JP2001278466A - Paper sheet carrying method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper sheet carrying method and device attempting the automation and realizing a low cost. SOLUTION: This paper sheet carrying device is so constituted that paper sheets 10 stored in a stock part 12 in a bundle are automatically carried to an alignment carrier part 13 with a transfer conveyer 85 which has feed pins 106b in approximately same intervals in the traveling direction, while the bundle of the paper sheets 10 is subdivided right before the alignment carrier part 13 and fed between the feed pins 106b by a prescribed thickness in order. This device can thus automate a work feeding the paper sheets from the stock part 112 to the alignment carrier part 13 and a work feeding the paper sheets 10 to the alignment carrier part 13 by an appropriate thickness.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for conveying paper sheets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, postal services such as postal services and home delivery services have been adopted as paper sheet transporting methods and apparatuses suitable for sorting machines that sort and process postcards and envelopes at postal services and for sorting machines that process sealed documents at home delivery service organizations. Service organizations read the destination information such as barcodes and postal codes attached to postcards and sealed documents (hereinafter, these postcards and sealed documents are collectively referred to as "sheets") and read the destination information. A paper sheet sorting machine that automatically sorts paper sheets has been put into practical use. In such a paper sheet sorter, space saving, small number of work, low cost, high speed, and the like are required.

[0003] In order to realize high speed in the above demand,
How to arrange and convey a wide variety of paper sheets having different sizes and the like is important in determining conveyance performance. For example, if the lower end face of the sheets in the separation and supply unit is not aligned properly, the sheets are separated diagonally and skew occurs, and the sheet is unreadable by the downstream reading unit and rejected, or the subsequent sheet in the separation and supply unit is rejected. In some cases, the paper is multi-fed without being separated from the paper, and is detected as abnormal conveyance in the paper sheet sorting unit and rejected. In this case, the sorting process has to be performed again, or the operator has to perform the process separately, which requires unnecessary labor. Therefore, in order to reduce this rejection, it is important that the alignment is sufficiently performed before the separation operation in the separation supply unit.

[0004] On the other hand, in order to realize small work and low cost, it is important to automate the work as much as possible, that is, to automate the machine.

[0005]

However, in the conventional paper sheet sorting machine, most of the work of transporting the paper sheets to the separation and supply unit is currently performed manually. Therefore, many dedicated workers must be allocated,
Improvement was desired.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to collectively input and separate a plurality of paper sheets,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet conveying method and apparatus which can be conveyed, can be handled by a small number of people, and can realize low cost.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided a paper sheet transporting method, comprising: transporting a plurality of paper sheets bundled and stored in a stock section in a running direction by a feed pin for transporting the paper sheets. It is automatically conveyed to the alignment transport section having a transfer conveyor provided at substantially equal intervals, and the sheet bundle is divided and subdivided immediately before the alignment transport section to a predetermined position between the feed pins. Are supplied by the thickness of each. According to this, the sheets stored in a bundle in the stock unit are automatically sent to the alignment transport unit, and the alignment transport unit automatically transports the sheets by an appropriate thickness amount. Since the paper is fed between the feed pins of the conveyor, the work of feeding the paper from the stock unit to the alignment conveyance unit and the operation of feeding the sheets by the appropriate thickness to the alignment conveyance unit can be automated.

Further, the paper sheet transport apparatus of the present invention is capable of transporting a plurality of paper sheets bundled and stored in a stock section at a substantially equal interval in a traveling direction with a feed pin for transporting the paper sheets. A transporting means for automatically transporting to the alignment transporting section having a transport conveyor provided, and a predetermined interval between the feed pins while dividing and subdividing the bundle of paper sheets immediately before the alignment transporting section. This is a configuration provided with divided supply means for supplying the toner by the thickness. With this configuration, paper sheets bundled and stored in the stock unit are automatically sent to the alignment transport unit, and the alignment transport unit automatically transports the paper sheets by an appropriate thickness amount. Therefore, the work of feeding the stock from the stock unit to the alignment conveyance unit and the operation of supplying paper sheets to the alignment conveyance unit by an appropriate thickness can be automated.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the overall configuration of a sheet conveying method and apparatus shown as an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the paper sheet transporting method and apparatus is mainly composed of a paper sheet supply unit 1, a paper sheet sorting unit 2, a transfer cart 3, and the like.

[0010] The paper supply unit 1 includes paper sheets 10 to be sorted.
A plurality of sheets (see FIGS. 16 to 22) are put together by the operator in a standing position, and the sheets 10 are conveyed to the sheet feeding position 4 (see FIG. 2), and the sheet feeding position is set. The sheet is separated one by one by a sheet separating / supplying device 5 provided at 4 and fed out to a reading unit (not shown). Further, the reading unit reads destination information such as a barcode or a postal code attached to the fed sheet 10,
Send the destination information to the computer.

In the present embodiment, the sheet sorting section 2 is formed in three stages in the vertical direction. Each of the paper sheet sorting units 2 temporarily stores therein the paper sheets 10 that have been sorted and sorted according to the destination information.
However, a plurality (10 ports in this embodiment) are provided side by side in a row. Although not shown, the paper sorting unit 2 stores the paper 1 according to the destination information read by the reading unit.
A distributing unit for distributing “0” to the determined sorting and accumulating unit 2 a is provided.

The transfer cart 3 receives and stores the paper sheets 10 discharged from the sorting / stacking section 2a of the paper sheet sorting section 2, and transports the paper sheets 10 to the paper sheet supply section 1 again. The paper sheet relay storage unit 3a is provided in three upper and lower stages corresponding to the sorting / stacking unit 2a of the paper sheet sorting unit 2, and each row is provided in two rows.

