# US 9,517,913 B2 · Accumulating unit and print product production device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,517,913 B2 - Document ID: US9517913B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/681,496 - Filed: 2015-04-08 - Published: 2015-10-29 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-10 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokyo Kikai Seisakusho - Inventors: Shunsuke Aizawa; Kenichi Yamagiwa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517913B2 ## CPC - B65H 35/0006: {Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices} - B65H 20/02: by friction roller - B65H 20/06: by friction band - B65H 29/22: and introducing into a pile - B65H 29/52: Stationary guides or smoothers - B65H 29/68: Reducing the speed of articles as they advance - B65H 31/00: Pile receivers (carriers used for associating, collating or gathering articles B65H39/00) - B65H 31/02: with stationary end support against which pile accumulates - B65H 31/20: adjustable for different article sizes - B65H 31/24: multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling - B65H 31/3027: {by the nip between moving belts or rollers (pile being formed between belts or rollers B65H29/145)} - B65H 31/38: Apparatus for vibrating or knocking the pile during piling - B65H 37/06: for folding - B65H 43/00: Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable - B65H 45/12: Folding articles or webs with application of pressure to define or form crease lines (B65H20/28 takes precedence; pleating, kilting or goffering textile fabrics D06J) - B65H 45/18: Oscillating or reciprocating blade folders (carried on rotary members B65H45/16) - B65H 2301/4212: of articles substantially horizontal - B65H 2301/4227: Deforming piles, e.g. folding - B65H 2301/45: Folding, unfolding - B65H 2404/561: Bristles, brushes - B65H 2404/61: Longitudinally-extending strips, tubes, plates, or wires - B65H 2404/612: and shaped for curvilinear transport path - B65H 2404/722: movable in operation - B65H 2405/1122: movable linearly, details therefor - B65H 2405/1134: movable, e.g. pivotable - B65H 2405/115: Cover - B65H 2405/142: relating to particular friction properties - B65H 2701/1932: Signatures, folded printed matter, newspapers or parts thereof and books - B65H 2801/31: Devices located downstream of industrial printers - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract In a sheet or signature (printer folder sheet) accumulating a front positioning part 44 configured, when a sheet has entered a sheet accumulating part 40, to move away from a rear positioning part 46 such that a distance of the front positioning part 44 from the rear positioning part 46 is larger than a length of the sheet in a carrying-in direction of the sheet, and, after a front edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet has contacted the front positioning part 44, to move closer to the rear positioning part 46. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An accumulating unit for accumulating in a sheet accumulating part an individual or signature form sheet carried from an upstream side, the sheet accumulating part comprising: a front positioning part (44) that is provided on a front side in a carrying-in direction of the sheet carried into said sheet accumulating part and that positions a front edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet; and a rear positioning part (46) that is provided facing the front positioning part on a rear side in the carrying-in direction of said sheet and that positions a rear edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet, the front positioning part being configured to, when the sheet has entered the sheet accumulating part, move away from the rear positioning part such that a distance of the front positioning part from the rear positioning part is larger than a length of the sheet in the carrying-in direction of the sheet, and, after the front edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet has contacted the front positioning part, move closer to the rear positioning part such that the distance of the front positioning part from the rear positioning part is substantially equal to the length of the sheet in the carrying-in direction of the sheet, wherein the sheet accumulating part further comprises a paper guide (52) provided above an accumulating position between the front positioning part and the rear positioning part, and the paper guide includes an inclined portion that inclines downward toward the accumulating position and that is configured to guide the sheet that has entered the sheet accumulating part to the accumulating position by a lower surface of the inclined portion, and wherein a leading edge on a front positioning part side of the inclined portion is horizontal and bent in a direction toward the front positioning part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The accumulating unit according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the inclined portion is provided with a frictional resistance increasing member that increases frictional resistance to more than when the sheet that has entered the sheet accumulating part contacts the lower surface of the inclined portion directly. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The accumulating unit according to claim 2, wherein the rear positioning part is configured to be movable in a direction of moving closer to or moving away from the front positioning part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The accumulating unit according to claim 3, wherein the sheet accumulating part further comprises a pair of side positioning parts that positions a position in a width direction of the sheet accumulated in said sheet accumulating part. