METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE SEPARATION OF FLEXIBLE SHEETS FROM A STACK AND THEIR TRANSPORTATION TO A PROCESSING UNIT

摘要

: An apparatus for separating and transporting flexible sheets from a stack to a processing unit comprises a frame with a vertically movable bottom which carries the stack and over which an up-and-down movable system is mounted to which pick-up heads are fixed over a stack edge. The stack is compressed and a sheet is picked up near at least one sheet edge by the pick-up heads which have pressure shoes. Thereafter the picked-up sheet edge is slightly tightened between the pick-up heads by which it is lifted from the stack. Subsequently the partially lifted sheet is removed from under the pick-up heads by means of horizontally moving removal elements. The lifted sheet edge is gripped by the removal elements and is carried away be them in a horizontal direction at least beyond the pick-up zone, the sheet being progressively turned and rolled off the stack and transported towards a registering machanism.