FR2481683A1 - APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND CLASSIFYING SHEETS, IN PARTICULAR AT THE EXIT OF A COPIER - Google Patents

Abstract

APPARATUS FOR SORTING AND CLASSIFYING SHEETS. THIS APPLIANCE RECEIVES THE SHEETS COMING FROM A COPIER OF WHICH IT IS ELECTRICALLY INDEPENDENT. IT IS FIXED TO THE COPIER BY HOOKS 35A, 35B. IT CONTAINS TRAYS 39 PASSING IN FRONT OF THE EJECTION OPENING 26 OF THE COPIER AND COMMANDS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO RECEIVE EACH EITHER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SHEETS, OR A SINGLE COPY OF EACH PAGE, OR DIFFERENT NUMBERS OF COPIES OF DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS. THE DEVICE RECEIVES, SORTS AND SORTS THE SHEETS AS THE TRAYS PASS THE COPIER OPENING, EITHER IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER. IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY STOP SORTING IN THE EVENT OF AN ABNORMAL DELAY IN EJECTING THE SHEETS AND CAN BE SET TO INTERRUPT THE CLASSIFICATION AS SOON AS THE DESIRED DRAW IS COMPLETED. APPLICATION ESPECIALLY TO ELECTROSTATIC COPYERS.

Description

248 1,683

  The present invention relates to an aoppareil for sorting and sorting sheets, especially at the exit of a machine

to copy.

  Copying machines equipped with sorting, receiving and filing devices are known, and reference is made, for example, to United States Patents Nos. 3,788,640.

  and 3,774,902. The devices described in these patents and

  of the same kind are used mainly in connection with

  xerographic copying machines large enough and complicated.

  The apparatus according to the invention is light, compact, easy to adapt to work with xerographic copiers of all makes and of all kinds and, which

  is even more important, it can be manufactured cheaply.

  The apparatus according to the invention is mobile and easy to use, it does not need to be electrically connected

  at the copier, it is safe and of simple design.

  In a field that has developed rapidly over the past two decades, it is important to have an apparatus designed - not only to draw several copies of a

  same document, but also several copies of a document of several

  pages in a manner consistent with the speed of the copier, so that the sorting, filing, and assembly of copies of the document do not take more time than the print run and that the classified copies are ready

  as soon as the last page of the document has been reproduced.

  The space-saving apparatus for sorting and filing according to the invention is a relatively small, box-shaped assembly intended to be attached to the side of the copier adjacent to the exit opening thereof, in the place normally occupied by the the receiving tray of this copier. A simple hanging device with hooks allows the device to be sold independently from the copier and attached to one side of the copier without modifying the copier, and can also be supplied as part of the original accessories supplied.

with the copier.

  The apparatus is designed so that the power unit

  it is independent of the electrical circuit of the copier and its sheet transport mechanism is not only in contact with the ejector rollers of this copier, so that the copy is well brought to the sorter mechanism, but also that the mechanisms transport and sorting

  only works when the copier is in operation.

  The housing of the apparatus carries a number of trays and has been chosen to represent ten, although it is obvious that it is possible to provide any number of trays depending on the type and size

  the copier to which the machine will be attached.

  The sheet receiving trays are stacked tightly, below or above the copier exit aperture, and are located at a certain vertical distance from the tray that will receive the copy from the copier as they are moved vertically

  of this opening. The apparatus includes an auxiliary device

  sheet conveyor, driven by the copier transport device and realized in an original way

  to move the leaves over a trans-

  Versal drive and moving trays, which

  simplifies the mechanism for moving the trays forward.

  A feature of the invention lies in the existence

  a device for automatically advancing the sheets, when placed on the trays, an additional distance, to prevent the posterior edge of these sheets from coming into contact with the transport rollers during the movement of the sheets; back trays

  in front of the entrance of the leaves.