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The accumulating unit according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the pair of side positioning parts is configured to move away from the other of the side positioning parts such that a distance between the pair of side positioning parts is larger than a length of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet, and then move closer to the other of the side positioning parts such that the distance between the pair of side positioning parts is substantially equal to the length of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The accumulating unit according to claim 5, further comprising a chopper folding mechanism that is provided above a region of the sheet accumulating part where the sheet is accumulated and that folds in two a sheet stacked body configured from one or a plurality of sheets accumulated in said sheet accumulating part. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The accumulating unit according to claim 1, wherein the rear positioning part is configured to be movable in a direction of moving closer to or moving away from the front positioning part. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The accumulating unit according to claim 1, wherein the sheet accumulating part further comprises a pair of side positioning parts that positions a position in a width direction of the sheet accumulated in said sheet accumulating part. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The accumulating unit according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the pair of side positioning parts is configured to move away from the other of the side positioning parts such that a distance between the pair of side positioning parts is larger than a length of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet, and then move closer to the other of the side positioning parts such that the distance between the pair of side positioning parts is substantially equal to the length of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The accumulating unit according to claim 1, further comprising a chopper folding mechanism that is provided above a region of the sheet accumulating part where the sheet is accumulated and that folds in two a sheet stacked body configured from one or a plurality of sheets accumulated in said sheet accumulating part. ### Claim 11 A print product production device, comprising: an upstream side conveyor part that conveys an individual or signature form sheet on which printing has been performed; a plurality of accumulating units; and a distributing and conveying part that is provided between the upstream side conveyor part and the plurality of accumulating units and that distributes and conveys the sheet conveyed by the upstream side conveyor part to each of the plurality of accumulating units, the plurality of accumulating units each accumulating unit comprising: a front positioning part (44) that is provided on a front side in a carrying-in direction of the sheet carried into said sheet accumulating part and that positions a front edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet; and a rear positioning part (46) that is provided facing the front positioning part on a rear side in the carrying-in direction of said sheet and that positions a rear edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet, the front positioning part being configured to, when the sheet has entered the sheet accumulating part, move away from the rear positioning part such that a distance of the front positioning part from the rear positioning part is larger than a length of the sheet in the carrying-in direction of the sheet, and, after the front edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet has contacted the front positioning part, move closer to the rear positioning part such that the distance of the front positioning part from the rear positioning part is substantially equal to the length of the sheet in the carrying-in direction of the sheet. ### Claim 12 A print product production device, comprising: an upstream side conveyor part that conveys an individual or signature form sheet on which printing has been performed; a plurality of accumulating units; and a distributing and conveying part that is provided between the upstream side conveyor part and the plurality of accumulating units and that distributes and conveys the sheet conveyed by the upstream side conveyor part to each of the plurality of accumulating units, the plurality of accumulating units comprising: a front positioning part (44) that is provided on a front side in a carrying-in direction of the sheet carried into said sheet accumulating part and that positions a front edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet; and a rear positioning part (46) that is provided facing the front positioning part on a rear side in the carrying-in direction of said sheet and that positions a rear edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet, the front positioning part being configured to, when the sheet has entered the sheet accumulating part, move away from the rear positioning part such that a distance of the front positioning part from the rear positioning part is larger than a length of the sheet in the carrying-in direction of the sheet, and, after the front edge in the carrying-in direction of the sheet has contacted the front positioning part, move closer to the rear positioning part such that the distance of the front positioning part from the rear positioning part is substantially equal to the length of the sheet in the carrying-in direction of the sheet; a chopper folding mechanism that is provided above a region of the sheet accumulating part where the sheet is accumulated and that folds in two a sheet stacked body configured from one or a plurality of sheets accumulated in said sheet accumulating part.