A media processing device includes: a hopper for supporting a stack of media units (e.g. cards), the hopper including (i) a gate wall configured to abut leading edges of the media units and (ii) an outlet defined at an end of the gate wall; a pick roller at the outlet for engaging an outer one of the media units in the stack and dispensing the outer media unit from the hopper to a media processing path; the gate wall including a flexible gate at the outlet, the flexible gate configured to deflect toward the media processing path responsive to the outer media unit being driven into the flexible gate by the pick roller, wherein the outer media unit deflects when passing by the flexible gate, permitting the outer media unit to be dispensed from the hopper.

A thick document conveying device includes a paper pickup mechanism. The paper pickup mechanism has a pick roller base, a pick roller axle, a pick roller, a switching assembly, a first universal coupling, a driving mechanism, a second universal coupling, a bearing and a gear. The pick roller axle and the pick roller are located in the pick roller base. The switching assembly is located under the pick roller base. The first universal coupling is connected to the pick roller axle. The driving mechanism is sleeved on the first universal coupling. The second universal coupling is connected to the driving mechanism. The bearing is connected to the driving mechanism. The gear is connected to the bearing. As described above, both a thick document and a thin document can be adapted.

A second roller set is disposed separately from a first roller set in one direction of the conveyance direction, and includes an intermittent roller that generates, during one rotation, a conveyance enabled time of contacting the card and conveying the card and a conveyance disabled time of not contacting the card and not conveying the card. A third roller set is disposed separately from the second roller set. A reference guide wall receives abutments of a first end portion of the card and arranges a position of the card in the width direction at a reference position. An urging guide wall urges a second end portion of the card toward the reference guide wall by a first urging force. A support wall regulates a movement of the reference guide wall toward the urging guide wall at a position serving as the reference position.

The invention is a modular card processing and attaching system configured to provide uninterrupted workflow in the feeding and subsequent attaching of cards to carriers for the formation of a mailpiece. The modular card processing and attaching system is further configured to be incorporated into a production mail inserter system, such that attached card and carrier mailpieces may be subsequently sorted and/or inserted into a mailable envelope or packages to be mailed.

An object processing machine for processing a plurality of objects, the machine comprising: a plurality of processing modules, each processing module having a modular structure co-operable with the modular structure of another processing module to form a modular assembly constituting the object processing machine; each processing module being operable to perform a corresponding processing operation on an object and being provided with at least one transfer unit located at a respective port of the processing module; each transfer unit being arranged to transfer an object to or from the corresponding processing module and/or to or from a transfer unit of another processing module of the modular assembly; the transfer units being arranged to co-operate with one another and/or with another processing unit such that objects can be guided from an input of the machine to an output of the machine via a plurality of different transport pathways through the machine, wherein the transport pathway taken by a said object being processed corresponds to the pre-determined processing operations to be performed on the said object. A method of processing a plurality of objects using such a machine is also described.

A card mechanism used in an array with other card mechanisms. Each card mechanism handles plastic cards that are to be personalized and provided to end users. The plastic cards can be cards such as financial cards including credit and debit cards, identification cards, driver's licenses, and other plastic cards that are personalized. The card mechanism(s) can supply cards to be personalized in one or more other card mechanisms and/or in a card personalization machine used with the card mechanism(s) in which case the card mechanism(s) is configured as a card input hopper, collect cards that have been personalized in which case the card mechanism is configured as a card output hopper, and/or perform one or more personalization operations on the cards in which case the card mechanism is configured as a card personalization mechanism.

An automatic document feeder, which is included in an image reading device and an image forming apparatus, includes first and second document trays, a document output tray, a document conveying passage, multiple document conveying bodies, a drive source, a detector, and a controller. The multiple document conveying bodies include a document holding and conveying body to convey and hold the original document sheet on the second document tray. On detection of the original document sheet on the second document tray while conveying a different original document sheet from the first document tray, the controller stops feeding the different original document sheet, causes the different original document sheet downstream from the document holding and conveying body in a document conveying direction to be conveyed to the document output tray, and stops the drive source after the different original document has been conveyed to the document output tray.

A theoretical threshold corresponding to a transport path is set, and a control unit acquires a calculation value calculated based on a detection result of double feeding detection unit and a transport length of a document, determines occurrence of double feeding when the calculation value is greater than the theoretical threshold (step S120), and determines non-occurrence of double feeding when the calculation value is smaller than the theoretical threshold. In addition, if a non-detection period for double feeding occurs (step S110), the control unit sets a cumulative value in step S115. As a result, detection of double feeding is ended in a short period while a document is being transported, and in a case that double feeding is no longer detected, determination of double feeding will not be made.

A card reader may include card insertion port; a plurality of types of pulling-out detection mechanisms; and a pulling-out prevention mechanism. The pulling-out prevention mechanism may include a lock member having a prevention part configured to contact with the card and prevent pulling-out of the card; and a moving mechanism structured to move the lock member between a contact position and a retreated position. The plurality of types of the pulling-out detection mechanisms may the abnormal pulling-out of the card by methods different from each other. The lock member is moved to the contact position from the retreated position to prevent pulling-out of the card when the abnormal pulling-out of the card from the card insertion port is detected by the plurality of types of the pulling-out detection mechanisms.

An apparatus for printing on one or both sides of flat objects. The apparatus includes a loop-shaped conveying path for the flat objects; a feed conveyor configured to feed the objects to be printed into a first section of the conveying path; a printer configured to print the objects one at a time; a first discharge conveyor configured to discharge the objects to be printed one at a time downstream of the printer from the first section towards a second section; a first collector configured to collect the objects downstream of the first discharge conveyor at the second section discharged from the first discharge conveyor in a stack; a stack conveyor configured to convey a (partial) stack of the objects along the second section; and a second collector configured to receive at least one (partial) stack and feed the objects upstream to the printer into the first section.