Apparatus for conveying sheet-type flat items

An apparatus for conveying sheet-type flat items to a sheet-collecting location, comprising:

• at least one lower belt conveyor;
• at least one upper belt conveyor arranged above the lower belt conveyor;
• a first operating mechanism including a first swivel device arranged to swivel the upper belt conveyor around a first swivel axis relative to the lower belt conveyor between (1) a first lower position in which the upper belt conveyor is in an operating position adjacent to the lower belt conveyor and comes in contact with the flat items positioned on the lower belt conveyor and (2) a raised first upper position in which the upper belt conveyor has a segment positioned downstream of the upper belt conveyor at such a distance to the lower belt conveyor as to be out of contact with the flat items positioned on the lower belt conveyor;
• at least one overlap device;
• and
• a second operating mechanism arranged to move the overlap device, relative to the lower belt conveyor, between a second lower position in which the overlap device is in an operating position to come in contact with the flat items positioned on the lower belt conveyor and a second upper position in which the overlap device is in a non-operating position such as to be at a distance to the lower belt conveyor that the overlap device cannot come in contact with the flat items positioned on the lower belt conveyor,
• wherein the overlap device can be swiveled in the same direction as the upper belt conveyor to move the overlap device between the second lower position and the second upper position.