摘要 |
Apparatus for breaking up stacks of paper sheets or the like into two or more thinner layers has a tongs having an upper and a lower idler roller, a reciprocable sword-like dividing tool which can penetrate into an edge face of a stack extending into the space between the rollers, a spring which biases the upper roller against the topmost sheet of the stack, a mechanism for moving the lower roller along a path wherein the lower roller has at least one component of movement at right angles to the planes of sheets between the rollers, and a mechanism for reciprocating the tool in synchronism with movements of the lower roller. The lower roller moves downwardly and away from the upper roller and away from the tool at least when the latter penetrates between the jaws above the last layer, and the lower roller is thereupon lifted to a predetermined operative position when the last layer of a stack is removed from the dividing station. |