  It will be seen that the apparatus for sorting according to the invention is relatively simple and easy to use, and the invention therefore essentially relates to an inexpensive and inexpensive sorting and sorting apparatus that can be easily attached to a copier without having to electric interaction

  with the operation of this copier.

  The invention more specifically relates to a compact device that can at will receive multiple copies in one tray, sort the copies so that it arrives in each tray a first, then a second, etc. or that a set of leaves, that is to say a certain number of these leaves, arrives in a following plateau, that a different number of them arrives in a third plateau, & c. This apparatus can receive the sheets while the receiving trays pass next to the exit opening of the copier, either upwards or downwards, without any sheet being able to come into contact with the device. ejection, the trays passing in front of the exit opening under the control of a feeler device which determines the

  when each sheet was completely ejected from the copier.

  The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non-limiting example, and in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a copier, showing the exit opening of the sheets and a device for Sorting according to the invention about to be attached to this copier Figure 2 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention attached to a copier; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus, from its rear side or receiving side, the trays being disposed above and below the sheet receiving area; Figure 4 is a front elevation of an apparatus according to the invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the motor and the drive mechanism of the apparatus; Figure 6 is a vertical section through line 6-6 of Figure 4; FIG. 7 is a partial plan view of the drive mechanism, in the direction of the arrows 77 in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is an end view of a portion of the apparatus, showing the ejector rollers, transfer and the sheet detector mechanism; Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a transfer wheel and switches which control the plate moving mechanism; Fig. 10 is a detail section of the trigger push button. embodiment of the invention, in which

  the start-up pulse of the device is created by the

  mobile optical riot of the copier; Figure It is a cross section of detail by

2481683

  line 11-11 of Figure 6; and FIG. 12 is a vertical section through the

line 12-12 of Figure 11.

  Figure 1 shows an electrostatic copier

  than 20 of known type. This copier comprises a body 21

  a cover 22 underneath which the document to be reproduced

  duire is placed on a transparent plate during

  tion. It can comprise in a known manner a switch

  23, a switch 24 determining the number of

  pies, a start button 25a and a button 25b of

contrast adjustment.

  FIG. 1 also shows paper magazines 29a and 29b and a tray selector 30. The magazine 29a carries sheets in the format of the stationery 21 x 29.7 cm

  and the store 29b sheets in the format 21 x 33 cm.

  When a copy has been drawn, it leaves through the opening 26 under the control of the ejector rollers 27

  and 28. In a non-stacking copier, a tray (not shown

  sent) receives copies ejected by rolls 27 and 28.

  FIG. 1 also represents a device to be sorted and classified according to the invention, designated as a whole by the reference 31. The apparatus 31 comprises a housing 32 to which the cover 33 of the motor and of the drive mechanism are fixed, as well as a control panel 34. The housing 32 has hooks 35a and 35b (Figure 3), which allow to hang the device at the side of the copier

  adjacent to the ejector rolls 27 and 28. In this position,

  the control panel 34 of the apparatus is adjacent to and in alignment with the control members of the copier,

  so that all the control elements are grouped.

  The control panel 34 of the sorting apparatus 31 comprises a general switch 35c, a pilot lamp 36 intended to indicate whether the apparatus is powered up, a button

  37 return to rest position and a switch 38 se-

fashion reader.

  As shown in Figures 1 and 2,

  the apparatus to be sorted also has a number of

  39 copy receiving buckets and a 40 support arm

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of these trays.

  All of these elements are shaped and assembled so as to be compact so that the apparatus is properly and conveniently supported on the side of the copier, above the paper magazines 29a and 29b and vis-à-vis the ejector rolls 27 and 28. It does not take up more space than the trays usually supplied with the copier and

  allowing neither sorting nor ranking.

  Figure 6 is a sectional view showing the respective positions of the trays 39 and the housing 32 of the apparatus 1hrs that they are mounted on the end wall of the copier 20. As mentioned above, the housing 32 is suspended by the hooks 35a and 35b at the end wall of the copier and holds the transport mechanism of the apparatus to be sorted juxtaposed with the ejector rolls 27 and 28 so that it

cooperate with them.

