Abstract: A sheet sorting and storing apparatus has a stack of bin trays which are brought open at a sheet reception position, but held close at the other position. The apparatus minimizes noises upon sheet reception with a simple mechanism, improving the efficiency of sheet sorting. The bin trays are inclined down or up depending on a position of a sheet discharge device. A desired bin tray is deviated by a deviation mechanism in an approximately horizontal direction so that a spacing in the direction of the tray inclination is enlarged between two adjacent bin trays located at the sheet reception position, while keeping constant a vertical spacing thereof. A flexible film of elastic material may be provided at the sheet entrance side of the bin trays to prevent the discharged sheet from leaping out thereof.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus, comprising a sorter frame; a plurality of bins disposed in the vertical direction, for making stacks of the discharged sheets; a bin frame incorporating the bins and having an opening on a front side adapting the sorter for a stack-removal operation; a processing mechanism provided on the image-forming-apparatus side of the bins, for processing the stacks; a first driving mechanism for driving a bin at a bin-processing position opposite the processing mechanism to slide toward the processing mechanism for feeding the image-forming-apparatus side end of said stack to the processing mechanism; a single unit slide guide for guiding a bin at the bin processing position toward the processing mechanism; a second driving mechanism including a pair of rods disposed vertically on the front and back sides of the sorter frame, the rods move the bins and the bin frame vertically and support the bins from either side at a position inward from an image

Abstract: A sheet sorting and storing apparatus has a stack of bin trays which are brought open at a sheet reception position, but held close at the other position. The apparatus minimizes noises upon sheet reception in a simple mechanism, improving the efficiency of sheet sorting. The bin trays are inclined down or up depending on a position of a sheet discharge device. A desired bin tray is deviated by a deviation mechanism in an approximately horizontal direction so that a spacing in the direction of the tray inclination is enlarged between two adjacent bin trays located at the sheet reception position, while keeping constant a vertical spacing thereof. The deviation mechanism includes a guide in connection with the bin trays to approximately horizontally deviate them by its slant portion connecting upper and lower vertical slots. Each bin tray has a support on its both sides with parallel surfaces to support the next upper bin tray through rollers disposed between the parallel surfaces of the adjacent bin trays.

Abstract: In a sheet output module for the collection and stacking of printed media sheets from the output of a reproduction apparatus, with multiple separate sheet collection bins in a vertical array, a sheet input for receiving the sheets, and a sheet transport path for transporting the sheets to a selected bin; the sheet input is at a central vertical level intermediately of the module and the vertical bin array, the vertical bin array is divided into first and second portions with a central vertical space therebetween, the sheet transport path has a common shared central path from the input to a branching position where it arcuately branches in opposite directions, with a first branch path extending upwardly to feed sheets to the first portion of the bins and a second branch path extending downwardly to feed sheets to the second portion of the bins.

Abstract: A sheet sorter with includes a bin unit including a plurality of bins for accommodating sorted sheets, sheet stacker for accommodating non-sorted sheets, sheet switcher for selectively guiding the sheets to the plural bins or to the sheet stacker, stapler for stapling the sheets accommodated in the bins, for each of the bins, and controller for controlling the sheet switcher to direct the sheet to the bins in response to instructions for sorting and stapling the sheets, to direct the sheet to the sheet stacker in response to instructions for accommodating the sheets without sorting, and to direct the sheets to the bin unit in response to instructions for stapling the sheets without sorting. The apparatus further includes a reciprocating aligning member which is driven to an alignment position during movement of the bins and is again driven to the alignment position to complete the aligning operation after completion of the movement of the bins.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting sheets out is provided with a bin unit including a plurality of bins having specified length and width and a bin shifting mechanism for shifting the bin unit upward and downward. The respect ire bins are vertically spaced apart and adapted for placing the sorted sheets thereon. The sorter is further provided with a first detector for detecting that the bin unit has been moved down to a home position region defined in a lower portion of the sorter, and a shift controller for controlling the bin shifting mechanism. The shift controller shifts the bin unit downward until the first detector conducts the detection when the bin unit is not in the home position region when the power is applied the sorter. Accordingly, the home position of the bin unit can be detected accurately with a simple structure.

