CA1190886A - Very high speed duplicator with finishing function - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A collation system is disclosed for use with a very high speed, fully automated reproduction system having a document handling apparatus, copy sheet processor, and a finishing station. In this arrangement, a sorter bin array is arranged to collate the copy sheets into copy sets corresponding to a multiple page document, the array being held stationary for the collection of some of the copy sheets and is moved past a sheet-receiving station for receiving at least one of the copy sheets.

Description

VERY HIGH SPEED DUPLICATOR WITH FINISHING FUNCTION

This invention relates to an improved finishing s~alion for use in a reproduction system.
With the advent of higher speed and more sophisticated copy producing machines, printing presses~ and the like, considerations as ~o how the rnass of copies generated c n best and most effectively be handled~ has assumed increasing importance~ One way has been to provide a reproduction system with an input device in the forn of a recirculating document handling apparatus. In this system, a ciocument sheet is removed from a collated set OI
document sheets, placed on an exposure platen for exposure at the rate of one exposure for each document sheet, and re~urned to the ~op of ~he set in the document handling apparatus until the set of doc~lment sheets has been completely circulated through the apparatus, and a copy set has been 1~ produced. The set of document sheets is then recycled for the reproduction of a secont copy set, and so onO AEter each copy set is produced and collected at a collection station, a finishing device such as a stitcher is activated to bindthe ~et. These systems are of the pre-collation typ~ wherein the document sheets are precollated in the document handling apparatus prior to commence-ment of a reproduction run. The output for the repro~uction machine will likewise be precollated in sets correspondin~ to the sequenced numbered documen~ set in the documen~ handling apparatus~ The CGpy sheets are collected in collated sets as they are sequentially produced so that bindin~
may be effected without the inter~ction of additional devices. Such systems are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,134,672~
One of the dlsadv~ntages in these systems having continuous docurnent recirculation to produce each bound copy set is that for compilation of each copy set and eventual stapling or stitching, many moving parts have ~een required and have added to the risks of unscheduled maintenance~ In addition, generally, in providing for the stapling or stitching step~ a varIed number of maohine pitches per set may be lost thereby reducin,, throughput for the system.
In order to achieve still higher rates of proclucl:ion of finished copy sets, the present invention contemplates the concep~ of utilizing pos~-collation rather than pre-collation. The inventive arrangement utilizes ~ L

38~;

~ocument handling wherein a predetermined number of ligh~ images are produced for each document sheet, say for example, of page one of a multi-page document, before a successive document sheet, perhaps page two of the document, is likewise imaged. This sequencin~ in turn may be repeated many more times if a very large number of copy sets are to be reproduced. In this manner, the mechanical movements involved in document handling are held to a minimum. As the copy sheets are being prsduced in accordance with the above imaging procedure, a single array of collecting bins or sorter is heldstationary and arranged to receive the copy sheet ou~put for collating the same into collated se~s by means of a vertically arranged transport. For at least the last copy sheet of the Se'l57 the array is indexed vertically to receive the last sheet. As the array is being so indexed, each completed set is removed from a bin, and a finishing device such as a stitcher or stapler is positioned and activated to apply a staplec tna~alch completed 5et- This arrangement is different than that disclosed in ~ Patent Application Serial No. 3~01401;filed J~e 23~ 1981r and commonly assigned in that the present invention utilizes a stationary sorter while collecting all but at least the last copy sheet and then indexes the sorter to collect the last sheet and to permit removal of the completed sets for stitching or staplin~. In the earlier filed, above-referred to application, the sorter is indexed vertically in both directions to collect all copy sheets of a set. With the present arrangement, maximum throughput is available from the various apparatus utilized in the `~ reproduction system; this effort being accomplished with a minimum of moving parts, less wear and tear, less down time or maintenance f or the apparatus utilized. In addition~ the present arrangement offers a more economical system since sorter indexing noise is lower and ~here is lower power requirements. More productivity is possible because the last copy sheet is always fed while the sor~er is moving downwardly rega~dless of ~he number of document sheets thus avoiding wasted down time without this feature.
