Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Ltd.

Hiroshi Tobita

Hiroshi Yamamoto

Akihiro Suzuki

Tsuyoshi Inoue

Chikado Goto

Toshio Endoh

Tetsuya Tamura

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.

Sheet arranging device and sheet sorter

A vertically arranged plurality of trays are each formed with a cut-out at a rear corner. The trays are arranged so that the corner where the cut-out is formed is lower than the other corners. Vertically upward extending rear and side walls are provided on each tray adjacent the cut-out. A downwardly extending side wall is formed on the tray opposite the upwardly extending one. The trays can be selectively shifted by cylindrical cams to positions wherein sheets of printed matter can be ejected thereonto. Due to the skewed angle of the trays the sheets slide to the corners where the cut-out are formed. After sheet collation a tray drawing device pulls a tray rearwardly to a stapler which fastens the sheets at the corners which extend into the cut-out. The tray drawing device then returns the tray, the trays are shifted vertically by the cylindrical cams, and the next tray is pulled to the stapler.

Sorter

A document sheet feeder in accordance with the present invention includes a document sheet stacker, an inclined surface portion which is inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the document sheet stacker, a separation roller which is disposed above the document sheet stacker and which has a plurality of equiangularly-spaced-apart blades extending radially outwardly from the outer surface of the separation roller, a feed roller disposed downstream of the separation roller in order to feed a separated sheet to a predetermined position and pinch roller movable to contact with or disengage from the feed roller. The separation roller is rotatably carried at the end of a first swinging arm and is moved between an operative position at which the sheet separation is effected and an inoperative position spaced apart from the operative position. A pinch roller is rotatably carried at the leading end of a second swinging arm which in turn is swung to a position at which the pinch roller is made into contact with the feed roller when the separation roller is in the operative position for separating a sheet one at each time.

Document sheet feeder

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.

A first moving member is arranged on a base for reciprocal movement in an article transporting direction. A second moving member is arranged on the first moving member for reciprocal movement in the article transporting direction. The second moving member is adapted to contact each receptacle which is being transported to an operation position to which receptacles carrying articles to be treated are sequentially transported. A first biasing mechanism biases the first moving member in a direction opposite to the receptacle transporting direction. A second biasing mechanism biases the second moving member in a direction opposite to the receptacle transporting direction by a biasing force smaller than a biasing force of the first biasing mechanism. Pressing arm is mounted on the first moving member for movement toward and away from the articles to be treated on each receptacle at the operation position. A link mechanism links between the pressing arm and the second moving member for moving the pressing arm to press articles on the receptacle when the first and second moving members are relatively moved.

Article pressing device and sorter with the same

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.

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.

Transporting device and sorter with the same

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. A restraining mechanism is provided to the receptacle carrier for restraining the pins in the first guide slot in contact with adjacent pins.

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.

Growing community of inventors

Ohmiya, Japan

Hiroshi Tobita