Carton forming machines

Claim 1

CARTON BLANK HANDLING APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH CARTON ERECTING MACHINERY, COMPRISING: (A) A MAGAZINE COMPRISING SUPPORT MEANS TO SUPPORT A PACK OF CARTON BLANKS WITH THE BLANKS STANDING ON EDGE, A MAIN PRESSURE PLATE TO ENGAGE BEHIND THE PACK OF BLANKS, MEANS TO DRIVE THE PRESSURE PLATE TO ADVANCE THE PACK OF BLANKS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION ALONG THE SUPPORT MEANS AS BLANKS ARE EXTRACTED FROM THE FRONT OF THE PACK AT A TAKE-OFF POSITION, ABUTMENT MEANS AGAINST WHICH THE FRONT BLANK OF THE PACK IS URGED BY THE PRESSURE PLATE AND PAST WHICH THE FRONT BLANK IS EXTRACTED BY A FLEXING ACTION ON THE BLANK, A SUBSIDIARY PRESSURE PLATE WHICH IS INSERTABLE IN FRONT OF THE MAIN PRESSURE PLATE AND THE PACK OF BLANKS IN THE MAGAZINE; (B) MEANS TO EXTRACT THE FRONT BLANK FROM THE MAGAZINE IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF THE BLANK; (C) MEANS CONTROLLING THE PRESSURE PLATE DRIVE AUTOMATICALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RATE OF EXTRACTION OF BLANKS FROM THE MAGAZINE; (D) DISCONNECTIBLE COUPLING MEANS CONNECTING THE MAIN PRESSURE PLATE WITH THE DRIVE MEANS, UPON DISCONNECTION OF WHICH THE PRESSURE PLATE IS FREED FOR MOVEMENT BACK AWAY FROM A PARTIALLY USED PACK OF BLANKS IN THE MAGAZINE; (E) A SUBSIDIARY DISCONNECTABLE COUPLING MEANS TO CONNECT THE SUBSIDIARY PRESSURE PLATE WITH THE DRIVE MEANS SUCH THAT THE SUBSIDIARY PRESSURE PLATE CAN TAKE OVER THE FUNCTION OF THE MAIN PRESSURE PLATE TEMPORARILY DURING RELOADING OF THE MAGAZINE, AND (F) CONVEYOR MEANS TO RECEIVE THE BLANK FROM THE EXTRACTING MEANS AND CONVEY THE BLANK EDGEWISE DOWNWARDLY TO A DESIRED POSITION READY FOR ERECTION.