Back to results
US 5,346,205 AGranted
Sorter having pivotable diverter gates with nip rollers and diverter module assembly therefor
AssigneeGradco (Japan) Ltd.
InventorFrederick J. Lawrence
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeGradco (Japan) Ltd.
InventorFrederick J. Lawrence
Estimating the term…
A random access mailbox has a stack of horizontally extended trays for receiving sheets of paper supplied from a printer. A modular construction provides a sheet transport system including gates to deflect sheets into a selected tray from sheet feeding rollers incorporated in the modules for carrying sheets through a sheet path defined between the rollers and pressure applying rollers to the respective gates which can be actuated randomly to deflect a sheet from the rollers into a selected tray between cooperative modules. A sheet detector is provided at each gate along the feed path to detect the presence of a sheet at any location along the feed path. The gates or deflectors nest or overlap vertically to reduce overall height of the apparatus and provide continuity to the sheet guide surfaces.
In a sheet receiver apparatus comprising a plurality of sheet receiving trays, means for supplying sheets to said trays from a printing machine, including a driven sheet feed roll assembly and a pressure applying assembly in opposing relation to apply sheet feeding pressure to sheets between said assemblies and defining a sheet feed path therebetween:
A module assembly for a sorter having a pressure applying assembly and a modular driven sheet feed roll assembly in opposing relation to define a sheet feed path, said module assembly including end blocks for installation in the sorter frame, a drive shaft extending between said end blocks, means for rotatively driving said drive shaft, a plurality of sheet feeding driven rolls spaced along said drive shaft for rotation therewith, a sheet deflecting gate pivoted on said drive shaft and having arched sheet deflecting fingers extending between said driver rolls, a plurality of sheet feed nip rolls rotatably supported by said gate in alignment with said driven rolls, and means for pivoting said gate on said drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.