In the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 18~ No. 10, March 1976, pages 3160 3161, a collator-stapler mechanism is disclosed as havin~ a single array of collating bins which are held in fixed position while a traveling clamp moves along to piclc up a copy set from each bin and to convey the same to a jogger and ~hen a staplerO
The Research Disclosure Bulletin of Sep tember 1979, pages 497-499, Paper No~ 18541, illustrates and describes a copy sys~em having a c ~`

document handler 12, a copy processor, copy storage section 14, and a finisher 16. Ordinarily, the section 14 functions in the manner of a stacking device wherein each bin collects all of -the copies of a document sheet either manllally or in combination with the handler 12 and is not utilized as a collator. However, thP system can be programmed so that the section 14 functions as a conventional collator. There is no provision for coordinating or integrating this function wi~h that of a finisher to arrive at high speed continuous collating and finishing.
Present day machines on the market, such as the Xerox duplication machines labeled the 9400 Duplicator and the 9500 Duplicator marketed by Xerox Corporation of Stamford, Connecticut, utilize a document handler as an input device which exposes as many copies of a single docu-ment sheet at a time as is appropriate before starting on the next document ~heet. ~ny other suitable type of auto-; matic document handler may also be used in conjunction with the processor for the 9400 or 9500 Duplicators.
It is therefore an object of an aspect of the present invention to produce bound sets or stacks of copies of a multi-page document at the highest speed possible for a reproduction machine.
It is an object of an aspect o the present inven-tion to maintain full productivity in a reproduction/
finishing system by eliminating those machine copy cycle pitches which are wasted during some machine operating steps.
It is an object of an aspect of the present invention to minimize the number of moviny parts in a finishing station and to reduce the number of mo~ements usually incurred during the operation thereof.

* trade mark ~3a-An aspect of the invention is as follows:
In a reproduction system haviny a document handling apparatus adapted to transport individual document sheets of a multiple page document from a supply stack to an exposure platen of a reproduction processor and effecting multiple exposure of each of the document sheets before returning a sheet to the supply stack, wherein the proces-sor produces copy sheets o~ the exposed document sheets, the combination of:
a sorter arxay having a plurality of bins~
means ~or transpor~ing the copy sheets from the processor to each of said bins sequentially for collating said sheets into copy sets corresponding to the document, a finishing apparatus adapted to recei~e collated sets of copy sheets of a set of document sheets when activated and to bind the same, and means for producing indexing mo~ement of said array of bins simultaneously wi~h the activation of said finish-ing apparatus.
By way of added explanation, the present invention in one of its aspects is directed to a finishing apparatus for binding copy sheets received in succession at a sheet collecting deviceJ compr~sing a single bin array~ having a serles of individual vertically arranged bins each with an inlet .~or receiviny individual sheets from a sheet transport which conveys each sheet vertically to the bins in succession.
Means are pro~ided for moving the array in a vertical direc- .
tion for the sequential disposition of a selected ones of the bins~ or for all of the bins at a sheet receiving station for receiving at least the last sheet of ~he copy sets. A set transpor-t means is also provided for removing each set of collated sheets from the bins at another ~ixed station immedia~ely below the sheet receiving station~
while the array i5 being moved vertically to receive the last sheet. Stapling means for bindiny each set after removal from the sorter array is arranged to r~ceive each set from the set transport.
While the invention is disclosed in com~ination with a reproduction machine of the electros~atographic type9 it will be understood that the disclosed collating system may be oombined with o~her prin~ing apparatus or 5 machines which merely sor~, collect and/or effec~ the movemen~ of informa-tional items such as sheets or cards.
