Apparatus and method for processing articles of different dimensions

A configuration for processing flat articles, wherein each flat article extends in an article plane and at least two format classes are specified, the configuration comprising:

• a conveying device;
• a separating apparatus;
• a format-splitting device;
• at least one processing device per specified format class, said processing device for a format class configured for processing the flat articles of the format class;
• a conveyor track;
• the configuration transporting the flat articles which have been tipped onto said conveying device along said conveyor track to said separating apparatus and from said separating apparatus to said format-splitting device;
• said separating apparatus disposed in said conveyor track and upstream of said format-splitting device;
• said separating apparatus configured to separate the flat articles and to transport the flat articles further such that a stream of upright, spaced-apart articles leaves said separating apparatus;
• the configuration transporting separated flat articles from said separating apparatus to said format-splitting device;
• said format-splitting device dividing the flat articles in dependence on dimensions of the flat articles into article classes such that all of the flat articles of a set of articles belong to a same format class;
• the configuration transporting all of the flat articles of the set of articles in a form of a stream of upright, spaced-apart articles to said processing device configured to process the flat articles of the format class;
• and
• said processing device processing the flat articles transported thereto.