Members Adjustable To Sheet Size Patents (Class 271/223)
  • Patent number: 8011654
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sheet stacking apparatus including: a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked; a sheet conveying portion which conveys the sheet onto the sheet stacking portion; a first aligning member moving along a sheet conveying direction to align the position of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion; and second aligning members which move in a width direction crossing the sheet conveying direction to align the position in the width direction of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion, wherein the second aligning members align the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion, and the first aligning member aligns the sheet aligned by the second aligning member, and the sheet conveying portion conveys the next sheet onto the sheet stacking portion while the first aligning member is moving for aligning the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenichi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8006972
    Abstract: A paper sheet processing apparatus has a take-in device which takes in notes set in a setting unit, a judgment device which judges the quality and condition of a note taken in by the take-in device, a stacking box which stacks the note judged the quality and condition by the judgment device, a backup which is provided movably up and down in the stacking box and stacks notes, and a control device which variably controls the position of the backup based on the result of judgment by the judgment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Akihiro Yui
  • Patent number: 7992865
    Abstract: A tray comprises a main body to support a sheet, an extension member rotatably mounted to the main body and extending from the main body in the discharging direction of the sheet to support a part of the sheet discharged from the main body, first and second shafts provided at the end of the extension member and inserted in first and second holes formed on the main body, and a projection provided on the second shaft inserted in the second hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Kikuo Mizutani
  • Patent number: 7967287
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus, in which a sheet can stably be fed with a simple configuration without decreasing strength of an intermediate plate. A fixed member 19 and a movable member 13, which regulate positions in a width direction of the sheet that is stacked on the dedicated cassette 30 detachably attached to an intermediate plate 6, are provided while facing each other. The fixed member 19 and the movable member 13 moved to a position that regulates the sheet are regulated by side regulating members 7 and 8. The side regulating members 7 and 8 that are movable in the width direction regulate the positions in the width direction of the sheet stacked on the intermediate plate 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryuji Hamasaki, Eiji Wakiyama
  • Publication number: 20110148030
    Abstract: A printer includes a main body and a paper holding device. The main body is capable of printing and outputting paper. The paper holding device is secured to the main body, and includes a paper tray, a plurality of sliding members, a connecting mechanism, and a driving mechanism. The paper tray is configured for receiving the outputted paper. The sliding members are slidably located on the paper tray. The connecting mechanism is attached to the paper tray and connected to the sliding members. The driving mechanism is attached to the paper tray and capable of driving the connecting mechanism to slide the plurality of sliding members to shape a space to fit the size of outputted paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: CHIH-KUN SHIH, CHUN-HSIEN LIN, CHEN-LU FAN
  • Publication number: 20110148031
    Abstract: A paper holding device includes a paper tray, a sliding plate, and a driving mechanism. The paper tray is configured for receiving printed paper. A shaft is secured to the paper tray. The sliding plate is slidably attached to the paper tray. A main gear member is disposed on the sliding plate. The driving mechanism is secured to the sliding plate and capable of sliding the main gear member along the shaft to slide the sliding plate on the paper tray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: CHIH-KUN SHIH, CHUN-HSIEN LIN, CHEN-LU FAN
  • Publication number: 20110148032
    Abstract: A printer includes a main body and a paper holding device. The main body is capable of printing and outputting paper. The paper holding device is secured to the main body and includes a paper tray, a connecting mechanism, and a sliding mechanism. The paper tray is configured for receiving the outputted paper. A driving gear member is located on the paper tray. The connecting mechanism is located on the paper tray and connected to the driving gear member. The sliding mechanism is located on the paper tray and connected to the connecting mechanism. The driving gear member controls the sliding mechanism by the connecting mechanism to shape a space to fit the size of the outputted paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Inventors: CHIH-KUN SHIH, CHUN-HSIEN LIN, CHEN-LU FAN
  • Patent number: 7938274
    Abstract: A paper sheet processing apparatus has a take-in device which takes in notes set in a setting unit, a judgment device which judges the quality and condition of a note taken in by the take-in device, a stacking box which stacks the note judged the quality and condition by the judgment device, a backup which is provided movably up and down in the stacking box and stacks notes, and a control device which variably controls the position of the backup based on the result of judgment by the judgment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Akihiro Yui
