Apparatus for separating sheets from a stack

An apparatus for separating at least one outer sheet from a stack of sheets, said apparatus comprising:

• a holder with at least one guide for guiding the stack of sheets with an abutment structure which defines an abutment plane for keeping the stack of sheets in said holder in a position with said at least one outer sheet positioned against the abutment plane,
• wherein the abutment structure is provided with a slit for allowing at least one sheet to pass therethrough, which slit is movable relative to the at least one guide along the abutment plane along a path with a directional component transverse to said slit for at least partly peeling said at least one outer sheet abutting against the abutment structure from the stack of sheets in the holder;
• wherein the abutment structure comprises a plurality of rollers which are rotatably suspended for rolling along a path along said at least one outer sheet of the stack of sheets in the holder, said rollers having axes of rotation oriented perpendicular to said path along said at least one outer sheet of the stack of sheets in the holder;
• and
• wherein said slit comprises a lead-in edge along at least one side of the slit, at least a portion of said lead-in edge extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the abutment plane, and wherein the lead-in edge of said slit is fixed to a first roller of said plurality of rollers, and wherein said abutment structure further comprises at least one flexible pulling element which, on one side of said slit, surrounds at least some of said plurality of rollers, including said first roller, for providing uniform support of said stack of sheets.