Collator

Claim 2

A collator comprising a. a plurality of sheet-receiving shelves arranged in side-byside relationship, b. a plurality of sets of feed rollers respectively associated with each of said sheet-receiving shelves, each of said sets of feed rollers comprising a plurality of rollers mounted for rotation on a common axis, all the sets of feed rollers normally rotating in the same direction, and the successive sets of rollers being disposed closely enough to each other so that two adjacent sets of rollers respectively associated with two adjacent shelves cooperatively advance a sheet passing between them into one of the last-mentioned shelves when one of the two adjacent sets of rollers rotates in reverse direction, c. belt means cooperating with said sets of feed rollers rotating in normal direction so as to convey sheets, and d. means for causing one set of feed rollers to selectively rotate in reverse direction so that when one set of feed rollers is rotated in reverse direction a sheet can be fed to a predetermined sheet-receiving shelf by cooperation of said set of feed rollers rotating in reverse direction with an adjacent set of feed rollers rotating in normal direction.

Claim 3

A collator as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for causing one set of feed rollers to rotate in reverse Direction is control means comprising two sprockets loosely mounted for rotation in opposite directions on an extension of a shaft for supporting each of said sets of feed rollers, and a control wheel mounted on said extension of said shaft in a position intermediate said two sprockets, said control wheel being unrotatable relative to said shaft but movable axially thereof, said control wheel normally engaging one of said sprockets which rotates in normal direction but being released from engagement therewith upon receipt of a signal from outside and brought into engagement with the other sprocket which rotates in reverse direction, whereby the set of feed rollers associated with said means can be rotated in reverse direction.

Claim 4

A collator as defined in claim 2, further comprising a control plate engaging said control wheel such that said control plate shifts the control wheel axially, and actuating means for moving said control plate, said actuating means being adapted to be shifted by signals from outside and indexed successively with said means for causing one set of feed rollers to selectively rotate in reverse direction so that the actuating means may move the control plate and hence the control wheel associated with each of said sheet-receiving shelves, whereby the control wheel can be released from engagement with the sprocket rotating in normal direction and brought into engagement with the sprocket rotating in reverse direction.

Claim 5

A collator as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one pliable sheet-leading end deflecting member being disposed between the adjacent two sets of feed rollers and in the path of movement of sheets.

Claim 6

A collator as defined in claim 1, further comprising switch means adapted to be shifted and indexed successively with the sheet-receiving shelves to which sheets are fed and for detecting the introduction of the sheets to the respective sheet-receiving shelves, said switch means comprising an actuator which serves concurrently as a guide for introducing a sheet into a predetermined sheet-receiving shelf.

Claim 7

In apparatus for collating sheets of material such as paper or the like, in combination, a. an array of spaced sheet-receiving shelves disposed in succession along a path of advance of the sheets; b. conveyor means for advancing successive sheets along the path; c. a plurality of roller structures for feeding the sheets, respectively associated with successive shelves of the array, the shelf roller structures being disposed closely enough to each other so that two adjacent roller structures respectively associated with two adjacent shelves cooperatively advance a sheet passing between them into one of the last-mentioned shelves when one of the two adjacent roller structures rotates in reverse direction, each roller structure of said plurality being dipsosed and adapted for cooperation, i. when rotating in a given direction, with said conveyor means, to feed sheets along said path, and ii. when rotating in an opposite direction, with an adjacent roller structure rotating in said given direction, to feed a sheet from said path to the shelf with which said adjacent roller structure is associated; and d. means for selectively reversing the direction of rotation of one of said roller structures.

Claim 8

In apparatus for collating sheets of material such as paper or the like, in combination, a. an array of spaced sheet-receiving shelves disposed in succession along a path of advance of the sheets; b. conveyor means for advancing successive sheets along the path; c. a plurality of roller structures for feeding the sheets, respectively associated with successive shelves of the array, the shelf roller structures being disposed closely enough to each other so that two adjacent roller structures respectively associated with two adjacent shelves cooperatively advance a sheet passing between them into one of the last-mentioned shelves when one of the two adjacent roller structures rotates in reverse direction, each roller structure of said plurality being dipsosed and adapted for cooperation, i. when rotating in a given direction, with said conveyor means, to feed sheets along said path, and ii. when rotating in an opposite direction, with an adjacent roller structure rotating in said given direction, to feed a sheet from said path to the shelf with which said adjacent roller structure is associated; and d. means for selectively reversing the direction of rotation of one of said roller structures.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said rotation-reversing means comprises separate means for rotatably driving said roller structures in respectively opposite directions; and motion-transmitting means associated with said one roller structure for selectively drivably engaging that roller structure with either of said separate driving means.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein each of said separate driving means includes a cyclically moving driven element having a direction of motion corresponding to one of said given and opposite directions of rotation of said roller structures, and wherein said motion-transmitting means comprises a cyclically movable element engaging said oNe roller structure for imparting rotational movement thereto and mounted for sliding movement into selective engagement with either of the cyclically moving driven elements for receiving cyclical motion therefrom and transmitting the cyclical motion to said one roller structure.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein each of said roller structures comprises a set of rollers mounted on a common shaft for rotation therewith and having a diameter substantially equal to the spacing between adjacent shelves of said array.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said rotation-reversing means comprises separate means for rotatably driving said roller structures in respectively opposite directions and individual motion-transmitting means respectively associated with each of said roller structures for selectively drivably engaging its associated roller structure with either of said separate driving means, and further including means for successively actuating the motion-transmitting means respectively associated with adjacent roller structures to engage that one of said separate driving means which drives the roller structures in said opposite direction.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 10, further including means for biasing each of said motion-transmitting means into engagement with that one of said separate driving means which drives said roller structures in said given direction, said actuating means overcoming said biasing means to disengage said motion-transmitting means from said last-mentioned driving means and engage the motion-transmitting means with the other of said driving means.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said actuating means successively actuates the motion-transmitting means of adjacent rollers as aforesaid in correspondence with advance of successive sheets along said path.