  • Publication number: 20110049790
    Abstract: In the invention, to construct, in a simplified structure, a compact sheet collecting apparatus that enables sheets successively carried out of a sheet discharge outlet to be reliably collated and collected in the order of pages, a carry-in guide member is disposed between the sheet discharge outlet and sheet collecting means, and is comprised of a pivot point, a slide-contact guide surface that swings on the pivot point corresponding to a load amount of the sheet collecting means to guide a sheet front end fed from the sheet discharge outlet onto the uppermost sheet, and a sheet pressing portion that is continued to the slide-contact guide surface and that presses the uppermost sheet on the sheet collecting means. Concurrently therewith, the pivot point, slide-contact guide surface and sheet pressing portion are arranged in this order in the sheet discharge direction from the sheet discharge outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ichitaro Kubota, Tsukasa Kondo
  • Patent number: 7883086
    Abstract: Typical configurations of a sheet stacking apparatus, a sheet processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a discharging unit which discharges a sheet; a stacking member which stacks a discharged sheet; and a holding unit which is movably disposed along a stacking surface of the stacking member and holds an upstream end in the discharging direction of a stacked sheet, wherein the holding unit is moved according to changes in the upstream end position of the sheet in the discharging direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisaku Kamiya
  • Patent number: 7871071
    Abstract: The invention relates to a grouping device (1) for processing a fast running series of individual sheets, said grouping device having several conveying means for transporting said sheets which pass at least one delivery area and at least one conveying area. Said conveying means have at least one transport means (10; 15; 16) and at least one removal means (14), wherein said device comprises at least one grouping table (18; 19), said delivery area as well as the stacking area having an adjustable length and said transport means (10) acting exclusively in said conveying area of said sheets in order to avoid smearing of said sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Kern AG
    Inventors: Christian Gnägi, Reto Settmacher, Patrick Schöpfer
  • Patent number: 7857307
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a sheet accumulation apparatus enabling to uniformly load tabbed sheets into a train of sheets for load and store the sheets on a tray. The sheet accumulation apparatus has a sheet outlet for successively discharging the sheets, a tray means for loading to hold the sheets thereon, a sheet carrier means for discharging the sheets from the sheet outlet to the side of a downstream, a sheet front end regulating means for colliding the sheets sent by the sheet carrier means against the regulating means at the sheet front ends and regulating them, and a sheet rear regulating means disposed to the tray means for regulating the positions of the sheets from the sheet outlet at the sheet rear ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignees: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Icn., Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Tamura, Toshio Shida, Hiroto Akiyama
  • Patent number: 7850168
    Abstract: A recording medium discharge mechanism is provided with a side wall member capable of changing position between an upright state in which small size sheets are caught when small size sheets are discharged and a laid flat state in which a placement surface of a discharge space is extended for placement of large size sheets when large size sheets are discharged by a discharge mechanism having the discharge space, whose downstream side in a paper discharge direction has been opened. In the upright state, the side wall member does not protrude laterally from an apparatus. Furthermore, in the laid flat state, large size sheets can be placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tatsuya Shinkawa, Shinichi Azumi, Yuhi Akagawa, Nobuyuki Kimoto
  • Patent number: 7793932
    Abstract: The present invention provides a paper collecting tray that reduces or eliminates paper curling. The collecting tray has a wire structure using springs or movable bands to support various size papers. These springs are provided in one embodiment to support paper sheets having 8.5 inch widths, 24 inch widths and 36 inch widths. These are configured to provide substantial support for the sheets and configured to prevent paper curling when the paper is passed to the collecting tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: David Alan Bartman
  • Patent number: 7770887
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a paper money guide apparatus of an ATM, and more particularly, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a paper money guide apparatus of an ATM that can adjustably guide various kinds of paper money having different widths by a simple structure. In order to achieve the object, according to an aspect of the present invention, a paper money guide apparatus of an automatic teller machine guides ends of paper money when paper money stacked in a paper money stacking space is moved by a transfer plate. The paper money guide apparatus includes paper money guide plates that each include a guide piece guiding an end of the paper money and a positioning part being detachably positioned in a width direction of the paper money depending on the width of the paper money.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Nautilus Hyosung Inc.
