No-feed-roll corrugated board or paperboard sheet feeder retrofit apparatus and method

A method for retrofitting and controlling an upgraded self-contained corrugated board or paperboard sheet feeder apparatus 200 on an installed operating corrugated board processing or host machine 10 such as a box making machine, comprising the method steps of:

• (a) providing a corrugated board or paperboard sheet feeder apparatus 200 capable of feeding a single sheet 2 from a stack of corrugated boards sheets that travels from a feed end to a delivery end, and into a host machine 10 comprising a supporting feed table surface 210 for the sheet, said supporting feed table surface 210 including the feed end and the delivery end and having feed elements or drive wheels;
• said feed elements comprising a first plurality of feed elements in an initial variable velocity zone 220 which drive the board in a first motion profile, wherein the first feed elements are driven by a first dedicated computer controlled motor or servo system 220M;
• said feed elements also comprising a second plurality of feed elements in a second velocity zone 230 which drive the board in a second motion profile, wherein the second feed elements are driven by a second dedicated computer controlled motor or servo system 230M;
• said first plurality of feed elements arranged in a first plurality of rows which extend transverse to the direction of travel of the sheet from the feed end to said second plurality of feed elements which are arranged in a second plurality of rows which extend from said first plurality of feed elements to the delivery end;
• a first vacuum powered suction zone corresponding to said initial variable velocity zone 220 in supporting feed table surface 210 for holding the sheet against said first plurality of feed elements while being fed thereby;
• a second vacuum powered suction zones corresponding to said second velocity zone 230 for holding the sheet against said second plurality of feed elements while being fed thereby;
• and a controller 300 configured to receive predetermined velocity signal from the host machine 10 and generate (i) a first initial variable velocity control signal for initial variable velocity zone 220 and (ii) a second velocity control signal for second velocity zone 230 in response to said host machine's predetermined velocity signal;
• (b) connecting said host machine 10 to said sheet feeder apparatus 200 and providing a host machine desired board speed signal to said controller 300.