Abstract:
A process for forming small stacks from an initial stack of sheet material by cutting includes providing a single guillotine cutter machine which comprises a rear table part for receiving the material to be cut and a front table part for receiving the cut material, separating the initial stack into partial stacks by a plurality of cuts in a first direction perpendicular to a direction of feed thereof, and pushing back and rotating 90° at least a portion of the partial stacks from the front table part onto the rear table part for further cutting. The process also includes installing a first movable guide plate above the front table part, placing the partial stacks such that the partial stacks abut the guide plate, and cutting the partial stacks to produce small stacks. The process further includes moving apart the front and rear table parts to form a gap between them, placing a second movable guide plate in the region of the gap, and transporting the small stacks through a transverse channel formed between the two guide plates to a further processing station.

Description:
This invention relates to a process for forming and for the further processing of small stacks of sheet metal. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A process is known in practice for forming small stacks from an initial stack of sheet material by means of cutting, with subsequent transfer of the small stacks to a further processing station. In this process a single guillotine cutter machine is used. The latter comprises a rear table part for receiving the material to be cut and a front table part for receiving the cut material. The initial stack, which is in the shape of a right parallelepiped, is first separated into partial stacks by a plurality of cuts in a first direction perpendicular to its direction of feed. All these partial stacks, or part of these partial stacks, are subsequently subjected to further processing. For this purpose, the partial stacks to be processed are pushed, turned by 90°, from the front table part on to the rear table part for further cutting. The partial stacks are separated by at least one cut in a second direction in order to form the small stacks. The small stacks which are thus produced are fed manually, perpendicularly to the direction of feed of the guillotine cutter machine, to the further processing station, after they have previously been pushed manually slightly forward in the direction of feed, so as to be able to move them laterally past the housing of the cutting machine. 
     A guillotine cutter machine which can be operated according to the process described above is known from EP-A-0 056 874, for example. Processing cannot be carried out automatically with this machine, and in particular cannot be carried out automatically with respect to the cut for producing the small stacks and the transfer thereof to the further processing station. The latter can be an automatic bundling machine or a label punch, for example. 
     Furthermore, other apparatuses are known which enable small stacks of sheet material to be formed and further processed in an automated manner. However, these apparatuses are only suitable for carrying out defined processing steps during the formation and further processing of small stacks of sheet material, so that costly machine constructions, or at least two guillotine cutter machines, are necessary in order to cover the entire course of processing. 
     It is known from EP-A-0 242 763 that edge cuts which may be necessary can be made on the stack by a first guillotine cutter machine, after which the stack is present as an initial stack, and that the initial stack can also be separated into partial stacks by this machine. The partial stacks are collected on a support and are fed to the second guillotine cutter machine, which is disposed perpendicularly to the first-mentioned guillotine cutter machine. In the second cutter machine, the partial stacks are subdivided, on each cut, into small stacks which are arranged in rows. A first guide plate is disposed in front of the partial stacks with respect to the direction of feed of the material, and is thus disposed in the region of the front table part. A second guide plate can be introduced into a gap formed between the front and rear table parts, adjacent to the rear end of the front table part. The two guide plates form a transverse channel between them which receives the small stacks, which can be fed to a further processing station by means of an ejector. 
     Quite a costly process for cutting and for the further processing of small stacks of sheet material is known from WO 91/00168 A. This process employs a machine of complicated construction. The front table part of the machine is of two-part construction, wherein the front section of the table part is raised after separating the initial stack into partial stacks, so as thus to be able to bring a first movable guide plate, which is disposed underneath the front section of the front table part, into position in order to form small stacks in connection with the further separation of the partial stacks. Whereas the rear section of the front table part is fixedly mounted in a base frame which can be moved horizontally, the front section of the front table part is mounted in a vertically movable intermediate frame, which is mounted in the base frame and which, underneath the front section of the front table part, receives the first guide plate and elements for horizontally moving and swivelling said guide plate. The first guide plate thus forms a fixedly installed component of the front table construction. The operating procedure of this machine is costly, since due to its division into two regions the front table part is not only movable horizontally but is also movable vertically over a relatively large vertical distance. 
     EP-A-0 453 933 describes a process for cutting and for the further processing of small narrow stacks of sheet material. The guillotine cutter machine which is illustrated there can only produce stacks of constant dimensions as seen in the direction of feed of the material. An L-shaped element for receiving the cut small stacks is provided for this purpose. The lower arm of the L-shaped element fits under the small stacks, whilst the other arm serves as a lateral support for the stacks. The L-shaped element is mounted so that it can be moved and swivelled horizontally in a front table part of the guillotine cutter machine, but this table part is not employed for receiving the cut material. The purpose of this type of mounting of the L-shaped element is to enable the L-shaped element to be tilted away when separating the partial stacks by means of the wedge-shaped cutter and thus when forming small stacks which are initially displaced into the shape of a parallelogram, whilst the front edge of the L-shaped element remains in a plane with the table surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to further develop a process according to the precharacterising clause of claim 1 which, using one and the same guillotine cutter machine and a simple mode of operation, not only enables the steps to be carried out for producing partial stacks and small stacks, but which also creates conditions when this machine is used such that the small stacks can be fed automatically to further processing operations. 