    Inventors: Chang Ho Park, Kyong Tae Lee, Gun Chang Lee
  • Patent number: 7748705
    Abstract: A paper discharge tray 6 includes: a paper loading portion 7 provided in a bent form including a first tray surface 7a and a second tray surface 7b; a rear wall 8 for supporting and aligning the trailing end of paper discharged on the paper loading portion 7; and an installation portion 10 provided along the paper loading portion 7. On two portions of the first tray surface 7a, there are provided guide members 11 each having a first slope 11a that inclines upward in the paper discharge direction (direction indicated by an arrow A in the figure). When paper of a predetermined size is discharged on the guide members 11, the paper slides down along the first slopes 11a and the second tray surface 7c, and then is loaded with the trailing end of the paper aligned by the rear wall 8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 7744085
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus may include an image forming mechanism configured to form an image and transfer the image on a sheet member, and/or a sheet processing unit. The sheet processing unit may include a sheet aligning unit, an ejection sheet tray configured to stack the sheet member, a sheet stopper configured to align the sheet member at a trailing edge thereof, a return mechanism configured to return the sheet member stacked on the ejection sheet tray to the sheet stopper, and/or a discharging mechanism configured to discharge the sheet member, aligned by the return mechanism, from the sheet stopper to the ejection sheet tray. The sheet aligning unit may include a stacking mechanism configured to stack the sheet member transferred into the sheet aligning unit and/or a sheet aligning mechanism configured to align the sheet member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Tsutsui, Shingo Matsushita, Tamaki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7722034
    Abstract: A sheet discharge tray that can improve width direction alignment of discharged sheets of various sizes with a simple structure. Ribs are disposed on a sheet discharge tray. And a space between at least a pair of adjacent ribs among the ribs at a discharging direction upstream end portion is narrower than a space between the at least two adjacent ribs at a discharging direction downstream end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeru Kosuda, Jun Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7694959
    Abstract: A recording material mounting face portion on which recording materials are stacked for being fed, a body slide portion that is attached to the recording material mounting face portion so as to be slidable in a widthwise direction or in a feeding direction of the recording material, a movable edge guide that includes a body operating portion having a guide face that contacts a side of the recording material while being fed and a fixing means that fixes a position of the movable edge guide in a slide direction of the movable edge guide are provided, wherein the fixing means includes notch columns that are provided on a surface of the recording material mounting face portion along the slide direction of the movable edge guide and engaging protrusions that are provided on the movable edge guide and that engage notches of the notch columns to realize the fixed state, wherein a plurality of the notch columns are formed, each of the notch columns is formed to have the notches at the same pitch, wherein the engaging
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masamitsu Shimazu, Yutaka Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7661671
    Abstract: In a sheet stacking apparatus, a pair of side members includes a pair of lower side members which is provided with an approximately same distance therebetween as a width of a planographic printing plate and limits a movement in the planographic printing plate width direction; and a pair of upper side members which are provided above the pair of lower side members, each of which is provided with a movable section movable in the planographic printing plate width direction, and on which tapered surfaces are formed facing each other in a generally V shape. The distance between the pair of upper side members is controlled by driving the movable sections of the pair of upper side members so as to prevent quality degradation caused by a thrown-in sheet scratching a stacked sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Yamazaki, Yoshikazu Hanada, Sumio Iwamura, Makoto Endo
  • Patent number: 7661670
    Abstract: A sheet discharge device neatly and uniformly aligns edges of print sheets irrespective of the thickness of a print sheet, and exerts the same effect even at a low discharge speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
    Inventor: Masaaki Shinohara
  • Patent number: 7591465
    Abstract: Included are: a fan wheel for holding and rotationally transporting signatures delivered from a printing press; a pair of side guides for restricting the signatures in the width direction which are held in the fan wheel; a side-guide rodless air cylinder for moving a side guide between side-guide guide positions for guiding the signatures and side-guide retraction positions for retraction to the outside of the fan wheel in the radial direction thereof; a side-guide drive motor for moving the side guide in the width direction of the signatures; and a controller which controls the side-guide rodless air cylinder and the side-guide drive motor so that the side guide moves in accordance with the lengths in the width direction of the signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Komori Corporation
    Inventor: Fuminori Sato
  • Patent number: 7591463
    Abstract: A media support apparatus for a media cassette of an automatic media dispenser includes a base plate having a guide piece which is provided with a guide slot. A link mechanism has at least one connection pin, which is moved along the guide slot, and two connection link plates, the height of which, relative to the base plate, can be adjusted. A media seat is seated on each connection link plate. The horizontal spacing between the media seats can be adjusted. The apparatus is advantageous in that a single media cassette can be adapted to supply media of various sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: LG N-Sys Inc.
