A method for separating blanks includes continuous conveying of a sheet metal strip in a transport direction to a laser cutting station, concurrent cutting of the sheet metal strip by at least one cutting laser, wherein a cut sheet metal strip is formed from successive sections of the same cutting geometry, transporting the cut sheet metal strip on a first conveyor belt in the transport direction, taking over the cut sheet metal strip from the first conveyor belt, transporting the cut sheet metal strip in the transport direction, separately ejecting the at least one residual blank of each section, transporting the at least one blank of each section into overlap with a second conveyor belt and ejecting the at least one blank from the suction conveyor, and transporting the blanks ejected one after the other from the suction conveyor horizontally in the transport direction to a collecting station.

Cutting equipment (41) which processes overlapped continuous forms (23H, 23L) is disclosed. The cutting is carried out by means of a cutting device (29), which separates the sheets from the forms, introduction devices (28H and 28L), which enter the continuous forms (23H, 23L) into the cutting device and a singularizing device (46) for overlapped sheets, which includes two transport paths (81 and 82), the one above the other, with differentiable transfer times; the singularizing device comprises a diverter (83) upstream of the transport paths (81 and 82); the introduction devices (28H and 28L) are actuatable for temporarily projecting a leading edge of one of the overlapped forms (23H, 23L) with respect to the other form up to a switching zone of the diverter (83), or for advancing together the overlapped forms (23H, 23L); the diverter (83) is configurable for addressing a continuous form or both forms (23H, 23L) to one or to both transport paths (81 and 82); and the introduction devices (28H and 28L) are also actuatable, in the case of projecting of one of the continuous forms, for lining up trailing edges of the sheets of the one and the other form for a joint cutting of the overlapped forms (23H, 23L) by means of the cutting device (29).

Cutting equipment (41) which processes overlapped continuous forms (23H, 23L) is disclosed. The cutting is carried out by means of a cutting device (29), which separates the sheets from the forms, introduction devices (28H and 28L), which enter the continuous forms (23H, 23L) into the cutting device and a singularizing device (46) for overlapped sheets, which includes two transport paths (81 and 82), the one above the other, with differentiable transfer times; the singularizing device comprises a diverter (83) upstream of the transport paths (81 and 82); the introduction devices (28H and 28L) are actuatable for temporarily projecting a leading edge of one of the overlapped forms (23H, 23L) with respect to the other form up to a switching zone of the diverter (83), or for advancing together the overlapped forms (23H, 23L); the diverter (83) is configurable for addressing a continuous form or both forms (23H, 23L) to one or to both transport paths (81 and 82); and the introduction devices (28H and 28L) are also actuatable, in the case of projecting of one of the continuous forms, for lining up trailing edges of the sheets of the one and the other form for a joint cutting of the overlapped forms (23H, 23L) by means of the cutting device (29).

A card separation apparatus includes a movable tray having a surface onto which a sheet is conveyed after a card has been separated from the sheet, and a card separation unit mounted on the surface for movement with the movable tray, the card separation unit having an opening through which the sheet is conveyed, and a controller configured to send an instruction to the movable tray to be moved at a predetermined timing after a leading edge of the sheet to which the card is attached enters the opening, so as to cause the sheet to be initially separated from the card.

A card separation apparatus includes a movable tray having a surface onto which a sheet is conveyed after a card has been separated from the sheet, and a card separation unit mounted on the surface for movement with the movable tray, the card separation unit having an opening through which the sheet is conveyed, and a controller configured to send an instruction to the movable tray to be moved at a predetermined timing after a leading edge of the sheet to which the card is attached enters the opening, so as to cause the sheet to be initially separated from the card.

A card separation apparatus includes a movable tray having a surface onto which a sheet is conveyed after a card has been separated from the sheet, and a card separation unit mounted on the surface for movement with the movable tray, the card separation unit having an opening through which the sheet is conveyed, and a controller configured to send an instruction to the movable tray to be moved at a predetermined timing after a leading edge of the sheet to which the card is attached enters the opening, so as to cause the sheet to be initially separated from the card.

A card separation apparatus includes a movable tray having a surface onto which a sheet is conveyed after a card has been separated from the sheet, and a card separation unit mounted on the surface for movement with the movable tray, the card separation unit having an opening through which the sheet is conveyed, and a controller configured to send an instruction to the movable tray to be moved at a predetermined timing after a leading edge of the sheet to which the card is attached enters the opening, so as to cause the sheet to be initially separated from the card.

A paper sheet sorting unit where a second guide path (2) is formed between the first sorting member (11) and the second sorting member (12), a first guide path (1) is formed on the exterior of the first sorting member (11), and a third guide path (3) is formed on the exterior of the second sorting member (12), the first sorting member (11) is driven by a power transmitted from an exterior to guide the paper sheets to the first guide path (1), the second sorting member (12) is driven by the power transmitted from the exterior to guide the paper sheets to the third guide path (3), and the first sorting member (11) and the second sorting member (12) are respectively driven in an opposite direction by the power transmitted from the exterior to guide the paper sheets to the second guide path (2).

A paper sheet sorting unit where a second guide path (2) is formed between the first sorting member (11) and the second sorting member (12), a first guide path (1) is formed on the exterior of the first sorting member (11), and a third guide path (3) is formed on the exterior of the second sorting member (12), the first sorting member (11) is driven by a power transmitted from an exterior to guide the paper sheets to the first guide path (1), the second sorting member (12) is driven by the power transmitted from the exterior to guide the paper sheets to the third guide path (3), and the first sorting member (11) and the second sorting member (12) are respectively driven in an opposite direction by the power transmitted from the exterior to guide the paper sheets to the second guide path (2).

A sheet processing apparatus includes a conveyance passage, a sheet separation device, and a conveyance roller pair. The conveyance passage conveys a two-ply sheet having two sheets overlapped and bonded together in a conveyance direction and includes a first branched conveyance passage branched in a first direction, and a second branched conveyance passage branched in a second direction different from the first direction. The sheet separation device separates a non-bonding portion of the two-ply sheet, conveys a first sheet of the two sheets separated from each other to the first branched conveyance passage, and conveys convey a second sheet of the two sheets separated from each other to the second branched conveyance passage. The conveyance roller pair has two rollers that are separable from and contactable with each other, and are disposed on at least one of the first branched conveyance passage or the second branched conveyance passage.