Patent ID: 8857609

Claim:
A separating unit for separating a movable substrate into a plurality of separate sub-substrates during movement through the unit, the unit comprising: an upstream guide device located upstream in a path of the substrate and the sub-substrates through the unit, a downstream guide device downstream in the path of the substrate and the sub-substrates, the guide devices extending transversely across the movement direction of the substrate and sub-substrates through the unit; a plurality of substrate and sub-substrate conveyor ramps extending between the upstream and downstream guide devices, each ramp being mounted to slide along and pivot on the upstream and downstream guide devices, the conveyor ramps being configured and operable to convey the substrate and separated sub-substrates from upstream to downstream through the unit; a ramp moving and positioning device selectively connectable to each of the ramps and when the ramp moving device is connected to one of the ramps, the ramp moving device is configured and operable to move the one ramp transversely selectively along at least one of the upstream and downstream guide devices for positioning the one ramp transversely of the path of the substrate and the sub-substrates, wherein the moving and positioning device comprises a movable element which moves transversely of the path of the substrate and the sub-substrates; a respective upstream and downstream locking device configured and operable to maintain each of the ramps in a respective locked position relative to the upstream and downstream guide devices; the ramp moving and positioning device further including an unlocking device configured to cooperate with the upstream and downstream locking devices for releasing the ramps for moving transversely of the path of the substrate and sub-substrates; and upstream and downstream grasping devices configured and operable to grasp each of the ramps for driving that ramp along at least one of the upstream and downstream guide devices to a selected orientation of the ramp with respect to the path of the substrate and sub-substrates.