The paper sheet supply section 1 is the part most relevant to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing the internal structure of the paper sheet supply unit 1 together with the transfer carriage 3, and FIGS. 3 to 5 are side views as viewed from the direction of arrow F in FIG. FIG. 6 and FIG. 6 are main part configuration and layout views showing the internal structure by removing some members such as the front panel of the paper sheet supply unit 1 shown in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3 and 6
Are shown in a state when both are in the same mode, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are shown in a state when they are in different modes from FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. In FIG. 2 to FIG.
Is mainly composed of three parts: a transfer section 11, a stock section 12, and a aligning / conveying section 13. These sections are arranged from the sheet feeding position 4 side to the aligning / conveying section 13, the stock section 12,
They are arranged in a line in the order of the transfer units 11. The paper sheets are bundled from the transfer unit 11 to the stock unit 12 and stored, and are automatically conveyed to the alignment conveyance unit 13 having the transfer conveyor. At this time, when the paper sheets are sent from the stock unit 12 to the alignment conveyance unit 13, the bundle of the paper sheets is divided and subdivided into predetermined portions between the feed pins provided on the transfer conveyor for conveying the paper sheets. Is supplied by the thickness of each. The transfer unit 11 and the stock unit 12 are installed on a lift table 14A of the same lifter 14, and the lift table 14A
The position can be switched between three positions, ie, up, middle, and down, by moving up and down.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show the lifter 14 and the transfer unit 1.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the stock unit 1 and the stock unit 12, and FIG. 8 is a side view seen from the transfer unit side. 7 and 8, the configurations of the lifter 14, the transfer unit 11, and the stock unit 12 will be further described.
The lifting table 14A is attached to one end of the lifting table 14A.
Is mounted so as to protrude outward from one end. In addition, the sheet relay storage part 3a of the transfer cart 3 approaches the front end in the protruding direction. The transfer portion 11 is formed by press-forming a plate-like iron plate, and has a bottom plate portion 15a and a pair of front and rear guide wall portions 15b, 15b that are bent substantially perpendicularly upward from the bottom plate portion 15a.
b, and is formed as a guide member having a substantially U-shaped cross section with both left and right side surfaces and an upper surface opened. The transfer section 11 is provided at an angle of about 25 degrees so as to continuously descend in the protruding direction. That is, the bottom plate 15 a of the transfer unit 11 is formed as an inclined surface that gradually rises toward the stock unit 12, and the other end is disposed in the stock unit 12.

The lifting table 14A is formed as a rectangular flat table.
The stock part 12 is incorporated in the first embodiment.

Lifter 14 having lifting table 14A
A pair of left and right guide shafts 17 supported vertically by the frame 16 and extending vertically, a driving ball screw 18 disposed between the pair of left and right guide shafts 17, A lifter motor 19 that can be driven to rotate in two forward and reverse directions for rotating the driving ball screw 18, and a lifting table vibration applying means 20 that applies vertical vibration to the lifting table 14 </ b> A.
And so on. A lifting table 14A is attached to the guide shaft 17 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 33, the lifting table 14A is attached to the driving ball screw 18 via a vibration absorbing rubber material 115. A horizontal overhang portion 116a of the L-shaped member 116 screwed to is disposed. When the lifter motor 19 is rotated, the drive ball screw 18 is rotated, and the elevating table 14A is fed to the drive ball screw 18 and the guide shaft 1 is rotated.
7 and moves upward or downward depending on the rotation direction of the lifter motor 19. Further, the movement of the lifting table 14A can be stopped at a position where the tip of the bottom plate 15a of the transfer unit 11 coincides with the floor surface line of the sheet relay storage unit 3a of the transfer cart 3, and this embodiment In the embodiment, a lower position (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that matches the floor line of the lower paper sheet relay storage unit 3a and a middle position that matches the floor line of the middle paper sheet relay storage unit 3a (see FIG. 2). (See Fig. 5)
And can be stopped at the upper position (see FIG. 4) which coincides with the floor line of the upper sheet relay storage section 3a. The home position is at the lower position that coincides with the floor surface line of the lower paper sheet relay storage unit 3a. At this home position, the paper sheet 10 is transferred from the stock unit 12 to the alignment transport unit 13. You.

Further, the vibration applying means 20 for the lifting table
Has a cylinder 21 fixed to the frame 16 and a rotating member 23 attached to the frame 16 so as to be vertically rotatable about a pivot 22 as shown in detail in FIG. , One end of the rotating member 23 and the cylinder 21
And the distal end of the rod 21a is linked to each other via a pivot 24. Further, the other end of the rotating member 23 extends below the lifting table 14A,
When the lifting table 14A is arranged at the lower position,
When the rotating member 23 is rotated in the vertical direction and the other end is directed upward, the lower end of the lifting table 14A is pushed up at the other end, and then the lifting table 14A is moved when the other end is lowered.
Is lowered by its own weight, and by repeating this operation, a vertical vibration can be repeatedly applied to the lifting table 14A. The lifting table 14
A roller 2 is attached to the other end of the rotating member 23 that contacts the lower surface of the roller A.
The rotating member 23 is in contact with the lower surface of the elevating table 14A via the roller 25.

The essential components of the stock unit 12 provided together with the transfer unit 11 on the lifting table 14A are shown in FIGS. 9 to 10 in addition to FIGS. The second
The transfer means 12 includes a push-plate means 26, a push-plate drive means 27, a pre-contact plate means 28, a pre-contact plate tip arrival detection sensor 29, a first transfer belt means 32, a second transfer belt means 33, a pusher 34, and the like. It is composed of Also,
On the front and rear surfaces of the lifting table 14A, sheets 1
A guide plate 35 is provided along the 0 transport path. The guide plate 35 serves as a guide when the paper sheet 10 is conveyed toward the alignment conveyance section 13, and is formed on the inner surface to reduce the frictional force generated when the paper sheet 10 comes into contact with the paper sheet 10. Are provided with three bars 35a (see FIG. 7) extending along the transport path, scattered vertically.

In the elevating table 14A, guide holes 36a and 36 for front contact plates extending along the conveying path of the paper sheet 10 are provided.
b is provided penetrating vertically. As shown in FIG. 9, a guide groove 37 for the front contact plate and a guide groove 38 for the push plate are provided on the lifting table 14A.
It is formed to be elongated along the 0 transport path.

As shown in FIG. 11, the front contact plate means 28 includes, as shown in FIG. 11, a slide plate 39 which is partially engaged in the front contact plate guide groove 37 from above the elevating table 14A, and Guide hole 3 from the center of slide plate 39
Column 4 extending below lifting table 14A through 6b
0, and a front backing plate 41 attached to the supporting column 40 so as to be vertically slidable. The front backing plate 41 can be controlled to be vertically slid by a drawing cylinder 42. In addition, the drawing cylinder 42 is usually
1 is slid upward, and is held at a protruding position where the front plate portion 41a of the front backing plate 41 protrudes largely upward from the upper surface of the elevating table 14A through the guide holes 36a and 36b. . Further, when the pulling cylinder 42 operates to move the slide plate 39 downward, the slide plate 39 is moved up and down with the end of the front plate portion 41a.
A is moved to a return position below the lower surface of A. The front contact plate means 28 is moved from the home position closest to the transfer unit 11 side to the alignment transfer unit 13 side by the guide of the front contact plate guide groove 37 with which the slide plate 39 is engaged. It is possible to slide continuously to the end position.

