GB1355646A - Collators - Google Patents

Abstract

1355646 Collators G A JONES 30 June 1971 [31 March 1970] 15235/70 Heading B8R A collator comprises an annular table 15 rotatable about a vertical axis and having a plurality of storage bags 16 for holding sets of sheets and means 12 located radially inwardly of the table for separating sheets from the sets. Sets of sheets are supported on edge in the storage bays 16, one sheet from each bay being removed per table revolution as each bay passes the means 12 which transfers the sheets to a collector 13. The means 12 may comprise suction heads 41, (42), Fig. 4 (not shown), oscillated about a veitical axis by a cam 17 associated with each bay, which separate the foremost sheet of each set and feed it to pinch rollers 53, 55 aligned with guides 58, 59, 62 forming the collector. Ruffling air jets (50), (51) facilitate sheet separation and an air jet 63 aids sheet stacking in the collector 13. An actuator device 18 is associated with each storage bay, the actuator pin (31), Fig. 5 (not shown), of the rearmost bay relative to the direction of table rotation, being placed in operative position to actuate three lever and cable systems 34, 35, 36 successively causing operation of a stapling device 14 which binds a collated set of sheets in the collector 13, movement of a trap door 64 to permit removal of the bound sheets from the collector, e.g. via a shoot (65), Fig. 8 (not shown), and replacement of the trap door. The stapler comprises a stapling arm 66 and an anvil 69, the arm being moved away from the anvil by one of the cams 17 against the action of a spring and held in this position until lever and cable system 34 is actuated.