Sheet jogging device

Claim 2

Jogging apparatus for aligning the edges of light, flexible sheets fed onto a plurality of shelves to form stacks thereon comprising; a backstop member adjacent the infeed end of each shelf, a resilient flexible jogging belt, means mounting said belt for free oscillation adjacent said shelves in the path of moving sheets fed thereto for deflecting the moving sheets against the backstop member and for oscillating in response to the impact of the moving sheets whereby oscillation of the belt repetitively contacts sheets located on each of the plurality of shelves and urges said sheets into edge alignment against said backstop members.

Claim 3

The jogging apparatus of claim 1 wherein said backstop member extends upward from the plane of a shelf at an angle less than 90* to direct sheets deflected by said belt downward onto the shelf.

Claim 4

The jogging apparatus of claim 1 further including means at least at the top end of the jogging belt enabling the belt to be readily removed from its position adjacent the shelves to facilitate the removal of sheets from the shelves.

Claim 5

The jogging apparatus of claim 1 further including means for adjusting the tension of said jogging belt and means for adjusting the position of said belt relative to the shelves for accommodating sheets of different lengths.

Claim 6

The jogging apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes double pivotal mounting means having linking means for pivotally coupling to the ends of the belt and pivotally coupling to stationary support means.

Claim 7

In combination with a collator bin having a plurality of shelves onto which sheets are fed to form stacks, a sheet-jogging apparatus comprising a backstop member adjacent the infeed end of each shelf, top and bottom linking members pivotally coupled at first ends to the top and bottom of the collator bin, and a jogging belt pivotally coupled at its ends to second ends of said top and bottom linking members providing a double pivotal mounting for said belt, said belt poSitioned adjacent said shelves in the path of moving sheets fed onto the shelves for absorbing the kinetic energy of the moving sheets without damaging the edges of the sheets and for deflecting the moving sheets against said backstop member with said belt vibrating in response to the impact of the moving sheets thereby continuously urging the sheets on the plurality of shelves into end edge alignment against said backstop members.

Claim 8

In combination with a collator bin having a plurality of shelves onto which sheets are fed to form stacks, a sheet-jogging apparatus comprising a backstop member adjacent the infeed end of each shelf, top and bottom linking members pivotally coupled at first ends to the top and bottom of the collator bin, and a jogging belt pivotally coupled at its ends to second ends of said top and bottom linking members providing a double pivotal mounting for said belt, said belt poSitioned adjacent said shelves in the path of moving sheets fed onto the shelves for absorbing the kinetic energy of the moving sheets without damaging the edges of the sheets and for deflecting the moving sheets against said backstop member with said belt vibrating in response to the impact of the moving sheets thereby continuously urging the sheets on the plurality of shelves into end edge alignment against said backstop members.