JPS6019641A - Sheet collection tray device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make each sheet going to be discharged and accumulated in regular sequence inside a tray true up at least its corresponding rectangular two sides themselves so accurately each other, by installing each of sheet adjusting squares which are set up at right angles with each other and stick buffer members together on at least one side of their inner surfaces. CONSTITUTION:Sheets P discharged and dropped plumb down to the inside of a tray 4 are naturally slipped down and shifted forward with dead load along a compound tilt comprising a front-up tilt of the tray or a rear-down tilt conversely speaking, and a right-down tilt in a direction A toward a rear side right corner angular part of the tray 4. At a sliding down process in the A direction of these sheets P, first the right side PR of each sheet P collides with the inner surface of a tray right side plate 6 or one side of sheet adjusting squares and receives its positioning requlation. Then, the sheet P'' is slipped down and shifted forward along the said right side plate 6 in a direction B toward a tray rear side plate 5 or the other side adjusting square, and the backside PB of the sheet collides with the inner surface of the tray rear side plate 5 and receives its positioning regulation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is applicable to image forming devices such as copying machines, printing devices, simple printing machines, and other devices that output sheets one after another (cut sheet paper, cards, thin sheets, etc.). The present invention relates to a sheet collection tray device for stacking and receiving output sheets.

This type of sheet collecting tray device collects each sheet sequentially discharged and accumulated in the tray at least at its corresponding right angle.
It is desirable to have a sheet alignment function for receiving the edges in proper alignment with each other. If it has a sheet alignment function, for example, if the sheet output device is a copying machine and the sheets piled up on the collection tray are multiple pages 1
When a stack of copy sheets is taken out from the tray and then subjected to batch stapling, punching, etc., each sheet in the stack of sheets taken out from the tray has already been aligned. Processing such as batch stapling can be performed immediately from the sheet, and when the sheets overlap unevenly, the troublesome preliminary work of aligning each sheet is eliminated, improving efficiency. Particularly when there are a large number of sheets, alignment work is time-consuming.

Further, the sheet collecting tray device itself is provided with a bookbinding mechanism such as a stapling mechanism, a gluing mechanism, etc. for aligned sheet bundles, and other post-processing mechanisms to provide bookbinding functions and other post-processing functions. It also becomes possible.

Conventionally, the following several means systems are known as sheet aligning means in a sheet collection tray.

a. Alignment by Vibration While conveying the sheet into the tray, the tray is slightly vibrated, and the vibration moves the sheet closer to the sheet alignment ruler and the two right-angled side plates of the tray in the groove for alignment.

However, adding a vibration mechanism to vibrate the tray complicates the device, increases its size, and increases cost, and it is difficult to set an appropriate vibration amplitude and frequency. There are many problems such as the generation of abnormal noise due to vibration and the adverse effects of vibration propagation to the sheet output device side (for example, when the sheet output device is an image forming device, the quality of the formed image deteriorates due to the influence of vibration). It is inappropriate as a sheet collection tray device for an image forming apparatus such as a machine.

b. Alignment Seat by Drive Belt One side plate of the two right-angled side plates of the tray as a ruler is a rotating belt, and one of the two right-angled sides of the sheet is brought into contact with the rotating belt side plate, and the sheet is placed on the other side. Align by moving it toward the side plate.

However, with the addition of a rotating belt mechanism, the device becomes complicated and
There are problems such as increased size and cost, difficulty in selecting appropriate materials that take into account the friction coefficient of the belt, and deterioration of the belt over time.

C. Alignment with paddle A rotary body (paddle) consisting of flexible blades made of friction material such as rubber sheet pieces attached radially into the tray #J [Rotate the blades in contact with the surface of the piled sheet. As a result, the sheets are moved toward the two right-angled side plates of the sheet alignment ruler to perform alignment.

However, this also has problems, such as the addition of a paddle mechanism, which makes the device complicated, increases the size of the device, and increases cost, and the blades produce a sound of hitting the upper surface of the sheet.

d. Arranging the aligning tray using the inclined tray in an inclined position with respect to the sheet discharge opening portion of the tray in a forward direction or downward direction, and downward to the left or downward to the right with respect to the lateral direction of the tray, and discharge the sheet into the tray. The sheet is slid down the tray by its own weight due to the tilted position of the tray, and the sheet is moved at a right angle 2 on the sliding side.
Alignment is performed by having two right-angled side plates serving as sheet alignment rulers whose sides are disposed on the sheet sliding side of the tray hold the respective receivers.

