IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0938666
(2004-09-10)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Masotta,John R.
- Wright,William J.
- Manna,Robert E.
- Fuller,Charles C
- Sussmeier,John W.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
8 인용 특허 :
28 |
초록
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An improved sheet accumulator for stacking serially fed sheets transported on a paper path. The accumulator includes a guide deck. Above the guide deck, a plurality of parallel belts are positioned to provide a driving force for sheets on the deck. Within the accumulator, a ramp apparatus is positi
An improved sheet accumulator for stacking serially fed sheets transported on a paper path. The accumulator includes a guide deck. Above the guide deck, a plurality of parallel belts are positioned to provide a driving force for sheets on the deck. Within the accumulator, a ramp apparatus is positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus. Preferably, snap-down belts are provided between ramp structures snap transported sheets quickly into place on the stack and to hold them there. Sheets are stopped by an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected. When an accumulation is completed, the accumulator stop mechanism allows sheets to be transported from the accumulating region. Preferably the guide deck and ramp are adjustable for different sized sheets.
대표청구항
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What is claimed is: 1. A sheet accumulator for feeding and accumulating serially fed sheets in a paper path, the accumulator comprising: a stationary accumulator guide deck having a smooth upper surface and forming a lower portion of the paper path and supporting sheets fed on the paper path; a plu
What is claimed is: 1. A sheet accumulator for feeding and accumulating serially fed sheets in a paper path, the accumulator comprising: a stationary accumulator guide deck having a smooth upper surface and forming a lower portion of the paper path and supporting sheets fed on the paper path; a plurality of parallel belts positioned above the stationary accumulator deck and providing a driving force in a feed direction of the paper path for sheets on the deck, the lower runs of the plurality of belts being downwardly biased against the stationary deck; a ramp apparatus positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus; and an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected, the accumulator stop mechanism further allowing sheets to be transported from the accumulating region when the accumulation is completed. 2. The sheet accumulator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of parallel belts are arranged to interact with the ramp apparatus such that at least some of the belts act to snap sheets down into the accumulating region after the sheets have passed over the ramp apparatus. 3. The sheet accumulator of claim 2 wherein the ramp apparatus comprises: a plurality of spaced apart stationary ramp structures, the ramp structures sloping up from a level of the deck at an upstream end and rising to a top ramp height, before steeply dropping off at a downstream portion of the ramp apparatus, whereby the plurality of spaced apart belts operate to drive sheets over the ramp structures into the accumulating region. 4. The sheet accumulator of claim 3 wherein at least one or more of the parallel belts are positioned over gaps between the ramp structures, and wherein the one or more belts positioned over gaps are tensioned to snap sheets down towards the deck of the accumulating region after the sheets have passed over the stationary ramp structures. 5. The sheet accumulator of claim 2 wherein the ramp apparatus comprises: a plurality of spaced apart rollers, the spaced apart rollers positioned in operative contact with, and driven by, a first subset of the plurality of parallel belts, a top of the rollers having a height above the deck at substantially a top ramp height, the spaced apart rollers configured in cooperation with the plurality of parallel belts to drive sheets from the upstream portion of the deck, over the ramp apparatus, and into the accumulating region. 6. The sheet accumulator of claim 5 wherein a second subset of the parallel belts are positioned over gaps between the spaced apart rollers, and wherein the second subset of belts are tensioned to snap sheets down towards the deck of the accumulating region after the sheets have passed over the spaced apart rollers. 7. The sheet accumulator of claim 2 wherein the ramp apparatus comprises: a plurality of spaced apart stationary ramp structures, the ramp structures sloping up from a level of the deck at an upstream end and rising to a top ramp height, before steeply dropping off at a downstream portion of the ramp apparatus; a plurality of spaced apart rollers, the spaced apart rollers positioned in operative contact with, and driven by, a first subset of the plurality of parallel belts, the rollers having a height above the deck at substantially the top ramp height the spaced apart ramps structures and spaced apart rollers operating in cooperation with the parallel belts to drive sheets to be accumulated over the ramp apparatus into the accumulating region. 8. The sheet accumulator of claim 7 wherein a second subset of the plurality of parallel belts are not driven over the spaced apart rollers or the spaced apart stationary ramp structures, this second subset of belts being tensioned to snap-down sheets towards the deck of the accumulating region after the sheets have passed over the stationary ramp structures and the spaced apart rollers. 