Patent ID: 7306706

Claim:
An apparatus for stripping electro-deposited metal sheets from a cathode blank, the blank having opposite faces, and upstream and downstream ends, at least one metal sheet being provided on at least one blank face and having upstream and downstream edges, said apparatus comprising: a stripping assembly for stripping the metal sheet from the cathode blank; a discharge assembly positioned downstream of said stripping assembly, said discharge assembly including opposite guide rollers adapted to engage the metal sheet exiting said stripping assembly; and a metal sheet out-feed assembly positioned downstream of said discharge assembly for receiving the metal sheet, the metal sheet out-feed assembly having a receiving end spaced apart from the guide rollers by a distance of less than a height of the stripped metal sheet; wherein, when the metal sheet has been stripped from the cathode blank, said guide rollers controllably feed the metal sheet towards said out-feed assembly while providing for the stripped metal sheet to rotate within its height.