Abstract: An apparatus for stacking successive rapidly advancing sheets of a stream of sheets has a platform which receives successive sheets and descends at the rate of accumulation of one or more stacks thereon. The sheets are delivered by one or more overhead belt conveyors in cooperation with one or more lower belt conveyors. The front end turn of the lower reach of each overhead conveyor is deflected around a small-diameter rigid rod immediately in front of a stop for the leaders of successive sheets to reduce the likelihood of buckling during stacking, and one or more downwardly sloping ramps are provided in front of the stop to deflect the leaders of successive sheets in a downward direction toward the leaders of the immediately preceding sheets in immediate or close proximity of the stop. The stop, the rod and the overhead conveyor or conveyors are adjustable in several directions to facilitate a change of setup for the stacking of longer, shorter, wider or narrower sheets.

Abstract: A cross cutter for a running web of paper which is transported along a horizontal path has an upper rotary knife holder above and a lower rotary knife holder below the horizontal path. The holders carry knives which extend transversely of the path, and each holder further carries an elastic lip-shaped deflector which is located behind the respective knife and serves to maintain the leader of the web behind the separated length of the web in or close to the path so that the leader can enter a transporting unit which advances the severed lengths of the web to a stacking or other processing station. The lower deflector is installed immediately behind and the upper deflector is spaced apart from the rear side of the respective knife.