A sheet material cutter is movable between a number of different cutting stations at which it cooperates respectively with a number of stationary spreading tables. Vacuum is transmitted from a single stationary vacuum generator to a number of normally closed junction boxes located one at each of the cutting stations. When the cutter is positioned at a selected cutting station, a vacuum inlet carried by the cutter aligns with the junction box serving that station, and the vacuum inlet is movable between connected and disconnected positions relative to the junction box to supply vacuum from the generator to the cutter.