Stacker conveyor run separation control

A method of creating a separation between box blanks transported on a stacker conveyor wherein said box blanks are cut by a cut-off machine from a moving web previously severed into leading and trailing portions, comprising:

• tracking the position of the leading edge of said trailing portion of said severed web to said cut-off machine,
• tracking the position of the trailing edge of a first box blank cut from said trailing portion of said severed web between said cut-off machine and said stacker conveyor, and
• retarding movement of said first box blank relative to said stacker conveyor when said trailing edge of said first box blank reaches said stacker conveyor.

A run separation control for a stacker conveyor which transports box blanks produced from a moving web by a corrugator including a shear which severs the web into leading and trailing portions and a cut-off machine provided with knife means which cut the severed web into box blanks, said stacker conveyor including retarding means for retarding movement of a box blank on said stacker conveyor in response to a command signal, comprising:

• means for tracking the position of the leading edge of said trailing portion of said severed web between said shear and said cut-off machine,
• means for tracking the position of the trailing edge of a first box blank produced by said cut-off machine from said trailing portion of said severed web between said cut-off machine and said stacker conveyor and for generating said command signal when said trailing edge of said first box blank cut from said trailing portion of said severed web reaches said stacker conveyor,
• whereby said retarding means retards movement of said box blank cut from said trailing portion of said severed web in response to said command signal.