Apparatus for processing layers such as stack layers of paper

The invention relates to an apparatus or method for processing, more particularly for collating, sheet or flat material into packs, such as cubic piles or stacks. The layers then form in the stack flat faces throughout on all sides and adjoin each other in an inclined direction or vertically. Provided in the pile may be differingly sized layers of material. A larger or first layer is a support layer, such as a pallet, and smaller or second layers are individual sheets of paper or the like. The latter are collated in common with a wrapping or the like to form a substack, such as a ream of paper. All edge faces of each stack layer are set back relative to all corresponding edge faces parallel thereto of the support layer in the pile. So they are protected from impact during shipping by the protruding support layer-termed pallet in the following. On a lifter table () a pallet () is first deposited in a lower position and then following lifting of this table () the pallet () is precisely aligned by suitable apparatus (). Thereafter reams of paper are deposited on the pallet () by a conveyor () and the topmost reams in each case precisely aligned relative to the pallet () by the same apparatus () in each case such that their edge faces are located set back relative to those of the pallet (). Thereby precisely congruent stacks are achieved in fast operation.