In a sheet feeder for a sheet processing machine, such as a sheet-fed rotary printing press, and initial torque spike when the sheet feeder is first switched into the system is reduced with a switch-on torque limiter. The torque limiter is disposed in the drive train between the sheet processing machine and the sheet feeder, so that a torque surge which occurs when the sheet feeder is coupled in at an increased basic speed of the sheet processing machine can be absorbed.