Document trimming apparatus

A trimming apparatus for trimming a stack of sheets having edges, comprising:

• a document cutting mechanism including a table and a clamp holding a document while the document is being cut and a knife located above said table and defining a cutting line for cutting the document;
• said table having a top with an elongated slot extending through said top and in a direction substantially perpendicular to said cutting line;
• a stack holder positioned above said slot of said table for holding a stack of sheets;
• a rotator mechanism located under said table and having a portion extending through said slot for rotating said stack holder;
• a translator mechanism operatively connected to said stack holder and located under said table for movably translating said stack holder along said slot;
• and
• said stack holder being rotatable by said rotator mechanism and movable by said translator mechanism to successively position edges of the stack of sheets on the table for sequentially trimming the edges of the stack of sheets by said knife.

A document cutting apparatus comprising:

• a document cutting mechanism, operatively associated with a main table, including a clamp, for holding a document while the document is being cut, and a knife, defining a cutting line for cutting the document;
• a document positioning mechanism, operatively associated with said main table, including a transport holder, for securely holding the document during transport, and a carrier for movably supporting said transport holder for translational and rotational movement relative to said document cutting mechanism;
• said main table having a first top surface located on a plane and supporting parts of the document that extend laterally from the transport holder;
• a secondary table positioned behind said main table to move relative to said main table between first and second positions, wherein said secondary table has a second top surface;
• an actuator operatively associated with the secondary table for moving said secondary table to either of said first and second positions;
• a controlling means for controlling said document positioning mechanism such that the document is positioned at predetermined positions relative to the cutting line, wherein at least one of said predetermined positions is an edge trimming position and at least another of said positions is a separating position in which said knife cuts said document into two separate usable parts;
• said second top surface of said secondary table is spaced a distance away from said first top surface of the main table when in said edge trimming position;
• said second top surface of said secondary table is located on said plane of said first top surface of the main table with an edge of said second top surface closely adjacent an edge of said first top surface when in said separating position;
• a pusher operatively associated with said secondary table for pushing one usable part of said two separate usable parts of said document located on the second top surface of said secondary table onto said first top surface of said main table;
• and
• said controlling means further comprises means for controlling said actuator and pusher such that;
• said secondary table is moved to said first position when said document positioning mechanism is in the edge trimming position to provide an opening for receiving material trimmed from the document whereby said trimmed material falls through said opening into a waste container positioned below the tables;
• said secondary table is moved to said second position when said document positioning mechanism is in said separating position whereby one of said two separate usable parts of said document is received on said second top surface of said secondary table;
• and said pusher moves said one usable part cut from said document from said secondary table back to said main table only after said document is cut and separated into two parts and when said secondary table is in said second position whereby allowing the one usable part to be removed from said main table.