Patent ID: 7229071

Claim:
A document stacker apparatus comprising: a stacking plate on which documents can be stacked; a receiving platform having an opening and on which a document is received for stacking on the stacking plate, the receiving platform including a first plate member and a second plate member adjacent to the first plate member such that the opening is defined between the first and second plate members; a biasing mechanism which biases the stacking plate towards the receiving platform; a plunger movable between a retracted position and an extended position; an actuatable drive mechanism for, when actuated a first time, moving the plunger from the retracted position to the extended position to engage a document which is on the receiving platform to push the document through the opening in the receiving platform and towards the stacking plate to stack the document on the stacking plate and for, when actuated a second time which is after the first time, moving the plunger from the extended position back to the retracted position to allow the biasing force which is acting on the stacking plate to press the document which has just been stacked on the stacking plate against the receiving platform and thereby to reduce the chance of a stacking defect from occurring when a succeeding document is subsequently stacked on the document which has just been stacked on the stacking plate; and a supporting mechanism which supports the first and second plate members of the receiving platform for pivoting movement between a non-parallel position in which the plate members form a substantially wide V-shape to cup the document as the plunger pushes the document through the opening and onto the stacking plate, and a parallel position in which the plate members are substantially parallel to each other as the biasing force which is acting on the stacking plate presses the document which has just been stacked on the stacking plate against the receiving platform after the plunger has returned to the retracted position.