Since this alignment method only requires placing the tray in an inclined position at an appropriate angle, it is possible to construct a simple, noiseless, compact, and low-cost sheet collection tray device with a sheet alignment function, making it practical. It is.

The present invention relates to an improvement of a sheet collecting tray device equipped with a sheet alignment function using the tilted tray method described in item -F, particularly item d.

The sheet collecting tray device will now be explained in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. l-1 guides a sheet P output from a sheet output device (not shown) toward a nip portion of a sheet discharge pinch roller portion 2-3, which is a sheet discharge port portion.
- The lower pair of sheet guide plates 4 are sheets; - An inclined sheet collection tray that receives the sheets sent out from the initial pinch roller sections 2 and 3.

In this example, the sheet discharge pinch rollers 2 and 3 are the lower roller 2.
is a driving roller, and the upper roller 3 is a driven roller. The individual installation is supported, and the driven roller 3
The rollers are disposed with their lower surfaces pressed into contact with the upper surfaces of the three drive rollers 2, respectively. That is, each driven roller 3 has its base supported by a bearing so that it can rotate freely on the tip side of a support arm 10 made of a spring plate fixed to a horizontal stay 9 with a screw 11, etc., and is supported by a downward biasing force of the spring plate support arm 10. The lower surface of the driven roller 3 is constantly pressed against the upper surface of the corresponding driving roller 2.

In this example, the tray 4 is of a front-up type, and the rear end side of the tray is positioned below the pinch rollers 2 and 3, which are sheet discharge ports, and is tilted forward toward the front of the sheet discharge port.
(FIG. 2) and in the tray width direction, in this example, the tray is arranged in an attitude downwardly inclined β (FIG. 3) to the right when viewed from the front end side of the tray. - The inclination angle α and the lateral inclination angle β are set, for example, in the range of 23 to 26° and 6 to 10°, respectively.

Reference numerals 5 and 6 indicate a right angle 2 as a sheet alignment ruler, which is formed by bending the rear side of the tray 4, which is the lower inclined side, and the right side of the tray upward at right angles to the tray surface, respectively, or by constructing it as a separate member.
This is the side plate.

The output sheet P from the sheet output device passes through the gap passage between the upper and lower guide plates 1 and 1, is caught in the nip portion of the sheet discharge pinch rollers 2 and 3, and is discharged into the tray 4.

In this example, sheets of various sizes are discharged from the sheet output device side to the tray 4 using one-sided reference transport (with the dashed line R-R (Figures 1 and 4) near the right side of the tray as the reference line.
The sheet shall be conveyed based on the right side of the sheet). 21b・
21c indicates the left and right side plates of the chassis of the device.

The first appearance of the sheet P on the tray 4 and the alignment of the sheets within the tray are performed in the following process.

1) When the sheet (P), which has started to be fed out to the tray 4 side by the pinch rollers 2 and 3, is fed out a certain length, the fed out sheet part resists the strength of the waist due to its own weight and reaches the position shown by the solid line in Figure 2. Since the tray 4 is tilted downward to the right, the left corner P of the leading edge of the downwardly curved sheet portion first appears on the tray 4 surface (or has already entered the tray for the first time). (top surface of the sheet). At this time, the sheet approach angle θ to the I-ray plane is an acute angle.

2) Next, as the sheet P is sent out to the tray 4 side by the pinch rollers 2 and 3, the leading edge of the sheet smoothly moves along the front upward slope of the tray 4 toward the leading edge of the tray due to the sheet feeding force. The sheet P moves upward and slides, and the feeding of the sheet P into the tray progresses.

3) Then, the rear end of sea 1-p is the pinch roller 2.
- When the sheet P passes through the nip section 3 and is cut, the entire sheet P falls into the tray 4 and becomes discharged (solid line in Fig. 4).

4) The sheet P discharged into the tray 4 then moves along the front upward slope of the tray, or conversely, on the combined slope of the rear downward slope and the right downward slope, toward the rear right corner of the tray 4. A
(Figure 4) It slides down naturally under its own weight.

