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EP0259829A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Sorting machine

Assignee: Ikegami Tsushinki Co Ltd
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Filing: 1987-09-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-09-08
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Abstract

Abstract A recorded sheet (34) is turned from a face-up condition to a face-down condition by horizontal transport belts (13), a first guide member (5), vertical transport belts (14), and a second guide member (33). The recorded sheet is guided to a discharge device (31), and discharged to a tray (2) by the discharge device (31). During a sorting action, the discharge device (31) is transferred by a transfer device (20) to the tray (2) to which a sheet (34) is to be discharged. In response to this transfer, a hold member (35) is extended or shortened in a vertical direction and holds a sheet (34) being transported between the hold member (35) and the vertical transport belts (13) in such a manner as to avoid interference with its transport, so that the sheet can be prevented from falling by gravity.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kenji Kosaka
  • 👤 Akihiro Suzuki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 08:24
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; G03G15/6538; B; B65; B65H; B65H31/00; B65H31/24; B65H39/00; B65H39/10; B65H39/11; B65H2403/00; B65H2403/50; B65H2403/51; B65H2403/511; B65H2405/00; B65H2405/10; B65H2405/11; B65H2405/111; B65H2405/1111; B65H2408/00; B65H2408/10; B65H2408/11; B65H2408/112

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 162 words
A sorting machine characterized by comprising: a plurality of trays vertically stacked for receiving recorded sheets, each tray having a tray pin on each side of at least the tray's sheet entry end; horizontal transport means for transporting the recorded sheets horizontally; a first guide member which deflects said horizontally transported sheets to vertical direction; vertical transport means for transporting said deflected sheets vertically; discharge means for discharging into one of said plurality of trays the recorded sheets transported by said vertical transport means; a second guide member which guides the sheets transported by said vertical transport means to said discharge means and deflects the sheets back to a horizontal direction in a face-down condition; transfer means for transferring said discharge means and said second guide member; and hold means, being retractile in the vertical transport direction of said sheets according to the movement of said discharge means, for holding said recorded sheets between said hold means and said vertical transport means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 162 words
A sorting machine characterized by comprising: a plurality of trays vertically stacked for receiving recorded sheets, each tray having a tray pin on each side of at least the tray's sheet entry end; horizontal transport means for transporting the recorded sheets horizontally; a first guide member which deflects said horizontally transported sheets to vertical direction; vertical transport means for transporting said deflected sheets vertically; discharge means for discharging into one of said plurality of trays the recorded sheets transported by said vertical transport means; a second guide member which guides the sheets transported by said vertical transport means to said discharge means and deflects the sheets back to a horizontal direction in a face-down condition; transfer means for transferring said discharge means and said second guide member; and hold means, being retractile in the vertical transport direction of said sheets according to the movement of said discharge means, for holding said recorded sheets between said hold means and said vertical transport means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 43 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said hold means comprises at least one spiral spring of elastic strip material which has one end held wound around a rotatable member and the other end fastened to said discharge means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 34 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said horizontal transport means and said vertical transport means comprise transport belts which transport said recorded sheets by means of friction.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 105 words
A sorting machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said transfer means comprises a hold member which holds said discharge means and said second guide member, a first guide shaft which guides said hold member slidably upwardly and downwardly, a tray entry forming member which is fastened to said hold member, has a helical groove, and guides said tray pins into said groove, and a second guide shaft which permits vertical sliding of said tray entry forming member and said hold member and transfers said tray entry forming member upwardly and downwardly by rotating said tray entry forming member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 47 words
A sorting maching as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said transfer means further comprises an entry forming means for forming an entry for a tray to which recorded sheets are to be discharged according to the transfer of said discharge means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 78 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said plurality of trays are upwardly inclined along the discharge direction of said recorded sheets, and each tray has a rear end pin on each side of the tray's rear end, said sorting machine further comprising means, having a stepper angle of inclination than that of said trays, for slidably holding said rear end pins when said entry forming means has formed an entry for said trays.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 57 words
A sorting machine as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized by further comprising tray support means, having plungers which are retracted by said tray pins of said trays when said entry forming means has formed an entry, for allowing vertical movement of said trays and for supporting said tray pins when said trays are at rest.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 55 words
A sorting machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, characterized by further comprising an light-shutting member which is tilted down by the recorded sheets discharged by said discharge means, and an optical sensor which detects the discharge of said recorded sheets to a tray by detecting the tilt-down of said light-shutting member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 60 words
A sorting machine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, characterized by further comprising: feed means which feeds said recorded sheets from outside of said sorting machine; a non-sorting tray which receives said recorded sheets; and shift means for shifting said sheets fed by said feed means either to said non-sorting tray or to said horizontal transport means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB1248100A Cited
US4576371A Cited
GB2168037A Cited

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