Sheet stacking device

Claim 2

In sheet transport apparatus having an ejection line from which sheets are serially ejected, a device for uprightly stacking ejected sheets comprising: a stack retainer having a flat side slightly inclined from vertical in the direction of sheet transport for supporting a front side of a sheet stack, and a ledge extending from said flat side in substantially normal relationship therewith for supporting sheet edges of a stack, opposing drive rollers disposed outwardly of said ledge from said flat side for impelling a sheet engaged thereby upwardly and over said ledge, and a sinuous sheet guide opposingly displaced from the flat side of said stack retainer and extending downwardly toward the exit position of said sheet transport apparatus for guiding an ejected sheet into engagement with said rollers, an upper portion of said sheet guide being bowed inwardly toward said flat side for bowing a sheet driven upwardly by said rollers, whereby the residual energy of the bowed sheet assists in displacing the sheet toward said flat side when driven free of said rollers and over said ledge, said stack retainer and said sinuous sheet guide being formed of a plurality of wire-like members each longitudinally aligned with the direction of sheet travel and laterally supported coplanarly in spaced apart relationship by wire-like cross braces.

Claim 3

For attachment to sheet transport apparatus having a position from which sheets are serially ejected, a device for uprightly stacking ejected sheets comprising: laterally spaced side supports having latching means for mounting said supports in predetermined positions upon the sheet transport apparatus; a stack retainer formed of a plurality of laterally spaced wire-like members supported on cross braces fixed between said side supports, said wire-like members forming a flat side inclined slightly from vertical in the direction of sheet transport for supporting a front face of a sheet stack and a ledge extending in substantially normal relationship therefrom for supporting sheet edges of a stack; opposing drive rollers disposed outwardly of said ledge from said flat side for impelling a sheet upwardly and over said ledge, said rollers being mounted for axial rotation on respective shafts journaled at opposite ends in parallel relationship by said side supports; drive means mounted on one of said side supports and driveably coupled to one of said shafts; and a sinuous sheet guide supported by side supports in opposing relationship with the flat side of said stack retainer, said sinuous sheet guide having a lower portion for directing a sheet ejected from the sheet transport apparatus into engagement with said opposing drive rollers and a concave sector directed toward the flat side of said stack retainer for likewise directing a sheet driven upwardly by said opposing drive rollers.

Claim 4

For attachment to sheet transport apparatus having a position from which sheets are serially ejected, a device for uprightly stacking ejected sheets comprising: laterally spaced side supports having latching means for mounting said supports in predetermined positions upon the sheet transport apparatus; a stack retainer formed of a plurality of laterally spaced wire-like members supported on cross braces fixed between said side supports, said wire-like members forming a flat side inclined slightly from vertical in the direction of sheet transport for supporting a front face of a sheet stack and a ledge extending in substantially normal relationship therefrom for supporting sheet edges of a stack; opposing drive rollers disposed outwardly of said ledge from said flat side for impelling a sheet upwardly and over said ledge, said rollers being mounted for axial rotation on respective shafts journaled at opposite ends in parallel relationship by said side supports; drive means mounted on one of said side supports and driveably coupled to one of said shafts; and a sinuous sheet guide supported by side supports in opposing relationship with the flat side of said stack retainer, said sinuous sheet guide having a lower portion for directing a sheet ejected from the sheet transport apparatus into engagement with said opposing drive rollers and a concave sector directed toward the flat side of said stack retainer for likewise directing a sheet driven upwardly by said opposing drive rollers.

