Sheet Processing Machine

Abstract

A sheet processing machine (10) comprising a transport mechanism (26) for moving a sheet (12) along a handling direction of the sheet processing machine (10), and a waste discharge device (36) for discharging the sheet (12), wherein the transport mechanism (26) comprises at least one sheet handling element (28) for moving the sheet (12), the waste discharge device (36) comprises a passage (46) formed between an open surface (48) and a restraining surface (50), and the at least one sheet handling element (28) comprises a first sliding element (68) and a second sliding element (70) that contact the open surface (48) and the restraining surface (50), respectively, when passing through the waste discharge device (36).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet processing machine having a waste ejection device. [Background technology]

[0002] Sheet processing machines, also known as converting machines, are used in the packaging industry to process raw materials, such as cardboard, paper or foil, into intermediate or final products, usually in the form of sheets. Converting operations may include, for example, printing, cutting, creasing, blanking, foil stamping and / or fold-gluing. Typically, the individual operations are performed in successive processing stations of the sheet processing machine, and the sheets are transported from one processing station to the subsequent processing station by a transport mechanism.

[0003] For example, in a punching machine, so-called blanks can be obtained from sheets made from raw material. The blanking operation involves, for example, cutting off the cuts in the sheets by means of a blanking tool, the cuts being formed in a previous processing step, whereby the blanks are pushed downwards into a stacking area for recovering the blanks. The waste sheets therefore remain connected to the transport mechanism after the blanking operation and need to be removed in a subsequent waste discharge station (also called waste ejection station).

[0004] Modern sheet processing machines allow for high throughput of sheets, i.e., high processing speeds. In order to achieve such processing speeds, it is desirable to dynamically eject waste sheets from the transport mechanism, i.e., to eject waste sheets without having to stop the transport mechanism.

[0005] However, high processing speeds can lead to unnecessary rotation and / or misalignment of components of the transport mechanism at the waste ejection station, which can lead to damage and unexpected downtime of the sheet processing machine.

[0006] This effect is more pronounced the larger the sheets being processed, requiring larger sized sheet processing machine components.

[0007] German Patent No. 602004011618 discloses a sheet processing machine with a conveyor belt on which several gripper bars move together to transport the sheets through the sheet processing machine. In the blanking station of the sheet processing machine, the sheets can be released by tilting the gripper bars in the blanking station about a transverse axis, causing a downward movement of the grippers of the gripper bars and the sheet attached to said gripper, which is held back by a front stop of the comb and collected in the blanking station, while the grippers are allowed to pass through the comb. However, the presented system is only suitable if the sheets move, for example, in the blanking station along a straight horizontal path (as a tilting movement may lead to an undesired rotation of the gripper bars). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] German Patent No. 602004011618 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a robust and simple means for waste discharge in a sheet processing machine. Preferably, the solution provided is also suitable for processing large size sheets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The object of the invention is solved by a sheet processing machine having a transport mechanism for moving a sheet along a handling direction of the sheet processing machine and a waste ejection device for discharging the sheet. The transport mechanism comprises at least one sheet handling element for moving the sheet. The waste ejection device further comprises a passage formed between an opening surface and a restraining surface. The at least one sheet handling element comprises a first sliding element and a second sliding element which respectively contact the opening surface and the restraining surface when passing through the waste ejection device.

[0011] The at least one sheet handling element is configured to eject the sheet as it passes through the waste ejection device, in particular the interaction of the opening surface and the first sliding element is responsible for ejecting the sheet.

[0012] The invention is based on the idea of ​​providing a path for the sheet handling element which results in a well-defined trajectory of the sheet handling element when passing through a waste ejection device. In other words, rotation of the sheet handling element can be effectively constrained in the path of the waste ejection device. Thus, the orientation of the sheet handling element when passing through the waste ejection device remains within a well-defined range.

[0013] Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the at least one sheet handling element is configured such that its trajectory remains aligned along the path of the path defined between the release surface and the restraining surface, in other words, the at least one sheet handling element does not rotate or tilt within the path.

[0014] The sliding interaction between the first sliding element and the release surface and between the second sliding element and the restraining surface allows the sheet handling element to pass through the waste ejection device dynamically, i.e. without any interruption and / or stoppage of the transport mechanism, while minimizing wear on the associated components, thereby enabling high processing speeds of the sheet processing machine.