9. The sheet accumulator of claim 8 wherein the ramp apparatus is arranged such that it includes a series of ramp-roller combinations across the paper path, each combination including a first ramp structure followed by a first roller followed by a second ramp structure, followed by a gap, wherein the next in the series of ramp-roller combinations starts again after the gap, and wherein the parallel belts of the second subset are positioned to fit within the gaps of the ramp-roller combinations. 10. The sheet accumulator of claim 1 wherein the guide deck is comprised of an adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus, whereby a length of the accumulating region downstream of the ramp may be adjusted to accommodate different sized sheets. 11. The sheet accumulator of claim 10 wherein the adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus comprises: a first roller proximal an input end; a second roller proximal to an output end; a flexible sheet of non-permanently deforming material wrapped around the first and second rollers, a surface of the sheet forming the guide deck comprising a portion of the paper path, the guide deck being movable along a paper path direction while rotating around the first and second rollers; and a locking mechanism coupled to the adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus for preventing the flexible sheet from moving around the first and second rollers when in a locked position, and allowing movement around the first and second rollers when in an unlocked position. 12. The sheet accumulator of claim 11 wherein the ramp apparatus is coupled to the flexible sheet, whereby a position of the ramp apparatus between the input end and the output end of the paper path is adjustable by moving the flexible sheet around the first and second rollers. 13. The sheet accumulator of claim 12 wherein the ramp apparatus is movable towards the output end for handling short sheets, and away from the output end for long sheets. 14. The sheet accumulator of claim 12 wherein the adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus further comprises a tensioner mechanism for tensioning the flexible sheet between the first and second rollers. 15. The sheet accumulator of claim 12 wherein the flexible sheet is comprised of a sheet having two ends and the ramp apparatus is coupled between the two ends, thereby making the ramp apparatus adjustably positionable between the first and second rollers. 16. The sheet accumulator of claim 15 wherein the adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus further comprises a tensioner mechanism for tensioning the flexible sheet between the first and second rollers. 17. The sheet accumulator of claim 16 wherein the tensioner mechanism is comprised of a coupling between an end of the flexible sheet and the ramp apparatus, the coupling comprising a clamping bar around which the flexible sheet is wrapped when the clamping bar is rotated. 18. The sheet accumulator of claim 12 further comprising a support frame supporting the first and second rollers, and wherein the ramp apparatus is movably coupled to and supported by the support frame. 19. The sheet accumulator of claim 18 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a sliding looking coupling between the ramp apparatus and the support frame. 20. The sheet accumulator of claim 19 wherein the support frame includes slotted side members through which a rod member of the sliding locking coupling is adjustably movable along the paper path direction to adjust a position of the ramp apparatus between the first and second rollers. 21. The sheet accumulator of claim 20 wherein the sliding locking coupling includes a screw locking mechanism to tighten the rod member to the support frame to prevent the ramp apparatus from moving when in the locked position. 22. The sheet accumulator of claim 11 wherein the adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus further comprises a tensioner mechanism for tensioning the flexible sheet between the first and second rollers. 23. The sheet accumulator of claim 22 wherein the tensioner mechanism is comprised of a clamping bar around which the flexible sheet is wrapped when the clamping bar is rotated. 24. The sheet accumulator of claim 22 wherein the tensioner mechanism is comprised of a mechanism for adjusting a distance between the first and second rollers around which the flexible sheet is wrapped. 25. The sheet accumulator of claim 11 wherein the flexible sheet is comprised of fully hardened stainless steel shim stock. 26. The sheet accumulator of claim 25 wherein the flexible sheet is 0.005 inches thick. 27. The sheet accumulator of claim 11 further comprising a third roller positioned between the first and second rollers, at least part of a circumference of the third roller intersecting with a plane of the guide deck between the first and second rollers, thereby causing the guide deck to have a sloped profile on either side of the third roller. 28. The sheet accumulator of claim 27 wherein the third roller is positioned proximal to the output end of the paper path. 29. The sheet accumulator of claim 1 further comprising a hold-down roller positioned immediately upstream of the ramp apparatus across the paper path, the hold down roller positioned above the lower run of the parallel belts and providing a downward biasing force on the lower run of the belts immediately before the ramp apparatus and providing a downward tension on the belts while they move over the ramp apparatus. 