Other objects and advantages will be apparen~ from the ensuing description and drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a configuration of an 10 electrostatographic printing/finishing sys~em employing the present invention;
~- Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the gated trallsport apparatus ~^. utilized with the present invention;
Figures 3 (a) to ~d) illustrate a sequence of events in the finishing of sets of copy shee~s; and Figure 4 is a block diagram of the control scheme for the prin~ing system of Fîgure lo For a general understanding of a reproduction machine with which the present invention may be incorporated, reference is made to Figure 1 wherein components of a typical elec~rostatic printing system are illustrated~
20 The printing system is preferably of the xerographic type as one including a ~-- xerographic processor ll, and an automatic type docurnent handling apparatus `;- 12. Preferably9 the processor ll is the same as the processor in the commercial embodiment of the Xerox 9400 Duplicator, which utilizes flash, full frame exposure for very high speed production. Document sheet exposure, 25 image processing and copy sheet transport/handling are under control by a ~nachine programmer and are effected in timed sequence, and in accordance with the program an operator has preset in the machine. Further details in this regard are not necessary since the Xerox 9400 Duplicator operates in this manner and is well known~ Details of the timing relationshipsg the pro-30 grammer, and related structure and events are described in U~Se Patent Nos.3,790,270; 397969486; and 399179396, commonly assigned.
It will be understood that most any other type of xerographic processvr and document handling apparatus may be utilizedO
Operating in conjunctiotl with the processor ll and apparatus 12 is a finishing 35 station 13 and thereby forms the reproductiotl sys~ern shown in Figure 1.
The system comprising the processor ll, the document hanlling 9~

apparatus 12, and the finishin~ station 13, is under control of a programmer P
which permits an operator various options. to turn the en~lre system ON or OFF; to pro~ram ~he reproduc~ion system for a desired number of reproduc-tions to be made of each original document shee~ or set; to select whether simplex or duplex copies are to be made; ~o select a desired output arrange-m en~7that is,sets mode or s-tacks mode, stapled or uns~apled; to select one of a plurali^ty of paper trays; to condition the machine for the type of document9 that is, whether one sided or two sided~ to select a copy size reduction mode, and other desirable functions. rhe program nner P also includes a controller which provides all operational timing and synchronization between the pro-- cessor 11 and all of its xerographic processing functions, and sys~em corrtrol functions, the automatic events to be described hereinafter. The controller may include any suit~ble microprocessor having a C PU and the appropriate machine clock, but preferably the microprocessor is one similar to the Intel 8080 Microprocessor manufactured by the In~el Corporation, Santa Clara7 Cali~ornia, and having sufficient ROM's and RAM's for all of the necessary functions in the reproductlon system.
The document handling apparatus 12 serves to feed one document sheet D at a time from a supply of document sheets into copying position ~n the platen 14 where a single exposure of only one copy set is programmed, or a plurality of exposures may be made. Following exposure one or more times, each document sheet is au~omatically returned to the document supply and the next document sheet, if any, is brought into the exposure position on plate 14.
~i~
Document sheets returned to the supply stack rnay be recycled by the apparatus 12 or simply removed by the user when the copying program is completed. Since the particular document apparatus 12 is a commerical device being part of Xerox Corporation's product labeled the 9400 Duplicator, and a variation of -the same is ade~uately described in U.S. Paten~ No.
3,944,794, :~urther description thereof wi11 not be included herein~ .
Further details of the processing devices and sta~ions in the printer system or processor are not necessary to understand the principles o:E the present invention. However, a detailed description of ~hese processing stations and components along with the o~her structures of the machine printer are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 49û54,380 which is commonly assigned with the present lnvention.

As previously described9 ~he document apparatus 12 includes a document tray adap~ed ~or supporting a stack comprising a plurality of document sheets in numbered sequence with page one of the multi-page documerl~ on the bo~:tom of ~:he ~stack. Since the illustrated document handling5 apparatus is of the bottom feeder type, page one will be the first document sheet imaged, and so on.
For either the simplex or duplex modes of operation, copy shee~s exiting the exit slot 50 positioned at one end of the housing for the xerographic processor 11 are directed to the finishing station 13 which ~, 10 comprises a sorting or collating mechanism, a stapler appara~us, and an output elevator sys.em, ,~,fter leaving the processor 11, each sheet is positioned upona transport 92, is registered thereon and further conveyed generally along the same horizontal plane as i~s previous path to a fixed receiving poin~ or station93. The transport includes a rnovable endless transport belt g4 upon which 15 each sheet is placed and a plurality of loosely retained rotatable balls 95 which res~ along the belt 94 by gravity and which coact with the bel~ to convey sheets therebetween. The belt 94 is driven by a motor and suitable gearing and pulleys (not shown) at a speed slightly greater than the processing speed ofthe processor 11 in o~der to add more working space between ~he sheets and to 20 ensure that the final handling of copy sheets does not impede the throughput , . of the entire system as determined by the process speedO
At the exit slot 30, a sheet-contacting switch S~l is positioned to be actuated as each sheet enters the transport 92 of the finishing station 13.