Abstract: A sheet transporting device applicable to a sorter of the type having a plurality of bins arranged one above another for receiving sheets sequentially driven out of an image forming apparatus includes a top tray disposed above an uppermost one of the bins. A sheet stack is pulled out from each bin, transported upward, and then discharged onto the top tray. This not only promotes easy take-out of sheet stacks from the sorter but also allows the number of sheet stacks greater than the number of bins to be produced without interruption.

Abstract: The vertical stack of trays in a movable tray sorter for sheets of paper exiting a copies is moved in a manner to enlarge the spacing between consecutive pairs of the trays to accept consecutive sheets of paper by moving the trays along a pair of helical coils, each of which has a turn of relatively coarse pitch. The turns of relatively coarse pitch are located at the copier paper chute and causes an increased separation of adjacent trays only at that position as the coils are turned.

Abstract: A moving bin sorter has trays which are sequentially shifted upwardly and downwardly relative to a sheet inlet location by a rotary cam driven by an electric motor which drives the cams in opposite directions. The minimum force applied by the motor and lowest motor speed depends upon the load represented by the trays, the weight of the sheets of paper in the trays and the load balancing effect of a spring employed to assist in the lifting of the trays upwardly to engage the cam. The motor power is adjusted and controlled to reduce the applied motor force and speed dependent upon the load which must be overcome in either the upward or downward movement of the trays, for noise and wear reduction.

Abstract: A first guide groove and a second guide groove are formed on a device housing at predetermined positions in such a manner that a first pin disposed at one end of a movable member is displaceably fitted into the first guide groove and a second pin disposed at the other end of the same is displaceably fitted into the second guide groove. To slidably displace the first pin along the first guide groove, a cam is operatively connected to a geared motor. An arm 41 having a frictional member attached to the uppermost end thereof is fixedly secured to the movable member.

Abstract: A sorter of the moving bin type has a set of horizontally extended trays moved vertically between positions above and below a sheet entry location by cams which provide an enlarged entry space. A stapler is moved between a non-stapling position and a stapling position. The cams also enlarge the space between trays at the stapling position to permit a tray to be received in the throat of the stapler between stapler anvil and body.A sheet aligning jogger has opposed jogging bars extending vertically at opposite sides of the trays and simultaneously moveable towards and away from one another to engage opposite sides of the sheets in the trays to align the side edges of the sets of sheets in a neat stack. The jogging bars are also rotated in opposite directions to apply a force to the sheets urging the trailing edge of the sheets opposite to the direction of feed into the trays against an alignment surface on the tray normal to the side edges for aligning the trailing edges of the sheets in the set.

Abstract: A system for selective deposition of sheets on supports situated one above the other, each such support being movable into a deposition position in which a sheet deposition device disposed at a fixed place can deposit a sheet on the associated support or on a stack of sheets situated thereon. A support situated at a higher level is movable between its deposition position in which the support or the top edge of a stack of sheets disposed thereon is at the height of the sheet deposition means, and a parking position (A) in which at a higher level than the sheet deposition device. The next lower support is movable between its deposition position in which the support or the top edge of a stack of sheets disposed thereon is at the height of the sheet deposition device, and a parking position (B) in which the top edge of a stack of sheets to be formed thereon is at a lower level than the next higher support when the latter is in the deposition position with a stack of sheets thereon.

Abstract: A sheet sorting apparatus operable in a sorting mode in which sheets are sorted and in a non-sorting mode in which the sheets are not sorted includes a plurality of bins for receiving and sorting the sheets; a stapler for stapling the sheets accommodated in the bins; wherein one of the plural bins functions to receive the sheets in the non-sorting mode; an expander for changing a sheet accommodating space of the bin for receiving the sheets in the non-sorting mode; and a controller for operating the expander to expand the accommodating space when a number of sheets received by the bin is larger than a staplable number of the sheets of the stapler.