5) In the process of sliding down the sheet P in the direction A, in this example, the right side PR of the sheet P first hits the inner surface of the tray right side plate 6, which is one of the sheet alignment square rulers, and is restricted in position. state shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 1).

6.) Next, the sheet P slides down along the right side plate 6 in the direction B toward the tray rear side plate 5, which is the other alignment ruler, and the rear side Pa of the sheet hits the inner surface of the tray rear side plate 5. The position is restricted (state P shown by three dotted lines in the figure).

7) In other words, the sheet (P) discharged into the tray 1 is finally received by the right side RR and the rear side PB, which are two right-angled sides on the sliding down side, on the inner surfaces of the right side plate 6 and the rear side plate 5, which are alignment rulers, and are at right angles to each other. It is placed in the tray 4 in the positioning state.

In this way, the sheets that are subsequently discharged into the tray 4 one after another are individually aligned based on the inclination of the tray 4, as in the case of 11=, and are placed on top of the sheet that was previously discharged into the tray and aligned. They overlap one after another and are deposited coherently.

The present invention provides a sheet collecting tray device using an inclined tray method, in which a sheet ejected into an inclined tray slides down the slope of the tray and hits the alignment ruler side plate, and the sheet is prevented from colliding with the side plate of the alignment ruler. The purpose is to prevent bounce phenomenon and ensure sheet alignment.
A cushioning material is attached to the inner surface of at least one of the two right-angled side plates 5 and 6 for the sheet alignment ruler, or the side plates are made of a cushioning material.

In this example, as described above, the right side PR of the sheet P discharged into the tray 4 and then sliding down the slope of the tray hits the alignment ruler side plate 6 on the right side of the tray, and its position is regulated (see Fig. 4, 2). Then, the sheet slides down along the side plate 6 in the direction B of the tray rear side plate 5, which is the other alignment ruler, so that the rear side PB of the sheet moves along the side plate 5.
Since this is a sheet movement mode in which the sheets are aligned under positional control (state P shown by the three-dot chain line in the same figure), the right side plate 6 of the tray
For the rear side plate 5 of the tray, a cushioning material 5a such as a urethane foam sheet or Seagull Suede (trade name) is pasted on the inner surface, so that the surface is made of a material with a small coefficient of friction such as a metal surface or a resin surface. This is to reduce the shock.

As mentioned above, the tray 4 is tilted upward in the front with respect to the sheet discharge ports 2 and 3, and is also tilted downward to the right. Differential head pressure between the left side of the tray! ! IIJjt (FIG. 3), the fall distance QR between the sheet exit right end side and the tray right side on the opposite side is larger. Therefore, the sheets (P) sent out from the sheet discharge ports 2 and 3 to the tray 4 may have weakened stiffness due to high temperature and high humidity environments, or the sheets P may have weak stiffness to begin with. In this case, when the sheet P is fed a certain length from the sheet discharge ports 2 and 3 toward the tray 4 side, the degree of downward curvature of that sheet portion becomes large, and the sheet leading edge left corner P1 The side has a head pressure of 7 with the tray.
Since 41LL is relatively small, even if it enters at an acute angle to the 4th surface of the tray, the head distance between the sheet tip side cloth corner P2 side and the l-ray is large, so the line shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 2 It is easy to cause a state in which the tray enters at an obtuse angle θ' or an angle close to 90' with respect to the tray 4 surface as shown in FIG.

In such a case, the leading edge of the sheet in contact with the tray 4 surface does not continue to slide along the front upward slope of the tray 4 in the direction of the leading edge of the tray A, and as a result, the sheet P is turned upside down and transferred to the tray. 4.

Such sheet reversal and ejection troubles can also occur in a tray device in which the tray 4 is tilted forward and downward.

Therefore, in this example device, in order to eliminate the sheet reversal discharge trouble caused by the above-mentioned causes, a sheet is placed at the sheet exit section of the sheet discharge port section for the tray, so that the sheet sent out from the sheet exit toward the tray is A member is provided for upwardly warping the side of the sheet corresponding to the lower side of the tray's lateral direction inclination.

