CA1262152A - Sheet sorters - Google Patents
Sheet sortersInfo
- Publication number
- CA1262152A CA1262152A CA000513818A CA513818A CA1262152A CA 1262152 A CA1262152 A CA 1262152A CA 000513818 A CA000513818 A CA 000513818A CA 513818 A CA513818 A CA 513818A CA 1262152 A CA1262152 A CA 1262152A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- sheet
- bin
- sorter
- wings
- lip
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
- B65H39/10—Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad
- B65H39/115—Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad in juxtaposed carriers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H31/00—Pile receivers
- B65H31/24—Pile receivers multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2801/00—Application field
- B65H2801/03—Image reproduction devices
- B65H2801/06—Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Collation Of Sheets And Webs (AREA)
- Pile Receivers (AREA)
Abstract
Abstract:
A sheet sorter is disclosed which id designed to permit the sorting of sheets of significantly-greater area than the sorter bin support surface, without the projecting area of sheet bending over the bin edge and potentially interfering with the introduction of new sheets into adjacent bins. Each bin surface is provided with wings to induce a curve into a sheet being fed and stored in a bin, so as to give the sheet sufficient beam strength for the projecting portions to remain aligned with the portion of sheet which is in the bin.
A sheet sorter is disclosed which id designed to permit the sorting of sheets of significantly-greater area than the sorter bin support surface, without the projecting area of sheet bending over the bin edge and potentially interfering with the introduction of new sheets into adjacent bins. Each bin surface is provided with wings to induce a curve into a sheet being fed and stored in a bin, so as to give the sheet sufficient beam strength for the projecting portions to remain aligned with the portion of sheet which is in the bin.
Description
Sheet sorters This invention relates to sheet sorters, by which is meant a device for inserting a series of identical copy sheets, such as issue from a xerographic copier, into individual bins or like receptacles. The number of bins is always equal to or greater than the number of copies, and the sorting operation is repeated as many times as is necessary to complete each set of copies, so that each bin holds a complete s~t.
In order to reduce the volume of the sorter, it is desirable to make the area of each bin less than the area of the sheets it is intended to house. one way of accommodating this is to arrange for each of the bins to be inclined at an acute angle to the vertical, so that the 'excess' area of sheet projects beyond the respective bin.
This then raises the problem of how to ensure that the projecting area of the sheet does not just flop over and interfere with sheets being fed into adjacent bins.
Accordingly the present invention aims at providing a shape of bin which automatically curves each sheet as it is being fed in, so as to give the sheet sufficient beam strength ~or tha projecting part of each sheet to be self-supporting.
An aspect of the invention is as follows;
A bottom-fed upright sheet sorter, comprising a plurality of horizontally-aligned trays each having a bottom lip:
havlng a flat sheet-contact surface adjacent the lip, and inclined at an acute angle to the vertical, '~
~1 26;2~1L5;2 - la -and having wings bent upwardly out of the plane of the sheet-contact surface, with the lines of intersection of the wings and the said surface converging with distance from the lip so that two adjacent and parallel trays define between them a sheet-receiving bin which is substantially-uniform in thickness and of which the cr~ss-section varies from straight at the bottom lip to angled at the top thereof, so that the edges of the sheet parallel to the feed direction form an acute angle with the said surface.
The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 i5 a diagrammatic side view of two adjacent bins in a sorter of the present inventlon;
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the extent to which different-sized copy sheets project beyond the top of the bin;
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the tray acting as one surface of a bin;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the tray shown in Figure 3, when in its position in the sorter/ and Figure 5 is a side elevation o~ the tray shown in Figures 3 and 4.
The sorter of the present inventlon includes a horizontally-aligned series of individual tray 2, of which each has its major support surface 4 inclined at an acute angle to the vertical. At its bottom edge, each tray 2 ~6~5~
In order to reduce the volume of the sorter, it is desirable to make the area of each bin less than the area of the sheets it is intended to house. one way of accommodating this is to arrange for each of the bins to be inclined at an acute angle to the vertical, so that the 'excess' area of sheet projects beyond the respective bin.
This then raises the problem of how to ensure that the projecting area of the sheet does not just flop over and interfere with sheets being fed into adjacent bins.
Accordingly the present invention aims at providing a shape of bin which automatically curves each sheet as it is being fed in, so as to give the sheet sufficient beam strength ~or tha projecting part of each sheet to be self-supporting.
