JP7828639B2 - collation device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a collating device.

Conventionally, in a collating device that creates collated sets by stacking sheets fed from multiple sheet feeding mechanisms, a collating device equipped with a reading feeding mechanism that separates and feeds sheets one by one from a loading section while reading identification information attached to the sheets is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1. In the device described in Patent Document 1, the identification information includes destination data for identifying the collated sets to be distributed to the recipients, and the control means selectively drives the sheet feeding mechanism from among the other feeding mechanisms other than the reading feeding mechanism based on this destination data.

The sheet fed from the reading and feeding mechanism is folded in half, and a sheet selectively fed from above is placed inside it to form a collated set. The reading and feeding mechanism has a retention section that holds one sheet between the position where it is separated and fed out and where it is folded in half. While the sheet is held in this retention section, the reading mechanism reads the identification information and transmits it to the control means.
Therefore, the collating device repeats a cycle in which sheets are fed from the reading and feeding mechanism, held in the retention section and identification information is read, sheets are fed from other feeding mechanisms selected based on the read identification information, the sheets fed from the reading and feeding mechanism are folded in half, and sheets fed from other feeding mechanisms are placed inside to create a collated set. However, by performing reading in the retention section, the cycle for the next sheet can start before this cycle for the preceding sheet is completed, thus making the collating work more efficient.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-159318

In collating machines, feeding abnormalities such as double feeding, empty feeding, paper jams, and missing paper can occur in each sheet feeding mechanism. If a feeding abnormality occurs, the collating machine stops. In this case, collating based on the distribution data derived from the identification information cannot be performed, and sheets remain in the retention section of the reading and feeding mechanism when the machine stops. When the collating machine is restarted, the above cycle is repeated from the beginning, starting with the feeding of the topmost sheet in the reading and feeding mechanism. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the sheets that were retained in the retention section. However, since the retained sheets have identification information attached, they cannot be discarded and must be returned to the loading section of the reading and feeding mechanism manually, which is time-consuming.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a plurality of first feeding units that separate and feed out one topmost first sheet from a stack of sheets; at least one second feeding unit that separates and feeds out one topmost second sheet from a stack of sheets, and has a reading means that can read control information attached to the fed-out second sheet, which identifies the first feeding unit that feeds out the first sheet to be stacked on top of the second sheet, from the second sheet which has been temporarily stopped at a reading position during feeding; a collating transport path that transports and stacks the respective first and second sheets fed out from the first feeding unit and the second feeding unit to form a collating set; and a storage unit that stores the control information read by the reading means. A collating device comprising a control unit that controls the feeding of a first sheet from a first feeding unit identified based on stored control information, and stacking it with a second sheet to form a collating set, is characterized in that, when the second feeding unit receives a predetermined feeding command, the control unit determines whether or not a second sheet exists at the reading position. If the determination determines that no sheet exists at the reading position, it executes a first feeding operation that performs a forward feed drive from the uppermost second sheet in the second feeding unit until it stops at the reading position. If the determination determines that a second sheet exists at the reading position, it executes a second feeding operation that omits the forward feed drive.

According to the present invention, a collating device is obtained that can be quickly restarted even if a feeding malfunction occurs.

This is a schematic front view showing the collating device 1 according to the present invention. This is an external view showing the collation set S created by the collation device 1. This is an enlarged front view of the reading and feeding mechanism 3. This is a top view as seen from above in Figure 3. This is a control block diagram of the collating device 1 of the present invention. This is a flowchart showing the operation of one cycle of the collating device 1.

In the following, identical or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the dimensions of members in each drawing will be enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Also, some members that are not important for explaining the embodiment will be omitted from the drawings. In this invention, "feeding" refers to driving and feeding the sheet.

An embodiment of the collating device according to the present invention will be described.
Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing a collating device 1 according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is an external view showing a collating set S produced by this collating device 1. As shown in Figure 2, this collating set S is in a form in which a bundle of multiple sheets is sandwiched inside a single folded sheet.

The collating device 1 has ten feeding mechanisms 2a-2j on the left side and ten feeding mechanisms 2k-2t on the right side, arranged in a vertical stacking configuration (first feeding section), as shown in Figure 1. Feeding mechanisms 2a-2j and feeding mechanisms 2k-2t are identical in structure but mounted in opposite directions. Below the feeding mechanisms 2k-2t on the right side is a reading feeding mechanism 3 (second feeding section).