Further, a constant load leaf spring 43 for tension (hereinafter referred to as "constant load leaf spring 43") is provided on one surface of the column 40.
And a detection plate 29a for confirming arrival at the front end which is detected by the front arrival detection sensor means 29. Constant load leaf spring 43
Is a winding spring, and the main body portion 43a is fixed to the lower surface of the lifting table 14A. When the front contact plate 41 is moved from the home position toward the terminal position, the constant load leaf spring 4 wound around the main body portion 43a.
While being pulled out, it moves while receiving a constant load, and returns to the home position from the end position by the return force of the constant load leaf spring 43. In addition, a front plate return limit stopper 45 is attached to the lower surface side of the lifting table 14A corresponding to the column 40 of the front plate means 28, and the column 40 abuts on the front plate return limit stopper 45. The position is the home position. Further, on the lower surface side of the elevating table 14A, when the front contact plate 41 reaches the end position, a front contact plate return prevention cylinder 46 for temporarily holding the front contact plate 41 so as not to return to the home position. When the front patch 41 reaches the end position, the front patch arrival detection sensor 29 for detecting the front arrival detection detection plate 29a on the front patch 28 is attached. Before the front contact plate 41 reaches the end position, the front contact plate return prevention cylinder 46 moves the rod 46 out of the passage of the front contact plate means 28.
a is retracted, and when it reaches the end position, it is advanced into the passage to prevent the front contact plate means 28 from returning to the home position side by the spring force of the constant load leaf spring 43.

As shown in FIG. 12, the pushing plate means 26 has a sliding plate 47 which is partially slidably engaged in the guide groove 38 for the backing plate and is mounted on the elevating table 14A. It is composed of a pair of front and rear push plates 48 attached to the slide plate 47 and a detector 49 for the push plate, and is disposed between the front contact plate 41 and the transfer unit 11.

More specifically, the push plate 48 is formed by press-forming a metal plate material having a spring property.
8a and an abutment surface portion 48b which is bent straight downward from the tip of the inclined surface portion 48a.
The base end side of the inclined surface portion 48 is mounted on the slide plate 47 via a bracket 50 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. A winding spring 51 is mounted between the bracket 50 and the slide plate 47.
The pushing plate 48 is constantly urged upward by the spring force, and is rotated upward until the upper surface of the pushing plate 48 comes into contact with the lower surface of the stopper 52 attached to the bracket 50. A push plate 48 is provided on the lower surface of the stopper 52.
In the state where the upper surface is in contact, the inclined surface portion 48b is inclined so as to gradually increase as it moves toward the front backing plate 41 side,
The rear contact surface portion 48b is substantially perpendicular to the elevating table 14A, and is opposed to the front plate portion 41a. Further, as will be described later, the paper sheet 10 sent from the transfer unit 11 side is inclined toward the front plate 41a on the inclined surface 48b.
When passing above, the weight of the paper sheet 10 is
8, the inclination of the inclined surface portion 48b is reduced to facilitate the passage of the paper sheet 10, and when the paper sheet 10 has passed, it returns to the home position again by the reaction force of the winding spring 51. .

The first transfer belt means 32 is stretched between pulleys 53a and 53b, respectively, and stretched from the right end to the left end of the lifting table 14A in FIG. It has an endless belt 54 arranged in parallel. Each belt 54
It is connected to the slide plate 47 to which the booster plate 48 is attached, and rotates in conjunction with the movement of the slide plate 47 moved by the motor 56. In addition, on the elevating table 14A, the push plate return detection sensor means 30a for detecting the push plate detecting element 49 when the slide plate 47 reaches the home position, and the push plate for the push plate when the slide plate 47 reaches the distal end position. A push plate tip arrival detection sensor means 30b for detecting the detector 49 is provided.

The power transmission mechanism 55 includes a drive system 55a and a non-drive system 55b. The drive system 55a includes the motor 56 and a pulley 57 fixedly attached to an output shaft of the motor 56. On the other hand, the driven system 55
b, a shaft 5 rotatably supported by a bearing 58 attached to the lifting table 14A, as shown in FIG.
9 and a pulley 60 and a pulley 61 attached to the shaft 59 thereof. The pulley 60 is frictionally connected to a shaft 59 via a winding spring 62.
When a force greater than the frictional force is applied between the pulley 60 and the shaft 59, the space between the pulley 60 and the shaft 59 idles. The pulley 60 has
The pulley 57 on the drive system 55a side is power-coupled via the belt 64. That is, when the motor 56 rotates and the pulley 57 rotates, the pulley 60 receives the power of the motor 56 via the pulley 57 and the belt 61 and rotates.
Further, the shaft 5 is pulled from the pulley 57 through the winding spring 62.
9 rotates. In addition, the shaft 59
The rotary plate 63a of the encoder 63 is attached so that it can rotate integrally. The encoder 63 has a sensor (not shown) that detects a slit 63b on the rotating plate 63a and outputs a signal, and the encoder 63 itself has a well-known structure. On the other hand, the pulley 61 is
A is attached to the shaft 59 on the upper surface side of A so as to be integrally rotatable. An endless belt 67 is stretched between the pulley 61 and the pulley 66 on the upper surface side of the lifting table 14. The pulley 66 is rotatably mounted on the upper surface side of the elevating table 14 </ b> A and at the end position side via a pivot 65. Endless belt 6
7 is partially fixed to the slide plate 47 of the pusher means 26. Therefore, the rotation of the motor 56 causes the shaft 5 to rotate.
When the pulley 61 rotates integrally with the pulley 9, the endless belt 67 and the pulley 66 rotate integrally with the pulley 61. Further, when the endless belt 67 rotates, the slide plate 47 connected to the endless belt 67 moves from the home position to the end position and from the end position to the home position according to the rotation direction of the endless belt 67. . In addition, the movement of the slide plate 47 causes the belt 5 connected to the slide plate 47 to move.
4 rotates integrally with the slide plate 47.