Abstract: A document feeder for feeding a plurality of different kinds of document to image forming equipment automatically, and a sheet finisher for sorting, stapling or otherwise finishing sheets inclusive of the documents. A drive source selectively drives a document support moving member in opposite directions to move document supports from an initial position to a document feed position and further to a stand-by position. This allows a particular document feeding operation to be effected with each of the document supports. Sheets are automatically stapled and then automatically removed from sheet accommodating members. A sheet receiving section collects such stapled and removed sheets.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for receiving sheets of paper from a host printer and selectively transporting the sheets to a stacker tray or to a selective tray sheet sorting machine of the bin opening type. The apparatus has a sheet transport system for receiving sheets and gating the sheets to an infeed for the stacker tray or transporting the sheets to the infeed of the sheet sorting machine. The sheet transport system is in part incorporated in a cabinet door which completes the sheet transport when closed and when opened affords access to the infeeds for the stacker tray and the sorter. The sorter has nested trays to occupy a small vertical space and a tray opener which moves to locations between trays to pivot the trays open adjacent to the sheet infeed to provide a large space between trays for entry of the sheets. The sheet infeeds to the stacker tray and sorter trays can be opened when the door is open to provide access, and a blocking device prevents clsoure of the door if one of the infeeds is open.

Abstract: A sorter has a tray moving cam construction which is an assembly of molded plastic parts including an elongated noncircular shaft and a pair of similar cam parts turned 180.degree., end-to-end and having a hub slidably applicable to the shaft from opposite ends, or over opposite ends of a supporting core shaft, the hubs or the core shaft having an axial opening conforming with the non-circular shaft keying them together for rotation, and complemental cam segments on the hubs combine to provide a complete cam profile when the cam parts are applied to the shaft or core shaft in opposite axial directions from opposite ends of the shaft.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet sorting apparatus with plural bins trays; bin tray moving device for moving the bin trays stepwise to cause each of the bin trays to face a sheet receiving position; and a controller for controlling the operating speed of the bin tray moving device according to sheet transporting information of an image forming apparatus to be connected to said sorting apparatus, in such a manner that said bin tray moving means can be operated in continuous manner even during the discharge of a sheet into a bin tray.

Abstract: A finisher connectable to an image forming apparatus for surely discharging sheets to bin trays thereof without regard to the sheet size while preventing the sheets from dropping from the bin rays or from being inaccurately positioned on the bin trays. The finisher has a discharge roller for sequentially discharging sheets driven out of the image forming apparatus to the bin trays. The rotation speed of the discharge roller is controlled on the basis of size information representative of the size of sheets to be transferred from the image forming apparatus to the finisher.

Abstract: A finisher incorporated in an image forming apparatus and capable of setting up a plurality of stapling or otherwise finishing positions in the widthwise direction of a paper sheet. A plurality of bins are each movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which it is moved up and down. After one bin has been moved in such a direction until the edge of a paper stack on the paper inlet side has been aligned with a stapling unit, the stapling unit is movable in a direction perpendicular to a paper discharge direction, i.e., in the widthwise direction to staple the paper stack at a plurality of positions.

Abstract: A compact sorter for a copy machine generally comprising a rotatable transfer wheel, an ejecting section for ejecting copies, a slot liner having first and second vertical portions connected by a middle portion which extends relative to the vertical portions toward the ejecting section in a radius of gyration of the transfer wheel, and a plurality of bin trays each capable of moving along the slot liner toward the ejecting section for receiving the copies, each said bin tray having a pair of space controlling cams 6 which comprise upper and lower space controlling arms 7,8 and are symmetrically provided at both side outer ends of said bin tray for maintaining predetermined upper and lower spaces with another upper and lower bin trays during movement for receiving copy from said ejecting section.

Abstract: A sorter incorporating a stapler is an apparatus for sorting and stapling sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus. This sorter includes a plurality of vertically movable bins for storing the supplied sheets, a bin drive unit for conveying the bins, a stapler for stapling the sheets stored in the bins, a pair of lateral guides, and a lateral guide drive unit for moving the lateral guides. The lateral guides are movable in the width direction of the sheets in the bins and abut on both sides of stacks of the sheets to arrange them into widthwise adjustment, and then to move them into the stapling position of the stapler.

Abstract: A moving bin sheet sorter has rotatable cams which engage portions of the sorter trays to move the trays at the ends adjacent to a sheet entry location between positions at which those tray ends are closely spaced above and below the sheet entry location and further spaced apart at the sheet entry location for receiving sheets supplied from a copier or printer. The cams are driven by an electric motor which is controlled to operate at a low speed as the trays are initially engaged and disengaged from the cam and a high speed during the major movement of the trays, thereby reducing noise resulting from high speed impact and shock loading of the cams and cooperative portions of the trays, as well as reducing noise resulting from high speed impact of said cooperative portions of the trays in guides for the trays.

