US2814485A - Counter skiving machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 26; 1957 ROBBINS ETAL 2,814,485

COUNTER SKIVIIfIG MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June '7, 1955 33 Inventors Joseph Robbins William A. Smart- Han/(R Smizh BL zf/zeir-A forrzey m mm r 3 wk A sw Y Q Q Nov. 26, 1957 J. ROBBINS E.,TAL 2,

' COUNTER SKIVING MACHINES I Filed June '1, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .5 [48 M u'. [44 \I I, k i" \//n w Inventors Joseph Robbins h/z'llz'am fLj'marz Frank R. Smith, By ihe/zviitorney Nov. 26, 1957 J. ROBBINS ETAL 2,814,485

COUNTER SKIVING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 7, 1955 11am A. Smari Fr'dnk R. Smif/L By their Azfbrrzey Inventors Joseph Robbin ill Nov. 26, 1957 J. ROBBINS ETAL 2,814,485

CbUN'rER SKIVING MACHINES Filed June 7, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 93 [ml/en tors w,.... 26 Joseph Robbins William A .Smam

56 8 .12 Frank R. SmzZ/z United States Patent COUNTER SKIVENG MACHINES Joseph Robbins, William A. Smart, and Frank R. Smith, Leicester, England, assignors to United Shoe Machinery gorporatron, Flemington, N. 1., a corporation of New ersey Application June 7, 1955, Serial No. 513,772 Claims priority, application Great Britain July 8, 1954 9 Claims. (Cl. 271-1) This invention relates to skiving machines, and is illustrated herein as embodied in a counter skiving machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,600,968, granted September 28, 1926, upon an application of C. W. Bailey.

Counter blanks are commonly made from strips of fibre board each side of which has a beveled margin, the blanks being cut from the strips crosswise thereof in such a manner that the ends of the blanks are included in the beveled margins of the material. Subsequently, the blanks are further skived along one side, at least, to provide a beveled lateral margin which merges with the previously beveled margins at the ends of the blank. The blanks are then molded into the desired shape for counters.

The last-mentioned skiving operation may be carried out in a machine of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned Bailey patent, in which blanks stacked in a holder are fed endwise by a blank separating device, one at a time, from the bottom of the stack through a gate and thence to feed rolls, one of which is a matrix roll, for presenting the blank to a knife in such a manner that the desired skiving cut is made upon the blank.

Because of the tendency of the skived ends of the blank to bend out of the plane of the blank it is possible for the leading ends of the two lowermost blanks to enter and become jammed in the gate of the separating device and, for the same reason the separating means, instead of acting upon only the lowermost blank, may push against the thin trailing ends of the two lowermost blanks in the stack. In the latter case, it is evident that the separating means would become jammed even if only the lowermost blank enters the gate.

In view of the foregoing, it is a principal object of the invention to provide in a machine for skiving counter blanks having beveled ends, improved blank separating and feeding means in the operation of which the interruptions heretofore caused by the thin beveled ends of the blanks are avoided.

To this end, the illustrative machine includes improved mechanism for presenting a blank to be skived to the cutter of the machine which is characterized, in accordance with a feature of the invention, by the combination with a platform having spaced guides cooperating with the platform to form a channel for directing the blank by engagement with its unreduced lateral edges to the cutter, of a holder for a stack of blanks mounted at one side of the channel flush with the guiding edge of one of the guides, and blank separating means for transferring the lowermost blank in the holder across said guiding edge into said channel transversely thereof. Thus, in the operation of the blank separating means of the illustrative machine, which includes a gate for permitting only one blank to pass out of the holder at once, the intended functioning of the gate is insured not only because unreduced edges of normal thickness of the blanks at one side thereof are presented to the gate, but also because similar unreduced edges of normal thickness at the other side of the blanks are acted upon by the separating means when they are pushed out of the holder.

Invention is also to be recognized in the provision in the illustrated machine of means for depressing the blanks onto the above-mentioned platform and into the desired operative relation to the means for advancing the blanks along the platform to the feed rolls.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will next be described in the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings of an illustrative machine embodying the invention, and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of the illustrative machine;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation illustrating the pusher plate of the feeding means, the section being taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the work engaging end of the pusher plate, its parts being shown in exploded relation;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation showing the adjustable mounting of the pusher plate, the section being taken along the line IVIV in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, viewed from the left, certain parts having been broken away;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation illustrating the relation of a part of the feeding means and the knife, the section being taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation showing the holder for a stack of blanks and the blank separating means, the section being taken along the line VIIVI1 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation illustrating adjusting means for the guide plate on which the holder is mounted, the section being taken along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7.

