Patent ID: 7677560

Claim:
Apparatus for deflecting flat, rectangular sheet material from a first sheet material transport path having a first transport direction to a second sheet material transport path having a second transport direction differing from the first transport direction, comprising a support plate defining a sheet material transport path for the sheet material to be deflected, having a deflecting area comprising a sheet material supply zone facing the first transport path and a sheet material removal zone facing the second transport path, wherein the sheet material supply zone and the sheet material removal zone are co-planar, and at least one slider arranged to engage a trailing edge of the sheet material supplied to the sheet material supply zone, wherein the at least one slider is arranged such that upon movement of the at least one slider, the sheet material engaged by the slider in the sheet material supply zone is pushed along the transport path from the sheet material supply zone to the sheet material removal zone, while the orientation of the sheet material relative to the pushing direction is maintained; the apparatus further including a cover plate, and a gap being defined between the cover plate and the support plate, the sheet material transport path being disposed in the gap.