Abstract: A sheet straightening unit including a device for pushing a depressing roll against an endless belt, so that a curled sheet is straightened when passing between the endless belt and the depressing roll pushed against the latter. The depressing roll is provided with an amount-of-depression adjusting mechanism which includes a cam member and a cam follower member engaged with the former, in such a manner that the cam member is turned according to the kind and image density of the curled sheet, thereby to most suitably determine the extent to which depressing roll is pushed against the endless belt.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting recording sheets after image recording by an image forming apparatus is disclosed here. The sorter is provided with a plurality of bins arrayed along a main path of the recording sheet, a plurality of change over gates to guide the recording sheet from the main path to a selected bin, a conveyance mechanism to convey the recording sheet through the main path to the selected bin, a plurality of pinch rollers dispersively located near the gates and the bins to press the recording sheet onto a conveyance surface of a conveyor belt of the conveyance mechanism and a member to back up the conveyor belt from the pressure of the pinch rollers.

Abstract: A rotator mechanism has a frame, a rotating member and a bearing. The rotating member has a center rod and is rotatable along its axis. The bearing has a bearing portion for supporting the center rod, and a clasping portion for elastically clasping onto the frame. In assembly, first the center rod of the rotating member is positioned into the bearing portion of the bearing. Then, the clasping portion of the bearing is made to elastically clasp onto the frame, whereby the bearing is firmly attached to the frame. In disassembly, the rotating member is easily removed from the frame by detaching the clasping portion from the frame. The rotator mechanism can be applied in a sorter of an image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A sheet transport mechanism includes a plurality of transport paths, a transport roller provided at a branch section at which the transport paths are branched, a flapper provided at the branch section to select one of the plurality of transport paths and to guide a sheet member into the selected transport path by changing its posture, and a flapper roller supported on the flapper, the flapper roller pinching the sheet member in cooperation with the transport roller to transport the sheet member. The flapper roller is urged toward the transport roller by its weight and/or a spring force.

Abstract: The handling of copy sensitive jobs in an electronic reprographic printing system comprises a unique bindexer sheet routing operation to ensure job integrity when printing copy sensitive jobs using multiset scheduling. A bindexer bin fill pattern is used which is unidirectional and begins at the same bin for each sheet of the set. Job recovery for copy sensitive jobs can include purging and remarking sets and partial sets to a greater extent for copy sensitive jobs than that required for non-copy sensitive jobs. The unique jobs recovery preserves the uniqueness of the copy sensitive jobs while improving the overall job recovery productivity for non-copy sensitive jobs.

Abstract: A wide variety of product types, sizes and shapes are sorted into designated destination bins or other outputs utilizing a computer controlled transport path that includes an infeed section and a pinch roller diverting section. The infeed section receives a singulated stream of products to be sorted, optically scans each product for a destination code and transports the products downstream to the diverting section. The diverting section consist of a series of individually and selectively controlled roller pairs in combination with a number of diverting gates. Each roller pair includes an upper foam covered pinch roller and a lower friction drive roller oriented such that products moving downstream pass between each roller pair until diverted from the transport path. An array of photoelectric detectors provide product position information to identify and track product movement through the apparatus.

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 document transfer system for receiving a cluster of stacked documents within the first end of an output holder and, by using movable partitions, advancing the clusters to the second end of the output holder, thereby permitting a next document cluster to be received within the output holder at the first end. A document cluster at the second end of the output holder is then, using extendable and retractable gates, transferred from the output holder to a separate holder for further processing.

Abstract: A apparatus for recurling, transporting, sorting and stacking individually fed sheets of paper received from devices such as printing or duplicating machinery. A recurler, comprising a plurality of recurleer belts, trained about a drive roller, a feed roller, and a forward roller, against which a recurler roller is urged, is provided for recurling all sheets entering the enclosure of the sorting apparatus. A conveyor belt assembly urges the sheets against the upper surfaces of a plurality of deflectors to convey the sheets through the enclosure. A lower surface of each deflector selectively deflects the sheets into designated receiving trays, or optionally allows the sheets to be expelled from the enclosure.

