Method and apparatus for producing face protection masks

A method for manufacturing face protection masks, comprising:

• forming an array of mask bodies advancing in a machine direction,
• forming a first and a second array of ear loops, wherein each ear loop includes a respective portion of U-bent elastic thread,
• attaching successive pairs of ear loops to respective mask bodies,
• wherein said step of forming a first and a second array of ear loops, comprises:
• feeding two continuous elastic threads, each in a longitudinal direction,
• retaining terminal portions of each of said two continuous elastic threads by respective arrays of holding sectors carried by a mobile structure, wherein said holding sectors are arranged in groups of sectors which hold respective elastic thread portions of said two continuous elastic threads, and wherein each of said groups of sectors comprises a fixed sector and two movable sectors arranged laterally on opposite sides of the fixed sector,
• cutting successive elastic thread portions between each pair of groups of sectors adjacent to each other so that each group of sectors holds a respective discrete elastic thread portion,
• bending each of said discrete elastic thread portions into a U-shape by rotating said movable sectors of each of said groups of sectors with respect to the respective fixed sector, so as to form a succession of discrete U-bent elastic thread portions.