Method and apparatus for providing pieces of flexible material from a length thereof

Apparatus for obtaining and processing pieces of flexible material from a length of said material which comprises a cutting station having a rotor and means for rotating the rotor about a rotor axis, the rotor having a guide which is rotatable therewith and is radially offset from said rotor axis;

• a track part relative to which the rotor rotates, said track part having an end adjacent to the rotor which end is axially spaced from the rotor;
• a bulk source of said length of material remote from said rotor and relative to which the rotor rotates;
• means for displacing the length of material longitudinally from said source, along the track part and, said end of the track part and said guide such that a free end of said material projects from said guide;
• means for guiding said material laterally relative to said axis as it is displaced from said end of the track part to said guide;
• a cutter relative to which the rotor is rotatable so that during rotation of the rotor and material in the guide thereof, the material engages the cutter such that a piece of predetermined length is cut from the free end of the material;
• and means for indexing the displacing means after said cut to displace said material such that a further free end thereof projects from the guide;
• transfer means for transferring the piece cut from said length of material to a predetermined station, said transfer means comprising retaining means and drive means for displacing the retaining means along a path having a region which coincides with part of the circumference of a circle through which the material is displaced by the rotor and in which region the rotor and cutter cut the material, said retaining means being synchronized in its displacement by the drive means to engage said free end of the material prior to said material being cut, to maintain said engagement while the material is cut between the retaining means and the guide as the retaining means is displaced along said region of the path, and to maintain said engagement with the piece cut from the material and carry that cut piece along said path to the predetermined station remote from said circumference of the circle.