Lateral static guide for a web loop of variable width

A construction for guiding and holding an image recording material such that the image recording material is curved in a loop shape and is slack, comprising:

• a pair of guide plates disposed so as to oppose each other and so as to correspond to both transverse direction ends of said image recording material, said pair of guide plates being supported so as to be movable in directions approaching and moving away from each other;
• moving means for moving said guide plates toward and away from each other;
• sensing means for sensing positions of said moving means and for outputting a signal when said moving means moves said guide plates to a predetermined position corresponding to a width of the image recording material;
• and
• control means for receiving the signal output by said sensing means and for controlling said moving means to move said guide plates to the predetermined position.

A construction for guiding and holding an image recording material such that said image recording material is curved in a loop shape and is slack, comprising:

• a pair of guide plates disposed so as to oppose each other and so as to correspond to transverse direction end portions of said image recording material;
• a feed screw having a pair of screw portions which are threaded in opposite directions;
• a pair of screw blocks respectively fixed to said pair of guide plates and respectively screwed with said pair of screw portions;
• a pair of sensors disposed at at least one of said pair of screw blocks for detecting positions of said at least one of said pair of screw blocks;
• and
• a motor for rotating said feed screw until said guide plates are moved to supporting positions which are set so as to correspond to a width of the image recording material.