The illustrative machine comprises a frame 10 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) on which is mounted a forwardly extending table 12. Behind the table 12 is fixedly mounted a knife 14 (Fig. 6), the upper surface of the table in front of the knife constituting a platform 16 upon which a counter blank B is positioned in readiness to be fed to the knife. The platform is extended rearwardly toward the knife 14 by the provision of a thin plate 17 which is secured to the table 12 by a screw 18.

Along the right-hand side of the platform 16 there extends an adjustable guide 19 (Figs. 1 and 7) which is secured to the table by bolts 20 passing through transverse slots 22 in the guide. By turning a shouldered screw 24, received in a 'U-shaped lug 26 on the table 12 and threaded into the guide 19, a fine adjustment of the guide can be readily effected, after loosening the bolts 20.

At the left-hand side of the platform 16 is an adjustable guide plate 28 (Figs. 1, 7 and 8). The plate 28 is mounted, for adjustment toward and away from the guide 19, by screws 30 (Fig. 8) upon an intermediate plate 32 which in turn is secured to a block 34, the plate 32 and block 34 being slidably received in a channel 36 provided in the table 12. A screw-threaded rod 38, having a knob 39, is received in a tapped hole in the block and turns in the lug 26 (Fig. 7). A collar 41 fixed to the rod 38 is restrained from moving axially of the rod by being disposed between the lug 26 and an L-shaped bracket 42 secured to an underside of the lug 26 by screws 44. By turning the knob 39 the guide plate 28 can be adjusted; and, after adjustment, the plate 28 is fixed in position by setting up bolts 46 (Fig. 1) passing through slots 4% in bars 50 which are fixed upon the plate 28 by screws 51 and slide in channels 52 in the table 12.

' The arrangement of the above-described parts is such that the platform 16 constitutes the bottom of a channel or trou h, the sides of which are constituted by the guide 19 and guide plate 28. Into this trough the lowermost counter blank of a stack S is delivered transversely of the illustrative machine prior to the feeding of the blank to the knife 14- rearwardly of the machine.

The feeding means of the illustrative machine comprises an upper matrix roll mounted on a shaft 61 and having a die cavity 62 formed in its surface, and a lower roll 64- (Fig. 6) mounted on a shaft 65, the lower roll being constituted by peripherally-toothed discs separated by collars so as to provide circumferential grooves, presser fingers (one of which is shown at 66) being accommodated in the grooves between the discs as in the abovementioned Bailey machine. The fingers 66 are spring pressed toward the roll 69 and are controlled by a cam (not shown) mounted on a shaft 68 (Fig. 5) driven by a chain 69 from a sprocket 71 on the shaft 65. The bite between the rolls is located between the end of the extension 17 and the knife 14, close to the latter. The shafts 61, carry meshing gears 74 and 76, respectively, the upper shaft 61 being driven by a main gear 78 (Pig. 1). A counter blank upon being presented between the rolls 6?, 64 (Fig. 6) at the proper instant in their rotation is pressed by the fingers 66 into the die cavity 62 and is thrust, end foremost, against the knife 14, the pressing of the blank into the die cavity causing it to be presented to the knife in such a manner that the knife skives it as desired.

The feeding means of the illustrative machine also comprises an upper take-up roll 80 (Fig. 6) and a lower takeup roll 82 whose upper surface projects upwardly through a rectangular hole in the extension 17. The upper roll 80 is mounted on a spindle 84 journaled in a carrier 86. The carrier 86 has rearwardly extending arms 88, 99 (Pig. 1) pivotally mounted, respectively, on studs 92, 94 screwed into the frame 10. At its righthand end, the spindle 84 carries a gear 96 which is in mesh with a gear 98 mounted on the stud 92. The gear 98 is driven by another gear 100 mounted on the shaft Thus, the upper take-up roll 80 is power driven and swings pivotally about the studs 92, 94 without its drive being interrupted. The lower roll 82 is free to retate on a spindle 102 (Figs. 5 and 6) supported in bearings 104 which are bolted to the table 12. The upper roll 80 normally rests upon the lower roll 82 and is urged against it by spring pressure. For this purpose, two swinging brackets 108, 110, hinged to the frame 10 at 112, 114, respectively, carry vertical plungers 116, 118 acted upon by springs 122, 122. The brackets 108, 116 can beswung into and out of positions in which the plungers 116, 118 press down on the carrier 86 .under the action of the Springs 122, 122. In the operation of the illustrative machine, a counter blank received between the take- up rolls 80, 82 is fed by the upper roll 80 to the feed rolls 6t), 64, the upper take-up roll yielding against the plungers 116, 118 according to the thickness of the blank.

