Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Tadashi Ikoma

Kenji Hashimoto

Yukitaka Nakazato

Shirou Saeki

Shinji Asami

Akira Hirose

Yohtaro Kakitani

Syozo Miyawaki

An automatic document feeder for use with an electrophotographic copier, digital copier or similar image recorder capable of transporting ordinary documents in the form of separate sheets and a continuous document in the form of computer form (CF) paper which is formed with equally spaced sprocket holes, as desired. A sprocket hole sensor is disposed on an imaginary line along which the sprocket holes of the CF paper are moved. A control device reversibly controls the transport of the CF paper to a predetermined reference position on a glass platen in association with the number of sprocket holes being counted. The document feeder is capable of not only copying a desired page of the CF paper but also implementing jam recovery in the event when a paper sheet jams the image recorder.

Automatic document feeder responsive to paper jam

Switchable automatic document feeder capable of feeding continuous form

A finisher incorporated in an image forming apparatus and capable of setting up a plurality of stapling or otherwise finishing positions in the widthwise direction of a paper sheet. A plurality of bins are each movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which it is moved up and down. After one bin has been moved in such a direction until the edge of a paper stack on the paper inlet side has been aligned with a stapling unit, the stapling unit is movable in a direction perpendicular to a paper discharge direction, i.e., in the widthwise direction to staple the paper stack at a plurality of positions.

Finisher for an image forming apparatus

An automatic document feeder (ADF) for use with an electrophotographic copier, digital copier or similar image recorder for selectively feeding ordinary documents in the form of separate sheets and a continuous document in the form of computer form (CF) paper. Sprocket holes formed through the CF paper are sensed to controllably transport and stop the CF paper on the basis of the number of sensed holes. Slippage of the CF paper apt to occur when the paper begins to be transported and when it is transported by a belt that faces a glass platen is prevented from being erroneously determined to be a jam. Cuts intervening between nearby sprocket holes for temporarily fastening a carbon to the CF paper are prevented from being sensed as the sprocket holes.

Automatic document feeder capable of feeding a document in the form of a

An apparatus for arranging papers comprising a route switch lever which changes paper conveyor route for conveying a paper after a treatment depending on whether the paper is to be directly transferred to a discharge tray or stacked to form a paper group to be stapled together. The apparatus also comprises a stapler which receives papers one by one to form a stack of papers and staples an end of the paper stack. The apparatus further comprises a junction unit which has a conveyor route for directly transferring the paper to the discharge tray and is capable of moving between a first position for receiving a stapled group of papers from the stapling means and a second position for transferring the stapled group of papers to the discharge tray.

Method and apparatus for arranging papers

An apparatus for discriminating a sheet transfer condition has two opposite rollers at least one of which has an axis of rotation which is movable toward and away from that of the other roller. The thickness of a sheet nipped between the two rollers is detected while the rollers are rotated, through a displacement of the movable roller. The thickness is computed utilizing a value provided by integrating, averaging, smoothing or other wise processing on a time series basis the displacement which occurs during a time period for which at least one of the rollers completes an integral number of rotations. The thickness is computed by subtracting a so processed value for a case wherein a sheet is absent between the rollers from a so processed value for a case wherein a sheet is present between the rollers. Where the rollers have a common diameter, the time period which they take to complete an integral number of rotations is employed as the aforesaid time period for an integral number of rotations. Where the diameters of the rollers differ from each other, the time period for a larger diameter roller to complete an integral number of rotations or the time period for both the rollers to complete their integral numbers of rotations is selected as the same time period concerned.

Apparatus for discrimination of sheet transfer condition

An endless belt is disposed closely above and parallel to a transparent platen. The belt is rotatably driven to move an original document for electrophotography or the like from an inlet onto the platen into engagement with a stopper. Pressure means cause the belt to initially press against the document with a large force to ensure document transport across the platen. The belt drive means is de-energized and the pressure force reduced just before the document engages the stopper to prevent jamming of the leading edge of the document against the stopper as the belt overtravels the document due to its inertia. After an imaging exposure of the document, the stopper is retracted and the belts driven to discharge the document from the platen into a tray provided at an outlet. Means are provided to discharge static electricity from the document and facilitate document stacking in the tray. A spacer plate limits upward and lateral movement of the belt, thereby preventing rebound and lateral displacement of the document when the document engages the stopper. The document feed means is designed to ensure that one document will be discharged completely before a subsequent document engages the stopper. The inertia of the belt and drive means is selected such that, even though a predetermined error range is unavoidable in the timing of de-energizing the drive means before the document engages the stopper, the drive means will be de-energized before the document engages the stopper and said inertia will be great enough to carry the document to the stopper.

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Yokohama, Japan

Tadashi Ikoma