Rotary feeder for paperboard blanks

Apparatus for feeding paperboard blanks one by one from a stack of blanks to nip rolls for feeding to printing, cutting, slotting, folding, gluing or the like machinery, said apparatus comprising

• a. stack supporting structure;
• b. feed means comprising wheels adapted to be rotated and each having
• i. an active portion with an exterior convexly curved contour with a high coefficient of friction and
• ii. a relieved portion;
• c. transmission means comprising input shaft means which is adapted to be rotated and an output shaft means which is adapted to be rotated, said input and output shaft means being operatively connected so that the output shaft means undergoes a controlled acceleration during an initial portion of each revolution of said input shaft means and is stationary during a last portion of each revolution of said input shaft means;
• d. means operatively connecting said output shaft means with said wheels so that during operation of the apparatus the wheels are rotated and undergo controlled acceleration followed by a net deceleration followed by a dwell period during which the wheels are in a dwell position;
• e. suction means for urging a blank into contact with the feed means;
• whereby the wheels engage and grip a blank by means of static friction and move and accelerate that blank to the nip rolls without slippage occuring and so that each blank enters the nip rolls in register whereupon the blank is disengaged from the wheels.