Input stacks of value documents are inserted in an input pocket of the value document processing apparatus, transported through the apparatus, checked and sorted into different deposit pockets of the value document processing apparatus, wherein reject value documents are deposited separately from the valid value documents. The reject value documents are automatically transported back to the input pocket with the aid of a reject transport device, to check the reject value documents again with the same value document processing apparatus (rerun). The reject transport device has several reject transport units, in which the reject value documents from the different input stacks are deposited separately from each other, and a reader for reading in the machine-readable identifier of the respective reject transport unit used for assigning the reject value documents of the respective reject transport unit to the input stack to which these reject value documents belong.

An apparatus for the continuous singling of stacks of loose sheet goods comprises a singler for singling stacks of loose sheet goods and a feeding device having two feeding elements, moving stacks of loose sheet goods to be singled into a position where sheet goods are grasped by the singler and transferred to a transport system, and an area for receiving sheet goods to be singled with first and second subareas. The first and second subareas border each other, and the second subarea forms an input area for the sheet goods. The first feeding element moves within the total area, between the first and third positions, and forms an end position, at least, however, in the first subarea, between a second one and the third position. A monitoring device is provided for the first subarea for ascertaining bank notes in the first subarea underneath the first feeding element.

Embodiments of a system and method for unloading articles from a container of items for use in an automatic stack feeder are disclosed. The automatic stack feeder may comprise a belt, a moveable lower paddle, and a moveable upper paddle, wherein the lower paddle is configured to partially extend through a belt of the automatic stack feeder. The movement of the belt, the lower paddle, and the upper paddle are coordinated such that there is no need to interrupt the operation of the automatic stack feeder to unload the container.

In a method for handling sheet goods, in particular value documents, such as bank notes, in an apparatus for processing sheet goods, such as a bank-note machine, sheet goods are removed from a container for sheet goods that is inserted in the apparatus, through an output opening of the container, checked for further processability, and in the case of a negative check result returned into the container through an input opening of the container that is separate from the output opening. The container has a pressing device for exerting a pressure on the sheet goods in the direction of the output opening, wherein the pressing device is displaceable along the height of the container such that sheet goods are both outputtable from a sheet-goods region of the container through the output opening and inputtable back into the sheet-goods region through the input opening.

An automatic stack feeder having a moveable stack or product guide is disclosed. The automatic stack feeder may be configured to receive a stack of articles and a container enclosing a stack of articles. To ensure the stack of articles is properly supported following unloading from the container, the stack guide is moveable between a first and a second position, wherein the stack guide is in contact with the stack of articles while in the first position, and not in contact with the stack when in the second position.

A method for supplying plate elements to a machine for processing the plate elements, from an initial pile of elements, the method includes: pushing a first batch of plate elements, from the top of the pile, downstream until the first batch comes at a storage capable of storing the first pushed batch, and simultaneously, displacing the storage downstream over a distance corresponding to the length of the first batch to separate the first batch from the pile; and thereafter transferring the elements of the first batch one after the other to the machine.

The present invention provides a denesting apparatus (100, 200), the apparatus comprising: one or more closed loop conveying tracks (130, 230), each closed loop conveying track comprising a plurality of sets of one or more de-stacking means (140, 240) movingly configured thereon through one or more de-stacking means moving mechanism (150, 250): one or more stacking magazines (120, 220), each adapted to hold a stack of sheets (110, 210) supported thereon: wherein each of the plurality of sets of de-stacking means is adapted to selectively engage an uppermost sheet from at least one of the stacking magazines in any desired order either sequentially and/or simultaneously so as to discharge the picked-up sheets onto an out-feed conveyor (180, 280) in any desired manner either one besides another or otherwise one overlapping the other.

A method and a device for combining an auxiliary stack and a main stack include a rake carrying the auxiliary stack and being abruptly movable out of a stack area to prevent sheets that contact the rake from being entrained and to preserve the structure of the stack. A sheet-fed printing press or sheet punching machine having the device is also provided.