In FIG. 1-305, reference numeral 11 indicates a roller provided as the sheet warping member. This roller 11 is attached along the shaft 8 with snap rings 12 (FIG. 5) on the sheet conveyance reference line RR and the pinch roller drive shaft 8 between the sheet discharge pinch rollers 2 and 3 closest to the reference line. It is fitted so as to restrict displacement and to freely rotate around the shaft 8, and its outer diameter is appropriately larger than the outer diameter of the drive roller 2 of the pinch rollers 2 and 3. The roller 11 may be rotatably mounted on the shaft 8 via a bearing.

The sheet side side of the sheet P sent out from the sheet outlet of the sheet discharge port to the tray 4 corresponding to the lower side of the tray lateral direction inclination, in this example, the right side of the sheet, is the roller 11.
It passes over the roller 11 correspondingly. As mentioned above, the roller 11 has a suitably larger diameter than the diameter of the drive roller 2 of the sheet discharge pin 2 and the pinch roller, so due to the difference in diameter, the left side of the sheet P is the roller 1.
In the process of passing over the roller 11, the sheet resists the elasticity within the elastic range of the sheet and is warped upward as shown by Pc in FIG. 305 before passing through the roller 11 portion.

Based on the rib-like effect caused by the upward warp Pc at the roller 11 portion of the sheet, even if the sheet P has weakened due to moisture absorption, or is originally weak, the sea 1-P is the seat exit. The large downward curvature of the sheet portion when the sheet is fed out a certain length from the sheet to the tray 4 side is alleviated, and the sheet approach angle θ with respect to the tray 4 surface is ensured at an acute angle over the entire length of the sheet leading edge. This makes it possible to eliminate the sheet reversal and ejection trouble as described above.

Figure 6 shows another example, in which the right corner of the leading end side of the sheet guide plate 1Φ1 is curved upward to create a warp 1.
′・1′ is given, and the warp of this guide plate is 1′・1
' causes the sheet to warp Pc as in the case of roller 11 above.
is given.

In addition, the side edges of the sheet are placed in contact with the ruler to reduce the impact of contact, and to prevent the corners of the sheet from bending or crushing due to the corners of the sheet hitting the ruler first. It is desirable that it be received in parallel contact with the . Therefore, in relation to the position of the sheet in the tray at the time when the trailing edge of the sheet fed into the tray from the sheet ejection port passes through the sheet ejection port and the entire sheet is ejected and falls into the tray. It is preferable that sheet alignment rulers are disposed substantially parallel to two right-angled sides of the sheet on the sliding down side in the tray, respectively for receiving and stopping the sheet sides.

In this example, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the alignment ruler side plate 6 on the right side of the tray that aligns the right side PR of the discharged sheets in the tray is set in the sheet conveyance direction by the sheet discharge pinch rollers 2 and 3, that is, the sheet one side conveyance reference line R- The other side plate 5 is disposed at right angles to the side plate 6.

That is, the rear side PB of the sheet P sent out from the sheet discharge port into the tray 4 is connected to the sheet discharge pinch rollers 2 and 3.
Until the sheet passes through the sheet, the sheet is conveyed in a state in which its right side PR substantially coincides with the sheet one-side conveyance reference line R-H on a plane (
Figure 4 (1-dot chain line 'state'). However, the rear side of the sheet F
When B passes through the pinch rollers 2 and 3 and the rear side of the sheet falls onto the tray 4, the tray 4 is tilted forward at an angle α.
Since the sheet is tilted downward at an angle β to the right, the sheet falls onto tray L while rotating around the left corner P1 of the leading edge of the sheet, which is already in contact with the tray surface.
The posture of the sheet P in the tray at the time when it has finished falling into the tray is such that the right side PR of the sheet is inclined by an angle γ with respect to the sheet one-side conveyance reference line RH, as shown by the solid line in FIG.

The angle γ is actually the inclination angle α of the tray 4 = 23 to 26 degrees
, β=6 to 10', and when the falling distance of the right corner of the rear side of the sheet from the sheet discharge port was 75 mm, it was within 5 degrees. Therefore, in this example, regarding the angle γ, the alignment ruler side plate 6 on the right side of the tray is tilted in advance with respect to the sheet one-side conveyance reference [R-H], and the right side PR of the sheet is fully parallel to the side plate 6. 5. Made it possible to contact the lengths at the same time. Regarding the trailing side P of the sheet, after the right side PR of the sheet is regulated in position by the side plate 6, the sheet (P) slides down along the side plate 6 in the direction B, thereby contacting the side plate 5 in a parallel state. do.

