US 5,179,880 AGranted

Device for stacking sheets of paper

AssigneeJapan Digital Laboratory Co., Ltd.

InventorMichael T. Sherick

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Abstract

A stacking device which may be used with plotters, printers, copiers, or other paper or material handling machines for stacking single sheets of paper or material exiting such machines, and cutting and stacking a plurality of sheets from continuous sheets of paper and material exiting such machines. A motor mounted on a paper or material handling machine is used to rotate a drive shaft causing two arms to rotate. A stacking rod is attached to the rotating arms. Sheets of paper or material exiting the machine are stacked on top of the stacking rod. The arms are initially rotated to an upward position so that a sheet exiting the machine is draped over the stacking rod. The motor then rotates the arms to a downward position where the sheet hangs vertically draped over the stacking rod. This procedure may be repeated for the purpose of stacking other sheets on the rod. Switches may be used to control movement of the arms. A cutter is used to cut individual sheets from a continuous sheet exiting the machine.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A stacking device for stacking sheets of paper or material exiting, during successive cycles of operation, from a printer, plotter, copier, or other paper or material handling machine, comprising:

a stacking rod movably mounted at an output from said handling machine, said stacking rod being located below a path of said sheets out of said machine;
means for shifting the position of said stacking rod to upward and downward positions during each cycle of operation so that (1) said stacking rod comes into contact with one of said sheets exiting said machine when said stacking rod is in said upward position during said each cycle of operation causing said one sheet to drape over said stacking rod, so that (2) said sheet hangs vertically and downwardly draped over said stacking rod when said stacking rod is in said downward position during said each cycle of operation, and so that (3) a plurality of said sheets are stacked on top of said stacking rod and on top of each other during successive cycles of operation, said means for shifting the position of said stacking rod including:
(a) a drive shaft rotatably mounted on said machine,
(b) at least one arm, each of said arms having one end thereof attached to said drive shaft and the other end thereof attached to said stacking rod, and
(c) a motor mounted on said machine and engaged to said drive shaft;
and
means for controlling upward and downward rotation of said stacking rod and for controlling rotation of said drive shaft.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.