JP3636567B2 - Collating device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a collating apparatus in which a plurality of collating machines are arranged.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Some collating machines have bins arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction, for example, 10 stages, and transport means for transporting in the lateral direction, and sequentially take out and collate the sheets placed in each bin. In such a collating machine, since the height is limited, the number of bin stages is limited, and a plurality of collating machines are arranged as shown in FIG. Used in an array. In this figure, 1 is a collating machine, 2 is a bin attached to each collating machine, 3 is a paper bundle discharge port of each collating machine, 4 is a paper stacking table, and a paper bundle discharge port of each collating machine 3 are arranged in series with one direction.
[0003]
As shown in FIG. 5, each collator 1 is provided with a paper feed roller 5 at the tip of each bin 2, and is vertically driven and moved around both ends of the bins 2 arranged in the longitudinal direction at the tip. Conveying means composed of a roller 7 which is pressed and rotated toward the conveying belt 6 and the vertical conveying belt 6 is installed, and a guide plate 8 is formed below the conveying means. A motor M and a pulley are provided at the lower part of the guide plate 8 and the lower part of the lowermost bin 2 over the discharge port 3 and the end of the collator 1 on the opposite side facing the discharge port 3 (paper inlet). A conveying means comprising a horizontal (lateral direction) conveying belt 9 that rotates and moves through the apparatus 10 and a roller 13 that rotates by pressing toward the vertical conveying belt 9 side is installed.
[0004]
For example, the first page of paper P1 that collates with the lowermost bin of the collating machine 1 and the second page of paper P2 are sequentially placed on the upper stage, and in the illustrated example, the tenth page is placed in the uppermost bin. Paper is placed. Then, the vertical conveyance belt 6 is driven, and the paper feed rollers 5 of each stage are sequentially driven, and one sheet of paper placed in the bins of each stage is sent between the vertical conveyance belt 6 and the rollers 7. As a result, the next-stage paper P9 is sequentially stacked on the paper P10 in the uppermost bin, and the next-stage paper P8 is sequentially stacked on the paper P9, and the paper P1 in the lowermost bin is overlapped and collated. The sheet bundle (P1 to P10 in this case) is discharged between the horizontal conveyance belt 9 and the roller 13 through the guide plate 8 and sent to the discharge port 3.
[0005]
When a plurality of collating machines 1 are arranged as shown in FIG. 4, 30 pages from the 21st page of paper are placed in each bin 2 of the first collating machine 1 adjacent to the paper stacking table 4. The second sheet of the second collating machine 1 is loaded with the second sheet of paper, and the second sheet of the second collating machine 1 is loaded with the second sheet of paper from the 11th page to the 20th page. The first to tenth sheets are placed on each of the sheets.
[0006]
Then, the sheet bundle collated by the third collating machine 1 is sent onto the horizontal conveying belt 9 of the second collating machine 1 and merged with the sheet bundle collated by the second collating machine 1. Then, the sheet is fed onto the horizontal conveying belt 9 of the first collator 1, merged with the sheet bundle collated by the first collator 1, and sent to the sheet stacking table 4. As a result, a sheet bundle in which sheets of 1 to 30 pages are collated is placed on the sheet stacking table 4.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the collating apparatus in which a plurality of collating machines are arranged in this way, if the number of one book is 20 in the example shown in FIG. 4, for example, the third or first collating machine 1 is idled or stopped. In this case, one of the three units is wasted and the utilization efficiency of the collating apparatus is reduced. This decrease has a problem that the use efficiency decreases as the collating apparatus has a large number of collating machines arranged so as to correspond to the collation of a large number of sheets.
[0008]
This invention is made | formed in view of said actual condition, and makes it a subject to improve the utilization efficiency in the collation apparatus in which the several collation machine was arranged.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An object of the present invention is to have bins arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction and transport means for transporting in the horizontal direction, take out the paper placed on each stage of the bin, collate it, and discharge it to the transport means A switching device that switches the discharge direction of the sheets collated by each collating machine in the collating apparatus in which a plurality of collating machines are arranged and the sheets after collating discharged from each collating machine are sequentially stacked. A switching unit that switches a transfer direction of the transfer unit and a control unit that controls the switching gate and the switching unit of each collating machine in at least one of the plurality of arranged collating machines. This is achieved by using a collating apparatus characterized by the above.
[0010]
According to the above feature of the present invention, among a plurality of collating machines arranged by the control device, the switching gates for switching some of the collating machines and the switching means for switching the transport direction are operated to switch the collating machines. The sheet bundle collated by the machine can be conveyed in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle collated by some other collating machines where the switching gate and the switching means are not changed. It is possible to collate two volumes according to the number of sheets of the book, and the utilization efficiency of the collation apparatus can be improved.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of a collating apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a schematic side view showing an overall configuration of a collating apparatus as an example of an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a collating machine of the collating apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is another arrangement example. It is a perspective view. Note that the same reference numerals are given to the same portions and corresponding portions as those in FIGS.
[0012]
