Stenter for a textile material web

A stenter for a textile material web having a plurality of edges and a width, said stenter comprising:

• (a) a feeding section having an end, a material web inlet, and a material web outlet;
• (b) a horizontal support;
• (c) a driving motor;
• (d) a plurality of carrier wheels disposed on the support, at least one of said carrier wheels comprising a driven friction wheel driven by said driving motor;
• (e) a plurality of endless chains having gripping means for seizing the edges of the material web, said chains being reversed in the material web inlet and in the material web outlet;
• (f) two pivotably mounted chain conveyors for the endless chains, said conveyors pivotable against each other around vertical axles in a scissors-like manner at the end of the feeding section, one of said axles being located at the inlet of the feeding section, said conveyors having a plurality of pivotable wings mounted on the carrier wheels to be movable on the horizontal support and facing away from the axle at the inlet of the feeding section, said wings having a given spacing between each other;
• (g) a width sensor for measuring the width of the material web being fed;
• and
• (h) controlling and regulating means for adapting the given spacing of the pivotable wings of the chain conveyors facing away from the axle at the inlet of the feeding section to the measured width of the material web being fed.