In addition, when sheets of various sizes are discharged to the tray 4 by one-sided standard conveyance with the right or left side of the sheet as a reference, the horizontal slope of the tray 4 is such that the side of the sheet conveyance reference line is lower. It is better to use a slope.

In this example, the inclination of the tray 4 in the lateral direction is such that the side of the sheet conveyance reference line RR is lower. By doing this, even if the size of the sheet discharged to the tray 4 is different from size to size, the two right-angled sides PRIIPB on the tray sliding side of the sheet immediately after being discharged and dropped to the tray 4.
The distance between this and the two right-angled side plates 6 and 5, which serve as sheet alignment rulers arranged on the sheet sliding side of the tray, is always approximately constant, and the sliding path and manner of the sheet after it has been discharged and dropped onto the tray 4, and the alignment is completed. The time is approximately the same for sheets of various sizes, and stable sheet alignment can be performed.

Also, the angle formed by the two right-angled side plates 5 and 6 as a sheet alignment ruler is 88 to 89 degrees, which is slightly smaller than setting it to exactly 90 degrees.
It was confirmed that when the setting is set to , the trailing edge PH of the sheet P does not shift after hitting the side plate 5, and better alignment can be obtained.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an example of a sheet collection tray device installed in a sheet output device, and the device of this example also has a bookbinding function using stapling. Furthermore, the first
The same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the apparatus explained in FIGS.

Reference numeral 20 denotes the general code of the sheet collecting tray device of this example, 40 a sheet output device such as a copying machine, and 50 a pedestal on which the sheet output device is installed.

The sheet collecting tray device 20 mainly includes a vertical back plate 21a, which includes left and right side plates 21b and 21c, a front protruding arm portion 21d,
A chassis 21 equipped with a shelf 21e, etc., includes a sheet guide plate 1 in FIGS. 1 to 6, a sheet discharge pinch roller 2113, a sheet collection tray device 4, and two right-angled side plates 5 and 5 as sheet alignment rulers. 6 (constructed separately from the tray 4), and a stapling mechanism 13 and the like are assembled.

Sheet collection tray device 20 for sheet output device 40
In the case of this example device, the mounting is done in accordance with the legal procedures. First, the normal discharge sheet tray that is attached to the sheet output port 41 on the left end face plate side of the sheet output device 40 and protrudes outward is removed. Then, remove the fixing screws 52 at the four corners fixing the left end face plate 51 of the pedestal 50 on which the sheet output device 40 is installed, and then insert the fixing screws into the respective vertical holes 23 at the four corners of the lower half of the chassis back plate 21a of the device 20. 52 to align the pedestal left end face plate 51 and the lower half of the chassis back plate 21a of the device 20 with the pedestal main body. In this case, the vertical position of the tray device 20 with respect to the sheet output device 40 is determined using the vertical hole 23 using a window hole 22 formed in the chassis back plate 21a on the tray device 20 side with respect to the sheet output port 41 on the sheet output device 40 side. are facing each other, and adjust the position so that the sheet receiving opening side of the upper and lower sheet guide plate pair 1.l on the tray device 20 side directly faces the sheet discharge pinch roller 42 on the sheet output device 20 side, and then tighten each screw 5.
Tighten 2. Although not shown in the figure, the tray device 20 has a cable (signal line) that connects the electric circuit on the tray device side and the electric circuit on the sheet output device 40 side, and the plug at the end of the cable is connected to the outlet on the sheet output device side. By inserting the device into the device, the devices 20 and 40 are also electrically connected. This completes the attachment of the tray device 20 to the sheet output device 40.

