Abstract: An apparatus for forming a spread of generally thin, pliable material from a roll thereof onto a table includes a cradle for holding the roll of the material which is selectively operable to rotate the roll of material for feeding a web of material generally forwardly from the roll. An endless conveyor including a series of flights spaced at intervals therealong with openings between the flights is driven for forward travel, and the web from the roll of the material is received on and carried forward by a flight in the upper reach of the conveyor. A knife is operable to cut the web to separate a first sheet of material from the roll of material. The first sheet of material is thereafter held from forward movement with the supporting flight by grippers selectively operable for gripping the first sheet of material on the supporting flight in the upper reach of the conveyor. Thus, the supporting flight slides out from under the first sheet of material with the first sheet falling onto the table.

Abstract: An automatic feeder for feeding workpieces of limp material one after another from a stack of workpieces, the feeder includes a moving support mechanism for supporting the stack, and a gripper located generally underneath the stack and the moving support mechanism. The gripper has a multiplicity of needles on it for gripping the bottom workpiece, and the support mechanism has an opening in it for exposing the bottom workpiece in the stack to the needles. A motor actuates relative motion between the support mechanism and the stack and the gripper and the stack such that the opening in the support mechanism and the gripper pass conjointly under the stack in a direction generally from one end of the stack to the other thereby to progressively present areas of the bottom workpiece over the opening.

Abstract: Article positioning apparatus having a positioning surface and sensors for sensing the location of an article on the positioning surface with reference to an X direction, with reference to a Y direction perpendicular thereto, and with reference to an angular orientation in the plane of the positioning surface about an axis generally perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction. Motors are provided for moving the article in the X direction, in the Y direction, and for rotating the article generally about the axis. A controller responsive to the sensors selectively activates the X motor, Y motor and rotating motor to position the article.