     This object is achieved by a process according to the features of claim 1. 
     According to the invention, it is not until the partial stacks have been pushed back on to the rear table part, whereupon the partial stacks can rest in part on the front table part, that the first movable guide plate is installed above the front table. Before this, namely before the installation of the first guide plate, the entire table surface of the table, particularly the table surface of the front table part, is free, so that the material can be manipulated there in any desired manner, and in particularly can be turned after the cuts have been made for producing the partial stacks. It is also possible, using the guillotine cutter machine, to trim the edges of the initial stack before it is separated into partial stacks. The first movable guide plate is not installed until the front table part is no longer required for manipulating the material. Process steps which proceed automatically can be carried out by means of this guide plate, particularly in cooperation with the second movable guide plate. 
     Thus, the essential difference between the process according to the invention and that disclosed in WO 91/00168 A is that, according to the present invention, the first movable guide plate is installed above the front table part after the partial stack has been pushed back on to the rear table part, whilst according to the aforementioned prior art this first movable guide plate is fixedly installed underneath the front table part and is also permanently positioned underneath the front section of the front table part. Therefore, with the front section of the front table part raised, it is not possible to separate the front and rear table parts which are disposed in a plane in order to form a gap between them and in order to form the transverse channel between the two guide plates for the small stacks which are to be transported away. 
     According to the present invention, the partial stacks are placed in the region of the guide plate, wherein “placement” is to be understood here to comprise both the placement of the guide plate with respect to the stationary partial stacks and the displacement of the partial stacks into the region of the guide plate which is already installed. In particular, the partial stacks are placed against the guide plate. This is followed by the cut for producing the small stacks, and the front and rear table parts are then moved apart in order to form the gap between them. The second movable guide plate is then placed in the region of the gap and the two stacks are fed to the further processing station through the transverse channel formed between the two guide plates. In this respect it is unimportant whether the second movable guide plate is placed from below, namely through the gap, or from the side or from above. The crucial feature is that the transverse channel is formed by the two guide plates. After the small stacks have been transported away, and in particular have been ejected, towards the further processing station, the partial stacks situated on the rear table part are moved forwards into the region of the first guide plate, and this is followed by the next sequence of cuts in the sense described above. 
     As has been described previously in the prior art according EP-A-0 242 763, the movement of the first guide plate in particular has to be adapted to the conditions for cutting the small stacks. This makes it necessary to provide horizontal mobility of the first guide plate and to ensure that the latter can swivel. 
     Apart from this, since the first guide plate is a mobile component which has to be installed, it is necessary to position the first guide plate in a defined manner with respect to the front table part or with respect to the partial stacks to be cut, in order to ensure the sequence of movements of the first guide plate which were described above. According to a special feature of the present process, when the first guide plate is installed it is positioned against the partial stacks to be cut. In particular, if when the first guide plate is installed it is positioned against the partial stacks disposed with their front faces in the cutting plane, it is ensured that the guide plate is associated with a defined, fixedly predetermined plane, namely with the cutting plane of the cutter. The coordinates of movement of the first guide plate can thus be fixed with respect to the cutting plane. On the other hand, it is possible to effect a variable association of the contact face of the first guide plate in relation to the cutting plane. This means that the plane of contact of the first guide plate is positioned at an arbitrary spacing from the cutting plane, and the position of the guide plate, particularly its position in relation to the cutting plane, is determined by means of electronics. In particular, the electronics thus determine how far the vertically positioned plane of contact of the guide plate is from the cutting plane, and take this into account during the current cutting process. It is known from the prior art that the positions of machine parts, for example the position of the feed cradle of the cutting machine with respect to the cutting plane, can be determined and represented by means of electronics. The position of the first guide plate can be represented correspondingly. 
     The transfer of data between the mobile alignment station and the overall control system of the guillotine cutter machine, particularly with respect to the operation of the actuating elements of the mobile alignment station, of the elements for fixing the mobile alignment station to the front table part, and of the elements for determining the position of the mobile alignment station relative to the material to be cut or relative to the cutting plane of the cutters, can also of course be effected by means of remote control, infrared control or the like. 
     In a further embodiment, after the partial stack has been pushed back on to the rear table part, a mobile alignment station, which receives the first guide plate, is placed on the front table part. After the partial stack has been pushed back on to the rear table part, the mobile alignment station is advantageously moved on to the front table part from an additional table part disposed at the side. In particular, this is effected manually. The receiving planes of the rear table part and of the additional table part can be permanently aligned with each other here, so that when the mobile alignment station is not required it is placed on the additional table part beside the front table part. A certain disadvantage here is that this region is not available to the operator so that he can freely manipulate the material to be cut. Taking this situation into consideration, it is proposed that the additional table part comprises two parallel table planes disposed one above the other, wherein the lower table plane serves to receive the mobile alignment station before it moves on to the front table part and the two table planes of the additional table part can be raised and lowered with respect to the table plane of the front table part. If the mobile alignment station is not required, the additional table part is situated in its lowered position, so that the upper table plane of the additional table part forms a plane with the table plane of the front table part and this region can thus be used for working in without any restriction. If the mobile alignment station is required, the additional table part is raised by an extent such that its lower table plane is aligned with the table plane of the front table part, whereby the mobile alignment station can be transferred without difficulty on to the front table part. If necessary, the additional table part is lowered on to the front table part again whilst the mobile alignment station is in use. 
