Elongated-member-driving apparatus – With control means responsive to sensed condition
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-28
2001-12-04
Vo, Peter (Department: 3721)
Elongated-member-driving apparatus
With control means responsive to sensed condition
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325267
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a clipping device for fastening a bundle of sheets together with a clip, and more particularly, to a clipping device provided with detecting means for detecting whether the clip has been automatically fed properly or not.
Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 47-12089 discloses a clipping device for clasping the end of a plurality of sheets with a clip.
FIG. 42
shows the clipping device disclosed in this publication. In this clipping device, a handle
802
is attached pivotably to an end portion of a base
801
. A cover
803
is disposed between the base
801
and the handle
802
. A guide channel
804
is formed in the upper surface of the base
801
, and a clip-arranged belt
805
is contained between the guide channel
804
and the cover
803
. The clip-arranged belt
805
is formed by arranging a plurality of clips
805
N like a belt and connecting them by the use of an adhesive agent in the same way as a sheet of staples arranged like a sheet of paper. The clips
805
N are each bent into a U-shape.
The other (rear) end of the clip-arranged belt
805
is brought into contact with a metallic fixture
807
which is slidably provided on a push rod
806
shown in
FIGS. 43 and 44
. The metallic fixture
807
urges the clip-arranged belt
805
by means of a spring
809
wound around the push rod
806
. By the urging force, the front end of the clip-arranged belt
805
is brought into contact with the end portion
804
A of a guide channel
804
.
The push plate
808
is provided on the underside of the handle
802
. When the handle
802
is pivoted from the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the phantom line in
FIG. 42
, the push plate
808
is brought into contact with a base portion of a clip
805
N occupying the front of the clip-arranged belt
805
, and the clip
805
N is separated from the clip-arranged belt
805
. Only the separated clip
805
N is compressed and deformed by the pressure of the push plate
808
. A bundle of sheets of paper are then inserted in the direction of arrow P in
FIG. 42
, and an end of the bundle of sheets is clasped with the clip
805
N.
However, in this conventional clipping device, since a clasping operation is carried out by manually operating the handle
802
, it is impossible to mount this device in a business machine, such as a copying machine or FAX machine. Additionally, since the clip
505
N is beforehand formed in a U-shape, the clip-arranged belt
805
requires a larger space, and therefore a large number of clips cannot be contained in the clipping device. For this reason, the clipping device must be often replenished with the clip-arranged belt
805
.
In a Fax machine placed in, for example, the office of a company, there is a fear that, if several kinds of documents transmitted to the FAX machine are piled up on the tray or desk of the FAX machine, the documents addressed to not one person but many persons will be mixed up promiscuously.
There are some copying machines each having an electric stapler by which copy-papers are stored into a predetermined number of copies. However, in the electric stapler, since the copy-papers are fastened with staples which are driven through the layers of the papers, it is impossible to temporarily and merely classify the copy-papers not to be mixed up.
Therefore, a study is being made of a clipping device which is attachable to a machine for stacking a bundle of sheets, such as a copying machine, a FAX machine, or a business printer, and which is capable of automatically sorting a plurality of copies each of which is a bundle of sheets not to be mixed up.
This type of clipping device has a pair of clamps which are each pivoted on a shaft. The free ends of the clamps face each other so as to hold a clip. The surfaces of the free ends are each provided with a jaw that is engaged with an end of a plate-shaped clip with which a bundle of sheets are fastened. The clip is held by the base of this pair of jaws. The bundle of sheets is placed near the clip, the pair of clamps are then closed, and thereby the clip is bent. Thus, the bundle of sheets is fastened with the clip.
In addition, the clips are each shaped slenderly rectangular, and are connected to the neighboring clips by means of, for example, a film. As a result, the clips are formed into a clip-arranged belt consisting of the clips arranged like a belt. Between a cartridge in which the clip-arranged belt is contained and the pair of clamps, a slider is disposed for feeding the clip-arranged belt from the cartridge to the space between the clamps.
However, in the thus constructed clipping device, there are cases in which, when the slider is moved from the cartridge to the pair of clamps, the pair of clamps are closed in spite of the fact that no clip has fed between the pair of clamps. For this reason, the bundle of sheets, such as copy-papers, will be damaged by the clamps. In addition, there is a fear that the clamps or a mechanism for driving the clamps will be damaged if the clamps are closed in a state in which a plurality of clips are stagnated or a clip is on the way to the clamps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an automatically clipping device for holding and bending a clip by the use of a pair of clamps and thereby fastening sheets together with the clip, which is capable of stopping a bending operation of the pair of clamps if the clip is not set between the pair of clamps when an operation of feeding the clip between the pair of clips is performed a predetermined number of times.
The present invention is characterized in that the clipping device comprises: a cartridge containing a belt of plate-shaped clips arranged like a belt; a pair of clamps for holding and bending upper and lower ends of a clip occupying a front row of the belt of plate-shaped clips and thereby separating the front clip from the belt of plate-shaped clips and fastening an end of a bundle of sheets with the separated front clip; a slider that reciprocates between the cartridge and the pair of clamps so that the belt of plate-shaped clips is fed from the cartridge to the pair of clamps; a control means for controlling and driving the pair of clamps and the slider; and a clip-setting-detecting means for detecting whether the separated clip is held by the pair of clamps or not; in which the control means has a detecting step in which the slider is caused to perform an operation of feeding the belt of plate-shaped clips a predetermined number of times in a state in which the pair of clamps are opened and are ready to receive the belt of plate-shaped clips and, if the belt of plate-shaped clips is not detected by the clip-setting-detecting means during the predetermined number of times, the pair of clamps and the slider are stopped from being driven.
REFERENCES:
patent: 47-12089 (1972-05-01), None
Satou Takuya
Yoshie Toru
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Max Co. Ltd.
Paradiso John
Vo Peter
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