  A friction drive wheel 43 is in contact with the lower ejector roller 28 of the copier and with the shaft 44 of the apparatus to be sorted, so that when the copier is in operation and this roller 28 turns sinistrorsum, as indicated by arrow 45, wheel 43

  turns dextrorsum and the tree 44 sinistrorsum.

  Pulleys 46 attached to the shaft 44 carry the conveyor belts 47, which rotate the lower ejector rollers 48 on the drive shaft 49. The rollers 48

  are mounted idle on the training tree and turn inde-

from this tree.

  In addition, the upper ejector rollers 50 guide

  the sheets of paper between them and the training belts

  47 and bring them into the opening 41 of the trays 39,

  in the direction indicated by the arrow 51.

  The opening 41 is bounded by a top plate

  39a and a lower plate 39b.

  The trays are inclined, as well as the representative

  6, and their inner ends rest on trunnions, rods or bars 52, which are fixed to the edges of these plates and whose ends pass

  in buttonholes 53, which guide them.

  Strips 42 of foam rubber are placed on the inner edge of each tray 39. These strips are intended to hold the sheets of the various trays in place by squeezing them when these trays move together.

  below or above the receiving opening 41.

  The outer end of each tray carries a spacing guide 42a for holding these ends at a distance from each other and allowing them to freely pass over each other when the ends

  interior go up and down along the buttonholes 53.

  The outer end of the lower plate 39c is supported on one side only (see FIG. 4) by the support arm 40, so that the user can access this plate to remove the sheets, either at its end,

either by the side.

  The trays 39 are curved at their outer end, as FIG. 4 represents it in particular, so that the sheets are bent, they support each other.

  of themselves when they go beyond this external end.

  top of the trays and do not fall back to the edge

of these.

  Although the journals 52 of each of the trays 39 can slide freely in the buttonholes 53, those of the upper plate 39a and lower plate 39c are longer than the others and come into contact with a stop 55 (Figure 7). The stop 55 prevents the plateau

  39a to go lower than the position

  felt at 39b in FIG. 6 and also prevents the plateau

  lower 39c to climb higher than this position 39b.

  This arrangement always ensures the presence,

  below the plane of the arrow 51, a tray intended to receive

  see a sheet of paper as it comes out of the belts

transport 47.

  Springs 57 connect the upper plate 39a and the lower plate 39c, so as to urge the lower plates upwards and always guarantee the presence of a pin 52 in contact with the transfer wheel

  58. Gravity is always based on the transmission wheel.

  Filling 58the trunnion of the lowest shelf of the stack

located above this wheel.

  The two transfer wheels 58 are each disposed on one side of the inner frame 56 of the housing 32. The transfer wheels are attached to the drive shaft 49, one of which, 58a, is shown in FIG. left end of this shaft, in Figure 7, and the other, 58b, being shown at the right end. Each of these transfer wheels 58a, 58b has two notches 59a, 59b diametrically opposite, as shown in particular in Figure 6. When the transfer wheels turn dextrorsum in this Figure 6, the notch 59a captures the trunnion 52 plateau 39b, that the springs 57 apply upwards against the wheel 58. A rotation of about 900 of the wheel 58 brings the plate to the position 39a of Figure 6, then it remains in this position, supported by the circumference of the transfer wheel. Each transfer wheel rotates from 1800 to each transfer, which brings the notch 59b to the position that the notch 59a occupied.

previously in Figure 6.

  It is obvious that the transfer wheels may have a single notch 59 and turn 3600 at each transfer. In the embodiment shown, the auxiliary transfer rollers 48 pass the sheet over

  transfer wheels 58, which makes it possible to use a mechanism

  simple nism-to drive these last wheels.

