side of the web; and wherein the friction-based tensioning device is configured for controlling a tension of the web between the guiding surface and the transport device.

A cardboard conveyor device forms sub negative pressure regions communicative to a main negative pressure region by using wind shield structures of a plate body structure, thus saving power consumption of an aspirator. The plate body structure is for example formed by three plate bodies, the plate body of a middle layer has air holes, the plate body of an upper layer has first interval spaces penetrating the plate body of the upper layer, and the plate body of a lower layer has second interval spaces penetrating the plate body of the lower layer. Each of the first interval spaces is communicative to the corresponding second interval space via the corresponding air holes, and the second interval spaces are communicative to the main negative pressure region. Thus, the sub negative pressure regions can provide a negative pressure to the cardboard being conveyed.