A counter blank on the platform 16 is advanced to the bite of the take-up rolls 8t], 82 by a pusher P comprising a slide 123 (Fig. 1) mounted for forward and rearward reciprocation in a channel 124 in the table 12.

The slide is driven by a link 125 (Figs. 1 and 5) pivoted at one end to the slide upon a stud 126 and operated by cam means in time relation to the matrix roll 60. The link 125 is pivoted at its other end to an arm 127 fixed on a left-hand end portion of a shaft 128 extending trans versely of the machine below the take- up rolls 80, 82 and rotatably mounted in the frame 10. Upon the other end of the shaft 128 is fixed an arm 129, and between this arm and the frame 10 is freely mounted a lever 130 having a quadrant 132. The lever 130 carries a cam roll 133 arranged to engage a cam 134 secured to the shaft 65. A torsion spring 135 between the frame 10 and the lever 138 maintains the roll 133 continuously in engagement with the earn 134. The arm 129 carries a spring-pressed plunger 136 which: is normally in a hole in the quadrant 132 so that, as the cam 134 rotates and the lever 130 swings, the arm 129 also swings and with it the shaft 128 and arm 127, to cause the link 125 to impart reciprocatory movement to the pusher slide 123 in time relation to rotation of the rolls 60 and 64. If it is desired to operate parts of the illustrative machine without operating the pusher slide (for example, when setting up the machine for a particular batch of work) the plunger 136 can be pulled out of the hole in the quadrant 132 and turned so that a pin 137 on the plunger, riding in an L-shaped slot of the arm 129, holds the plunger away from the quadrant, thus disconnecting the drive to the pusher slide.

Carried by the pusher slide 123 (Fig. 1) and secured thereto by screws 138 is a bar 140 having in it a longitudinal channel 142 (Fig. 2) of T-shaped cross-section. The rear end portion of the bar 140 is freely received in groove 144 (Fig. 1) in the table 12. A pusher plate 1146 (Figs. 1 and 4) is adjustably fixed upon the bar 140 by means of screws 148 which pass through transverse slots 150 in the plate 146 and are received in tapped holes in a T-headed block 152 which is received in the channel 142 and has an upstanding lug 154 projecting into a slot 156 in the plate 146.

The rear portion of the pusher plate 146 rides upon the platform 16 as the plate reciprocates and is provided with two fiat steps, a lower step 158 (Fig. 3) and an upper step 166. Between the steps at their right-hand sides are a narrow wall 162 and an abutment 164. A cover plate 166 is fixed upon the upper step by screws 168, and has an upwardly inclined wing 170. A narrow extension of the lower step 158, along the left-hand margin of the plate 146, provides a groove 172 in which an adjustable stop 174 is fixed by a bolt 176 passing through a slot 178 in the stop 174 and threaded into the plate 146.

In the operation of the illustrative machine. after a counterblank that has beveled end portions, as hercinbefore referred to, has been positioned on the platform 16 flat face uppermost, the blank is advanced by the pusher plate 146 between the take-up rolls 8% 82, the beveled end portion of the blank being confined between the step 158 and cover plate 166 and driven by the abutment 164 and stop 174. The take-up rolls then pass the blank to the feed rolls 60, 64 which present it to the knife 14. in passing from the platform 16 to the knife 14 the blank follows a rearward path in the illustrative machine To the left of this path and adjacent to the platform 16 there is mounted a holder H (Figs. 1, 5 and 7) for the stack S of counter blanks. The holder comprises an upright wall mounted on the guide plate 28 so that it extends forwardly and rearwardly of the machine. A bent wire rod 192 adjustably fixed in a lug 194 at the upper rear end of the wall by a screw 196 provides, with an end wall 197 integral with the wall 192 means for aligning the rearward ends of the blanks. Similarly, a bent wire rod 198 is adjustably fixed by a screw 200 to an upright post 202 at the forward end of the holder and serves to hold the forward ends of the blanks in alignment. The post 202 can be adjustably fixed at any position along the wall 190 to accommodate different lengths of counter blanks. For this purpose, the post 202 has an ear 204 (Fig. 1) that overlaps a slot 286 in a flange which extends along the top of the wall, and a belt 208 passing through the slot 236 secures the car 284 to the flange. Along most of the bottom of the wall 190 there extends a gap 210 (Figs. 5 and 7), long enough for the longest counter blank that the machine is to be used for to pass through sideways.

