JPH0632922Y2 - Collator - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the device] [Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a collating apparatus for automatically distributing and collating sheets supplied from a printing machine, a copying machine, a printer, a sheet stocker, or the like to a plurality of storage shelves.

[Prior art]

Conventionally, sheets supplied from a printing machine, a copying machine, a printer, a sheet stocker, or the like are distributed to each page by a plurality of storage shelves (hereinafter referred to as trays) by a collating device called a sorter, and are automatically sorted. Be matched. By the way, when trying to increase the number of trays due to circumstances such as the number of pages, a plurality of collating devices are connected in series, and the collating device in the middle has a collating function. It is also known to have a relay transfer function to a storage rack unit. In such a collating device, a relay transfer path is provided at the bottom of a storage rack unit that moves up and down, and this is integrated with the storage rack unit. Was moving up and down. However, when a plurality of collating devices are arranged in series in the collating device as described above, the paper exit of the collating device at the front stage and the paper receiving port of the collating device at the rear stage of each connecting portion, or the storage shelf unit. If you do not align the height of the paper with the height of the paper accurately, the paper may get caught in the relay transport path, that is, the paper exit of the collator at the front stage and the paper inlet of the collator at the rear stage, causing paper jams and other problems. Occurs. Therefore, in the past, the front collating device was positioned and fixed with a height-adjustable adjuster, etc., and then the latter collating device was butted against the former collating device, and the left and right legs of the latter collating device were equipped with screws. The height was adjusted by moving it up and down with an adjuster or the like.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, if the height and the like are to be adjusted by the above means, it is necessary to adjust the height and the like of at least the front left and right legs of the collating device at the rear stage, and the adjustment work is performed on the collating device at the front stage. The paper discharge port and the paper receiving port of the collating device in the subsequent stage must be positioned with extremely high precision, and a great deal of time is required for the adjustment. In addition, such an adjustment has to be performed on both sides of the collating device, which is very troublesome. If the positioning cannot be performed more accurately, there is a drawback that paper jams or the like occur at the connecting portion. Further, it is necessary to adjust not only the height but also the width direction, the front-rear relationship, and the like, which makes the work more troublesome. [Object of the Invention] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the related art, the present invention provides a method for connecting a plurality of collating devices in series in one plane.
Connect the front-stage collating device and the rear-stage collating device so that the insertion guide of the rear-stage collating device is placed on the bracket of the front-stage collating device. By using the fixing mechanism, it is possible to accurately align the height of the paper exit of the collator at the front stage with the paper inlet of the collator at the rear stage or the storage shelf unit at the connecting portion. An object of the present invention is to provide a collating device capable of performing a connecting work simply and quickly.

[Means for solving problems]

In other words, the collating device of the present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional example, so that in the collating device in which a plurality of units are connected in series in one plane, the collating device at the front stage and the collating device at the rear stage are combined. A positioning mechanism for connecting the device (1 ') is provided at the front portion of the rear collating device (123) and at the rear portion of the front collating device in correspondence with the insertion guide. A bottom plate portion (115) on which the guide is placed and a pair of side plate portions (11) that match different side surfaces of the insertion guide.
3) and a bracket (111), and the bottom plate portion of the bracket is provided with a mounting guide portion (133) which is expanded outward with respect to the insertion guide. Further, the bracket and the insertion guide can be easily fixed by a pin penetrating both.

