Picking and transporting means for fabric sections and the like

A picking apparatus for nipping and lifting a limp ply, which comprises

• a. ply gripping means including a movable ply gripping surface,
• b. means for moving said ply gripping surface into controlled pressure contact with the top ply of a ply stack, whereby movement of said surface will effect displacement of the ply generally in the plane in which the ply initially rests,
• c. a stationary ply retaining means positioned adjacent said movable gripping means,
• d. means for moving said ply retaining means into contact with said top ply whereby upon movement of said gripping surface toward said retaining means, said ply is buckled into a wave between said surface and said retaining means,
• e. means for gripping and lifting said wave,
• f. said ply gripping and said ply retaining means being mounted for individually controlled pressure contact with adjacent portions of the top ply of a ply stack,
• g. support means for said ply gripping means,
• h. first yieldable means associated with said support means and said gripping means for urging said ply gripping wheel against said ply stack with a predetermined adjustable force,
• i. second yieldable means independent of the first yieldable means and associated with said ply retaining means for urging said retaining means against said ply stack,
• j. said support means comprising a pivotally mounted lifting lever,
• k. means for effectively substantially balancing said lever,
• l. said first yieldable means comprising an actuator element operable through a predetermined stroke, and a spring interconnecting said lifting lever and said actuator, and
• m. adjustable means interconnecting said spring and said actuator element for controlling the amount of displacement of said spring caused by the predetermined stroke of said actuator.

A picking apparatus for nipping and lifting a limp ply, which comprises

• a. a movable gripping member movable about an axis and having an arcuate ply gripping surface,
• b. lifting means supporting said member for rotary movement of its gripping surface about said axis,
• c. means forming a ply stripping element extending from a point outside the arcuate surface of the gripping member to a point within the projected configuration of the member and disposed at a relatively shallow angle with the gripping surface of the member at the point of intersection of said stripping element with said gripping surface,
• d. ply retaining shoe means positioned to yieldably press upon the ply stack, adjacent said ply gripping member, whereby ply material displaced by movement of said member is caused to buckle into a wave in the region between said member and said shoe, and
• e. said stripping element and said shoe means forming an accumulation cavity for receiving said wave.

An apparatus for picking and separating plies of limp material, one at a time, from a stack, which comprises

• a. gripping means for engaging the top ply and displacing it away from one edge of the ply stack,
• b. said gripping means engaging the ply at a first predetermined distance from said one edge.
• c. pressing means engaging the ply stack adjacent the gripping means and on the side thereof away from said edge, to restrain the upper ply against movement and thereby causing said fabric to be formed into a wave between said gripping and pressing means,
• d. ply stack hold-down means engageable with the top of the stack in a region spaced from said edge,
• e. said hold-down comprising a first portion extending above the stack in spaced relation and a second portion extending downward to engage the stack in a limited area spaced inward from said edge,
• f. actuating means of limited effective stroke for actuating said gripping means through a movement of limited displacement to displace said top ply a second predetermined distance from said edge,
• g. said second predetermined distance being less than said first predetermined distance, and
• h. the second portion of said hold-down means engaging said stack in a region spaced from said edge a third predetermined distance, less than, but greater than half of, said second predetermined distance, whereby following displacement of a ply by said gripping means, said hold-down means engages said ply stack at a point removed from the topmost ply but over a lower ply secured edge-to-edge with said first ply.

An apparatus for picking and separating limp plies from a stack thereof, which comprises

• a. means for gripping the top ply and displacing it away from one edge of the stack,
• b. stack hold-down means engageable with the stack in a region spaced between said edge and said gripping means,
• c. means for lifting said gripping means and a top ply held thereby away from the stack while said hold-down means is engaged with the stack,
• d. means for lifting the hold-down means substantially above the stack after said top ply has been removed by said lifting means,
• e. said gripping means being engageable with said top ply in a region spaced inwardly from said one edge of the stack a first predetermined distance and being operative to displace said top ply, generally in the direction of its initial plane, away from said edge through a second predetermined distance which is less than the first predetermined distance, and
• f. said hold-down means being positioned to engage said stack in a limited area located between said edge and said gripping means and spaced inward from said edge a distance less than the second predetermined distance but greater than one-half thereof.

Apparatus for separating and transporting limp plies one at a time from a stack thereof, which comprises

• a. means for gripping and lifting one edge portion of a top ply of the stack,
• b. hold-down means for engaging the stack below the top ply in the region of said one edge,
• c. a plate-like shutter means movable into interposition below said top ply and above the remainder of the stack, to fully separate said top ply from said stack, and
• d. means guiding said plate-like shutter for progressive interposing, longitudinal movement, entering adjacent said one edge and progressing toward and beyond the opposite edge,
• e. said plate-like shutter being of greater width than the plies of said stack, whereby progressive longitudinal interposing movement of the plate is operative to effect positive separation of the side edges of said top ply from lower plies,
• f. said means for gripping and lifting being engageable with limited areas only of said top ply,
• g. said plate-like shutter having a tapered leading edge portion adapted to be received initially between said top ply and said stack in the limited region in which said top ply is gripped and lifted, and
• h. said tapered leading edge portion progressively forcing outward and separating any edges of said top ply which are attached to said stack.