    Inventor: Joong-Ho An
  • Patent number: 7588249
    Abstract: A hopper is provided including a pile plate, a backstop, a jogger opposite the backstop, the backstop and jogger being separated to permit a signature stack to be placed therebetween on the pile plate, and a flexible guide located opposite the jogger, adjacent to the backstop. A hopper is also provided including a pile plate, a backstop, a jogger opposite the backstop, the backstop and jogger being separated to permit a signature stack to be placed therebetween on the pile plate, and a toothed guide located opposite the jogger and adjacent to the backstop, a plurality of teeth of the toothed guide facing the signature stack. Methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Goss International Americas, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen Roger Caron, James Aurthur Pangle
  • Patent number: 7523931
    Abstract: A system and method for accumulation of media invention includes a series of upper and lower transport belts for feeding media seriatim along a path of travel. An accumulator pocket is positioned between the upper and lower drive belts along the path of travel. An upper and a lower accumulator ramp is positioned adjacent the accumulator pocket are moveable between a first position and a second position. The first accumulator ramp position is such that the lower ramp is positioned to engage media moved seriatim along the path of travel to guide the media to form a forward accumulation of media in the accumulator pocket. The upper accumulator ramp second position is such that the upper accumulator ramp is positioned to engage media moved seriatim along the path of travel to guide the media to form a reverse accumulation of media in the accumulator pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony W. Chiappetta, James A. Fairweather, James A. Salomon, Steven A. Supron, Joseph K. Patterson
  • Patent number: 7520688
    Abstract: A mounting arrangement and/or stand for supporting a print feed mechanism relative to a printer. The mounting arrangement includes first and second support members defining first and second mating surfaces, respectively. The first support member is adapted to support the print feed mechanism and the second support member is adapted to support the first support member. Furthermore, the first and second mating surfaces define a mating interface or plane which is inclined relative to a horizontal plane. The relative position of the first and second support members is maintained by a means for coupling the first and second segments along the inclined mating plane. The coupling means is, furthermore, operative to selectively position the first support member relative to the second support member so as to separate the print feed mechanism segment from the printer by a fixed separation distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: David E. Kayser, Richard A. Sloan, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7516848
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for multi-destination pick using motes. In embodiments, each receptacle may be assigned to a destination and may have a sensor that detects when an item is placed in the receptacle to deactivate the indicator and/or to verify that the item was placed in the correct receptacle. The sensor may be coupled via a wired or wireless connection to a mote that may include a communication interface for communicating with a control system and with other motes in an ad-hoc network. In some embodiments, each mote may also include an indicator that may be activated by a control system to indicate to the agent that the receptacle is the destination receptacle for a picked item. The agent may then place the item in the indicated destination receptacle. In one embodiment, the mote on the destination receptacle may be activated when the picked item is scanned by the agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan J. Shakes, François M. Rouaix
  • Patent number: 7484730
    Abstract: Pyrazolo-quinazoline derivatives of formula (Ia) or (Ib) as defined in the specification, and pharmeceutically acceptable salts thereof, process for their preparation and pharmaceutical composition comprising them are disclosed; the compounds of the invention maybe useful in therapy, in the treatment of diseases associated with a disregulated protein kinase activity, like cancer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshihiko Seike, Hideshi Izumi, Yuhi Akagawa, Tatsuya Shinkawa
  • Patent number: 7478808
    Abstract: In a mail processing machine having a receive deck for receiving a stack of mail items for printing, jogging means for jogging the stack of items against a reference wall, selection means for extracting mail items for printing one by one from stack of items, and print means for printing a postal imprint on the selected mail item, a jogging device is provided that includes an external strip slidably mounted on a moving slideway and having a jogging flat mounted at the terminal end thereof, a brake-forming friction shoe secured to the stationary slideway and mounted between the stationary slideway and the moving slideway, and a resilient element having one end connected to the moving slideway and its other end connected to the external strip in order to cause the external strip to back off automatically through a determined distance from the moving slideway once the jogging flap has been brought into contact with the stack of mail items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies
    Inventors: Emmanuel Bernard, Jean-Pierre Gregoire, Alain Multignier
  • Patent number: 7464930
    Abstract: A movable sheet stacking device including: a sheet receiving section which is provided with respect to a sheet exit section of an image forming apparatus and is for receiving ejected sheets being ejected from the sheet exit section in an ejecting direction and moving the sheets in a direction opposite to the ejecting direction; an end-portion restriction plate which comes into contact with a front end of the sheets moving in the opposite direction to stop the movement of the sheets; and a restriction-plate driving section which sets a position of the end-portion restriction plate according to a sheet type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junya Masuda, Yoshinori Shiraishi, Yasuhiro Takai, Toyokazu Mori, Kohichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7410164
    Abstract: When a print process is started, discharge speed of recording papers is first set to a first discharge speed set based on the case in which a recording paper receiving unit for placing recording papers is in a reference state. Then, when a record instruction is given for starting a process of recording images onto recording papers, it is determined whether or not the recording paper receiving unit is in the reference state. If it is determined that the recording paper receiving unit is in an extended state in which the recording paper receiving unit is extended from the reference state, the discharge speed of the recording papers is set to a second discharge speed that is faster than the first discharge speed. Then, following a paper feed operation and an image record operation, the recording papers are discharged according to the set discharge speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shohei Koide, Yuji Koga, Yusaku Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7364153
    Abstract: A sheet feeding device includes a cassette configured to accommodate recording media, and a recording media feeding member configured to feed out the recording media accommodated in the cassette. The cassette includes a tray main body part including a stacking plate configured to have the recording media stacked thereon, and a recording media conveying guide part configured to detachably connect to the tray main body part. The recording media conveying guide part includes a raising member configured to raise the stacking plate toward the recording media feeding member, and a raising and lowering member connected to the raising member and configured to raise and lower the stacking plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Takahashi, Kazuyuki Uchida, Mitsuru Yamada, Mamoru Yorimoto
  • Patent number: 7281708
    Abstract: When the rear end of a sheet bundle S is brought to reach the clamping portion between a rocking roller and a rear end aligning wall by conveyance means, the individual timings, at which the rocking roller and the rear end aligning wall move to the escape position, are controlled to drop said sheet bundle S onto a stack tray, and then the rear end aligning wall is moved from the escape position to the support position thereby to register the rear end of the sheet bundle S dropped on the stack tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsushige Murata, Hiromichi Tsujino, Yuzo Matsumoto, Takako Hanada
  • Patent number: 7264237
    Abstract: The sheet stacking-aligning apparatus or the sheet processing apparatus includes a substantially horizontal stacking tray, a rear end aligning unit for aligning a rear end of a sheet bundle on the stacking tray, and a control unit for controlling an operation of the rear end aligning unit for aligning the sheet bundle when it is in an upstream position of the stacking tray, and the stacking tray is provided substantially horizontally. It is thus made possible to increase the stacking space, thereby increasing the number of stackable sheets and to achieve the alignment of the rear end of the sheet bundle with a simple configuration, thereby improving the stacking-aligning property of the sheet bundle on the stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhito Kato, Daisaku Kamiya, Daiju Yoshino
  • Patent number: 7261290
    Abstract: A small or special media guide-in tray including a media tray, an aperture disposed in the media tray, first and second opposed guide arms extending through the aperture and biased to a first position. The first and second opposed guide arms are pivotally mounted and are synchronously movable when small media is inserted. The opposed guide arms and biasing are used to automatically center the small media as it is inserted between the guide arms. The guide-in tray may be utilized with media handling devices having an L-path media feed wherein the guide-in media tray is incorporated in an input tray or in a C-path media feed wherein the guide-in media tray is incorporated in an exit tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Funk, Kevin M. Johnson, Michael W. Lawrence, Bryan C. Scharf
  • Patent number: 7156799
    Abstract: A paper folding machine is provided including a housing having upper and lower fold plates constructed for quick and easy removal of the upper plates from the machine so that repairs may be made. The machine includes an automatically adjustable stacking arm movable to positions corresponding to the settings of the machine for fold type and size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: The Hedman Company
    Inventors: Richard Abramson, John Kosla
