Paper accumulating device

Abstract: A paper accumulating device (20) according to the present invention comprises a paper bundle feeding port (31), a plurality of paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34) including paper bundle receivers (21, 22) for accumulating paper bundles respectively, a delivery path (23, 24, 25) for delivering the paper bundles sequentially fed to the paper bundle feeding port to the paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34). The paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34) are provided with sorting mechanisms (40, 60) for sorting the delivered paper bundles. The delivery path includes a main delivery path portion (23) extended from the paper bundle feeding port (31) to a branch point (32), and a plurality of branch delivery path portions (24, 25) extended from the branch point (32) to the related paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34) respectively. The branch point (32) is provided with a switching gate plate (26) for operating to selectively connect the main delivery path portion (23) to the branch delivery path portions (24, 25) respectively.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a paper accumulating device for sorting and accumulating a bundle of papers which are sequentially fed. The paper accumulating device generally comprises a paper bundle feeding port, a paper bundle receiving portion for accumulating a bundle of papers, a delivery path extended between the paper bundle feeding port and the paper bundle receiving portion, and delivery means for delivering the paper bundle to be sequentially fed to the paper bundle feeding port along the delivery path to the paper bundle receiving portion. Furthermore, the paper bundle receiving portion is provided with a sorting mechanism for sorting the delivered paper bundle. Thus, the adjusted paper bundle is sequentially fed from a sheet collator to the paper bundle feeding port of the paper accumulating device. The fed paper bundle is delivered along the delivery path and is sorted and accumulated onto the paper bundle receiving portion. When the paper bundle is accumulated onto the paper bundle receiving portion up to a predetermined height, it is sent from the paper accumulating device to a processing device at the next step such as a filing device or the like. For example, the sorting mechanism serves to sort the paper bundle by alternately shifting the paper bundle sequentially delivered to the paper bundle receiving portion right and left with respect to a delivery direction. Fig. 4 shows a state in which the paper bundle is thus sorted and accumulated in the paper bundle receiving portion. In Fig. 4, the ends of the papers are adjusted for each paper bundle and the paper bundles are alternately shifted and accumulated. More specifically, the paper bundle is divided into a set in which the ends make a string of A1 to AX and a set in which the ends make a string of B1 to BX. Thus, the paper bundles are alternately shifted and accumulated so that a work for separately sorting the paper bundles is not required at the next step such as the filing process or the like. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an advantage that a bookbinding process can efficiently be performed. The above-mentioned sorting mechanism includes means for reciprocating right and left with respect to the delivery direction of the paper bundles to alternately distribute the paper bundles fed to the paper bundle receiving portion right and left with respect to the delivery direction. The reciprocating means is driven by driving means such as a motor. The reciprocation requires a constant time. On the other hand, the operating speed of the sheet collator, that is, a paper discharging speed tends to be increased by the progress of technology. However. the operating speed of the sorting mechanism of the paper bundle receiving portion is lower than the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator, and the increase in the operating speed of the sorting mechanism also has a limitation. In order to deliver the paper bundles to the paper bundle receiving portion according to the operation of the sorting mechanism, therefore, the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator should be adapted to the operating speed of the sorting mechanism. For this reason, the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator is set to a lower speed than the possible maximum speed. Consequently, there has been a problem in that the capability of the sheet collator cannot fully be exhibited. US 2 697 388 A, which corresponds to the preamble of claim 1, discloses a system for stacking newspapers and the like. Papers are transported from a press folder on a conveyor. The conveyor merges with an entrance end of a speed-up section. A movable guide vane is located at an exit end of the speed-up section for movement between two extreme positions by solenoid operating coils to direct papers leaving the speed-up section into either of two conveyors. A resilient guide device and an air jet are arranged adjacent the exit