Abstract: A moving tray sorter has a set of trays forming sheet receiving bins to which successive sheets are to be supplied from a typical office copier or printer. The trays are mounted in a support at ends remote from the host machine to pivot on horizontal axes and move longitudinally as the ends of the trays into which sheets are supplied are moved vertically past a sheet entry location by a tray shifter which moves the trays sequentially and as a set between locations below a sheet receiving position, upwardly to the sheet receiving position. The ends of the trays adjacent to the host machine are separably supported one on the other and are shifted in unison upon upward and downward movement of the lowermost tray.

Abstract: A sorter comprising a plurality of vertically arranged bin trays. Each of the bin trays is moved through a predetermined moving passage, and the moving passage includes a main portion and a by-pass caused to detour from the main portion to the upstream or downstream side. The sorter also has an automatic stapler and an automatic punch. When the bin tray and sheets collected thereon are positioned in the by-pass end portion of the by-pass, the sheets are positioned at a stapling position relative to the automatic stapler, and the sheets are positioned at an automatically punching position relative to the automatic punch.

Abstract: A tray transferring device of sorter for copy machine comprising first and second slot liners each having an inclined middle portion, third and fourth slot liners formed on said opposite side plates of the sorter, first and second transfer wheels mounted at respective inclined middle portions of said first and second slot liners, power transferring means connected between said first and second transfer wheels, rack movement controlling means mounted at said opposite side plates, rack driving means each connected to said rack movement controlling means, a pair of racks each engaging with said rack driving means, a base pin extending between respective lowest portions of said first and second slot liners, tray supporting means fixedly connected to said opposite side plates.

Abstract: A compact deflecting device for the conveyance of letters or the like in one of a plurality of selectable directions, is formed by a large number of deflecting components (1-1, --, 1-4) placed at a mutually equal distance along an endless conveyor (15) driven in a main conveyance direction (A). Every component combines a deflecting and conveying function with relatively small space requirement. For this purpose, it comprises not only a downstream-pointing deflecting tongue (4) but also a guide roller (6) which are both mounted on a swivel arm construction (9, 10), which can be swivelled by activating a rotary magnet (2) between two positions. Every component (1-1, --, 1-4) is positioned and dimensioned in a manner such that, when swievelling from one position to the other, the access to a conveyance direction deviating from the main direction is freed or essentially closed off and that, in both positions, the guide roller (6) continues to interact in a conveying manner with the conveyor (15).

Abstract: A bin tray transferring apparatus of a sorter for copy machine. The apparatus comprises a safety guide 60 vertically mounted to the side plate 10, a safety lever 50 rotationally mounted to an upper inner portion of the rack 40 such that one end 52 thereof contacts with said safety guide 60 but the other end 53 thereof always contacts with an upper circumferential end of the transfer wheel 30 or a tray pin 91 of an uppermost bin tray 80, and a hinged connection for rotatably connecting the safety level 50 to the upper inner portion of the rack 40. The apparatus of this invention provides an advantage in that the pin trays can be stably transferred upwards and downwards irrespective of outside force imposed thereon so that one of the tray pins of the bin tray can be efficiently prevented from deviation, thereby accomplishing the lengthening of using life thereof and improving the operational reliability thereof.

Abstract: Reducing the operating impact noise of a moving bins sorter of the type in which the bins of the sorter are sequentially incremented with a rotatable open mouthed "C" cam drive, where the open ends of the "C" cam on opposite sides of the open mouth provide operative bin engaging cam surfaces for engaging a cam engaging portion of the bins, without adversely affecting the contacting surfaces wear rate, by providing cantilevered arms of limited flexibility supporting the bin engaging end portions of the "C" cam to provide limited flexing of at least one of the bin engaging end portions of the "C" cam when at least one of these bin engaging end portions operatively engages a bin, for impact noise reduction. The "C" cam may further include an internal chordal cross brace.

