Sheet joggling device, and sheet delivery, sheet-fed printing press and sheet joggling method employed therewith

Abstract

A sheet joggling device is provided to increase the number of times a sheet is pressed and to improve sheet joggling functions of stacked sheets. A width direction sheet joggling device disposed on both sides of the advancing direction of discharged sheets, and which aligns positions in the width direction when stacking sheets, has a back holding unit movably provided in the width direction as to a frame, a size changing mechanism to move the back holding unit in the width direction B, a back aligning plate unit movably attached to the sheet side of the back holding unit in the width direction B, and a back aligning plate vibrating mechanism for causing the back aligning plate unit to approach/retreat as to the sheets with a predetermined timing.

1 . A sheet joggling device arranged so as to be disposed on both sides of sheets to be discharged in the advancing direction thereof, to align the position of such sheets in the width direction in the event of such sheets being stacked, comprising:
 a moving member provided so as to be movable in the width direction as to a frame;   a sheet size changing mechanism arranged to move the moving member in the width direction;   a pressing member attached so as to be movably attached in the width direction on the sheet side of the moving member; and   an approach/retreat mechanism arranged to approach and retreat the pressing member at a predetermined timing from the sheets.   
     
     
         2 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 1 , the approach/retreat mechanism further comprising:
 an elastic member arranged so as to elastically press the pressing member on the sheet side; and   a position regulating member arranged to regulate the movement of the pressing member toward the sheet side by pressuring the pressing member in the direction to retreat from the sheets, and cause the regulation position thereof to approach/retreat as to the sheets at a predetermined timing.   
     
     
         3 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 2 , wherein the position regulating member is arranged to approach/retreat the regulation position as to the sheets with a cam member which is turnably driven. 
     
     
         4 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 1 , the sheet size changing mechanism further comprising:
 a rack attached to the moving member so as to extend in the width direction;   a pinion which is attached in the width direction, the position of which is roughly fixed, and meshes with the rack; and   a driving unit arranged to turnably drive the pinion.   
     
     
         5 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of pairs of the moving member and the pressing member are provided along the advancing direction, wherein at least one pair of the plurality of pairs of the moving member and the pressing member are configured so as to be able to adjust the position of the advancing direction. 
     
     
         6 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 5 , wherein of the plurality of pairs of the moving member and the pressing member, the position in the advancing direction of the moving member and the pressing member is fixedly configured on the farthest downstream side; and
 wherein the moving member and the pressing member on the farthest upstream side are attached to a vacuum suction wheel device.   
     
     
         7 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 5 , the moving members each including racks attached to the moving member so as to extend in the width direction serving as the sheet size changing mechanism, and pinions which are attached in the width direction, the position of which are roughly fixed, and mesh with the racks, and having a shared driving unit arranged to turnably drive all of the pinions;
 the shared driving unit having a drive shaft to which all of the pinions are attached, whereby the pinions meshing with the racks of the moving member configured so as to be able to adjust the position of the advancing direction are movably attached along the drive shaft.   
     
     
         8 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 7 , wherein the drive shaft is configured with a cross-sectional shape in a multiple side shape. 
     
     
         9 . A sheet delivery of the sheet-fed printing press employing the sheet joggling device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A sheet joggling device comprising:
 sheet joggling plate portions arranged so as to be disposed on both sides of sheets to be discharged in the advancing direction thereof; and   a sheet size changing mechanism arranged to adjust the position of the sheet joggling plate portions in the width direction corresponding to the size of the sheets;   wherein the sheet joggling plate portions are cyclically moved back and forth as to the sheets whereby both sides portions of the sheets are hit by the sheet joggling plate portions and the positions in the width direction of the sheets are aligned; and   wherein the sheet joggling plate portions have an approach/retreat mechanism attached to the moving member of the sheet size changing mechanism to perform normal back and forth movement; and   wherein the sheet joggling plate portions are configured to perform large-scale oscillation movements having an amplitude several times greater compared to the amplitude of the normal back and forth movement with a predetermined timing.   
     
     
         12 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 11 , arranged to perform the large-scale oscillation movements of the sheet joggling plate portions employing a position moving portion of the sheet size changing mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A sheet joggling method for a sheet joggling device comprising:
 sheet joggling plate portions arranged so as to be disposed on both sides of sheets to be discharged in the advancing direction thereof; and   a sheet size changing mechanism arranged to adjust the position of the sheet joggling plate portions in the width direction corresponding to the size of the sheets;   wherein the sheet joggling plate portions are cyclically moved back and forth as to the sheets whereby both sides portions of the sheets are hit by the sheet joggling plate portions and the positions in the width direction of the sheets are aligned; and   wherein the sheet joggling plate portions perform normal back and forth movement with a back and forth movement approach/retreat mechanism attached to the moving member of the sheet size changing mechanism; and   wherein the sheet joggling plate portions perform large-scale oscillation movements having amplitude several times greater compared to the amplitude of the normal back and forth movement with a predetermined timing.   
     