end of each of conveyors for insuring accurate alignment in stacking of papers on an associated stacking table. A counting device comprised of a light source and an associated photoelectric device is appropriately positioned across the path of travel of papers in the speed-up section so as to count the number of papers passing through the speed-up section. Under the control of the counting device, the guide vane operates to change the direction of flow of papers from the speed-up section to a different stacking table each time a predetermined number of papers pass the speed-up section. US 5 188 353 A discloses a disk stacker having a tamping mechanism located over a sheet receiving platform for tamping side edges of the sheets as the sheets fall to a top of stack. First and second vertical side registration walls are positioned above a different one of two side edges of the sheet receiving platform and are spaced apart so that a sheet can be received therebetween. A first tamper is located adjacent the first side registration wall and is movable through an aperture therein between an active position wherein the first tamper extends through the aperture and is located between the first and second side registration walls to tamp incoming sheets against the second side registration wall, and an inactive position wherein the first tamper is retracted behind the first side registration wall out of an area between the first and second side registration walls. A second tamper operates in a similar manner relative to the second side registration wall and, when the first and second tampers are alternately operated between their active and inactive positions, separate sets of sheets in the stack can be offset from each other in a direction transverse to the process direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper accumulating device capable of sorting and accumulating paper bundles at a high speed according to a maximum operating speed (paper discharging speed) that a sheet collator can exhibit. This object is solved by the features of claim 1. Further particular embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing a paper accumulating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view showing a sorting mechanism of the paper accumulating device illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view showing the sorting mechanism illustrated in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a state in which paper bundles are sorted and accumulated in the paper accumulating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Fig. 1 is schematic side view showing a paper accumulating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, a paper accumulating device 20 according to the present invention is connected to a sheet collator 1. The adjusted paper bundles are sequentially fed from the sheet collator 1. The sheet collator 1 includes 8 paper supply shelves 2a to 2h spaced in a longitudinal direction. A predetermined number of papers having the same page are housed in each of the paper supply shelves 2a to 2h. Paper feeding rollers 3a to 3h are provided on the paper feeding side of each of the paper supply shelves 2a to 2h. The paper discharged from each of the paper supply shelves 2a to 2h by means of the paper feeding rollers 3a to 3h is fed to a longitudinal delivery belt 6 through vertical feeding rollers 4a to 4j. The longitudinal delivery belt 6 is driven by driving rollers 5a and 5b for the vertical delivery belt which are spaced in a vertical direction. The papers fed from each of the paper supply shelves 2a to 2h to the longitudinal delivery belt 6 are sequentially stacked and adjusted in order of pages while they are being delivered downward in the vertical direction by means of the belt 6. Thus, a paper bundle for one book is formed. A horizontal and transverse delivery belt 8 is provided in a position spaced from the lower end of the longitudinal delivery belt 6. The transverse delivery belt 8 is driven by the driving rollers 5a and 5b for the transverse delivery belt which are spaced in a horizontal direction. The adjusted paper bundles are transferred from the lower end of the longitudinal delivery belt 6 to the transverse delivery belt 8 through a guide plate 10. A paper discharging roller 9a is provided on an end of the transverse delivery belt 8 on the paper discharging port 11 side. The paper bundles are sent to the paper discharging port 11 through the paper discharging roller 9a. The reference numeral 9b denotes a feeding roller for feeding the paper bundles supplied from another sheet collator to the transverse delivery belt 8 if a plurality of sheet collators are to be coupled for use. The paper accumulating device 20 according to the present invention comprises a paper bundle feeding port 31, first and second paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34 including first and second paper bundle receivers 21 and 22 for accumulating paper bundles, and delivery paths 23, 24 and 25 for delivering the paper bundles sequentially fed to the paper bundle feeding port 31 to the first and second paper