Abstract: A sorter having a plurality of receptacles vertically disposed at given intervals includes a lift member for receiving a copied sheet. The lift member is vertically movable between a home position at which it can receive a sheet and positions corresponding to those of the receptacles. The lift member includes a pair of discharge rollers controlled so as to pinch a sheet being discharged to the sorter while the lift member is vertically moving between the home position and the level of one of the receptacles.

Abstract: A sheet discharge device carrying to sheet trays recorded sheets sent from an electrostatic copying machine, facsimile and other sheet handling devices. Each sheet discharged from a sheet handling device is pinched by a movable member, carried to one of sheet trays by moving the movable member to the sheet tray, and then discharged thereon. The sheet carry direction is changed by a desirable angle before discharging the sheet on the sheet tray.

Abstract: A sorter sorting a plurality of sheets one by one onto a plurality of receptacles disposed vertically. In the sorter, a minimum of two sheet dividers is provided in front of these receptacles to sort sheets by independently raising or lowering these sheet dividers.

Abstract: An automatic document feeder of an electrophotographic copying apparatus includes a feeding tray, a device for feeding to an exposing station one document sheet after another from a stack of document sheets piled on the feeding tray by starting with the lowermost document sheet of the stack, and a device for returning the document sheets to the feeding tray and placing same on the uppermost document sheet of the stack after the document sheets have been treated for exposure. The automatic document feeder further includes a sensor for sensing that a job sheet is disposed beneath the lowermost document sheet of the stack of document sheets on the feeding tray.

Abstract: A copying apparatus capable of copying and printing an image of a document on one side or on either side of a printing sheet including a plurality of image recording units each including an image recording member and a variety of devices associated with the image recording member for performing image copying. The adjacent two image recording units are connected together by a printing sheet transporting path provided with printing sheet reversing means having a switch member. Printing sheets each having an image of a document copied and printed on one side thereof by the image recording member of the first image recording unit have their posture reversed by the printing sheet reversing means so that an opposite side thereof will face the image recording member of the second image recording unit, whereby the image of the document can be printed on the opposite side of the printing sheets.

Abstract: A sheet arranging system for use with a sorter, collator, etc., providing a sheet arranging section defined by receiving rollers, delivery rollers and a forward reference edge, wherein sheets fed on the basis of rearward reference are moved toward a forward reference. The sheet arranging section has sheet obliquely moving means located therein for obliquely moving toward the delivery rollers and the forward reference edge the sheet released from the receiving rollers in accordance with the rearward reference irrespective of the size of the sheet, while so rotating the sheet that a corner of the leading edge of the sheet near to the operator is moved away from the forward reference edge.

Abstract: A sheet distribution method for collating a plurality of sets of copies produced by a copying machine into respective bins of a collating apparatus operatively connected to the copying machine, each set of copies consisting of one copy of each respective page of an original document, includes the steps of providing a first display unit, displaying a total number of sets of copies to be produced and collated on the first display unit, computing whether the total number of sets is greater than a number of available bins in the collating apparatus, when the total number of sets is smaller than the number of available bins, collating the sets of copies into the respective bins in a single collation operation, when the total number of sets is greater than the number of available bins, collating the sets of copies into the respective bins in a plurality of successive collation operations, providing a second display unit, during collation of a page of the document by the collating apparatus, computing a total number

Abstract: A sorter for a copy machine is equipped with a portion adapted to receive sheets inserted manually for use as covers or partitions of the copies in the sorter. The sorter may be formed of one or more sorter portions arranged serially and is provided with a memory register for memorizing information corresponding to the number of sheets to be inserted manually, a count register for counting the number of sheets for manual insertion, and a circuit for inhibiting the manual insert operation for a predetermined period of time after the contents in the memory register becomes equal to the contents in the count register, thereby attaining the precise and reliable collation and sorting of the sheets to be inserted as covers and partitions.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copying apparatus capable of effecting dual-side copying and forming a multiple image. To automatically carry out an operation of dual-side copying, etc., apparatus for reversing a sheet (17) and for switching the path of transportation of a sheet (24,38,43,45,59) are provided. When necessary, a second switching device (25,39) for selectively delivering a sheet to an ejected sheet tray (28) is provided, or a device is provided to resupply a sheet (34,35,36) and a third switching device (32) is provided for automatically effecting delivery of a sheet to a collator.

Abstract: A sheet distribution method is provided which, when a stop switch (20) to stop a copying operation of a copying machine (1) or an interrupt switch (21) to interrupt the copying operation is depressed during the copying operation in a collation mode or an assortment mode, inhibits any further copying operation while keeping only a copy sheet conveyor section operative to deliver already fed copy sheets to a collator 82). When the number of copy sheets stored in the collator (2) has coincided with the number of fresh sheets fed out of the copying machine (1) during that copying operation, the conveyor section is made inoperative and the next copy start and variation in the operating mode of the machine (1) or preset number of sheet to be copied are permitted.

Abstract: A plurality of bins (31) to (40) are divided into two groups which are used alternatingly when a number of copies N to be collated exceeds the number of bins, thus allowing a copying machine to operate continually and further allowing an operator to remove the collated copies from one group while the copies are being collated in the other group. When the number of pages P of a document exceeds a predetermined number, the first group is defined to contain more bins than the second group, thereby reducing the number of times each page must be fed to the copying machine. A unique sensor arrangement (151) senses for feed failures using only two sensors (78), (79).