Abstract: An apparatus for sorting recording mediums, the apparatus adapted for use in combination with an image forming device having a transport section for carrying recording mediums discharged from the image forming device, includes a plurality of bins for accommodating the recording mediums, gate members provided one for each bin for opening and closing a transport passage for the recording mediums, and drive devices provided for driving the gate members. The drive devices each consist of a cam mounted on a rotary shaft which may be rotated reversibly for actuating the gate member, and a detection and control section for detecting the position of the cam.

Abstract: A device for changing a passageway for paper includes flaps pivotably provided at branching points of the passageway and operable to change the paper feeding direction. Solenoids mounted with shafts are extended by first springs during non-energizing and retract during energizing, and second springs are provided for imparting biasing forces to follow the displacement of the shafts and to pivotably bias the flaps so that the flaps receive rotational moments of force acting in opposite directions in the energizing and non-energizing states, the rotational moment of force being set so as not to hinder the feed of the paper.

Abstract: A sorter includes a plurality of sheet receiving units, a conveyor for converying a sheet to one of a plurality of sheet receiving units which are able to come into contact with one surface of the sheet, a guide facing the other surface of the sheet for guiding the sheet to one sheet receiving unit, and a restriction device provided at substantially the same level as the conveyor for keeping the sheet from moving to the conveying means.

Abstract: A sorting apparatus for sheets of documents or the like, in which the sheets are conveyed on a conveyor belt, and are deflected by controllable deflectors into stacker bins. Roller transporters convey the sheets of documents from the deflector into each stacker bin. The drive of the roller transporters is effected by a driven belt common to the roller transporters of all stacker bins; this belt is activated only for the specifically chosen stacker bin with the roller transporter (26) corresponding to this bin. This actuation is accomplished by a clutch wheel which is tilted by a lever activating the deflector.

Abstract: A compact sorting machine inverts recorded sheets into a face-down attitude and discharges them into individual trays. When a recorded sheet is sent from a feed opening, this sheet is transported on a transport path located below entrances of a plurality of trays. Guide members disposed in the vicinity of each tray entrance are driven according to a control signal so that the recorded sheet is discharged into individual trays. At this time, a guide member having an arc-shape simultaneously inverts the recorded sheet into a face-down attitude.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for stacking predetermined sheets of various intermixed sizes in a stacking location by advancement of stacking devices into that location, selectively guide further sheets past the stacking location. That guiding of further sheets past the stacking location is mechanically slaved to the advancement of the stacking devices into the stacking location. Where the stacking devices are withdrawn from the stacking location preparatory to each stacking of a predetermined sheet, the guiding of that predetermined sheet into the stacking location is mechanically slaved to such withdrawal of the stacking devices. Where the sheets are stacked against a movable wall, an unobstructed space for receiving each sheet guided to the stacking location is permanently preserved between the movable wall and the withdrawn stacking devices.

Abstract: A sheet sorting apparatus for collating and distributing sheets received from a reproducing apparatus and adapted to reduce static charge from the sheets includes an array of sheet receiving bins defined by tray members. A transport means conveys sheets past each of the bins. Each bin has at its opening an electrically insulting diverter member that can be pivoted from an inoperative to an operative position to deflect and guide a sheet into the associated bin. Attached to the diverter member is an electrically conductive brush arranged to contact a sheet entering the bin and an electrically conductive track connecting the brush via conductive bearings to the grounded conductive frame of the sorter.

Abstract: An electrophotographic copying machine is equipped with a sorter. The copying machine comprises a sort switch, an interruption sort switch, a bin serial number memory for storing the serial number of the last operated bin in the sort mode, a detection device, and an interruption-sort device. The detection device is operated to detect whether the interruption switch is operated each time the sorting of copied papers by the sorter is completed. If the detection device detects that the interruption switch is actuated, the interruption-sort device sorts the subsequent copied papers into the subsequent bins with their serial numbers following the serial number of the last bin stored in the bin number memory.

Abstract: A sheet receiver has a plurality of trays to receive paper sheets in a sequential or selected order as sheets are successively fed to the receiver from a source, such as a printer or copier, and transported to the inlet ends of the trays between opposing transport rolls which define a continuous straight paper path past the trays. Selected pressure or nip rolls are actuated from positions relative to feed rolls forming the straight path past the trays to positions relative to an adjacent feed roll to interrupt the straight paper path and form a nip at which the rolls are positioned to change the direction of sheet travel to direct a sheet into a tray.

