Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Takashi Komada

Nobuyuki Morii

Tsutomu Ichinose

Masatoshi Hosoi

Yoshihide Sugiyama

Goro Mori

Nobuyoshi Seki

Yuji Ueno

Masashi Shimada

Masahiro Minato

Shin Umeda

Hirobumi Yoshino

Toshiyuki Kikuchi

Atuhisa Hujiwara

Nobuyoshi Tomioka

Nobuo Koike

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 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.

A paper handling apparatus having a plurality of bins and a chuck unit and a stapler which are movable along the bins and causing the stapler to bind an end portion of a stack of paper sheets which have been received from a copier or similar image forming apparatus, sorted, and then loaded on any one of the bins. The chuck unit has an upper and a lower chuck. After the stapler has bound a stack of paper sheets a push bar independent of the chucks of the chuck unit pushes the end of the stack to return it into the bin. Both the upper and lower chucks are movable up and down. The force which the chucks exert on a stack of paper sheets is controlled in matching relation to the thickness of the stack.

A stapling apparatus used with a sheet sorter having a plurality of bins comprises a stapler-head which is moved along one side edge of the bins toward one of predetermined positions at which the stapler-head confronts the one side edge of the bins. A sheet attracting unit is also moved along the one side edge of the bins toward one of predetermined positions at which the sheet attracting unit confronts the one side edge of the bins. The sheets stacked on one of the bins are chucked by the sheet attracting unit and moved by the sheet attracting unit outwardly from one side edge of the bin to a position at which the stapler-head becomes able to staple the sheet. The sheet attracting unit being movable along the one side edge of each of the bins and able to be stopped at each of predetermined positions at which the sheet attracting unit confronts the one side edge of the bins. Movable fences are provided on the bins, respectively, for aligning the sheets on the respective bins. A fence releasing mechanism is provided for releasing each of the fences in accordance with the movement of the stapler-head along the one side edge of the bins.

Sheet stapling apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Takashi Komada