     After it has been transferred on to the front table part, the mobile alignment station is preferably attached thereto or to a lateral stop associated with this table part, particularly by means of suction force or magnetic force. It is thereby ensured that the mobile alignment station permanently assumes its desired position in relation to the front table part, which is a prerequisite for the operation of the guide plate. 
     The material to be cut can be aligned in a simple manner by means of the guide plate of the mobile alignment station. After a cut is made, a displacement of the upper sheets of the material to be cut generally occurs, so that the material can be aligned on the device for feeding the material by moving the first guide plate against the front edge of the material to be cut. 
     According to a further fundamental embodiment of the process according to the invention, when the first guide plate is installed it is positioned in a defined manner with respect to the front table part. The first guide plate is thus not aligned on the material to be cut, but is aligned on the front table part. In particular, the mobile alignment station which receives the first guide plate can be positioned in different positions on the front table part with respect to the cutting plane of the cutter of the guillotine cutter machine. This takes into account the fact that small stacks have to be cut which have different extents in the direction of feed of the material, and the aim should be to achieve short distances of travel of the guide plate. In this respect, the front table part comprises diverse receivers in planes parallel to the cutting plane of the cutter, for example in three planes, wherein peg-like elements attached to the mobile alignment station can be brought into active communication with said receivers. Since one definitive requirement for the positioning of the mobile alignment station with respect to the front table part is to align the contact face of the first guide plate so that in its initial position it is exactly parallel to the cutting plane of the cutter, provision is made for centring the mobile alignment station on the front table part. 
     After the partial stacks have been moved forwards, or in the final phase of movement of the partial stacks, the first guide plate is preferably moved in the opposite direction to the direction of feed of the partial stacks, so that the partial stacks are aligned on the feed cradle of the cutting machine. This precise alignment of the partial stacks is a particular prerequisite for a high accuracy of cut when producing the small stacks, particularly when the latter are labels. When the partial stacks are cut, the first guide plate is swivelled so that it is tilted away from the cutter corresponding to the wedge shape of the cutting knife. The electronics preferably detect the downward movement of the cutting knife and control the actuator for swivelling the first guide plate in accordance with the passage of the cutting knife through the partial stacks. Superimposed on this, or subsequently thereto, there is a slight horizontal movement of the first guide plate away from the cutting plane, in order to effect the complete movement of the small stack, which is displaced into the shape of a parallelogram, on to the front table part when the second guide plate is aligned vertically and is completely seated against the rear edge of the front table part. The aforementioned overhang of the small stacks is due to the cutting plane or the cutting strip being disposed in the rear table part slightly offset in relation to the interface between the front and rear table parts. When the second guide plate is disposed vertically, the first guide plate tilts into its vertical position. 
     The first guide plate can preferably both move horizontally and swivel horizontally. In particular, it can move by differently defined distances. For example, it can be moved by an extent of advance for producing the small stacks, by an extent of advance for compensating for the swivelling movement of the first guide plate, or by an extent of advance for an intermediate cut, particularly in combination with the disposal of the cutting waste through the gap. The guide plate is moved or swivelled in particular by a pneumatically or electrically acting means of force, preferably by means of an electric servomotor. 
     It is considered to be particularly advantageous if the turned partial stacks are fixed between one or more movable contact placement devices and a fixed lateral contact placement device of the rear table part. This is generally effected before or during the cut in the second direction. A procedure of this type is particularly advantageous when narrow sheets are to be cut, whereby it is ensured that they are aligned exactly parallel to each other and the partial stack associated with the fixed lateral contact placement device is seated flat against the latter. 
     It is essential that the process according to the invention can be employed for what is termed mixed production. This means that after cutting small stacks, the extent of which is slight in the direction of feed, small stacks have to be cut under some circumstances, the extent of which in the direction of feed is greater. These operations can be put into effect in a simple manner by moving the guide plate of the mobile alignment station or by displacing the mobile alignment station. 
     Other features of the process according to the invention are presented in the description of the Figures and in the subsidiary claims, where should be remarked that all individual features and all combinations of individual features constitute the essence of the invention. 