30. The sheet accumulator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of parallel belts are mounted on a movable frame assembly that can be moved to gain top access to the accumulator guide deck and ramp apparatus. 31. The sheet accumulator of claim 1 wherein the accumulator stop mechanism is a set of dump rollers across the paper path that form a motionless nip to stop sheets while the accumulation is being formed, and that drive the accumulation from the accumulation region after the accumulation is complete. 32. The sheet accumulator of claim 31 wherein a top roller of the set of rollers is comprised of a material capable of absorbing impacts of sheets being stopped by the dump rollers, and a bottom roller of the set of rollers is comprised of a material harder than the top roller for supporting the accumulation formed at the dump rollers. 33. The sheet accumulator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of belts are comprised of flat belts. 34. A dual sheet accumulator for feeding and accumulating serially fed sheets in a paper path, the dual accumulator comprising: an input transport for receiving serially fed sheets from an upstream module; a top accumulator downstream of the input transport; a bottom accumulator positioned below the top accumulator and downstream of the input transport; a diverting mechanism controlled to divert sheets to either the top accumulator or bottom accumulator from the input transport; a merging transport for receiving completed accumulations from both the top and bottom accumulators and merging them back into a single output transport path; wherein the top accumulator and bottom accumulator are each comprised of; a stationary accumulator guide deck having a smooth upper surface and forming a lower portion of the paper path and supporting sheets fed on the paper path; a plurality of parallel belts positioned above the stationary accumulator deck and providing a driving force in a feed direction of the paper path for sheets on the deck, the lower runs of the plurality of belts being downwardly biased against the stationary deck; a ramp apparatus positioned across the paper path whereby sheets driven by the belts on an upstream portion of the accumulator deck are driven over the ramp apparatus and deposited in an accumulating region of the accumulator deck on a downstream side of the ramp apparatus; and an accumulator stop mechanism located at a downstream end of the accumulating region that prevents movement of sheets by the belts while sheets for an accumulation are being collected, the accumulator stop mechanism further allowing sheets to be transported from the accumulating region when the accumulation is completed. 35. The dual sheet accumulator of claim 34 wherein the plurality of parallel belts are arranged to interact with the ramp apparatus such that at least some of the belts act to snap sheets down into the accumulating region after the sheets have passed over the ramp apparatus. 36. The dual sheet accumulator of claim 34 wherein the guide deck is comprised of an adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus, whereby a length of the accumulating region downstream of the ramp may be adjusted to accommodate different sized sheets. 37. The dual sheet accumulator of claim 36 wherein the adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus comprises: a first roller proximal an input end; a second roller proximal to an output end; a flexible sheet of non-permanently deforming material wrapped around the first and second rollers, a surface of the sheet forming the guide deck comprising a portion of the paper path, the guide deck being movable along a paper path direction while rotating around the first and second rollers; and a locking mechanism coupled to the adjustable paper path guide deck apparatus for preventing the flexible sheet from moving around the first and second rollers when in a looked position, and allowing movement around the first and second rollers when in an unlocked position. 38. The dual sheet accumulator of claim 34 wherein each of the top and bottom accumulators further comprise a hold-down roller positioned immediately upstream of the ramp apparatus across the paper path, the hold down roller positioned above the lower run of the parallel belts and providing a downward biasing force on the lower run of the belts immediately before the ramp apparatus and providing a downward tension on the belts while they move over the ramp apparatus. 39. The dual sheet accumulator of claim 34 wherein the plurality of parallel belts are mounted on a movable frame assembly that can be moved to gain top access to the accumulator guide deck and ramp apparatus. 40. The dual sheet accumulator of claim 34 wherein the accumulator stop mechanism is a set of dump rollers across the paper path that form a motionless nip to stop sheets while the accumulation is being formed, and that drive the accumulation from the accumulation region after the accumulation is complete. 41. The dual sheet accumulator of claim 40 wherein a top roller of the set of rollers is comprised of a material capable of absorbing impacts of sheets being stopped by the dump rollers, and a bottom roller of the set of rollers is comprised of a material harder than the top roller for supporting the accumulation formed at the dump rollers. 42. The dual sheet accumulator of claim 34 wherein the plurality of belts are comprised of flat belts.
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