As shown in detail in FIG. 14, the second transfer belt means 33 is provided at the end of the elevating table 14A adjacent to the aligning and transporting section 13, and is provided on the first transfer belt means 32. Each adjacent to the belt 54,
It has three belts 69 provided in an extended state in front of the transfer belt means 32 (toward the alignment transport section 13). The three belts 69 extend around pulleys 71 rotatably attached to the shaft 70 and a pulley 73 rotatably attached to the shaft 72, respectively. Further, the shaft 70 is connected to a motor 74 (see FIG. 6) capable of normal and reverse rotation, which is different from the drive source (motor 56) of the first transfer belt means 33. To rotate. That is,
The rotation of the shaft 70 causes the belt 69 to rotate in two forward and reverse directions. The belt 54 of the first transfer belt means 32
The belt 69 is disposed horizontally on the upper surface of the elevating table 14A, while the belt 69 is provided to be inclined so as to gradually rise from the first belt means 32 side to the alignment transport section 13 side.

As shown in detail in FIG. 14, the pusher 34 is provided at the end of the lifting table 14A, above the second transfer belt means 33, and in a standing position. Paper 1 at a position where it can contact the upper end of the
It has a rod 78 disposed so as to traverse the 0 path. A plurality of eccentric rollers 75 are fixedly attached to the outer periphery of the rod 78 so as to be integrally rotatable, and are rotated by a motor 76 attached to the lifting table 14A.

Next, the configuration of the alignment transport section 13 will be described.
FIG. 23 shows the paper sheet separation and supply device 5 for separating and feeding out the paper sheets 10 one by one, and the paper sheets 10 fed from the paper sheet separation and supply device 5 toward the paper sheet sorting section 2. 24 is a top view showing the configuration and arrangement of the alignment transport section 13 together with a part of the paper sheet transport apparatus 6 for transporting the paper. FIG. 24 is an external view of the alignment transport section 13. As shown in FIG. 23, the paper sheet separation and supply device 5 separates the paper sheets 10 sent from the alignment conveyance unit 13 in an upright state and separates the paper sheets 10 one by one. The sheet transporting device 6 includes a separating and feeding belt 7 that is fed out toward the sheet feeding device 6, and is a transmission type optical sensor that detects the length of the sheet 10 sent from the separating and feeding device 5. A measurement sensor 9 is provided along a path along which the paper sheet 10 is conveyed.

The alignment transport section 13 is provided adjacent to the stock section 12 and, as shown in FIG. It comprises a positioning means 81, a floor-side positioning means 82, a second rear end reference positioning means 83, a subdivision mechanism 84 and the like. In addition, a height difference is provided between the alignment transport unit 13 and the stock unit 12, and the stock unit 12 is located at a position higher than the alignment transport unit 13. Therefore, the stock section 1
The paper sheet 10 sent to the alignment transport section 13 through the second transfer belt means 33 is separated from the stock section 12 toward the alignment transport section 13 and falls. Have been. Further, between the position adjacent to the stock unit 12 and the sheet separating / feeding device 5, the alignment transport unit 1 is provided.
The paper sheet 10 sent into the apparatus 3 is supplied to the paper sheet separation and supply device 5.
The above-mentioned transfer conveyor 85 is provided for sending the paper toward the container.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 23, the alignment transport section 13 is provided with guide plates 86a and 86b along both sides of the transport path of the paper sheet 10, and the guide plates 86a and 86b are provided. The first rear end reference positioning means 81, the floor side positioning means 82, the second rear end reference positioning means 83, the subdivision mechanism 84, and the transfer conveyor 85 are provided between the first rear end reference positioning means 81 and 86a and 86b.

The first rear end reference positioning means 81 is rotatably disposed between the guide plates 86a and 86b in such a manner that three of them extend along the transport direction of the paper sheet 10. As shown in FIG. 26, each roller 81a receives a rotational driving force of a motor 87 via a power transmission mechanism 87a, and always rotates in one direction. The rotation direction of the roller 81a is such that the paper sheets 10 which are sequentially discharged from the stock unit 12 one by one
When the user rides on the sheet 1a, a force to move the sheet 10 toward the guide plate 86a can be given to the sheet 10 in FIG.
This is the direction indicated by. Therefore, the paper sheets 10 that are sequentially dropped from the stock unit 12 onto the rollers 81a and sequentially sent to the paper sheet unwinding position 4 by the transfer conveyor 85 to be described later are separated from the rollers 81a by the rollers 81a.
As a result, the sheet is sent to the guide plate 86a side serving as a reference surface, and the end face of the paper sheet 10 (the trailing end side) is aligned with the guide plate 86a.

The floor-side positioning means 82 applies vibrations from the lower side to the paper sheet 10 conveyed toward the paper sheet separation and supply device 5 by the transfer conveyor 85, and guide plates 86a and 86b. A contact mechanism 89 and two rolling shafts 90 are disposed in this order from the guide plate 86a side. The contact mechanism 89, as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28,
There is a belt 91 extending along the transport direction of the paper sheet 10. The belt 91 is connected to the frame 92
The belt 93 is attached across the arms 93a and 93b of the plate 93, and a chain belt 94, a roller 95, and the like are provided below the belt 91. The chain belt 94 includes three sprockets 96a, 96
The sprockets 96b and 96c are stretched around the outside of the belts 91 and 96c, and are arranged substantially in parallel along the lower surface of the belt 91 between the sprockets 96b and 96c. Also, among the three sprockets 96a, 96b, 96c, the sprocket 9
Reference numeral 6a is attached to the output shaft 97a of the motor 97 so as to be integrally rotatable. Therefore, when the motor 97 is rotated, the sprocket 96a rotates, and in conjunction with this, the chain belt 94 and the sprockets 96b, 96c also rotate. The roller 95 is attached to the outer surface of the chain belt 94 via a bracket 95a.
When the belt passes below, the belt 91 comes into contact with the lower surface of the belt 91 and is pushed up violently, and this push-up generates intense vertical vibration on the upper surface of the belt 91. Roller 9
A plurality of rollers 5 are provided on the chain belt 94, and the rollers 95 are successively brought into contact with each other by the rotation of the chain belt 94 to generate vibration.

The shaft 90 is formed in a substantially flat shape with a part formed by cutting out a part of the peripheral surface to form a plane 90a. The flat shaft 90 rotates by receiving the rotational force of a motor 99 via a power transmission mechanism 98, and
0 on a paper sheet 10 moving while contacting on
Vibration in the vertical direction is applied from the zero side. Therefore, in the floor-side positioning means 82, the vertical vibration applied to the paper sheet 10 from the contact mechanism 89 and the paper sheet 10
The vertical vibrations imparted to the paper sheet 10 are different from each other, and positioning is performed while applying complex vibration to the paper sheet 10 fed by the transfer belt 85, thereby improving the positioning efficiency.