[0015] Preferably, at least one sheet handling element has a leading edge defining a length of the sheet handling element and a trailing edge opposite the leading edge along a width of the sheet handling element, the width being perpendicular to the length, and in addition, the first sliding element and the second sliding element are arranged on the same side of the sheet handling element with respect to a central axis in the width direction, the central axis being perpendicular to both the length and width directions.

[0016] In other words, in this variant of the sheet processing machine according to the invention, the first and second sliding elements are arranged in the same half of the sheet handling element relative to the central axis, which preferably correlates the forces acting on them respectively in the path such that rotation of the sheet handling element is effectively inhibited.

[0017] The term "leading edge" means the part of a sheet handling element which is located in front of the sheet handling element relative to the handling direction of a sheet being processed in a sheet processing machine.

[0018] For example, at least one stabilizing slide may be arranged on the leading edge to further prevent or at least minimize deformation of the at least one sheet handling element due to centrifugal forces acting on the at least one sheet handling element as it passes through the waste ejection device.

[0019] The stabilizing slide can interact with an alignment element of the waste ejection device, for example a cam that provides a sliding surface for interaction with the at least one stabilizing slide.

[0020] The sheet handling element in particular has a length along its length of 106 cm or more, for example a length in the length direction of 140 cm to 170 cm.

[0021] The length of the sheet handling element along the longitudinal direction corresponds in particular to the size of the sheets to be processed by the sheet processing machine, so that the sheet processing machine according to the invention allows to process large sized sheets, in particular because the sheet handling element can be stabilized by the interaction of the first and second sliding elements with the release and restraint surfaces, respectively.

[0022] The first and second sliding elements may be arranged at a trailing edge of at least one sheet handling element, such an arrangement being particularly preferred for the first and second sliding elements to further compensate for forces acting on a leading edge of the sheet handling element so as to prevent or at least minimise any rotation of the sheet handling element.

[0023] Preferably, the first sliding element and the second sliding element are at least partially arranged on opposite sides of the at least one sheet handling element.

[0024] In other words, the interaction between the first sliding element and the release surface and between the second sliding element and the restraining surface preferably takes place on opposite sides of the sheet handling element which stabilizes the positioning of the sheet handling element.

[0025] The side surfaces in particular connect the leading and trailing edges of the sheet handling element.

[0026] The constraining surface can apply a constraining force to the second sliding element that is at least as great as the opening force applied to the first sliding element by the opening surface to minimize rotation of the sheet handling element due to interaction of the first sliding element with the opening surface.

[0027] The direction of the binding force is in particular essentially opposite to the direction of the opening force.

[0028] Thus, the restraining and releasing forces are such that the at least one sheet handling element does not rotate or tilt within the path of the waste ejection device.

[0029] The passageway formed between the release surface and the restraining surface is curved.

[0030] For example, the passage can be arranged to coincide with the direction of movement of the sheet handling elements when passing through the waste ejection station. This means that the transport mechanism can go substantially half way around the loop in which the sheet is moved along the handling direction by the sheet handling elements and return substantially the other half of the loop along the opposite direction without the sheet to the starting position in order to grip the next sheet to be processed. The passage can be arranged at the turnaround point between the two halves of the loop in the waste ejection device.

[0031] Preferably, the first and / or second sliding element are rollers. By using rollers as the first and / or second sliding element, any force acting on the first and / or second sliding element can be converted into a circular motion of the roller, thereby eliminating or at least minimizing the risk of damage to the first and sliding elements when interacting with the release and binding surfaces, respectively.

[0032] The opening surface can be part of an opening cam and the restraining surface can be part of an anti-rotation cam of the waste ejection device. Cams are inexpensive and available in a variety of sizes and shapes to effect the desired path of the passage of the waste ejection device. Additionally, the cams can be designed to minimize the space required.

[0033] The at least one sheet handling element may comprise at least one gripping element displaceable between a sheet gripping state and a sheet releasing state for interaction with a sheet to be processed in the sheet processing machine, the at least one gripping element being arranged in particular at a trailing edge of the at least one sheet element.

[0034] Thus, the at least one sheet handling element may in particular be a gripping bar, preferably a gripping bar comprising a plurality of gripping elements.

