Timing and drive means for stitching apparatus

Claim 1

IN A WIRE-STITCHING MACHINE HAVING A STITCHER HEAD FOR APPLYING STITCHES TO A CARTON BLANK AND MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID BLANK STEPWISE TO AND PAST SAID STITCHER HEAD DURING THE STITCHING OPERATION, MEANS FOR LOCATING THE FIRST STICH IN A SEAM, COMPRISING A TARGET PLATE, MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID TARGET PLATE TO BE ENGAGED BY THE LEADING EDGE OF A BLANK AT THE START OF THE STITCHING OPERATION, MEANS NORMALLY BIASING SAID TARGET PLATE INTO THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF A CARTON BLANK MOVING THROUGH SAID MACHINE, MEANS NORMALLY HOLDING SAID TARGET PLATE IN OPERATIVE BLANK-ENGAGING POSITION, SUPPORT MEANS FOR SAID TARGET MOUNTING MEANS ADAPTING SAID TARGET PLATE FOR MOVEMENT WITH SAID ENGAGED CARTON BLANK, SWITCH MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SWITCH MEANS TO BE CONTACTED AS SAID TARGET IS MOVED BY SAID ENGAGED CARTON, AND AN ELECTRICAL OPERATING CIRCUIT INCLUDING SELECTIVELY OPERATIVE MEANS FOR SAID STITCHER HEAD AND FEED MEANS AND RELAY MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID TARGET HOLDING MEANS WHEREBY CONTINUED MOVEMENT OF THE CARTON BLANK DURING THE STITCHING OPERATION ROTATES SAID TARGET OUT OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL THEREOF UNTIL SAID BLANK HAS TRAVELED THEREPAST AT THE END OF THE STITCHING OPERATION.