Patent ID: 7747211

Claim:
A booklet loading apparatus comprising: a carry-out unit that sequentially carries out a plurality of booklets to a carry-out position; a transfer belt that transfer the booklets, carried out from the carry-out unit, in a transfer direction by receiving the booklets sequentially at the carry-out position and moving with the booklets thereon, wherein directions of movement of the transfer belt are changeable between a first movement direction corresponding to transfer of the booklets in the transfer direction and a second movement direction corresponding to transfer of the booklets in the opposite direction to the transfer direction; a control unit that controls movement of the transfer belt, wherein the control unit (a) makes the transfer belt move intermittently in synchronization with a timing when the booklet is carried out from the carry-out unit so that the booklets, carried out from the carry-out unit, are sequentially arranged on the transfer belt while the booklets overlap one another, and (b) makes the transfer belt move in the second direction once in each time when the booklet is carried out from the carry-out unit to the transfer belt and then makes the transfer belt move in the first direction so that the booklet, carried out from the carry-out unit, is transferred in the transfer direction after the booklet is returned once to an upstream side in the transfer direction with respect to the carry-out position; a loading unit on which the booklet transferred out by the transfer belt is loaded; and an orientation correcting unit that is arranged on the upstream side in the transfer direction with respect to the carry-out position, the orientation correcting unit correcting an orientation of the booklet to a predetermined orientation by being abutted by the booklet returned to the upstream side in the transfer direction by the transfer belt moving in the second direction.