On the other hand, when the sheet output device 40 is, for example, a copying machine, when the conditions are set for the number of copies per copy N and the required number of copies M using the operation panel of the copying machine and copying is started,
First, the first set of copy sheets is passed one after another through the sheet discharge pinch roller 42 on the copying machine 40 side → also the sheet output port 41 → the passage between the guide plates 1 and 1 on the tray device 20 side → similarly the sheet discharge pinch rollers 2 and 3. It is discharged into l-ray 4 along the route. The sheets discharged into the tray 4 are aligned and stacked with each other by the inclination of the tray 4 and alignment rulers 5 and 6 as described above. The right corner of the rear side of the alignment stacked sheet is an opening 1 formed between alignment rulers 5 and 6.
4 into the closed space between the stable staple receiving seat 15 and the staple driving head 16. At the timing when the last copy sheet of the first set is ejected into the tray 4 and the sheet is also aligned, the stapling head 16 is driven down (the drive mechanism is omitted in the figure, the back side of the chassis shelf 21e). As a result, a stabilizing needle is driven into the right corner of the rear side of the aligned stacked sheets in the tray 4, and the bookbinding process is performed by collectively stapling the aligned stacked sheets. Reference numeral 18 denotes a sheet presser rod member that is driven to swing up and down each time a sheet is discharged into the tray and aligned, and presses down the rear end side of the sheet.

Next, the tray 4 is swung around the support shaft 17 into a steeply inclined downward-rightward posture (second posture) as shown by the two-dot chain line (the oscillating drive mechanism is omitted from the figure). The bundle of bound sheets in tray 4 slides out of the tray through the gap opening between the right side of tray 0 and the lower side of the sheet alignment ruler 6 on that side, and enters a storage container (not shown) (stacker). automatically excluded from the

Next, the tray 4 is again changed to the first posture shown by the solid line, and the second set of copy sheets are output one after another from the copying machine 40 side and discharged into the tray 4, and the second set of copy sheets is outputted in the same manner as above. The sheet bundle is discharged by aligning, stapling, and changing the second posture of the tray 4. By repeating this cycle, the tippled copy sheet bundles in each section of the M section are automatically discharged into the storage container.

In the above example, it is recommended that the passage formed by the pair of upper and lower sheet guide plates 1 and 1 have a small gap of about 1 to 2 cm in order to prevent the sheet from fluttering between the two guide plates. In order to prevent condensation of water vapor generated from sheets passing between them, and problems with sheet conveyance due to the dew condensation, the plates 1 and 1 are provided with ventilation holes or wire-like members, as long as the conveyance of the sheet is not hindered.・It is preferable to use a mesh member or the like.

The sheet discharge pinch rollers 2 and 3 on the tray device 20 side have their rotational peripheral speeds higher than that of the sheet discharge pinch roller 42 on the sheet output device 40 side in order to prevent sheets from sagging between the sheet guide plates 1-1. The nip pressure is set to be somewhat faster than that on the sheet output device 40 side.

Instead of a bookbinding mechanism using staples, a bookbinding mechanism using gluing can also be provided. Any post-processing mechanism for the aligned sheet bundle, such as a perforation mechanism, can be provided.

The sheet guide plate lΦ1 on the tray device 20 side and the sheet discharge pinch rollers 2 and 3 do not need to be provided if the sheet discharge port on the sheet output device side can be positioned above the tray 4.

It goes without saying that the tray device of the present invention can also be applied to individual tray devices in multistage sorters and the like.

3

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the sheet collection tray device, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side view, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional front tooth, Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the sheet alignment process, and Fig. 5 is a roller as a sheet warping means. A front view of the roller part of the example used, FIG. 6 is a front view of the warped part of the guide plate in an example in which the sheet guide plate is warped as the same means,
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a sheet collection tray device equipped with a stapling mechanism. 2 and 3 are sheet discharge pinch rollers, 4 is a sheet collection tray, and 5-6 are sheet alignment rulers. 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) See!・tJllllT: Sheet catcher 1.1/A is arranged in a tilted position with the front side or front down and the right side or left side down with respect to 1 part, and the sheet is discharged into the tray and the tray is tilted. At least one of the trays is arranged at right angles to each other so that the two right-angled sides on the sliding side of the sheets sliding down the tray are stopped, and the sheets are aligned with each other as they are sequentially discharged into the tray and piled up to dry. Either paste the old buffer part on the inner surface of the
A sheet collection tray device comprising: a sheet alignment ruler itself made of a buffer member; and a sheet collection tray device.