The second rear end reference positioning means 83
Cone-shaped roller 100 extending along the conveyance path
And an endless alignment belt 101 in surface contact with the lower surface of the paper sheet 10 mounted so as to cover the outer sides of two rotating shafts 101a arranged in parallel with the roller 100. I have. Among them, the roller 100 is
It rotates by receiving the torque of the motor 103 via the power transmission mechanism 102. On the other hand, the positioning belt 101 transmits the rotational force of the motor 103 via the power transmission mechanism 102 to the rotating body 101.
When a receives and rotates, it rotates around the outside of the rotating body 101a in conjunction with the rotating body 101a. Further, the rotation direction is the same as that of the roller 81a of the first rear end reference positioning means 81, and the paper sheet 10 which is conveyed in a state of abutting on the roller 100 and the rotating body 101 is contacted. Is a direction in which a force for moving the guide sheet 86a is applied, that is, a direction crossing the transport direction of the paper sheet 10 at right angles. Then, the paper sheet 10 is conveyed toward the paper sheet feeding position 4 by the transfer conveyor 85, and the second
When the paper sheet 10 passes over the rear end reference positioning means 83, the paper sheet 10 passes with the lower surfaces thereof in contact with the rollers 100 and the positioning belt 101. At this time, the paper sheet 10 is moved to the guide plate 86a side as a positioning member by a large frictional force due to surface contact with the alignment belt 101, and the rear end side of the paper sheet 10 is brought out of contact with the guide plate 86a and positioned. The alignment can be performed in a short period of time.
Therefore, the paper sheet 10 that is sent by the transfer belt 85 while being in surface contact on the roller 100 and the alignment belt 101 passes through the paper sheet 10 in addition to the alignment by the first rear end reference alignment means 81, Even at this position, the operation of being fed to the guide plate 86a side is given again, and the end face (the trailing end of the feeding) is moved to the guide plate 86a.
It has a structure that can be positioned according to. Also, in this case, since the belt surface of the alignment belt is brought into surface contact with the lower surface of the paper sheet 10 to apply a force to move the paper sheet 10 toward the guide plate 86a, a large force is applied to the paper sheet 10 toward the guide plate 86. Can be moved.

The subdivision mechanism 84 has a cone-shaped rotating body 104 having a spiral groove formed on the outer periphery.
5 and receives the torque of the motor 106 to rotate. Then, when the paper sheet 10 is fed onto the rotating rotator 104 that is rotating, the subdivision mechanism 84 separates the paper sheet by the spiral groove, and the paper separating and feeding device 5 side Control is performed such that sheets are supplied to the separation / supply belt 7 one by one. That is, in this case, the overlapped and conveyed paper sheets 10 are put into a spiral groove to be divided into small pieces, and a gap is provided between the paper sheets. The leaf 10 is prevented from being pressed, and the paper leaf 10 can be smoothly fed out at the paper leaf separation and supply position 4.

As shown in FIG. 29, the transfer conveyor 85 includes a plurality of arm units 10 bridged between two chain belts 105 disposed on both sides of two transport paths.
6. Each arm unit 106 is arranged at equal intervals on the chain belt 105, and has a rod 106 a having both ends attached to the chain belt 105, and four feeders fixedly attached on the rod 106. It has a pin 106b. Each of the feed pins 106b is freely rotatably attached, and the paper sheet 10 is moved toward the guide plate 86a by the first rear end reference positioning means 81 and the second rear end reference positioning means 83. At times, the feed pin 106b also rotates freely to assist the movement of the paper sheet 10. Note that the chain belt 105 includes a plurality of sprocket gears 111a to 111a.
It is mounted rotatably via 1e. Further, outside the chain belt 105, an end adjacent to the sheet separating / supplying device 5 (the side where the feed pin 106b goes down) and an end adjacent to the stock unit 12 (the feed pin 106
b), the arm unit 106
Cam means 107 and 108 for controlling the posture of the camera are provided. Further, the sprocket gears 111a to 111a
In 1e, a sprocket gear 111e is a drive gear, and the sprocket gear 111e receives rotation of the motor 109 via the power transmission mechanism 110 and rotates, and the rotation of the sprocket gear 111e rotates the chain belt 105.

As shown in FIG. 31, the cam unit 107 approaches the sheet separating / supplying position 4 and further moves the arm unit 106 from the sheet separating / supplying position 4 to the lower side of the transfer conveyor 85. The arm unit 106 is tilted rearward with respect to the chain belt 105 so that the feed pin 106b of the arm unit 106 moves downward while remaining parallel to the separation / feed belt 7 as much as possible. The operation of the unit 106 is controlled so that the paper sheet separating / supplying position 4 is controlled to move downward in parallel with the paper sheet 10. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 31, when the cam unit 108 is moved upward from the lower side of the transfer conveyor 85, the arm unit 106 is placed in a lying state before reaching the upper side. The operation of the arm unit 106 is controlled such that the feed pin 106b projects substantially vertically when it is moved upward. Then, between the arm units 106 in the traveling direction of the transfer conveyor 85, the sheets 10 dropped from the stock unit 12 are sequentially accommodated, and are moved toward the sheet separating and feeding position 4 by the traveling of the chain belt 105. Be transported. When the sheet 10 is transported, the paper sheet 10 is transferred to the first rear-end reference positioning unit 81, the floor-side positioning unit 82, and the second rear-end reference positioning unit 8
3. The sheet is conveyed to the sheet separating / supplying position 4 by sequentially passing over the subdivision mechanism 84. At the sheet separating / supplying position 4, the sheets are separated one by one by the separating / supplying belt 7, and the sheet conveying device It is sent out to 6.

FIG. 32 is a block diagram showing a control system of the paper sheet supply unit 1 in the present embodiment, in which the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. It is a means to do. Explaining the parts not described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 31, the system control unit (C
(PU) 200 is a part that controls the entire sheet supply unit 1, and the storage unit 201 is a part in which a program and the like for the system control unit 200 to process an operation according to a predetermined procedure are incorporated. The operation panel unit 204 is a portion provided with various operation buttons and the like, and includes a lifter switch button 203, a start button 204, and the like.