[0035] The first sliding element can be adapted to control the state of the at least one gripping element. For example, the first sliding element and the at least one gripping element can be coupled by an opening mechanism, and an opening force generated on the first sliding element when passing through the waste ejection device is transferred from the first sliding element to the opening mechanism, so that the at least one gripping element is displaced from the sheet gripping state to the sheet releasing state. As soon as the opening force is no longer acting on the first sliding element, the at least one gripping element can be displaced back to the sheet gripping state by the opening mechanism.

[0036] The waste ejection device may further comprise a comb comprising a plurality of teeth, which is used to hold waste sheets fed to the waste ejection device by the transport mechanism while allowing the sheet handling elements to pass through. The teeth of the comb are therefore in particular arranged such that at least one gripping element of at least one sheet handling element can pass through the comb.

[0037] Preferably, the at least one sheet handling element comprises a first set and a second set of sliding elements, each set comprising a first sliding element and a second sliding element, the first set and the second set of sliding elements being respectively arranged at a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end being at opposite ends of the at least one sheet handling element along a length of the at least one sheet handling element.

[0038] In this variant, the sheet handling element can be stabilized against rotation at the two ends of the sheet handling element, resulting in a particularly stable orientation of the sheet handling element when passing through the waste ejection device.

[0039] Thus, the waste discharge device preferably comprises a first passageway for the first set of sliding elements and a second passageway for the second set of sliding elements, each of the first and second passageways corresponding to the passageways described above.

[0040] In order to enable high processing speeds of the sheet processing machine, the transport mechanism preferably comprises a plurality of sheet handling elements linked by chain linker elements, i.e. the plurality of sheet handling elements essentially form a chain of linked sheet handling elements, which creates tension in the individual sheet handling elements, which already makes it possible to minimize the magnitude of rotation of the individual sheet handling elements by limiting their movement.

[0041] In other words, the multiple sheet handling elements are aligned with the chain linker element, i.e., each of the multiple sheet handling elements moves along the same path as the chain linker element, including the path it follows when moving through the passageway of the waste ejection device.

[0042] The transport mechanism preferably moves the sheets from a loading station of the sheet processing machine to a waste discharge station of the sheet processing machine which is equipped with a waste discharge device.

[0043] Further advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention and the accompanying drawings which show non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0044] [Figure 1] 1 shows diagrammatically a sheet processing machine according to the invention; [Diagram 2] 2 shows a perspective view of a waste discharge device of the sheet processing machine of FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] 3 illustrates another perspective view of selected elements of the waste ejection device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 shows a detail of the waste discharge device of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 3 is a perspective view of further components of the waste ejection device of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 3 illustrates a schematic of a mode of operation of the waste discharge device of FIG. 2; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] 1 shows diagrammatically a sheet processing machine 10 making it possible to cut blanks from a series of sheets 12. Usually these blanks are intended to be subsequently folded and glued to form packaging boxes. However, the sheets 12 can generally be made, for example, of paper, cardboard, foil, composites thereof or any other material routinely used in the packaging industry.

[0046] The sheet processing machine 10 comprises a series of processing stations juxtaposed but interdependent to form an integral assembly, including a loading station 14, then a cutting station 16 (also commonly referred to as a punching station) with, for example, a die or platen press 18, where the sheet 12 is transformed by cutting, a waste removal station 20 where the majority of the waste portion is peeled off, a blank separation station 22 (also commonly referred to as a receiving station) for separating blanks (or for a blanking operation) by a blanking tool 23, and a waste discharge station 24 for removing the residual waste sheets of the punched sheet 12.

[0047] The number and nature of the processing stations may vary depending on the nature and complexity of the converting operation being performed on sheet 12 .

[0048] The sheet processing machine 10 also has a transport mechanism 26 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is a conveyor for enabling each sheet 12 to be moved individually from the exit of the loading station 14 to the waste discharge station 24.

[0049] The conveyor employs a series of sheet handling elements 28 that are movably mounted by two loops of chain 30 disposed laterally on each side of the sheet processing machine 10. Each loop of chain 30 travels around the loop allowing the sheet handling elements 28 to follow a trajectory that passes successively through the cutting station 16, the waste removal station 20, the blank separation station 22 and the discharge station 24.

[0050] Each sheet handling element 28 travels on a forward path in the substantially horizontal plane of the path between the driven wheels 32 and the idler wheels 34 for substantially the first half of its path, and then travels on a return path in the upper portion of the sheet processing machine 10 for substantially the second half of its path. As each sheet handling element 28 returns to the driven wheels 32, it can then grip a new sheet 12 by its leading edge.

