A positioning device (38) for holding a flat flexible part, especially a sheet, on a positioning surface (46) is presented. It comprises a body (44) having a suction opening (50) for aspiring the part and a fluid port (52) being in fluid communication with the suction opening (50). Furthermore, an abutment protrusion (60) is provided on a connection surface (48) for abutting the positioning device (38) against a base part (28) to which it may be mounted. Also a sealing protrusion (64) is arranged on the connection surface (48) for compressing a gasket (42) being interposed between the positioning device (38) and the base part (28). A height (H.sub.a) of the abutment protrusion (60) is bigger than a height (H.sub.s) of the sealing protrusion (64). Additionally, a positioning assembly (24) is presented which comprises at least one such positioning device (38). Furthermore, a sheet material processing machine comprising at least one such positioning assembly (24) is introduced.

An arrangement (100) for handling flat elements (202), in particular paper elements (202). A guiding structure (101) is provided, along which a flat element (202) is guidable and transportable along a transport direction (T). A hold-down element (102) is coupled to the guiding structure (101) for holding down the flat element (202) to the guiding structure (101). The hold-down element (102) has a support section (103) on which the flat element (202) is supportable. The hold-down element (102) extends along an extending direction (116) having a component perpendicular to the transport direction (T), wherein suction holes (104) are arranged along the extending direction (116). A suction unit (110) includes a suction opening (111) coupled to the suction holes (104) of the hold-down element (102), an air inlet (112) and an air outlet (113), wherein the suction unit (110) directs air from the air inlet (112) to the air outlet (113) for generating an air flow (114). The suction opening (111) is formed and arranged such that the air flow (114) passes the suction opening (111) so that air flow (114) entrains air through the suction opening (111).

A device for decelerating a transported and flat shaped product includes a brake operable by an air jet supplied by an air jet nozzle. The air jet nozzle is configured to impinge the air jet on a braking force implementing body to exert a braking force on the flat shaped product. The braking force implementing body includes: at least one first element, which has a physical structure for a return-flow of the air jet supplied by the air jet nozzle, and at least one second element, which for the braking force implementation is in an operative connection with the first element. The second element is configured to implement an impulse force caused by the air jet from the air jet nozzle. The impulse force results as the braking force onto the flat shaped product.

During the operation of a delivery device, having a first and a second stack delivery, in a transport direction, in which a first braking device is provided in the transport path of sheets which are conveyed by a conveyor system along a transport path in the entry region of the first stack delivery, and in which a second braking device is provided in the input area of the second stack delivery, the sheets to be printed, which come into the first braking device come in a form- or friction-locking operative contact with an active surface of a holding means comprised by the braking device. The active surface coming into this operative contact with the sheet to be printed is moved forcibly by a drive in the transport direction. In a first operating mode, during a form- or friction-fit interaction between the sheet and the active surface, a speed for the movement of the active surface is reduced from a first speed to a comparatively lower stacking speed. The first braking device is operated in a second operating mode for a subsequently incoming sheet that is to be deposited on a stack of the second stack delivery. The active surface is moved, for at least the entire duration of the existing form- or friction-fit operating contact, with a speed between the respect sheet and the active surface. That speed corresponds approximately, i.e. with a deviation of 10%, to the conveying speed of the conveyor system.

A holding device (1) for a succession of sheet-shaped elements circulating in a processing machine (100) along conveying path T. The holding device (1) has two series (10, 20) of a plurality of suction members (11, 21). At least one series of suction members 20 extends along and is movably mounted parallel to the transport path T of the sheets, between a retracted position and a deployed position. Each series is in an array, parallel to the transport path and the suction members are arranged spaced apart alongside one another, so that the array of members extend perpendicular to the conveying path T of the sheets and the suction members (11, 21) of each series (10, 20) are transversely offset relative to the suction members (11, 21) of the other series (10, 20).

A holding device for holding an element in sheet form 10 during its phase of insertion into a work station 300 of a converting machine 1. The holding device 310 includes a suction member 320 able to partially hold each sheet 10 by its rear portion during insertion of the sheet 10 into the work station 300. The holding device also includes a blower 330 able to flatten the rear portion of each sheet 10 against the suction member 320 during the phase of insertion.

The invention relates to a method and a device for arranging sheets in an overlapping position in a transfer unit arranged between a first processing station and a second processing station following the first processing station in a transport direction of the sheets. The sheets to be overlapped are transported from the first processing station to the transfer unit, in a transport plane and each individually lying behind one another. A respective rear, in the transport direction, edge of the sheets coming from the first processing station, is raised relative to the transport plane exclusively by the use of blown air, and a second subsequent sheet is slid under the rear edge of the respective preceding first sheet.

An arrangement (100) for handling flat elements (202), in particular paper elements (202). A guiding structure (101) is provided, along which a flat element (202) is guidable and transportable along a transport direction (T). A hold-down element (102) is coupled to the guiding structure (101) for holding down the flat element (202) to the guiding structure (101). The hold-down element (102) has a support section (103) on which the flat element (202) is supportable. The hold-down element (102) extends along an extending direction (116) having a component perpendicular to the transport direction (T), wherein suction holes (104) are arranged along the extending direction (116). A suction unit (110) includes a suction opening (111) coupled to the suction holes (104) of the hold-down element (102), an air inlet (112) and an air outlet (113), wherein the suction unit (110) directs air from the air inlet (112) to the air outlet (113) for generating an air flow (114). The suction opening (111) is formed and arranged such that the air flow (114) passes the suction opening (111) so that air flow (114) entrains air through the suction opening (111).

The invention relates to a method and a device for arranging sheets in an overlapping position in a transfer unit arranged between a first processing station and a second processing station following the first processing station in a transport direction of the sheets. The sheets to be overlapped are transported from the first processing station to the transfer unit, in a transport plane and each individually lying behind one another. A respective rear, in the transport direction, edge of the sheets coming from the first processing station, is raised relative to the transport plane exclusively by the use of blown air, and a second subsequent sheet is slid under the rear edge of the respective preceding first sheet.

During the operation of a delivery device, having a first and a second stack delivery, in a transport direction, in which a first braking device is provided in the transport path of sheets which are conveyed by a conveyor system along a transport path in the entry region of the first stack delivery, and in which a second braking device is provided in the input area of the second stack delivery, the sheets to be printed, which come into the first braking device come in in a form- or friction-locking operative contact with an active surface of a holding means comprised by the braking device. The active surface coming into this operative contact with the sheet to be printed is moved forcibly by a drive in the transport direction. In a first operating mode, during a form- or friction-fit interaction between the sheet and the active surface, a speed for the movement of the active surface is reduced from a first speed to a comparatively lower stacking speed. The first braking device is operated in a second operating mode for a subsequently incoming sheet that is to be deposited on a stack of the second stack delivery. The active surface is moved, for at least the entire duration of the existing form- or friction-fit operating contact, with a speed between the respect sheet and the active surface. That speed corresponds approximately, i.e. with a deviation of 10%, to the conveying speed of the conveyor system.