Apparatus for manipulating stacks of paper sheets and the like

Abstract

Apparatus for supplying stacks of paper sheets or the like to two or more packing machines has a platform for collection of successive rows of stacks, e.g., by arresting sheets forming part of discrete scalloped streams of sheets. Two or more discrete carriages for tongs are utilized to remove stacks in any desired grouping from the platform and to deliver them to two or more discrete removing units serving to transport the stacks to discrete packing machines. Each removing unit can employ a set of two or more aligned conveyors. Each carriage is or can be driven by a separate prime mover, each carriage can support two or more tongs, or each carriage can support a single tongs. All such undertakings contribute to versatility of the apparatus, namely the apparatus can be operated to ensure equal distribution of stacks among the removing units or one or more selected removing units can receive larger or smaller numbers of stacks than the other unit or units.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.