Sheet separation device and sheet separation method

Abstract

Provide is a sheet separation device capable of reliably and quickly separating sheets one by one from sheets in a stacked state.　A sheet separation device 1 includes: a first suction unit 10A and a second suction unit 10B for suctioning and lifting an uppermost sheet from sheets in a stacked state stacked on a placing part, and turning up and separating the suctioned uppermost sheet from the sheets in the stacked state; a separation part A for separating the sheets in the stacked state; and a delivery part B for conveying and delivering a separated sheet to a post-processing device. The first suction unit 10A and the second suction unit 10B are distributed between the separation part side and the delivery part side, and are repeatedly moved between the separation part and the delivery part by a conveyance mechanism. The conveyance mechanism performs control such that when one of the first suction unit 10A and the second suction unit 10B has separated a sheet at the separation part and is moving to the delivery part, the other suction unit is moved toward the separation part A.

Description

Sheet separating device and sheet separating method

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet separating device and a sheet separating method for separating stacked sheets one by one.

[0002] Conventionally, a sheet separating device has been known that separates stacked sheets (e.g., sheets formed into a bag shape) one by one and transports the separated sheets to another device. Such a sheet separating device transports the separated sheets to a post-processing device (e.g., a labeling device) located downstream. However, if the sheets are made of thin plastic, they tend to be electrostatically charged. When separating the top sheet from the stack of sheets, the static electricity causes the bags to stick together, making it difficult to separate them.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet separating device that can reliably separate sheets one by one from a stack of sheets. The outline of the sheet separating process of the sheet separating device disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12 .

[0004] First, the suction device 201 sucks and lifts the front side of the top sheet 200 of the stack of sheets placed on the stacking section. Next, the suction device 201 conveys the lifted sheet 200 while rotating it approximately 180 degrees (FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c)). At this time, the sheet 200 that has been sucked and lifted is turned up and separated from the stack of sheets by the rotation of the suction device 201. In other words, if the suction device simply moves in the stacking direction (vertical direction), it is difficult to separate a single sheet because the first and second sheets are attracted to each other across their entire surfaces due to static electricity, etc. However, by rotating the suction device, linear resistance is created between the first and second sheets, making it easy to separate one sheet at a time.

[0005] The lifted sheet 200 is then conveyed to a downstream position in a state in which it is turned over approximately 180° by the rotating suction device 201, where it is delivered to a post-processing device (not shown) (FIG. 11(d)). Thereafter, the suction device 201 is driven in the opposite direction (FIGS. 12(a) to 12(c)) and returned to the initial position shown in FIG. 11(a) so as to separate the next sheet (FIG. 12(d)).

[0006] Patent No. 7106737

[0007] In the sheet separation method using the suction device described above, the suction device separates the sheet at the initial position, then rotates approximately 180 degrees, transports the sheet to the downstream delivery position, delivers it to the post-processing device, and then returns to the initial position. In this way, since the suction device is driven to reciprocate between the initial position and the delivery position, there is a limit to the high-speed sheet separation processing.

[0008] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a sheet separating device and a sheet separating method that can reliably separate sheets one by one from a stack of sheets and process them at high speed.

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the sheet separating device of the present invention comprises a loading section on which stacked sheets are placed, a first suction machine and a second suction machine that suck up and lift the top sheet of the stacked sheets stacked on the loading section and flip the sucked top sheet up and separate it from the stacked sheets, a separation section that separates the stacked sheets, and a delivery section that transports the separated sheets and hands them over to a post-processing device, wherein the first suction machine and the second suction machine are arranged separately on the separation section side and the delivery section side, and are repeatedly moved between the separation section and the delivery section by a conveying mechanism, and the conveying mechanism controls the first suction machine and the second suction machine to move toward the separation section when one of the first suction machine and the second suction machine separates a sheet in the separation section and moves to the delivery section.

[0010] In the sheet separating device described above, the top sheet of a stack of sheets placed on a sheet placement section is lifted while being sucked by a suction device, and is then turned up to separate the stack of sheets. Furthermore, sheet separation is performed continuously by the first suction device and the second suction device, and when one of the first suction device and the second suction device separates a sheet in the separation section and moves it to the transfer section, the other suction device moves toward the separation section. This shortens the sheet separation process compared to reciprocating a single suction device, enabling high-speed sheet separation processing.