An aspect of the invention is as follows;
A bottom-fed upright sheet sorter, comprising a plurality of horizontally-aligned trays each having a bottom lip:
havlng a flat sheet-contact surface adjacent the lip, and inclined at an acute angle to the vertical, '~
~1 26;2~1L5;2 - la -and having wings bent upwardly out of the plane of the sheet-contact surface, with the lines of intersection of the wings and the said surface converging with distance from the lip so that two adjacent and parallel trays define between them a sheet-receiving bin which is substantially-uniform in thickness and of which the cr~ss-section varies from straight at the bottom lip to angled at the top thereof, so that the edges of the sheet parallel to the feed direction form an acute angle with the said surface.
The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 i5 a diagrammatic side view of two adjacent bins in a sorter of the present inventlon;
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the extent to which different-sized copy sheets project beyond the top of the bin;
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the tray acting as one surface of a bin;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the tray shown in Figure 3, when in its position in the sorter/ and Figure 5 is a side elevation o~ the tray shown in Figures 3 and 4.
The sorter of the present inventlon includes a horizontally-aligned series of individual tray 2, of which each has its major support surface 4 inclined at an acute angle to the vertical. At its bottom edge, each tray 2 ~6~5~
- 2 -is provided wlth a horizontal flanged llp 6. As shown more clearly in Figure 3, the tray is formed with two asymmetrical wings 8 and 10. Also as shown in Figure 3, the flanged lip 6 can be interrupted with a ~erie~ of cuts-out 12, but these are not essential: both the tlange 14 and the contiguous portion 1~ of the lip could be continu~usO
The llnes 18 along which the wings 8 and 10 are folded lie at such an angle to the horizontal that the outer edges of the wings are vertical when ehe major surfaca 4 of the tr~y i9 at its working angle to the vertical.
As ~hown more clearly in Flgures 1 and 2, the horizontal spacing-10 apart between adjacent and parallel trays 2, in order to define the interrnediate sheet-receiving bins 20 l~ ~uch as to ensure that both wings 8 and 10 overlap the inclined wall of the opposing bin, for purposes which wlll be di3cu~sed below.
The ~orter of this inventton is intended to be o~ the bottom-fed 1~ type, in whioh aligned with the re~pective bin 20 is a pair of feed rolls 22 designed to e:xpel a sheet ~4 being fed into the interior of bln 20, along the direction indicated by arrow 26. The output from a xerographic or other copier is normally supplied along a horizontal output path (not shown) but at one end of which is a pair of fsed roll3 2~. These rolls grip each sheet 20 being fed and pass it through a pair of curved guide 3urfaces 30 which act to deflect the ~heet 24 from the horizontal path on which it enters feed rolls 28 to a path extending in parallsl with the major axis of the bin 20.
By means which are not shown, after a sheet has been fed into the respectlve bin5 either the sheet-f~ed d~vice 32 shown in Figure 1 i3 indexed 2~ ~long to the next bin, or the sligned series of tray~ is Indsxed relat;vely In the approprl~te directlon to the s~me ~fect. This proce~s Ig repeated RS
many times a~ there are sheet~ to be ~orted or bin~ to receive them.
In all the drawing~, parts already referred to have retsined their original references.
Flgure 2 Illu~trates the rnode of operation of the presont Invention, from whlch Flgure some parts have been omitted for olarlty.
The sheet 24 belng fed Into bln 20 i8 orlginally planar. When Its lead edge is spaced ~ufficiently from the feed rolls Z2, the weight of the paper cau~es the leed edge to ~tart to droop towards the tray 2. In 80 doing9 one or both 3S of Its sldes or corners wlth the lead edge come into contact with one or both of the wing3 8 and 10. If the sheet being fad jB of wfficiently-stiff msterial, it will resi~t assuming a more-curved shape across the width of the paper transYerse to the feed direction 26 until after the lead edge has contacted the rear surface of the opposing tray. When thi~ hss happened, S each sheet has the oppo~ing tray pushing down on the centre ot the lesd edge1 and the side edge~ pushed upwsrdly by contsct with the respective wings 8 and 10, 80 that a curYature i8 induced in the sheet which increases with di~tanre from the trail edge. The speed with which each sheet 1~ fed into the bin ~0 is ~uch that the sheet has its trail edge completely enter the 10 bin 20 before the force of gravity stops the upward movement of the ~heet and causes it to fall down so that its trail edge comes to re~t on lip 6, which tends to cause each trail edge to remain 3traight, whereas the laad edge has by now assumed the shape of a relatively-uniform curve. It i8 this change of silape of the ~heet with di~tance from the trail edge which 15 imparts sufncient beam ~trength to the sheet for those portions 34 of each shest which project beyond the upper ends of thz tray~ 2 to be self-~upporting. In practice, it has been found that a tray of which the height is only about 150 mm will support a sheet 425 mm in height. The relatively-small height of each bin thus renders the total volume of the sorter 3mal~, 20 while permitting it to handle reliably the sorting of a wide range of ~heet ~izes, e.g. from B5 to B4 in a long-edge, first-fed, orientation, and 425 mm and A3 in a short-edge, first-fed, orlentation.