Abstract: A sheet sorting apparatus of the shifting tray type employs a pair of helical coils, each coil being predominantly wound with a number of turns of a first pitch, and containing at least one turn of a second, coarser pitch. The ends of each coil are held by through holes of a center rod that extends along the longitudinal axis of each coil, a coil and center rod thus forming a coil assembly. Each center rod is rotationally supported and has a rotational drive coupling attached at one end; a rotational driver being attached thereto is able to rotate both coil assemblies in the same direction at the same speed. A number of trays are arranged in a vertical stack, each tray capable of supporting a number of sheets and having a tray lift insert attached at each side. The tray lift inserts each have a helical passageway therethrough for accepting at least one revolution of one coil therein.

Abstract: A transfer wheel of a sorter for transferring bin trays, each have a pair of pin trays, sequentially, comprises a transfer wheel body having three slots arranged at 120 degree angles around a central rotating shaft hole of the transfer wheel, and having a guide portion for guiding the pin trays of the bin tray. The transfer wheel also includes three pairs of insert wheels, each pair comprising two types of insert wheels mounted adjacent each other, between the slots in order to alternatively lift and push the pin tray to move the slot liner of a side plate. Further included is a mounting arrangement for mounting the insert wheels on the wheel body, and driving arrangement for rotating the wheel body. The invention provides a quiet transfer wheel which separates copies at every one-third rotation of the wheel, which causes an upper and a lower waiting pin tray to be positioned within the radius of rotation of the wheel.

Abstract: A sorter includes a plurality of vertically movable trays which are each formed with a cut-out in one corner. The trays are supported so that the corners in which the cut-outs are formed are lower than the other corners of the tray. Rear and side walls flank the cut-outs. Due to the skewed angle of the trays sheets which are ejected thereonto slide under their own weight to the corners in which the cut-outs are formed. A tray shift mechanism includes groups of two Geneva wheels each formed with one or more recesses which can pick-up tray pins and guide the same along guide slots. The guide slots are formed with shaped portions which induces one tray at a time to be moved laterally to a position wherein sheet collection or stapling can be carried out. A spring loaded stopper cooperates with each set of two Geneva wheels and holds the pins which have been carried to a laterally displaced position by one wheel, against the periphery of the wheels ready for pick up by the other wheel.

Abstract: A sorting device includes a plurality of shelves placed one above the other in a frame, each adapted to receive a printing plate in sorted fashion. Located in front of the insertion opening of the shelves is a transport device for moving the printing plates along the shelves, preferably from top to bottom. Between the transport device and the shelves is a sorting carriage which can travel along the shelves and which includes a pivotable flap which operates to deflect the printing plates from the transport device to a desired shelf. To allow the printing plates to be introduced into the shelves, while keeping the shelves placed close together, the shelves are pivotally mounted at their lower edges and the sorting carriage is provided with a tappet for engaging the shelf located above the selected shelf, to lift the upper shelves and thereby enlarge the insertion opening. The arrangement is especially suitable for sorting so-called "flexoplates" and flexible offset plates.

Abstract: This invention provides a compact and efficient sheet sorting apparatus having plural bin trays arranged in mutually superposed manner, support structure for supporting the rear ends of the plural bin trays in movable manner, a spiral cam members for controlling the movement of the front ends of the bin trays with the aid of followers provided on the bin trays and engaging apparatus for facilitating the engagement between the followers of the bin trays and the spiral cam members.

Abstract: A transporting device for articles to be transported and a sorter with the same. The transporting device includes transporting rollers arranged in a transportation passage so as to contact the articles to be transported for transportation in a forward direction. The transporting rollers are supported for rotation about an axis which is swingable in a substantially horizontal plane. The axis of each transporting roller is selectively changed by a direction changing mechanism between one direction to transport the articles to be transported in the forward direction and another direction to obliquely transport the articles to be transported toward a side wall. The side wall is provided along the forward direction at an article reception position in the transportation passage.

