Sheets registration method and apparatus

Apparatus of registering two sheets comprising:

• a first conveyer on which a first sheet is placed and which is operable to move the first sheet along a first path;
• first sensor means disposed at a first predetermined position on the way of said first path of the first conveyer for detecting the arrival of the leading end of the first sheet moved by the first conveyer at said first predetermined position and generating a detection signal in response to detection of such arrival;
• a second conveyer disposed above said first conveyer for moving a second sheet along a second path at substantially the same speed as the first sheet moved by the first conveyer, said second path of the second conveyer being directed in a convergent manner with respect to said first path of the first conveyer so that the second sheet coming out from the second conveyer is laid on the first sheet moving on the first conveyer;
• second sensor means disposed at a second predetermined position adjacent to the downstream end of the second conveyer as seen in the moving direction of the second sheet for detecting the arrival of the leading end of the second sheet moved by said second conveyer at said second predetermined position and generating a detection signal in response to detection of such arrival;
• a control operable to control the operation of said first and second conveyers in response to said detection signals from the first and second sensor means so that the first and second conveyers are stopped when the arrival of the leading ends of the first and second sheets at the respective predetermined positions are detected by the first and second sensor means, respectively, and also that after both sheets have been stopped the first and second conveyers are restarted in such timing that the second sheet is laid on the first sheet in an overlapped relation wherein the leading end of the second sheet is positioned forward of the leading end of the first sheet;
• and
• registration stop means having a stop surface extending perpendicularly to said first path of the first conveyer and movable between the operative position thereof where said stop surface is placed so as to stop the sheets moved by the first conveyer at their leading ends and the inoperative position thereof where said stop surface is retracted away from said first path, whereby firstly the second sheet is stopped at the leading end thereof by the stop surface and subsequently the first sheet is stopped at the leading end by the stop surface, thus both sheets being registered with the leading ends aligned against the stop surface of the registration stop means.

Apparatus of registering two sheets comprising:

• a first conveyer for moving a first sheet along a first path;
• first sensor means disposed at a first predetermined position adjacent to the downstream end of said first conveyer as seen in the moving direction of the first sheet for detecting the arrival of the leading end of the first sheet moved by said first conveyer at said first predetermined position and generating a detection signal in response to detection of such arrival;
• a second conveyer disposed above and substantially in parallel to said first conveyer for moving a second sheet along a second path, said second conveyer being operable so as to allow the second sheet thereon to be dropped off therefrom toward the first conveyer;
• second sensor means disposed at a second predetermined position which is forward of said first predetermined position of the first sensor means by a predetermined horizontal spaced distance as viewed in the direction in which the first and second sheets are moved by the first and second conveyers, respectively, for detecting the arrival of the leading end of the second sheet moved by said second conveyer at said second predetermined position and generating a detection signal in response to detection of the arrival;
• a control operable to control the operation of said first and second conveyers in response to said detection signals from the first and second sensor means so that the first and second conveyers are stopped when the arrival of the leading ends of the first and second sheets at the respective predetermined positions are detected by the first and second sensor means and also that after both sheets have been stopped the second conveyer is operated to drop the second sheet down onto the first sheet on the first conveyer thereby to lay the second sheet on the first sheet in an overlapped relation wherein the leading end of the second sheet is positioned forward of the leading end of the first sheet by a distance substantially corresponding to said predetermined horizontal spaced distance and thereafter the first conveyer is restarted to move the first and second sheets together;
• a third conveyer disposed so as to form a conveying path continuing from said first path of the first conveyer for receiving the first and second sheets and moving the two sheets forward at the same speed as the first sheet moved by the first conveyer;
• and
• registration stop means having a stop surface extending perpendicularly to said conveying path of the third conveyer and movable between the operative position thereof where said stop surface is placed so as to stop the sheets moved by said third conveyer at their leading ends and the inoperative position thereof where said stop surface is retracted away from said conveying path of the third conveyer, whereby firstly the second sheet is stopped at the leading end thereof by the stop surface and subsequently the first sheet is stopped at the leading end by the stop surface, thus both sheets being registered with the leading ends aligned against the stop surface of the registration stop means.

Method of registering two sheets each having opposite ends comprising:

• assembling the two sheets by laying one sheet on top of the other sheet in an overlapped relation to each other wherein one end of the upper sheet is positioned outward of one end of the lower sheet;
• moving the two sheets with said one ends of thereof as the leading ends along a conveying path by a conveyer in said overlapped relation;
• stopping the upper sheet by registration stop means having a stop surface extending on the way of said conveying path in perpendicular relation thereto, thereby to align said leading end of the upper sheet against said stop surface of the registration stop means;
• and
• continuing the lower sheet to move by said conveyer and subsequently stopping the lower sheet by said registration stop means thereby to align the leading end of the lower sheet against said stop surface, whereby both sheets are registered with the leading ends thereof aligned against said stop surface of the registration stop means.