[0051] In the embodiment shown, the sheet handling element 28 is a so-called gripper bar.

[0052] In FIG. 1, each processing station is illustrated in the form of two rectangles symbolizing an upper and lower portion, respectively, positioned on either side of the plane of movement of sheet 12.

[0053] In FIG. 1, the transverse (or lateral), longitudinal and vertical directions are shown in an orthogonal spatial system (T, L, V).

[0054] The terms "upstream" and "downstream" are defined relative to the direction of movement of sheet 12 in the handling direction, as indicated by arrow D in FIG.

[0055] The waste discharge station 24 further comprises a waste discharge device 36 for discharging the sheets 12 that have been transferred from the loading station 14 to the waste discharge station 24, i.e., for removing the waste sheets.

[0056] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the waste discharge device 36.

[0057] The waste ejection device 36 includes an opening cam 38 and an anti-rotation cam 40 .

[0058] The release cam 38 is fixed to a frame 42 while the anti-rotation cam 40 is fixed to a tie bar 44 of the idler wheel 34 .

[0059] The opening cam 38 and the anti-rotation cam 40 define a passageway 46 formed between a release surface 48 of the opening cam 38 and a restraining surface 50 of the anti-rotation cam 40 .

[0060] As can be readily seen in FIG. 2, the passage 46 is curved with a curvature coordinated to the curvature of the idler wheel 34 .

[0061] Thus, the passage 46 essentially forms a turning point in the loop of the chain 30 of the transport mechanism 26 (see FIG. 1).

[0062] FIG. 2 shows one of the sheet handling elements 28 passing through a waste ejection device 36 .

[0063] The sheet handling element 28 is a gripper bar having a leading edge 52 that defines the length of the sheet handling element 28 .

[0064] The length direction extends along the transverse direction T and defines the amount of sheet 12 along the transverse direction T that can be handled by the sheet processing machine 10 .

[0065] At the leading edge, two stabilizing slides 54 are arranged, which are used to prevent or at least minimize deformation of the sheet handling element 28 when passing through the waste discharge device 36, for example due to centrifugal forces acting on the sheet handling element 28.

[0066] The stabilizing slide 54 interacts with an alignment element 56 of the waste ejection device 36, which is a cam that provides a sliding surface 58 for the stabilizing slide 54 (see FIG. 5).

[0067] Opposite the leading edge 52 , the sheet handling element 28 is provided with a plurality of gripping elements 60 at a trailing edge 62 of the sheet handling element 28 .

[0068] The gripping elements 60 are displaceable between a sheet gripping state and a sheet releasing state, each of the gripping elements 60 comprising two arms 63 which are pressed against one another in the gripping state (see FIG. 3). In the sheet releasing state, the arms 63 of the gripping elements 62 are moved away from one another to allow the sheet 12 to be placed between the arms 63. Upon displacement back to the gripping state, the sheet 12 is suitably pressed and fixed between the arms 63.

[0069] The sheet handling element 28 has a first end 64 and a second end 66 at opposite ends of the sheet handling element 28 along its length (see Figure 5).

[0070] The waste ejection device 36 includes an opening cam 38 and an anti-rotation cam 40 at both the first end 64 and the second end 66 of the sheet handling element 28, as shown in Figure 2. Thus, each path 46 shown in Figure 2 can also be distinguished as a first path and a second path, respectively.

[0071] 3 and 4, the sheet handling element 28 further comprises a first sliding element 68 and a second sliding element 70. Both the first sliding element 68 and the second sliding element 70 are rollers.

[0072] The first sliding element 68 and the second sliding element 70 are positioned such that when the sheet handling element 28 passes through the waste ejection device 36, the first sliding element 68 interacts with the release surface 48 and the second sliding element 70 interacts with the restraining surface 50.

[0073] Furthermore, as will become apparent particularly from FIG. 4, the first sliding element 68 and the second sliding element 70 are disposed at the trailing edge 62 of the sheet handling element 28 .

[0074] Furthermore, both the first sliding element 68 and the second sliding element 70 are disposed on the same side of the sheet handling element 28 relative to the central axis AA (see FIG. 6).

[0075] The central axis AA is perpendicular to both the length and width of the sheet handling element 28, the width being perpendicular to the length.

