Provided is technology for effectively removing fiber from a mesh belt. A second web former for conveying a second web containing fiber deposited on a mesh belt 72 having multiple holes 72a has a brush roller 710 with numerous bristles 712 protruding from the surface and disposed in contact with the mesh belt 72. The sectional area of the bristles 712 of the brush roller 710 is smaller than the open area of the holes 72a in the mesh belt 72 so that the distal ends of the bristles 712 can enter the holes 72a.

A rapid reaction hood system includes at least one linear conveyor and a hood attached to the at least one conveyor and including a slot configured to collect dust emissions. The rapid reaction hood system also includes at least one proximity sensor positioned on the hood and configured to detect a distance from the hood to a roll of material. The conveyor is configured to move the hood linearly in response to a detection by the at least one proximity sensor.

Provided is technology for effectively removing fiber from a mesh belt. A second web former for conveying a second web containing fiber deposited on a mesh belt 72 having multiple holes 72a has a brush roller 710 with numerous bristles 712 protruding from the surface and disposed in contact with the mesh belt 72. The sectional area of the bristles 712 of the brush roller 710 is smaller than the open area of the holes 72a in the mesh belt 72 so that the distal ends of the bristles 712 can enter the holes 72a.

A sheet containing system includes a containing member, a feed device, an ascending device, and a powder applying device. The containing member has a wall portion and is to contain a sheet. The feed device feeds the sheet to an outside of the containing member. The ascending device moves up the sheet contained in the containing member toward the feed device. The powder applying device is provided in the wall portion disposed on a downstream side in the containing member in a transport direction of the sheet. The powder applying device applies powder to an end portion of the sheet on the downstream side in the transport direction of the sheet.

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a sheet conveyor configured to convey a sheet, a guide configured to form a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed by the sheet conveyor, and a sensor disposed on a same side as the guide with respect to the conveyance path. The guide includes a retracted portion disposed over a first region in a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction, the retracted portion being retracted with respect to a second region of the guide in the sheet width direction so as not to come into contact with the sheet passing through the conveyance path, the first region including a detection region of the sensor in the sheet width direction, the second region being a sheet passing region of the sheet in the sheet width direction excluding the first region.

A sheet containing system includes a containing member, a feed device, an ascending device, and a powder applying device. The containing member has a wall portion and is to contain a sheet. The feed device feeds the sheet to an outside of the containing member. The ascending device moves up the sheet contained in the containing member toward the feed device. The powder applying device is provided in the wall portion disposed on a downstream side in the containing member in a transport direction of the sheet. The powder applying device applies powder to an end portion of the sheet on the downstream side in the transport direction of the sheet.

An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit, first and second stacking units, first and second conveyance units, and a control unit. When the first conveyance unit conveys a sheet to the first stacking unit, the printing unit prints an image on a first number of sheets as first sheets in a first printing operation and prints the image on the first sheets in a second printing operation. When the second conveyance unit conveys the sheet to the second stacking unit, the printing unit prints the image on a second number of sheets, greater than the first number of sheets, as second sheets in the first printing operation and prints the image on the second sheets in the second printing operation. A number of sheets printed per unit time in the second printing operation is less than a number of sheets printed per unit time in the first printing operation.

An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit, first and second stacking units, first and second conveyance units, and a control unit. When the first conveyance unit conveys a sheet to the first stacking unit, the printing unit prints an image on a first number of sheets as first sheets in a first printing operation and prints the image on the first sheets in a second printing operation. When the second conveyance unit conveys the sheet to the second stacking unit, the printing unit prints the image on a second number of sheets, greater than the first number of sheets, as second sheets in the first printing operation and prints the image on the second sheets in the second printing operation. A number of sheets printed per unit time in the second printing operation is less than a number of sheets printed per unit time in the first printing operation.

A medium loading system includes: a supplier that causes multiple loaded recording media to levitate and be separated from each other by supplying air to the recording media from an edge of the recording media; an image capturing unit that captures an image of the recording media from the edge of the multiple recording media supplied with the air from the supplier; an image capturing target other than the recording media, the image capturing target being a target to be image-captured by the image capturing unit; and a processor configured to detect an abnormality in the image capturing unit in accordance with a change between multiple captured images of the image capturing target captured by the image capturing unit.

A sheet discharging device includes a shift tray 202 on which a sheet P1 is stacked, a discharging roller 6 that discharges a sheet P2 onto the shift tray 202, a blowing device 230 that sends air to a lower surface of the sheet P2 discharged by the discharging roller 6, a blocking member 231 that blocks air sent to the lower surface of the sheet P2 from a blowing port 230-2 of the blowing device 230, and a control unit that controls the blocking amount of the blocking member 231. The blocking amount is determined based upon sheet information including sheet-type information, sheet-size information, and sheet-thickness information, for example.