In FIG. 1, 21a is a collating machine positioned at the front end of the array, 21e is a collating machine positioned at the rear end of the array, and 21b to 21d are positioned at the rear end and the collating machine 21a positioned at the front end. A collating machine located between the collating machine 21e, a switching gate 23 for switching the paper discharge direction by a solenoid (not shown), 24 and 25 are control devices, and in the example shown, 8 in the vertical direction of 5 units. Collating machines 21a to 21e in which stage bins are arranged are arranged in series to constitute a collating apparatus, and paper stacking tables 4 are provided at both ends of the arrangement.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 24 provided in the collating machines 21a and 21e located at the front end and rear end of the array includes a motor M (switching means for switching the transport direction) that drives its own transport means. ) Rotation direction switching control signal and switching gate switching control signal for switching the discharge direction, as well as a setting signal for selecting and setting the other collated machines 21b to 21e or 21a to 21d A rotation direction switching control signal for the motor M of the collating machine and a switching control signal for the switching gate for switching the discharge direction are output from the line 26.
[0014]
The control device 24 controls its own collating operation, and also outputs a control signal for controlling the collating operation of other arranged collating machines. In addition, an operation unit that can be input from the outside is provided so that the arranged collator can be selected and set.
[0015]
The control device 25 provided in the collating machines 21b to 21d located between the collating machine 21a located at the front end and the collating machine 21e located at the rear end receives the signal transmitted from the line 26. The motor M drive direction switching control signal and the switching gate switching control signal for switching the discharge direction are switched according to the signal. To be output.
[0016]
The control device 25 receives a control signal for controlling the collating operation transmitted from the line 26, and can control the collating operation in accordance with the control signal.
[0017]
The collating apparatus in the illustrated example of FIG. 1 has two collating machine rows composed of a collating machine 21a and a next collating machine 21b located at the tip of the five according to a setting signal from the control device 24. And a collating device divided into three collating machine rows consisting of a collating machine 21c, a collating machine 21d, and a collating machine 21e. The sheet bundle collated by the machine 21b and the sheet bundle collated by the collator 21a located at the leading end of the array are merged to collate 16 sheets of one sheet, and collect the sheets at the leading edge. It is discharged to the base 4.
[0018]
In the other divided collator row, the sheet bundle collated by the collator 21d is merged with the sheet bundle collated by the collator 21c, and then the sheet collated by the collator 21e. The sheets are merged with each other, and 24 sheets of one sheet are collated and discharged to the sheet stacking table 4 at the rear end.
[0019]
As described above, the setting signal set in the control device 24 (which may be either the collating machine 21a or 21e or both of the collating machines) makes it possible for a plurality of collating machine trains to easily connect two collating machines at arbitrary positions. Since the sheet bundles of the two divided rows are conveyed in opposite directions to each other, they can be collated by both of the two divided rows.
[0020]
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the collating apparatus is configured by arranging a plurality of collating machines in series. However, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of collating machines may be arranged in parallel. Is possible. In this case, a conveyor 27 is disposed on the normal paper discharge port 3 side and the back side of each collating machine 21a to 21e (partially omitted in the figure) and discharged from each collating machine 21a to 21e. The sheet bundle 28 after collation is discharged to the conveyor 27 and collated by sequentially feeding and stacking. The control operation is the same as in the example of FIG. 1, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
[0021]
In the collating apparatus of the embodiment, five collating machines are arranged, and each of the collating machines located at both ends of the arrangement has a switching gate of another collating machine, a conveying direction switching means, etc. However, the number of collating machines to be arranged is arbitrary, and one controller may be provided in one collating machine.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the arrangement of a plurality of collating machines can be freely divided into an appropriate number of collating machines, and is divided according to the number of sheets of one book. This makes it possible to effectively use both of the collating machines. In addition, when the number of sheets for one book is smaller than the number of sheets collated by the half-divided collating machine, the number of sheets can be changed by using the collating machines of the half-divided arrangement. There is no need to stop collating during the setting, and the efficiency of collating work is increased.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an overall configuration of an example collating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the collating machine of the collating apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an arrangement example of a collating machine of another example of the embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an overall configuration of a conventional collating apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a conventional collating machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Bin of collator 3 Paper discharge port 4 Paper stack 5 Paper feed roller 6 Vertical transport belt 7, 13 Roller 9 Horizontal (transverse) transport belt 10, 11, 12 Pulley 21a-21e Collator 23 Switching Gates 24 and 25 Control device 26 Signal transmission line 27 Conveyor M Motor (conveyance direction switching means)
Pn paper

Claims (1)

A collating machine having bins arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction and conveying means for conveying in the horizontal direction, taking out and collating sheets placed on each stage of the bin, and discharging them to the conveying means In the collating apparatus in which the sheets after collation discharged from each collating machine are sequentially stacked, a switching gate for switching the discharge direction of the sheets collated by each collating machine and the conveying means Switching means for switching the conveying direction, and at least one of the plurality of arranged collating machines is provided with a control device for controlling the switching gate and the switching means of each collating machine. Collating device to do.

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