bundle receiving portions 21 and 22. The delivery paths 23, 24 and 25 include a main delivery path portion 23 extended from the paper bundle feeding port 31 to a branch point 32, and first and second branch delivery path portions 24 and 25 extended from the branch point 32 to the first and second paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34, respectively. The second branch delivery path portion 25 is formed by two portions, that is, a downstream side portion 25a and an upstream side portion 25b. The first and second paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34 are provided in a line toward the paper bundle feeding port 31. The second branch delivery path portion 25 related to the second paper bundle receiving portion 34 is provided across the upper portion of the first paper bundle receiving portion 33. Each of the first and second paper bundle receivers 21 and 22 is formed by a pallet having a caster. The pallets 21 and 22 can be easily exchanged for another pallet by movement in a direction perpendicular to the delivery paths 23, 24 and 25. Although the volume of the second pallet 22 is greater than that of the first pallet 21 in Fig. 1, the volumes of the first and second pallets 21 and 22 may be equal to each other and the volume of the first pallet 21 may be greater than that of the second pallet 22. On the branch point 32 is provided a switching gate plate 26 for operating to selectively connect the main delivery path portion 23 to the first branch delivery path portion 24 or the second branch delivery path portion 25. The switching gate plate 26 is connected to a rod 28 for reciprocating by the operation of an electromagnetic solenoid 27 by means of a suitable coupling mechanism (not shown). By the operation of the electromagnetic solenoid 27, the rod 28 reciprocates so that the switching gate plate 26 reciprocates and rotates. Consequently, the main delivery path portion 23 is selectively connected to the first branch delivery path portion 24 or the second branch delivery path portion 25. In Fig. 1, the main delivery path portion 23 is connected to the first branch delivery path portion 24. Instead of the electromagnetic solenoid 27, the other electric actuators may be arranged for moving the switching gate plate 26. An oil hydraulic actuator and a pneumatic actuator may be used instead of the electric actuator. First and second sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 are provided on the upper ends of the first and second paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34 in the vicinity of the outlets of the related branch delivery path portions 24 and 25, respectively. These sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 are fixed to frames of the related paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34, respectively. The sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 serve to alternately shift the paper bundles sequentially fed to the related paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34 right and left with respect to the delivery direction, thereby sorting the same paper bundles. The structures of the sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 will be described below in detail. A stopper 29 is provided on the upper end of the first paper bundle receiving portion 33 on the opposite side to the outlet of the first branch delivery path portion 24. The paper bundles fed to the first paper bundle receiving portion 21 are stopped in the position of the stopper 29. The stopper 29 is fixed to the frame of the first paper bundle receiving portion 33. The first pallet 21 includes a paper bundle mounting plate 21a. The paper bundle mounting plate 21a is first positioned just below the first sorting mechanism 40 in the first paper bundle receiving portion 33. As the paper bundles are accumulated onto the paper bundle mounting plate 21a, the paper bundle mounting plate 21a goes downward in a direction shown by an arrow X in Fig. 1, and reaches the lowermost position of the first pallet 21 when the first pallet 21 is filled with the paper bundles as shown in Fig. 1. At this time, a pressure sensor (not shown) fixed to the lowermost portion of the first pallet 21 is pushed against the paper bundle mounting plate 21a, thereby sensing that the first pallet 21 is filled with the accumulated paper bundles. Similarly, a stopper 30 is provided on the second paper bundle receiving portion 34. Furthermore, the second pallet 22 includes a paper mounting plate 22a and a sensor. Next, the structures of the first and second sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. Since the first and second sorting mechanisms have the same structures, the first sorting mechanism 40 will be described below. