Examples include activating at least one alignment segment of a processing machine. The at least one alignment segment is arranged before at least one processing unit of the processing machine that is activated. The at least one alignment segment includes a plurality of transport sections following one another in the transport direction. At least two transport sections, following one another in the transport direction, each have a basic position and at least one adjustment position. The at least one adjustment position in each case is offset relative to the basic position in the transverse direction. At least one transport section of the transport sections is axially adjusted. At least one dedicated drive axially adjusts the at least one transport section of the transport sections, and the at least one dedicated drive is designed as a direct drive.

A sheet processing machine with a transfer mechanism for moving sheets along a handling direction of the sheet processing machine and with a waste evacuation device (36) for releasing the sheets. The transport mechanism comprises at least one sheet handling element (28) for moving a sheet. The waste evacuation device (36) further comprises a passage (46) formed between an opening surface (48) and a restraint surface (50). The at least one sheet handling element (28) comprises a first sliding element (68) and a second sliding element (70) being in contact with the opening surface (48) and the restraint surface (50), respectively, when passing the waste evacuation device (36).

A front end conveyor includes a frame having a first side and a second side, a lower deck and an upper deck. The lower deck includes a plurality of sheet supports, and upper portions of the sheet supports lie in a first plane. The upper deck includes a plurality of sheet guides, and the plurality of sheet supports and the plurality of sheet guides define therebetween a sheet transport path for moving sheets in a sheet transport direction toward the downstream end of the front end conveyor. A transverse scrap conveyor is mounted below the lower deck to carry scrap in a direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction. The transverse scrap conveyor is secured to and supported by the frame such that the transverse scrap conveyor is movable with the frame as a unit.

A device for storing a sheet pile in a converting machine (10) comprises a transfer mechanism (28) for delivering sheets (22) into a piling area (26) of the device (22), and a sampling plate (44) which is adjustable between a sampling position and an access position, wherein the top of the piling area (26) is covered by the sampling plate (44) when the sampling plate (44) is in the sampling position and the top of the piling area (26) is free when the sampling plate (44) is in the access position.

A sheet material processing unit (20, 22, 24) comprises a transport system (32) for transporting sheets (12) or parts thereof from a respective input end (20i, 22i, 24i) to a respective output end (20o, 22o, 24o). A gripper unit (46) is releasably coupled to the transport system (32) and is configured for holding at least a part of one of the sheets (12). Additionally, at least one handover mechanism (47d, 47r) is provided being configured for decoupling the gripper unit (46) from the transport system (32) and providing the gripper unit (46) to a neighboring sheet material processing unit (20, 22, 24) and/or receiving a gripper unit (46) from a neighboring sheet material processing unit (20, 22, 24) and coupling the received gripper unit (46) to the corresponding transport system (32). Additionally, a sheet material processing machine (10) is presented which comprises at least two such sheet material processing units (20, 22, 24).

A positioning assembly (30) for positioning a sheet material, especially at an entry portion of a sheet material processing machine, is described. It comprises a support beam (32) on which at least a portion of a sheet material to be positioned can be placed and a plurality of clamping fingers (38). The support beam (32) is coupled to a drive unit (60) configured for translationally moving the support beam (32) along a travelling direction (y) of the sheet material, translationally moving the support beam (32) along a direction (x) transverse to the travelling direction (y) and rotationally moving the support beam (32) with respect to a pivot axis (z) being perpendicular to the traveling direction (y) and the transverse direction (x). Each of the clamping fingers (38) is coupled to an individual clamping finger actuation unit (40). Moreover, a sheet material processing machine comprising such a positioning assembly (30) is presented.

A positioning device (38) for holding a flat flexible part, especially a sheet, on a positioning surface is described. It comprises a body (44) with a fluid inlet port (52) for supplying a driver fluid to the body (44), a fluid outlet port (58) for draining the driver fluid from the body (44), and a suction opening for aspiring the flat flexible part. A circulation channel (60) connects the fluid inlet port (52) and the fluid outlet port (58) and a suction channel (70) connects the suction opening to the circulation channel (60). The suction channel (70) is connected to the circulation channel (60) adjacent to a section (64) of reduced cross section area such that a jet pump (71) is formed. Every cross section (S.sub.c) of the circulation channel (60) and/or every cross section (S.sub.s) of the suction channel (70) along its entire respective length have/has a smooth rim. Additionally, a positioning assembly comprising at least one such positioning device (38) is presented. Moreover, a sheet material processing machine is introduced which comprises at least one positioning assembly.

The invention relates to a device (100) for transporting and separating blanks (1010) from a material web (1000), comprising a vacuum cylinder (8) for transporting the blanks (1010), a vacuum transport cylinder (7) for further transporting the blanks (1010), and a control unit (9). According to the invention, the vacuum cylinder (8) has a pivotable vacuum segment (82) and a rotary actuator (85) is provided for rotating the vacuum segment during operation. This makes it possible to reduce the effective vacuum region on a surface of the vacuum cylinder (8). The invention also relates to a method for transporting and separating blanks from a material web. A device and method enable a gentler and more accurate transfer of blanks from a vacuum cylinder to a vacuum transport cylinder.

An upper conveyor deck includes a plurality of belts each supported by an upstream end pulley and a downstream end pulley which belts are configured to be driven along a closed path having an interior such that a lower run of each of the belts travels in a downstream direction and an upper run of the each of the belt travels in an upstream direction. A first diversion pulley in the interior of at least one of the belts contacts the lower run of that belt, and a diversion guide outside the interior of the belt contacts the belt downstream from the first diversion pulley. A deflecting device at the first diversion pulley is configured to prevent scrap material from becoming pinched between the belt and the first diversion pulley.

A system for conveying blanks to a stacker creates a big enough time gap between a last blank of a current stack and the first blank of the next stack to allow the stacker to discharge the current stack without interrupting the feed of new sheets for the next stack.