Abstract: A storage compartment can be used selectively as an individual compartment attached to a document processing device or as one of several compartments joined together in a sorting device. The compartment is functionally autonomous so that its component parts, which are drive and pressure rollers (23, 24, 25, and 27) for conveying documents supported on a base plate (1) and a motor (40) and electrical coupling for actuating the rollers, are all connected to the base plate (1). The only mechanical connection between the compartment and a document processing device or other compartments in a sorting device is by a plug (28) for electrical connection. Special shaping of the base plate (1) facilitates space-saving packaging of several compartments.

Abstract: A document stacker assembly including a plurality of document stackers each having a bin wherein documents are selectably stacked against a bin wall member. A belt moves documents along a document track and an idler wheel is pressed against the belt in each stacker assembly. A flicker wheel is driven to rotate by pressure thereagainst by the rotating idler wheel. A solenoid is operable selectably to move a document deflector pivoted about the flicker wheel axle to deflect a document along the track into the pinch between a central waisted portion of the flicker wheel and the idler wheel. The document is urged into the bin and the trailing edge of the document, having disengaged from the pinch between the idler wheel and a waisted portion of the flicker wheel is engaged by projections on the unwaisted top and bottom serrated portions of the flicker wheel, to urge the document further into the bin and to disengage the trailing edge at a predetermined location therein.

Abstract: In a sorting machine designed for use with a copying machine capable of handling paper of various sizes, a vertical array of sorting bins includes an uppermost sorting bin with an expandable surface area. This allows the sorting machine to handle extraordinarily large paper without increasing the footprint of the sorting machine. The uppermost position ensures that when expanded, the expandable sorting bin will stand over the copying machine, which does not normally need great overhead clearance. The expandable sorting bin may be expandable by virtue of a hinged, sliding or detachable extension plate, and may be expanded automatically when the copying machine detects and signals the use of larger paper. Multiple expandable sorting bins may be used for sorting the extra-large paper. In addition, the sorting machine may have one normal-sized sorting bin in alignment with a main receiving tray of the copying machine so as to allow the main tray to accommodate extra-large paper.

Abstract: A stacking device having at least two stacking wells supplied from above is arranged subsequent to a delivery conveyor for printed products. A deposition apparatus for depositing one cover sheet on each completed stack is also provided. In order not to have to deposit this cover sheet upon the stack just as it leaves the stacking device, a device for preparing individual pre-printed cover sheets is provided. The deposition apparatus includes a cover sheet conveyor arranged subsequent to this cover sheet preparing device. The cover sheet conveyor is provided with a controllable outlet for each stacking well and opens into its associated stacking well.

Abstract: Sheets of paper coming from an office machine such as a copier, are collated in a collator having a vertically extending sheet feeding channel. Collating compartments forming a stack extend up from the channel at a slant. Each collating compartment cooperates with its lower end with one or two sheet feeding rollers and a tiltable guide flap. If a flap is in a passive position the respective transport roller, in cooperation with a counter-pressure roller, will move a sheet past the flap. If the flap is tilted into an active position its curved shape will guide a sheet out of the feeding channel into the respective collating compartment. The tiltable guide flaps are so arranged that they extend on both sides of a horizontal plane and of a vertical plane extending through a rotational axis of the respective sheet feeding roller or rollers. These features assure a sheet feeding free of troubles even if sheets of different lengths and of different thicknesses are to be collated.

Abstract: Selectors which can be worked alternately are placed along the advancement path of articles having different sizes. Each selector is constituted by a rake structure with L-shaped prongs which can be moved from an upper rest position, where the prongs do not interfere with the advancement of the articles along said path, to a lower pick up position where the prongs stop the advancement of the articles and then again to an upper discharge position, where the prongs, after having lifted the engaged articles, allow their conveyance towards collection places, such as piling hoppers.

