1. In a device for intermittently advancing strip material into a production machine and including a base having a carriage member slidably mounted thereon, a gripper on said carriage member for engaging and holding strip material thereto and power cylinder means mounted on said base for slidably reciprocating said carriage member, the improvement which comprises: a. a double acting hydraulic plunger-cylinder means connected between said carriage and base, whereby movement of the carriage causes relative movement between the plunger and cylinder, b. a first fluid conduit connecting opposite ends of said hydraulic cylinder and including check valve means, c. a second fluid conduit connecting opposite ends of said hydraulic cylinder and including first controllable valve means, and d. first means for closing said controllable valve when a predetermined length of strip material has been advanced by the gripper carriage, whereby during advance of the gripper carriage, movement of the plunger causes flow of fluid through the second conduit and cOntrollable valve until the valve is closed thereby stopping the plunger and carriage and during return of the carriage, movement of the plunger causes flow of fluid through the first conduit and check valve.

12. In a device for intermittently advancing strip material into a production machine and including a base having a carriage member slidably mounted thereon, a gripper on said carriage member for engaging and holding strip material thereto and power cylinder means mounted on said base for slidably reciprocating said carriage member, the improvement which comprises: a. a hydraulic plunger-cylinder means connected between said carriage and base, whereby movement of the carriage causes relative movement between the plunger and cylinder, b. a first fluid conduit connecting said hydraulic cylinder to a fluid reservoir and including check valve means, c. a second fluid conduit connecting said hydraulic cylinder to said fluid reservoir and including first controllable valve means, and d. first means for closing said controllable valve when a predetermined length of strip material has been advanced by the gripper carriage, whereby during advance of the gripper carriage, movement of the plunger causes flow of fluid through the second conduit and controllable valve into the reservoir until the valve is closed thereby stopping the plunger and carriage and during return of the carriage, movement of the plunger causes flow of fluid from said reservoir through the first conduit and check valve into said plunger-cylinder.