Fabric turner

• Main Authors: HARRINGTON, RICHARD L, WAFFORD, LAWRENCE, BLESSING, HUBERT, RAY, TED MICHAEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 26.02.1992
• Subjects: APPLIANCES OR METHODS FOR MAKING CLOTHES, e.g. FORDRESS-MAKING, FOR TAILORING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CONVEYING; EMBROIDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS,CABLES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; LAUNDERING; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; SEWING; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; TEXTILES; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING; TREATING TEXTILE MATERIALS BY LIQUIDS, GASES OR VAPOURS; TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; TUFTING; WEARING APPAREL

For selectively inverting flexible and limp planar workpieces (100) such as fabric, an apparatus includes a primary workpiece propeller (112) having a cylindrical means for contacting the workpiece (100) about a central rotating axis. A slot (160) of sufficient size to receive the workpiece (100) is positioned in a substantially vertical orientation beneath the primary propeller (112). The slot (160) preferably has a flared upper end positioned directly beneath and in contact or near contact with the propeller (112). The workpiece (100) is drawn into the slot (160) by the rotation of the propeller (112) and follows the contour of the flared open end of the slot (160). The workpiece (100) enters into the slot (160) until the trailing edge of the workpiece (100) is in contact with the primary propeller (112). The trailing edge of the workpiece (100) is drawn by the propeller (112) to the opposite side of the flared opening of the slot (160) and is subsequently pulled out of the slot (160). Collisions are prevented between workpieces by a control circuit (36) that instructs the apparatus when to eject the workpieces (100).