Abstract: Apparatus for forming a stack of plates from a series of plates which respectively hang from rods conveyed by a rod-conveyer along a predetermined path. A toothed conveyer receives the rods one after the other from the rod-conveyer and conveys the rods along a plate-turning path. A plate-turning cam structure engages each plate as each rod is conveyed along the plate-turning path for turning each plate from its substantially upright hanging attitude into a substantially horizontal attitude situated over a stack-forming table. As each plate moves beyond the plate-turning cam structure onto a stack at the table, each rod is received in a channel out of which each rod is pushed while being disengaged from the plate received at the stack which forms on the table.