Paper stack conveyor

A conveyor for transporting paper layer units collectable to form paper layer stacks, said conveyor comprising:

• means (8) for delivering the layer units in a delivering direction (40), said delivering means including grippers for pulling the layer units in the delivering direction and delivering the layer units in a row juxtaposed transverse to the delivering direction;
• first and second deposit stations (9, 10) each having at least one layer support (32, 33) for receiving the layer units from said delivering means (8), said deposit stations (9, 10) defining at least one boundary side (46 to 49) oriented transverse to said delivering direction (40);
• a discharge means (11, 12) for discharging the layer units received by said deposit station (9, 10);
• and
• a separating means (44, 45) for conveying and supporting at least one of the layer units substantially contact-free from at least one further layer unit deposited in said deposit stations (9, 10), said separating means keeping the layer units separate until the layer units are substantially congruently aligned and superimposing the layer units by retracting.

A method for conveying and discharging paper layer units including steps of:

• moving the layer units by a delivering means (8) in a delivering direction, said delivering means including grippers that pull the layer units from a delivering station;
• pulling the layer units in a row juxtaposed transverse to the delivering direction towards one of first and second deposit stations (9, 10);
• transferring the layer units successively and selectively to each of said first and second deposit stations (9, 10);
• and
• discharging transferred layer units from said first and second deposit stations (9, 10), wherein, upstream of at least one of said first and second deposit stations (9, 10), said layer units are guided along a substantially planar running path and are continuously transmitted to said first and second deposit stations (9, 10) through a boundary side (46, 48) laterally bounding each of said deposit stations (9, 10).

A conveyor for transporting paper stacks of paper sheets, said conveyor comprising:

• means for delivering the paper stacks in a delivering direction, a front end of the paper stacks facing in said delivering direction, said delivering means having a plurality of transversely juxtaposed delivering grippers for gripping the paper stacks at the front end and pulling the paper stacks in said delivering direction;
• first and second deposit stations, said first deposit station having a first paper support and said second deposit station having a second paper support, said first and second paper supports receiving the paper stacks from said delivering grippers, each deposit station having at least one boundary side oriented transverse to said delivering direction;
• and
• first and second discharge conveyors for discharging the paper stack received by said first and second paper support, said first and second discharge conveyors driving said first and second paper supports,
• wherein said delivering grippers receive the paper stacks in an orientation juxtaposed transverse to said delivering direction and convey the paper stacks, thereby providing a plurality of juxtaposed stacks juxtaposed in at least one stack row transverse to the delivering direction, including at least one stack group of at least two juxtaposed stacks, said delivering grippers alternately transferring each of said juxtaposed stacks of the stack row to each of said paper supports,
• at least one running path for the paper stacks substantially directly interconnecting in said delivering direction said first and second discharge conveyor and a delivering station for delivering said paper stacks to said delivering grippers, said running path at least partly forming a planar sliding path for the paper stacks, said sliding path interconnecting, substantially without gaps, said delivering station and said first paper support and said second paper support.