The circuit for this switch is connected to the logic in the programmer P and

2.~ serves to reset the machine clock for the inishing :Eunction so that zero time for the sheet commences when the sheet is at the re:Eerence point 93.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the station 93, a lower roller 97 of a vertical conveyor belt mechanism 98 of the ga~ed transpor~ type is positioned to receive copy sheets from the transport belt ~4 and to apply ~hem upon a 30 belt 99 for tlhe mechanism. The belt 99 cooperates with a plurali~y of rollers 100 for transporting copy sheets vertically past the open ends of an array of collecting bins 101 for a sorter generally indicated by the reference numeral 102. A gate 103 is assoicated with each of the bins 102 for directing a sheet into a bin 101 when a gate 103 has been pivoted to a position ~o deflec~ a shee~35 into the associated bin. A suitable solenold (no~ shown) may be u~ilized wi~heach of the gates for causing de~lection thereof and the programmer P may include the control circuitry for effec~ing the timed sequence of their operation in accordance with a program selected by the opera~on.
In the illustrated embodiment, the array 102 includes twelve horizontally disposed bins 101 arranged in a vertical stack9 the number of which corresponds to the predetermirled number of exposures made of each documen~ shee~ while it is on the platen 14. The number of bins utilized should currespond to the total number of sheets in the paper path when ~he system has been programmed for the duplex mode so tha~ a minimum of machine "pitches" are not skipped~ The number of exposures made for each 10 document sheet positioning on ~he platen also corresponds to this total number ; of sheets, which for the illustrated machine is twelve sheets~
The belt 99 may be driven by any suitable rneans in the direction indicated by an arrow in order to permit colla~ion of copy sheets into the bins 101 as the gates 103 are sequentially actuated. The sequence of loading or collecting sheets starts with the bottommost bin and progresses to the topmost bin. Futher details of a gated transport are unnecessary as these are known in the art and are provided in the sorter modules a~sociated with the Xerox 9400 Duplicator~ U~S. Patent No 3,709,492 discloses sl-ch transports, except the orientation which for the patented sys~ern is horizontal rather 1:han vertical The array 102 is m~unted for bi-directional vertical movement within a suitable supporting fixed frame and, as shown in ~igure 1, the array ispositioned in its normal standby position with the lowermost bin opposite ~he roller 104 associated with the transport belt 94 adjacent the station 93. The lowermost gate 105 is at its deflection position, whereat the sheet will be 25 directed upwardly between the rollers 100 and the belt 99. When the gate 105 is actuated out of this position and into its inactive position, the lowermost bin receives sheets directly from the conveyor belt 94~ through the station 93.
For ease of unders$anding later description, the bins are numbered consecutlvely ~om 1 to 1~ startin~ at the lowest bin with bin numbe~ed 1~ at 30 the top of the array. The array is held stationary during collating of copy sheets for all but at least the last sheet of each set of copy sheets bein~
collected, and is indexed in the downward direction past the receiving point 93 for the sequential receiving of the last copy sheet in each of the bins. Upo operating in this sets mode, the array indexes downwardly one bin at a time 35 and as each bin becomes aligned at the station 93~ movement of the last copy sheet into each bin 101 is achieved directly by the transport belt 94 since the gate 105 would haYe becn programmed to its inactive position for ~his phase of the operationO A suitable sensor SR-l may be positioned at the front edge of the lowermost bin to indicate to ~he system logic that this ac~ion has occurred and to enable another indexing operation. In addition9 as the array indexes 5 downwardly, a set transport, to be described hereinafter9 unloads a set from the array at the rate of every other bin, say for example, the odd numbered bins. During return of the array to the normal position, the set transpor~
unloads the even numbered bins ~hereby completlng the unloading of the array.
