Automatic sleeve invertor

An apparatus for automatically inverting a garment piece for a sweat suit or the like, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a frame;
• (b) an elongated tube attached to said frame having a front end and a rear end for receiving said garment piece over said front end of said tube;
• (c) a gripper arm located adjacent to the rear end of said tube and axially aligned with said tube, said gripper arm including:
• (i) a frame;
• (ii) an elongated arm attached to said frame at one end;
• (iii) gripping means attached to the other end of said elongated arm;
• and (iv) means for moving said arm and said gripping means from a first position away from said garment piece to a second position adjacent to said garment piece;
• (d) spreader means for engaging said garment piece adjacent to the front end of said tube to position said garment piece for said gripper means, whereby said gripper means and arm are operable to grasp and withdraw said garment piece through the front end of said tube to the rear end of said tube to automatically invert said garment piece.

A method for automatically inverting a garment piece for a sweat suit or the like, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving said garment piece over a front end of an elongated tube attached to a frame having a front end and a rear end;
• (b) spreading said garment piece adjacent to the front end of said tube to position said garment piece by inserting two members into said garment piece and moving said members away from one another;
• (c) gripping said garment piece where spread;
• and
• (d) withdrawing said garment piece through the front end of said tube to the rear end of said tube to automatically invert said garment piece.

An apparatus for automatically inverting a garment piece for a sweat suit or the like, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a frame;
• (b) an elongated tube attached to said frame having a front end and a rear end for receiving said garment piece over said front end of said tube;
• (c) an elongated arm located adjacent to the rear end of said tube and axially aligned with said tube and movable from a first position extending from the rear to the front portion of said tube to a second position rearward of said tube;
• (d) gripper means attached to one end of said arm, whereby said gripper means and arm are operable to grasp and withdraw said garment piece through the front end of said tube to the rear end of said tube to automatically invert said garment piece;
• and
• (e) a source of vacuum attached to the rear end of said tube.