Next, the operation of the paper sheet sorting system thus configured will be described. First, a plurality of paper sheets 10 are placed on the transfer carriage 3 in a state of being bundled together, and are transported to the transfer section 11 by hand. Here, the transfer truck 3
The paper sheets 10 placed on the table are those that have not been subjected to the sorting process at all, or those that have already been subjected to the sorting process several times. Further, the paper sheets 10 are carried to the transfer cart 3 by being mounted on any one (including all cases) of the upper, middle and lower three-tiered paper sheet relay storage section 3a.

The transfer cart 3 places the paper sheets 10 on the transfer unit 1
1, the operator selects the paper sheet relay storage unit 3a for sorting, and adjusts the vertical position of the elevating table 14A in accordance with the selected paper sheet relay storage unit 3a on the operation panel. The selection is made with the lifter switch button 203 on the unit 202. The lifter switch button 203 includes an upper switch button, a middle switch button, and a home position (lower) switch button. The system control unit 200 operates the lifter switch in accordance with the selected switch button. Drive motor 19 is controlled. In this case, when the upper-stage lifter switch button corresponding to the upper-stage sheet relay storage unit 3a is selected, the lifter motor 19 is driven, and the transfer unit 11 moves the upper-stage sheet relay storage unit 3a. The lifting table 14A is raised to a position corresponding to the section 3a (see FIG. 5). When the middle switch button corresponding to the middle sheet relay storage unit 3a is selected, the lifter motor 19 is driven, and the transfer unit 11 corresponds to the middle sheet relay storage unit 3a. The lifting table 14A is raised to the position (see FIG. 4). When the switch button for the home position (not shown) is pressed while the lifting table 14A is being moved to the upper or middle position, the system controller 20
0 drives the lifter motor 19 to move the lifting table 1
Return 4A to the lower position. This lower position is the home position, and the transfer unit 11 is the lower sheet relay storage unit 3.
a (see FIGS. 2, 3, and 6). In any case, when the elevating table 14A has finished moving, the position of the bottom surface of the sheet relay storage unit 3a and the bottom plate portion 15a of the transfer unit 11 protruding toward the transfer cart 3 are at the same height. Placed in the position. Therefore, when the transfer cart 3 is moved closer to the transfer unit 11 in a state where the lifting table 14A is positioned at each stage, the bottom surface of the sheet relay storage unit 3a on which the sheets 10 to be sorted are placed. Is the bottom plate 1 of the transfer unit 11
5a. In this matching state, the lifting table 1 holds the sheets in the sheet relay storage section 3a as a bundle.
When the sheet is pushed to the 4A side, the paper sheet 10 can be transferred to the transfer section 11 side and changed.

After the sheets 10 in the sheet relay storage section 3a are transferred to the transfer section 11 in this manner, the stock section 12 is manually moved while sliding on the bottom plate section 15a.
Move toward. At this time, since the transfer section 11 is inclined so as to rise toward the stock section 12, the lower end side of the paper sheet 10 is closely packed and aligned next to each other when sliding on the bottom plate section 15. That is, as shown in the principle diagram in FIG. 15, when the paper sheet 10 is laid on the flat surface 77 and slid, the neighbors of the paper sheet 10 are not clogged so much, but in the direction going up the inclined surface 78. When the paper sheet 10 is slid, a braking force due to friction works well on the lower end of the paper sheet 10, so that adjacent ones are closely packed and aligned.

Then, the paper sheet 10 transported to the end of the transfer section 11 while sliding on the bottom plate section 15a is transferred as it is into the stock section 12 and placed on the push plate 48. Then, the push plate 48 is lowered by the weight of the paper sheet 10, and the paper sheet 10 can be moved toward the front plate portion 41 a of the front backing plate 41. When the sheet 10 is transported by an amount (thickness) larger than the distance between the push plate 48 at the home position and the front plate portion 41a, the push plate 4
8, the front contact plate 41 alone is moved toward the alignment transport unit 13 while pulling out the constant load leaf spring 43 while being kept at that position. When the transfer of the predetermined paper sheets 10 is completed, the front side is held by the front plate portion 41a, and the rear side is pushed by the push plate 48.
It will be in the state of being held down. FIGS. 16 and 17 show this state. After the transfer to the stock unit 1 of the paper sheets 10 is completed in this way, the stock unit start button 204 of the operation panel unit 202 is pressed next.

When the stock section start button 204 is pressed, the cylinder 21 of the lifting table vibration applying means 20 is driven at a fixed cycle, and the push plate 48 is pressed.
Motor 56 is driven in the forward direction. Cylinder 21
Is driven at a constant cycle, the rotating member 23 pushes up the lower surface of the elevating table 14A every time the driving is performed,
With this push-up, a vertical vibration is given to the entire lifting table 14A to vibrate the paper sheet 10, and the lifting table 14A
The alignment is performed by aligning the lower surfaces of the paper sheets 10 on A.

On the other hand, when the motor 56 is driven in the forward direction, the rotation of the motor 56 is transmitted to the shaft 59 via the power transmission mechanism 55, and the shaft 59 rotates. When the shaft 59 rotates, the endless belt 67 rotates via the pulley 61, and the slide plate 47 of the pushing plate means 26 fixed to the endless belt 59 is guided by the guide groove 38 for the backing plate, and the alignment transport unit The paper sheet 10 starts moving toward the 13th side (end position side), and with the movement, pushes the paper sheet 10 from the rear side to the front plate section 41a side. Then, the front contact plate 41 is also pushed through the paper sheet 10 and the constant load leaf spring 4 is pressed.
While pulling out 3, the sheet 10 and the push plate 48 start to move toward the end position. When the push plate 48 is moved, the belt 54 connected to the push plate 48 rotates in synchronization with the direction in which the paper sheet 10 is conveyed, and the paper sheet 10 is placed on the belt 54. Is moved toward the end position in the state of being held.