Abstract: A bin for receiving sheets arranged in an apparatus for collating or sorting of sheets fed successively, which includes a rear end portion, a front end portion and an intermediate inclination portion connected therebetween. The front end portion includes a stopper or stoppers extending substantially vertical for stopping a front end of the sheet fed into the bin and a straight guide portion, on which the stopper or stoppers attached. The rear end portion includes an upright plate extending substantially vertical used for stopping and aligning a rear end of the sheet and a plate inclined so as to go down forwards in sheet feeding direction. The intermediate inclination portion is connected at front and rear end with the straight guide plate and the inclined plate of the rear end portion direct or through curve portion. In this bin the sheet can be aligned by using falling motion of the sheet with the own weight.

Abstract: A sorter connection apparatus disposed between a copying machine and a sorter, which is capable of feeding individually copy sheets discharged from the copying machine into the sorter, comprising a lower guide plate connecting the sheet outlet of the copying machine to the sheet inlet of the sorter, an upper guide plate situated above the lower guide plate, mounted detachably on the lower guide plate through a detachment device, and a sheet transportation roller which is in contact with the lower surface of the upper guide plate and at least the outer peripheral portion of which is made of an elastic material which can be easily deformed under application of pressure thereto. The sheets are transported, while held between the upper guide plate and the sheet transportation roller.

Abstract: A system for successively distributing one sheet after another to sheet receiving bins having a sheet guide device including conveyor belts and having sheet separating claws and a guiding device. The guiding device includes a contacting member successively brought into engagement with the sheet separating claws of a plurality of layers as the guiding device moves downwardly, to move the claws to an operative position in which the claws separates a sheet from the conveyor belts. The contacting member is moved to a position in which it is prevented from engaging the claws when the guiding device is moved upwardly during operation of the system. The sheet separated by the claws from the conveyor belts is moved to each bin along lower and upper guide plates while having its curl taken care of by a rod-shaped guide. The sheet guide device can be pivotally moved relative to a main body of the system, and the guiding device can be pivotally moved relative to the sheet guide device.

Abstract: A collator comprising a plurality of bins to which sheets supplied from a copying apparatus, printing apparatus, or the like are successively delivered. The collator is provided with a jam tray for storing sheets which are supplied to the collator following the occurrence of a sheet jam, a pair of sheet feeding rollers being arranged on the jam tray for feeding one sheet after another from a stack of sheets on the jam tray to a sheet conveying passage in the collator.

Abstract: A copying machine equipped with a collator for distributing copy sheets fed thereto from a copying machine body into its multiple bins and, upon the lapse of a determined period of time after a copying operation, changing the operating mode from a collation mode or an assortment mode, which may have been selected in the use of the collator, automatically to a normal copying mode. The collator is provided with a bin sheet sensor adapted to detect sheets in the bins thereof. The copying machine is also provided with means for cancelling the automatic mode changing function when the bin sheet sensor detects a sheet or sheets, that is, when the bins of the collator are not entirely empty.

Abstract: A collator being adapted to receive and carry copy sheets from a copying machine and distribute the copy sheets to a plurality of bins arranged in series for storing the copy sheets. The collator is provided with a copy sheet feeding table and a copy sheet feeding mechanism for sending, one by one, the copy sheets stacked on the copy sheet feeding table. It results that copy sheets received in an over-flow tray or produced by other copying machines can be collated or sorted automatically in the collator according to the invention.

Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus for a copying machine, printing machine, etc. having a sheet feeding tray for supporting sheets thereon, which is adapted to be moved out of the machine for replenishing or replacing the sheets and then inserted into the machine and moved vertically within the machine to a sheet feeding position. The sheet feeding tray is mounted in a sheet feeding frame capable of moving into and out of the machine and can be moved vertically in the sheet feeding frame when this frame has reached its sheet feeding position, a common drive motor being provided for moving the sheet feeding frame into and out of the machine and vertically moving the sheet feeding tray within the sheet feeding frame.

Abstract: First and second original documents are copied on the opposite sides of a copy sheet in superposition in such a manner that the centers of the two copied images on the opposite sides of the copy sheet are coincident with each other. The two copied images are offset from the center of the copy sheet, leaving a blank area at one edge of the copy sheet for binding a number of copy sheets together in book form. The present copying machine is further provided with two sheet cassettes containing copy sheets of different sizes, a device for selecting the desired copy sheet size and intermediate sheet holder for temporarily holding the selected copy sheet between the copy operations of the first and second original documents.

Abstract: A plurality of feed units feed a copy sheet (13) down a sheet feed path (41) along which various operating units (18), (37) are disposed. The operating units (18), (37) function to transfer and fix a toner image to the copy sheet (13). Sensors (42), (43), (44), (46), (47) sense for the presence of the copy sheet (13) in the feed units at respective times. Absence of the copy sheet (13) indicates that the copy sheet (13) is jammed or stopped in the previous feed unit. In such a case, all feed units downstream of the feed unit in which the jam is sensed are driven to feed out prior copy sheets (13) in the downstream units. All feed units upstream of and including the feed unit in which the jam is sensed are de-energized to enable the operator to clear the jam.