  • Patent number: 7125374
    Abstract: A paper folding machine is provided including a housing having upper and lower fold plates constructed for quick and easy removal of the upper plates from the machine so that repairs may be made. The machine includes an automatically adjustable stacking arm movable to positions corresponding to the settings of the machine for fold type and size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: The Hedman Company
    Inventors: Richard Abramson, John Kosla
  • Patent number: 7093992
    Abstract: An efficient collator. The collator includes a first mechanism for selectively separating physical output from a device. A second mechanism is coupled to the first mechanism and facilitates angling and/or rotating the first mechanism based on the physical output. In a specific embodiment, the second mechanism includes a controller that generates control signals to control the second mechanism to facilitate automatic positioning of the first mechanism about a curved track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Sarah E Zeller, Michael Lloyd
  • Patent number: 7036816
    Abstract: The paper feeding cassette includes a push-up plate provided inside the cassette for receiving a stack of sheets entirely thereon regardless of the size of the sheets. On the push-up plate is mounted a trailing edge plate which is coupled to a fixing plate through a slide groove and which is configured to be capable of sliding in a sheet feeding direction in which the stacked sheets are to be fed to restrict the position of the stack of the sheets in the sheet feeding direction. The trailing edge plate is provided, at opposite sides thereof, with stoppers to be inserted into positioning holes of the push-up plate for fixing the trailing edge plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shingo Abe
  • Patent number: 7029008
    Abstract: To provide an accumulating device 71 that is capable of securely accumulating sheets or the like P having dimensional differences on the basis of the rear ends in the taking-in direction thereof. The stopper 111a advances from upward to the advanced position between the tip end regulating wall 79 and the rear end regulating wall 80 and stops the tip ends in the taking-in direction of sheets or the like P to be taken in, whose length in the taking-in direction of sheets or the like P is shorter than the maximum length. The stopper 111a is supported movably in the vertical direction with respect to the advancing and retreating mechanism by which the stopper 111a is caused to advance and retreat between the advanced position and the retreated position, and presses sheets or the like P in the downward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Glory Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Nishida, Toshihiko Kobayashi, Tsuguo Mizoro, Toyoshige Kuroiwa, Kosaku Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7004462
    Abstract: A rack-and-pinion print media guide system comprises two racks which are operatively coupled for reciprocal movement relative to each other by way of a central gear cluster instead of a single central gear (pinion) to expand the maximum media capture range. The gear cluster comprises first and second pinions and at least one center idler gear which is operatively coupled between the pinions with each rack skipping the center idler gear during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: ZIH Corp.
    Inventor: Philip Bryer
  • Patent number: 6991229
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a paper stacker for use with an image forming apparatus of a high copying speed. The paper stacker comprises a paper conveying means for conveying a paper with an image recorded thereon to a stacking position, a top end stopper provided reciprocatively movably along a conveying path of the paper, a paper receiving plate disposed below the conveying path of the paper for receiving a paper, a rear end stopper for defining the rear end position of the paper on the paper receiving plate, and an elevating device for changing the height of the paper receiving plate, wherein the top end stopper and the rear end stopper are provided movably in the same direction in the conveyance direction per a given number of papers. The papers are stacked only by shifting the top end stopper and the rear end stopper in the conveyance direction so that the stacker configuration is extremely simplified so as to enable a high speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Mikihiro Yamakawa, Toshio Shida, Masahiro Kaneko
  • Patent number: 6955350
    Abstract: A sheet member positioning device includes a plate on which a sheet member is loaded; a reference member provided at a side, in a first direction, of the plate, the sheet member being able to abut the reference member; a conveying member provided at a side, in a second direction, of the plate, and due to the conveying member being moved toward the side in the first direction and conveying the sheet member, the conveying member makes the sheet member abut the reference member so as to determine a position of the sheet member in the first direction; and a detecting mechanism which, at a time when the position of the sheet member in the first direction is determined, detects a distance between the reference member and the conveying member, and detects a size of the sheet member on the basis of the detected distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiro Hashiguchi, Kazuhisa Okamoto
  • Patent number: 6926271
