A device for capturing a cloth item, and a method of operating the device

A method of capturing a selected portion of a cloth item, to then present the cloth item in a suspended form for further processing, and using a device comprising:

• a first conveyor belt and a second conveyor belt, separated from each other by an elongated gap and configured to convey a cloth item across said gap in a direction;
• a gripper arranged to capture a selected portion of said cloth item from above and/or below when said selected portion of said cloth item passes said gap, said gripper being movable to remove said cloth item captured by said gripper from said second conveyor belt;
• and
• a controller configured to activate said gripper to capture said selected portion of said cloth item when said selected portion of said cloth item passes said gap and for moving of said gripper to remove said cloth item captured by said gripper from said second conveyor belt;
• said method comprising:
• loading said cloth item onto a receiving portion of said first conveyor;
• conveying said cloth item towards said gap by said first conveyor;
• selecting said portion of said cloth item that is to be captured by said gripper;
• determining or registering a time of arrival at said of said selected portion said cloth item being conveyed towards said gap by said first conveyor;
• determining or registering a position of arrival of said selected portion of said cloth item at said gap;
• activating said gripper to move to said determined or registered position of arrival of said selected portion of said cloth item and to capture said selected portion of said cloth item at said determined or registered time of arrival;
• and
• moving said gripper with said captured selected portion of said cloth item to a position next to said gap, to pull said cloth item sideways off said second conveyor belt.

A device for capturing a selected portion of a cloth item advanced by a conveyor belt, said device comprising:

• a gripper for capturing a selected portion of a cloth item by suction, said gripper being movable from a capturing position above a conveyor belt to a position along a side of said conveyor belt to thereby remove said cloth item captured by said gripper from said conveyor belt;
• a controller configured to move said gripper into said capturing position corresponding to an expected path of movement of said selected portion of said cloth item below said gripper, to activate said gripper for said capturing when said selected portion of said cloth item moved by said conveyor belt passes said capturing position, and for said moving of said gripper to said position along said side of said conveyor belt;
• and
• a device communicating with said controller, for registering an image of said item of cloth on said conveyor belt, seen from above said conveyor belt;
• wherein said controller processing said image to select said selected portion of said cloth item to be captured among corresponding portions of said image showing a tapering geometry with a tip portion.