Apparatus for forming stacks

An apparatus for forming stacks of slices of products cut up by a cutting device in a rapid sequence, the apparatus comprising:

• a portioning band associated with the cutting device for conveying stacks of slices;
• a stack receiver disposed between the cutting device and the portioning band and positioned in a slice stream to receive initial slices from the cutting device, the stack receiver being configured to be lowered in position during the stacking of the initial slices until a preset partial stack is formed, to transfer the preset partial stack to the portioning band, and to be returned to a waiting position close to the cutting device, so that subsequent slices from the cutting device are stacked on the portioning band increasing from the preset partial stack to a preset finished stack on the portioning band, wherein the portioning band is configured to be lowered during stacking of the slices at least between a partial stack take-over position upon receiving the preset partial stack from the stack receiver and a finished stack transfer position when the preset finished stack is formed on the portioning band;
• and
• a transport band which receives finished stacks of the slices from the portioning band;
• wherein the stack receiver is configured to be moved out of the waiting position into the slice stream for receiving a next group of initial slices when the preset finished stack is formed on the portioning band.