The top sheet of the sheet bundle loaded in the feeding mechanism 2 is separated from the bundle and sent to the horizontal conveying path 6. A vertical conveying path 7 is provided in the center of the collating device 1, and all the horizontal conveying paths 6 extending from each feeding mechanism 2 converge into the vertical conveying path 7. Each feeding mechanism 2 sends out sheets at a timing such that their leading edges align when they converge in the vertical conveying path 7. The sheets sent out one by one from each feeding mechanism 2 move along the vertical conveying path 7 from top to bottom, stacking on top of each other.

The top sheet P1 of the sheet bundle P loaded onto the reading and feeding mechanism 3 is separated from the sheet bundle P by the separation and feeding mechanism 4. After stopping at the reading position, the 2D code printed on sheet P1, which serves as identification information, is read (details of this process will be described later). The identification information may include various matrix-type codes such as QR codes (registered trademark), or stacked barcodes such as PDF417 or CODE49. However, it is not limited to these; various 1D barcodes, characters, symbols, or combinations thereof may also be used.

Subsequently, the sheet P1 is transported again, moving along the folding transport path 8 to the right in the diagram, until its tip contacts the folding stopper 9. The lower end of the vertical transport path 7 faces above the folding transport path 8, and the sheet P1, having contacted the folding stopper 9, stops so as to block the lower end of the vertical transport path 7. Then, the folding knife 10 is driven, winding the sheet P1, which is stopped in contact with the folding stopper 9, into the folding roller 11 and folding it in half. At the same time, the sheet (bundle) that has descended along the vertical transport path 7 enters the inside of the folded sheet, creating a collated set S. The collated set S is then discharged from the paper output port 13 via the paper output transport path 12 and stored in the stacker 14.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front view of the reading and feeding mechanism 3, and Figure 4 is a top view of Figure 3, seen from above.

The reading and feeding mechanism 3 has a plate-shaped loading plate 21. Sheet bundles P are loaded onto the loading plate 21 in a diagonal arrangement, with the higher sheets positioned towards the front. In Figure 3, as an example, A4-sized sheets are loaded with their longer sides oriented horizontally in Figure 3; however, this is not limited to A4 size, and the shorter sides may also be oriented horizontally in Figure 3. The rear and front ends of the loaded sheet bundles P in Figure 3 are in contact with side guides 40 that rise vertically upward from the loading plate 21 and have guide surfaces parallel to the feeding direction. In Figure 3, only the rear side guide 40 is shown; the front side guide is omitted. In Figure 4, both side guides and the sheet bundles P are omitted.

A separation and feeding mechanism 4 is provided near the downstream end of the sheet bundle P in the feeding direction. This mechanism separates the top sheet P1 from the sheet bundle P and sends it to the downstream lateral conveying path 6.

The separation and feeding mechanism 4 includes a feeding roller 22 that feeds the uppermost sheet P1, a sorting plate 23 that presses against the feeding roller 22 from below, and an auxiliary feeding roller 24 provided on the upstream side of the feeding roller 22 in the feeding direction. The feeding shaft 27, supported by fixed frames 25 and 26 on both sides, has the feeding roller 22 and auxiliary rollers 33 on both sides. Below the sorting plate 23, a known adjustment mechanism 29 is provided to adjust the pressure exerted by the sorting plate 23 against the feeding roller 22 (hereinafter referred to as sorting pressure).

The guide plate 30 supports the leading edge of the stacked sheet bundle P and guides the underside of the uppermost sheet P1 separated by the separation and feeding mechanism 4. A sheet presence/absence detection sensor D1 is provided upstream of the sorting plate 23. This sheet presence/absence detection sensor D1 detects whether or not a sheet is loaded into the reading and feeding mechanism 3. The sheet presence/absence detection sensor D1 is a reflective optical sensor and detects whether or not a sheet is present on the guide plate 30.

The feed shaft 27 is intermittently supplied with rotational driving force from the motor M, causing the feed roller 22 to rotate intermittently by this feed shaft 27, feeding out the uppermost sheet P1. The motor M can detect its own rotation amount as pulses and feed them back, allowing it to rotate for any desired number of pulses. The auxiliary feed roller 24 is supported by an auxiliary feed roller shaft 32, which is supported by a roller support member 31. The roller support member 31 is also supported by the feed shaft 27. A timing belt (not shown) is stretched between the feed shaft 27 and the auxiliary feed roller shaft 32 within the roller support member 31, and both are driven to rotate in the direction of feeding the sheet.

