Hopper feed for carton blanks

Claim 1

A HOPPER FOR CARTON BLANKS TO BE FED TO A FORMING MACHINE, THE HOPPER HAVING A FIRST PAIR OF RODS UPON WHICH A STACK OF CARTON BLANKS IS SUPPORTED WITH THE CARTONS RESTING ON THE RODS AT THEIR LOWER EDGES, A SECOND PAIR OF RODS EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO AND ABOVE AND OUTWARDLY OF SAID FIRST RODS IN POSITIONS SUCH THAT THEY MAY BE ENGAGED BY THE SIDE EDGES OF THE BLANKS, SAID RODS BEING JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION ABOUT THEIR AXES, MEANS ROTATING EACH OF SAID RODS, AND A FOLLOWER CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID PAIRS OF RODS, SAID ONE PAIR OF RODS BEING ROTATED CONTINUOUSLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, AND MEANS FORMING A FRICTION DRIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FOLLOWER AND ITS SUPPORTING RODS FOR MOVING THE FOLLOWER THEREALONG AT A RATE PROPORTIONAL TO THE ROTATIONAL SPEED OF THE RODS WHEN THE FOLLOWER IS NOT OTHERWISE RESTRAINED, SAID FRICTION DRIVE PERMITTING THE FOLLOWER TO BE PULLED BACK FROM THE STACK OF BLANKS AND ITS RATE OF MOVEMENT BEING SUFFICIENTLY SLOW TO PERMIT THE FOLLOWER TO BE RELEASED AND A SUPPLY OF BLANKS ADDED TO THE STACK BEFORE THE FOLLOWER RETURNS TO THE STACK OF BLANKS.