     The process according to the invention is illustrated in the Figures, which comprise a plurality of embodiments of a guillotine cutter machine which operates according to this process, without being limited to the specific process steps described. The Figures are as follows: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the guillotine cutter machine, with a mobile alignment station, which is situated in its out-of-use position, placed on a side table, and with a stack of cut material resting on the rear table part before the edge trimming operation; 
     FIG. 2 is an illustration corresponding to that of FIG. 1, showing the stack of cut material resting on the rear table part after the edge trimming operation, and thus showing the initial stack resting on the rear table part before partial stacks are cut in a first direction; 
     FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to that of FIG. 2, showing the partial stacks resting on the rear table part and turned by 90°, before they are cut in the second direction; 
     FIG. 4 shows the guillotine cutter machine of FIG. 3 with the mobile alignment station, against the guide plate of which the advanced partial stacks are seated, placed on the front table part in a position for making the first cut in the second direction for the purpose of separating the diverse small stacks; 
     FIG. 5 shows a cut being made by the cutting machine along line V—V of FIG. 4; 
     FIGS. 6 to  8  show the mobile alignment station which is circled in FIG. 5 resting on the front table part in various operating positions; 
     FIG. 9 is a view in direction IX of the mobile alignment station shown in FIG. 8; 
     FIGS. 10 to  15  illustrate processing steps which demonstrate the mode of operation of the guillotine cutter machine without intermediate cuts between the individual main cuts; 
     FIGS. 16 to  19  illustrate processing steps which are inserted when making an intermediate cut between the main cutting operations; 
     FIG. 20 shows a modified form of the guillotine cutter machine with lateral contact placement devices on the feeder device and on the first guide plate, as a view corresponding to that of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 21 is a detailed view of the lateral contact placement devices of the feeder device, as seen in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 20; 
     FIG. 22 is a view of the feeder device and of the lateral contact placement devices associated therewith, as seen in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 21; 
     FIG. 23 shows a modified form of the device for fixing the mobile alignment station to the front table part, as a view corresponding to that of FIG. 10; 
     FIG. 24 shows a modified form of the mobile alignment station with lateral contact placement devices and centring pins, as a view according to that of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 25 is a section, on an enlarged scale, through the device for centring the mobile alignment station and the front table part; and 
     FIG. 26 shows a modified form of the additional table part for receiving the mobile alignment station when the latter is not required. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The basic design of the guillotine cutter machine can be seen from the illustrations of FIGS. 1 and 5. The guillotine cutter machine  1  comprises a stand  2 , a table  3  supported by the stand and a gantry frame  4  which extends above the table  3 . A rear table part  5  with table surface  6  serves to receive the material to be cut  7 , which consists of stacked sheet material. The individual layers of sheets are denoted by reference numeral  8 . A front table part  9  serves to receive the cut material in the region of its table surface  10 . A press crosshead  11 , which is placed above the rear table part  5  and can be lowered on to the material to be cut  7 , is mounted in the gantry frame  4 . A cutter support  12  is movably mounted in front of the press crosshead  11  in the gantry frame  4 . A cutting knife  13  is screwed to the cutter support in the region of the lower end thereof. The lower ends of the cutting knife  13  and of the cutter support  12  are of wedge-shaped construction, wherein the face of the cutting knife  13  which faces the press crosshead  11  is positioned perpendicularly to the table surfaces  6  and  10  and the cutting plane  14  is thereby formed. A cutting strip, which is not shown, is embedded in the rear table part  5  below the cutting knife  13 , at a short distance from the interface between the rear table part  5  and the front table part  9 . In its bottom dead centre position, the cutting knife  13  slightly penetrates the cutting strip, in order to ensure that even the lowermost layer of the stack of sheet material, which consists of paper, cardboard, foil or the like, is completely severed. The cutting knife is guided in the known manner in a swinging cut. In the region of the rear table part, a feed cradle  15  is mounted in the rear table part  5  so that it can move in the direction of feed A (FIG. 1) of the material  7  to be cut. The feed part  16  of the feed cradle, which comes into contact with the material  7  to be cut, is of comb-like construction at the front, and has a height which is greater than that of the maximum height of insertion of the material  7  to be cut. The drive for moving the feed cradle  15  in the direction of feed and in the opposite direction thereto is not illustrated. A plurality of pillars  17 , which support the rear table part towards the floor  18 , is disposed under the loaded rear table part  5 . 
     The operating region of the person operating the guillotine cutter machine  1 , who is situated in front of the front table part  9 , is protected by photoelectric barriers  19  disposed on the gantry frame  4  at the side of the front table part  9 . At the side of the front table part  9  there are placement tables  20  and  21 , on which cut material or material to be cut can optionally be temporarily stored. The placement table  21  to the right of the operator also serves to receive a mobile alignment station  22  when the latter is not required. A further processing station  23 , which can be a label punch or an automatic bundling device for example, is positioned at the side of the placement table  21 . The small stacks which are cut by means of the guillotine cutter machine are fed in rows to the further processing station  23 , as shown in FIG.  1 . Before the last row of small stacks was fed, seven further rows had already been fed to the further processing station  23 . 
     The procedure for forming the row of small stacks is described below, wherein a row of this type is denoted in FIG. 1 by reference numeral  24 , and the respective small stacks are denoted by reference numeral  25 . In the specific case illustrated, eight rows of stacks  24 , each comprising eight small stacks, are cut from each initial stack. 
