Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROU~D OF THE I~ TION
This invention relates to a sorting apparatus adapted
to collate and distribute sheets received from a reproducing
apparatus.
A variety of sorters are known in the art and generally
comprise a plurality of bins arranged in a row. The bins are
usually defined by tray members for supporting the sheets
received in the bin. In one type of sorter the tray members
are comprised of parallel spaced apart members extendins in a
linear row. In another type o sorter the tray members extend
out radially from an axis of rotation to provide a rotary type
sorter bin arrangement.
sheet distribution into the sorter bins may be
accompli~hed in a number Oe ways~ The co~unon approach is to
utilize a sheet transport to convey a sheet past the openings
of the bins and deflection fingers to deflect and guide the
- sheet from the transport and into the respective bin. One
.
such approach utilizing separate deflection fingers for each
bin is shown, for example, in the ~ollowing U. S. Patents: IJ. S.
Patent ~os. 2,4~2,386; 2,919,917; 30371,926; 3,273j882;
3,467,371, 3,580,563; 3,709,485; and 3,744,790. Another approach
which has been utilized comprises the use of a moving deflection
inger which moves from bin to bin to deflect the sheet into
the respective bina Thi type of approach is illustrated in
U. S. Patent ~o. 3,561,753, to Snellman. Yet, another approach
is to move the row of bins past thP sheet ejecting portion
o E the transport. This approach is illustrated in U. S. Patent
~;rOs. 2,241,168, and 3,788,640.
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It is also known in the art to widen the bin opening
of a respective bin into which a sheet is being fed. This
approach is illustrated in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,774,902, to
Schulze, and 3,788,64U to Stemmle.
~ he use of vacuum transports for conveying sheet
material is also well known in the art as illustrated in U.S.
Patent Nos. 3,500,999, and 3,536,401. The application of a
vacuum transport to a sorter is illustrated in U.S. Patent
No. 3,774,906, to Fagen.
U.S. Patent No. 3,749,392 to Yanagawa is of interest
since it shows rolls at the end of each respective bin which
can be counter-rotated in order to deflect and guide a sheet -~
into a bin.
U.S. Patent No. 3,193,278, to Ullberg is of interest
since it shows guide members supported at the bin opening end
of respective sheet supporting members of a collating apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention
a sorting apparatus is provided wherein the deflection fingers
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for removing sheets and guiding them into the bins are integral
~; to the sorter trays and the trays move sequentially to deflect
sheets into the bins. This substantially simplifies the -
sorting mechanism and should help to reduce jams.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention
there is provided a sorting apparatus comprising: a plurality
of sheet receiving bins, each of said bins including a member
for supporting sheets in said bin; means for transporting a
sheet past each of said bins; each of said members including
an integral means for deflecting a sheet from said transport
and guiding said sheet lnto one of said bins; and means for
supporting said members for movement selectively between a
first position wherein said deflecting means is operative to
deflect and guide a sheet from said transport into a bin and
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a second position wherein said deflecting means is inoperative
to deflect and guide a sheet from said transport ~o a bin.
In accordance with another aspect of the present
invention there is provided apparatus for the assorted
collection of sheets, comprising means for transporting sheets
to be assorted successively along a sorting track, a group of
bins situated along a side of said track, and guide organs
moveable selectively into said track and each operative therein
to divert a sheet therefrom into a pertaining bin, characterized
in that each bin of a plurality of said bins has a guide organ
unified therewith and is moveable to and fro relative to said
track and independently of the other of said bins between two
positions in a first of which the guide organ on the bin is
situated out of the path of movement of a sheet in said track
and in the second of which said guide organ protrudes into
said path to divert a sheet from said track into one of said
bins.
Preferably, in accordance with the present invention,
the deflection and guiding means, and the sheet support member
comprise a unitary member. In accordance with one embodiment
the deflection means guides a sheet onto the member with which
it is integral. In accordance with an alternative embodiment,
the deflection means guides a sheet onto a member next adjacent
to the member with which it is integral. Preferably, the
deflection means includes a means for guiding a sheet over any
sheets already supported by the tray with which it is integral. ~ ~ ;
The bins preferably are pivotally arranged in a
vertically or horizontally extending row. Movement of the bins
is preferably solenoid actuated. Pivotal mountin~ of the bins
provides a bin opening function to increase the opening of the
bin into which a sheet is being fed.
This invention will become more apparent from the
following description and drawings.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTIo~ OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a sorting apparatus
and reproducing machine in accordance with one embodiment of
the present invention.
Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the sorting
apparatus of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partial schematic side view of a
sorting apparatus in accordance with another embodiment of the
present invention.
-~ 10 Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the apparatus
o Figure 3.
! BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
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~ Reerring now to Figure 1 there is shown by way o~
`~ example an electrostatographic r~3producing machine 10 which
uses the improved sorting apparatus 11 of the present invention.