Further, when the paper sheet 10 is transported to the end position of the stock section 12 as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, as shown in FIGS. The upper portion is brought into contact with the rod 74 of the pusher 34 via the eccentric cam 75, and the front arrival confirmation detection plate 29 a is detected by the front arrival plate front arrival detection sensor 29. When the front end arrival detecting plate 29a is detected, the front back plate return prevention cylinder 46 is driven, the rod 46a advances into the passage of the front back plate means 28, and the front back plate means 28 is To return to the home position by the spring force of At the same time, the motor 56 stops, and the movement of the push plate 48 also stops. Then, the system control unit 200 determines the number of pulse signals obtained by the encoder 63 before the stop until the front plate unit 41
The amount (thickness) of the paper sheet disposed between the “a” and the push plate 48 is calculated. Subsequently, based on the calculation result, the thickness of the paper sheet 10 to be divided and supplied between the feed pins 106b of the transfer conveyor 85 on the alignment transport unit 13 side is adjusted to be an appropriate amount between the respective feed pins 106b. Subdivision processing is performed. Immediately before the paper sheet 10 reaches the end position,
From the belt 54 of the first transfer belt means 32, it is sent out onto the belt 69 of the second transfer belt means 33. Belt 69
Are provided so as to gradually rise as they move toward the alignment transport unit 13 side.
In the same manner as described above, the lower end side of the paper sheet 10 is closely packed and aligned with the adjacent paper sheets when the paper sheet 10 slides on the belt 69. 20 to 22 show the state at this time.

Here, from the stock unit 12 to the alignment transport unit 1
3 will be described. First, from the number of pulse signals obtained by the encoder 63, the paper disposed between the front plate portion 41a and the push plate 48 will be described. Calculate the quantity of the bundle of the leaves 10 (thickness) T1,
Further, T1 is divided by Ts based on the optimum thickness Ts (usually 75 mm) obtained in advance by empirical rules, and when the number of cracks is N and the number of surpluses is α, the sheet 1
N is the number between the feed pins 106b for supplying 0, and the fraction α
Is further divided equally by N and distributed among the other feed pins 106b. The reason is that, for example, when the fraction is small, such as “5”, the small amount of the sheet
If the sheet is stored between the feed pins 06b, a large gap is formed between the feed pins 106b to prevent the sheet 10 from falling down and being sent to the sheet supply position 4 without being aligned. Therefore, in this manner, by distributing the sheets 10 in small increments between the feed pins 106, all N pieces can be set to the appropriate amount of sheets. When the thickness of the paper sheet 10 between the feed pins 106b is determined in this way, the transfer speed of the transfer conveyor 85 and the supply speed of the paper sheet 10 from the stock unit 12 are synchronized, and N
A substantially equal amount of paper 1 between each of the feed pins 106b
0 is stored in order. Here, the belt 69 of the second transfer belt means 33 for subdivision repeats forward and backward, and sends out the paper sheet 10 to the alignment transport unit 13 side while separating adjacent paper sheets 10. That is, the second transfer belt unit 33 is configured to
By repeating the operation of sending back Ts + α (fraction distribution) for 0 once and then sending back Ts + α for the paper sheets again, the paper sheets 75 are moved from the stock unit 12 to the respective feed pins 106 b of the alignment transport unit 13. It can be transported sequentially between the spaces. Further, when the sheet is fed to the alignment transport section 13, the upper part of the paper sheet 10 is pushed by the eccentric roller 75 by the rotation of the pusher 34, and is reliably dropped to the alignment transport section 13 side.

When all of the paper sheets 10 on the belt 69 are sent to the alignment transport section 13 in this manner, the push plate 48 reaches the end position, and the push plate detector 49 moves to the leading end of the push plate. It is detected by the detection and arrival detection sensor means 30b. Then, the motor 68 of the second transfer belt means 33
And the drive of the motor 76 of the pusher 34 and the cylinder 21 of the vibration applying means 20 for the lifting table are stopped, and the rod 46a of the cylinder 46 for preventing the backing of the front-applying plate retreats to the outside of the passage of the front-applying means 28 to move the stopper. To release. At the same time, the drawing cylinder 42 is driven to raise and return the front backing plate 41 to the initial state. Subsequently, the motor 56 for the push plate rotates in the reverse direction, the push plate 48 moves toward the home position together with the slide plate 47, and the front contact plate 41 is pulled by the constant load leaf spring 43 together with the slide plate 39. Move toward the home position at a substantially constant speed. When the push plate 48 is moved to the home position and returned, the detector 49 for the push plate is returned.
Is detected by the push plate return detection sensor means 30a,
The motor 56 stops. When the front plate 41 returns to the home position, the column 40 comes into contact with the front plate return limit stopper 45 and stops at the home position. This completes the operation of the transfer unit 11 and the stock unit 12 for one cycle, and the same operation is repeated thereafter.

On the other hand, when the paper sheet 10 is dropped from the stock section 12 to the feed pin 106b of the transfer conveyor 85 in the alignment transport section 13, the paper sheet 10 is moved to the first position.
When the sheet 10 comes into contact with the roller 81a of the rear end reference positioning means 81, the paper sheet 10 is sent to the guide plate 86a side and the rear end is positioned. Subsequently, when passing through the floor-side positioning means 82, vertical vibration is applied to the paper sheet 10 so that the lower surface is aligned and aligned, and when passing through the second rear-end reference positioning means 83, it is again The paper sheet 10 is moved toward the guide plate 86a, the rear end is aligned, and the paper sheet 10 passes through the subdivision mechanism 84, whereby the front and rear separation is performed. In this manner, the paper sheet 10 sent to the paper sheet separation / supply position while being aligned and separated from the rear end and the lower surface of the feeding side is sent out by the separation / supply belt 7. The sheet 10 sent out by the separation / feeding belt 7 detects the thickness of the sheet 10 by a sheet thickness sensor 8 disposed in the sheet transporting device 6 and also detects the sheet. The length of the paper sheet 10 is detected by the paper sheet length measuring sensor 9 arranged in the paper transport device 6.

When the length of the paper sheet 10 is detected by the paper sheet length measuring sensor 9, the type of the paper sheet (for example, leaf writing, sealed writing, etc.) is inferred from the length. The type information and the thickness information obtained by the thickness measurement sensor 9 are checked for validity. In the system control unit 200, based on the thickness information from the thickness measurement sensor 9, the optimum speed at which the transfer conveyor 85 of the paper sheet 10 by the alignment conveyance unit 13 continuously feeds the paper sheet toward the paper sheet unwinding position 4 is selected. Is calculated and feedback controlled. Here, for example, a sheet 1 having a large thickness
In the case where 0 is fed out by the separation / supply belt 7 and the case where the thin sheet 10 is fed out, at the sheet feeding position 4, the following sheet 10 and the contact surface of the separation / supply belt 7 contact each other. The gaps between them are different. That is, among the paper sheets being transported, there are paper sheets having an arbitrary thickness, such as a thick one and a thin one. Therefore, the transfer conveyor 8 feeds the sheet to the separation and supply unit by the thickness of the fed sheet.
5 is required to control the transfer speed. If the transfer conveyor 85 sends the sheets 10 at a constant speed without looking at the thickness information,
In order to prevent over-pressing, the feeding speed of the thinnest paper sheet 10 must be standardized. Then, when thick papers are fed, useless time is generated for feeding for several seconds thereafter. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to increase the processing capacity of the machine, the thickness of the sheet immediately after being fed is detected, and the thickness information is reflected in the control of the transfer conveyor 85. I have.