     FIG. 1 shows the mobile alignment station  22  resting on the side placement table  21 , where both the rear table part  5  and the front table part  9  of the guillotine cutter machine  1  are free for working with the machine. The large stack of sheet material  26  is first trimmed at its four edges  27 , by placing it each time against the lateral contact placement device  28 , such as a raised edge of the rear table  5 , and advancing it into the cutting position by means of the feed cradle  15 . After each cut, the feed cradle  15  moves back, and the operator can pull the stack  26  forward slightly and can turn it by 90° on the front table part  9  or underneath the gantry frame  4 . In order to make the next edge cut, the stack  26  is placed against the lateral contact placement device  28  and the feed cradle  15 . After the four edge cuts, the initial stack  29 , the dimensions of which have been reduced, is present as shown in FIG.  2 . With the initial stack are illustrated by the dashed lines in FIG.  2 . The cuts to be made on the initial stack  29  seated against the lateral contact placement device  28 , eight partial stacks  30  are formed by seven cuts in the first direction of the initial stack  29 , by successively advancing the feed cradle  15  by the predetermined extent. FIG. 3 shows these eight partial stacks  30 , which are disposed side by side but which are positioned turned by 90°, in a position in which their end faces are seated against the feed cradle and in which, in the region of a partial stack  30 , they are seated against the right-hand lateral contact placement device  28 . Starting from here, the guillotine cutter machine is operated so that after advancing the initial stack  29  which thus exists, a cut is made in each case in order to form the eight small stacks  28  which are thereby produced, and after the front table part  9  has travelled in the direction of the arrow A these small stacks  25  are ejected perpendicularly to the direction of feed A, namely in the direction of the arrow B, towards the further processing station  23 . When the small stacks  25  are cut off as shown in the illustration of FIG. 4, the mobile alignment station  22  comes into use, and as soon as the initial stack  29  no longer requires the space of the front table part  23 , the mobile alignment station can be moved from the placement table  21  on to the front table part  9  and is positioned there at a defined location. 
     The mobile alignment station  22  can be attached to the front table part  9  by means of five suction elements  53 . FIGS. 1 to  4  show an alignment station  22  which comprises suction elements  53  in a row on its side facing the operator. 
     The mobile alignment station  22  shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 can be fixedly attached to the front table part  9  and receives a first guide plate  31  which can travel horizontally and which can swivel about a horizontal pivot. The mobile alignment station  22  has a plate-shaped base element  32 . A bearing element  33 , which can be moved by means of an electric actuating motor  34 , is mounted in the base element. The actuating motor is fixed at one end to the substantially plate-shaped base element  32 , and acts on the bearing element  33  by means of a rod  35  which can move in the direction of the double arrows C. Reference numeral  36  denotes electrical connections for the actuating motor  34 . The actuating motor can be a servomotor, for example. The plate-shaped base element  32  has two parallel guides  37  for guiding the bearing element  33 . The latter is provided with four lower bearing receivers  38  in which the lower region of the guide plate  31  is mounted so that it can swivel about pivots  39 . Two swivel-acting toggle levers  40  act on a middle region of the bearing element  33 . The arms  41  and  42  of the respective toggle lever  40  exert a swivelling action at the top of the guide plate  31  or on the bearing elements  33 , in the region of the pivots  43  and  44 . A bearing spindle joins the two toggle levers  40  in the region of the joint between the respective two arms  41  and  42 , and a piston rod  46  of a pneumatic cylinder  47  acts on the spindle  45 , at about half the length of the spindle  45 , wherein the pneumatic cylinder  47  is swivel-mounted in an upper section of the bearing element  43 . Reference numerals  48  denote the pneumatic connections of the pneumatic cylinder  47 . Since the coupling of the guide plate  31  at the lower coupling point thereof, namely in the region of the pivots  39 , is situated above the table surface  10  of the front table part  9 , and since it must be permanently ensured that the guide plate contacts the table surface  10  so that it can also act upon the lower layers of sheets of the respective stack, a plate  50  which can be displaced in the direction of the plane of contact of the guide plate  31  is mounted in the actual guide plate body  51 , in the lower region of the guide plate  31  on the side thereof which faces the rear table part  5 . When the guide plate  49  swivels, the lower edge of the plate  50 , which is in contact with the table surface  10 , can thus move in relation to the actual guide plate body  51 . On its underside, the plate-shaped base element  32  of the mobile alignment station  22  is provided, substantially in the corners of the base element  32 , with four running rollers  52 , so that the mobile alignment station can be moved from the placement table  21  to the front table part  9  and back without having to be raised. So as to be able permanently to position the mobile alignment station  22 , it is provided in a modified embodiment with three suction elements  53  in its rear region and with two further suction elements  53  in its front side regions. It should be noted that suction elements  53  may be replaced by any suitable mechanism allowing quick attachment to and release from front table part  9 , such as magnetic elements and the like. These suction elements can be placed on the front table part  9  under the action of reduced pressure. The suction elements  53  can swivel about pivots  55  which are mounted in vertically extending slots  54  in the plate-shaped base element  52 . Reference numeral  56  denotes pneumatic connections to the suction elements  53 . 