Abstract: There is disclosed a collator which can access a desired one of a plurality of recording medium bins at any timing and which allows a maximum utilization of the plurality of bins. The collator includes a transporter for transferring recording medium to bins, a deflector for guiding the recording medium to the selected bin, an empty detector for detecting an empty state of the recording medium in the bins, and a controller for controlling the operation of the deflector such that when a predetermined amount of recording media have been stored in the bin during the recording medium storage operation, the recording media are transferred to other storage, and when said empty detector detects that the recording media have been removed from the bin having the predetermined amount of recording media stored therein, the transport of the recording media to the emptied bin is permitted.

Abstract: In a collator for use in combination with an electrophotographic copying machine which discharges copies of originals in succession at the same time interval, deflection claws for delivering successive copies of a manuscript into successive bins are provided at inlets of respective bins and two endless belts each having an actuator for driving the deflection claws are provided movably along the successive bins. The two endless belts are driven by two different controlling circuits, respectively in an independent manner. During the copy delivering operation by the first endless belt for a plurality of copies of a certain document, it is possible to initiate the copy delivering operation by the second endless belt for a plurality of copies of the next document.

Abstract: Letters discharged from a mail-sorting machine are received by a switching flap and pendulum for braking and guiding them towards the bottom of a selected basket-type compartment in order to form a stack. The mail baskets are disposed in interfitting relation and in a number of superposed rows at different levels.

Abstract: A collator includes a series of twenty bins arranged in parallel with each other. A copy feeding member feeds copies supplied from a copying machine along inlets of the successive bins. First and second deflecting devices are arranged at uppermost two bins for delivering the copies into the uppermost two bins. A distributor is movable between the third bin and the twentieth bin for delivering the copies into the bins. An extra tray is provided separately from the bins. The collator further comprises a collate mode selecting member, a job separation mode selecting member and a non-collate mode selecting member.

Abstract: A combined sheet iverter and sorter comprises a plurality of bins B, a gate D associated with each bin which permits a sheet S to travel direction into the bin B, and a reversible conveyor 102 for advancing sheets past the bin openings and reversing the sheets into the bins B. The conveyor 102 is controlled so that each sheet is reversed when its trail edge is located between a pair of adjacent gates whereby the sheets S may be guided into selected bins B in accordance with a predetermined sequence.

Abstract: This invention is directed to a feeding mechanism for a collator. A collator comprises a number of bins wherein multiple copies and multiple pages are inserted into the bins. This feeding mechanism can insert papers into the bins and which papers can move downwardly and into the bins or can move upwardly and into the bins. In one version of this feeding mechanism it is possible for the feeding mechanism to feed the same page of the business papers, continuously, into the bins until all of that page has been inserted into the bins. In this version there is a saving of time and money and paper as it is not necessary to shut down the feeding mechanism while inserting the pages into the bins and thereby there is a saving of time and there is a saving of paper as paper is not wasted during the time the feeding mechanism is not operating.

Abstract: Continuous paper sorter mechanism in which a receiver section is comprised of at least two columns of inclined side-by-side stacks of paper storage bins or shelves with entrances for receiving paper sheets from the feeder. The receiver is mounted for lateral movement relative to a feeder mechanism, such that the bin entrances move past the feeder in a generally vertical plane. The feeder has an in-feed conveyor which takes paper from a copy making device such as a press or duplicating machine and feeds the sheets of paper either to an intermediate downwardly inclined conveyor or onto an intermediate upwardly inclined conveyor, depending on whether the feeder is distributing paper sheets from the top or from the bottom. Sheets from the intermediate conveyors in turn are transported to a generally vertically disposed, reversible feeder conveyor.

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 modular assembly for selectably changing or diverting sheet items from an input pathway into a selected one of a number of output pathways. Three irregularly shaped one-way gate members, actuated by the passage of the item, act to prevent return movement of the item into the input pathway. Two sets of three diverter members coupled together by means of a novel linkage to a single actuating solenoid act to cause the two sets of diverters to move in unison in one or the other of two opposite directions to divert the items into selected output pathways as desired.

Abstract: A sorter mechanism for receiving and stacking discrete sheets in a preselected order. A plurality of bins are provided for receiving discrete sheets delivered to the bins with a given side facing in a particular orientation. The bins, each of which have oppositely disposed first and second sheet supporting members, are positionable so as to support the sheets with the given side facing the first sheet supporting members when the bins are in a first position and with the given side facing the second sheet supporting members when the bins are in the second position. Sheets fed along a predetermined path to the sorter mechanism are directed into selective bins, the bins being selectively positioned in either of the mentioned positions dependent upon the original orientation of the given sheet side in the predetermined path and the desired final order of the sheets being stacked.

