Provided are an image forming apparatus, a method of controlling sheet insertion and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes a print engine, an image checker, a sheet inserter, a sheet ejector and one or more controllers. When the image checker receives a media sheet output from the print engine, the one or more controllers perform a check whether an image formed on the media sheet is defective or not, by using measured image obtained by a sensor of the image checker. The one or more controllers further cause a sheet inserter to start putting an insertion sheet into the sheet path, after a determination that an image of one of media sheets output from the print engine is non-defective is made, as a result of the check.

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.

Sheet collating device for accumulating sheets from at least one hopper, comprising: a lower transport path and an upper transport path; a switchable guide for directing the sheets from the at least one hopper to the lower or the upper transport path; left and right upper drive shafts connected to a right and a left upper drive pulleys supporting a pair of upper belts, a drive direction of the pair of upper belts being changed dependent on what transport path of the upper and lower transport paths is selected; first and second lower drive shafts connected to a right and a left lower drive pulleys supporting first and second pairs of lower belts; and a first series of right paddles mounted on the first pair of lower belts and a first series of left paddles mounted on the second pair of lower belts for registering a collated set of sheets.

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 system for creating sets of cards is provided, and includes: a card supply means; a card moving system; a card collecting means to collect a set of cards, each card collecting means of the plurality of card collecting means being provided under the conveyor belt at different positions along the direction of movement of the conveyor belt; a card identifying means to identify the cards carried by the card moving system; and a controlling means to assign each of the identified cards carried by the card moving system to a card collecting means. For each card collecting means, a releasing means is positioned at the same position along the direction of movement of the conveyor belt, the controlling means being adapted to activate the releasing means positioned at the card collecting means when a card passes the card collecting means it is assigned to.

A apparatus includes a storage mechanism that includes a plurality of storage spaces where paper sheets are stored and continuously feeds out the storage spaces toward one direction while creating the storage spaces one by one, an alignment mechanism that carries banknotes into the storage spaces in the order that the storage mechanism feeds out the storage spaces, and a controller that controls the alignment mechanism and the storage mechanism.

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.

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.

A apparatus includes a storage mechanism that includes a plurality of storage spaces where paper sheets are stored and continuously feeds out the storage spaces toward one direction while creating the storage spaces one by one, an alignment mechanism that carries banknotes into the storage spaces in the order that the storage mechanism feeds out the storage spaces, and a controller that controls the alignment mechanism and the storage mechanism.

A sheet conveyance apparatus which conveys sheets fed from a first sheet feeding unit and sheets fed from a second sheet feeding unit to a merging point, inserts the sheets fed from the first sheet feeding unit into the sheets fed from the second sheet feeding unit in a predetermined order at the merging point, and discharges the sheets fed from the first sheet feeding unit and the sheets fed from the second sheet feeding unit to a downstream side includes: a jam detecting unit configured to detect a jam of a sheet in the first sheet feeding unit; and a control unit configured to newly feed sheets which are before the predetermined order, in which a sheet causing the jam is supposed to be inserted, and have not been fed from the second sheet feeding unit, and convey the newly fed sheets to the downstream side.