Method of separating sheets

A method for in-plane separation of at least two mutually unconnected sheet articles that are transported along mutually-laterally-adjacent, in-plane paths, each sheet article having a straight lateral edge along an entire side thereof which is oriented in the direction of overall transport motion and which faces toward the laterally-adjacent inplane path, said method comprising the steps of:

• feeding first and second unconnected sheet articles parallel to one another to first and second mutually divergent belt arrangements, respectively;
• driving the first and second mutually divergent belt arrangements continuously at substantially common speeds;
• conveying divergently in relation to one another the first and second unconnected sheet articles to a transporter, said step of conveying divergently being effected in a common plane and being performed in the first and second mutually divergent belt arrangements, respectively;
• separating the first and second unconnected sheet articles in the common plane substantially irrotationally so that lateral separation therebetween is increased while said step of conveying divergently is performed;
• and
• transporting the unconnected sheet articles by said transporter in side-by-side parallel relationship and, thereafter, further handling the unconnected sheet articles, wherein said step of transporting includes the steps of:
• receiving, capturing, and nipping the unconnected sheet articles in a plurality of nip roller pairs immediately subsequent to said steps of conveying divergently and separating;
• positively feeding the unconnected sheet articles in and by the plurality of nip roller pairs in parallel relationship toward first and second collectors, respectively;
• selectively stopping first and second unconnected sheet articles upon continuously driven belts by selectively releasable gate means in first and second collectors, respectively;
• collecting selectively-stopped, unconnected sheet articles in the respective collectors;
• and,
• selectively releasing and thereby delivering stopped, unconnected sheet articles from respective collectors for said step of further handling.