Sorting and collating apparatus

Claim 2

Sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: a. a housing having a sheet distribution compartment including a plurality of spaced and generally vertically aligned sheet sorting trays, said housing also having an auxiliary compartment including vacuum inducing means, b. first generally horizontally disposed and second generally vertically disposed belt conveyor sections in said distribution compartment including vacuum chamber means in and extending over substantially the entire width of each of said first and second conveyor sections, said second section being adjacent said plurality of sheet sorting trays, and c. a series of selectively movable deflector means in the vacuum chamber of said second conveyor section for being extended out of said vacuum chamber into the path of sheets and deflecting sheets into said sorting trays, there being deflector means for each sorting tray.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said auxiliary and distribution compartments are separated by partition means.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 2 and wherein said vacuum inducing means generally creates vacuum in substantially all of said auxiliary compartment and wherein openings in said partition connect said auxiliary compartment with the vacuum chambers of said first and second conveyor sections.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 3 and wherein separate actuator mechanisms for each deflector means are provided in the vacuum chamber means of said second conveyor section to move said deflectors.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 4 and wherein said deflectors include a plurality of teeth which extend outwardly through openings in said vacuum chamber and retract to the interior of said chamber.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 5 and wherein sensing means are provided to detect the paper copy which is responsible for actuation of deflector means for directing the next oncoming paper copy into the next designated sorting tray.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 6 and wherein a generally vertically extending adjustable paper backstop means is provided for jogging an outer corner of paper coming into said sorting trays to the exposed side of said sorting trays.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 7 and wherein said sorting trays are provided with aligned slots within which said backstop is movable for adjustment to various paper lengths.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 8 and wherein a side stop means is provided to limit the side movement of paper deflected outwardly by said backstop.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 9 and wherein said second conveyor section, including its vacuum chamber and belt assembly, are hinged so as to permit pivotal movement for quick access to and removal of paper jams.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein a receiving tray is located above and in spaced relation to said first conveyor section for receiving copies not needing to be sorted.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 11 and wherein a selectively actuable entrance deflector means is located at the copy entrance of said apparatus so as to direct paper either onto said first conveyor section or to said receiving tray.

Claim 14

The appAratus according to claim 12 and wherein a paper stiffener means is provided for said receiving tray whereby the side edges of the paper copies are turned up to stiffen the longitudinal dimension of said paper as it moves into said receiving tray.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 13 and wherein said paper stiffener means includes a pair of upwardly angling surfaces for turning said side edges up.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 14 and wherein said paper stiffener means includes forwarding means for propelling paper through said stiffener and into said receiving tray.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 15 and wherein an air vane switch is actuated by the movement of air from a copy machine to actuate at least said entrance deflector and said means for propelling paper into said receiving tray.

Claim 18

Sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: a. a housing having a sheet distribution compartment including a plurality of spaced and generally vertically aligned sheet sorting trays, said trays being disposed at an angle with the entrance thereto being at the high end, said housing also having an auxiliary compartment separated from said distribution compartment by a partition and including vacuum inducing means therein, b. first generally horizontally disposed and second generally vertically disposed belt conveyor sections in said distribution compartment including vacuum chamber means in and extending over substantially the entire width of each of said first and second conveyor sections, said second section being adjacent said plurality of sheet sorting trays, said first and second conveyor sections being in proximity to each other for the transfer and guiding of sheets from said first to said second section, c. a series of selectively movable deflector means in the vacuum chamber of said second conveyor section for being extended out of said vacuum chamber into the path of sheets and deflecting sheets into said sorting trays, there being deflector means for each sorting tray.

Claim 19

Sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: a. a housing having a sheet distribution compartment including a plurality of spaced and generally vertically aligned sheet sorting trays, said trays being disposed at an angle with the entrance thereto being at the high end, said housing also having an auxiliary compartment separated from said distribution compartment by a partition and including vacuum inducing means therein, b. first generally horizontally disposed and second generally vertically disposed belt conveyor sections in said distribution compartment including vacuum chamber means in and extending over substantially the entire width of each of said first and second conveyor sections, said second section being adjacent said plurality of sheet sorting trays, said first and second conveyor sections being in proximity to each other for the transfer and guiding of sheets from said first to said second section, c. a series of selectively movable deflector means in the vacuum chamber of said second conveyor section for being extended out of said vacuum chamber into the path of sheets and deflecting sheets into said sorting trays, there being deflector means for each sorting tray.

Claim 20

The apparatus according to claim 17 and wherein said vacuum inducing means generally creates vacuum in substantially all of said auxiliary compartment and wherein openings in said partition connect said auxiliary compartment with the vacuum chamber of said first and second conveyor sections.

Claim 21

The apparatus according to claim 18 and wherein separate actuator mechanisms for each deflector means are provided in the vacuum chamber means of said second conveyor section to move said deflectors.

Claim 22

The apparatus according to claim 18 and wherein said deflectors including a plurality of teeth which extend outwardly through openings in said vacuum chamber and retract to the interior of said chamber.

Claim 23

The apparatus according to claim 20 wherein sensing means are provided to detect the paper copy which is responsible for actuation of deflector means for directing the next oncoming paper copy into the next designated sorting tray.

Claim 24

The apparatus according to claim 21 and wherein a generally vertically extending adjustable paper backstop means is provided for jogging an outer corner of paper coming into said sorting trays to the exposed side of said sorting trays.

Claim 25

The apparatus according to claim 22 and wherein said sorting trays are provided with aligned slots within which said backstop is movable for adjustment to various paper lengths.

Claim 26

The apparatus according to claim 23 and wherein a side stop means is provided to limit the side movement of paper deflected outwardly by said backstop.

