Abstract: A stock feed apparatus for feeding strips of stock to or from a stock processing machine to maintain a loop in the stock. The feed means is arranged to feed stock to or from the loop at speed correlative with the amplitude of a control voltage applied to the motor control. The stock loop sensor produces a first digital signal when the loop exceeds a first limit and a second digital signal when the loop exceeds a second limit. A loop control circuit is operative in response to the first digital signal to apply a control voltage of a first preselected amplitude to the motor control to drive the feed apparatus at a first speed until the loop moves away from the first limit and responsive to the second digital signal to apply a control voltage of a second preselected amplitude to drive the feed apparatus at a second speed until the loop moves away from the second limit.

Abstract: A method of removing product of an unacceptable height from a product line is disclosed. In the method, a quantity of the product is arrayed in a carrier and moved to a gauging station where the array is placed between a reference plate and a corresponding array of gauging members and gauged by raising the reference plate to a predetermined height position and measuring the height of the gauging members when the gauging members are supported on the product array. The signals from the gauging station are stored and the carrier plate is moved to a rejection station where unacceptable product is selectively removed in response to the stored rejection signals from the gauging station. The carrier plate is then returned to the product line with only acceptable product still in place.