Sheet sorting apparatus
AssigneeKonishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd.
InventorCharles S. Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sheet sorting apparatus for use in combination with an electrophotographic copying machine includes introducing rollers, discharge rollers, and a pair of transporting belts disposed in superposed relation in a tensioned state for feeding copy sheets in sandwiched relation therebetween from the introducing to the discharge rollers. The discharge rollers are carried on a vertically movable platform so that the transported sheets are dischargeable to a selected one of a plurality of receiving trays, movement of the platform effecting variation in the distance between the introducing and discharge rollers. Structure is provided for maintaining the tensioned state of the belts as said distance varies.
Claims16
A sheet sorting apparatus in which sheets discharged from a pattern recording apparatus are received by sheet introducing means and, after having been transported through transporting means to discharge means provided on a movable platform arranged movably in a substantially vertical direction to a main body of the sorting apparatus, distributed sequentially to a plurality of bins having inlet openings arrayed along a vertical moving path of said discharge means, characterized in that:
- said sheet introducing and discharge means are spaced relatively apart by a distance that varies between a minimum and a maximum-defined distance as the platform moves vertically along said vertical path thereof for distributing sheets to selected ones of said plural bins,
- said transporting means is constituted by a pair of superposed endless belts spanning said introducing and discharge means for holding the sheet in a sandwiched manner therebetween, the length of said endless belts being sufficient to span said maximum distance between said discharge and introducing means, and
- means on the sheet sorting apparatus for maintaining the superposed portions of the sandwiched belts between which sheets are transported in a tensioned state between said introducing and discharge means as said distance varies during vertical movement of the platform.
A sheet sorting apparatus, comprising sheet introducing means mounted at a fixed position and adapted to receive sheets discharged from a pattern recording apparatus, discharge means provided vertically movably spaced from said introducing means by an amount which varies with vertical movement of said discharge means, transporting means provided between said sheet introducing means and said discharge means, a main body adapted to be removably attached to the pattern recording apparatus, and a bin assembly mounted removably on said main body and including a plurality of bins having respective openings arrayed along the moving direction of said discharge means, said transporting means including a pair of superposed endless belts spanning said introducing and discharging means for transporting sheets between said endless belts and means for maintaining the superposed portions of the belts between which sheets are transported in a tensioned state continuously as said spacing between the introducing and discharge means varies with vertical movement of said discharge means.
A sheet sorting apparatus for use in combination with an electrophotographic copying machine in which a copy board for carrying an original to be copied is so arranged as to project toward a sheet discharge side of the copying machine, said apparatus comprising a pair of sheet introducing roller means provided at a fixed position to receive sheets discharged from the copying machine, a pair of discharge roller means disposed vertically movably and spaced from said roller means by a distance that varies as said discharge roller means is vertically moved, a main body disposed between said sheet introducing roller means and said discharge roller means and including a pair of endless belts of a length sufficient to span said discharge roller means and said introducing roller means when the former is spaced at its furthest distance from the latter, said belts being disposed so that at least a portion of each said belt is disposed in superposed relation to the other of said belts and in a continuously tensioned state as the distance between said introducing and discharge roller means varies, and so that the top surface of said belts lies under a running path of the copy board, and a bin assembly including a plurality of bins having inlet openings arrayed along the moving direction of said discharge roller means, said bin assembly being located so that the top portion thereof is positioned below the running path of the copy board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.