[0076] The sheet handling element 28 comprises another first sliding element 68 at the second end 66 and another second sliding element 70. Thus, the sheet handling element 28 comprises a first set of sliding elements at the first end 64 and a second set of sliding elements at the second end 66.

[0077] The waste ejection device further comprises a comb 72 having a plurality of teeth (not shown) (see FIG. 5).

[0078] The mode of operation of the waste discharge device 36 is described in more detail below.

[0079] During operation of the sheet processing machine 10, the gripping elements 60 of the sheet handling elements 28 are used to grip the leading edge of the sheet 12 at the exit of the loading station 14, ie the gripping elements 60 are in a gripping state (see FIG. 1).

[0080] The sheet 12 is then moved by movement of the sheet handling element 28 along a handling direction D through the processing station, resulting in the waste sheet being grasped by the gripping element 60 when the sheet handling element 28 reaches a waste discharge station 24 having a waste discharge device 36.

[0081] As described above, the chain 30 of the transport mechanism 26 defines a forward and a return path. The transition between the forward and return paths is defined by passing through a turn point defined by the path 46 and the idler wheel 34 at the waste discharge device 36.

[0082] Thus, the first and second ends 64, 66 of the sheet handling element 28 are drawn into the respective passages 46 of the waste ejection device 36 by the movement of the chains 30.

[0083] As a result, the first sliding element 68 comes into contact with the opening surface 48 , thereby exerting an opening force F 1 on the first sliding element 68 .

[0084] The opening force F1 by the first sliding element 68 is transmitted by an opening mechanism (not shown) to the gripping element 60. For example, the opening force F1 is transmitted by a spring mechanism to the arms 63 of the gripping element 60, so that the arms 63 move away from each other, i.e., the gripping element 60 is displaced to its sheet-releasing state.

[0085] Thus, a waste sheet traveling with the sheet handling element 28 is released from the gripping elements 60 but impacts the comb 72. The waste sheet is thus retained while the sheet handling element 28 is able to pass through the waste ejection device 36. The retained waste sheet can be collected and discarded at the waste evacuation station 24.

[0086] However, the opening force F1 acting on the first sliding element 68 and used to displace the gripping element 60 may cause undesired rotation of the sheet handling element 28.

[0087] This action is illustrated in Figure 6, which is a schematic representation of the waste ejection device 36. In Figure 6, the opening cam 38, anti-rotation cam 40 and sheet handling element 28 are shown in a flat state for simplicity.

[0088] The double arrow P shown in FIG. 6 indicates the rotational movement of the sheet handling element 28 which is blocked by the waste ejection device 36 .

[0089] Furthermore, the opening force F1 acting on the first sliding element 68 is also indicated by an arrow.

[0090] According to the present invention, the second sliding element 70 contacts the binding surface 50 of the anti-rotation cam 40 resulting in a binding force F2 acting on the second sliding element 70, indicated by the arrows in FIG.

[0091] Preferably, the restraining force F2 is at least as great as the opening force F1 and therefore, ideally, rotational movement of the sheet handling element 28 is eliminated or at least minimised.

[0092] Furthermore, the first sliding element 68 and the second sliding element 70 are disposed on the same side of the sheet handling element 28 relative to the central axis AA.

[0093] This arrangement is particularly advantageous for minimizing the distance d shown in Figure 6. As long as the distance d is smaller than the distance between the first sliding element 68 and the position of the central axis AA along the width direction of the sheet handling element 28, the restraining force F2 can effectively reduce the rotational movement of the sheet handling element 28.

[0094] Furthermore, the roller 54 rolling on the element 56 generates a force F3 to further reduce the rotational movement of the sheet handling element 28 by compensating for the torque caused by the forces F1, F2 and the distance d, which is small but not zero in this embodiment. This compensation is effective when the processor runs at high speeds, i.e. when the forces F1, F2 are strong and cause a critical torque. The chain drive is able to compensate for the torque at low speeds.

[0095] Additionally, in Figure 6, a chain linker element 74 is shown in dashed lines. The chain linker element 74 connects the illustrated sheet handling element 28 with other sheet handling elements 28 of the transport mechanism 26 (see Figure 1), thereby providing a reference level of tension that limits the amount of rotational movement of the sheet handling element 28.