Ylhen the array 102 reaches i~s lowermost position and bin 10 numbered 12 has received its last copy sheet, the document handling apparatus~! 12 has already removed from the platen the document sheet which initiated .. the production of the last copy sheets, has added and copied a successive document sheet of a document set, and has fed still ano~her document sheet to the platen. Since there are a number of images being processed in the processor 11, in our example, twelve shee~s in the paper path being conveyed by the various transports, two document sheet changes would have occurred earlier than the time that the last copy sheet indicative ~hereof is receive~ inbin 12. As the array indexes upward for the unloading o:f the remaining copy sheets, the first copy sheet of the next succeeding docuFrent sheet will be received in the bin numbered 12 whereupon the array will index upwardly now to permit reception of the copy sheets in each of the bins successively. Dur.ingthe upwardly indexing rnovement of the array 102, the first copy sheet ~,~ ent~rirsg each of the bins 101 will be macle directly from the transport belt 94, ..
as the gate 105 will still be programmed to its inactive position. When the array reaches its initial starting upper position, it will remain stationary as before and the gate 105 will be actuated to its deflection positionO The array is now conditioneci to rec~ive each succeeding copy sheet until the last copy sheets of the copy sets are in a position to be received in t~e array, whereuponthe array will b;e indexed downwardly as described above.
As will be described hereinafter, a set binding appara~us in ~he form of a dual stapler apparatus is arranged immediately below the bin re~eiYing poin~ 93. This apparatus includes means to remove completed sets of collated copy sheets from every other bin to effect single or dual stapling alon~ an ed~e of the set if so programmed or no stapling at ali, and ~o posi~ionthe s~apled or unstapled se~s on an elevator mechanism~ In order to permit complete removal of the se~s from all of the bins 101 in the array 102, the array must index once downwardly relative to the poin~ o~ set unloading and once upwardly. In the normal operating sets mode, the sorter/finishing arrangement handles twelve se~s at a time (a bloclc of 12 copy sets) ;n cooperation with the document handling apparatus 12 as the latter exposes each document sheet twelve consecutive tlmes before advancirlg to the nex~
document sheet until the complete set thereof has been exposed. If more than twelve copy se~s have been programmed, the document apparatus/sorter finisher system will complete the reproduction run in blocks of 12 copy sets~
The system will contlnue to sor~ and automatically unload in blocks of 12 sees until the programmed number of sets is completed.
The bin array 102 is indexed vertically in either direc~ion by a drive screw 107 connected to the shaft of a servo motor M-l which is mounted to the base of the frame for the machine. These movements of the array are effected by a ball 108 secured to ~he rear wall of the array and throu~h which ~he screw 107 is threadedly related. Rotation of the screw ~which is fixed against axial movement) in either direction will impart corresponding up or down movement of the ball 108 and consequently the array. Further detalls of the bin array structure is not necessary as these details are disclosed in the above referred to U.S. patent application. Any other drive appara~us may be utili~ed or indexing the array, such as pulleys and cables or suitably arranged-. fluid drive system.
After copy sheets~ simplex or duplex9 have been produced in the processor 11, transpor~ed by the transport 92 and collected in the bin array 102 while the system is in either the sets mode or the stacks mode, the collected sets are now in condition to he further processed by a finishing apparatus gerlerally indicated by the reference number 130. Ac~ually, as will be discussed below, during the last series of indexing rnovement of the bin array when it is moving to its uppermost position, copy sets removal for the finishing action may take place simultaneously with collcction of copy sheets.
The finishing apparatus 130 cornprises five subassemblies each of which is programmed to operate in timed sequence with each other7 with the system logic and pro~rammer P, to be timed relative to the number of sets and copy sheets per set which were previously pre-programmed by an opera~or, and with the docum ent sheet actuation of the apparatus 12. As shown in Figure 1, the finishing apparatus com prises a set transport 132~ individually-operable, dual stapler apparatus 134, and a set kicker 136, In conjunction wi~h the finishing apparatus 1309 the finishing station 13 also includes an elevator 138 and sets/stacks conveyor 1400 All of these five su13assemblies are fully disclosed in the above referred ~o UOS. patent applic~tion and de~ails therefor will not be described herein.