[0011] In addition, the sheet separation method of the present invention includes a separation process in which, in a separation section, the top sheet of a stack of sheets is sucked up and lifted, and the sucked top sheet is turned up and separated from the stack of sheets; a transport process in which the turned-up and separated sheet is transported; and a delivery process in which the sheet transported in the transport process is delivered to a transfer section of a post-processing device, wherein the separation process continuously separates the sheets using a first suction machine and a second suction machine arranged along an endless track, and the transport process is characterized in that when one of the first suction machine and the second suction machine is transported to the transfer section, the other suction machine is transported toward the separation section.

[0012] According to this sheet separation method, the first suction device and the second suction device can continuously separate sheets and transfer the separated sheets to the post-processing device, making it possible to perform sheet separation processing at high speed.

[0013] According to the present invention, a sheet separating device and a sheet separating method are provided that can reliably separate sheets one by one from a stack of sheets at high speed.

[0014] 11 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a sheet separating device according to the present invention, as seen from the front side. FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a sheet separating device according to the present invention, as seen from the rear side. FIG. 13 is a side view of the sheet separating device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the sheet separating device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 15 is a front view of the sheet separating device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. (a) to (d) are diagrams sequentially showing the operation of a suction device (suction pad) in a sheet separating section. (a) to (c) are schematic views showing a sheet separating process and a conveying process. (a) to (c) are schematic views showing a sheet separation state by a suction pad. (a) to (d) are schematic views showing a sheet delivery state by a suction pad. (a) to (d) are schematic views showing a conventional sheet separating process. (a) to (d) are schematic views showing a next sheet separating process after the sheet separating process of FIG. 11 is completed.

[0015] An embodiment of a sheet separating device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 5 show an embodiment of a sheet separating device according to the present invention, with Figure 1 being a schematic perspective view seen from the front, Figure 2 being a schematic perspective view seen from the rear, Figure 3 being a side view, Figure 4 being a plan view, and Figure 5 being a front view. In the figures, the X direction is defined as the sheet conveying direction (front-rear direction), the Y direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction (width direction), and the Z direction is defined as the sheet stacking direction (up-down direction).

[0016] The sheet separating device 1 according to this embodiment includes a base (frame) 2 and a mounting section 3 provided on the base 2. The mounting section 3 is movable in the vertical direction (Z direction) by a pressing drive device 5 installed on the base 2. The mounting section 3 is configured to stack a large number of thin sheets (thin bags made of nylon or the like, film, paper, etc.) (the stacked sheets are indicated by S) and separate them one by one in order from the top. The topmost sheet S1 separated here (see FIGS. 7 to 10 ) is transported to a post-processing device (not shown) (e.g., a label device, a welding device, etc.).

[0017] The sheet separating device 1 includes a suction device 10A that sucks and lifts the stacked sheets S on the loading section 3, and a sheet separating mechanism 15 that is installed to face the edge (one end) of the stacked sheets S. The sheet separating mechanism 15 may have any of various known configurations, such as a circular flange 15A that tightly contacts and presses the top sheet S1 of the stacked sheets S on the loading section 3. That is, the top sheet S1 of the stacked sheets S is pressed against the arc region of the flange 15A. When the top sheet S1 rises while being sucked by the suction devices 10A and 10B, the sheet S1 is subjected to a separating action, thereby preventing the second and subsequent sheets from rising together. The sheet separating mechanism 15 may also be configured to separate the stacked sheets S by engaging both sides of the stacked sheets S.

[0018] The suction devices 10A are arranged at a predetermined interval along the Y direction on one end side of the stacked sheets S (six in this embodiment), and are supported by a support shaft 12 described later.

[0019] The sheet separating device 1 according to the present invention is provided with a pair of suction devices and support shafts having the above-described configuration. In the following description, the state shown in the figure is taken as the initial position, and the suction device located above the mounting section 3 is referred to as the first suction device 10A, and the suction device located below the mounting section 3 is referred to as the second suction device 10B.