  The transfer wheels 58 are rotated by the shaft 49 under the impetus of the motor 61, via a universal joint or finger 62 which connects the hub 63, integral with the shaft 64 of the motor 61 , and the

hub 65 of the left wheel 58a.

  Therefore, a suitable signal rotates the transfer wheels 180 each time a sheet of paper is ejected from the output rollers 50 and belts.

47 of the device to be sorted.

  The sheets rise along the inclined plates when they leave the transport mechanism, so that their rear edge may come into contact with the belts 47 when the respective tray is transferred upward. To prevent this contact, the apparatus has the

  original device shown in Figures 11 and 12.

  A sleeve-shaped cam 49a made of an elastomeric material is mounted idle on the drive shaft 49 and a clutch drives it in one direction with this shaft, but allows it to remain stationary when the shaft is rotated.

  the other way. In the embodiment shown, the

  clutch comprises helical springs 49b which clamp the sleeve 49a, mounted between stop collars 49c which are integral with the shaft. A plate 49d (also shown in FIG. 6) is mounted at the rear of the housing and can flex at its lower end so that its end

  upper is normally biased towards the sleeve 49a.

  This sleeve 49a has two lobes 1 and 2 and radial shoulders 3 and 4, which correspond to the number of wheel transfer notches 58. Therefore, when the shaft 49 turns dextrorsum in Figure 12, by raising a plate on wherein a sheet has been deposited, the plate-49d bends to the left and pushes this sheet longitudinally to the plate, so that the posterior edge of said sheet, which advances by sliding on the inclined plate, is pushed far enough not to come in contact with the conveyor belts 47 while the tray is moved upwards. When the shaft turns sinistrorsum, the upper end of the plate 49d engages with a shoulder 3 or 4 by preventing the sleeve from rotating with this shaft, which prohibits

  any contact between the plate and the falling plate.

  The order of rotation of the transfer wheels is given by the leaf outlet switch 66, which is mounted on the frame of the apparatus to be sorted and whose sensor element 67 is oriented upwards, on the the path of the sheet of paper that the belts 47 convey ejector rollers 27 and 28 from the copier to the ejector rollers

  of the device. The detector element may be a micro

  switch, a light beam or any element capable of

  detect the passage of the sheet on the conveyor belts.

  The electrical circuit is mounted in such a way that

  switch 66 starts the motor 61 when a sheet

  paper was issued on tray 39b below the

  41. The transfer wheels 58 then turn dextror

  sum of 1800, raising the board from position 39b to position 39a and the unit is ready to receive another

248 1,683

copy in the opening 41.

  The motor 61 is reversible and the electrical circuit

  that is realized so that, when all trays from their rest position have moved up and down, the series or the following sorting mode can take place during the descent movement of these trays. Therefore, when the engine is started, it rotates in the opposite direction by rotating the sinistrorsum transfer wheels by looking at FIG. 6, so that the lowest tray of the stack in the up position is brought to the position 39b of this figure 6 when the first copy of the second page to be reproduced in the copier has passed into the opening 41. Then, as the next nine copies are ejected continuously, the trays 39 are lowered to they are all below position 39b or at that position. Then, successively, the third page of the document is introduced in the trays, while they go up, then the fourth page is added while they go down, etc. As is known, documents that have multiple pages are reproduced in reverse order in a machine that delivers copies with the front side facing up. The leaves are stacked in the correct order, which avoids having to put them in order when

the draw is finished.

  As mentioned above with reference to FIG. 1, the circuit includes a return button 37 in the initial position, so that all the trays can be returned to their lower rest position if desired, instead of go down one after the other, overlapping each other as

  new page is added to the classified pages.

  It will be noticed from the description above that

  the essential element of the control and driving mechanism is the shaft 49. Not only does this shaft carry the transfer wheels and rotate them in synchronism, but it also makes it possible to arrange them externally to the path followed by the sheets of paper. . The pulleys 48 which carry the conveyor belts 47 are also mounted idle on the shaft 49, so that the entire drive mechanism is arranged outside the path traveled by the leaves during their passage through.

the device to be sorted.

