Patent ID: RE41976

Claim:
A sheet folding apparatus comprising: a sheet feeding section (A) sequentially discharging a sheet (P) from a sheet bundle; a sheet conveying section (B) conveying the sheet (P) fed from said sheet feeding section (A); and a sheet folding section (D) folding the sheet (P) received from said sheet conveying section (B) in a conveying direction, said sheet conveying section (B) having a conveyer belt ( 3 ) arranged at an angle to the conveying direction for conveying the sheet (P) and a positioning ruler ( 4 ) arranged parallel with the conveying direction for positioning the sheet (P) while the sheet (P) is conveyed, said sheet folding section (D) having a folding knife ( 9 ) extending along the conveying direction, a pair of folding rollers ( 10 ) arranged underneath said folding knife ( 9 ) and extending along the folding knife, and first and second guides ( 11 a) and ( 11 b) arranged on either side of said folding knife ( 9 ) at a spacing therebetween and parallel with said folding knife ( 9 ), whereby the sheet (P) is pressed by said second guide ( 11 b) at its one side so as to be abutted on said first guide ( 11 a) at its other side so as to be positioned at a fold position, and the sheet (P) is folded by said folding knife ( 9 ) and said pair of folding rollers ( 10 ), said sheet folding apparatus characterized by a first driving mechanism ( 5 , 6 ) moving said positioning ruler ( 4 ) in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a second driving mechanism ( 21 , 22 ) moving said first guide ( 11 a) in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a third driving mechanism ( 23 , 24 ) moving said second guide ( 11 b) in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; and a control section ( 32 ) controlling said first driving mechanism ( 5 , 6 ), said second driving mechanism ( 21 , 22 ) and said third driving mechanism ( 23 , 24 ), when said positioning ruler ( 4 ) is moved in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, said control section ( 32 ) moving said first and second guides ( 11 a, 11 b) a distance corresponding to a movement distance of said positioning ruler ( 4 ) in the same direction as that of said positioning ruler ( 24 ), and when said positioning ruler ( 4 ) is not moved and said first guide ( 11 a) is moved in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, said control section ( 32 ) moving said second guide ( 11 b) a distance corresponding to a movement distance of said first guide ( 11 a) in the same direction as that of said first guide ( 11 a), and said control section ( 32 ) allowing an independent movement of said second guide ( 11 b) in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.