The auxiliary feed roller 24 presses against the top surface of the stacked sheet bundle P, sending the top sheet P1 toward the feed roller 22. The sheet P1 then passes between the feed roller 22 and the separation plate 23 and is transported to the lateral transport path 6. If two or more sheets are stacked, the separation plate 23 blocks the second and subsequent sheets, so only the top sheet is transported to the lateral transport path 6.

A reader R is provided on the downstream side of the feed roller 22 in the feed direction. An opening 30a is provided in the guide plate 30 corresponding to the reader R, allowing the reader R to read the two-dimensional code printed on the underside of the sheet P1. Three readers R are provided in directions perpendicular to the feed direction. The two-dimensional code printed on the sheet is printed so that it can be read by any of these three readers R. If only one or two of these three locations are used, the readers R do not need to be installed in the unused positions.

A sheet transport detection sensor D2 is provided on the downstream side of the leader R in the feeding direction. The sheet transport detection sensor D2 is an optical sensor that detects the arrival of the leading edge of the sheet P1 as it passes over the guide plate 30.

The side guide 40 displays lines 41, 42, and 43 extending vertically upward from the loading plate surface, spaced apart in the feeding direction. Line 41 is adjacent to "A4," line 42 to "B4," and line 43 to "A3," each indicating the position of the rear end when a sheet of that size stops at the reading position.

Figure 5 is a control block diagram of the collating device 1 of the present invention. The collating device 1 has a central control unit 50 that controls the driving of each part of the device, including each feeding mechanism. The central control unit 50 has a storage unit 50A that can receive reading information from the reader R of the reading feeding mechanism 3 and can store the received reading information. The reading feeding mechanism 3 has a feeding control unit 51 connected to the central control unit 50 by a communication line. The feeding control unit 51 receives detection information from the sheet presence detection sensor D1, the sheet transport detection sensor D2, and the double feed detection sensor (not shown), and controls the driving of the motor M that drives the feeding roller 22. Each feeding mechanism 2 (2a to 2t) also has its own feeding control unit 52 (52a to 52t) that receives detection results from sensors that detect feeding abnormalities such as double feed, jam, and no paper, and controls the driving of the motor m (ma to mt) which is the driving source for feeding each sheet. The central control unit 50, the feed control unit 51, and the feed control unit 52 work together to form the control unit of the collating device 1.

The collating device 1 has an operation panel 60 that accepts user input. The operation panel 60 has at least a start switch 61 and a stop switch 62. When the user operates the start switch 61, the collating device 1 starts up. When the user operates the stop switch 62, the collating device 1 stops. The operation panel 60 is, for example, a touch panel provided on the side of the main body of the collating device 1. This touch panel may be fixed to the collating device 1, or it may be a removable tablet or the like. When removed, it may be connected to the main body of the collating device 1 via wired or wireless communication.

Furthermore, the control panel 60 is provided separately from the collating device 1 and may be an external terminal such as a PC or smartphone capable of communicating with the collating device 1 via wired or wireless connection. The start switch 61 and stop switch 62 may utilize mouse clicks or the keyboard of a PC. This external terminal does not necessarily need to be located close to the collating device 1; it may be remotely controllable via an internet connection.

Next, the operation of the collating device 1 will be explained. When the user operates the start switch 61, the collating device 1 starts up and repeats a predetermined operating cycle. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing one cycle of operation of the collating device 1. The operation of this cycle will be explained below with reference to Figure 6.

When the collating device 1 is activated, the central control unit 50 first sends a feed command to the feed control unit 51 of the reading and feeding mechanism 3. The feed control unit 51 receives this command and determines whether or not a sheet exists at the reading position. Specifically, it refers to the signal from the sheet transport detection sensor D2 (step S1). If the sheet transport detection sensor D2 detects a sheet, it determines that sheet P1 exists at the reading position. If the sheet transport detection sensor D2 does not detect a sheet, it determines that sheet P1 does not exist at the reading position.

If it is determined that sheet P1 is not present at the reading position (NO in step S1), the feeding control unit 51 issues a rotation command to the motor M, and the motor M begins to rotate (step S2). The motor M drives the feeding roller 22 to rotate, separating the top sheet P1 and moving it from right to left in Figure 3.

As sheet P1 advances, and the sheet transport detection sensor D2 detects the arrival of the leading edge of sheet P1 (step S3), the pulse count PA is reset to zero from that point (step S5). The pulse count PA is acquired by an index sensor or the like, mounted on the rotation axis of the motor M. Alternatively, pulses proportional to the amount of rotation output by the motor M itself may be used. Subsequently, the pulse count PA is incremented by 1 each time a pulse is received (step S5), and when the pulse count PA reaches a predetermined value N1 (step S6), the motor M is stopped (step S7). As a result, sheet P1 stops at the reading position. Steps S2 to S7 represent the forward feed drive from the time the topmost sheet P1 loaded on the reading and feeding mechanism 3 is fed out until it stops at the reading position.

