A sheet sorting apparatus includes a discharge port through which sheets are discharged, a stacking tray on which the sheets discharged from the discharge port are stacked, a sheet sorting member provided on a stacking surface on which the sheets of the stacking tray are stacked, and an operation mechanism for operating the sheet sorting member. The sheet sorting member is provided to be able to rise from the stacking surface by employing one end of the sheet sorting member as a pivot point, at a position at which the sheets fall from the discharge port. The sheet sorting member rises from the stacking surface by the operation mechanism, thereby forming an inclined surface, guiding the sheets placed on the inclined surface along the inclined surface, and shifting the sheets stacked on the stacking tray to a discharge direction of the sheets and a direction perpendicular to the discharge direction.

A production plant (22) for books (23) printed with digital technologies, comprising one or more forming stations (26) of book blocks (32), one or more cover binding machines (27) for assembling the book blocks with respective covers (33), an electronic center (29) and a plurality of spiral towers (39) for accommodating the book blocks of the forming stations and transfer them to the binding machines. The book blocks and the covers have respective book codes (34) and cover codes (36) uniquely associated with the respective books of a given working order. Each tower (39) includes a conveyor belt (42) that can be moved along a spiral path, a belt motorization group and an electronic control unit (44). The towers serve as a temporary storage for the blocks and capacity of movement between loading areas (49) adjacent to the forming station and unloading areas (50) adjacent to the binding machines. The electronic control units (44) pre-set the towers to store in an optimized way along the conveyor belt the book blocks from the forming stations, to supply the binding machines with the stored book blocks and to form and memorize databases identifying the stored book blocks. The electronic center (29) of the plant is interfaced with the electronic control units (44) of the towers and with the binding machines for a survey of the loading data and for a functional coupling of the loaded towers with the binding machines.

A production plant (22) for books (23) printed with digital technologies, comprising one or more forming stations (26) of book blocks (32), one or more cover binding machines (27) for assembling the book blocks with respective covers (33), an electronic center (29) and a plurality of spiral towers (39) for accommodating the book blocks of the forming stations and transfer them to the binding machines. The book blocks and the covers have respective book codes (34) and cover codes (36) uniquely associated with the respective books of a given working order. Each tower (39) includes a conveyor belt (42) that can be moved along a spiral path, a belt motorization group and an electronic control unit (44). The towers serve as a temporary storage for the blocks and capacity of movement between loading areas (49) adjacent to the forming station and unloading areas (50) adjacent to the binding machines. The electronic control units (44) pre-set the towers to store in an optimized way along the conveyor belt the book blocks from the forming stations, to supply the binding machines with the stored book blocks and to form and memorize databases identifying the stored book blocks. The electronic center (29) of the plant is interfaced with the electronic control units (44) of the towers and with the binding machines for a survey of the loading data and for a functional coupling of the loaded towers with the binding machines.

A sheet processing apparatus for producing book blocks from printed single sheets includes a conveying section for conveying a printed single sheet along a conveying direction, an input section configured to receive the printed single sheet, a control system configured to generate a workflow order comprising one or more commands for processing the printed single sheet, a sheet sensor configured to detect a sheet parameter having at least one of position and size of the printed single sheet, a sheet rotator configured to stop the printed single sheet and to rotate the printed single sheet or to convey the printed single sheet without rotation depending on a rotation command of the workflow order, a perforator configured to perforate the printed single sheet, and a folding device configured to fold the printed single sheet.

A sheet processing apparatus for producing book blocks from printed single sheets includes a conveying section for conveying a printed single sheet along a conveying direction, an input section configured to receive the printed single sheet, a control system configured to generate a workflow order comprising one or more commands for processing the printed single sheet, a sheet sensor configured to detect a sheet parameter having at least one of position and size of the printed single sheet, a sheet rotator configured to stop the printed single sheet and to rotate the printed single sheet or to convey the printed single sheet without rotation depending on a rotation command of the workflow order, a perforator configured to perforate the printed single sheet, and a folding device configured to fold the printed single sheet.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing unit, a braking mechanism, and, a damper mechanism. The processing unit is movable to a drawn-out position and an accommodated position. The drawn-out position is a position where the processing unit is drawn out from the sheet processing apparatus. The accommodated position is a position where the processing unit is accommodated in the sheet processing apparatus. The braking mechanism acts to brake the processing unit in a case where the processing unit is inserted in a direction from the drawn-out position toward the accommodated position at a speed equal to or higher than a predetermined speed. The damper mechanism absorbs an impact on the braking mechanism in a case where the braking mechanism act, by applying a load to the processing unit moving in the direction from the drawn-out position toward the accommodated position.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing unit, a braking mechanism, and, a damper mechanism. The processing unit is movable to a drawn-out position and an accommodated position. The drawn-out position is a position where the processing unit is drawn out from the sheet processing apparatus. The accommodated position is a position where the processing unit is accommodated in the sheet processing apparatus. The braking mechanism acts to brake the processing unit in a case where the processing unit is inserted in a direction from the drawn-out position toward the accommodated position at a speed equal to or higher than a predetermined speed. The damper mechanism absorbs an impact on the braking mechanism in a case where the braking mechanism act, by applying a load to the processing unit moving in the direction from the drawn-out position toward the accommodated position.

A printer includes a paper discharge tray that is configured to accumulate paper discharged from a discharge portion; and a holding member that is provided at a position where the paper discharged from the discharge portion is stacked, the holding member configured to be integrated with the paper discharge tray or held to be extractable from the paper discharge tray. The holding member includes a pair of side edge guide portions that are configured to guide opposite side edges of the paper. The holding member is configured to be held to be movable to a position of the paper in a width direction where the paper is stored between the pair of side edge guide portions in response to a force acting when the discharged paper comes into contact with the pair of side edge guide portions.

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit configured to form a nip portion and fix a toner image to a recording material, and a speed control unit configured to control a conveyance speed of a recording material in the nip portion, wherein, in a case where glue binding is not performed, a recording material having a first basis weight is conveyed at a second speed greater than a first speed, and a recording material having a second basis weight greater, in basis weight, than the recording material having the first basis weight is conveyed at the first speed, and wherein, in a case where the glue binding is performed, the recording material having the first basis weight and the recording material having the second basis weight are conveyed at the first speed.

An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit configured to form a nip portion and fix a toner image to a recording material, and a speed control unit configured to control a conveyance speed of a recording material in the nip portion, wherein, in a case where glue binding is not performed, a recording material having a first basis weight is conveyed at a second speed greater than a first speed, and a recording material having a second basis weight greater, in basis weight, than the recording material having the first basis weight is conveyed at the first speed, and wherein, in a case where the glue binding is performed, the recording material having the first basis weight and the recording material having the second basis weight are conveyed at the first speed.