Apparatus for producing packaging blanks

An apparatus for severing packaging blanks (10) from a web (12) of thin, highly flexible wrapping material, such as cellophane wrappers for cigarette packs, comprising:

• (a) a pair of laterally spaced, endless, fluid permeable belts (16, 17),
• (b) a plurality of spaced, axially parallel rollers (21-23, 33, 34, 36), including at least one driven roller, supporting the belts to define first and second successive coplanar conveyor runs (24, 25) separated by a diversion zone (35),
• (c) first knife means (29) disposed at the diversion zone and extending laterally across the full width of a web conveyance path thereat,
• (d) a conveyor roller (26) rotatably mounted at the diversion zone in surface contact with the belts at both an exit end of the first conveyor run and an entry end of the second conveyor run, said conveyor roller being provided with a plurality of suction holes (37),
• (e) second knife means (28) embodied in the conveyor roller, extending laterally across the full width of the web conveyance path, and cooperable with the first knife means to sever successive blanks from a web,
• (f) means for applying suction through the belts to regions of the first and second conveyor runs flanking the diversion zone, and through the holes to a peripheral sector of the conveyor roller extending substantially across the diversion zone,
• (g) means (13, 14) for continuously supplying the web to an entry end of the first conveyor run, and
• (h) means for removing severed blanks from the second conveyor run, whereby both the web and blanks severed therefrom are positively and continuously held against the first and second conveyor runs and against the peripheral sector of the conveyor roller during their transport and advancement through the diversion zone and the first and second knife means.