According to one embodiment, the sheet conveying device includes a tray, an elevating mechanism, a conveyance roller, and a resistance member. The tray stacks a plurality of sheets. The elevating mechanism lifts and lowers the tray in the stacking direction of a plurality of sheets. The conveyance roller conveys the plurality of sheets in the conveyance direction from the upper side in the stacking direction. The resistance member comes into contact with the leading ends of the plurality of sheets in the conveyance direction. The resistance member imparts a sliding resistance larger than that of the sheet stacking surface of the tray to the leading ends of the plurality of sheets that are lifted and lowered by the elevating mechanism.

This invention provides a stacker for use in forming stacks of cut sheets received from an upstream utilization device (e.g. a printer, cutter, etc.) that allows for positive driving of sheets into a stack using a stacking unit that includes a series of grippers that are adapted to grip and release a leading edge of each sheet at the appropriate time. In this manner, each sheet is gripped as it arrives from the upstream operation and is passed downstream into the stack, being released so as to properly decelerate at the stack's backstop. The grippers are mounted on a continuous belt between a pair of opposing drive sprockets. An edge sensor located upstream of the stacking unit triggers motion of the belts. The grippers are actuated by a mechanical cam arrangement to selectively grip and release at predetermined positions as the belt is driven.

This invention provides a stacker for use in forming stacks of cut sheets received from an upstream utilization device (e.g. a printer, cutter, etc.) that allows for positive driving of sheets into a stack using a stacking unit that includes a series of grippers that are adapted to grip and release a leading edge of each sheet at the appropriate time. In this manner, each sheet is gripped as it arrives from the upstream operation and is passed downstream into the stack, being released so as to properly decelerate at the stack's backstop. The grippers are mounted on a continuous belt between a pair of opposing drive sprockets. An edge sensor located upstream of the stacking unit triggers motion of the belts. The grippers are actuated by a mechanical cam arrangement to selectively grip and release at predetermined positions as the belt is driven.

A substrate unloading system comprising a gripper mounted on a slanted plane and movable along the slanted plane, and a platen onto which the substrate is attached, the platen configured to be moved down in a vertical direction and away from the gripper in a horizontal direction, the gripper and the platen configured to move simultaneously so that the substrate remains substantially horizontal.

A magnetic ink reading device includes a housing having a slot through which a medium is inserted, a roller driven by a motor by which the medium is conveyed along a conveyance path, one or more sensors arranged along the conveyance path and configured to detect the medium at one or more respective positions, a magnetic head configured to read a magnetic pattern formed on the medium with magnetic ink, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the motor to convey the medium inserted through the slot, measure a length in a conveyance direction of the medium using outputs from the sensors, and control the magnetic head to read the magnetic pattern from the medium while controlling the motor to continuously convey the medium for a period corresponding to the measured length.

Example printer finishing apparatus are described herein. An example printer disclosed herein includes an alignment guide, a track to align a sheet relative to the alignment guide, a clamp to move between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the sheet, and a force applicator coupled to the clamp. The force applicator is to cause the sheet to engage the alignment guide when the clamp is in the lowered position.

A system (10) includes an intermediate transfer member (ITM) (44) and a substrate conveyor (80). The ITM (44) is configured to receive droplets of one or more printing fluids so as to form an image thereon, and to transfer the image to a target substrate (50). The substrate conveyor (80) is configured to grip and move the target substrate (50) to and from the ITM (44) for transferal of the image, the substrate conveyor (80) includes one or more rotatable elements (110, 200), which are configured to provide mechanical support to the target substrate (50), such that, when the target substrate (50) moves over the one or more rotatable elements (110, 200), at least one of the rotatable elements (110, 200) is configured to rotate in response to a physical contact with the target substrate (50).

A system (10) includes an intermediate transfer member (ITM) (44) and a substrate conveyor (80). The ITM (44) is configured to receive droplets of one or more printing fluids so as to form an image thereon, and to transfer the image to a target substrate (50). The substrate conveyor (80) is configured to grip and move the target substrate (50) to and from the ITM (44) for transferal of the image, the substrate conveyor (80) includes one or more rotatable elements (110, 200), which are configured to provide mechanical support to the target substrate (50), such that, when the target substrate (50) moves over the one or more rotatable elements (110, 200), at least one of the rotatable elements (110, 200) is configured to rotate in response to a physical contact with the target substrate (50).

In an example, a clamp may include a roller disposed on a swingarm, a slide disposed on the swingarm that may apply friction against the roller in a first position and in a second position, a cam to engage with the slide, and a latch to retain the slide in the second position. The slide may move from the first position to the second position as the slide moves along the cam, and the slide may apply a greater friction against the roller in the second position than in the first position.

In an example, a clamp may include a roller disposed on a swingarm, a slide disposed on the swingarm that may apply friction against the roller in a first position and in a second position, a cam to engage with the slide, and a latch to retain the slide in the second position. The slide may move from the first position to the second position as the slide moves along the cam, and the slide may apply a greater friction against the roller in the second position than in the first position.