[0020] In their initial positions, the first suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B are arranged so that they are allocated to a separation section A side where sheets are separated and a delivery section B side where sheets are delivered, and each suction device is moved repeatedly between the separation section and the delivery section by a conveying mechanism (movement in only one direction). Furthermore, the conveying mechanism that moves the first suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B is controlled so that when one of the first suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B separates a sheet in separation section A and moves to delivery section B, the other suction device moves toward separation section A. Furthermore, the support shafts 12 of the first suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B are driven to rotate about their central axes so as to separate the sheets.

[0021] A suction pad 10a is provided at the tip of each of the suction devices 10A and 10B to adhere closely to the surface of the uppermost sheet S1 and suck the sheet. In this embodiment, the position of the suction device 10A shown in the figure is a separation position (separation section A) where the stacked sheets are separated, and the part where the suction device 10A moves rearward and changes direction from the X direction to the Z direction is a delivery position (delivery section B) where the separated sheets are delivered to the post-processing device.

[0022] The suction pads 10a are configured to suck air from within the suction pads via a suction mechanism. Therefore, when the suction device 10A is in the separation position (initial position), the sheet placement unit 3 is driven upward, and the top sheet S1 comes into contact with the suction pads 10a and is subjected to suction. When the suction pads 10a are further rotated and moved rearward, the top sheet S1 is turned up relative to the stack of sheets and is subjected to separation.

[0023] In this embodiment, the first suction machine 10A and the second suction machine 10B are installed so as to be movable along an endless track 20. The endless track 20 is configured in a substantially elliptical ring shape and includes curved sections 20A that are curved at 180° on both ends of the loading section 3 in the conveying direction (both ends in the X direction) and a linear movement section 20B that moves linearly between both ends of the loading section 3. The surface of the endless track 20 is provided with an annular guide rail 21 and a belt 23 that is wound around pulleys 22 provided at the four corners of the annular guide rail 21, which constitute the conveying mechanism of the first suction machine 10A and the second suction machine 10B.

[0024] In this embodiment, in order to stabilize the sheet separation operation by the suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B and the conveying operation by each of the suction devices 10A and 10B, the endless tracks 20 are installed on both sides of the mounting unit 3. Furthermore, the first suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B are supported by a support shaft 12 that is installed horizontally between the endless tracks 20 installed on both sides.

[0025] Specifically, both ends of the support shaft 12 are held in conveying boxes 25 fixed to the belt 23, and rotating bodies 25a rotatably supported on each conveying box 25 engage with engagement grooves 21a formed on the surface of the guide rail 21, thereby transporting and moving the support shaft 12 along the endless track 20 (annular guide rail 21).

[0026] The transport box 25 also includes a rotation drive mechanism for rotating the support shaft 12 about its central axis. The rotation drive of the support shaft 12 about its central axis is controlled together with the drive control of the transport mechanism. That is, the suction devices 10A and 10B are controlled to rotate around the support shaft 12, and the suction action of the suction pad 10a and the movement control of the support shaft 12 separate the top sheet by turning it up.

[0027] Specifically, when the first suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B are positioned at the separation section A, the loading section 3 is driven upward to press the top sheet S1 against the suction pad 10a, and the suction pad sucks the sheet S1. Then, by moving the linear movement section 20B rearward while rotating the support shaft 12 in this state, the top sheet S1 is turned up and separated from the stack of sheets.

[0028] The air inside the suction pads 10a of the suction devices 10A and 10B is sucked through a suction mechanism 30. The suction mechanism 30 is installed on the base 2, and in this embodiment, is supported at the center of the endless track 20. The suction mechanism 30 includes a rotatably supported cylindrical housing 31. Suction nozzles 32 are provided on the surface of the housing 31 along the circumferential direction, the number of which corresponds to the number of suction devices (12 in this embodiment).

[0029] Each of the nozzles 32 is connected to the respective nozzles 10d of each of the suction devices 10A, 10B by a tube (not shown), and when the suction devices 10A, 10B move along the endless track 20, the housing 31 is rotated in synchronization with their movement. This prevents the tubes connecting the two nozzles from becoming tangled, ensuring reliable suction by each suction device. The ON / OFF of the suction operation of each suction device is controlled by a drive signal from a sensor installed at a predetermined position on the guide rail 21 along which the suction devices 10A, 10B are transported.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B are configured to be located on both sides (upper and lower sides) of the placement unit 3. That is, the first suction device 10A and the second suction device 10B are distributed to both sides in the conveying direction and are disposed in positions facing each other in the vertical direction (diagonal positions of the caterpillar track 20) ​​(FIGS. 2, 3, and 5).

