Sheet-like material processing apparatus

• US 4,483,124 A
• Filed: 01/11/1983
• Issued: 11/20/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohba, Hiroshi, Horino, Shigeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Coan, James F.
• Application Number:
  US06/457,131
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 53/588, 53/587, 53/582, 53/502, 53/500, 53/498, 53/493, 53/54, 53/52, 53/211, 53/419, 209/534, 209/569, 209/583
• US Class Current: 53/54
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 27/08 Bundling paper sheets, envelopes, bags, newspapers, or other thin flat articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/04 for distinguishing adjusting from controlling, i.e. manual adjustments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/18 relative to handling machine
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1912 Banknotes, bills and cheques or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/20 adjustable for different article sizes
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/38 Apparatus for vibrating or knocking the pile during piling
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/50 Sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/187 Detecting defacement or contamination, e.g. dirt

Abstract

A sheet-like material processing apparatus is provided with a pre-processing section and a post-processing section. In the pre-processing section, the sheet-like material set in the supply section is taken out sheet by sheet and those taken-out ones are sorted, by an inspecting device, into at least two kinds of sheet-like material. A transfer/sorting device physically sorts those sheet-like material on the basis of the sorting by the inspection device. The sorted sheet-like material are separately collected each for a given number of the sheet-like material by a sorting and collecting device, and then are bundled by a sheet bundling device. A transfer device transfers the given number of the bundled sheet-like material. Of those sheet-like material transferred by said transfer device, the unreusable ones are invalidated by an invalidating device.

Claims

1. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

sheet take-out/transfer means for taking out sheets set in a sheet supply section on a sheet-by-sheet basis and for transferring said sheets;

inspecting means for classifying said transferred sheets into at least a first and second class;

transfer/sorting means for transferring and sorting said classified sheets into first and second classes;

first collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said sorted sheets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets of said first class;

transfer means for transferring said packets;

second collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said transferred packets of said first class; and

invalidated means for invalidating a predetermined number of said second class sheets.

2. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising second bundling means for bundling said packets of said first class sheets into bundles.

3. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

sheet take-out/transfer means for taking out sheets set in a sheet supply section on a sheet-by-sheet basis and for transferring said sheets;

inspecting means for classifying said transferred sheets into at least a first and second class;

transfer/sorting means for transferring and sorting said classified sheets into said first and second classes;

first collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said sorted sheets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets for each of said first and second classes;

transfer means for transferring said packets;

second collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said transferred packets for each of said first and second classes; and

second bundling means for bundling said collected packets together into bundles for each of said first and second classes.

4. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second bundling means comprises:

relatively movable chuck means for holding said collected packets;

means for moving said chuck means between holding and released positions so that said collected packets can be held and released, respectively, by said chuck means upon predetermined operation of said moving means;

winding means for winding a tape in one direction around said collected packets when said chuck means is in said holding position; and

rotating means for rotating said collected packets when said chuck means is in said released position through an angle of about 90°

so that upon operation of said winding means after said rotating means rotates said collected packets, said tape is wound around said collected packets by said winding means in a direction substantially normal to said first mentioned direction.

5. A sheet processing apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising supply means for supplying said collected packets to said chuck means and chuck transfer means for transferring said collected packets from said chuck means.

6. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means defining a common transfer path for transferring said packets for each of said first and second classes bundled by said first bundling means.

7. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means defining a common transfer path for transferring said packets for each of said first and second classes bundled by said first bundling means and detecting means for detecting a predetermined feature of a strip on said packets at the midportion of said common path.

8. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said detecting means includes means for determining the color of said strip.

9. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said transfer means includes means defining a common transfer path for transferring said packets for each of said first and second classes, and means for pushing said packets in a direction normal to said common transfer path thereby sorting said packets into said first and second classes.

10. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said transfer means includes means defining a common transfer path for transferring said packets for each of said first and second classes, and means for pushing said packets in a direction normal to said common transfer path thereby sorting said packets into said first and second classes, said transfer means including with the kinds of the material, and a collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of sheets erroneously sorted, said collecting means being provided on a path extending from said common transfer path.

11. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising vertical transfer means for transferring the packets for each of said first and second classes in a substantially vertical state.

12. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said transfer means transfers said packets for each of said first and second classes in a substantially vertical state, said transfer means further comprising sorting means for sorting said packets into said first and second classes, after said packets are pushed from said transfer means.

13. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said sorting means successively processes a couple of superposed packets each of said packets includng a predetermined number of sheets after said sheets have been sorted into said first and second classes.

14. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first bundling means includes single bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets for each of said first and second classes.

15. A sheet processing appparatus according to claim 3, wherein said bundling means further includes checking means for checking whether the proper number of packets for each of said first and second classes have been bundled.

16. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said checking means is a weight measuring apparatus.

17. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said checking means is a thickness measuring apparatus.

18. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second bundling means winds, in a crossing manner, a strip around a predetermined number of said collected packets for each of said first and second classes.

19. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said transfer means includes means for pushing out the acceptable bundles of packets from said transfer means and for transferring the unacceptable bundles of packets to a collecting means provided at a location extending from said transfer means.

20. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

sheet take-out/transfer means for taking out sheets set in a sheet supply section on a sheet-by-sheet basis and for transferring said sheets;

inspecting means for classifying said transferred sheets into at least a first and second class;

transfer/sorting means for transferring and sorting said classified sheets into first and second classes;

first collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said sorted sheets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets for each of said first and second classes;

transfer means for transferring said packets;

second collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said transferred packets for each of said first and second classes; and

invalidating means for invalidating at least one packet of said second class sheets transferred by said transfer means.

21. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said invalidating means further comprises punching means for punching said predetermined number of second class packets thereby invalidating them, and a transfer belt for transferring said predetermined number of second class packets through said punching means.

22. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said punching means includes pin means projectable into the transfer path of said predetermined number of second class packets for stopping said second class packets within said punching means.

23. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

sheet take-out/transfer means for taking out sheets set in a sheet supply section on a sheet-by-sheet basis and for transferring said sheets;

inspecting means for classifying said transferred sheets into at least a first and a second class;

transfer/sorting means for transferring and sorting said classified sheets into said first and second classes;

first collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said sorted sheets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets for each of said first and second classes;

transfer means for transferring said packets;

second collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said transferred packets for each of said first and second classes; and

invalidating means for invalidating a predetermined number of said second class sheets prior to being collected by said second collecting means.

24. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said invalidating means further comprises punching means for punching said predetermined number of second class sheets thereby invalidating them, and a transfer belt for transferring said predetermined number of second class sheets through said punching means.

25. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said punching means includes pin means projectable into the transfer path of said predetermined number of second class sheets for stopping said second class sheets within said punching means.

26. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

sheet take-out/transfer means for taking out sheets set in a sheet supply section on a sheet-by-sheet basis and for transferring said sheets;

inspecting means for classifying said transferred sheets into at least a first and second class;

transfer/sorting means for transferring and sorting said classified sheets into said first and second classes;

first collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said sorted sheets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets for each of said first and second classes;

transfer means for transferring said packets;

second collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said transferred packets for each of said first and second classes;

invalidating means for invalidating at least one packet of said second class sheets transferred by said transfer means; and

second bundling means for bundling said collected packets together into bundles for each of said first and second class.

27. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

sheet take-out/transfer means for taking out sheets set in a sheet supply section on a sheet-by-sheet basis and for transferring said sheets;

inspecting means for classifying said transferred sheets into at least a first and second class;

transfer/sorting means for transferring and sorting said classified sheets into said first and second classes;

first collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said sorted sheets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets for each of said first and second classes;

transfer means for transferring said packets;

second collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said transferred packets for each of said first and second classes;

invalidating means for invalidating a predetermined number of said second class sheets prior to being collected by said second collecting means; and

second bundling means for bundling said collected packets together into bundles for each of said first and second classes.

28. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

sheet take-out/transfer means for taking out sheets set in a sheet supply section on a sheet-by-sheet basis and for transferring said sheets;

inspecting means for classifying said transferred sheets into at least a first and second class;

transfer/sorting means for transferring and sorting said classified sheets into said first and second classes;

first collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said sorted sheets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets of at least said first class together into packets;

transfer means for transferring said packets;

second collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said transferred packets of at least said first class; and

second bundling means for bundling said collected packets together into bundles of at least said first class.

29. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

sheet take-out/transfer means for taking out sheets set in a sheet supply section on a sheet-by-sheet basis and for transferring said sheets;

inspecting means for classifying said transferred sheets into at least a first and second class;

transfer/sorting means for transferring and sorting said classified sheets into said first and second classes;

first collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said sorted sheets for each of said first and second classes;

first bundling means for bundling said collected sheets together into packets for each of said first and second classes;

transfer means for transferring said packets;

second collecting means for collecting a predetermined number of said transferred packets of at least said first class; and

second bundling means for bundling said collected packets together into bundles of at least said first class.