Patent ID: 7364158
Filing Date: 2008-04-29
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A conveyor apparatus, comprising: upstream-side conveyance means for nipping a sheet between traveling upstream-side upper belts and upstream-side lower belts and conveying said sheet; downstream-side conveyance means for nipping said sheet between traveling downstream-side upper belts and downstream-side lower belts and conveying said sheet at a speed different from the conveyance speed of said upstream-side conveyance means; separation-start-position adjustment means for adjusting a position at which said upstream-side upper belts of said upstream-side conveyance means start to separate away from said sheet, said separation-start-position adjustment means including, with respect to said conveyance direction of said sheet, most upstream portions, of said downstream-side upper belts of said downstream-side conveyance means being located on the upstream side, of most downstream portions of said upstream-side lower belts of said upstream-side conveyance means, and forming a first clearance in the vertical direction between said most upstream portions and said upstream-side lower belts, with respect to said conveyance direction of said sheet, most downstream portions, of said upstream-side upper belts of said upstream-side conveyance means being located on the downstream side of most upstream portions of said downstream-side lower belts of said downstream-side conveyance means, and forming a second clearance in the vertical direction between said most downstream portions and said downstream-side lower belts, and said sheet having been nipped and conveyed between said upstream-side upper belts and said upstream-side lower belts of said upstream-side conveyance means being transferred to and conveyed between said downstream-side upper belts and said downstream-side lower belts of said downstream-side conveyance means, wherein said conveyor apparatus further comprises receiving clearance adjustment means for adjusting said first clearance in the vertical direction between the most upstream portions of said downstream-side upper belts of said downstream-side conveyance means and said upstream-side lower belts of said upstream-side conveyance means.