     FIG. 8 shows the mobile alignment station  22  with the bearing element  33  moved back and with the piston of the pneumatic cylinder  47  extended, where the guide plate  31  has moved into its vertical position. In contrast, FIG. 7 shows the piston of the pneumatic cylinder  34  in its retracted position, and consequently shows the guide plate  31  in its swivelled position, in which it has swivelled corresponding to the parallelogram shape of the stack of cut material produced during the cut. FIG. 6 shows a form of construction which is modified compared with the forms of construction shown in FIGS. 7 to  9 , in which instead of the electric servomotor  34 , with which any positions can be produced, three pneumatic cylinders  57 ,  58  and  59  which are connected in series act between the plate-shaped base element  32  and the bearing element  33 , and three different states of advance of the bearing element  33  in the direction of the double arrow C can be obtained by the positions of these three pneumatic cylinders. 
     The course of the procedure for cutting the small stacks  25  is described below with reference to the illustrations of FIGS. 10 to  15 . 
     The initial position shown in FIG. 10 constitutes the situation which is reproduced in the general illustration of FIG.  4 . The material to be cut, which is present as individual partial stacks  30 , is advanced in the direction of feed A by means of the feed cradle  15  as far as the distance of the first cut in order to cut the initial stack in the second direction. The mobile alignment station  22  is then moved from the placement table  21  to the front table part  9  with the guide plate  31  vertical, and is positioned with the guide plate  31  against the front faces of the partial stacks  30  which face it. This position, for example, constitutes the reference position for the subsequent movements of the guide plate  31  and of the bearing element  33 . The reference position can be represented in the machine electronics via the position of the feed cradle  15  and the known dimension of the initial stack  29  in the direction of feed A when the initial stack  29  is seated against the feed cradle. In this position of the mobile alignment station  22 , the latter is fixedly attached to the front table part  9  by the application of reduced pressure to the suction elements  53 . The suction elements  53  are operated by the machine electronics. During the subsequent cut, as shown in FIG. 11, the cutting knife  13  severs the material to be cut and thereby produces the individual small stacks  25 , which are displaced into the shape of a parallelogram on account of the wedge-shaped form of the cutting knife  13  and of the cutter support  12 . The pneumatic cylinder  47  associated with the toggle levers  40  is actuated via the machine electronics, said actuation being matched to the lowering movement and thus to the cutting movement of the cutting knife  13 , so that the guide plate  31  swivels in the direction of the arrow, whereupon at the same time the bearing element  33  is moved away slightly from the cutting plane, since the swivel pin  39  of the guide plate  31  is positioned at a distance from the table surface  30  of the front table part  9 , and due to the invariable contact area of the respective small stack  25  the movement of the plate  50  of the guide plate  31  has to be compensated for by taking into account the displacement of thereof. 
     The front table part  9  is movable and can be moved from the rear table part  5  with the formation of a gap  61 . A second guide plate  62  is swivel-mounted about a pivot  63  underneath the front table part  9 . When the gap  61  is fully open, this guide plate, which is controlled by the machine electronics, can be swivelled via control means which are not illustrated, for example a pneumatic cylinder, towards the rear edge  64  of the front table part  9 , where it is positioned vertically in relation to the table surface  10  and extends over the entire width of the front table part  9 , just as the guide plate  31  does. Since for reasons of static loading the cutting strip  65  shown in FIGS. 10 to  15  is set back slightly in relation to the front edge  66  of the rear table part  5 , after the cut shown in FIG. 11 the respective small stack  25  protrudes slightly beyond the rear edge  64  of the front table part  9 . Before the guide plate  62  which swings in when the gap  61  opens is placed against the rear edge  64  of the front table part  9 , it is therefore necessary for the guide plate  31 , which is positioned corresponding to the parallelogram shape, to be moved back corresponding to this overhang, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 12, by operating the electric servometer  34  in this direction via the machine electronics, so that the guide plate  31  is moved forwards correspondingly, simultaneously with the excess displacement of the respective small stack  25 , as illustrated in FIG.  13 . The small stacks  25  are subsequently aligned in the shape of a right parallelepiped shape, as illustrated in FIG. 14, whereupon the guide plate  31  is swivelled back into its position perpendicular to the table surface  10  by operating the pneumatic cylinder  47  and the bearing element  33  is simultaneously moved slightly towards the second guide plate  62  by means of the electric servometer  34 , in order to compensate for the difference in distance which is due to the mounting of the guide plate on the pivot  39  which is at a distance from the table surface  10 . These movements are also executed by defined actuations via the machine electronics. The row of small stacks  25  which is disposed in the transverse channel  68  formed between the two guide plates  31  and  62  is subsequently transported away towards the transverse channel  68  by means of an ejector  67 , which in its inoperative position is positioned in the region of the placement table  20 . For this purpose, the ejector  67  is lowered behind the row of small stacks  25  and is moved towards the other placement table  21 . For example, FIG. 1 shows a row  24  of small stacks such as this which was the last to be transported away, although this is shown there for the initial stack which was cut in the preceding operation. These small stacks  25  are punched or bundled in the further processing station  23 . 