Apparatus for separating and transporting limp plies one at a time from a stack thereof, which comprises

• a. means for gripping and lifting one edge portion of a top ply of the stack,
• b. hold-down means for engaging the stack below the top ply in the region of said one edge,
• c. a plate-like shutter means movable into interposition below said top ply and above the remainder of the stack, to fully separate said top ply from said stack,
• d. means guiding said plate-like shutter for progressive interposing, longitudinal movement, entering adjacent said one edge and progressing toward and beyond the opposite edge,
• e. means for reciprocating said plate-like shutter between an interposed position, between said stack and top ply, and a predetermined destination position, and
• f. means independent of said gripping and lifting means effective to retain said top ply on said shutter during movement of the shutter and the ply to said destination position.

Apparatus for separating and transporting limp plies one at a time from a stack thereof, which comprises

• a. means for lifting one edge of a top ply of the stack,
• b. plate-like transport shutter means,
• c. means for guiding and actuating said plate-like shutter means in a plane above the top of the ply stack but below a lifted edge of the top ply, whereby a lifted top ply may be engaged and supported for transport by said shutter means, and
• d. means for actuating said shutter means to move with a ply to a predetermined destination position,
• e. said shutter means being movable between said top ply and said stack progressively from one end edge of the ply to the other,
• f. ply engaging means carried by said shutter means adjacent its leading edge and engageable with said other end edge of the top ply for positive engagement with said ply during movement of the shutter means toward said destination position, and
• g. means for effecting removal of a ply from said shutter means at said destination position,
• h. said means for effecting removal comprising means for retaining said ply and means for effecting return movement of said shutter means.

An apparatus for separating and transporting limp plies one at a time from a ply stack, which comprises

• a. means to pick plies one at a time from a ply stack,
• b. a flat shutter plate for receiving plies one at a time from the picking means,
• c. means for actuating said shutter plate between ply receiving and ply delivering positions, and
• d. means for orienting said plies on said plate comprising a pair of sweep elements engageable with one end edge of a ply supported by said plate, near the center of said edge, and movable symmetrically away from said center while maintaining engagement between said edge and at least one of said sweep elements.

The method of picking and removing limp plies one at a time from a stack, which comprises

• a. displacing a first limited area of the top ply through a predetermined limited distance generally in the plane of the ply and away from a predetermined edge of the ply,
• b. simultaneously restraining against displacement a second limited area portion of the top ply closely adjacent the first area and on the side thereof opposite said predetermined edge, whereby said ply is buckled into a wave,
• c. gripping said ply in the region of said wave,
• d. subsequent to displacement of said top ply, engaging and restraining the remainder of the stack of plies in a limited region located between said predetermined edge and said first limited area and spaced from said predetermined edge a distance greater than one-half of said predetermined distance, and
• e. thereafter removing said top ply.

The method of picking and removing limp plies, one at a time, from a stack which comprises

• a. controllably, yieldably engaging a first limited area of the top ply adjacent one edge of the ply and displacing it in a direction away from said one edge through a predetermined limited distance,
• b. thereafter pressing downward on the ply stack in a second limited area between said one edge and said first limited area and spaced from said one edge a distance less than, but greater than one-half of, the distance of displacement, whereby to engage all plies below the top, including any plies whose edges are connected to said one edge,
• c. said second limited area being sufficiently removed from said one edge to substantially avoid creasing of the folded-over margin of a connected lower ply, and
• d. thereafter lifting said top ply.

The method of picking and removing limp plies, one at a time, from a stack, which comprises

• a. controllably, yieldably engaging a first limited area of the top ply adjacent one edge of the ply and displacing it in a direction away from said one edge through a predetermined limited distance,
• b. thereafter pressing downward on the ply stack in a second limited area between said one edge and said first limited area and spaced from said one edge a distance less than, but greater than one-half of, the distance of displacement, whereby to engage all plies below the top, including any plies whose edges are connected to said one edge,
• c. thereafter lifting said top ply,
• d. controllably, yieldably engaging said top ply in a second limited area, immediately adjacent said first area and on the side thereof opposite said one edge,
• e. restraining said second area while displacing the first to form a wave in the ply,
• f. nipping the ply near the base of the wave and lifting the nipped area,
• g. while continuing to nip the ply, interposing a member progressively between the ply and the stack to fully disengage and separate said ply from said stack, and
• h. after disengaging and separating said ply, transporting said ply to a predetermined destination while simultaneously commencing to engage a next successive ply in the sequence set forth in subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c) hereof.