Patent ID: 7367445

Claim:
A mechanism for feeding packaging blanks, such as flattened cases, from a horizontal magazine into a packaging machine comprising: a fixed ratchet pawl channel; a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart ratchet pawls, each pivotally mounted in a row within said fixed ratchet pawl channel; a sliding ratchet pawl channel; a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart ratchet pawls, each pivotally mounted in a row within said sliding ratchet pawl channel; means for urging said ratchet pawls to maintain a position extended from said ratchet pawl channels; means for slidably attaching said sliding ratchet pawl channel parallel to said fixed ratchet pawl channel; means for slidably driving said sliding ratchet pawl channel to and fro a predetermined distance approximately equivalent to the length of said ratchet pawl, in relation to said fixed ratchet pawl channel; means for controlling said driving means; and means for retaining boxes in the magazine at the removal end of the mechanism; whereby one edge of the rearmost packaging blank of a group of packaging blanks contained within said magazine is engaged by one of said ratchet pawls from said sliding ratchet pawl channel, driving said group towards the delivery end of said magazine and actuating said means for controlling said driving means, until said driving means travels a distance equivalent to the length of said ratchet pawl, at which point one of said ratchet pawls from said fixed ratchet pawl channel engages said rearmost blank, supporting said group while said controlling means retracts, and consequently resets, said sliding pawl channel.