diff --git a/src/potential_file_reader.cpp b/src/potential_file_reader.cpp
index c6c58ede36..ea0d70384c 100644
--- a/src/potential_file_reader.cpp
+++ b/src/potential_file_reader.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ void PotentialFileReader::next_dvector(int n, double * list) {
   }
 }
 
+ValueTokenizer PotentialFileReader::next_values(int nparams, const std::string & seperators) {
+  try {
+    return reader->next_values(nparams, seperators);
+  } catch (FileReaderException & e) {
+    error->one(FLERR, e.what());
+  }
+  return ValueTokenizer("");
+}
+
 double PotentialFileReader::next_double() {
   try {
     char * line = reader->next_line(1);
diff --git a/src/potential_file_reader.h b/src/potential_file_reader.h
index 53d397ea31..02c50b6302 100644
--- a/src/potential_file_reader.h
+++ b/src/potential_file_reader.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <string>
 
 #include "pointers.h"
+#include "tokenizer.h"
 #include "text_file_reader.h"
 
 namespace LAMMPS_NS
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS
     void skip_line();
     char * next_line(int nparams = 0);
     void next_dvector(int n, double * list);
+    ValueTokenizer next_values(int nparams, const std::string & seperators = TOKENIZER_DEFAULT_SEPERATORS);
 
     // convenience functions
     double next_double();
diff --git a/src/text_file_reader.cpp b/src/text_file_reader.cpp
index fbd02c653e..bf2f18be84 100644
--- a/src/text_file_reader.cpp
+++ b/src/text_file_reader.cpp
@@ -115,3 +115,7 @@ void TextFileReader::next_dvector(int n, double * list) {
     }
   }
 }
+
+ValueTokenizer TextFileReader::next_values(int nparams, const std::string & seperators) {
+  return ValueTokenizer(next_line(nparams), seperators);
+}
diff --git a/src/text_file_reader.h b/src/text_file_reader.h
index 79ced00259..57cedeb0fb 100644
--- a/src/text_file_reader.h
+++ b/src/text_file_reader.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <string>
 #include <exception>
+#include "tokenizer.h"
 
 namespace LAMMPS_NS
 {
@@ -39,8 +40,9 @@ namespace LAMMPS_NS
 
     void skip_line();
     char * next_line(int nparams = 0);
-
+    
     void next_dvector(int n, double * list);
+    ValueTokenizer next_values(int nparams, const std::string & seperators = TOKENIZER_DEFAULT_SEPERATORS);
   };
 
   class FileReaderException : public std::exception {