Abstract: A stack of strips of feed stock are placed on an adjustable height table. The strips are positioned on the table by arms which align the stack to the centerline of punching dies in a punch press. A pneumatic actuated head uses vacuum cups to raise the end of the top strip and insert it into in-feed rolls. The drive means for the in-feed rolls also drive an encoder which signals roll movement as the rolls incrementally feed the stock into the punch press. Drive means for the feed stock switches to the out-feed rolls once the blanked out stock reaches those rolls, and when the end of the strip passes through the punch press, a control unit is signaled and a new strip is fed into the system.

Abstract: The blanking tool has a pair of plates, one of which supports a punch and the other has a mating die cavity. The two plates are resiliently joined together to permit limited reciprocal movement. One of the two joined plates has provisions for mounting to a platen of a punch press.