It will be appreciated from the above that the relatively-simple tray ~hape offers the aignificant advantage3 that the larger the sheets 25 which are f~d into the bins, then the greater is the ~mount of curvature induoed, and therefore the neces~ary incre~sed beam ~trength. In addition, for Isrge sheets fsd short-edge first, the amount of curvaturs increases with distance from the trall edge, which is itself directly supported ao a8 to locate its position and ensure that the differentially-curved sheet i8 not 30 dlsplaced by gravlty from the bln by vlrtue of the fact that it~ centre of gravlty is above tho top wrface of the bin.
Thus it will be seen thet the present invsntion pro~lides a sheet sorter of the bottorn-fed type, In whlch 9 serles of trays of identlcal ~nd ~imple de~ign Induce curvature In sheets being fed into the bln 80 formed 35 that the portions of the fed sheets which proJect beyond the top of the bins `. ~2~ l52 are self-~upportlng.
The llnes 18 along which the wings 8 and 10 are folded lie at such an angle to the horizontal that the outer edges of the wings are vertical when ehe major surfaca 4 of the tr~y i9 at its working angle to the vertical.
As ~hown more clearly in Flgures 1 and 2, the horizontal spacing-10 apart between adjacent and parallel trays 2, in order to define the interrnediate sheet-receiving bins 20 l~ ~uch as to ensure that both wings 8 and 10 overlap the inclined wall of the opposing bin, for purposes which wlll be di3cu~sed below.
The ~orter of this inventton is intended to be o~ the bottom-fed 1~ type, in whioh aligned with the re~pective bin 20 is a pair of feed rolls 22 designed to e:xpel a sheet ~4 being fed into the interior of bln 20, along the direction indicated by arrow 26. The output from a xerographic or other copier is normally supplied along a horizontal output path (not shown) but at one end of which is a pair of fsed roll3 2~. These rolls grip each sheet 20 being fed and pass it through a pair of curved guide 3urfaces 30 which act to deflect the ~heet 24 from the horizontal path on which it enters feed rolls 28 to a path extending in parallsl with the major axis of the bin 20.
By means which are not shown, after a sheet has been fed into the respectlve bin5 either the sheet-f~ed d~vice 32 shown in Figure 1 i3 indexed 2~ ~long to the next bin, or the sligned series of tray~ is Indsxed relat;vely In the approprl~te directlon to the s~me ~fect. This proce~s Ig repeated RS
many times a~ there are sheet~ to be ~orted or bin~ to receive them.
In all the drawing~, parts already referred to have retsined their original references.
Flgure 2 Illu~trates the rnode of operation of the presont Invention, from whlch Flgure some parts have been omitted for olarlty.
The sheet 24 belng fed Into bln 20 i8 orlginally planar. When Its lead edge is spaced ~ufficiently from the feed rolls Z2, the weight of the paper cau~es the leed edge to ~tart to droop towards the tray 2. In 80 doing9 one or both 3S of Its sldes or corners wlth the lead edge come into contact with one or both of the wing3 8 and 10. If the sheet being fad jB of wfficiently-stiff msterial, it will resi~t assuming a more-curved shape across the width of the paper transYerse to the feed direction 26 until after the lead edge has contacted the rear surface of the opposing tray. When thi~ hss happened, S each sheet has the oppo~ing tray pushing down on the centre ot the lesd edge1 and the side edge~ pushed upwsrdly by contsct with the respective wings 8 and 10, 80 that a curYature i8 induced in the sheet which increases with di~tanre from the trail edge. The speed with which each sheet 1~ fed into the bin ~0 is ~uch that the sheet has its trail edge completely enter the 10 bin 20 before the force of gravity stops the upward movement of the ~heet and causes it to fall down so that its trail edge comes to re~t on lip 6, which tends to cause each trail edge to remain 3traight, whereas the laad edge has by now assumed the shape of a relatively-uniform curve. It i8 this change of silape of the ~heet with di~tance from the trail edge which 15 imparts sufncient beam ~trength to the sheet for those portions 34 of each shest which project beyond the upper ends of thz tray~ 2 to be self-~upporting. In practice, it has been found that a tray of which the height is only about 150 mm will support a sheet 425 mm in height. The relatively-small height of each bin thus renders the total volume of the sorter 3mal~, 20 while permitting it to handle reliably the sorting of a wide range of ~heet ~izes, e.g. from B5 to B4 in a long-edge, first-fed, orientation, and 425 mm and A3 in a short-edge, first-fed, orlentation.
