Sheet collecting apparatus and sheet collecting method

Abstract

In a sheet collecting apparatus having a collecting table on which a sheet charged by a charging means is collected, a suctioning/transporting means for suctioning and transporting the sheet charged by the charging means along a charging direction and releasing the sheet above the collecting table, back stoppers for receiving the sheet transported by the suctioning/transporting means downstream of the collecting table along a transport direction of the sheet, and a back guide disposed downstream of the collecting table along the transport direction of the sheet for regulating a position along the transport direction of the sheet received by the back stoppers, the sheet collecting apparatus positions the sheet charged by the charging means at a predetermined position and stacks it in a layer state.

1 . A sheet collecting apparatus for positioning a sheet charged by a charging means at a predetermined position and stacking it in a layer state; the sheet collecting apparatus comprising:
 a collecting table on which the sheet charged by the charging means is collected;   a suctioning/transporting means for suctioning and transporting the sheet charged by the charging means along a charging direction and releasing the sheet above the collecting table;   back stoppers for receiving the sheet transported by the suctioning/transporting means downstream of the collecting table along a transport direction of the sheet; and   a back guide disposed downstream of the collecting table along the transport direction of the sheet for regulating a position along the transport direction of the sheet received by the back stoppers.   
   
   
       2 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a pair of side guide members for regulating a charge path of the sheet transported by the suctioning/transporting means and released from the suctioning/transporting means above the collecting table. 
   
   
       3 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 2 , comprising edge support members disposed so that they can appear or disappear from the side guide members and receiving the sheet from under them by projecting from the side guide members when the sheet is released from the suctioning/transporting means. 
   
   
       4 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a front stopper disposed opposite to the back stoppers and to a back guide member across the collecting table. 
   
   
       5 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 2 , comprising a front stopper disposed opposite to the back stoppers and to a back guide member across the collecting table. 
   
   
       6 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising a front stopper disposed opposite to the back stoppers and to a back guide member across the collecting table. 
   
   
       7 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the suctioning/transporting means is a suction conveyer comprising a breathable suction belt rotating in a predetermined direction and suction boxes disposed inside the suction belt for suctioning the sheet onto the front surface of the suction belt by sucking air through the suction belt. 
   
   
       8 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the suctioning/transporting means is a suction conveyer comprising a breathable suction belt rotating in a predetermined direction and suction boxes disposed inside the suction belt for suctioning the sheet on to the front surface of the suction belt by sucking air through the suction belt. 
   
   
       9 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the suctioning/transporting means is a suction conveyer comprising a breathable suction belt rotating in a predetermined direction and suction boxes disposed inside the suction belt for suctioning the sheet on the front surface of the suction belt by suctioning air through the suction belt. 
   
   
       10 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the back guide member is formed to have a sheet receiving height as a height for receiving the sheet set higher than the lower edges of the back stoppers 
   
   
       11 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the back guide member is formed to have a sheet receiving height as a height for receiving the sheet set higher than the lower edges of the back stoppers. 
   
   
       12 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the back guide member is formed to have a sheet receiving height as a height for receiving the sheet set higher than the lower edges of the back stoppers. 
   
   
       13 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein a sheet receiving height as a height for receiving the sheet by the back guide member is lower than a positioning height for positioning the sheet by the side guide members and the front stopper. 
   
   
       14 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein a sheet receiving height as a height for receiving the sheet by the back guide member is lower than a positioning height for positioning the sheet by the side guide members and the front stopper. 
   
   
       15 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising an auxiliary air nozzle disposed below the inlet side edge of the suctioning/transporting means from which the sheet is charged for lifting the sheet sucked and transported by the suctioning/transporting means upward by jetting air upward. 
   
   
       16 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 2 , comprising an auxiliary air nozzle disposed below the inlet side edge of the suctioning/transporting means from which the sheet is charged for lifting the sheet sucked and transported by the suctioning/transporting means upward by jetting air upward. 
   
   
       17 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 3 , comprising an auxiliary air nozzle disposed below the inlet side edge of the suctioning/transporting means from which the sheet is charged for lifting the sheet sucked and transported by the suctioning/transporting means upward by jetting air upward. 
   
   
       18 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the front stopper is formed such that the position thereof can be changed according to the measurement of a sheet to be charged in the charging direction thereof. 
   
   
       19 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the front stopper is formed such that the position thereof can be changed according to the measurement of a sheet to be charged in the charging direction thereof. 
   
   
       20 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the front stopper is formed such that the position thereof can be changed according to the measurement of a sheet to be charged in the charging direction thereof. 
   
   
       21 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the front stopper is formed such that the position thereof can be changed according to the measurement of a sheet to be charged in the charging direction thereof. 
   
   
       22 . The sheet collecting apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the front stopper is formed such that the position thereof can be changed according to the measurement of a sheet to be charged in the charging direction thereof. 
   
   
       23 . A method of collecting a sheet charged by a charging means along a predetermined direction on a collecting table of a sheet collecting apparatus in a layer state, the sheet collecting apparatus comprising the collecting table, a suctioning/transporting means disposed above the collecting table, back stoppers disposed downstream of the collecting table along a transport direction of the sheet, and a back guide disposed downstream of the collecting table along the transport direction of the sheet adjacent to the back stoppers, the method comprising:
 suctioning the sheet charged by the charging means by the suctioning/transporting means, transporting the sheet along the charging direction of the sheet, and releasing the sheet above the collecting table;   receiving the sheet released from the suctioning/transporting means downstream of the collecting table along the transport direction of the sheet by the back stoppers; and   regulating a position along the transport direction of the sheet, which is received by the back stoppers, by the back guide member.