JP2540684Y2 - Sheet receiving device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet receiving apparatus in which sheets are continuously supplied to a receiving apparatus from a source such as a printer or a copying machine.
When transported to the entrance end of a tray between opposing transport rolls that define a continuous linear sheet path through the tray, a plurality of trays receiving sheets in a continuous or selected order may be used. It is prepared. The selected pressure roll or nip roll interrupts the linear sheet path from a position relative to the supply roll forming a linear path through the tray and changes the direction of sheet movement in which the roll directs the sheet into the tray. The roll is driven to a position relative to an adjacent supply roll so as to form a positioned nip of the roll.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the prior art, sheets are collated or sorted where the sheets are supplied from a source such as a printer or copier, and the sheets are selectively or continuously collated from the sheet source. There are a number of machines that are transported to trays that are adapted to receive a combined or sorted set or order. Some machines of such collating or sorting machines are provided with a sheet conveying device for conveying a sheet to a tray of a receiving device. To deflect the sheet into the tray once excited to the sheet deflection position. For an example of such a collator or classifier, see February 10, 1976.
Applicant's earlier U.S. Pat.
37,459.

No. 3,414,254 to Snellman, granted on Dec. 3, 1968, and US Pat.
No. 4,216,955, issued Aug. 12, 1980 to Alvet et al., From a path extending through the inlet end of the tray into a continuous tray. A transfer deflecting device for turning the sheet is also employed.

[0004] Wetworth US Pat. No. 2,328,
It is also known to index mobile transport through spaced trays to feed sheets into the trays, as shown in U.S. Pat.

[0005]

In such prior art devices, the sheet is typically trayed by either the deflection of the sheet itself or the beam intensity of the sheet, and in some cases by the speed of the sheet. Complex transport belt systems have been employed to transport the sheets to the point where they are fed.

In devices such as Rable and Arvet, a belt-type transfer device deflects a sheet from a linear state toward an entrance to the tray by a moving device that forms a supply path for dividing the sheet into the tray by a belt. And is reliably driven into the tray.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a novel sheet transport and sorting structure is created, thus combining certain features of the prior art so that sheets can be driven into a selected or continuous tray. And simplification, in which the apparatus directs the sheet at an angle of about 90 ° by a supply roll facing at a selected nip point from a linear path extending through the tray into the tray. It is quickly operable to provide random access to the tray by use of a novel deflecting device that provides a selective nip point between opposing rollers to deflect.

A modular structure is provided which allows any number of drive rolls and sorting devices to be easily installed at any height within the housing. Each supply roll unit is provided with a drive adapted to cooperate with the drives of the other supply roll units during assembly into the housing.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As can be seen from the drawings, a sheet receiving device S is arranged to receive sheets conveyed from a supply source. For purposes of illustration, another source is shown in dashed lines in FIG. On the left side of the sheet receiving device S, there is shown a copying machine or a copying machine C having an exit feeding roll 10 for directing a sheet to the sheet receiving device S as indicated by an arrow. Another source of sheets is indicated by dashed lines on the right side of the sheet receiving device and is referred to herein as a printer P with an exit feed roll device 11.

The sheet receiving apparatus S is provided with a plurality of sheet receiving trays 12, in which the sheets are directed by a sheet sorting apparatus D, where the sheets are supplied to the sheet receiving apparatus S and the sheet feeding apparatus including the sorting apparatus. It is moved through the transport system T.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a feed system T comprises a set of assemblies of drive rolls 13, which are horizontally extending and vertically spaced supply rolls in this embodiment. And the periphery of the drive roll is on a common vertical plane. The drive roll 13 faces a number of vertically and horizontally spaced nip rolls 14, except for the top one of the nip rolls, which normally faces the drive roll and the pressure applied by the sheet to the drive roll. It has an outer peripheral edge vertically aligned on the same vertical plane as the drive roll 13 to impart to the sheet as it moves between the nip rolls. The nip roll 14 is included in the sheet sorting device D. With the exception of the uppermost sheet sorting device, each sheet sorting device D includes a number of horizontally spaced lever arms 15 each mounted on a horizontally extending pivot 16. The swing axis may be a selected or individual sheet receiving tray 1 as described hereinafter.
2 is adapted to be moved angularly to distribute the sheets into the two. The outer end of each lever arm 15 is provided with a pivot arm 17 in which the nip roll 14 is rotatably supported. A suitable spring, such as a leaf spring 18 disposed, is in the illustrated embodiment between the pivot axis 16 and the nip roll support axis 19 and normally biases the pivot arm 17 toward the drive roll 13; As will be described later, the swing shaft 16 is
To cause a change in the angular relationship between the axis of the nip roll and the axis of the drive roll from the normal horizontal alignment shown in FIG. 3, thus displacing the nip point. I can do it.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the receiving device receives a continuous sheet supplied from copier C and applies the sheet upward to engage between the lowermost drive roll and the nip roll. An entrance guide structure 20 adapted for pointing is included. In an alternative embodiment, the structure is configured such that a second guide structure 21 is provided for receiving the sheet from the printer P to direct the sheet to the lowermost nip roll and the supply roll. The sheets engaged between the lowermost nip roll and the supply roll are not directed to the uppermost sorter, except for the uppermost sorter, when the sheet sorter D is in the normal undeflected position of FIG. Sheet receiving tray 12 in a straight path except for
Transported through all. Uppermost drive roll 1
In FIG. 3, since the uppermost sheet sorting device is installed on the stationary shaft 22, the uppermost nip roll is always biased toward the uppermost drive roll, and the movement of the sheet is shifted from the linear vertical path to the horizontal path. Again, thus deflecting the sheet into the uppermost sheet receiving tray. As a result, if the receiving device is employed in combination with copier C and the sheet receiving device is operating in the non-sorting mode, each successive sheet will be fed from entrance guide structure 20 to sheet receiving tray 1.
2, and all the sheets are stacked in the tray.