     After ejecting the row of small stacks  25 , the ejector  67  is moved into its initial position shown in FIG. 4, the guide plate  62  is swung back, and by moving the front table part  9  the gap  61  between the latter and the rear table part  5  is closed again. This is followed by the advance of the material to be cut by the predetermined cut distance, in the direction illustrated in FIG. 15, whereupon the electric servomotor  34  is activated in the direction of the arrow illustrated, in order to align the complete stack, which is formed from the individual longitudinally aligned stacks, against the feed cradle  15  by means of the vertically aligned guide plate  31 . This is followed by the sequence of cuts shown in the illustrations of FIGS. 11 to  14 . After the last cut, and after transporting away the small stack  25  which is thereby produced, the guillotine cutter machine is moved into the position shown in FIG.  15  and the row of small stacks  25  which remains on the rear table part  5  after the last cut is transferred as far as possible by the feed cradle  15  on to the front table part  9 . After opening the gap  61 , the guide plate  62  is then moved towards the rear edge  64  of the front table part  9  and thereby moves this last row completely on to the front table part against the guide plate  31 . This row is then also fed to the further processing station  23  by means of the ejector  67 . 
     When all the rows of small stacks  25  have been fed to the further processing station  23 , the reduced pressure acting on the suction elements  53  is disconnected and the mobile alignment station  22  is moved to the placement table  21  again, so that the next initial stack, after its edges have optionally been trimmed, can be manipulated on the front table part  9  which has now become free. 
     FIGS. 1 to  4  show that a central connection  69  leads to the mobile alignment station  22 . This connection comprises the pneumatic lines to the pneumatic cylinder or cylinders  47  or  57  to  59 , respectively, and further comprises reduced pressure connections for the suction elements  53  and the electrical connections to the servomotor  34 . The central connection  69  is coupled to the electronics unit which controls the units (pneumatic cylinders, servomotor, suction elements) of the mobile alignment station  22  and which can also comprise a distance recording system for determining the relative position of the mobile alignment station  22 , i.e. perpendicular to the cutting plane. It is thereby possible, irrespective of the reference position of the feed cradle  15  and of the stack of material to be cut which is seated against the latter, to align the mobile alignment station  22  with respect to the cutting plane. This can be effected with respect to any desired location of the front table part  9 . In particular, the advance movement data of the feed cradle  15  can be taken into account by means of the electronics, whereby the electric servomotor  34  can be operated depending on different extents of advance. In contrast, if a plurality of pneumatic cylinders  57 ,  58  and  59  is used instead of the electric servomotor  34 , only a few extents of advance of the guide plate  31  can be produced, and one of the cylinders is employed for compensation when the guide plate  31  swivels. 
     One extent of advance of the electric servomotor  34 , which is operated via the electronics, or of the pneumatic cylinders  57  to  59 , which are also operated electronically, is thus employed for compensation when the guide plate  31  swivels, and a second extent of advance is employed for adapting to the variable width of the material to be cut corresponding to the advance of the feed cradle. A third extent of advance should be considered to be associated with an intermediate cut which is inserted between two main cutting operations for the production of the row of small stacks  25 . Reference is made to EP-A-0 056 874 with regard to the problems associated with intermediate cuts. A cutting operation taking into account an intermediate cut in which a thin strip of waste  70  is produced is illustrated in FIGS. 16 to  19 . The conditions in FIG. 16 correspond to those in FIG.  11 . After the cut, with the simultaneous swivelling of the guide plate  31  and the movement of the bearing element  33  slightly away from the cutting knife, an intermediate advance of the material to be cut is effected via the feed cradle  15 , as shown in FIG.  17 . It is necessary to move the bearing element  33  away from the cutting plane  14  by this extent by operating the electric servomotor  34 . The small stacks  25  are then displaced into the shape of a right parallelepiped, as shown in the illustration of FIG. 18, by swivelling the guide plate  31  back, in the sense of the illustration of FIG. 14, into the position in which it is oriented perpendicularly to the table surface  10 , with the pneumatic cylinder  47  and the electric servomotor  34  being operated. In order to form the gap  61 , the front table part  9  is then moved away from the rear table part  5  and the guide plate  62  is swivelled towards the rear edge  64  of the front table part  9 . The row of small stacks  25  is fed to the further processing station by means of the ejector  67  and at the same time the intermediate cut is made, during which the resulting strips of waste material  70  are disposed of downwards through the gap. This results in the situation shown in FIG.  14 . The gap is subsequently closed again in the sense of the illustration of FIG.  15 . 