Claim 5

A unitary sheet stacking device removably attachable to an accounting machine or the like, said machine having sheet ejection and handling means including a pair of upright support members and a connecting mounting bar, said unitary device comprising: a. a pair of side supports attachable to said sheet handling means, b. a sinuous stack retainer interposed between and supported by said pair of side supports said stack retainer having a flat side for supporting a front side of a sheet stack, and a ledge extending from said flat side in substantially normal relationship therewith for supporting sheet edges of a stack, c. a sinuous sheet guide supported by said side supports and displaced from said stack retainer to form a sheet injection throat, said sheet guide serving to direct a sheet ejected from said ejection means of said accounting machine or the lIke into said injection throat, and d. sheet injector means including a plurality of opposing drive rollers mountably disposed within said injection throat and drive means supported by at least one of said side supports and coupled to said opposing drive rollers, said stack retainer and said sheet guide being formed of a plurality of wire like members each longitudinally aligned with the direction of sheet travel and laterally supported coplanarly in spaced apart relationship by cross braces, whereby, upon attachment of said unitary sheet stacking means to said sheet handling means of said accounting machine or the like record sheets serially processed by said accounting machine and ejected by said sheet ejection means thereof are advanced into and stacked within said stack retainer for periodical and delayed removal therefrom.

Claim 6

A unitary sheet stacking device removably attachable to an accounting machine or the like, said machine having sheet ejection and handling means including a pair of upright support members and a connecting mounting bar, said unitary device comprising: a. a pair of side supports attachable to said sheet handling means, b. a sinuous stack retainer interposed between and supported by said pair of side supports said stack retainer having a flat side for supporting a front side of a sheet stack, and a ledge extending from said flat side in substantially normal relationship therewith for supporting sheet edges of a stack, c. a sinuous sheet guide supported by said side supports and displaced from said stack retainer to form a sheet injection throat, said sheet guide serving to direct a sheet ejected from said ejection means of said accounting machine or the lIke into said injection throat, and d. sheet injector means including a plurality of opposing drive rollers mountably disposed within said injection throat and drive means supported by at least one of said side supports and coupled to said opposing drive rollers, said stack retainer and said sheet guide being formed of a plurality of wire like members each longitudinally aligned with the direction of sheet travel and laterally supported coplanarly in spaced apart relationship by cross braces, whereby, upon attachment of said unitary sheet stacking means to said sheet handling means of said accounting machine or the like record sheets serially processed by said accounting machine and ejected by said sheet ejection means thereof are advanced into and stacked within said stack retainer for periodical and delayed removal therefrom.

Claim 7

The unitary sheet stacking device defined in claim 3 wherein each of said pair of side supports comprises: a. an open-ended slot effective for attachably receiving said mounting bar of said sheet handling means of said accounting machine or the like upon attachment of said device thereto, b. a pivotally mounted latch enclosably disposed relative to said open-ended slot such that said mounting bar may be locked within said slot upon said attachment, and c. a stop limitably associated with a corresponding one of said upright support members of said sheet handling means following said attachment.

Claim 8

The unitary sheet stacking device defined in claim 3 wherein said sinuous stack retainer comprises one flat side opposingly displaced from said sinuous sheet guide and a ledge extending toward said sheet guide from said flat side forming said injection throat therewith.

Claim 9

The unitary sheet stacking device defined in claim 5 wherein said sinuous sheet guide and the opposing flat side of said stack retainer are inclined slightly from vertical, such inclination being effective to impart a gravitational component of force toward said flat side to a sheet injected thereinto.

Claim 10

The unitary sheet stacking device defined in claim 5 wherein said sinuous sheet guide has a concave portion opposing said flat side, a lower portion of said concave portion extending downwardly of said ledge for guiding a sheet into engagement with said sheet injector means, an upper portion of said guide being bowed toward said flat side for conformably bending an injected sheet.

Claim 11

The unitary sheet stacking device defined in claim 5 wherein said plurality of opposing drive rollers mountably disposed within said injection throat and forming a part of said sheet injector means are effective for impelling the trailing edge of a sheet engaged thereby over said ledge of said stack retainer.

Claim 12

The unitary sheet stacking device defined in claim 5 wherein the axes of said opposing rollers are laterally displaced and parallel with the surface of said ledge, said axes being positioned so that the periphery of the rollers positioned closest to the ledge extend upwardly of said ledge so that the trailing edge of a sheet driven free of said rollers is frictionally impelled by said periphery toward said flat side.