Apparatus for individually orienting textile packages in response to

Abstract

An apparatus for orienting packages of textile material into predetermined individual orientations cooperates with a package delivery system which delivers packages in random orientations. The package orienting apparatus includes a device for classifying each package on the basis of a detectably different characteristic such as, for example, the characteristic that one respective end of the tube of the package has a larger diameter than the other tube end. A disposing device is operatively connected to the classifying device for moving each textile material package through a predetermined movement in response to the sensing of the detectably different characteristic to thereby bring the package into a predetermined individual orientation. The disposing device can include a drum having a pair of package receiving elements formed therein each along a respective radius of the drum and perpendicular to the other package receiving element. A control unit controls the drum motor to rotate the drum in a selected clockwise or counter-clockwise direction in response to sensing of the detectable characteristic of the package being received in the next available package receiving element to thereby orient all packages detected as having the same characteristic into the same individual orientation.