Device for separating blanks from a sheet of cut blanks

In a device for separating blanks which were cut into a sheet of material selected from a group consisting of paper and cardboard, said sheet having a frontal strip connecting two lengthwise side strips with the blanks disposed therebetween, said blanks being separated from each other by lengthwise and transverse intermediate strips, said intermediate strips, side strips and frontal strips forming a residual sheet once the blanks are removed therefrom, said device comprising a lower tool in the shape of a grid having lengthwise bars and crosswise bars disposed in a pattern to form apertures in the location, shape and size of the blanks, an upper tool being mounted for movement relative to the lower tool with a plurality of pushers having a contour slightly smaller than that of the apertures for pushing the blanks into the apertures of the lower tool, as the upper tool moves toward the lower tool and pressing means positioned between the pushers for holding the lengthwise side strips and the intermediate strips against the respective bars of the grid as the pushers force the blanks through the apertures, the improvement comprising at least part of the pressing means located above the lengthwise bars having exhaust ports connected to a source of partial vacuum so that as the upper tool is being lifted upward, at least an upstream part of the residual sheet is raised with the upper tool away from the lower tool to enable removing the residual sheet from the device.