The reproducing machine 10 depic~ed in Figure 1 illustrates the
various components utilized therein for xerographically pro-
; ducing copies from an original. Although the apparatus of the
present invention is particularly well adapted for use with an
automatic xerographic reproducing machine 1, it should become
evident from the following description that it is equally well
suited for use in a wide variety of electrostatographic systems
and other reproducing machines and is not necessarily limited
in it5 application to the particular embodiment shown herein~
The reproducing machine illustrated in Figure 1
employ~ an image recording drum-like member 12, the outer
periphery 13 of which is coated with a suitable photosensitive
material. One type of suitable photoconductive material is
` disclosed in U. S. Patent ~o~ 2,970,906, issued to Bixby in
1961. The drum 12 is suitably journaled for rotation within
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a machine frame (not shown) by m~ans of a shaft 14 and rotates
in the direction indicated by arrow 15 to bring the image
retaining surface thereon past a plurality of xerographic
processing stations. 5uitable drive means (not shown) are
provided to power and coordinate the motion of the various
cooperating machine components whereby a faithful reproduction
of the original input scene information is recorded upon a
sheet 16 of ~inal support material such as paper or the like.
The practice of xerography is well-kn~wn in the
art, and is the subject of numerous patents and texts, includins
Electro~hotoqraphy by Schaffert, published in 1965, and
Xeroqra~hy_and Related_Processes, by Dessauer and Clark,
published in 1965. The various processing stations for pro-
ducing a copy o~ an original are herein represented in Figure
1 as blocks ~ ~ E.
Initially the drum 12 moves photoconductive surface
through charging station A. In charging station A an electro-
static charge is placed uniformly over the photoconductive
surface of the drum 12 preparatory to Lmaging. The chargi~g
may be provided by a corona generating device o a type
descr bed in U. S. Patent ~o. 2,836,725, issued to Vyverberg
.
in 1958.
Therea~ter, the drum 12 is rotated to exposure station
B where the charged photoconductive surface is exposed to a
light Lmage of the original input sc~ne information, whereby
the charge is selectively dissipated in the light exposed
regions to record the original input scene in the fonm o a
latent electrostatic image~ A suitable e~posure syst~m may be
of the type described in U. S. Patent No. 3,832,057t
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to Shogren.
After exposure, drum 12 rotates the electrostatic
latent image recorded on the photoconductive surface to
development station C wherein a conventional developer mix
is applied to the photoconductive sur~ace of the drum rendering
the latent lmage visible. A suitable development station is
disclosed in U. S. Patent ~o. 3,707,947, issued to Reichart
in 1973. This patent describes a magnetic brush development
system utilizing a magnitizable developer mix having carrier
granules and a toner colorentO The developer mix is continuously
broughtthrough a directional ~lux field to form a brush thereof.
The electrostatic latent image recorded on photoconductive
surface is developed by bringing the brush of developer mix
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into contact therewith.
The developed image on the photoconductive surface 13
is then brought into contact with a sheet 16 o~ final support
material within a transfer station D, and the toner Lmage is
trans~erred ~rom the photoconductive surface to the contacting
side of the final support sheetO The ~inal support material
may be paper, plastic, etc., as desiredO After the toner Lmage
has been transferred to the sheet o~ final support material the
sheet with the image thereon is advanced to a suitable fuser
17 which coalesces the transferred powder image thereto. One
type of suitable user is described in U. S. Patent No. 2,701,765,
issued to Codichini, et al in 1955.
Although a preponderance of the toner powder is
transferred to the final support material 16, invariably some
residual toner remains on the photoconductive surface after
transfer. The residual toner particles remaining on the
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photoconductive surface after transfer are removed from the
drum 12 as it moves through cleaning station E. Here the
residual toner parkicles are first neutralized and then
mechanically cleaned from the photoconductive surface by
conventional means as, for example, the use of a resilientiy
biased knife blade as set forth in U. S. Patent ~o. 3,660,863,
issued to Gerbasi in 1972.
It is believed that the foregoing description is
sufficient for purposes of the present application to illustrate
the general operation of an automatic xerographic copier which
can use a sorter of the presenk invention. Unless otherwise
specified or shown, shafts and other members are suitably
; supported in appropriate machine frames by any desired con-
ventional means.
Ater a sh~et exits from the fuser, it is transported
b~ a sheet transport 18 of conventional design to the input
; tra~sport 20 o~ the sorter 11. In the sorting arrangement ~hown
; the shee~s which exit from the fuser are Lmaged face-up, but
they are delivered into the sorter bins 21 face-down.
