Abstract: An improved case setup station in/for a case erector is provided. The station includes a transfer assembly, an actuatable a case blank clamp, and a case blank expander. The transfer assembly secures a vertically oriented case blank from a supply of vertically oriented case blanks and delivers same to the case blank clamp while maintaining a vertical orientation for the case blank. The clamp is downstream from the supply of vertically oriented case blanks and extends in a process flow direction for holding a delivered case blank, the clamp is characterized by first upstream and second down stream vacuum cup pairs, a first surface of a delivered case blank engaged by the vacuum cup pairs. The expander is adjacent the clamp, and is actuatable so as to travel towards and away from a held case blank of the clamp.

Abstract: Some embodiments can be implemented as a system, method, or nozzle and can include some of these features. A fluid jet cutting system can include a frame, a cutting head, a high-pressure fluid source, an abrasive source, and an actuator. The cutting head can include a fluid inlet, an orifice, a mixing chamber, and a fluid jet nozzle. The fluid jet nozzle can include an elongated body which can include a body axis, a fluid inlet orifice that can be in fluid communication with a plurality of conduits, and a source of high speed fluid and abrasive, which can be the cutting head's mixing chamber. Each of the plurality of conduits can: be in fluid communication with the fluid inlet orifice; have its own conduit axis that forms an angle with the body axis; and be in fluid communication with its own fluid outlet orifice.