[0096] The sheet processing machine 10 according to the present invention prevents undesired rotation of the sheet handling element 28 as it passes through the waste ejection device 36. This allows the sheet processing machine 10 to dynamically eject waste sheets, even for relatively large sheets 12, i.e. without any stop of the transport mechanism 26. Furthermore, the waste ejection device 36 does not require any moving parts to remove the waste sheets.

Claims

1. A sheet processing machine (10) comprising a transport mechanism (26) for moving a sheet (12) along a handling direction of the sheet processing machine (10) and a waste discharge device (36) for discharging the sheet (12), The transport mechanism (26) includes at least one sheet handling element (28) for moving the sheet (12); The waste discharge device (36) includes a passageway (46) formed between an open surface (48) and a restraining surface (50); the at least one sheet handling element (28) comprises a first sliding element (68) and a second sliding element (70) that contact the release surface (48) and the restraining surface (50), respectively, as the sheet passes through the waste ejection device (36); the second sliding element is configured to prevent rotation of the sheet handling element by a restraining force acting on the second sliding element (70) upon contact with the restraining surface (50); A sheet processing machine characterized by:

2. the at least one sheet handling element (26) is configured to remain aligned on a trajectory along a path of the passageway (46) formed between the release surface (48) and the restraining surface (50); 2. The sheet processing machine according to claim 1.

3. the at least one sheet handling element (28) has a leading edge (52) defining a length direction of the sheet handling element (28) and a trailing edge (62) opposite the leading edge (52) along a width direction of the sheet handling element (28), the width direction being perpendicular to the length direction; the first sliding element (68) and the second sliding element (70) are disposed on the same side of the sheet handling element (28) with respect to the widthwise central axis, the central axis being perpendicular to both the length direction and the width direction; 3. The sheet processing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the first sliding element (68) and the second sliding element (70) are disposed at the trailing edge (62) of the at least one sheet handling element (28); 4. The sheet processing machine according to claim 3.

5. the first sliding element (68) and the second sliding element (70) are at least partially disposed on opposite sides of at least one sheet handling element (28); 5. A sheet processing machine according to claim 1.

6. The restraining surface (50) has a restraining force F 2 is applied to the second sliding element (70), and a restraining force F 2 is the opening force F exerted by the opening surface (48) on the first sliding element (68); 1 at least as large as 6. A sheet processing machine according to claim 1.

7. The passageway (46) formed between the open surface (48) and the restraining surface (50) is curved.

7. A sheet processing machine according to claim 1.

8. the transport mechanism (26) is configured to move in a loop, the at least one sheet handling element (28) moving along one half of the loop along a handling direction and along the other half of the loop along a reverse direction, and the path (46) is disposed at a turnaround point between the two halves of the loop.

8. A sheet processing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The curvature of the passage (46) is adjusted to the curvature of the idler wheel (34) of the conveying mechanism (26) located at the turning point.

9. The sheet processing machine according to claim 8.

10. the first sliding element (68) and / or the second sliding element (70) are rollers; 10. A sheet processing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. the at least one sheet handling element (28) comprises at least one gripping element (60) displaceable between a sheet gripping state and a sheet releasing state, a leading edge (52) defining a length of the sheet handling element (28) and a trailing edge (62) opposite the leading edge (52) along a width of the sheet handling element (28), the at least one gripping element (60) being in particular arranged at the trailing edge (62) of the at least one sheet handling element (28), A sheet processing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The waste discharge device (36) further comprises a comb (72) including a plurality of teeth. A sheet processing machine according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. the at least one sheet handling element comprises a first set and a second set of sliding elements, each set comprising a first sliding element (68) and a second sliding element (70), the first and second sets of sliding elements being arranged at a first end (64) and a second end (66), respectively, the first end (64) and the second end (66) being at opposite ends of the at least one sheet handling element (28) along the length of the at least one sheet handling element (28); A sheet processing machine according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. the waste discharge device (36) comprises a first passageway (46) for the first set of sliding elements and a second passageway (46) for the second set of sliding elements; 14. The sheet processing machine of claim 13.

15. The transport mechanism (26) comprises a plurality of sheet handling elements (28) connected by chain linker elements (74); A sheet processing machine according to any one of the preceding claims.

16. the transport mechanism (26) moves the sheet (12) from a loading station (14) of the sheet processing machine (10) to a waste discharge station (24) comprising the waste discharge device (36); A sheet processing machine according to any one of the preceding claims.

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