Referring t~ Figures 1 and 2, the sorting apparatus
in accordance with this invenkion comprises a plurality of
sheet receiving bins 21. In the embodiment shown, the bins 21
are arran~ed se~u~ntially in a verkically extending row~ Each
bin 21 includes a sheet supporting member 22. The sheet
- supporting members or trays 22 are su~portad in a parallel
spaced apart arrangemenk to define the respective bins 21. The
members are pivotally supporked in a rame 24 at their down-
stream ends; they are supported at kheir opposing or upstream
ends by means of a solenoid actuating mechanism as shown in
Figure 2. Each o~ the members 22 includes a su~stantially
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planar portion 25 for supporting sheets 16 in the respective
bins and an upwardly extending rear stop portion 26 against
which the sheets supported in the bin abut. A vertical sheet
transport 28 of the vacuum type is provided to advance a
sheet 16 past the bin openings.
The front or upstream end of each support member
22 includes a means 30 integral therewith or deflecting or
stripping a sheet 16 from the vertical transport 28, and for
guiding the sheet into a bin 21. In the embodiment shown the
deflectins means 30 is integral with each of the sheet supporting
members. I'he deflecting means includes a first step-like
portion 31 which is provided to guide sheets over the stack of
sheets 16 already supported within the bin. A second portion
32 which may have any desired sha]pe such as the curved one
shown, is provided at the ree en~d of the member and serves
to deflect sheets from the transport 28 and guide them into
the bin 21. The curved portion 32 serves in place of separate
- sheet deflectors as might be employed in a conventional sorter.
The sheet receiving members 22 are movable between a
first position wherein the deflecting means 30 is arranged to
intercept a sheet on the transport 28 and is operative to
deflect the sheet into a bin, and a ~e~ond position wherein the
de~lectin~ means 30 is inoperative to deflect sheets from the
transport into a bin~ The first position is shown in Figure
1 for all the bins, but the first in the line of sheet travel
on the transport 28. The second position is illustrated for
the first bin in line. As a sheet travels along the transport
28, it is deflected into the first bin along its line of
travel which is in the first position. As a sheet 16 is
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i5 received into a bin 21, the operative member 22 is then
pivoted to the second position so that tha next arriving sheet
will be fed into the next adjacent downstream bin.
Referring now to Figure 2, it is shown that the
deflecting means 30 o~ the sheet supporting members or trays
comprise spaced apart ~ingers. Pins 34 are provided at the
downstream end of the tray and they project through a pie
shaped slot 35 in the frame 24 so as to pivotally support the
trays for movement between the respective ~irst and second
positions. The opposing end of the tray 22 i5 supported by
means of a solenoid actuation mechanism 40. The front end
o~ the tray includes a tab 41 at a side thereo~ which is
æupported by means of a pivotal link 42. The tray is held in
engagement with the link by means of a spring 43 which biases
it into a slot 44 in the link. .Each link is pivotally
supported about pin 45 near one of its ends and the slot is
located adjacent its opposite end. A solenoid 46 supported
by the machine frame ~not shown) is pivotally connected to the
link 42 at a position located between the pin 45 and the tray
receiving slot 44.
The tray 22, which is illustrated in Figure 2, is
~:, shown in the first position wherein the solenoid 46 is
deactuated and the pivotal link 42 is arranged generally
vertically at a rest position. In thi position the deflecting
fingPrs 30 supported by the tray 22 project through the path
sheet travel defined by the surface of belts 29 adjacent the
bin openings so as to intercept and deflect any sheet trans-
ported by the transport means onto a tray. This is accomplished
by pro~iding slots 65 in the transport 28 which extend
~0 between the belts 29 and into which the deflection fingers
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30 of the tray 22 can project. The deflection fingers 30
extend out rrom the upstream end of the tray and include the
step portions 31 and curv2d portions 32 previously described.
The fingers 30 are arranged to project through the sheet feed
path between the respective transport belts 29~
To move the trays 22 to their second position,
the respective solenoid 46 is selectively actuated and sequenced
in the same manner as solanoids for controlling deflection
fingers in conventional sorters. Various systems for providing
such sequencing are known in the art as set forth in the
background of this application. A system for sequencing the
trays does not form part of this invention and any desired
system can be utilized.
Upon actuation of the solenoid 46 the link 42 is
caused to rotate in a counterclockwise direction about pin
45 and thereby ~ivot the tray 22 up to its second position. In
the second position the deflection fingers 30 do not project
into the path of sheet travel so that they are inoperative to
intercept and deflect a sheet from the transport 28 into a
bin 21.
By pivoking the tray in the manner described, the
bin entrance opening is also increased. ~his is advantageous
because it increases the space between the trays 22 when
a sheet is being fed into a bin so as to provide the necessary
clearance for the sheet as it is fed over sheets already in
the bin.
It should be apparent that it is not necessary to
actually move the last tray 22 in the direction of sheet
travel, and in accordance with the preferred embodLment of
the present invention the last bin in the sorter does not
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include a means 40 for moving it between the first and
second positions, but rather it is held stationary in the
first position.
