Method of separating sheets

A method for in-plane separation of side-by-side parallel sheet articles that are transported along mutually-laterally-adjacent, in-plane paths, the method comprising: feeding unconnected sheet articles parallel to one another to mutually divergent belt arrangements that are driven at the same speed; conveying the sheet articles in a common plane divergently in relation to one another through the divergent belt arrangements and thereby irrotationally separating the sheet articles in the common plane and conveying the articles to a transporter; transporting the sheet articles and selectively stopping them by and in collectors of the transporter; collecting the selectively-stopped sheet articles in the collectors; and selectively releasing and thereby delivering stopped sheet articles for further handling.