Abstract: A machine for cutting round-ended sanitary towels from a continuous strip has first and second spaced rotary cutting means with first conveying means for advancing the cut portion from the first rotary cutting means more rapidly than the strip is advanced to the first rotary cutting means, and second conveying means for removing the cut portion from the off-cut which occurs as wastage between two adjacent convex rounded ends of two successive sanitary towels. To remove the off-cut from the second rotary cutting means without risk of losing it in the machine and causing a breakdown, the second rotary cutting means includes a rotary cutter and a rotary counter roll, with suction means incorporated in the counter roll for attracting the off-cut onto the counter roll, even after it has been cut from both the pre-cut arriving from the first rotary cutter and the finished towel entrained by the second conveying means.

Abstract: A machine for erecting flat box blanks and for closing one end of the erected box comprises a feed guide dimensioned to receive a stack of flat-folded blanks, and a forming slot at an end of the feed guide, the forming slot being dimensioned to receive an erected box but consequently too small to accept a flat-folded blank. A suction head carried by a drive jack is effective to pull a box blank from the feed guide into the forming slot, with simultaneous erection of the blank to form the rectangular box, and immediately after that two folding blades converge on the box to fold-in side flaps ready for folding down an end flap of the box. The folding of the end flap is accomplished by a closing fork operating in a direction perpendicular to the plane of action of the closing blades and effective to fold over both an end panel, and a terminal tab which tucks into the box to ensure closing.