Abstract: A sorter with a plurality of receptacles arranged vertically movably and being capable of receiving articles to be treated. A drawing mechanism sequentially draws out one of the receptacles to a predetermined treatment position by shifting the receptacles. A treatment is applied by a treatment mechanism to the articles on respective receptacles drawn out to the treatment position. One of the articles is discharged by a discharging mechanism to a lower adjacent receptacle positioned just below the receptacle drawn out. A front portion of each receptacle is guided diagonally upwardly by a guiding mechanism when the receptacle is drawn out, the front portion of the receptacle being remote from the treatment position.

Abstract: A sorter comprising plural movable bin trays vertically arranged, a shifting mechanism for moving one ends of the bin trays upwardly or downwardly one after another and a holder for accommodating the other ends of the bin trays. Noise eliminating members or elastic members are provided at at least one portion of a contacting portion of the shifting mechanism with the bin trays and a contacting portion of each of the bin trays with the shifting mechanism, and/or in the holder.

Abstract: A sorter includes a shifting mechanism for sequentially shifting the receptacles and for holding each receptacle shifted in an open position in which the articles to be treated may be placed on the receptacle. The shifting mechanism is provided with a pair of Geneva wheels each having at least one groove formed therein on a predetermined phase condition. The shifting mechanism further includes a first guide slot to vertically movably align and guide the pins of each receptacle, and a second guide slot continuous to the first guide slot, the second guide slot being adapted to laterally guide a pin of one of the receptacles for drawing out the one receptacle. The pin of the one receptacle is biased by a biasing mechanism against the outer circumferential surfaces of the Geneva wheels. The receptacles are received in a receptacle carrier, and the receptacle carrier is vertically movably arranged.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder includes original stacker having plural stages spaced from each other, each of which is capable of accommodating sheet originals; a support for supporting the plural stages for movement substantially along the stages; a feeder for feeding sheet originals from a selected one of the stages of the original stacker; conveyer for conveying the sheet originals from the feeder to a predetermined position; reversing device for returning the sheet originals having been placed at the predetermined position to the same selected stage; and a driver for driving the original stacker so as to bring the plural stages selectively toward the feeder.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting photographs has an endless track, driven in upper and lower paths, which bears a plurality of racks, at regular spacings, which are placed in a loading position to receive sheets by groups. A plurality of tray boards form a rack between each two adjacent tray boards for receiving a group of the sheets. The tray board includes a bottom plate attached to the endless track and formed with two slots, a partition plate extending upwardly from the bottom plate to make the rack stand vertically when the rack is on the upper path. Two supporting brackets are secured to the partition plate and extend rearwardly from the partition plate for supporting thereon the group of sheets received in the rack, each supporting bracket being received in the slots of the bottom plate of another of the adjacent tray boards.

Abstract: A sheet sorter includes a plurality of bin trays in the form of multi-stage; a plurality of followers adjacent sheet receiving sides of the bin trays; a rotatable screw for sequentially moving the followers to expand a gap between adjacent bin trays; and wherein accommodating portion disposed at both sides of the sheet receiving side of the sheet sorter to accommodate the rotatable screw, a connecting portion for connecting the accommodating portions and a member for defining a groove for guiding movements of the plurality of followers, are integrally molded.

Abstract: A compact sorter for sorting copied papers is disclosed which comprises: slot liners, a transfer wheel, and a plurality of bin trays, and is characterized in that the middle portion of the slot liner which is formed in each of side plates of the sorter body is bent toward the ejecting section of the copy machine within the radius of gyration of the transfer wheel, in such a manner that the bin trays for loading the copied papers should advance one by one to directly below the ejecting roller, so that the ejected papers should be exactly received into the correct position of each of the bin trays. According to the present invention, vertical and horizontal movements of the bin trays are made to be possible, and both the bin tray which has completed the receiving of a copied paper and the bin tray which has been waiting are made to be simultaneously moved, thereby providing continuous operations and a reduced installation space.

Abstract: A bi-directionally vertically bin indexed multi-bin sheet sorter, for a fixed position sheet output, such as a copier or printer, with a sheet edge alignment registration jogging system for tamping sheets which are in the immediately previously loaded bins directly above or below the bin being loaded (the bin adjacent the fixed sheet output) concurrently with that bin being loaded but without interfering with the feeding of the sheet into that bin. A single jogging system is stationarily mounted adjacent the sheet output to intermittently horizontally move a jogging member (which extends vertically alongside all three of these adjacent sorter bins) into the above and below bins for tamping sheets therein towards a registration position, such as a corner stapling position, but is configured to not extend into the sheet feeding path and to not tamp sheets in the bin being loaded.

