Abstract: A mechanism for feeding blanks of corrugated cardboard and the like into a printing and container forming machine. The feeding mechanism includes a perforated suction head for moving individual sheets from a stack of sheets into the machine. The suction head includes a perforated plate and plenum chamber mounted on a tubular member which is telescopingly received over an open ended tubular support member, mounted on a hollow reciprocating shuttle. A valve is disposed at the shuttle end of the tubular support for connecting the shuttle to an evacuator and is actuable by a cam contoured such that the valve is actuated each time the suction head cycles. The blanks are supported with their forward ends at the shuttle and at their opposite ends by a universally adjustable support which compensates for warped blanks. A dump valve for venting the shuttle to atmosphere is operable in timed relation to the vacuum valve by means of a linear cam located adjacent the shuttle.

Abstract: A mechanism for feeding blanks or corrugated cardboard and the like into a printing and container forming machine. The feeding mechanism includes a perforated suction head for moving individual sheets from a stack of sheets into the machine. The suction head is mounted on a hollow reciprocating shuttle. A valve connects the shuttle to an evacuator and is actuable by a cam contoured such that the valve may be actuated each time the suction head cycles, during alternate suction head cycles or may remain inactive by varying the angular orientation of the cam and the cam follower coupled to the valve. In an alternate embodiment these variations of vacuum application to suction head cycling are provided by a valve having rotating members wherein the relative speed of the members may be adjusted to provide the control functions.