BLANK MATERIAL FEEDING DEVICE HAVING DIRECTION CORRECTING FUNCTION

摘要

A blank material feeding unit (14) which comprises a base (52), a blank material path (54) formed on the base, at least one guide member (56, 58) provided on the blank material path and having a blank material guiding face(s) (56a, 58a), a direction correcting roller assembly (60) disposed on the blank material path, and a conveying roller mechanism (62) for conveying the blank material along the material path, disposed downstream in the blank material feeding direction of the direction correcting roller assembly. The direction correcting roller assembly (60) is provided with a pair of rectangular rollers (76) having a common rotation shaft tilted relative to the blank material guiding face(s) of the guide member(s) and rotating together, and a freely rotatable ball (78) for forming, in a working position, gaps into which the blank material can be inserted between the ball and each rectangular roller, disposed facing the pair of rectangular rollers and resiliently supported in the working position close to these rectangular rollers. The direction correcting roller assembly (60), while holding the blank material between the pair of rectangular rollers (76) and the ball (78), intermittently feeds the blank material toward the guide member(s) (56, 58).