It will be appreciated from the above that the relatively-simple tray ~hape offers the aignificant advantage3 that the larger the sheets 25 which are f~d into the bins, then the greater is the ~mount of curvature induoed, and therefore the neces~ary incre~sed beam ~trength. In addition, for Isrge sheets fsd short-edge first, the amount of curvaturs increases with distance from the trall edge, which is itself directly supported ao a8 to locate its position and ensure that the differentially-curved sheet i8 not 30 dlsplaced by gravlty from the bln by vlrtue of the fact that it~ centre of gravlty is above tho top wrface of the bin.
Thus it will be seen thet the present invsntion pro~lides a sheet sorter of the bottorn-fed type, In whlch 9 serles of trays of identlcal ~nd ~imple de~ign Induce curvature In sheets being fed into the bln 80 formed 35 that the portions of the fed sheets which proJect beyond the top of the bins `. ~2~ l52 are self-~upportlng.
Claims (2)
1. A bottom-fed upright sheet sorter, comprising a plurality of horizontally-aligned trays each having a bottom lip; having a flat sheet-contact surface adjacent the lip, and inclined at an acute angle to the vertical, and having wings bent upwardly out of the plane of the sheet-contact surface, with the lines of intersection of the wings and the said surface converging with distance from the lip so that two adjacent and parallel trays define between them a sheet-receiving bin which is substantially-uniform in thickness and of which the cross-section varies from straight at the bottom lip to angled at the top thereof, 30 that the edges of the sheet parallel to the feed direction form an acute angle with the said surface.
2. A sorter as claimed in Claim 1, In which the wings are of differing area.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08518084A GB2178008A (en) | 1985-07-17 | 1985-07-17 | Sheet sorter bin |
| GB8518084 | 1985-07-17 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1262152A true CA1262152A (en) | 1989-10-03 |
Family
ID=10582442
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000513818A Expired CA1262152A (en) | 1985-07-17 | 1986-07-15 | Sheet sorters |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0210045B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH07115792B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1262152A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3674846D1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2178008A (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5887239A (en) * | 1996-08-30 | 1999-03-23 | Hewlett-Packard Company | Image-related device having image-medium receiving tray, and a tray for same, and a method for designing such tray |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE2239397A1 (en) * | 1971-10-05 | 1973-04-12 | Volkswerft Stralsund Veb | CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR GENERATING CURRENT IMPULSES, IN PARTICULAR TO INFLUENCE LIVING IN WATER |
| US4328963A (en) * | 1979-11-29 | 1982-05-11 | Gradco Dendoki, Inc. | Compact sorter |
| JPS58184453U (en) * | 1982-06-02 | 1983-12-08 | オリンパス光学工業株式会社 | Sorting devices such as copying machines |
| US4478406A (en) * | 1982-06-23 | 1984-10-23 | Gradco Systems, Inc. | Apparatus for sorting photocopies |
-
1985
- 1985-07-17 GB GB08518084A patent/GB2178008A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
1986
- 1986-07-15 CA CA000513818A patent/CA1262152A/en not_active Expired
- 1986-07-15 JP JP61166561A patent/JPH07115792B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1986-07-16 EP EP19860305471 patent/EP0210045B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1986-07-16 DE DE8686305471T patent/DE3674846D1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE3674846D1 (en) | 1990-11-15 |
| EP0210045A3 (en) | 1987-12-09 |
| EP0210045A2 (en) | 1987-01-28 |
| GB8518084D0 (en) | 1985-08-21 |
| EP0210045B1 (en) | 1990-10-10 |
| GB2178008A (en) | 1987-02-04 |
| JPH07115792B2 (en) | 1995-12-13 |
| JPS6251560A (en) | 1987-03-06 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed |