Apparatus for selectively transporting a stream of paper sheets or the

Abstract

Apparatus for transporting a scalloped stream of paper sheets from a first horizontal path into an aligned second horizontal path or into a downwardly sloping third path has a flap which is pivotable in a gap separating the first and second paths between a first position of coplanarity with the first and second paths so that the stream can enter the second path by traveling along the upper side of the flap and a second position in which the flap extends above the first and second paths to block the entry of the stream into the second path while permitting the stream to advance from the first into the third path. An intercepting plate is moved across the discharge end of the first path prior to pivoting of the flap from the first to the second position to temporarily prevent (e.g., for an interval of a few milliseconds) the advancement of sheets beyond the first path. This enables the last (partly overlapped) sheet of a preceding portion of the stream to enter the second path before the foremost sheet of the next portion of the stream is permitted to enter the third path. The intervals of blocking of the first path are sufficiently short to prevent the gathering of several sheets immediately behind the intercepting plate during blocking of the discharge end of the first path.