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the first sorting mechanism 40, and Fig. 3 is a side view seen in a direction of an arrow Y of Fig. 2. In Figs. 2 and 3, an inhibiting plate 41 is mounted on a fixing member 42 attached to the frame 59 of the first paper bundle receiving portion 33. An electromagnetic solenoid 45 is also attached to the frame 59. A lifting plate 43 is coupled to the electromagnetic solenoid 45 through a rod 44. The lifting plate 43 performs a lifting motion in a direction of an arrow Q by the operation of the electromagnetic solenoid 45. The reference numeral 48 denotes a supporting member fixed to the frame 59 of the first paper bundle receiving portion 33. First and second rods 47a and 47b are supported on the supporting member 48 through bearings 49a and 49b, respectively. The first and second rods 47a and 47b can reciprocate horizontally right and left with respect to the delivery direction of the paper bundles for the first paper bundle receiving portion 33. A movable plate 46 is coupled to the tips of the first and second rods 47a and 47b. A driving motor 50 is fixed to the frame of the first paper bundle receiving portion 33 and a first pulley 51a is fixed to the rotary shaft of the driving motor 50. A vertical rotary shaft 53 is attached to the supporting member 48, and a second pulley 51b is fixed to the lower end of the rotary shaft 53. A driving belt 52 is entrained between the first and second pulleys 51a and 51b. A lever 55 is swingably fixed onto the supporting member 48 around a supporting point 56. A driven cam 58 for a cam 54 attached to the rotary shaft 53 is fixed to the lever 55. A pin 57 provided in the rear end portion of the first rod 47a is engaged with a concave portion of the tip of the lever 55. Thus, when the driving motor 50 is driven, the first pulley 51a is rotated so that the rotation of the first pulley 51a is transmitted to the second pulley 51b by means of the driving belt 52. The rotary shaft 53 is rotated by the rotation of the second pulley 51b so that the cam 54 is rotated in a direction shown by an arrow R. Then, the lever 55 swings around the supporting point 56 in a direction shown by an arrow S so that the first rod 47a reciprocates through the pin 57 and the second rod 47b also reciprocates interlockingly. As a result, the movable plate 46 reciprocates in a direction shown by an arrow P (right and left with respect to the delivery direction of the paper bundle). The lifting plate 43 is lifted in a timing in which the movable plate 46 moves from a position a to a position b, one of ends of the delivered paper bundle A1 directly comes in contact with the inhibiting plate 41 and the other end directly comes in contact with the movable plate 46. Next, when the movable plate 46 is inverted to move from the position b to the position a, the paper bundle A1 is dropped onto the paper bundle mounting plate 21a. At this time, the lifting plate 43 goes downward and directly comes in contact with one of the ends of the paper bundle B 1 which is delivered next. The other end of the paper bundle B 1 directly comes in contact with the movable plate 46. When the movable plate 46 moves from the position a to a position c, the paper bundle B is dropped onto the paper bundle mounting plate 21a. Similarly in the following, the inverting operation of the movable plate 46 interlocks with the lifting operation of the lifting plate 43 so that the paper bundles sequentially delivered to the first paper bundle receiving portion 33 are alternately shifted right and left with respect to the delivery direction and are accumulated onto the paper bundle mounting plate 21a as shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore, the paper accumulating device 20 according to the present invention has a control portion 70 for controlling the actuation of the switching gate plate 26 and that of the sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 of the paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34 and for controlling the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator 1. Next, a method for actuating the paper accumulating device 20 according to the present invention will be described. The paper bundles given from the paper discharging port 11 of the sheet collator 1 to the paper bundle feeding port 31 of the paper accumulating device 20 are sequentially fed. The paper bundles fed to the paper bundle feeding port 31 are introduced into the main delivery path portion 23. The control portion 70 actuates the switching gate plate 26 in such a manner that the main delivery path portion 23 is alternately connected to the first and second branch delivery path portions 24 and 25 each time the paper bundles are delivered before the paper bundles are completely accumulated in one of the first and second pallets 21 and 22. Consequently, the paper bundles are alternately delivered to the first and second paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34 and the paper bundles are alternately accumulated onto the first and second pallets 21 and 22. In the meantime, the control portion 70 controls the operation of the switching gate plate 26 and that of the sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 of the paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34 according to the delivery speed of the paper bundles and therefore the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator 1. Thus, the paper bundles sequentially fed from the sheet