Abstract: A sheet sorting and stacking apparatus for sorting and storing sheet materials into plural storage positions, includes a pair of sheet conveyors for transporting sheet materials from a sheet entrance to the storage positions, an auxiliary member provided in the transport path and adapted to perform a swinging motion thereby being released together with one of the conveyors from the other so as to widen the space in the transport path and releasing device for releasing the auxiliary member upon detection of an abnormality in the sheet transport.

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 dual-mode sheet sorting apparatus for sorting plural sheets into plural storage bins according to a predetermined order. The apparatus includes first bin members for storing sorted sheets, movable second bin members for storing sorted sheets and having a number corresponding to the number of the first bin members, and selecting device for selectively placing the second bin members in a storage position for receiving the sheets or in a retracted position in which the second bin members are retracted from the storage position, such that in a first operation mode the second bin members are displaced to the retracted position by the selecting device to allow sheet sorting into the first bin members, while in a second operation mode the second bin members are displaced to the storage position by the selecting device to allow sheet sorting into the second bin numbers in preference to the first bin members.

Abstract: Apparatus for producing sets of copies from a set of document sheets, some of which can be produced in a collating mode by means of a recirculating feeder and others cannot be produced in a collating mode. The copies that are produced in a noncollating mode are stored temporarily. Programmable means control the making of copies in a collating mode and the delivery of copies temporarily stored so that the copies arrive at a receiver or finisher in collated sets of copies with the page order of the copy sets corresponding to the page order of the document set.

Abstract: A sorting machine has sheet deflecting fingers actuatable from closed positions at one side of a sheet path to open positions, in succession, to remove sheets from a sheet transport and direct the sheets into trays. The fingers, in closed condition, span adjacent fingers, in nested relation, with surfaces of the fingers facing the transport lying on a plane parallel to the moving sheets and extending arcuately beneath the open finger below to assist in guiding a sheet into a tray.

Abstract: A sorting machine receives M successive groups of copies, each group consisting of N identical copies, to be converted into N complete sets of copies. N may considerably exceed the number of collecting bins of the sorting machine. In a first sorting operation, the cards are distributively sorted into a predetermined number of the collecting bins, until all cards have been deposited into bins. The stacks in the bins are then removed and laid one atop the other to form a new infeed stack, which is deposited into the infeed bin of the machine, and a second sorting operation is performed, until all cards have again been deposited into bins. This is repeated, if and as necessary, until the desired conversion has been accomplished. The sequence in which the cards are distributed into bins during especially the second and any subsequent sorting operations is so controlled that the desired sets are actually formed, no matter what the values of M and N and no matter what the number of collecting bins available.

Abstract: Device for the assorted collection of sheets, comprising a transport track and bins situated along this track. The bins are provided with guide organs and each bin can be moved so that its guide organ protrudes into the track so as to guide a sheet into a bin. In the transport track the sheets are transported by means of belts running around a vacuum holddown device so as to hold the sheets onto the belts.

Abstract: A collator which utilizes sheet momentum to operate sheet diverting vanes includes over-center weight elements in the vanes. The vanes are rockably positioned to block and open a sheet conveyance path, and force exerted on the vane by the sheet and the over-center weight element as a sheet moves into a collection compartment tips the vane from a sheet diverting, path blocking position to a path freeing position.

Abstract: This sheet feeding and collating apparatus has a frame supporting a plurality of upwardly open collating compartments arranged in a row and slanting relative to the vertical. The frame also supports a sheet input feeder as well as a sheet transport and guide mechanism located above the collating compartments so that a sheet advancing roller is substantially aligned with an upper edge of each compartment. At least one tiltable guide gate is located above each compartment. The gates are sequentially operable by respective magnets in response to the movement of a sheet through a light beam to sequentially deflect the sheets into respective compartments. Each interruption of the light beam actuates a stepping switch which in turn connects the operating magnets sequentially to their respective energizing circuit. When the last compartment in a sequence has received a sheet, the stepping switch is reset to begin a new sequence in a ring around fashion.