Method and device for forming product stacks of folded or unfolded product blanks made of paper, chemical pulp or the like

A method for forming product stacks of folded or unfolded product blanks made of paper or chemical pulp, said method comprising:

• supplying product blanks consecutively to a stacking surface and placing them in an upright position;
• inserting a separating element between two consecutive product blanks as the product blanks are moved against a channel wall of a discharge channel for temporary support of a rear side of the product blanks, to thereby form a first product stack with a predetermined number of product blanks between the separating element and the channel wall;
• opening the channel wall, thereby allowing the first product stack to be transferred to the discharge channel;
• and
• inserting a sliding element between the product stack and a subsequent second product stack, as the first product stack is moved to the discharge channel.

A device for forming product stacks of folded or unfolded product blanks made of paper or chemical pulp, said device comprising:

• a discharge channel having a movable channel wall;
• a stacking surface arranged upstream of the discharge channel to allow a product stack to be transferred to the discharge wall, when the channel wall is temporarily moved to an open position;
• and
• a separating element configured for insertion between two product blanks, said separating element being movable in an insertion direction which is transverse to a conveying direction of the product blanks to the discharge channel.