Patent ID: 6663104
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: B41J,B43M,B65H,Y10S

Abstract:
A sheet alignment system comprising:a sheet collator, wherein a plurality of sheets, each having a leading edge and two opposing side edges defining a width, are moved along a path in a moving direction from an upstream end to a downstream end where the sheets are collated into a stack; and a pair of alignment devices located at opposite sides of a center line of the path near the downstream end for pushing the opposing side edges of the sheets toward the center line, wherein each alignment device comprises a cam having an outer surface with at least one non-constant radius surface section, and wherein the outer surfaces face each other to define a gate having a gate width; and means for causing the cams to rotate synchronously with respect to each other in opposite directions to change the gate width such that the gate width is greater than the width of the sheets when the leading edge moves into the gate, and the gate width is reduced after the leading edge has passed the gate until the gate width is substantially equal to the width of the sheets so as to cause the side edges of the sheets defining the stack to be aligned with each other.