Patent ID: 8172214
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: B42C,B65H,G03G

Abstract:
1. A sheet collecting apparatus comprising: a sheet transport path for transporting a sheet from a carry-in entrance to a predetermined sheet discharge outlet; a tray device for bearing and storing sheets from the sheet discharge outlet; a regulation stopper for regulating the sheet by an end edge of the sheet fed onto the tray device striking the regulation stopper; a holding path provided in the sheet transport path to temporarily hold the sheet from the carry-in entrance so as to overlap with a subsequent sheet to carry out of the sheet discharge outlet; an alignment roller disposed above the tray device to transport the sheet fed from the sheet discharge outlet to the regulation stopper; and a control device for controlling transport of the sheet from the carry-in entrance to the regulation stopper, wherein the alignment roller is provided with a pressing force adjustment device for adjusting a level of pressing force acting on the sheet transported onto the tray device, the control device is comprised of a first operation mode for transporting the sheet fed from the carry-in entrance to the regulation stopper without holding in the holding path, and a second operation mode for holding the sheet fed from the carry-in entrance in the holding path to overlap with the subsequent sheet, and feeding the sheets to the regulation stopper, and in the first operation mode, the alignment roller applies a transport force to the sheet by a predetermined pressing force after a rear end of the sheet is carried into the tray device, while in the second operation mode, for a period during which rear ends of overlapped sheets are carried into the tray device and then reach the regulation stopper, changing the pressing force applied to the sheets from the alignment roller from a first pressing force which is stronger than the predetermined pressing force to a second pressing force which is weaker than the first pressing force and thereby applying the varied transport force.