Patent ID: 7520506

Claim:
A layer press for compressing sheet-like articles located essentially horizontally one above the other in a stack, comprising an accommodating chamber ( 18 ) for accommodating a stack of the sheet-like articles, the accommodating chamber being bounded at the bottom by a base ( 20 ) on which the sheet-like articles are located, at least one pressing arrangement ( 34 ) which includes a contact pressure element ( 32 ) which can be pivoted about a rotary spindle ( 44 ) arranged outside the accommodating chamber ( 18 ), and a drive ( 56 ) configured to move the contact pressure element ( 32 ) from a rest position (RS) outside the accommodating chamber ( 18 ) into a standby position (BS) within the accommodating chamber ( 18 ), wherein the contact pressure element ( 32 ) can be moved into a pressing position (PS) by a reduction in the spacing between the base ( 20 ) and the rotary spindle ( 44 ) with the contact pressure element ( 32 ) resting on the uppermost sheet-like article ( 16 ), and wherein the contact pressure element ( 32 ) is arranged on a contact pressure lever ( 42 ), and the contact pressure lever ( 42 ) can be moved with pivoting action about the rotary spindle ( 44 ), which is arranged between the height of the base ( 20 ) and the height of the standby position (BS), such that, during movement from the standby position (PS), the contact pressure element ( 32 ) is subjected to a movement component in the direction of a periphery of the accommodating chamber ( 18 ) and, in the process, sweeps over the uppermost sheet-like article with a smoothing action.