Figure 3 shows the state where sheet P1 is stopped at the reading position. The leading edge of sheet P1 is at a position where it has been transported a distance L1 from the detection position of the sheet transport detection sensor D2. In the example of Figure 3, since sheet P1 is A4 size, its trailing edge coincides with the position of line 41.

Next, the 2D code on sheet P1, which has stopped at the reading position, is read by the reader R (step S8). That is, the reading position is the position where the 2D code printed on sheet P1 coincides with the opening 30a, making the 2D code readable by the reader R. The trigger for reading by the reader R may be the stopping timing of the motor M, or a sensor (not shown) that detects when sheet P1 arrives at the reading position may be provided downstream of the sheet transport detection sensor D2 in the feeding direction, and its detection signal may be used as a trigger.

If reading fails (NO in step S9), an error signal is generated and the collating device 1 is stopped. The reason for the reading failure may be that the 2D code is not printed on sheet P1, or there is an abnormality such as smudged printing. If the 2D code is printed on sheet P1, it may be that sheet P1 has stopped at a position shifted from the intended reading position, and the position of the 2D code printed on sheet P1 does not match the position of the opening 30a. In this case, the user can fine-tune the numerical value N1. This fine-tuning will be described later.

The read 2D code contains feeding unit identification information that identifies the feeding unit 2 (first feeding unit) on which the sheet to be stacked with sheet P1 is loaded. The central control unit 50 acquires this feeding unit identification information via the reader R and selectively drives the corresponding feeding unit 2 (step S10). For example, if the feeding unit identification information identifies six feeding units 2a, 2c, 2d, 2j, 2m, and 2t, the system drives these six feeding units, separating and feeding the top sheet from the multiple sheets loaded in each unit. The feeding units 2 are driven sequentially from top to bottom so that the fed sheets overlap with their leading edges aligned along the vertical transport path 7.

In the reading and feeding mechanism 3, after reading, the sheet P1 is resumed to be transported (step S10), and is sent out from the reading and feeding mechanism 3 to contact the folding stopper 9 and stop (step S11). In this state, the sheet P1 waits for the sheet (bundle) coming down the vertical transport path 7 from the feeding mechanism 2. When the sheet (bundle) comes down from the feeding mechanism 2, the sheet P1 is folded so as to sandwich it inward, forming a collated set S (step S12). The formed collated set S is discharged to the stacker 14 (step S13). The backward feed drive (steps S10, S11) from when the sheet P1 is sent out from the reading and feeding mechanism 3 after reading until it contacts the folding stopper 9 is started by the motor M restarting its drive, but when the leading edge of the sheet P1 enters the downstream roller pair, the motor M stops driving, and thereafter the sheet P1 is transported by the downstream roller pair. The feed roller 22 is equipped with a one-way clutch (not shown), so even after the motor M stops, it continues to rotate in response to the feed-out sheet P1. However, when sheet P1 is released, it stops rotating, preventing the next sheet from being fed along with it.

The collating device 1 repeats the cycle of steps S1 to S13 to create multiple collated sets S. This cycle is repeated with overlapping intervals; that is, the next cycle begins before the current cycle is completed. As a result, in the feeding mechanism 2, while the current cycle is still moving downwards, the next cycle begins from above.

Specifically, while the sheet P1 of the current cycle contacts the folding stopper 9 (step S11) and waits for the sheet (bundle) of the current cycle from the feeding mechanism 2, the reading feeding mechanism 3 feeds the sheet P1(2) of the next cycle to the reading position, reads the 2D code (step S8), and starts driving the feeding mechanism 2 for the next cycle, which is identified by the 2D code. Then, when the sheet P1 of the current cycle is folded in half and placed on top of the sheet (bundle) of the current cycle from the feeding mechanism 2, the sheet P1(2) of the next cycle advances to the folding stopper 9 and waits for the sheet (bundle) of the next cycle from the feeding mechanism 2. Therefore, before the collating of the current cycle is completed, the feeding unit identification information for the collating of the next cycle is acquired, and the driving of the upper feeding mechanism 2 can be started, thus increasing the processing speed.