     
         16 . A sheet joggling method according to  claim 15 , arranged to perform the large-scale oscillation movements of the sheet joggling plate portions employing a position moving portion of the sheet size changing mechanism. 
     
     
         17 . A sheet joggling device comprising:
 one pair of width aligning portions, provided on both sides of the advancing direction of the sheets having been subjected to printing, which are configured to align the position of the sheets in the width direction in the event that the sheets are stacked;   each of the width aligning portions having
 a sheet joggling member of which an upper portion is swingable with a lower portion in the sheet stacking direction as an oscillation fulcrum and is capable of abutting the side portion of the sheets in the width direction, and 
 an oscillating unit which can oscillate the sheet joggling member in the sheet width direction. 
   
     
     
         18 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 17 , wherein the sheet joggling member is formed in a plate shape; and
 wherein the oscillation fulcrum forms a horizontal oscillation axial line along the advancing direction.   
     
     
         19 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 17 , wherein the oscillating unit has an oscillation driving mechanism configured to oscillate an upper portion of the sheet joggling member between a sheet joggling position in contact with the sheets and a waiting position having retreated from the sheets. 
     
     
         20 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 19 , wherein the oscillation driving mechanism further comprising:
 a turnably drivable motor;   an eccentric cam wherein a central axial line is positioned being shifted a predetermined amount parallel from the turning axial line of the motor; and   a link wherein the eccentric cam is provided on one end portion side and the sheet joggling member is provided on the other end portion side.   
     
     
         21 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a connecting portion having
 a recessed portion which connects the sheet joggling member and the oscillation driving mechanism, and which is provided on the sheet joggling member side or the oscillation driving mechanism side, and 
 a protruding portion provided on the other side to be inserted into the recessed portion; 
   wherein the oscillating unit has a pressing member capable of pressing the upper portion of the sheet aligning member to the sheet side; and   wherein the recessed portion and the protruding portion have a space therebetween along the direction of the pressing.   
     
     
         22 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a holding member provided with the sheet joggling member and the oscillating unit;   wherein the pressing member is configured with a spring member having
 a base end portion fixed to the holding member, 
 a foldback portion provided on the lower side of the base end portion in the sheet stacking direction; and 
 a tip portion which is folded back in the upper side of the sheet stacking direction via the foldback portion provided with the sheet joggling member. 
   
     
     
         23 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 22 , having a regulating plate which is a separate unit from the sheet aligning member. 
     
     
         24 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a sheet size changing mechanism having
 a rack provided to the holding member so as to extend in the width direction; 
 a pinion which meshes with the rack; and 
 a driving unit arranged to turnably drive the pinion; 
   wherein the holding member is moved along the width direction along with the rack.   
     
     
         25 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 24 , further comprising:
 a control unit arranged to control the driving of the sheet size changing mechanism; and   a detecting unit which is capable of transmitting a sample removing signal to the control unit;   wherein in the event of receiving the sample removing signal, the control unit controls the sheet size changing mechanism to retreat the holding member and the sheet joggling member from the sheets along the width direction.   
     
     
         26 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 17 , wherein each of the oscillating units are arranged such that the timing for the upper portion of the sheet joggling member to make contact with the sheets is set to be mutually nonsynchronous. 
     
     
         27 . A sheet joggling device according to  claim 17 , wherein a plurality of the pair of width aligning portions are provided along the advancing direction, with at least one pair configured to be capable of moving along the advancing direction. 
     
     
         28 . A printing apparatus comprising:
 a sheet supply unit arranged to feed sheets so as to supply the sheet;   a printing unit arranged to subject the sheets supplied from the sheet supply unit to printing; and   a discharge unit having a pair of width aligning portions provided on both sides of the sheets in the advancing direction thereof, to discharge the sheets subjected to printing at the printing unit, and also to align the width direction position of the sheets at the time of stacking the sheets;   each of the width aligning portions having
 a sheet joggling member of which an upper portion can oscillate with a lower portion in the sheet stacking direction as an oscillation fulcrum which is capable of making contact with the width direction side portion of the sheets, and 
 an oscillating unit which can oscillate the sheet joggling member in the sheet width direction.