Apparatus for and method of inspecting tubular textile goods

In an apparatus, for use in the inspection of tubular textile goods, of the type including means for guiding longitudinally advancing tubular textile goods along a path of travel, and means disposed within the longitudinally advancing tubular textile goods for flattening a portion of the longitudinally advancing tubular textile goods into a web-like configuration having a pair of major opposed spaced sides jointly comprising the entire surface area of the flattened portion of the advancing tubular textile goods in order to permit simultaneous inspection of substantially the entire surface of the advancing tubular textile goods as they advance by simultaneously inspecting the pair of major opposed sides of the flattened portion of the advancing tubular textile goods, the improvement which comprises:

• said means for guiding comprising means defining an open elongated narrow slot unobstructed by any structural elements of the apparatus for receiving the longitudinally advancing tubular textile goods in the flattened web-like configuration;
• and
• said means for flattening a portion of the longitudinally advancing tubular textile goods comprising a plate-like member disposed within the tubular textile goods and dimensioned to stretch a portion of the tubular textile goods to form the flattened portion of the same and said plate-like member being sufficiently thick to prevent its passage through the slot, said plate-like member being disposed in use within the tubular textile goods above and supported by said means defining an open elongated narrow slot to flatten a portion of the tubular textile goods as they progressively longitudinally advance over said plate-like member and through said open narrow elongated slot, said tubular textile goods conforming to the shape of the plate-like member as they advance whereby the flattened portion of the tubular textile goods is formed above said means defining an open elongated narrow slot and the major opposed sides of the flattened portion converging as the tubular textile goods advance into the open elongated slot and pass between said plate-like member and said means defining an elongated slot whereby said plate-like member forms the flattened portion of the advancing tubular textile goods while being supported by said means defining an open elongated narrow slot and is maintained positioned above the slot by the advancing tubular textile goods.