Transporting limp fabric
AssigneePacific Dunlop Limited
InventorAnthony D. Mathias
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for transferring a limp fabric piece (6) wherein the fabric piece (6) is deposited on a low frictional plate (7) supported by a movable carriage (not shown) mounted on wheels (10). The carriage is then moved to a position beneath a frictional gripping device (9) which is then lowered onto the fabric piece (6). The carriage with the low friction plate (7) is then withdrawn from beneath the gripping device (9) and returned to its original position leaving gripping device (9) in frictional engagement with fabric piece (6).
Claims6
A method of transferring a limp fabric piece and capturing said piece along two opposite marginal portions thereof for a subsequent sewing operation along said marginal portions of the fabric piece, comprising (a) freely supporting the fabric piece in a flat state on a first flat low friction surface at one location, (b) moving said first low friction surface with the fabric piece thereon to position the fabric piece in a selected location above a second low friction flat surface, (c) frictionally engaging the exposed surface of the fabric piece at least along two opposite marginal portions of the fabric piece extending in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said first low friction surface to hold said fabric piece in said flat state at said selected location such that said marginal portions are left protruding beyond said frictional engagement, and (d) removing said first low friction surface from between the fabric piece and said second low friction flat surface so that the fabric piece is deposited in the flat state on said second low friction surface while maintaining the frictional engagement defined in (c) above.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.