However, according to this method, when the thickness measurement sensor 8 erroneously measures that a thin paper sheet is actually thick, it attempts to fill a large gap that does not actually exist.
The transfer conveyor 85 is operated at a high speed, and the paper sheets are pressed against the separation and supply unit with a large force, which causes a double feed. Therefore, in the structure of the present embodiment, the type is inferred from the length of the paper sheet obtained from the paper sheet length measuring sensor 9 immediately after being fed, and the validity of the type information and the thickness information is collated. If, for example, the thickness information of a postcard that is always a thin paper leaf is a large value, it is determined that the postcard is actually thin, and the erroneously measured thickness information is invalidated, and a value (for example, 0.2 mm) set in advance to the postcard is used. Since the thickness information is reflected in the control of the rewrite transfer conveyor 85, the sorting ability of the machine can be improved.

Therefore, in the paper sheet supply section 1 in the present embodiment, the paper sheets 10 bundled and stored in the stock section 12 are separated from the front plate means 28 and the push plate means 2.
6 and is automatically fed to the alignment transport unit 13, and the papers 10 are automatically supplied between the transport pins 106 b of the transport conveyor 85 by an appropriate thickness at the alignment transport unit 13. The sheet feeding operation from the stock unit 12 to the alignment transport unit 13 and the paper sheet 10
Can be automated for supplying the proper thickness by the appropriate amount.

[0052]

As described above, according to the present invention, the paper sheets bundled and stored in the stock unit are automatically sent to the alignment transport unit, and the alignment transport unit transfers the paper sheets. Since it is possible to automatically supply paper between the feed pins of the transfer conveyor by the appropriate thickness amount, the work of feeding paper from the stock unit to the alignment transport unit and the operation of feeding paper sheets to the alignment transport unit by the appropriate thickness amount Automation can be achieved. As a result, it is possible to provide a paper sheet transport apparatus having an excellent effect that the number of people can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a sheet conveying method and apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing an internal structure of a paper sheet supply unit according to the embodiment together with a transfer cart.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an internal structure of a paper sheet supply unit according to the embodiment together with a transfer cart.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an internal structure of a paper sheet supply unit in the present embodiment together with a transfer cart.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an internal structure of a paper sheet supply unit in the present embodiment together with a transfer cart.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing an internal structure of a paper sheet supply unit in the present embodiment together with a transfer cart.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lifter according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the lifter according to the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a main part structure on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a main part structure on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a structure of a main part of a front patching means in the present embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a structure of a main part of a push plate means in the present embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a main part structure on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a main part structure on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the principle of a positioning method according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a main part structure on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a structure of a main part on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a main part structure on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a main part structure on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a main part structure on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a structure of a main part on a lifting table according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a side view showing a structure of a main part on a lifting table according to the present embodiment;

FIG. 23 is a top view of the alignment transport unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the alignment transport unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a main structure of a positioning transport unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing the main structure of the alignment transport unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing a main structure of a positioning transport unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a side view showing the main structure of the alignment transport unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view showing a main structure of a positioning transport unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view showing the main structure of the alignment transport unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 31 is a side view showing the main structure of the alignment transport unit according to the embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a block diagram of a circuit configuration of the entire sheet supply unit according to the embodiment.

FIG. 33 is a perspective view showing a main structure of a lifter according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sheet supply part 2 Sheet sorting part 3 Transfer trolley 4 Sheet unreeling position 5 Sheet separation supply device 6 Sheet conveyance device 7 Separation supply belt 9 Sheet length measurement sensor 10 Sheet DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Transfer part 12 Stock part 13 Alignment conveyance part 14 Lifter 14A Elevating table 15a Bottom plate part 15b Guide wall part 17 Guide shaft 18 Driving ball screw 19 Lifter motor 20 Lifting table vibration imparting means 26 Pushing plate means 27 Pushing plate Driving means 28 Front-applying plate means 29 Front-applying-plate front-end arrival detecting sensor means 29a Front-end-arrival confirming detecting plate 30a Pushing-board-return detecting sensor means 30b Pushing-board-end-arrival detecting sensor means 31 Front-applied deadline detecting means 32 First transfer belt Means 33 Second transfer belt means 34 Pusher 37 Guide groove for front contact plate 38 Rear contact Guide groove 39 Slide plate 41 Front contact plate 42 Pull-out cylinder 43 Constant tension plate spring for pulling 45 Front contact plate return limit stopper 46 Front contact plate return prevention cylinder 48 Push plate 63 Encoder 63a Rotating plate 63b Slit 81 First rear end Reference positioning means 82 Floor positioning means 83 Second rear end reference positioning means 84 Subdivision mechanism 85 Transfer conveyor 89 Contact mechanism

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Akira Shimazaki 4-3-1 Tsunashima Higashi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd. No.3-1, Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 3F343 FA01 FB11 FC18 GA04 GB01 GC01 GD01 GE02 GE04 GE09 GE12 HD15

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A positioning device having a transfer conveyor for feeding a plurality of sheets bundled and stored in a stock section at feed-pins for conveying the sheets at substantially equal intervals in a running direction. A sheet which is automatically conveyed to a conveyance section, and is supplied by a predetermined thickness between the feed pins while dividing and subdividing the bundle of sheets just before the alignment conveyance section. Transport method. 2. A positioning apparatus comprising a transfer conveyor for feeding a plurality of sheets bundled and stored in a stock unit at a substantially equal interval in a running direction with feed pins for conveying the sheets. A conveying unit that automatically conveys the sheet bundle to a conveying unit; and a division feeding unit that supplies a predetermined thickness between the feed pins while dividing and subdividing the bundle of paper sheets immediately before the alignment conveyance unit. A paper sheet transport device, characterized in that: