Turn and cut machine for reverse-folding tubular textile material and methods of operation

Apparatus for reverse-folding tubular textile material onto itself comprising:

• a frame;
• a textile feeding element carried by said frame for advancing tubular textile material along a predetermined path, the material having a leading edge defining a leading edge opening;
• means for initially separating an overlying portion of the tubular material along its leading edge from an opposite underlying portion thereof to space the overlying and underlying portions from one another;
• gripping elements carried by said frame for gripping opposed portions of the tubular textile material and displacing said opposed portions outwardly of margins of the tubular material lying along said predetermined path;
• said gripping elements being carried for movement by said frame in a direction opposite to the direction of advance of the tubular textile material along the predetermined path for insertion into the leading edge between the spaced overlying and underlying portions and for movement in a direction normal thereto to move said opposed portions of the tubular textile material outwardly of the margins of the tubular material lying along the predetermined path;
• and
• said textile feeding element being movable to advance the tubular textile material along said predetermined path into and through the leading edge opening thereof and between said gripping elements, thereby causing the material to reverse-fold onto itself.

A method of reverse-folding tubular textile material onto itself comprising the steps of:

• disposing tubular textile material for advancement along a predetermined path, the material having a leading edge;
• separating a portion of the tubular material at its leading edge from an opposite portion thereof to define a leading edge opening;
• disposing gripping elements into the leading edge opening of the material to engage opposed portions thereof;
• displacing said gripping elements and said opposed portions engaged thereby such that said opposed portions lie outwardly of margins of the tubular material lying along the predetermined path;
• while said opposed portions lie outwardly of the margins of the tubular material, advancing a material feeding element engageable with the tubular material to advance the tubular material along the predetermined path into and through the leading edge opening and between the opposed portions thereof, thereby causing the material to reverse-fold onto itself;
• and
• withdrawing the material feeding element back through the leading edge opening of the tubular material leaving the tubular material displaced through the opening at the leading edge reverse-folded onto itself, and cutting the tubular material to separate the folded material from unfolded tubular material.

A method of reverse-folding tubular textile material onto itself comprising the steps of:

• disposing tubular textile material for advancement along a predetermined path, the material having a leading edge;
• separating a portion of the tubular material at its leading edge from an opposite portion thereof to define a leading edge opening;
• disposing gripping elements into the leading edge opening of the material to engage opposed portions thereof;
• displacing said gripping elements and said opposed portions engaged thereby such that said opposed portions lie outwardly of margins of the tubular material lying along the predetermined path;
• while said opposed portions lie outwardly of the margins of the tubular material, advancing a material feeding element engageable with the tubular material to advance the tubular material along the predetermined path into and through the leading edge opening and between the opposed portions thereof, thereby causing the material to reverse-fold onto itself;
• and
• stopping the advancement of the tubular material through the leading edge opening while maintaining the opposed portions of the tubular material engaged by the gripping elements and thereafter advancing the feeding element further through said leading edge opening to remove the opposed portions of the material from the gripping elements;
• withdrawing the material feeding element back through the leading edge of the tubular material leaving the tubular material displaced through the opening at the leading edge reverse-folded onto itself;
• and
• cutting the tubular material to separate the folded material from unfolded tubular material.

A method of reverse-folding tubular textile material onto itself comprising the steps of:

• disposing tubular textile material for advancement along a predetermined path, the material having a leading edge;
• separating a portion of the tubular material at its leading edge from an opposite portion thereof to define a leading edge opening;
• disposing gripping elements into the leading edge opening of the material to engage opposed portions thereof by displacing the gripping elements into said opening in a direction generally opposite to the direction of advancement of the material along said predetermined path to engage the opposed portions of the material;
• and
• displacing said gripping elements and said opposed portions engaged thereby such that said opposed portions lie outwardly of margins of the tubular material lying along the predetermined path;
• while said opposed portions lie outwardly of the margins of the tubular material, advancing a material feeding element engageable with the tubular material to advance the tubular material along the predetermined path into and through the leading edge opening and between the opposed portions thereof, thereby causing the material to reverse-fold onto itself;
• stopping the advancement of the tubular material through the leading edge opening while maintaining the opposed portions of the tubular material engaged by the gripping elements and thereafter advancing the feeding element further through said leading edge opening to remove the opposed portions of the material from the gripping elements;
• withdrawing the material feeding element back through the leading edge of the tubular material leaving the tubular material displaced through the opening at the leading edge reverse-folded onto itself;
• and
• cutting the tubular material to separate the folded material from unfolded tubular material.

A method of reverse-folding tubular textile material onto itself comprising the steps of:

• disposing tubular textile material for advancement along a predetermined path, the material having a leading edge;
• separating a portion of the tubular material at its leading edge from an opposite portion thereof to define a leading edge opening;
• disposing gripping elements into the leading edge opening of the material to engage opposed portions thereof;
• displacing said gripping elements and said opposed portions engaged thereby such that said opposed portions lie outwardly of margins of the tubular material lying along the predetermined path;
• while said opposed portions lie outwardly of the margins of the tubular material, advancing a material feeding element engageable with the tubular material to advance the tubular material along the predetermined path into and through the leading edge opening and between the opposed portions thereof, thereby causing the material to reverse-fold onto itself;
• and
• engaging the reverse-folded material after the feeding element has been advanced to a maximum;
• thereafter withdrawing the material feeding element back through the leading edge of the tubular material leaving the tubular material displaced through the opening at the leading edge reverse-folded onto itself and engaged to preclude movement thereof in a direction opposite to the advancement of the material along said predetermined path;
• and
• cutting the tubular material to separate the folded material from the tubular material.

Apparatus for reverse-folding tubular textile material onto itself comprising:

• a frame;
• a textile feeding element carried by said frame for advancing tubular textile material along a predetermined path, the material having a leading edge defining a leading edge opening;
• gripping elements carried by said frame for gripping opposed portions of the tubular textile material and displacing said opposed portions outwardly of margins of the tubular material lying along said predetermined path;
• said textile feeding element being movable to advance the tubular textile material along said predetermined path into and through the leading edge opening thereof and between said gripping elements, thereby causing the material to reverse-fold onto itself;
• and
• a clamp being movable between open and closed positions for enabling and stopping movement, respectively, of the tubular textile material along the predetermined path, said clamping element being movable to a closed position to stop the material from movement along the predetermined path while simultaneously said textile feeding element advances along the predetermined path, enabling the textile feeding element to remove opposed portions of the material from the gripping elements in response to said advancement.