A sheet conveying device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a plurality of position detectors, a leading end detector, and a position adjuster. The plurality of position detectors is configured to detect a position of a sheet. The leading end detector is configured to detect a leading end of the sheet. The position adjuster is configured to, based on a detection result obtained by the plurality of position detectors, rotate in a rotation direction of the sheet within a plane of conveyance of the sheet to change the position of the sheet the position adjuster grips the sheet under conveyance to cause the leading end detector to rotate with the position adjuster in the rotation direction of the sheet within the plane of conveyance of the sheet.

The present invention relates to an alignment system for sheets of material using a sensor to detect reference features in the sheets. The sensor uses components within or on the sheet to accurately position the sheet relative to the sensor and hence relative to a machine.

Alignment apparatuses include a frame and contact elements connected to the frame. The contact elements contact items that are to be transported in a processing direction relative to the frame. The contact elements are in permeant fixed positions relative to the frame, and do not move relative to the frame. Adjustable mounts are connected to the frame and move the frame in the processing direction and in a perpendicular cross-processing direction. A controller is electrically connected to the adjustable mounts, and the controller is adapted to control the adjustable mounts to simultaneously move the frame and all the contact elements in the cross-processing direction and the processing direction while rotating the frame. Methods laterally shift imaging on sheets that have had rotational correction performed by such alignment apparatuses.

An image forming apparatus includes a casing, an image forming unit movable between an accommodated position and a shifted position, an actuator, an urging member, a cam, and a contact portion. The actuator includes a pivot shaft and a protrusion protruding therefrom. The protrusion at a standby position crosses a conveyance path and is contactable with a sheet conveyed along the conveyance path. When the image forming unit is at the accommodated position, the contact portion and the cam contact each other and maintain the protrusion at the standby position against an urging force of the urging member. As the image forming unit moves from the accommodated position to the shifted position, the contact portion and the cam move away from each other such that the protrusion pivots from the standby position, by the urging force, to a retracted position at which the protrusion is retracted from the conveyance path.

An image forming apparatus includes a casing, an image forming unit movable between an accommodated position and a shifted position, an actuator, an urging member, a cam, and a contact portion. The actuator includes a pivot shaft and a protrusion protruding therefrom. The protrusion at a standby position crosses a conveyance path and is contactable with a sheet conveyed along the conveyance path. When the image forming unit is at the accommodated position, the contact portion and the cam contact each other and maintain the protrusion at the standby position against an urging force of the urging member. As the image forming unit moves from the accommodated position to the shifted position, the contact portion and the cam move away from each other such that the protrusion pivots from the standby position, by the urging force, to a retracted position at which the protrusion is retracted from the conveyance path.

Lateral adjustment apparatus comprises a gripper to grip a print substrate, the gripper being mounted on a rotor rotatable about a lateral axis, and a lateral adjustment motor to drive movement of the gripper laterally along the rotor to adjust a lateral position of the print substrate. The lateral adjustment motor is mounted on the rotor.

A wiring machine includes a lever group and magnets. The lever group includes a plurality of lever arms which are spaced apart and a plurality of rotary shafts on each of which one lever arm is mounted correspondingly so as to facilitate the rotate rocking motion of the lever arms. One end of each lever arm is provided with a wire gripper and the other end is provided with an attraction head. The magnets are arranged in association with the plurality of attraction heads.

A method and apparatus that makes provision for a length of a transverse edge of a laundry item to be spread out to be measured upstream of a spreading device, to be precise preferably from above. It is thereby possible to individually determine the length of the transverse edge for each individual laundry item before the laundry item is situated in the spreading device. The length dimension of the transverse edge determined upstream of the spreading device can then be used to move apart the spreading clamps of the spreading device in a targeted and controlled manner in order to spread out the transverse edge in as gentle a manner as possible.

A method and apparatus that makes provision for a length of a transverse edge of a laundry item to be spread out to be measured upstream of a spreading device, to be precise preferably from above. It is thereby possible to individually determine the length of the transverse edge for each individual laundry item before the laundry item is situated in the spreading device. The length dimension of the transverse edge determined upstream of the spreading device can then be used to move apart the spreading clamps of the spreading device in a targeted and controlled manner in order to spread out the transverse edge in as gentle a manner as possible.

A media registration system including a track to transport media in a transport direction from an intake end to a registration end, and a pivot shaft. A translator to register media in a lateral direction to the transport direction includes a translation element operatively coupled to the track and moveable along a translation axis in the lateral direction, and a driver to drive the translation element a translation distance along the translation axis to rotate the track about the pivot shaft to move the registration end a selected registration distance in the lateral direction, the translation distance proportional to the selected registration distance.