An output station for a reproducing apparatus and multimode reproducing apparatus incorporating same

Claim 2

An output station for a reproducing apparatus comprising a sorter (11), a sheet transport (60) defining a sheet transport path to transport sheets from said reproducing apparatus to said sorter (11), a first decision gate (61) in said sheet transport path for selectively directing sheets from the sheet transport path to a first sheet collecting tray (25), characterized by a second sheet collecting tray (101) and a second decision gate (76) in said sheet transport path for selectively directing sheets from said sheet transport path to said second sheet collecting tray (101).

Claim 3

A multi-mode reproducing apparatus including means (18) for exposing an imaging surface (13) to a document to be reproduced, means (19, 23) for forming an image of the document on a copy sheet, copy output transport means to transport said copy sheet to an output station, said output station comprising a sorter (11), a sheet transport (60) defining a sheet transport path to transport a sheet from said image forming means to said sorter (11), and a first decision gate (61) in said sheet transport path for selectively directing sheets from the sheet transport path to a first sheet collecting tray (25), said output station being characterized by a second sheet collecting tray (101) and a second decision gate (76) in said sheet transport path for selectively directing sheets from said sheet transport path to said second sheet collecting tray (101).

Claim 4

A multi-mode reproducing apparatus including means (18) for exposing an imaging surface (13) to a document to be reproduced, means (19, 23) for forming an image of the document on a copy sheet, copy output transport means to transport said copy sheet to an output station, said output station comprising a sorter (11), a sheet transport (60) defining a sheet transport path to transport a sheet from said image forming means to said sorter (11), and a first decision gate (61) in said sheet transport path for selectively directing sheets from the sheet transport path to a first sheet collecting tray (25), said output station being characterized by a second sheet collecting tray (101) and a second decision gate (76) in said sheet transport path for selectively directing sheets from said sheet transport path to said second sheet collecting tray (101).

Claim 5

Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, in which said sorter (11) comprises a plurality of individual collecting trays (87) stacked in a vertical array each tray having a sheet entry opening, a sheet transport (78) to transport sheets vertically along the sheet entry opening of the vertical array of trays, and deflectors (91) to selectively deflect individual sheets from the sheet transport (78) to selected collecting trays (87).

Claim 6

Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, in which said second sheet collecting tray (101) comprises a vertical sheet stacking tray inclined to the horizontal, said tray being adjacent the vertical array of trays in the sorter.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, in which said sorter collecting trays (87) are capable of collecting sheets up to a first sheet size and said second sheet collecting tray (101) is capable of collecting sheets up to a second sheet size larger than said first sheet size.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to Claim 5, in which said vertical stacking tray (101) comprises a first vertical portion (122) extending from a bottom stop portion (104) in a first vertical direction inclined to the horizontal direction a distance at least equal to one half the size of a copy sheet having a first size, a second vertical portion (123) inclined further to the horizontal than said first vertical portion (122) out of the path of travel of copy sheets, said second vertical portion (123) extending a distance at least equal to one half the size of a copy sheet having a first size, and a third vertical portion (124) above said second portion generally inclined to the vertical in about the same plane as said first vertical portion (122), said third vertical portion providing a stacking support for the top portion of a copy sheet of a size greater than said first size.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6, in which said first collecting tray (25) is capable of collecting sheets up to a first sheet size.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, in which said second decision gate (76) comprises a pivotal deflection gate.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to Claim 1, in which said sheet transport path is in a general horizontal orientation from said reproducing apparatus to said second decision gate (76), said sorter (11) comprises a plurality of trays in a vertical array, each tray having a sheet entry opening, and said sheet transport path is in a general vertical orientation past said tray sheet entry opening, said second sheet collecting tray (101) being vertically downwardly inclined in a stacking direction relative to the sheet transport path.