Separating conveyor for stacked objects

An object-sorting system comprising:

• a conveyor having a horizontally extending stretch;
• a plurality of pushers fixed on and spaced along the conveyor and extending upward from the stretch thereof;
• an upright chute adapted to hold a stack of objects and having an outlet port spaced above an upstream end of the conveyor stretch;
• an elongated support surface extending horizontally above the stretch and having an upstream end below the outlet port and a downstream end, whereby the stack of objects in the chute can stand on the support surface;
• drive means for displacing the pushers downstream past the outlet port so that the pushers engage at least a lowermost object of the stack in the chute and move the engaged object downstream along the support surface;
• and
• means for pivoting the support surface about an axis at the support-surface downstream end and thereby changing a vertical spacing between the support-surface upstream end and the outlet port.