Abstract: A control method for a sheet sorter including a plurality of sorting bins, a sheet discharger for discharging sheets to the sort bins and a driver for moving the sort bins to present the sort bins to the discharger includes moving the sorting bins at a first speed in association with receipt of the sheet by one of the sorting bins and moving the sorting bins at a second speed in association with a discharge interval between the sheets discharged by the sheet discharger, by controlling the driver.

Abstract: A sorting device includes a plurality of shelves placed one above the other in a frame, each adapted to receive a printing plate in sorted fashion. Located in front of the insertion opening of the shelves is a transport device for moving the printing plates along the shelves, preferably from top to bottom. Between the transport device and the shelves is a sorting carriage which can travel along the shelves and which includes a pivotable flap which operates to deflect the printing plates from the transport device to a desired shelf. To allow the printing plates to be introduced into the shelves, while keeping the shelves placed close together, the shelves are pivotally mounted at their lower edges and the sorting carriage is provided with a tappet for engaging the shelf located above the selected shelf, to lift the upper shelves and thereby enlarge the insertion opening. The arrangement is especially suitable for sorting so-called "flexoplates" and flexible offset plates.

Abstract: In a sheet stacking system, especially for a printer or copier set complier, in which sheets are sequentially fed for stacking into a stacking tray to a stacking registration wall position, a sheet stacking assistance and control system is provided by partially supporting and rotating an endless weighted chain-like lose element member, e.g., a metal bead chain, from above the stacking tray, preferably by two spaced and commonly driven pulleys, so that a first chain portion continuously moves downwardly towards the stacking tray in the path of said sheets being fed in the stacking tray to help pull them down, and then the chain flexes so that a substantial second chain portion continuously lies on the top sheet being stacked and continuously drags it towards the registration position, and then desirably an immediately following third chain section is pulled through the registration wall and sharply arcuately dropped there below the stack top level to continuously drag down the sheet edges there.

Abstract: In a multi-bin sorter for collating sheets of paper or the like from a fixed sheet output into sets in the bins, with a system for sorter bin loading in which the bins are opened relative to one another adjacent the fixed sheet output, the bins are respectively intermediately pivotally mounted in an array to a common mounting system (with a fixed spacing at their pivotal mounting positions) for common linear vertical movement as an integral unit with a simple drive system, yet individually pivoted open for loading by a fixed pivotal control guide system, preferably a generally linear cam track with a transition for engaging individually integral extensions of said bins to pivot them about their intermediate pivotal mounting into the sorter bin loading position relative to the next adjacent bin, when the bin array is commonly vertically moved by the drive system.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus usable with an image forming apparatus having a sheet discharging outlet includes a sheet stacking portion, a conveyer for receiving a sheet material from the sheet outlet of the image forming apparatus and for conveying the sheet material to the sheet stacking portion, speed controller for changing a conveying speed of the conveyer to provide a first conveying speed while the sheet material is being confined by the image forming apparatus and to provide a second conveying speed which is higher than the first speed after the sheet material is released from the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet sorting device having a plurality of bin trays has a resilient member for imparting to a bin tray support member a force in the direction opposite to the direction of gravity and reducing a load applied to a bin tray drive source. A detecting device for stopping the driving of the drive source detects the movement of the drive source when the drive source moves up or down relative to the bin trays. Drive source has two lead portions, smooths the movement of the bin group and makes the amount of opening between the bins always constant.

Abstract: The sorting apparatus detects time intervals between copy papers, detects exchange of a first manuscript to a second manuscript, thereby to memorize a sorting number, and sorts the copy papers with regard to the second and subsequent manuscripts on the basis of said sorting number.

Abstract: A sheet sorting device having a plurality of bin trays has a resilient member for imparting to a bin tray support member a force in the direction opposite to the direction of travity and reducing a load applied to bin tray driving means. Detecting means for stopping the driving of the driving means detects the movement of the driving means when the driving means moves up or down relative to the bin trays. Cam means has two lead portions, smoothes the movement of the bin group and makes the amount of opening between the bins always constant.