[0031] The delivery section B is located downstream of the separation section A on the same plane, and when the first suction device 10A moves to the delivery section B, the second suction device 10B is driven toward the front end side of the mounting section 3 and is located below the separation section A. In other words, when the first suction device 10A moves from the front end side to the rear end side above the mounting section 3, the transport mechanism controls the second suction device 10B to move from the rear end side to the front end side below the mounting section 3.

[0032] The rotational drive of the belt 23 of the endless track 20, the suction operation of each of the suction machines 10A and 10B, the rotational drive of the support shaft 12 that supports each of the suction machines, and the drive of the pressing drive device 5 that moves the mounting unit 3 up and down are controlled by a control unit. This control unit is housed, for example, in a control box 50 installed on the base 2, and when detection signals from sensors installed at various locations are input to the control unit, the drive of each of the above-mentioned constituent materials is controlled.

[0033] As described above, the transfer section B of this embodiment is located downstream of the separation section A on the same plane, and is configured so that the sheets turned up in the separation section A can be delivered to the post-processing device as they are. As shown in the schematic diagram of Figure 7, the transfer section B has a support plate 60 that supports the leading end of the sheet S1 that is separated into a single sheet in the separation section A and conveyed in a turned-up state. This support plate 60 is formed with a plurality of corresponding recesses 61 so that the plurality of suction pads 10a that move together with the support shaft 12 can be positioned therein.

[0034] When the support shaft 12 stops at a predetermined position in the transfer section B, the suction of each suction pad 10a is released, and the sheet S1 becomes free. Then, the sheet S1 on the support plate 60 is transported further downstream by the transport rollers 65 and sent to the post-processing device. The support plate 60 and the transport rollers 65 may be components of the sheet separating device 1 or the post-processing device.

[0035] Next, the overall operation of the separation method for separating sheets one by one by the above-described sheet separating device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 10. As described above, the sheet separating device 1 of this embodiment includes a first suction device 10A and a second suction device 10B that move along the endless track 20. These suction devices 10A, 10B are allocated and arranged at opposite positions on the endless track 20, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and in the initial position, the first suction device 10A is located in the separation section A.

[0036] The following describes a process in which, when the first suction device 10A is in the initial position, it separates the top sheet S1 from the stack of sheets S, and then sequentially separates subsequent sheets. When the first suction device 10A separates one sheet in the separation section A, the second suction device 10B is in a standby state at a lower position behind the stacking section 3 (FIGS. 1 and 2). At this time, the suction pad 10a of the suction device 10A faces downward so as to face the sheet, as shown in FIG. 6(a).

[0037] In this state, the loading section 3 on which the sheets are stacked is moved upward by the pressing drive device 5, and the top sheet S1 is pressed against the suction pad 10a of the suction device 10A, and the suction pad is sucked to suck the top sheet S1.

[0038] Then, with the top sheet S1 being sucked, the support shaft 12 rotates approximately 180° as shown in Figures 6(b) and 6(c). In this case, even if the second sheet of the stacked sheets is in close contact with the first sheet, it is separated by the sheet separating mechanism 15.

[0039] Next, while the top sheet S1 is still being sucked, the mounting unit 3 is driven downward to separate the top sheet S1 sucked by the suction device 10A from the stack of sheets S. In this separation process, the mounting unit 3 is lowered and the support shaft 12 (suction device 10A) is rotated, so the top sheet S1 is pulled forward in the X direction and pulled upward. Therefore, the top sheet S1 being sucked moves forward while gradually separating from the stack of sheets S, and is turned up and separated from the stack of sheets ( FIG. 8( a) ).

[0040] In addition, in synchronization with the rotation process of the suction device 10A, the suction device 10A is moved rearward in the X direction so as to peel the top sheet S1, which has been turned up along the surface of the stacked sheets S, from the stacked sheets S (FIG. 8(b) ; movement process). This movement is performed by the conveying mechanism described above, which rotates the pulley 22 to drive the belt 23, via the conveying box 25 fixed to the belt 23. In this rotation process and movement process, the leading edge side of the top sheet S1 moves rearward while rising and inverting relative to the stacked sheets S. Furthermore, the second and subsequent sheets are held down by the sheet separation mechanism 15 and are therefore not lifted up.