[0013] If in the classification mode of operation, the classification operation is Ru conducted downward into the lowermost tray from the uppermost tray
In the sheet sorting apparatus Ru is continuously pumped as is described hereinafter. That sorter is facing moves downward as the second nip roll 14 from the uppermost sorting device is swung in the clockwise direction seen in FIG. 4 from the uppermost driving roll 13 and the second driving roll Driving relationship
It is displaced to become a deflected position, where the next sheet coming moved upward by the conveying device is deflected into a substantially horizontal path from a vertical path, to the second tray from the uppermost tray
Is transferred . The same sequence of operations will cause subsequent sheets to be continuously fed into the series of lower trays as the successive lower sorters are energized.

In the alternative, if sheets are being fed from the printer P to the second guiding structure 21, the sheets are also fed upward in a straight path between the continuous drive roll and the nip roll. However, as described later, under these conditions, the swing shaft 16 is
Selectively and / or by actuation of a solenoid 38 connected to
Or, it is excited randomly and the sheets are fed into any selected sheet receiving tray 12. From the same idea, the second guide structure 21 with the printed matter on the upper surface
Incoming sheets enter the tray face down as is suitable for printers that can feed printed side up starting with the first sheet and ending with the last page of the set of printed pages. It will be observed that the sheets are inverted as they exit the individual sorters.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 7, in a preferred embodiment, the drive roll 13 comprises a laterally extending driven shaft 23.
It is preferably constructed of a resilient material mounted thereon and preferably enhancing the frictional engagement of the sheet between the drive roll and the nip roll. Also, a number of cylindrical members 24 are installed on the driven shaft 23 between the driving rolls, and the cylindrical members substantially bridge the gap between the driving rolls,
Thus, the sheet is restricted to a vertical path, preventing the sheet from sagging between the drive rolls. Although the drive roll 23 and the cylindrical member 24 are shown as separate elements on the driven shaft 23, these elements can be formed of the same material and provided on the driven shaft 23. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the right end of each driven shaft 23 extends through the installation block 25, and the installation block 25 is provided with a flange 26, and the flange 26 extends vertically. It is mounted and supported by fitting into an extended groove in the extrusion housing 27. As best understood from FIG.
Each mounting block 25 houses a driven shaft 23 and also supports a shaft 28 rotatably supporting a play wheel 29 meshing with a drive gear 30 on the driven shaft 23. Thus, any suitable number of shafts and assemblies of mounting blocks 25 can be utilized in the housing extrusion at the selected height, and the idler and drive gear engage during assembly.

On the left side of the receiving device, the driven shaft 23 is rotatably supported in an end block 31, which is provided with a flange 32 and a housing extrusion 33 in which a vertically extending groove is provided. Is provided, and mounting and support of the driven shaft is performed by fitting the flange into the groove.