Claim 27

The apparatus according to claim 24 and wherein said second conveyor section, including its vacuum chamber and belt assembly, are hinged so as to permit pivotal movement for quick access to and removal of paper jams.

Claim 28

The apparatus according to claim 17 and wherein a receiving tray is located above and in spaced relation to said first conveyor section for receiving copies not needing to be sorted.

Claim 29

The apparatus according to claim 26 and wherein A selectively actuable entrance deflector means is located at the copy entrance of said apparatus so as to direct paper either onto said first conveyor section or to said receiving tray.

Claim 30

The apparatus according to claim 27 and wherein a paper stiffener means is provided for said receiving tray whereby the side edges of the paper copies are turned up to stiffen the longitudinal dimension of said paper as it moves into said receiving tray.

Claim 31

The apparatus according to claim 28 and wherein said paper stiffener means includes a pair of upwardly angling surfaces for turning said side edges up.

Claim 32

The apparatus according to claim 29 and wherein said paper stiffener means includes forwarding means for propelling paper through said stiffener and into said receiving tray.

Claim 33

The apparatus according to claim 30 and wherein an air vane switch is actuated by the movement of air from a copy machine to actuate at least said entrance deflector and said means for propelling paper into said receiving tray.

Claim 34

Sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: a. a housing having a sheet distribution compartment including a plurality of spaced and generally vertically aligned sheet sorting trays, said housing also having an auxiliary compartment separated from said distribution compartment and including vacuum inducing means therein, b. first generally horizontally disposed and second generally vertically disposed multiple belt conveyor sections in said distribution compartment including vacuum chamber means underlying substantially the entire length and width of each of said first and second conveyor sections, said second section being adjacent the entrances of said plurality of sheet sorting trays, said first and second conveyor sections being in proximity to each other for the transfer and guiding of sheets from said first to said second section, the vacuum chambers of said conveyor sections being provided with a plurality of openings so that sheets are held by vacuum against the belts, c. a series of selectively movable deflector means in the vacuum chamber of said second conveyor section for being extended outwardly through said vacuum openings into the path of sheets and deflecting sheets into said sorting trays, there being deflector means for each sorting tray.

Claim 35

Sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: a. a housing having a sheet distribution compartment including a plurality of spaced and generally vertically aligned sheet sorting trays, said housing also having an auxiliary compartment separated from said distribution compartment and including vacuum inducing means therein, b. first generally horizontally disposed and second generally vertically disposed multiple belt conveyor sections in said distribution compartment including vacuum chamber means underlying substantially the entire length and width of each of said first and second conveyor sections, said second section being adjacent the entrances of said plurality of sheet sorting trays, said first and second conveyor sections being in proximity to each other for the transfer and guiding of sheets from said first to said second section, the vacuum chambers of said conveyor sections being provided with a plurality of openings so that sheets are held by vacuum against the belts, c. a series of selectively movable deflector means in the vacuum chamber of said second conveyor section for being extended outwardly through said vacuum openings into the path of sheets and deflecting sheets into said sorting trays, there being deflector means for each sorting tray.

Claim 36

The apparatus according to claim 32 and wherein said vacuum inducing means generally creates vacuum in substantially all of said auxiliary compartment and wherein openings connect said auxiliary compartment with the vacuum chambers of said first and second conveyor sections.

Claim 37

The apparatus according to claim 33 and wherein separate selectively controllable actuator mechanisms for each deflector means are provided in the vacuum chamber means of said second conveyor section to move said deflectors.

Claim 38

The apparatus according to claim 34 and wherein said deflectors include a plurality of teeth which extend outwardly through said openings in said vacuum chamber and retract to the interior of said chamber.

Claim 39

The apparatus according to claim 35 and wherein sensing means are provided to detect the paper copy which is responsible for actuation of an actuator mechanism and deflector means for directing the next oncoming paper copy into the next designated sorting tray.

Claim 40

The apparatus according to claim 36 and wherein a generally vertically extending adjustable paper backstop means is provided for jogging an outer corner of paper coming into said sorting trays to the exposed side of said sorting trays.

Claim 41

The apparatus according to claim 37 and wherein said sorting trays are provided with aligned slots within which said backstop is movable for adjustment to various paper lengths.

Claim 42

The apparatus according to claim 38 and wherein a side stop means is provided to limit the side movement of paper deflected outwardly by said backstop.

Claim 43

The apparatus according to claim 39 and wherein said second conveyor section, including its vacuum chamber and blet assembly, are hinged so as to peRmit pivotal movement for quick access to and removal of paper jams.

Claim 44

The apparatus according to claim 32 and wherein a receiving tray is located above and in spaced relation to said first conveyor section for receiving copies not needing to be sorted.

Claim 45

The apparatus according to claim 41 and wherein a selectively actuable entrance deflector means is located at the copy entrance of said apparatus so as to direct paper either onto said first conveyor section or to said receiving tray.

Claim 46

The apparatus according to claim 42 and wherein a paper stiffener means is provided for said receiving tray whereby the side edges of the paper copies are turned up to stiffen the longitudinal dimension of said paper as it moves into said receiving tray.

Claim 47

The apparatus according to claim 43 and wherein said paper stiffener means includes a pair of upwardly angling surfaces for turning said side edges up.

Claim 48

The apparatus according to claim 44 and wherein said paper stiffener means includes forwarding means for propelling paper through said stiffener and into said receiving tray.

Claim 49

The apparatus according to claim 45 and wherein an air vane switch is actuated by the movement of air from a copy machine to actuate at least said entrance deflector and said means for propelling paper into said receiving tray.