Set binding, stapling and stacking apparatus
AssigneeGraoco (Japan) Ltd
InventorsPeter M Coombs, James R. Seay
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus is provided for receiving and assembling sheets in a binding station at which thermal binding strips are automatically supplied to the side edges of the assembled sets, the sheet receiving trays at the binding station are laterally moved apart to allow a set of assembled bound or unbound sheets to gravitate to a stapling station at which an assembled set of sheets may be stapled together, and the trays forming the stapling station are moved laterally apart to allow the stapled set to gravitate to a stacker tray which is allowed to move downwardly as progressive sets are deposited on the stacker tray and the stacker tray is moved upwardly to a set receiving position following removal of finished sets.
Claims42
Set finishing and stacking apparatus for sheets fed from a reproduction machine comprising:
- means for providing a first finishing station for receiving sheets fed into the apparatus, means for providing a second finishing station below said first finishing station, stacker means below said second finishing station, one of said finishing stations including means for applying a thermal binding strip to a set of sheets supplied thereto, the other of said finishing stations having means for stapling a set of sheets supplied thereto, said first finishing station including a multiple part tray and means for moving the parts of said tray from a position for receiving a set of sheets laterally to a position at which the set of sheets passes downwardly through said tray of said first finishing station to said second finishing station, said second finishing station including a multiple part tray and means for moving the parts of said tray from a position for receiving a set of sheets to a position at which the set of sheets passes downwardly through said tray of said second finishing station to said stacker means.
A set finishing and stacking apparatus for sheets fed from a reproduction machine comprising:
- a first finishing station receiving sheets fed into the apparatus,
- a second finishing station below the first finishing station,
- a stacker below the second finishing station,
- one of the first and second finishing stations including a thermal binding strip binder adapted to apply a thermal binding strip to a set of sheets supplied thereto,
- the other of the finishing stations including a stapler adapted to staple a set of sheets supplied thereto,
- the first finishing station including a first multiple part tray comprising moveable parts and adapted to move the moveable parts of the first multiple part tray from a position for receiving a set of sheets laterally to a position at which the set of sheets passes downwardly through the first multiple part tray of the first finishing station to the second finishing station,
- the second finishing station including a second multiple part tray comprising moveable parts adapted to move the moveable parts of the second multiple part tray from a position for receiving a set of sheets to a position at which the set of sheets passes downwardly through said second multiple part tray of said second finishing station to said stacker.
A method of set finishing and stacking for sheets fed from a reproduction machine comprising the steps of:
- in a first finishing station receiving sheets fed into the apparatus,
- in a second finishing station below the first finishing station receiving sheets from the first finishing station,
- stacking sheets in a stacker below the second finishing station,
- at one of the first and second finishing stations applying thermal binding strips to a set of sheets supplied thereto,
- at the other of the first and second finishing stations stapling a set of sheets supplied thereto,
- the first finishing station utilizing a first multiple part tray having moveable parts,
- and moving the moveable parts of the first multiple part tray from a position for receiving a set of sheets to a position passing the set of sheets downwardly through the first multiple part tray of the first finishing station to the second finishing station,
- the second finishing station utilizing a second multiple part tray having moveable parts, and moving the moveable parts of the second multiple part tray from a position for receiving a set of sheets to a position passing the set of sheets downwardly through the second multiple part tray of the second finishing station to the stacker.
The method of 29, further comprising:
- the step of applying a thermal binding strip to a set of sheets and the step of stapling a set of sheets, each includes forming a horizontally extended shelf supporting an edge of the set of sheets for binding and stapling, and further supporting each shelf for downward movement releasing the edge when the parts of the multiple part tray at each of the first and second finishing stations are positioned to pass the set of sheets downwardly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.