The sorting apparatus 11 shown in Figure 1, includes
a vertical transport 28 and a vertical array of shset receiving
bins 21. The present invention can alternatively include a
hvriæontal sheet transport 28' and a horizontal array o~
sheet receiving bins as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Any desired
orientation for the bin array could be employed.
In the previous embodiment sheets 16 which were
de~lected by the deflecting ~ingers 30 of the tray 22 were
deflected onto the tray supporting those fingers. In accordance
with the horizontal embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, the
deflecting fingers 30' of the tray 22' serve to de~lect a sheet
16 onto the next adjacent tray which preceeds it in the
direction o sheet travel.
~` As with the previous sorter 11 a transport 28' is
provided ~or transporting the sheets past the entrance openings
of the respective bins 21'. The incoming sheets 16 travel
along the top sux~ace o~ the transport as they are received
~rom the reproducing machine 1OA They proceed through a
180 turnaround 51 and then onto the lower transport surface
for delivery to the bins 21'.
Each of the ~ins includes a member 22' for supporting
sheets in the bin and the members are supported in a spaced
apart parallel arrangement. As with the previous embodiment
one end o the me~bers or trays 22' is pivotally supported
at 55. The back end of each tray also includes an upwardly
extending stop portion 26' for supporting a side of a stack
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of sheet 16 in the bins.
The opposing end of the tray includes integral
therewith the deflecting means or fingers 30' for deflecting
sheets into one of the bins. In the previous embodiment the
deflecting fingers included a step-like guide portion 31 for
guiding sheets over sheets already supported in the bins and a
curved portion 32 for deflecting sheets from the transport 28.
In this embodiment the deflecting portion 3Z' is on the front
side of the tray. The deflecting portion is curved, though it
may have any desired shape. The guiding pOrtiQn 31' comprises a
portion of the tray which is bent back on itself with the
free end of the guide portion being spaced ~bove the backside
60 of the tray by an amount sufficient to guide a sheet over
any sheets already supported upon the back of the tray. The
deflecting fingers 30' are spaced apart and are arranged when
a tray is in its first position to pass through the path of
sheet travel defined by the belts 29' on the bottom of trans-
port 28' by projecting into slots 65 between the belts 29' of the
transport.
The deflerting fingers of the trays 22' shown in
Figures 3 and 4 also serve to support the respective trays a
` desired distance apaxt in their second position.
Movement of the trays to the first position is
provided by means of a solenoid actuated mechanism 40' com-
prising latching solenoids 70 connected to extensions 71 of
the trays 22' on the other side of the pivot axes 55.
To begin a sorting operation the trays 22' are
latched ~y the solenoids 70 in the first position wherein the
deflection fingers 30' project through the path of sheet
~2~36
travel to intercept sheets on the transport 28'. As a sheet
16 is delivered into a bin, the tray 22' with the last
operative deflection fingers 30' is unlatched and pivots und~r
the foLce of gravity and the bias imparted by spring 72 against
the next adjacent upstr~am tray. In this ~ashion as sheets
are delivered into each respective bin, the trays sequentially
pivot between the first and second positions to provide the
proper sheet distribution into the trays.
In the embodiment of Figures 3 and 4, the ~irst
tray 75 does not include deflection fingers 30' and is held
stationary. The last tray 22' can includa deflection fingers
30', but it need not be actuated for movement between the
first and second positions. It can, as in accordance with the
previous embodLment, be locked or mounted in the first position.
Al~ernatively, stationary deflection fingers 80 supported by
the transport 28' could be substituted for the last tray to
thereby save the cost of an additional tray which is otherwise
not employed ~or supporting sheets.
Preferably the qorter trays, in accordance with this
in~ention, comprise a unitary structure, including both the
deflection fingers and planar portion. However, if desired,
the trays can be constructed from a plurality of parts
appropriately joined together to form the integral structure.
The sorter ma~ have any desired number of bins. It is also
possible in accordance with the present invention to provide
multiple arrays of bins in order to increase the sorter
capacity such as in U~ S. Patent No. 3,467,371.
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36
The patents, patent applications, and texts specifically
set orth in this application are intended to be incorporated
by reference into the description.
The term electrostatographic as employed in the
present application refers to the formation and utilization
of electrostatic charge patterns for the purpose of recording
and reproducing patterns in viewable form.
It is apparent that there have been provided in
accordance with this invention apparatuses which fully satisfy
the objects, means and advantages set forth hereinbeforeO
While the invention has been described in conjunction with
specific embodiments therefor, it is evident that many
alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent
to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing descrip-
tion. Accordingly, it is intend~d to embrace all such
alternatives, modifications and variations as fall within
the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
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