[54] INTER-ARTICLE GAP ADJUSTOR FOR
CONTROLLED DELIVERY TO A SORTING
DEVICE USING A PLURALITY OF GAP
SENSORS
[75] Inventors: Kichio Nakajima; Junichi Tamamoto;
Takashi Yoshida, all ol Ibaraki-ken;
Toshihiko Tajiri, Aichi-ken; Junji
Fujita, Nagoya; Taichiro Yamashita,
Tsuchiura; Kazushi Yoshida; Shunichi
Oohara, both ol Ibaraki-ken, all ol
Japan
[73] Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
[21] Appl. No.: 09/190,001
[22] Filed: Nov. 12, 1998
[30] Foreign Application Priority Data
Nov. 13, 1997 [JP] Japan 9-312100
Dec. 19, 1997 [JP] Japan 9-350501
[51] Int. CI.7 B07C 5/00; B65H 7/02;
B65G 43/00
[52] U.S. CI 209/584; 209/900; 209/656;
209/657; 271/258.01; 271/259; 271/176;
198/460.1; 198/460.3
[58] Field of Search 209/900, 584,
209/656, 657; 271/258.01, 259, 265.01, 265.02, 176, 3.01, 3.14, 3.15, 4.01, 4.02;
198/460.1, 460.3
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
3,251,452 5/1966 Conway 198/460.1
A paper sorting apparatus includes first to fourth gap measuring units to measure gaps between sheets ol paper. Using the gaps between the sheets varying between the respective gap measuring units, target gap correction values are stored lor respective sort shelves. In accordance with gaps between sheets changed between the first and second gap measuring units, there are predicted gap variations possibly taking place by when the sheets reach the associated sort shelves. Depending on the predicted gap variations, a gap adjuster is controlled to set the gaps to appropriate values at a point where the pertinent sheets reach the associated sort shelves.
24 Claims, 15 Drawing Sheets
