Apparatus for discharging and separating skin packages

In an apparatus for withdrawing a continuous band of multi-article skin packages from a skin packing machine;

• the apparatus including clamping means for periodically grasping the band and stepwise withdrawing it from the skin packing machine in a direction of band feed;
• first cutting means for severing the band parallel to the direction of band feed;
• second cutting means for severing the band transversely to the direction of band feed;
• the first and second cutting means dividing each multi-article skin package into smaller packages having a reduced number of articles;
• punching means for providing hanger holes in the packages simultaneously with the severing operation of the second cutting means;
• a sled carrying the clamping means, the second cutting means and the punching means and being arranged to travel back and forth parallel to the direction of band feed;
• and control means for intermittently and simultaneously actuating the second cutting means and the punching means at predeterminable locations during the travel of the sled against the direction of band feed;
• the improvement comprising deactivating means for rendering said punching means inoperative at predeterminable positions of said sled.