collator 1 are alternately sent to the two paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34. In the paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34, the paper bundles which are sequentially delivered are alternately shifted right and left with respect to the delivery direction by means of the sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 and are then accumulated onto the pallets 21 and 22. Accordingly, the paper bundles can be delivered to one of the paper bundle receiving portions 33 and 34 while the sorting mechanisms 40 and 60 are actuated in the other paper bundle receiving portion 33 or 34. As a result, the paper bundles can be sorted at a high speed according to the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator 1 and can be accumulated onto the pallets 21 and 22. In addition, since the paper bundles are alternately shifted right and left and are accumulated, the next step of the bookbinding process can be performed rapidly. When the sensor detects that the accumulation of the paper bundles has been completed in one of the pallets, for example, the first pallet 21, the switching gate plate 26 is actuated in such a manner that the paper bundles are delivered to only the other paper bundle receiving portion, that is, the second paper bundle receiving portion 34 till the first pallet 21 is exchanged for a new empty pallet and the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator 1 is lowered to be adapted to the operating speed of the sorting mechanism 60 of the second paper bundle receiving portion 34. Thus, according to the present invention, non stop operation of the sheet collator and paper accumulating device is achieved.

Claims: A paper accumulating device comprising a paper bundle feeding port (31) for sequentially receiving paper bundles gathered by a sheet collator (1), two paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34), each provided with a paper bundle receiver (21, 22) for accumulating the paper bundles, a delivery path (23, 24, 25) for delivering the paper bundles sequentially fed to the paper bundle feeding port (31) to the paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34), sorting mechanisms (40, 60) arranged on the paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34) for sorting the delivered paper bundles, the delivery path (23, 24, 25) including a main delivery path portion (23) extended from the paper bundle feeding port (31) to a branch point (32), and branch delivery path portions (24, 25) extended from the branch point (32) to the related paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34) respectively, the branch point (32) is provided with a switching gate plate (26) for operating to selectively connect the main delivery path portion (23) to the branch delivery path portions (24, 25) respectively, each of the paper bundle receivers (21, 22) is provided with a sensor for detecting whether accumulation of the paper bundles is completed or not in the paper bundle receivers (21, 22), and a control portion (70) is arranged for controlling operation of the switching gate plate (26); characterized in that the control portion (70) is also arranged for controlling the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator (1), the control portion (70) actuating the switching gate plate (26) in such a manner that the paper bundles are alternately delivered to the two paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34) till the accumulation of the paper bundles is completed in one of the paper bundle receivers (21, 22), actuating the switching gate plate (26) in such a manner that the paper bundles are delivered to only one of the paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34) before the other paper bundle receiver (21, 22) is exchanged for a new empty paper bundle receiver when the sensor detects that the accumulation of the paper bundles has been completed in the paper bundle receiver (21, 22), and lowering the paper discharging speed of the sheet collator (1) to be adapted to an operating speed of the sorting mechanism (40, 60) of the other paper bundle receiving portion (33, 34). The paper accumulating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the the branch delivery path portion (25) related to one of the paper bundle receiving portions (33, 34) is provided across over the other of the paper bundle receiving portion (33) which is closer to the paper bundle feeding port (31) than the one paper bundle receiving portion (34). The paper accumulating device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the sorting mechanism (40, 60) provided on the paper bundle receiving portion (33, 34) alternately shifts the sequentially delivered paper bundles right and left with respect to a delivery direction, thereby sorting the paper bundles.

Inventors: HORII YOSHIYUKI, KASHIBA MASAYUKI, NOGAWA MASATO, HORII, YOSHIYUKI, KASHIBA, MASAYUKI, NOGAWA, MASATO, Kashiba, Masayuki, Taiyo Seiki Co., Ltd.
Applicants: HORIZON INT INC, HORIZON INTERNATIONAL INC.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65H33
IPC codes: B65H31, B65H33