A printed unit block aligning device includes a supporting element and an alignment transfer rail. The supporting element is opened and closed between a supporting position and a releasing position. The alignment transfer rail receives the group of the printed unit blocks dropped in response to move of the supporting element to the releasing position, aligns the printed unit blocks in each line unit block in a vertical direction, and feeds the printed unit blocks vertically at a constant speed using alignment transferring element. An electrical controlling element is provided that electrically controls timing of dropping the printed unit blocks from the supporting element onto the alignment transfer rail. While a speed of transfer of the horizontal feeding and transferring element are uniform for any imposition structure, the electrical controlling element controls timing of dropping the printed unit blocks in a manner that depends on the numbers of layers in each vertical line in different imposition structures.

A printed unit block aligning device includes a supporting element and an alignment transfer rail. The supporting element is opened and closed between a supporting position and a releasing position. The alignment transfer rail receives the group of the printed unit blocks dropped in response to move of the supporting element to the releasing position, aligns the printed unit blocks in each line unit block in a vertical direction, and feeds the printed unit blocks vertically at a constant speed using alignment transferring element. An electrical controlling element is provided that electrically controls timing of dropping the printed unit blocks from the supporting element onto the alignment transfer rail. While a speed of transfer of the horizontal feeding and transferring element are uniform for any imposition structure, the electrical controlling element controls timing of dropping the printed unit blocks in a manner that depends on the numbers of layers in each vertical line in different imposition structures.

A first leading end plate and a first rear end plate are provided at an upper part of a rotary table. When a conductor piece contacts the first leading end plate, a first contact detection sensor detects a contact of the conductor piece, and transmits a contact detection signal to a storage control unit. Upon receiving the contact detection signal, the storage control unit drives an air supply device for a predetermined period to spray air toward the conductor piece from a first air nozzle. The air spray brings the conductor piece into a tilted state with the rear end thereof moved downward. Even when the conductor piece contacts the first leading end plate and rebounds, the rear end thereof contacts an inner wall surface of the first rear end plate, thereby preventing the rear end of the conductor piece from getting over the first rear end plate.

A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a receptacle, a liquid applier, and a crimper. The conveyor conveys a medium. The receptacle holds the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The liquid applier is disposed upstream from the receptacle in a conveyance direction of the medium to apply liquid to a liquid application position on the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The crimper presses and deforms the liquid application position on a plurality of media including the medium held on the receptacle to bind the plurality of media.

A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a receptacle, a liquid applier, and a crimper. The conveyor conveys a medium. The receptacle holds the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The liquid applier is disposed upstream from the receptacle in a conveyance direction of the medium to apply liquid to a liquid application position on the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The crimper presses and deforms the liquid application position on a plurality of media including the medium held on the receptacle to bind the plurality of media.

A printer includes: a conveyor that performs a forward-conveyance operation for conveying a printing medium downstream in a conveying direction and a backward-conveyance operation for conveying the printing medium upstream in the conveying direction; a printing device; a roller provided downstream of the conveyor in the conveying direction; an opposed member opposed to the roller; a moving mechanism that moves a moving member, which is one of the roller and the opposed member, between (i) a first position at which the printing medium is nipped between the moving member and the other of the roller and the opposed member and (ii) a second position at which the moving member is separated from the printing medium; and a controller that executes a first conveyor-backward-conveyance processing for controlling the conveyor to perform the backward-conveyance operation in a state in which the moving member is located at the second position.

An apparatus is provided for handling overlay sheet material on a cutting apparatus including a conveyor for moving work material in a longitudinal direction and a support for positioning a tensioner frame adjacent the conveyor. A tensioner frame, attached to the support, has a nip wheel and a drive for rotating the nip wheel with a tangential speed in excess of the longitudinal conveyor speed attached to the tensioner frame. The nip wheel engages the overlay sheet material applying a tension thereto in the same longitudinal direction as the conveyor.

An object of the present invention is to improve throughput of continuous printing in an image printing apparatus having a cutting device that needs to be returned to a standby position for a next cutting operation. One embodiment of the present invention is an image printing apparatus having a printing unit, a conveyance unit capable of conveying a printing medium in a conveyance direction or in a returning direction opposite to the conveyance direction; and a cutting unit provided at a cutting position on a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the printing unit and configured to cut the printing medium by moving in a first direction and return to a cutting standby position for a next cutting operation by moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

An object of the present invention is to improve throughput of continuous printing in an image printing apparatus having a cutting device that needs to be returned to a standby position for a next cutting operation. One embodiment of the present invention is an image printing apparatus having a printing unit, a conveyance unit capable of conveying a printing medium in a conveyance direction or in a returning direction opposite to the conveyance direction; and a cutting unit provided at a cutting position on a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the printing unit and configured to cut the printing medium by moving in a first direction and return to a cutting standby position for a next cutting operation by moving in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Disclosed herein, a tire tread cutting apparatus for cutting a length of a tire tread is described. The tire tread cutting apparatus includes a track having a first track end and a second track end downstream of the first track end. The track includes a plurality of rollers positioned between the first track end and the second track end. The plurality of rollers is configured to facilitate the tire tread along the track. A tire hub is positioned downstream of and adjacent to the second track end. The tire hub is configured to receive a tire casing. The tire casing defines a tire casing circumference along an outer surface of the tire casing. A tread dispenser is positioned upstream of the track and configured to dispense tire tread. The tread dispenser includes a drive roller configured to drive tire tread downstream toward the second track end.