[0041] In such a rotation process and movement process, it is preferable to drive and control the suction device 10A and the support shaft 12 so that the movement speed of the suction device 10A toward the rear side is greater than the rotation speed of the suction device 10A (the rotation speed of the support shaft 12). In other words, if the amount of sheet winding exceeds the amount of movement, the peeling action due to the movement cannot be obtained sufficiently, and there is a possibility that multiple sheets will be wound up. However, by making the amount of movement greater than the amount of rotation, it is possible to wind up the sheets while providing a sufficient peeling action, and it becomes possible to improve the sheet separation effect.

[0042] According to the above separation method, even if the surfaces of the top sheet S1 and the second sheet are in close contact with each other due to static electricity or the like, the resistance during peeling can be made linear, increasing the accuracy of separating one sheet at a time. Although the rotation angle of the suction device 10A is not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the suction pad 10a is driven to rotate approximately 180°, as shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(c). This allows the separated sheets to be fed in a flat state to the post-processing device installed downstream, thereby preventing the overall device from becoming larger.

[0043] The top sheet S1 separated as described above is transported rearward together with the suction device 10A to the transfer section B (FIG. 8B). As described above, this transport is achieved by rotating the pulley 22, which drives the belt 23 wound around the pulley, via the transport box 25 and support shaft 12 fixed to the belt 23. The transport box 25 engages with the engagement groove 21a of the guide rail 21 of the endless track 20, so the suction devices 10A and 10B move stably together with the support shaft 12.

[0044] In synchronization with the movement of the aspirator 10A to the delivery section B, the other aspirator 10B moves forward from the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 (Figure 8(b)). In this embodiment, when the aspirator 10A is located at the delivery section B, the other aspirator 10B is located below the front end of the mounting section 3 (waiting for separation at the separation section A).

[0045] Furthermore, when the suction device 10B moves forward, the support shaft 12 is rotated so that the suction pad 10a faces downward (rotationally driven from the state shown in Figure 6(d) to the state shown in Figure 6(a)) so as to achieve the same suction operation as that of the suction device 10A described above.

[0046] The suction device 10A located in the transfer section B delivers the separated sheet as is to the post-processing device. In the transfer section B, the driving and suction operation of the suction device 10A are stopped with the leading edge of the sheet S1 separated in the separation section A supported on the support plate 60 and with each of the plurality of suction pads 10a positioned in the plurality of recesses 61 of the support plate 60. At this time, the sheet S1 is free on the support plate 60 and is transported further downstream by the rotational drive of the transport rollers 65 and sent to the post-processing device.

[0047] In addition, in synchronization with the operation of feeding the sheet S1 into the post-processing device, the movement of the suction device 10A is controlled to the initial position shown in Figures 1 and 2. That is, the suction device 10B is positioned so as to perform the same separation operation in the separation section A. In this way, the suction devices 10A and 10B can continuously separate the sheets and transfer them to the post-processing device.

[0048] The above-described configuration makes it possible to reliably separate sheets one by one from a stack of sheets. Furthermore, unlike the conventional method of separating sheets by reciprocating a single vacuum cleaner back and forth, multiple vacuum cleaners are installed and rotate in the same direction to continuously separate sheets, thereby enabling high-speed processing.

[0049] Although the above describes an embodiment of the sheet separating device and the sheet separating method according to the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways. The present invention is characterized by an arrangement in which multiple suction devices are installed to separate sheets one by one and enable continuous processing, but other components are not particularly limited. For example, the X-directional movement amount of the suction devices 10A and 10B and the rotation radius of the suction pad 10a can be set as desired. In this case, shortening the X-directional movement amount enables even faster processing, and reducing the rotation radius of the suction pad 10a reduces the peeling area, increasing the reliability of single-sheet separation and enabling high-speed separation processing.

[0050] Regarding the separation of the sheets in the separation section, it is possible to apply a peeling action to the top sheet by simply moving the suction devices 10A and 10B in the X direction without rotating them, but it is preferable to rotate the suction devices (suction pads) to ensure peeling. Furthermore, the process of returning the suction device 10 to its initial position can be performed by rotating it at any timing after the delivery process at the delivery section B is completed.