Associated with the holder is a separating means for transferring the lowermost blanks one at a time from the stack in the holder H to the platform 16. Thus, a central portion of the wall 190 of the holder H is recessed at its left-hand side to accommodate a gate 212. The gate 212 has a thick lower end portion 214 extending into the gap 210 at the bottom of the wall 190 and is mounted on the wall with provision for lengthwise and heightwise adjustment. For this purpose, a bracket 216 is adjustably secured to the top and the wall 190 by a screw 218 passing through the slot 206 and received in a tapped hole in the bracket. The bracket 216 has a vertical slot 226 through which passes a screw 228 screwed into an upper portion of the gate 212 for holding the gate in position. Fine heightwise adjustment of the gate 212 can be effected, after loosening the screw 228, by means of a shouldered screw 230 received in a U-shaped lug 232 screwed to the gate and threaded into a vertical tapped hole in the bracket 216. The gate 212 can thus be positioned not only lengthwise of the Wall 190, so that it is midway between the rods 192, 198 (after the post 2112 has been moved to a. position suitable to accommodate the particular counter blanks to be skived), but also heightwise of the wall so that the bottom portion 214 of the gate allows only the bottom blank of the stack to pass under it.

The separating means also comprises separating pushers 250, 250 (Figs. 1, and 7) arranged to engage the lefthand side of the lowermost counter blank in the holder and to push it onto the platform 16. The pushers are disposed one at each side of the gate 212 and are slotted at 254 to receive T-bolts 256 which are received in a channel 258 of a transversely reciprocable carrier 261 The carrier 260 has one set of four wheels 261 which run in grooves 262 of channel members 264 fixed upon a U-shaped bracket 266, the latter being bolted upon the table 12. Another set of wheels 267 rotatably mounted upon the carrier guide it laterally thereof by engagement with the lower, inner edges of the members 264. The carrier 260 is thus mounted to reciprocate transversely of the illustrative machine and to carry the pushers 250, 251) from positions (as shown in Fig. 1) in which they engage the left-hand edge of the lowermost blank in the holder H to positions (as shown in Fig. 7) in which they overlap the right-hand edge of the guide plate 28, whereby the blanks are delivered, one at a time, from the holders to the platform 16 in readiness to be fed by the feeding means to the knife 14.

The carrier 269 is operated by a rack and pinion mechanism comprising two racks 270 (Figs. 5, 7 and 1), secured to the lower side of the carrier 260 by screws 272, and pinions 274 (Figs. 5 and 7) mounted in meshing relation to the racks on a spindle 276 journaled in the bracket 266. The rearward pinion 274 meshes with a pinion 278 fixed upon a spindle 280 which is rotatably mounted upon the bracket 266. Another pinion 282 (Fig. 5) fixed upon the spindle 280 meshes with a rack 284 mounted for vertical sliding movement on the bracket 266. The rack 284 is urged upwardly by a compression spring 286 which engages the lower end of the rack and is housed in a sleeve 288 fixed upon the lower side of the bracket 266. A screw 292 at the lower end of the sleeve 288 adjustably supports a member 293 which is engaged by the lower end of the spring 286 and enables the compression of the spring to be adjusted. The position assumed by the rack 284 under the action of the spring is governed by a cam 294 (Figs. 5 and 1) mounted on the shaft 65 that carries the lower feed roll 64. A lever 296, pivoted at 298 on a lug projecting rearwardly from the table 12, carries at one end a cam roll 300 that engages the cam and, at the opposite end, is pivoted to a link 302, the latter being pivoted to the top end of the rack 284.