    Abstract: A flat mail edge biasing machine and method of use for separating stacks of bulk flats (products) into at least two separate stacks each with bound edges oriented in a same direction. The flat mail edge biasing machine has a feed head mechanism which is capable of detecting a bound or non-bound edge of the product, and sort the products based on the detection. The sorting includes moving the products from a center compartment to side compartments. In the side compartments, the products stacks with the bound edges oriented in a same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce H. Hanson, Wayne M. Blackwell
  • Patent number: 6918733
    Abstract: A hold down clamp for holding down a stack of sheet material, preferably on a transportation trolley selectively in operative association with a printing machine. The hold down clamp has a vertically adjustable holding arm selectively lockable along a substantially upright guide member. The holding arm has at least one release member for releasing locking, the release member being movable in the direction away from the stack. This allows the holding arm to be pliable upwardly in case of emergency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Ingo Neuber, Dirk Dobrindt
  • Patent number: 6916020
    Abstract: A sheet supply apparatus for supplying stacked sheets includes a standard sheet tray provided with a standard side guide that regulates a position in the width direction of the stacked sheet, and an extension sheet tray extendably disposed upstream of the standard sheet tray in a sheet feeding direction, wherein the extension sheet tray has an auxiliary side guide that regulates a position in the width direction of a sheet feeding direction upstream portion of a long sheet. A sheet handling apparatus using the sheet supply apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yousuke Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 6908078
    Abstract: A sheet processing device has a sheet conveying section for conveying sheets to a sheet processing section. The sheet conveying section has a sheet standby unit including a stacking device for stacking a predetermined number of sheets in a linear state, and a bundle conveying device for conveying the sheet bundle stacked in a linear state, whereby the predetermined number of sheets are conveyed to the sheet processing section after having been stacked in a linear state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshimasa Suzuki, Wataru Kawata
  • Patent number: 6902162
    Abstract: A sheet accumulating apparatus accumulates inputted sheets into a stack registered on all sides, wherein the sheets are controlled with minimum contact by components of the apparatus to minimize or eliminate smudging or marking of the sheets. The apparatus can be selectively adjusted to effect over-accumulation or under-accumulation, and can be adjusted to accommodate different sheet sizes. The apparatus comprises an accumulation section defining a sheet feed plane therethrough. An upper ramp is disposed upstream from the accumulation section and is movable into and out of the sheet feed plane. An upper retaining member is linked to the upper ramp and is movable into and out of the sheet feed plane in alternating relation to the upper ramp. A lower ramp is disposed below the upper ramp and is movable into and out of the sheet feed plane in alternating relation to the upper ramp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Bowe Bell + Howell Company
    Inventors: Edward M. Otto, John J. Semanick, James R. Moser, Richard W. Finnochio, Phuong T. Do
  • Patent number: 6883799
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet storage portion that can store sheets with various sizes and accurately detect a size of the sheets. The sheet feeding apparatus has a sheet storage device, a supporting device for supporting the sheet storage device in a moving path between a sheet replenishing position and a sheet feeding position, a frame for fastening the supporting device, a sheet feeding device for separating the sheets into a single sheet and feeding the single sheet, and a sheet size detecting device established in the moving path for detecting the size of the sheets stored in the sheet storage device. The sheet size detecting device overlaps the sheet storage device in a sheet stacking direction when the sheet storage device is positioned at the sheet feeding position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Matsuki, Tomohisa Shimizu
  • Publication number: 20040262835
    Abstract: A printer paper tray improper loading protection system which is automatically moved by the repositioning of a conventional repositionable stack edge guide to restrict improper loading of sheets into the area of the tray which is outside of the proper sheet stacking area for sheet feeding, even though that restricted area varies depending on the selected size of the sheets being properly loaded within the proper sheet stacking area. A customer warning and partial obstruction of the non-feeding restricted area of the tray eliminates confusion as to where the operator should load paper into the tray whenever the tray is accessed, no matter where the tray stack edge guides are positioned for different paper sizes. An accordion-folded, reeled, or other expandable and contractible member operatively connects between the repositionable stack edge guide and the opposite end of the tray, extending above the tray stacking surface therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Mark L. Leveto, Henry T. Bober