Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Shin Umeda

Masashi Shimada

Tsutomu Ichinose

Masatoshi Hosoi

Hirobumi Yoshino

Yuji Ueno

Takashi Komada

Goro Mori

Yoshihide Sugiyama

Nobuyoshi Seki

Nobuyuki Morii

Masahiro Minato

Toshiyuki Kikuchi

Atuhisa Hujiwara

Kenji Mori

A paper handing apparatus having a plurality of bins, a chuck unit and a stapler unit movable up and down along the bins, and a sorting unit. The sorting unit distributes a number of paper sheets received from a copier or similar image forming apparatus to the bins, while the stapler unit binds an end portion of each of the stacks of paper sheets loaded in the individual bins. The stapler is movable between and lockable at a position for binding a paper stack and a position for supplying staples. The stapler unit is removable from the sorting unit. Doors such as a stapler door are provided on the housing of the apparatus. When a door other than the stapler door is opened when the stapler is performing a stapling operation, the stapling operation is continued until it completes.

Paper handling apparatus

A paper handling apparatus having a plurality of bins, a paper positioning device for positioning paper sheets which are sequentially distributed to the bins, and a stapler for stapling the paper sheets stacked on the bins. A controller causes the paper positioning device to position the paper sheets even after the latter has been stapled by the stapler.

A paper positioning device having a paper positioning member which is pivotable in abutment against one edge of a paper sheet loaded on a receptacle for moving the paper sheet to a positioning position for thereby positioning the paper sheet. By a simple mechanism and control, the movement of the paper positioning member is slowed down at the positioning position and accelerated until the positioning member reachines it. The paper positioning member performs a pivoting movement twice while a drive shaft associated therewith performs a reciprocating movement once. The device is, therefore, no only durable but also positions paper sheets efficiently and positively without damaging the paper sheets.

Paper positioning device

A paper handling apparatus for use with a copier, printer or similar equipment for sorting a number of paper sheets sequentially driven out of the equipment to prepare paper stacks and binding the paper stacks. The apparatus has a plurality of bins, a sorter for sequentially distributing the paper sheets to the individual bins, a mechanism for positioning the paper sheets distributed to the bins, and a stapler for stapling the paper sheets positioned on the bins. The sorter and the stapler are operable simultaneously with each other. The stapler acts on only those bins which are loaded with paper sheets associated with the last document without exception, while not acting on those bins which are loaded with paper sheets associated with the last document but are loaded with only a single paper sheet. The bin on which the stapler is to act is located at least two bins above the bin where the paper sheets are to be positioned. When a timing at which a paper positioning operation should not be executed is detected, priority is given to a stapling operation with the paper positioning operation being inhibited. Whether or not the bin of interest has undergone paper positioning is determined and, based on the result of decision, which of the paper positioning operation and the stapling operation should be executed is determined. The stapling operation is allowed to occur only at the bins where paper sheets have already been positioned.

An electronic copier having an automatic document feeder and a sorter and selectively operable in a multi-job mode for continuously copying a plurality of groups of documents which differ in copying condition from each other. Single display means displays any desired job data. In response to a copy start signal, single display means displays job data associated with one group of documents which are to be copied.

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Tokyo, Japan

Shin Umeda