     The embodiment of the guillotine cutter machine  1  shown in FIG. 20 comprises a lateral contact placement device  71  fixed to the feed cradle  15  and a lateral contact placement device  72  fixed to the first guide plate  31  for placing the partial stack  30  against the fixed lateral contact placement device  28  of the rear table part  5 . The construction and mode of operation of the lateral contact placement device  71  on the feed cradle  15  are illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 21 and 22, and the construction and mode of operation of the lateral contact placement device  72  on the first guide plate  31  are illustrated in greater detail in FIG.  24 . FIG. 21 shows a contact placement guide plate  73  with a guide shaft  74  in a parked position. A contact placement device guide  75 , on which a receiver  76  can slide, is provided for size adjustment. The contact placement guide device receives a swivelling receiver  77  in which a swivelling cylinder  78  is mounted. The latter is employed for swivelling the contact placement guide plate  73  by 90° from its horizontal parked position shown in FIG. 21 into its vertical operating position which is shown in FIG.  22 . The contact placement guide plate  73  can be moved, by means of a displacement cylinder  79  mounted in the receiver  76 , into the operating region in front of the feed cradle  15  and back, so that the contact placement guide plate  73  is placed outside the region of action of the grid  16  of the feed cradle  15 . This is necessary when the feeder device is advanced to is maximum extent and the grid  16  of the feeder device  15  meshes and cooperates with the section of the press crosshead  11  which is of correspondingly grid-like construction and accordingly the contact placement device  71  has to be situated outside this region of action of the feed cradle  15  and the press crosshead  11 . The lateral contact placement device  72  of the first guide plate  31  comprises a guide shaft  80  for size adjustment, which is disposed parallel to the pivots  39  and is mounted in the actual guide plate body  51 . A housing  81 , which receives a contact placement cylinder  82 , is mounted on the guide shaft. A contact placement guide plate  83 , which is parallel to the actual guide plate body  51 , is mounted in the contact placement cylinder. The manner of adjusting the housing  1  on the guide shaft  80  is not illustrated in the Figure, but can be effected via any desired means, for example by means of an electric servometer or mechanically. The lateral contact placement devices  71  and  72  are controlled via the machine electronics. The contact placement device  72  is situated in that region of the guide plate  31  or of the mobile alignment station  22  which faces away from the further processing station  23 . The length of the guide plate  31  of the mobile alignment station  22  is of course designed so that the contact placement device  72  is situated outside the region which is taken up by the small partial stacks  25 . 
     FIGS. 23 to  25  illustrate the form of the device for centring the mobile alignment station  22  with respect to the front table part  9 . As can be seen in the illustration of FIG. 24, the mobile alignment station  22 , or specifically the plate-shaped base element  32  thereof, is provided for centring with two centring pins  85  which are disposed in the region of the end faces  84  of the base element  32  and which can be brought into active communication with centring receivers embedded in the front table part  9 . The centring pins  85  are disposed in a plane which is positioned parallel to the cutting plane  14  of the cutter  13 . As shown in the illustration of FIG. 23, centring receivers  86  are provided in pairs in the front table part  9  at different spacings, in this instance at three different spacings, from the cutting plane  14 , so that the plate-shaped base element  32  can be positioned at three different spacings from the cutting plane  14 . The positioning spacings are identical, namely the first positioning plane is at the same distance with respect to the associated centring receivers  86  from the second centring plane as is the third centring plane from the second centring plane. FIG. 25 illustrates the construction of the centring device which is associated with the respective centring pin  85 . A housing  87  is mounted in the plate-shaped base element  32 , and receives a pneumatic cylinder  88  by means of which the centring pin  85  can be moved vertically towards the table surface  10  of the front table part  9  with the mobile alignment station  22  resting thereon. The lower end of the centring pin  85  is of tapered construction and passes through the correspondingly tapered centring receiver  86  in a centring plate  90  which is embedded in the front table part  9  and is attached thereto by means of various fixing elements  91 . The centring plate can be adjusted towards the cutting plane  14  via adjustable bushes associated with the fixing elements  91 , so that absolute parallelism is ensured between the cutting plane  14  and the guide plate  31  when the latter is in its vertical position. When the centring pin  85  is inserted in the centring receiver  86 , contact is made with a limit switch  92  associated with the centring receiver  86 , by means of which the precise positioning of the mobile alignment station  22  on the front table part  9  can be monitored. In order to change the position of the alignment station  22 , it is merely necessary to raise the two centring pins  85  thereof into their disengaged position and to bring the base element  32  into a new position in which the centring pins  85  are aligned with the associated centring receivers  86 , and to lower the centring pins  85  into the centring receivers again. The actual positions of the first guide plate  31  which are necessary during the operation of the guillotine cutter machine can be set via these predetermined, defined positions of the plate-shaped base element  32  of the mobile alignment station  22  in relation to the front table part  9  and via the positions, which are also known, of the adjusting elements for the first guide plate  31 . The pneumatic cylinders  88  and the limit switches  92  are operated via the machine electronics. 
     FIG. 26 shows a modified design of the right-hand placement table  21 . This comprises two table planes  21   a  and  21   b  disposed in parallel one above the other, the table parts  21   c  and  21   d  which are associated with these two table planes being joined by means of a stay  21   f . A lifting rod  21   e , with which the placement table  21  as a whole can be raised and lowered, is attached to the underside of table part  21   d . In the lowered position which is shown by the unbroken lines in FIG. 26, the surface of the upper table part  21   c  forms a plane with the surface of the front table part  9 . In the raised position of table part  21   c , however, the surface  21   b  of the lower table part  21   d  forms a plane with the surface  10  of the front table part  10 . The surface  21   b  serves to receive the mobile alignment station  22  when the latter is not required.