The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 18, 1989
Filed:
Sep. 03, 1987
Toshio Sakuuchi, Ibaraki, JP;
Kuniaki Kimura, Mito, JP;
Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sheet sorter delivers sheets introduced seriatim from a host unit such as a copier onto a plurality of removable stationary sheet receiving trays through its pivotable sheet guide and discharge mechanism having four pivotal axes. The sheet guide and discharge mechanism is pivotably supported at its one end on two fixed pivotal axes so that the mechanism can be pivotally swung up and down about the two fixed pivotal axes. At the other end of the sheet guide and discharge mechanism, which is unsupported, are disposed the other two pivotal axes and sheet discharge rollers. The swinging motion of the mechanism is achieved by a Geneva drive mechanism including a first driving motor so that the level of the sheet discharge roller is sequentially shifted to be aligned with each of the tray levels and the sheets are seriatim sorted onto the respective trays. The sorter has a second driving motor for driving the sheet discharge rollers. The axis of the sheet discharge rollers makes a circular-arc movement about one of the fixed axes and the front edges (the sheet entry side) of the trays are disposed along the locus of the circular-arc movement of the sheet discharge rollers so that the sheet discharge rollers stay juxtaposed with the front edge of the corresponding tray at each of the sheet discharge stages.