A layboy includes an upper belt section with a plurality of transversely spaced upper belts that extend in a longitudinal direction such that bottom portions of the upper belts lie in a first plane that defines an upper boundary of a transport path through the layboy and a lower belt section having a plurality of transversely spaced lower belts that extend in the longitudinal direction such that top portions of the lower belts lie in a second plane that defines an upper boundary of the transport path. The bottom portion of one of the top belts and/or the top portion of one of the bottom belts extends away from the transport path to define a gap in the transport path at which scrap moving through the layboy can fall out of the transport path.

An ejection device for ejecting sample blanks for a processing machine for processing elements in sheet form, the processing machine comprising: a plurality of work stations including at least one waste removal station, and a conveying device comprising a plurality of gripper bars configured to drive the elements through the work stations, the ejection device comprises at least one actuating element able to move between: an inactive position positioned away from the path of the gripper bars, and an active position positioned on the path of the gripper bars, the at least one actuating element being configured to collaborate with the gripper bars as they pass by, so as to open the gripper bars and eject, flat, a sample of blanks. The present invention also relates to a waste removal station, a processing machine for processing elements in sheet form, and a method for ejecting blanks samples in a machine.

In some examples, a sheet processing machine includes at least one transport means of an infeed system, and the infeed system includes at least one cam mechanism including, in each case, at least one cam disk having an axis of rotation. At least one scanning element is arranged in each case to rest against the at least one cam disk. The at least one scanning element is connected to the at least one transport means via at least one drive lever. The at least one drive lever in each case has at least one mounting point. The mounting point and the axis of rotation may be adjusted relative to one another, and a position displacement of the mounting point relative to the axis of rotation may compensate for at least one position error of the at least one sheet.

In some examples, a die-cutting machine includes a transport system configured as a chain gripper system. The chain gripper system includes a chain gripper carriage including a holding element for holding a sheet. The chain gripper carriage is arranged to be attached to at least one chain that is arranged to guide the chain gripper carriage on a guide path through at least part of the die-cutting machine. The chain gripper carriage includes a contact element functionally connected to the holding element. A chain gripper opener includes a contact surface at which, in the presence of the gripper carriage at the contact surface, the contact element cooperates with the chain gripper opener. The holding element is transferred at least from a closed position into an open position by cooperation of the chain gripper opener with the contact element. The chain gripper opener is adjustable by at least one drive.

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 that define with the sheet supports a sheet transport path through the front end conveyor. A chad wall extends transversely to the sheet transport direction and has a top edge located below the sheet transport path and a front surface facing in the upstream direction and a plurality of fingers projecting from the front surface in the upstream direction. The top edge of the chad wall is positioned relative to the sheet transport path such that hanging chads depending from the sheets will impact the chad wall.

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 front end conveyor include a lower deck having a plurality of lower sheet supports, an upstream upper deck having an upstream end at the upstream end of the front end conveyor, a downstream end and a plurality of first upper sheet guides and a downstream upper deck having an upstream end, a downstream end at the downstream end of the front end conveyor, and a plurality of second upper sheet guides. The lower sheet supports and the upper sheet guides define a sheet transport path for moving sheets of material though the conveyor. The downstream end of the upstream upper deck and the upstream end of the downstream upper deck are independently pivotably mounted to the frame such that the upstream end of the upstream upper deck and the downstream end of the downstream upper deck shiftable toward and away from the lower deck.

A front end conveyor includes a frame having a first side and a second side, a lower deck including a plurality of sheet supports and an upper deck including a plurality of sheet guides. Upper portions of the sheet supports lie in a first plane, 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. At least one helical brush is positioned at the sheet transport path and is configured to engage scrap material on the plurality of sheets. The conveyor also includes a drive configured to rotate the helical brush.

A front end conveyor includes a frame having a first side and a second side, a lower deck having a plurality of sheet supports and an upper deck having a plurality of sheet guides. Upper portions of the sheet supports lie in a first plane. 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, and the front end system includes at least one blower directed at the sheet transport path and configured to dislodge scrap material from the sheets.

The invention relates to a suction brake for use with a sheet conveyor configured to convey a succession of flat elements in sheet form along a conveying path between a first location and a second location, the suction brake comprising: a hollow body having an interior cavity and a face that defines a plurality of suction apertures that communicate with the interior cavity; an obturator arrangement coupled to the hollow body and moveable with respect to the suction apertures; the obturator arrangement being moveable between an open position, in which the obturator arrangement exposes the suction apertures to a maximum extent, and a restricted position, in which the obturator arrangement occludes the suction apertures to a maximum extent. The obturator may rotate or be linearly translated in moving between the open and restricted positions.