Incidentally, each feeding mechanism 2 has a double-feed detection sensor, a jam sensor, and a paperless sensor (not shown) to detect feeding abnormalities such as double-feeding, jams, and paperlessness. When a feeding abnormality is detected, the sheets already fed from the feeding mechanism 2 continue to descend the vertical transport path 7, but are discharged to the stacker 14 without being caught in the sheets P1, and the collating device 1 displays an error and stops.

At this point, the reading and feeding mechanism 3 may have already fed the next sheet P1(2) to the reading position in preparation for the next collating cycle. Therefore, when the collating device 1 is restarted by a predetermined start operation, sheet P1(2) will be present at the reading position of the reading and feeding mechanism 3 when the feeding command is sent to the mechanism.

Therefore, in that case, in step S1, the sheet transport detection sensor D2 detects sheet P1(2), so the answer is YES. That is, it is determined that sheet P1(2) is present at the reading position. In this case, steps S2 to S7 are skipped. In other words, the forward feed drive is omitted. Then, the 2D code of sheet P1(2), which had already stopped at the reading position, is read by the reader R (step S8). The subsequent steps are the same as steps S9 to S13.

Therefore, even if the operation is interrupted due to an error or other reason while sheet P1(2) is stopped at the reading position, the feeding mechanism 2 to be driven can be identified based on the information read from sheet P1(2) stopped at the reading position, without returning sheet P1(2) to the loading plate 21 of the reading feeding mechanism 3, and the collating operation can be started. Therefore, even if a feeding malfunction occurs, a quick restart is possible.

In this embodiment, if it is determined that sheet P1(2) is not present at the reading position, the forward feed drive is omitted and reading is performed by the reader R. However, if the control information for sheet P1(2) has already been read by the reader R and stored in the storage unit 50A immediately before the collating device 1 temporarily stops due to a feeding abnormality, etc., the reading by the reader R, i.e., step S8, may be omitted, and the feeding mechanism 2 may be driven by referring to the stored control information.

If the collating device 1 is interrupted and the sheet P1(2) is returned to the loading plate 21, then at the restart, the sheet transport detection sensor D2 will not detect sheet P1(2) in step S1. Therefore, it is determined that sheet P1(2) is not present at the reading position. Consequently, the process proceeds to steps S2 to S7, i.e., forward feed is performed, so sheet P1(2) is separated and fed again, and then sent to the reading position.

If the collating device 1 is interrupted and the position of sheet P1(2) is shifted, causing the sheet transport detection sensor D2 to detect the sheet, but the 2D code no longer aligns with the opening 30a, then upon restart, the device will determine that sheet P1(2) is present at the reading position. Steps S2 to S7 will be skipped, but since normal reading is not possible in step S8, step S9 will be No, an error will be displayed, and the collating device 1 will stop. In this case, the user should return sheet P1(2) to the loading plate 21 and restart.

In the reading and feeding mechanism 3, the sheet P1 is pressed by the feeding roller 22 and transported to the reading position while rubbing against the sorting plate 23. Therefore, slippage occurs between the feeding roller 22 and the sheet P1. Consequently, the linear speed of the feeding roller 22 and the forward speed of the sheet P1 do not necessarily coincide, and the sheet is particularly susceptible to the sorting pressure. Therefore, the distance L1 varies depending on the strength of the sorting pressure.

In the collating device 1, before the collating operation begins, the reading and feeding mechanism 3 can be tested by pressing a predetermined button. When the predetermined first button is pressed, the top sheet P1 is fed out. When the leading edge of sheet P1 is detected by the sheet transport detection sensor D2, the motor M rotates further until a numerical value N1 of pulses are counted, then stops, and sheet P1 stops at the predetermined position.

The user adjusts the numerical value N1 so that this predetermined position coincides with the reading position. When the user presses the predetermined second button once, the numerical value N1 decreases by a predetermined amount. When the user presses the predetermined third button, the numerical value N1 increases by a predetermined amount.

The first to third buttons are not shown in the diagram, but they may be provided on the control panel 60, or they may be provided separately from the control panel 60, near the reading and feeding mechanism 3.

The user confirms the positional relationship between the rear end of the sheet P1, which has stopped at a predetermined position, and the line 41 corresponding to the size of the sheet P1, i.e., A4 size. If the rear end of the sheet P1 at the reading position is downstream of line 41, the user presses a predetermined second button. This decreases the numerical value N1, and in the next feeding cycle, the distance L1 becomes shorter, bringing the rear end closer to line 41. If the rear end of the sheet P1 at the reading position is upstream of line 41, the user presses a predetermined third button. This increases the numerical value N1, and in the next feeding cycle, the distance L1 becomes longer, bringing the rear end closer to line 41. Depending on the distance between the rear end of the sheet P1 at the predetermined position and line 41, the user presses the second or third button multiple times as needed.

