An apparatus for making a plurality of vertical strips includable in a sheer vertical blind, said apparatus comprising:
- a support surface;
- a first gripper configured to be reversibly connected to a band at least partly made of flexible material a first transverse edge of the band;
- a first actuator connected to said first gripper and configured to translate the first gripper over said support surface so that when said first gripper is connected to said band, a translation of said first gripper by said first actuator causes a dragging of said band on said support surface;
- a second gripper configured to be reversibly connected to a ribbon at least partly made of non-woven fabric, said second gripper being configured to be reversibly connected to said ribbon at a transverse edge of the ribbon;
- a second actuator connected to said second gripper and configured to translate the second gripper over said support surface so that when said second gripper is connected to said ribbon, a translation of said second gripper by said second actuator causes a dragging of said ribbon on said support surface, said first and second actuators being configured to sufficiently translate said first and second grippers, respectively, over said support surface so that, and in such respective directions that, when said first and second grippers are connected to said band and said ribbon, respectively:
- said band is draggable, by said first actuator, on said support surface so that a portion of said band not including said first transverse edge is placeable at at least a stretch of the path travelled by said second gripper at a translation thereof over said support surface by said second actuator, and
- said ribbon is draggable, by said second actuator, and restable on said portion of said band so that said ribbon at least partly opposes said portion of said band transversely to said band, so that said ribbon is draggable on said support surface, by said second actuator, with an interposition of said portion of said band between said support surface and said ribbon;
- a first joining device configured to mutually connect said ribbon and said portion of said band following a resting of said ribbon on said portion of said band by said second actuator;
- a separator configured to make a through-cut longitudinally in said ribbon and simultaneously transversely in said band at said portion of the band following a mutual connection between said ribbon and said portion of said band by said first joining device, to divide said ribbon into a first portion and a second portion, and said band, at said portion thereof, into:
- a first stretch extending from:
- said first transverse edge of said band toward a second transverse edge of said band, opposite to said first transverse edge, and formed following said cut made by said cutter, an end section of said first stretch of said band extending from said second transverse edge being covered by said first portion of said ribbon, and
- a second stretch corresponding to the remaining part of said band and extending from:
- a third transverse edge of said band, opposing said second transverse edge, and formed following said cut made by said cutter toward a fourth transverse edge of said band, opposite to said third transverse edge, an end section of said second stretch of said band extending from said third transverse edge being covered by said second portion of said ribbon;
- a third gripper configured to be reversibly connected to a pair of coupling members, each of said coupling members comprising a base and a slot, said third gripper being configured to be reversibly connected to each of said coupling members at said base;
- a third actuator connected to said third gripper and configured to move the third gripper such that, following:
- a division, by said cutter, of said ribbon into said first and second portions,
- a division, by said cutter, of said band into said first and second stretches, and
- a connection of said third gripper) to said pair of coupling members,
- said pair of coupling members is restable on said first portion of said ribbon at said bases and with said slots projecting past said second transverse edge of said band,
- said third actuator being configured to translate said third gripper so that said coupling members are restable on said first portion of said ribbon on opposite sides with respect to a longitudinal axis of symmetry of said band;
- a second joining device configured to mutually connect each of the coupling members of said pair of coupling members and said first portion of said ribbon following the resting of said pair of coupling members on said first portion of said ribbon by said third actuator, so that said first stretch of said band, following a disconnection of:
- said first gripper from said first stretch of said band,
- said second gripper from said ribbon, and
- said third gripper from said pair of coupling members,
- serves as a vertical strip includable in a sheer vertical blind,
- said first actuator, following a disconnection of said first gripper from said first stretch of said band, being configured to translate said first gripper into a position such that said first gripper are reversibly connectable to said second stretch of said band at said third transverse edge,
- said second actuator, following a disconnection of said second gripper from said ribbon, being configured to translate said second gripper into a position such that said second gripper is reversibly connectable to an additional ribbon at least partly made of non-woven fabric, at an edge of said additional ribbon,
- said third actuator, following a disconnection of said third from said pair of coupling members, being configured to move said third gripper into a position such that said third are reversibly connectable to an additional pair of said coupling members at said bases of the coupling members, so that:
- following a connection of said first gripper to said second stretch of said band, together with said second portion of said ribbon, said second stretch of said band is draggable, at said third transverse edge, on said support surface by said first actuator so that an additional portion of said band belonging to said second stretch thereof and not including said third transverse edge is placeable at said stretch of the path travelled by said second gripper at a translation thereof by said second actuator,
- following a connection of said second gripper to said additional ribbon at said edge of the additional ribbon, said additional ribbon is draggable, by said second actuator, and restable on said additional portion of said second stretch of said band so that said additional ribbon at least partly opposes said additional portion of said second stretch of said band transversely to said band,
- following a resting of said additional ribbon on said additional portion of said second stretch of said band, said additional ribbon and said additional portion of said second stretch of said band are mutually connectable by said first joining device,
- following a mutual connection between said additional ribbon and said additional portion of said second stretch of said band by said first joining device, said additional ribbon is dividable, by said cutter, into a first portion and a second portion, and said second stretch of said band, at said additional portion thereof, into:
- a first sub-stretch extending from:
- said third transverse edge of said band toward a fifth transverse edge of said second stretch of said band, opposite to said third transverse edge, and formed following said cut made by said cutter in said second stretch of said band, an end section of said first sub-stretch of said second stretch of said band extending from said fifth transverse edge being covered by said first portion of said further ribbon, and
- a second sub-stretch corresponding to the remaining part of said second stretch of said band and extending from:
- a sixth transverse edge of said second stretch of said band, opposing said fifth transverse edge, and formed following said cut made by said cutter in said second stretch of said band toward said fourth transverse edge of said band, an end section of said second sub-stretch of said second stretch of said band extending from said sixth transverse edge being covered by said second portion of said additional ribbon;
- following:
- a division, by said cutter, of said additional ribbon into said first and second portions,
- a division, by said cutter, of said second stretch of said band into said first and second sub-stretches, and
- a connection of said third gripper to said additional pair of coupling members,
- said additional pair of said coupling members is restable, by said third actuator, on said first portion of said additional ribbon at said bases, with said slots projecting past said fifth transverse edge of said first sub-stretch of said second stretch of said band, and with said coupling members of said additional pair on opposite sides with respect to said longitudinal axis of symmetry of said band,
- following a resting of said further pair of coupling members on said first portion of said additional ribbon, said additional pair of coupling members and said first portion of said additional ribbon are mutually connectable,
- so that said first sub-stretch of said second stretch of said band, following a disconnection of:
- said first gripper from said first sub-stretch of said second stretch of said band,
- said second gripper from said additional ribbon, and
- said third gripper from said additional pair of coupling members,
- serves as an additional vertical strip includable in a sheer vertical blind.