Abstract: Apparatuses and methods spread a towel from a load of towels. The towels are rectangular, such as hand, wash or beach towels. A trailing corner is first identified to isolate one short edge from another short edge. The entire towel is then transported from one side of a center line of a conveyor to another side. Once on the other side, an end of the towel is brought into contact with a moving belt. The moving belt tensions the towel by causing friction downwards or away from the direction the towel is being moved. The clamped corner is moved back to the other side of the center line and released on the conveyor. A pinch belt, such as a pinch belt on one side of the conveyor, conveys one end of the towel in a bunch. The conveyor conveys one portion of the towel while the pinch belt conveys the bunched portion. The conveyor conveys the towel off the end of the conveyor until a trailing corner is detected. A pinch roller is then placed against the conveyor to clamp the trailing corner.

Abstract: A towel spreader is provided. A trailing corner is clamped to isolate an edge of a towel where the edge is either along a fold in a towel or along an outer extremity of the towel. The towel is then flattened in a single or two layers using motion and gravity while being held along the identified edge. The same or a different trailing corner is then rotated such that a back outer extremity edge of the towel is perpendicular with a direction of movement of a conveyor. By clamping the back edge while continuing to move a downstream conveyor and blow air on the towel, the towel is flattened out. The spread towel is then passed downstream for further processing, such as folding.