A packaging machine may include a foil transport device and a controlling system for controlling an operation of at least one drive unit of the foil transport device. The controlling system is designed to activate the drive unit during a production run of the packaging machine on the basis of a speed- and/or temperature-dependent friction moment characteristic curve detected by means of a rotationally driven measurement run carried out by the drive unit. The disclosure furthermore relates to a method for controlling a drive unit of a foil transport device.

A sheet processing machine stores sheets transported by a transport unit. The sheet processing machine includes: a reel on which a first end side of a tape is wound; a first stepper motor that rotates the reel about a rotation axis of the reel; a drum configured to wind up a second end side of the tape together with the sheets to form a winding body together with the tape and the sheets; a second stepper motor that rotates the drum about a rotation axis of the drum; and circuitry configured to change an interval between the sheets wound on the drum by controlling a rotation of the first stepper motor and the second stepper motor based on a parameter indicating a condition of the winding body.

A reading apparatus includes a reader, a conveyor, motors and a hardware processor. The reader reads a surface of a recording medium with an image formed. The conveyor includes rollers disposed along a conveyance path that passes through a reading area of the reader, and conveys the recording medium being laid across the rollers. The motors rotate the rollers. The hardware processor controls operations of the motors such that the rollers located farther downstream in a conveyance direction of the recording medium rotate faster. As to at least one motor of the motors, the hardware processor switches between and performs a first control to adjust a rotational speed and a second control to adjust a torque, depending on an operating state of the motor.

A reading apparatus includes a reader, a conveyor, motors and a hardware processor. The reader reads a surface of a recording medium with an image formed. The conveyor includes rollers disposed along a conveyance path that passes through a reading area of the reader, and conveys the recording medium being laid across the rollers. The motors rotate the rollers. The hardware processor controls operations of the motors such that the rollers located farther downstream in a conveyance direction of the recording medium rotate faster. As to at least one motor of the motors, the hardware processor switches between and performs a first control to adjust a rotational speed and a second control to adjust a torque, depending on an operating state of the motor.

According to one embodiment, a sheet conveying device includes a roller, a motor, a clutch, and a torque generator. The roller conveys a sheet. The motor is a driving source. The clutch connects or disconnects drive of the motor with respect to the roller. The torque generator applies a torque to the roller.

An example method for estimating a media level of a media stack in a printer includes storing a media level model correlating a picker metric of a media picker to pick media from the media stack to the media level; measuring a current picker metric when the media picker picks the media from the media stack during a print job; adding the current picker metric to a historical data set; updating the media level model by generating a regression for the historical data set; and based on the current picker metric and the updated media level model, estimating a current media level of the media stack.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a feed roller that feeds media. A separation roller nips the media together with the feed roller to separate it and is rotated in a first direction to feed the media. A motor applies driving torque to the separation roller in a second direction opposite to the first direction. A torque limiter, when rotation torque applied to the separation roller in the first direction exceeds a preset upper torque limit, causes the separation roller to rotate at idle in the first direction independently of the driving torque. During feeding operations, including feeding of first and second media, a controller that controls the motor provides a break period in which the motor is not driven. The break period contains the timing when a rear edge of the first medium leaves a nip position between the feeding and separation rollers.

To provide a post-processor capable of executing alignment processing with high accuracy.

Configuring a post-processor including: a recording material loader on which a recording material conveyed through a conveyance path is loaded; an aligner that aligns the recording material in the recording material loader; a driver that moves the aligner; and a controller that receives information of a physical property value of the recording material acquired by a medium sensor and determines an operation parameter of alignment processing that drives the driver based on the information of the physical property value.

To provide a post-processor capable of executing alignment processing with high accuracy.

Configuring a post-processor including: a recording material loader on which a recording material conveyed through a conveyance path is loaded; an aligner that aligns the recording material in the recording material loader; a driver that moves the aligner; and a controller that receives information of a physical property value of the recording material acquired by a medium sensor and determines an operation parameter of alignment processing that drives the driver based on the information of the physical property value.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a drive source, a conveyance portion, a transmission mechanism configured to switch between a first state and a second state, a load detection portion configured to detect a load acting on the drive source, and a control portion configured to control the drive source and the transmission mechanism. The control portion is configured to change, on a basis of a detection result of the load detection portion, a timing in the conveyance operation at which a control signal for switching the transmission mechanism from the first state to the second state is issued, the timing being changed in accordance with a delay time from when the control signal is issued to when change in the load corresponding to the switching of the transmission mechanism from the first state to the second state appears.