Paper strip transporting apparatus

A paper strip conveying apparatus which introduces a paper strip from a paper strip discharging machine which is positioned along an object conveying path and conveys the paper strip along the conveying path comprising:

• a conveying path member which forms said object conveying path along which said paper strip is conveyed;
• an endless belt, an extended part of which is provided along said object conveying path and the outer peripheral surface of which comes into contact with one of the two surfaces of said paper strip conveyed along the conveying path;
• a belt drive mechanism which rotates said endless belt;
• a plurality of pulleys provided along said object conveying path having rotating shafts which are perpendicular with respect to the conveying direction of said paper strip in said object conveying path, the outer peripheral surfaces of said pulleys coming into contact with the other surface of the paper strip;
• an introducing path member in which an introducing path for introducing the paper strip from said paper strip discharging machine to said object conveying path is formed;
• a conveying roller having a rotating shaft which is vertical with respect to the conveying direction of said paper strip in said introducing path, at least a part of which is disposed in said introducing path member so that the outer peripheral surface of the conveying roller comes into contact with one of the two surfaces of said paper strip which has reached the introducing path from said paper strip discharging machine;
• a roller drive mechanism which rotates said conveying roller and said rotating shaft of said conveying roller;
• and
• a paper strip biasing member which opposes said conveying roller with said introducing path therebetween and a tip portion of which is disposed in said introducing path member so that the tip portion comes into contact with the other surface of said paper strip;
• wherein
• said conveying roller has a convex portion in a ring configuration along said outer peripheral surface of the conveying roller;
• and
• said paper strip biasing member has a concave portion at the tip portion, into which said convex portion of said conveying roller is disposed without contact.