Afterward, pressing the first button resumes the transport of sheet P1, and it is discharged into the stacker 14. The user performs this test operation multiple times if necessary until the predetermined position aligns with the reading position. Since the position of the rear end of the sheet where it stopped at the reading position is displayed in advance according to the sheet size, it is immediately clear whether the second or third button should be pressed during this test operation, or whether pressing a button is no longer necessary.

If sheet P1 is B4 size, check the positional relationship with line 42; if it is A3 size, check the positional relationship with line 43. The number of lines displayed may be increased as needed, and lines corresponding to when the sheet is loaded with the shorter side as the transport direction may be displayed. During the test operation, if the numerical value N1 is increased in the designated display unit, a positive number indicating the degree of increase may be displayed; if it is decreased, a negative number indicating the degree of decrease may be displayed; or the numerical value N1 itself may be displayed as a numerical value.

This test operation adjusts the numerical value N1 to a value corresponding to the handling pressure, causing sheet P1 to stop at the reading position. At that point, the reader R can read the 2D code printed on sheet P1.

This test operation can be performed not only before the collating process begins, but also after it has started, by temporarily interrupting the collating process. Therefore, if, during the collating process, the position of the 2D code on sheet P1, which was stopped in step S7, does not align with the opening 30a, and the 2D code cannot be read, this test operation can be performed to fine-tune the reading position.

The present invention has been described above based on embodiments. These embodiments are illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of these components and processing steps, and that such modifications also fall within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in this embodiment, the determination of the presence or absence of sheet P1 in step S1 and the stopping timing at the reading position of sheet P1 in step S7 are both based on the detection result of the sheet transport detection sensor D2, but they may also be based on the detection results of different sensors.

Furthermore, for example, in this embodiment, the sheet transport detection sensor D2 is positioned downstream of the reader R, but it may also be positioned upstream of the reader R. The positional relationship between the sheet transport detection sensor D2 and the reader R should be designed so that the position of the 2D code on the sheet P1 after stopping can be aligned with the position of the reader R, by setting an appropriate numerical value N1, taking into account the amount of inertia that the sheet P1 is transported by after the motor M stops.

1: Collating device 2: Feeding mechanism (first feeding section)
3: Reading and feeding mechanism (second feeding section)
30: Guide plate 30a: Opening 50: Central control unit 50A: Memory unit D2: Sheet transport detection sensor M: Motor P1: Uppermost sheet R: Leader

Claims (6)

Multiple first feeding units separate and feed out one top sheet from a stack of sheets,
At least one second feeding unit has reading means that can read control information that identifies the first feeding unit that separates and feeds out one uppermost second sheet from a stack of sheets, and feeds out the first sheet to be placed on top of the second sheet, from the second sheet which has been temporarily stopped at a reading position during feeding.
A collating transport path that transports and stacks the first and second sheets, respectively, that have been sent out from the first and second feeding units, to form a collating set,
A control unit stores the control information read by the reading means in a storage unit, and controls the first sheet to be fed out from the first feeding unit identified based on the stored control information, and to stack it together with the second sheet to which the control information is attached to form the collation set.
In a collating device having,
The control unit,
When the second feeding unit receives a predetermined feeding command, it determines whether or not the second sheet is present at the reading position.
If the determination determines that the second sheet is not present at the reading position, the first feeding operation is performed, which involves feeding out the uppermost second sheet in the second feeding unit and then driving it forward until it stops at the reading position.
If the determination determines that a sheet is present at the reading position, the collating device performs a second feeding operation that omits the forward feed drive. The collating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination is performed when a predetermined collating start signal is received. The control unit,
In the first feeding operation, after the forward feed drive, the second sheet is further fed downstream and sent out from the second feeding unit via a backward feed drive,
In the second feeding operation,
The collating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the backward feed drive is started without performing the forward feed drive. The control unit,
The collating device according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the first feeding operation, the control information is read between the forward feed drive and the backward feed drive. The control unit,
The collating device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, in the second feeding operation, the control information is read before the backward feed drive, and the first feeding unit that performs the feeding is identified based on the read control information. The control unit,
The collating device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, in the second feeding operation, the control information is not read, and the first feeding unit that performs the feeding is identified by the control information already stored in the memory unit.