Conveyor having opposed upper and lower decks and laterally shiftable lower deck

A conveyor configured to transport sheets along a transport path in a first direction from an input end to a discharge end, the conveyor comprising:

• a main frame;
• an upper conveyor deck supported by the main frame and comprising a plurality of belts each having a contact surface movable around a first closed path from a first contact region to a first non-contact region, the first contact regions lying in a first plane or being bounded by the first plane;
• a lower conveyor deck supported by the main frame and spaced from the upper conveyor deck in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the lower conveyor deck comprising a first side frame spaced from a second side frame in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions and a plurality of shafts extending between the first side frame and the second side frame, the plurality of shafts being spaced apart in the first direction, each shaft of the plurality of shafts supporting a plurality of wheels, each wheel of the plurality of wheels having a contact surface movable around a second closed path from a second contact region to a second non-contact region, the second contact regions lying in a second plane or being bounded by the second plane,
• wherein the first plane is coextensive with the second plane or is spaced from the second plane in the second direction,
• wherein the transport path of the conveyor is defined by the contact surfaces of the plurality of belts in the first contact region and the contact surfaces of the plurality of wheels in the second contact region,
• wherein the conveyor is configured such that the sheets make direct contact with the contact surfaces of the plurality of belts and make direct contact with the contact surfaces of the plurality of wheels when the sheets move along the transport path, and
• wherein the lower conveyor deck is supported by the main frame for movement in the third direction relative to the upper conveyor deck.