Sheet convey apparatus

Abstract

A sheet convey apparatus includes first and second conveyor belts, an air pipe, and a rotary body. The first conveyor belt conveys a plurality of sheets. The second conveyor belt is provided downstream of the first conveyor belt in a sheet convey direction and has a convey speed lower than that of the first conveyor belt. The air pipe is provided above the first conveyor belt and discharges air obliquely downward toward a downstream side of the sheet convey direction to float a trailing edge portion of a sheet. The rotary body is rotatably supported above the first conveyor belt and guides the trailing edge portion of the sheet which has floated with the air from the air pipe.

1 . A sheet convey apparatus comprising: 
 first convey means for conveying a plurality of sheets;    second convey means provided downstream of said sheet convey means in a sheet convey direction and having a convey speed lower than that of said first convey means;    air discharge means, provided above said first convey means, for discharging air obliquely downward toward a downstream side of the sheet convey direction to float a trailing edge portion of a sheet; and    a rotary body which is rotatably supported above said first convey means and guides the trailing edge portion of the sheet which has floated with the air from said air discharge means.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said first and second convey means respectively comprise first and second conveyor belts arranged on one plane, and    when a leading edge portion of the sheet separates from said first conveyor belt and comes into contact with said second conveyor belts, the trailing edge portion of the sheet floats by air.    
     
     
         3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 said air discharge means constantly discharges air,    while a sheet is conveyed by said first conveyor belt, the sheet is pressed against said first conveyor belt with the air blown to an upper surface thereof, and    when a convey operation of a sheet is switched from said first conveyor belt to said second conveyor belt, the trailing edge portion of the sheet is lifted by the air blown between a lower surface of the trailing edge portion of the sheet and said first conveyor belt.    
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said rotary body is provided at a position to correspond to the trailing edge portion of the sheet the leading edge portion of which has separated from said first conveyor belt and has come into contact with said second conveyor belt.  
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein each of said first and second conveyor belts comprises a plurality of narrow belts divided in a widthwise direction of the sheet.  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said air discharge means comprises a plurality of nozzles which are attached to correspond to every other one of said narrow belts of said first conveyor belt.  
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising air flow rate adjusting means for adjusting a flow rate of the air to be discharged from said air discharge means.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said air flow rate adjusting means has a valve member which adjusts a sectional area of an air channel to change a discharge speed of the air.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said air discharge means comprises    an air pipe which is axially, pivotally supported and to which air from an air supply source is supplied, and    a nozzle which is attached to said air pipe to discharge the air supplied to said air pipe, and    a discharge direction of the air from said nozzle is adjusted by pivot adjustment of said air pipe.    
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cutting device which sequentially cuts a leading edge of a web that is fed out and supplies a cut sheet to said first convey means.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said first convey means conveys the plurality of sheets to be separate from each other.