Patent ID: 7322575

Claim:
An apparatus for aligning at least the leading edges of a plurality of sheets arranged one above the other in a group, while maintaining the sequence of the sheets, having: a supporting table with a leading-edge stop for aligning the leading edges of the sheets; a carrying plate arranged upstream of the supporting table, on which carrying plate the sheets are set down in a group with non-aligned leading edges; a sheet feeder, by means of which the sheets are removed from the carrying plate to form an imbricated stream with underlap imbrication; a turning arrangement arranged downstream of the sheet feeder, by means of which turning arrangement the imbricated stream is turned such that each sheet is freely accessible in the region of its leading edge; and a conveying arrangement arranged downstream of the turning arrangement, by means of which conveying arrangement the sheets are conveyed to the leading-edge stop of the supporting table, a new group of sheets with aligned leading edges, the apparatus further comprising a side pull-type lay arranged between the sheet feeder and turning arrangement, against which side pull-type lay a side edge of each sheet in the imbricated stream is aligned laterally, wherein the conveying arrangement is designed in the manner of a suction-body unit which is arranged above the supporting table such that sheets are conveyed between the suction-body unit and the group of sheets formed on the supporting table, said suction-body unit being mounted in a vertically displaceable manner and comprising suction rollers which are driven in rotation, said suction rollers cooperating with the sheets of the imbricated stream by suction in the region of the freely accessible leading edges of the sheets in order to convey each sheet against the leading-edge stop.