Feeding mechanism for newspaper compiler having a movable vacuum valve assembly

摘要

A feeder for flexible sheet material includes a gripping assembly (30) provided with a hollow gripper shaft (54) and a vacuum operated gripper (52). The shaft (54) is movable through an arcuate path of travel between engagement and sheet-releasing positions. The vacuum pressure to the gripper (52) is controlled to cause the marginal portion of the lowermost sheet to be gripped by the gripper when the shaft is in the engagement position and to discontinue the vacuum to the gripper at the sheet- releasing position. A valve assembly (64) is disposed between a vacuum line and the hollow shaft (54) and is mounted for rotation on the gripping assembly (30). The valve is rotatable between open and closed positions in response to movement of the shaft through the arcuate path of travel between the engagement and sheet-releasing positions.