Abstract: A system for automatically producing pantyhose garments from elongated tubular fabric blanks, each having a toe end portion and a welt or band end portion. Randomly oriented blanks are sequentially removed from a supply reservoir, oriented in a predetermined manner, and conveyed to a positioning and transferring assembly which orients, removes creases and pleats and properly positions a pair of blanks on the clamping assemblies of a pantyhose seaming machine. The pair of clamped blanks have the welt end portions severed, and severed edges seamed by sewing instrumentalities to define the panty portion of a pantyhose garment. The pantyhose are transferred to a machine where the toe ends are closed by seaming.

Abstract: A system for handling flexible articles such as tubular hosiery blanks each having a toe portion and a welt or band portion and for subsequently closing the toe portions includes an assembly for retrieving randomly oriented blanks from a supply reservoir, a pneumatic feed assembly for displacing the blanks to a magazine, a mechanism for selectively displacing the blanks from the magazine such that the toe portion is always first, an assembly for opening the band portion and positioning the band portion on fingers which expand and convey the blank to a transport tube of a toe closing assembly. The blank is inverted on the transport tube and the toe portion subsequently sewn.