Fieldcrest Cannon, Inc.

Cannon Mills Company

James N Moser

Byron E Moore

Gregory A Ball

Billy J Kiser

Gary L Hatley

John D Haynes

David M Basinger

An apparatus is provided for automatically and continuously feeding and folding successive textile articles, such as towels and the like, from a supply stack of such textile articles. The apparatus includes a supply mechanism for successively receiving a first stack of textile articles in a non-feeding position, moving the first stack into a feeding position, and receiving a second supply stack of textile articles in a non-feeding position for being moved into the feeding position when the first stack of textile articles is depleted. A folding mechanism successively receives the textile articles and folds the textile articles in the desired folded condition. A robot feeding mechanism with an end effector mechanism designed in accordance with this invention is positioned adjacent the supply mechanism for successively picking-up one textile article only from the top of the stack of textile articles in the feeding position and transporting the textile articles therefrom to the folding mechanism and releasing the textile articles.

Apparatus for automatically and continuously feeding and folding textile

An apparatus for automatically fabricating cut and edge stitched articles, such as washcloths and the like from a continuous length of textile material includes the following mechanisms. Mechanisms successively withdraw predetermined lengths of textile fabric from a supply source along a path of travel in a longitudinal direction of the fabric. Cutting mechanisms are positioned in the path of travel of the fabric for successively transversely cutting the fabric into individual articles of predetermined dimensions. Mechanisms successively feed the cut articles from the cutting mechanisms in a generally straight-line path of travel and to mechanisms for squaring the cut articles in the path of travel. A robot successively picks up the cut articles from the squaring mechanisms and transports the cut articles to edge stitching mechanisms which complete fabrication of the article.

Apparatus for automatically fabricating cut and edge stitched textile

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Kannapolis, NC, United States of America

James N Moser