  Although it has been indicated that the leaf exit switch 66 is the element which is preferred for detecting the passage of these sheets in the opening 41 and directing the movement of the trays 39, FIG. control member, which is a pusher 70 actuated by the moving optical carriage 68 of the copier 20. A trigger member 69 may be attached to the carriage 68 in the desired place to come, at the end of the movement.

  of this carriage, touch and push the push-button 70 into the

  pleating against the spring 71 and away from the interrup-

  The switch 72 operates in a manner similar to that of the switch 66. A suitable timer device is mounted in the electrical circuit so that the transfer wheels 58 rotate once the copy sheet is no longer in operation. contact with belts 47 nor with

  the ejector rollers 50 of the apparatus to be sorted.

  In the embodiment of the detector switch control mechanism 66, the sorting apparatus may be completely independent of the copier from the point of view

electric.

  FIG. 9 also shows a switch 73, which is in contact with the hub of the transfer wheel 58a and ensures that the transfer wheels turn only 1800

  each time a sheet of paper has passed through the machine.

  FIG. 9 further represents a switch 74 which is intended to bring the trays back to their rest position and which can be mounted so as to return these trays to their lower position when all have been moved from bottom to top to receive the reproduced sheets , if it should not be done sorting during the movement of

descent of the plateaus.

  It will also be noted, with reference to FIG. 7, that the pulleys 46 of the shaft 44 all rotate at the same speed and thus make the conveyor belts advance

uniform speed.

  In FIG. 6, the trays 39 have been shown inclined upwardly and outwardly, because this orientation prevents the paper sheets from "flying" out of these trays when they have left the ejector rollers 11 of the apparatus. In addition, this slight inclination causes the sheet to settle in the tray on the foam strip 42, which ensures that all the sheets are clamped between

  this band and the upper plate when the trays do not

  do not take position 39b. The foam rubber strips have a thickness of about 6.4 mm and when a whole set of sheets has been placed in each of the trays and that

  these are grouped above or below the opening

  41, these strips are compressed to a thickness of about 0.8 mm, so that there is no loss of space and the sheets are however well held in place on the trays. Timers are incorporated in the control circuitry so that the trays do not move until the sheet exit sensor switch has come into contact with the sheet of paper and the sheet has not been properly filed on the

  tray passing through the opening 41.

  The return switch in the rest position, mentioned above, can be set to operate in cooperation with the return switch in the initial position, so as to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor and move the trays in the sense meant at the end of moving all these trays up or

down.

  It can be seen that a simple sorting device of this type, to be suspended and connected to the mains, does not require any mechanical or electrical knowledge to be put in place and that it can be mounted by the customer, without having to modify the copier or make electrical connections with

this last.

  As already indicated, the configuration and arrangement given to the trays means that the sheets of paper are always accessible, at least in one place,

  which allows them to be removed from behind or from the side.

  Although the sheets of paper protrude beyond the end of the trays, they are curved and the curvature they give to the sheets stiffens the latter and they do not fall on the edges of the trays. It is therefore possible to treat

  also easily short or long leaves.

  Moreover, the bar 40 supports the trays at their outer end in such a way that it is possible to move these outer ends away to easily remove the sheets, to remedy any jams and for

  take the small sheets.

  It goes without saying that it is possible to bring diversity

  its modifications to the device to sort and classify the sheets

  shown and described without departing from the scope of the invention.