The set transport 132 is u~ilized ~o unload automatically sets or stacks of copy sheets frorn the bins at an unload s~ation two copy-cycle pitches or bins below the sorter bin load station at 93. The se-t ~ransport includes a reversible servo motor M 2 which effects reciprocable movement of the copy se~ clamping jaws 144, to the sorter 102 in a set gripping position, inthe opposite direction to a set stapling position, and still further in that direction, to retract ~he jaws and back again to the sor~er~ all in cyclic actuation. In moving toward the sorter 102, the jaws 144 are sensed by a sensor SR-2 mounted on the frame for the sorter to zero reference the positioning of the set transport as a timing monitor OI subsequent ~imed events in the finishing function~ The clamping and unclamping action of the jaws 144 is provided by a sl~itable solenoid valvc in a pneumatic device (not shown~.
The kicker mechanism 136 is utilized to push or kick s~apled se~s from the stapler apparatus and permit dropping of the set onto the elevator 138. If a stacks or unstapled sets mode has been programmed, the kicker ~0 mechanism is atranged to serve as a baclcstop for the clampin~ jaws 144 to < ~ strip stacks against. Drive is imparted to the mechanism 138 by a motor M-3 which is a motor which can be utili~ed to drive the stapler heads as will be described hereinafter.
The stapler apparatus 134 provicles a stapling function eithe~ with a single staple or with two staples~ both being adapted to be applied at various positions along a long edge cf a set or stack of copy sheetsO Stapling is achieved by way of two identical mechanisms, each oE which provides the func~ion of set clamping, staple driving, and s~aple clinching. Preferably, ~he apparatus utilizes two commercial type stapler heads 155, such as ~he Bostitch staple head indicated as the 62-E rnanufactured by ~he Bostitch Division of Textron Corporation of Providence, E~hode Island.
A sensor SR-3 is posi-tioned adjacent and be~ween ~he s~apler heads and is utilized in conjunction with the sensor SR-2 1:o monitor the time between the zero reference of ~he jaws 1~4 as they m ove toward a sorter bin and the tim e an edge of a set o~ copy shee~s reaches ~he stapler heads ~o be stapledl This timing data is transmitted to the microprocessor in the programmer P.
The eleYator 138 is utilized to collect into a pile the stapled or unstapled sets or s~acks of copy sheets for delivery to the operator. The elevator comprises a tray assembly 165 mounted a~ the upper end of a 5 vertically arranged~ drive screw 166 threadedly received in a threaded mernber 167 ver~ically fixed to the base frame for the finisher so that upon rotation o:E
the member 166, the tray 16S is moved vertically in the up or down direction.
A reversible motor M-4 is opera~ively connected to the member 167 for imparting rotation to the same in ei~her direction. The tray recei~es the ~rp; 10 stapled or unstapled sets or stacks a~ ~hey are dropped when ac~ed upon by the `~ kicker mechanism 136.
Elevator height of piled sets or stacks is controlled by an optical sensor SR-4 which "looks" across the stack and effects the energization of the motor M-4 and lowering of the tray 155 until the pile is below the sensor. A
15 second sensor (not shown) may be positioned to sense the lowermost position of the elevator tray 165 whereat the tray is considered at ull capacity~
In Figures 3 ~a)-(d), l:here is shown se~uences of collating and finishing events for a document having nine document sheets. In these illustrations~ the vertical column of numbers 1-12 at the left of each sequence 20 indicate the bin number and the right hand vertical column o:E numbers indicate the copy of the document sheet being collected. As previously stated, it is assumed that the document handling apparatus 12 is programmed to place a document sheet upan the platen 14 and to effect twelve exposures of the sheet before the removal of the document sheet and placement of a succeed-25 ing document sheet, and so on. This assumption also corresponds with thenumber of bins in the array 102 wherein each copy sheet produced during the exposure of a document sheet on twelve occurrences is received in a bin.