The arrangement of the rack and pinion mechanism for operating the carrier 260 is such that the pushers 250, 250 yieldingly remove a blank from the holder H under the influence of the spring 286 and are positively retracted when the rack 284 is forced down by the earn 294 against the spring. If the left-hand edge of the blank does not drop off the pushers 25th, 250 upon passing the righthand edge of the guide plate 28, the pushers 251 250 may be checked momentarily by the engagement of the righthand side of the blank with the guide 19, such action of the pushers being permitted by yielding of the spring 286. However, the blank is depressed toward the platform 16 during its delivery thereto by the downwardly sloping wing of the cover plate 166 on the pusher plate 146; and for the same purpose, there is provided a weight 310 (Fig. 7) acting upon the midportion of the blank to depress and hold it against the platform 16. The weight is pivoted to a bracket 312 adjustably secured to the guide 19 by a screw 314 which passes through a slot 315 in the bracket 312 and into a block 316 received in a T-shaped channel 318 (Fig. 1) at the top of the guide.

In the operation of the illustrative machine the pushers 256, 250, pusher plate 146, take-up rolls 80, 82 and feed rolls 60, 64 operate in time relation to one another as will appear below. The pushers 250, 250 are operated first to separate a blank from the bottom of the stack S and deliver it widthwise thereof transversely of the machine under the gate 212 onto the platform 16, the pushers being arranged to travel slightly over the blank after it has fallen onto the platform 16 under the weight 310, so as to ensure that the blank is pushed ofi the guide plate 28.

During the movement of the blank onto the platform, its forward beveled end, if it tends to curl upwardly from the plane of the blank, is depressed toward the platform by the wing 176, which with the step 158 provides a restricted converging receptacle for the beveled end of the blank, insuring that when the pusher plate 146 is advanced to present'the blank to the take-up rolls 80, 82 the abutment- s 164 and 174 will properly engage the beveled end of the blank.

The blank is now in position on the platform 16 to be fed rearwardly to the knife 14 with the right-hand lateral edge of the blank abutting the wall 162 of the pusher plate 146. The blank is also confined laterally thereof on the platform in the channel between the guide 19 and the sides of the guide plate 28 and wall for directing the blanks advance to the knife 14. The blank does not at this time engage the abutment 164 and stop 174 of the pusher plate 146 because, as is usually the case with counter blanks, the pusher plate must be set so far forwardly of the illustrative machine at the forward end of its stroke that the longest part of the blank can freely pass the stop 17 4 during its delivery onto the platform.

While the pushers 250, 250 are being retracted, the pusher plate 146 is moved rearwardly bringing the abutment 164 and stop 174 into engagement with the forward end of the blank and then presenting the blank to the bite of the take-up rolls 80, 82. By the latter rolls the blank is advanced to the feed rolls 60, 64 which present the blank to the knife 14, in a manner that causes the knife to skive one or both of the lateral margins of the blank, as desired, the skived blank passing above the knife and the skived off fibre board below it.

It will be realized that the feed rolls 60, 64 and the upper take-up roll 80 are driven continuously while the machine is in operation and that it is the timing of the feeding stroke of the pusher plate 146 that ensures that the blank B enters the bite of the feed rolls at the correct instant in the rotation of the matrix roll.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a skiving machine having a cutter and means for feeding a blank to be skived to said cutter, the combination of means for presenting the blank to said feeding means comprising a platform having spaced guides cooperating with said platform to form a channel for directing the blank by engagement with its lateral edges to said feeding means, a pusher mounted for movement in said channel lengthwise thereof for advancing the blank to said feeding means, a holder for a stack of blanks mounted at one side of said channel flush with the guiding edge of one of said guides, and blank separating means mounted for movement across said guiding edge for transferring the lowermost blank in said holder into said channel transversely thereof.

2. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a skiving machine having a cutter, means for feeding to said cutter a blank to be skived and a platform along which the blank is advanced to said feeding means, the combination of guides cooperating with said platform to form a channel in which the blank is directed to said feeding means, a pusher for advancing a blank in said channel to said feeding means, a holder for a stack of blanks mounted upon one of said guides and having a gate cooperating with said last-mentioned guide to permit the discharge of only the lowermost blank from said holder into said channel, and blank separating means comprising a second pusher mounted for yielding movement transversely of said channel in overlapping relation to the guiding edge of said last-mentioned guide for transferring the lowermost blank in said holder to said channel.

3. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a skiving machine having a cutter, means for feeding a blank to be skived to said cutter and a platform along which the blank is advanced to said feeding means, the combination of guides cooperating with said platform to form a channel in which the blank is directed to said feeding means, a pusher mounted for movement in said channel alternately toward said feeding means and away therefrom to advance a blank in said channel to said feeding means, a holder for a stack of blanks mounted upon one of said guides, blank separating means comprising a second pusher for transferring the lowermost blank in said holder to said channel, and means for yieldingly moving said second pusher transversely of said channel over the edge thereof defined by said last-mentioned guide in advance of each movement of said first-mentioned pusher toward said feeding means.

4. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a skiving machine having a cutter, means for feeding to said cutter a blank to be skived and a platform along which the blank is advanced to said feeding means, the combination of guides cooperating with said platform to form a channel in which the blank is directed to said feeding means, a pusher mounted for movement in said channel lengthwise thereof for advancing the blank to said feeding means, a holder for a stock of blanks mounted upon one of said guides so that the lowermost blank in said holder is supported by said last-mentioned guide at a level above said platform, and blank separating means comprising a second pusher movable transversely of said channel and over the edge thereof defined by said last-mentioned guide for transferring the lowermost blank in said holder to and depositing it in said channel.

5. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a skiving machine having a cutter and means for feeding to said cutter a blank to be skived, in combination, a platform along which the blank is advanced to said feeding means, guides cooperating with said platform to form a channel for directing the blank to said feeding means,

a holder for a stack of blanks mounted upon one of said guides, said last-mentioned guide having a guiding edge defining one side of said channel in alinement with one side of said holder and being arranged to support the lowermost blank in said holder above said channel, and blank separating means comprising a second pusher mounted for movement transversely of said channel into engagement with the lowermost blank in said holder into overlapping relation with the guiding edge of said lastmentioned guide whereby the lowermost blank in said holder is removed therefrom and deposited in said channel.

6. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a skiving machine having a cutter and means for feeding a blank to be skived to said cutter, in combination, means for presenting the blank to said feeding means comprising, a platform having spaced guides thereon for directing the blank to said feeding means, a pusher mounted to reciprocate between said guides lengthwise thereof for advancing a blank along said platform to said feeding means, a holder for a stack of blanks disposed at one side of the path of said pusher, blank separating means for transferring the lowermost blank in said holder onto said platform between said guides, and means for depressing the end of the blank to be engaged by said pusher into and holding it in the path of said pusher in response to the movement of the blank out of said holder.

7. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a machine for skiving blanks having a cutter and a platform along which a blank to be skived in presented to said cutter, in combination, means for advancing a blank on said platform to said cutter comprising a pusher mounted for movement toward and away from said cutter, a holder for a stack of blanks disposed at one side of the path of said pusher, and blank separating means for transferring the lowermost blank in said holder onto said platform transversely of the path of said pusher, said pusher comprising an abutment for driving the blank by engagement with an end thereof and a sloping wing for depressing the end of the blank to be engaged by said abutment into the path thereof in response to the movement of said blank onto said platform.

8. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a machine for skiving blanks having a cutter and a platform for supporting a blank to be operated upon with one end facing said cutter, in combination, a reciprocatory pusher for advancing said blank endwise thereof toward said cutter, said pusher having a wall and an abutment arranged to engage one side and an end, respectively, of said blank, a holder for a stack of blanks disposed at one side of the path of said pusher, and blank separating means for transferring the lowermost blank in said holder onto said platform by engagement with the other lateral edge of said blank, said pusher also comprising an inclined plate for guiding the blank into engagement with said wall and for depressing the end portion of said blank into the path of said abutment in response to the movement of said blank onto said platform.

9. In a blank feeding apparatus for use with a machine for skiving blanks having a cutter and a platform along which a blank to be skived is presented to said cutter, in combination, a guide and a guide plate, said guide and an edge of said guide plate defining with said platform a channel for receiving a blank with an end thereof facing said cutter, means for advancing the blank endwise thereof in said channel toward said cutter, a holder associated with said guide plate for a stack of blanks of which the lowermost blank rests upon said guide plate adjacent to its said edge, blank separating means for transferring the lowermost blank in said holder across said edge of said guide plate into said channel, said blank separating means comprising a pusher mounted for yielding movement across said edge over said channel, and means for depressing the blank into said channel as the blank is delivered thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 593,409 Ayer Nov. 9, 1897 681,347 Scott Aug. 27, 1901 1,031,301 Thurston July 2, 1912 1,295,123 Cheshire Feb. 25, 1919 1,305,236 Pope May 27, 1919 1,711,588 Clarke May 7, 1929 2,131,967 Peropat Oct. 4, 1938 2,364,142 Hildman Dec. 5, 1944 2,373,159 Bennion Apr. 10, 1945

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