248 1,683

Claims (11)

  1. Apparatus for sorting and classifying sheets,   tréisé in that it comprises a frame (32), a number of trays (39) arranged in vertical pile, a support (40) trays, which is connected to the   chassis and which extends beyond so as to support the former   outer end of the lower plate (39c), two side walls (56) which form part of the frame, a vertical buttonhole (53) which is pierced in each of these side walls, a trunnion (52) which is mounted at the inner end of each tray (39) and which passes in these buttonholes (53), a drive shaft (49), which is mounted on the side walls (56), two transfer wheels (58a, 58b), which are mounted on this drive shaft and which each comprises at least one notch (59) forming a kind of Maltese cross intended to engage the journals (52), two springs (57) which urge the inner ends of trays against each other the others and which are connected to the upper plate (39a) and the lower plate (39c), a space (41) formed in the stack and delimited by the inner face of the inner end of a plate and the upper face of the inside end of the board underlying.   the transfer wheels (58a, 58b) being shaped and arranged to move a tray upward when they rotate and their notches (59) engage with the trunnions (52) of this tray, by moving these trunnions into their buttonholes (53) of the walls (56) of the frame (32),   a reversible motor (61) connected to the drive shaft (49), and   an electrical circuit including a switch   detector (66), which is connected to this motor so as to charge it to rotate the transfer wheels when a sheet   of paper passed in front of this switch (66).   2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the transfer wheels (58a, 58b) each comprise two notches (59a, 59b) disposed at 1800 from one another. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized   in that it comprises a friction wheel (43), which is   adapted to come into contact with an ejector roller (28) of a copier (20), and guide pulleys (48) and belts   1o transport (47) which turn wild on the training tree   (49), the friction wheel (43) being also intended for   driving these guide pulleys (48).   4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized   in that its electrical circuit comprises a switch-   reverser for engaging a tray so as to rotate the motor (61) in a direction to raise   the trays and in the other direction to bring them down.   5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized   in that its electric circuit has a temporal element   to operate the motor (61) and turn the transfer wheels (58a, 58b) only when a sheet of paper has been transferred from the conveyor belts (47) to a plate (39).   6. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized   in that it comprises a stop (55) which is intended to guarantee   always shooting the presence of a tray in the receiving position (39b) of a sheet, just below the ejection side transport belts (47).   7. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive shaft (49) is arranged in the middle, under the path (51) followed by the sheet of paper to pass in this unit.   Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized   in that it comprises a cam (49a) and a finger (49d) in accordance with   arranged and arranged to align the sheets of paper of each tray and to separate these sheets from the frame (32) of the device.   9. Apparatus for sorting and sorting sheets, characterized in that it comprises: a frame (32) intended to be mounted at the outlet (26) of a sheet dispensing apparatus,   a number of trays (39) that are dis-   placed in a vertical stack, an arm (40) -supporting the ends of these plates, allowing the latter to move longitudinally and pivot, members (49, 58, 59) for moving the trays, that can come into engagement with the end   interior of these trays so as to pass vertically   these ends in front of the outlet (26) and to separate said ends so that the plate located under this outlet receives a sheet, and leaf pushing members (49a, 49d), operated by the displacement members (49, 58). , 59) way to come in contact with the sheet laid on the board   under the outlet and push it towards the outer end of this plateau.   10. An apparatus for sorting and sorting sheets, characterized in that it comprises: a number of trays (39) forming a vertical stack, a frame (32) to be mounted on the output side of the sheets of a copy machine,   a leaf transport mechanism, which   carries a horizontal shaft (49) and leaf-driving members (47, 48) which are rotatable on said shaft, Malta-cross-type wheels (58a, 58b) which are rotatable with said shaft and are arranged on either side of the trays, and trunnions (52), which are mounted on opposite sides of the trays and with which these wheels (58a, 58b) are engageable to move up and down   these trays when the shaft (49) rotates, from a position -   located lower than the transport mechanism at a position higher than this mechanism, under the effect of rotation of this tree.   11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized   characterized in that it comprises sheet-pressing members (49a, 49d) which, when the shaft (49) turns while lifting a plate, come into contact with the sheet placed on this plate and move it longitudinally on the plate. this   away from the transport mechanism (47, 48).