A device is provided for swinging the individual swing shafts 16 from the uppermost deflection device shown in FIG. 4 in a direction opposite to the respective position shown by the second deflection device and the third deflection device. It is. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the right end of the pivot axis is supported in a support block 34 having a flange 35 adapted to engage in a mating slot in a vertically extending extrusion 36. . In the push-out section 36, the swing shaft 16 is cranked by a solenoid 38 adapted to be excited to move the swing shaft from the normal position of the sheet sorting device D to an operating position to sort the sheets into the tray. -The arm 37 is provided. Of course, it will be appreciated that each swing shaft 16 is provided with a separate solenoid 38. As can be seen from FIG. 7, on the other side of the receiving device each rocking shaft has another support block with a flange 40 on the left side of the individual rocking shaft that engages a mating groove in another push-out 41. 39 extends through. In addition, in the push-out section 41, each swing shaft 16 has a fixed disk structure 42 having pins 43. Notch 4
The extended excitation member 44 with the five
The pins 43 of each disk structure extending vertically through are provided in the notches 45. At its upper end, the exciter member 44 is connected to a solenoid 46, and thus the retreat of the solenoid armature causes the individual pins of each swing axis to be excited in a direction to deflect the sheet from its normal position, as described above. The excitation member is engaged with 43. This excitation structure causes the receiving device to excite one selected pivot axis, followed by the excitation of any upper pivot axis, and then to retreat the deflecting device and move the sheet to the upper tray. Depending on the sequence of operation, including the operation of the solenoid 46 to allow
Random insertion of sheets into the selected tray becomes possible. In addition, a separate solenoid 38 is provided for each swing shaft 16, and each sorting device D is separately driven by the separate solenoid 38 so as to move to the operating position. On the other hand, the number of the solenoids 46 is one, and when the solenoids 46 are excited, the excitation members 44
It acts on all the pivot shafts 16 except the uppermost through the notch 45, the pin 43, and the disk structure 42 of each sorting device, and returns the sorting device moved to the operating position to the normal position.

In connection with the action of the above-mentioned swinging shaft, the sorting device is shifted from a normal position facing one drive roll 13 to a position where the nip roll 14 is engaged with the next lower drive roll. If the leaf spring 18 maintains continuous pressure engagement between the drive roll and the nip roll, the nip roll moves down the periphery of the upper supply roll until it also engages the lower drive roll. It will be noted that it moves. At this point, the force of leaf spring 18 typically tends to hold the nip roll between its adjacent drive rolls.

[0019]

[Effects of the Invention] From the contents described above, the sheet feeding and sorting structure of the present invention is extremely simple, so that the use of the endless belt and the moving nip point is omitted, but the sheet is always substantially the sheet. It will be appreciated that there is a secure engagement between the supply roll and the nip roll until it is placed in the tray. There must be no device for stretching or deflecting the belt, and no other device is required to maintain the friction drive between the sheet supply members. This structure is well suited for continuous top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top excitation of the sorter as in typical set and sheet sorting or collating. In addition, this arrangement is also well-suited for random excitation of the sorting device so that the device functions as an eye catcher that can direct the desired number of sheets to the selected tray.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a sheet receiving device according to the present invention, in which two feeding devices are indicated by broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the sheet receiving device shown on an enlarged scale along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial detailed view showing the sorting device moved to a position where a sheet is directed into a selected tray.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial horizontal sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2 showing an excitation device for shifting a selected sorting device to a sheet sorting position.

FIG. 6 is a partial vertical sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 showing the sheet supply driving device.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 2 showing the retreating device of the sorting device.

FIG. 8 is a vertical partial sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 11 Outlet feeding roll device 12 Sheet receiving tray 13 Drive roll 14 Nip roll 15 Lever arm 16 Swing axis 17 Pivoting arm C Copier D Sheet sorting device P Printer S Sheet receiving device T Feeding system

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A sheet receiving apparatus, comprising: a frame structure; a plurality of trays vertically spaced to receive sheets; and sheets spaced from an inlet in a vertical direction of the trays. A sheet conveying device in the frame structure that conveys the sheet along a straight path through the end portion, wherein the conveying device includes a driven sheet supply roll adjacent to each tray and a nip roll opposed to the supply roll. A common surface comprising a plurality of pairs of sheet sorting devices provided, the supply roll and the nip roll extending between the supply roll and the nip roll and defining the linear path for conveying a sheet in a straight line. The nip roll is biased toward the next adjacent tray than the non-deflected position and the common plane and is located in the next adjacent pair. The sheet is moved between a deflecting position facing the supply roll and thus sandwiched between the nip roll at the deflecting position and the next adjacent pair of supply rolls facing the nip roll. A sheet exciting device for exciting the sorting device so as to change the conveying direction of the sheet from the linear path to the direction of the next adjacent tray. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distributing device is a lever, an arm pivotally mounted on the lever, a nip roll on the arm, a device for resiliently moving the arm toward a supply roll, and the lever and nip roll. 2. The sheet receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an excitation device that moves the sheet so as to be able to freely move toward and away from the position with respect to a next adjacent supply roll. 3. The sheet receiving device according to claim 2, wherein said excitation device includes a plurality of solenoids selectively operable to move said sorting device between said two positions.