Sheet deceleration apparatus and method

A sheet stacking apparatus comprising:

• an entry conveyor for delivering sheets of material along a travel path toward a discharge end of the entry conveyor;
• a stacking hopper positioned downstream from the discharge end of the entry conveyor;
• a sheet deceleration apparatus positioned between the discharge end of the entry convey- or and the stacking hopper for reducing the travel speed of the sheets of material prior to delivery to the stacking hopper, the sheet deceleration apparatus comprising:
• a rotatable cam nip being rotatable about a first axis, the first axis being substantially perpendicular to the travel path and the cam nip being positioned on one side of the travel path;
• wherein the cam nip comprises at least two lobe ends, such that when the lobe ends are generally away from the travel path, the sheet of material can pass substantially unimpeded past the cam nip, and when a lobe end is near the travel path, the sheet of material is nipped by the cam nip decelerating the sheet of material from the first speed to a second speed;
• wherein the lobe ends each comprise a rotatable wheel.