Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for print media buffering and sorting. An apparatus for performing at least one of buffering and sorting during an operation includes an enclosure, a storage section within the enclosure, an input section configured to receive at the enclosure at least a portion of a printed element, a gripper associated with the input section, the gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section within the enclosure, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the enclosure.

An image forming apparatus includes: a first apparatus configured to perform punching on a sheet by using a punching member; a second apparatus, including a stacking part on which a plurality of sheets punched by the first apparatus is stacked, and configured to perform binding so as to obtain a bookbinding article in which a binding member penetrates in a ring shape through punched holes of the plurality of sheets; a notification unit notifying information; and a control unit configured, in a case of starting a job using the first apparatus and the second apparatus and determining that a jam has occurred in the stacking part, to cancel the job, and to cause the notification unit to notify that a thickness of a sheet stack stacked on the stacking part exceeds a thickness that enables to be bound by the binding member used by the second apparatus.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for print media buffering and sorting. An apparatus for performing at least one of buffering and sorting during an operation includes an enclosure, a storage section within the enclosure, an input section configured to receive at the enclosure at least a portion of a printed element, a gripper associated with the input section, the gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section within the enclosure, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the enclosure.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided for print media buffering and sorting. An apparatus for performing at least one of buffering and sorting during an operation includes an enclosure, a storage section within the enclosure, an input section configured to receive at the enclosure at least a portion of a printed element, a gripper associated with the input section, the gripper configured to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the input section to the storage section and to selectively transport the at least a portion of the printed element from the storage section within the enclosure, and an output section configured to selectively transfer the at least a portion of the printed element from the enclosure.

A printing apparatus capable of producing a product having the optimum image layout dependent on a discharge destination even when saddle-stitching is canceled due to input of image data for sheets in excess of a limit of a saddle-stitchable number of sheets. The number of output sheets per one copy is calculated based on image data. When the number of output sheets per one copy exceeds a saddle-stitchable number of sheets, it is selected whether to perform the center folding processing on the sheets on which images are printed without performing the saddle stitching processing thereon or to perform neither the saddle stitching processing nor the center folding processing on the sheets on which images are printed.

This system is provided with: a conveying device 1 that conveys paper P along a conveying path F; a sheet paper supply device 2, paper-folding device, or cutter connected to an upstream end of the conveying path; a gathering device 3 disposed midway through the conveying path; a saddle stitch device 7 connected to a downstream end of the conveying path; and a management unit 13 that collectively controls the conveying device, the sheet paper supply device, the paper-folding device, the cutter, the gathering device, and the saddle stitch device. The gathering device can switch operation between a non-operating mode, a first operating mode for operating as a primary gathering device, and a second operating mode for operating as a paper insertion device.

A sheet binding processing apparatus includes a binding device which performs a binding process on a sheet bundle stacked on a stacking unit and a sheet bundle set at a manual setting portion, the stacking unit stacking introduced sheets, a sheet bundle being set to the manual setting portion from an outside; a moving portion which moves the binding device to a first binding position for performing the binding process on a sheet bundle stacked on the stacking unit and a second binding position for performing the binding process on a sheet bundle set at the manual setting portion; and a controller which causes the binding device, in a case that the binding process is not performed on a sheet bundle stacked on the stacking unit, to wait due to the moving portion at a position different from the first binding position.

A separating element operates a transport device, which is configured to pile a plurality of partial book blocks for forming a book block along a book channel associated with the transport device, the finished piled book block being feedible to a processing machine. The book channel includes at least one transfer portion. At least one first separating element is arranged within the transport device as a link between an upstream transfer portion and a downstream transfer portion. The first separating element is configured to be operated by at least one drive and is configured to: receive a partial book block fed horizontally from the upstream transfer portion, horizontally transport the partial book block onward via the conveying portion formed by the first separating element, and then horizontally hand the partial book block over to the downstream transfer portion in keeping with a cycle.

An endless conveyer belt is stretched between drive and idle rollers. A carriage is arranged so as to reciprocate along the endless conveyer belt. A suction box is arranged between upper and lower belt portions of the endless conveyer belt and fixed to the carriage. A stopper plate is fixed to the carriage and extends across a conveyer surface and upward from the conveyer surface. A conveyance roller pair is arranged at the upstream end of the conveyer surface. A region of the conveyer surface from a stopper plate to the upstream end u forms a sheet accumulation area. A cover sheet covers a region upstream of the suction box in the sheet accumulation area. The cover sheet is subjected to tension in the longitudinal direction by a winding-type constant force plate spring and continually tensed spaced apart from the endless conveyer belt.

An accumulator for an automatic sheet media punching and collating system includes a proximal end, having a shoulder, a distal end, and a moveable collating belt, disposed below the shoulder, extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The collating belt has an upwardly extending lower stop with an accumulating position opposite the shoulder, defining a drop region. The lower stop is configured to contact a lower edge of sheets of media sequentially received at the proximal end, whereby the sheets stop and accumulate in the drop region in a lift in a book order. The collating belt is selectively moveable to discharge the lift as a unit toward the distal end.