In Figure 3 (a), each of the bins 2-l~ contain eight copy sheets7 all having been conveyed therein by the transport mechanism 98, whlle bin 1

3~ contains all nine sheets, the ninth sheet having been conveyed into bin 1 directly by the transport 92 throu~h the station 93. The logic in the programmer P is arranged to convey the last sheets of the copy sets in this manner as the array 102 indexes downwardly. The sensor S l in cooperation with the programmer clock and the operator prese~ reproduction run program 35 will determine when the last sheets are to arrive and to efect initiation o~ ~he downward indexing activity. The bin array 102 in indexing from its upper position to its lower position, will receiYe the ninth copy sheet ol the last document sheet in the bins numbered 2-12 consecutively. In this example, it will be assumed that there are nine document sheets in the document being processed in the documen~ handling apparatus 12. Since the ninth copy sheet 5 is the last sheet in the sets belng produced, as the array 102 inde~ses downwardly, a~s shown in Figure 3 (b) to receive each last sheet; the se~s9 now complel:e, in the odd numbered bins will also be acted upon by the finishing function comprising the set transport rnechanism 132, the slapler apparatus 134 and the set kicker mechanism 136, as aforesaid. It wil be noted that for A, 10 the finishing fucntion9 every other bin is affec~ed during the downward~; movement of ~he array, while every successive bin receives the ninth copy sheet. Since the convention in the described example is such tha~ a copy sheet is produced every one half second, clamped sets are delivered to the stapler at one second intervals.
15In Figure 3 (c), on the upwardly return indexing movement of the array, the remaining se1s In the even numbered bins are removed and finished.
In the event more than twelve copy ~ts of the nine sheet document has been programmed, the upwardly indexin~ array, in going from its position in Figure 3 ~c) to the positioning in Figure 3 ~d~, will receive the first copy sheets for the 20 first document sheet being processed in the apparatus 12 as the lat~er commences its recycling sequences. This process continues, with the docu-ment being copied in multiples of twelve sets until the copy;ng/finishing run has b~en completed or terminated.
Figure 4 is a block diagram of a control arrangemen~ fo~ the 25 reproduction system in Figure 1. The programmer P is operatively connected to four remotes: (1) the processor 11 for controlling the xerographic processing~ copy sheet movement, timing and monitoring and all other para-meters in the processor; (2) the input station comprising the flash illumina~ionsystem circuitry; (3) thc automa~ic document handlin~ apparatus 12; and ~4) 30 the finishing station 13.
The finishing station 13 includes three drivers, one of which is operatively connected by way of relays or reediac to the elevator motor M-4.
Another driver is operatively connec~ed to a servo controller which in turn is connected to two power amplifiers and asociated circuitryO The third driver is 35 operatively connected to the sorter ga~es 100 by way of their ac~ua ting solenoids (not shown~. One of the powe~ amplifiers serves tO energlze and operate the s~rter array index mo~or M-l, while the other amplifier serves to energize and operate ~he set transport motor hl-2. One of the power amplifiers also is operatively conQected ~o the slapler drive sys~em, the stapler clamping system, and the s~apler clinching system~
From the foregoing it will be apparent that an elec~rosta~ographic system with ~inishing s~ation has been described which will produce s-tapled collated sets and ~mstapled sets o~ stacks at a high production rate without loss ~f throughput, at a rate in accordance with the full processing speed of the copy process.ing machine and with a minimum of wear and fatigue of the o movin~ parts.
While the invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed, i~ is no~ confined ~o thc de~ails se~ for~h bu~ is in~ended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within ~he scope of the following claims~

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Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 . In a reproduction system having a document handling apparatus adapted to transport individual document sheets of a multiple page document from a supply stack to an exposure platen of a reproduction processor and effecting multiple exposure of each of the document sheets before returning a sheet to the supply stack, wherein the processor produces copy sheets of the exposed document sheets, the combination of:
a sorter array having a plurality of bins, means for transporting the copy sheets from the processor to each of said bins sequentially for collating said sheets into copy sets corresponding to the document, a finishing apparatus adapted to receive collated sets of copy sheets of a set of document sheets when activated and to bind the same, and means for producing indexing movement of said array of bins simultaneously with the activation of said finishing apparatus.