[0051] Furthermore, the placement unit 3 may not be driven up and down, but each of the suction units 10A and 10B may be driven up and down, or both the placement unit 3 and each of the suction units 10A and 10B may be driven up and down. In other words, it is sufficient that the suction unit 10 and the placement unit 3 can be driven relatively in the stacking direction of the sheets. The number of suction units 10A and 10B installed can be changed as appropriate depending on the size, material, etc. of the sheets to be separated. The conveying mechanism that conveys the sheets (support shafts) and the configuration that rotates and drives the support shafts can also be modified as appropriate. The location of the delivery unit B can also be modified as appropriate depending on the system.

[0052] Furthermore, the sheet separating device according to the present invention can be applied as a device for separating various stacked sheets such as plastic film sheets, paper sheets, and metal film sheets.

[0053] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 sheet separating device 2 base 3 placement section 10A, 10B suction device 10a suction pad 12 support shaft 20 endless track 20A curved section 20A 20B linear movement section 20B 21 guide rail 21 22 pulley 23 belt 23 A separation section B delivery section

Claims

1. A sheet separating device comprising: a placing section on which stacked sheets are placed; a first suction machine and a second suction machine which suck up and lift up the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets stacked on the placing section and turn over the sucked uppermost sheet relative to the stacked sheets to separate it; a separation section which separates the stacked sheets; and a transfer section which transports the separated sheets and hands them over to a post-processing device, wherein the first suction machine and the second suction machine are arranged separately on the separation section side and the transfer section side, and are repeatedly moved between the separation section and the transfer section by a transport mechanism, and the transport mechanism controls the transport mechanism to move the other suction machine towards the separation section when one of the first suction machine and the second suction machine separates a sheet in the separation section and moves to the transfer section.

2. The sheet separating device as described in claim 1, characterized in that the first suction machine and the second suction machine are installed along an endless track having a curved portion that bends 180 degrees on both ends of the said loading plate, and a linear movement portion that moves in a straight line between both ends of the said loading plate.

3. The sheet separating device according to claim 2, characterized in that the endless tracks are installed on both sides of the loading plate, and the first suction machine and the second suction machine are supported by support shafts that are hung horizontally on the endless tracks on both sides.

4. The sheet separating device according to claim 3, wherein the support shaft is driven to rotate about a central axis and moves along the endless track.

5. The sheet separating device according to claim 4, characterized in that, when positioned in the separating section, the first suction device and the second suction device move along the linear movement section while rotating the support shaft in a state in which the uppermost sheet is sucked in.

6. The sheet separating device according to claim 2, wherein the first suction device and the second suction device are located on either side of the placement section.

7. The sheet separating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first suction device and the second suction device each have a plurality of suction pads that adhere closely to the surface of the sheet and apply suction, and the plurality of suction pads are arranged in a straight line at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet to be separated.

8. The sheet separating device according to claim 7, characterized in that the transfer section is provided with a support plate that supports the leading edge of the sheet separated into one sheet by the separation section, and the support plate is formed with a plurality of recesses that respectively correspond to the plurality of suction pads, and when the suction pad is positioned in the recess, the suction force of the suction pad is released and the leading edge of the sheet separated into one sheet is supported on the support plate.

9. The sheet separating apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a pressing drive device for pressing the mounting plate against suction pads of the first suction device and the second suction device.

10. The sheet separating device according to claim 5, wherein the suction device and the support shaft are driven and controlled so that the moving speed of the suction device is faster than the rotation speed of the suction device.

11. A sheet separation method comprising: a separation process in which, in a separation section, the top sheet of a stack of sheets is sucked up and lifted, and the sucked top sheet is turned up and separated from the stack of sheets; a transporting process in which the sheet that has been turned up and separated is transported; and a transfer process in which the sheet transported in the transporting process is delivered to a transfer section of a post-processing device, wherein the separation process continuously separates the sheets using a first suction machine and a second suction machine arranged along a track, and the transporting process transports one of the first suction machine and the second suction machine to the transfer section, while the other suction machine is transported toward the separation section.

12. The sheet separating method according to claim 11, wherein the separating step comprises conveying the uppermost sheet being sucked so as to be delivered to the post-processing device while turning it up relative to the stack of sheets.

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