Method and apparatus for handling, positioning and assembling fabric plies

The method of producing assemblies of one ply upon another, which comprises

• (a) depositing one each of the two plies in generally side-by-side relation on a movable shutter plate,
• (b) moving the shutter plate along a first axis to position said plies generally over a load station and index conveyor,
• (c) aligning and orienting said plies with respect to said load station by selectively restraining spaced portions of the trailing edges of each of the two plies while said shutter plate remains in motion in an advancing direction,
• (d) depositing the aligned and oriented plies at the load station by retracting the shutter plate while restraining the plies,
• (e) index conveying the deposited plies laterally along a second axis generally at right angles to said first axis, whereby to move one ply substantially into a position previously occupied by the other ply, and
• (f) performing the foregoing operations repetitively whereby to effect assemblies of one ply upon another.

The method of producing assemblies of one ply upon another, which comprises

• (a) providing one each of the two plies in generally side-by-side relation on a shutter plate movable toward a load station,
• (b) orienting and aligning each of said plies with respect to said load station during movement of said shutter plate toward said load station by selectively restraining advance movement of selected portions of each of said plies,
• (c) depositing the aligned and oriented plies at said load station by retracting the shutter plate while restraining the plies,
• (d) index conveying at least one of the plies laterally to a position previously occupied by an assembly of plies, and
• (e) so controlling the timing of deposit of respective ones of the plies of an assembly thereof as to deposit different plies one above the other in position for joining.

Apparatus for depositing an aligned and oriented ply, which comprises

• (a) a generally flat shutter plate mounted for advancing and retracting movement toward and away from a load station,
• (b) means for depositing a ply on the shutter plate when said plate is in a retracted position,
• (c) a load station located immediately below said shutter plate when the plate is in an advanced position,
• (d) a spaced pair of sensors, spaced relatively widely apart and located generally above said load station and above the working plane of said shutter plate,
• (e) said sensors being positioned to sense the leading edge of a ply being advanced by said shutter plate in respective areas near an end of said ply,
• (f) spaced, independent ply orienting elements associated with each of said edge sensors and operative by said edge sensors to engage and restrain limited, spot-like areas of the ply substantially aligned with the respective sensors, whereby to prevent further advancing movement of said spot-like areas upon continued advancing movement of said shutter plate.

Apparatus for assembling a plurality of plies, which comprises

• (a) a shutter plate movable in advancing and retracting directions,
• (b) means for arranging on said shutter plate a pair of plies in oriented, aligned relation and in generally side-by-side relation,
• (c) an index conveyor positioned under the plane of the shutter plate adjacent its advanced position,
• (d) ply holding means for holding said plies in oriented and aligned positions during retraction of said shutter plate, whereby said plies are deposited in said aligned and oriented condition on said index conveyor,
• (e) means for controllably advancing said index conveyor after deposit of said plies thereon,
• (f) said last mentioned means including side edge sensing means for sensing and locating the leading side edge of a ply,
• (g) said side edge sensing means being so located as to stop the index conveyor when one ply deposited in a cycle is positioned in alignment with the original position of the other ply.

The method of delivering an oriented and aligned ply of limp material which comprises

• (a) supporting the ply in a flat condition and advancing the ply along a first axis,
• (b) depositing the ply on a conveyor movable on a second axis,
• (c) prior to depositing the ply and during advancing movement of the ply along the first axis aligning the leading edge of said ply with a first reference by selectively engaging the ply in regions adjacent its trailing edge to restrain advancing movement of said engaged regions,
• (d) laterally conveying said plies along said second axis, and
• (e) aligning a side edge of said ply with a second reference by controllably discontinuing the lateral conveying of the ply.

The method of picking and delivering a wide ply from a stack thereof, which comprises

• (a) progressively elevating a stack of plies to maintain the upper ply substantially at a predetermined level,
• (b) engaging said upper ply near its leading edge at a plurality of locations, buckling said ply at said locations to form waves and nipping said waves, and lifting said upper ply by the nipped areas,
• (c) inserting a shutter plate under said ply in a direction from its leading toward its trailing edge, to fully separate said ply from the stack thereof while continuing to nip said waves,
• (d) releasing the nipped areas of said ply and removing said shutter plate in a feeding direction to carry away said ply,
• (e) while said shutter plate continues to move in a feeding direction, manipulating said ply by selectively restraining spaced portions of the ply from movement in said feeding direction to orient the edges thereof with a predetermined reference, while said ply is on said shutter, and
• (f) removing said oriented ply from said shutter plate.

Means for controllably restraining and positioning a limited area portion of a limp ply, comprising

• (a) a moving plate for transporting said ply,
• (b) means for sensing the position of said ply in the region of said limited area as said ply is transported by said plate,
• (c) a rotary acting solenoid mounted above said plate and energizable in response to said sensing means,
• (d) said rotary acting solenoid having a rotary output member,
• (e) a ply restraining member carried by said rotary output member and engageable with a limited area of a ply to restrain said area against further movement with said plate, and
• (f) gauge bar means positioned below the level of the movable plate and being substantially in alignment with said sensing means,
• (g) said plate having an inclined forward edge tapering toward the bottom plane of the plate,
• (h) said restraining member being engageable with said plate behind said inclined forward edge and being urged in a direction to maintain contact with a limp ply on said forward edge during retracting movements of said plate, whereby the leading edge of said ply is urged toward said gauge bar during retraction of said plate.