【Example】

An embodiment of the collating device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. <Structure> In FIGS. 1 to 3, a collating device 1 having a control mechanism incorporated therein is provided with a driving device attached to a paper feeding device 3 including a printing machine, a copying machine, a printer, a stocker of paper, or the like. A plurality of (1 to n) movable units are continuously arranged through the connecting portion 5 formed of the endless belt. Reference numeral 7 denotes a fixed storage portion provided at the rearmost end of the plurality of collating devices 1. In addition, the sheet feeding device 3 is operated by the operator to set the collating device 1
A sort command and a relay conveyance command are transmitted in accordance with the pressed state of the sorting-related key on the display panel 8 provided on the display panel 8 and the connection state of the sheet feeding device 3 and the collating device 1 to the collating device 1. The sorting operation and the relay conveyance operation can be performed. The paper supply device 3 has an automatic document feeding (hereinafter referred to as ADF) function, and is capable of automatically making and printing a document set in the document tray 10. The collation device 1 is connected to the paper discharge port 21 of the paper supply device 3,
It has a sheet receiving port 23 having a sheet trailing edge detecting sensor 31 and a storage rack unit 11 having a plurality of trays 9 for sequentially storing the sheets from the sheet receiving port 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the storage rack unit 11 can smoothly slide up and down along slide rails (not shown) provided on the machine frame 13. Also machine frame 1
At the front end of 3, a timing belt 27 is stretched between a pair of pulleys 25, and the storage rack unit 11 is driven by a motor 28 provided in the machine frame 13 to move the timing belt 27 through a worm unit 29. By rotating it, it is possible to step up and down. Thirty
Is a fixing member for fixing the timing belt 27 to the storage rack unit 11. At the rear stage of the collating device 1, collating devices 1 '... Having a plurality of trays 9 similar to those of the collating device at the front stage are removably juxtaposed. Below the storage rack unit 11 of the collating apparatus 1, a relay conveying path 15 for conveying sheets to the second collating apparatus 1'is provided. The relay conveyance path 15 is swingably supported by the machine frame 13 on the side of the paper receiving port 23, and its tip end faces the operation position facing the paper discharging port 24 for discharging the paper and the moving area of the storage frame unit 11. It is possible to move between the retracted positions. The collating devices 1, 1 '... Are connected by a positioning mechanism 101 shown in FIGS. This positioning mechanism 101 includes at least a sheet discharge port 103 of the collating device 1 at the front stage and a sheet receiving port 105 of the collating device 1'at the rear stage, or a storage rack unit 11 at a connecting portion of the collating devices 1, 1 '... The heights of and are accurately aligned.
In this way, the machine frame 1 of each collating device 1, 1 '
The distance from the bottom surface of 3 to the paper outlet 24 of the front collating device 1 and the paper receiving port 23 of the rear collating device 1 ',
By aligning ‘′ , it is possible to smoothly feed the sheet to the collating device 1 ′ of the rear stage through the relay conveyance path 15 of the collating device 1 of the front stage. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a pair of brackets 111 having an L-shaped cross section are provided so as to project rearward on the rear bottom surface of the collating device 1 at the front stage. The pair of brackets 111 have side plate portions 113 facing each other,
They are attached to the rear bottom surface of the machine frame 13 of the collating device 1 at predetermined intervals. Bottom plate portion 1 of this bracket 111
One end in the length direction of 15 is raised to form a mounting portion 117 to the machine frame 13 and is fixed to the machine frame 13 by a mounting screw 119. On the other hand, below the front part of the collating device 1 ′ at the rear stage, a recess 12 for accommodating the side plate parts 113 of the pair of brackets 111
1 is formed, and the collating devices 1, 1 ′ are connected by placing the insertion guides 123 formed on the bottom of the collating device 1 ′ on both sides of the recess 121 on the bottom plate portion 115 of the bracket 111. It Reference numerals 131 and 133 denote attachment guide portions formed by bending the side plate portion 113 and the bottom plate portion 115 of the bracket 111 outward. When connecting the rear collating device 1 ′ to the front collating device 1, when the rear collating device 1 ′ is advanced toward the front collating device 1 side, the attachment guide parts 131, 133 are attached to the rear collating device 1 ′. The insertion guide 123 of the collating device 1'in the latter stage is guided.
Will be naturally placed on the bracket 111 of the collating device 1 in the preceding stage. The bracket 111 and the insertion guide 123, which are engaged in this way, are formed so as to communicate with each other through holes 135, 1
The pin 139 is inserted into 37 and fixed. In addition, when the rear insertion guide is placed on the front bracket, the front portion of the rear collating device 1 ′ is lifted up.
It is necessary to adjust the height of the lower part of the connecting portion of the collating device 1 and the collating device 1 '.

[Effects of the embodiment]

According to the embodiment described above, the rear collating device 1'is advanced toward the front collating device 1 side, and the bracket 1
Since the connection is completed simply by pushing the insertion guide 123 onto the connector 11, the connection work can be performed very easily. Moreover, at the same time when the insertion guide 123 is engaged on the bracket 111, the rear collating device 1'is automatically adjusted in the width direction and the front-rear relationship with the front collating device 1 without any fine adjustment work. Became. In addition, the bracket 111 is attached to the machine frame 1 of the collating device 1.
Since it is attached to No. 3 and the collating device 1'in the latter stage is placed and supported on it, there is no fear in terms of strength. Further, the bracket 111 and the insertion guide 123 are attached to the pin 1
Since it is fixed at 39, it can be fixed with one touch.

[Effect of device]

As described above, in the case where a plurality of collating devices are connected in series in one plane, as described above, the connection between the collating device at the front stage and the collating device at the rear stage is performed by the insertion guide of the collating device at the rear stage. Is mounted on the bracket of the collating device at the front stage, and further by a mechanism that is fixed by a single pin penetrating both, the collating device at the front stage supports the collating device at the rear stage. Since it is possible to connect, it is possible to accurately align the height of the paper exit of the former collating device and the paper inlet of the latter collating device, or the storage shelf unit at the connecting part. The troublesome connecting work and positioning of each collating device can now be performed extremely easily and highly accurately.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a state in which a plurality of collating devices are arranged in series,
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the collating device of the present invention,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a driving means of the storage rack unit, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a connected state, FIG. 5 is a plan view of an essential part of a connected portion, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view thereof. 1 ... Collation device, 3 ... Paper supply device 5 ... Connection part, 7 ... Fixed storage part 9 ... Tray, 11 ... Storage shelf unit 13 ... Machine frame, 15 ... Relay transport path 21 …… Paper outlet, 23 …… Paper inlet 101 …… Positioning mechanism 103 …… Paper outlet, 105 …… Paper inlet 111 …… Bracket, 113 …… Side plate part 115 …… Bottom plate part 117 …… Mounting Part 119 …… Mounting screw, 123 …… Insertion guide 139 …… Pin

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Misao Kobayashi 3167 Yamamiyacho, Kofu City, Yamanashi Japan Precision Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Toshihiro Kuboji 3167 Yamamiyacho, Kofu City, Yamanashi Nippon Precision Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hideo Yabe 3167 Yamamiya-cho, Kofu-shi, Yamanashi Japan Precision Engineering Co., Ltd. JP 62-222967 (JP, A) JP 57-57161 (JP, A) Actually opened 61-186816 (JP, U) Actually opened 63-104374 (JP, U)

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A collating device that is used by connecting a plurality of units in series in a single plane, and a positioning mechanism that couples a former collating device (1) with a latter collating device (1 '). An insertion guide (123) provided in the front part of the rear collating device, a bottom plate portion (115) corresponding to the insertion guide in the rear part of the front collating device, and mounting the insertion guide, and the insertion. A pair of side plate parts (11
3) A bracket (111) provided with a bracket (111), and the bottom plate portion of the bracket is provided with a mounting guide portion (133) that expands outward with respect to the insertion guide. 2. The insertion guide and the bracket are fixed by a pin (139) penetrating them.
The described collating device.