Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing articles such as tickets and cards includes a cabinet and a plurality of article dispensing assemblies inside the cabinet. Each article dispensing assembly includes a base and a frame for enclosing articles to be dispensed in a stack. The bases are mounted on a pair of vertical support plates.

Abstract: A device for stream feeding of sheet onto a stack including first and second conveyors spaced apart along a conveying path of the sheets, a deflector mounted between the conveyors and a braking system reducing a transport speed of the sheets and providing loading the sheets onto a stack.

Abstract: Device for removing copies diverted from a conveyed stream thereof in a rotary cross cutter or delivery in a sheet-fed rotary printing press includes a device for decelerating the copies which are transported at an incoming conveying speed, the decelerating device being disposed so as to act upon both sides of the copies which are to be decelerated, a device for defining a copy-transport plane, a copy guide forming a diverter disposed down-line from the decelerating device and above the device for defining a copy-transport plane, and respective structures defining two conveying planes disposed down-line from the copy guide, at least one of the conveying plane-defining structures including a pneumatically acted-upon conveying device.

Abstract: Rolls of individual plastic bags are formed on apparatus that overlaps the bags before the bags are fed into the roll to provide a compact roll of individual bags. The apparatus overlaps portions of the bags so that a plurality of bags can be continuously fed into the roll even though the bags are not mechanically connected end-to-end to adjacent bags on the roll.

Abstract: Device for conveying a sheet along a conveyance path to a sheet pile having a conveyor for gripping the sheet at least at one edge thereof, a drive connected to the conveyor, fixed guides for the sheet, a pneumatic device disposed in cooperative proximity with the guides, and a control or regulating device connected to adjustment elements of the conveyor, the drive and the pneumatic device, includes at least one sensor disposed in the conveyance path of the sheet for detecting movement of the sheet, the sensor being connected to the control or regulating device.

Abstract: A suction apparatus for a printing press includes a plurality of suction ports and air shutter devices. The suction ports suck and hold an object used for a printing operation. The air shutter devices are provided to the suction ports on at least one end portion side not used for a suction operation of a small-size object. Each of the air shutter devices is constituted by a passage block having an air passage through which air for sucking an object passes, a magnetic member arranged around an air passage opening portion of the passage block, and a shutter member consisting of a magnetic material and movable between a closed position where the air passage opening portion of the passage block including the magnetic member is closed and an open position where the air passage is open, one of the magnetic member and the shutter member being magnetized.

Abstract: Rolls of individual plastic bags are formed on apparatus that overlaps the bags before the bags are fed into the roll to provide a compact roll of individual bags. The apparatus overlaps portions of the bags so that a plurality of bags can be continuously fed into the roll even though the bags are not mechanically connected end-to-end to adjacent bags on the roll.

Abstract: A delivery of a sheet-processing machine for transporting a sheet along a sheet-conveying path to a stacking device, includes a sheet braking device engaging, during operation, with an underside of a sheet and retarding it by suction belts or the like. A suction region is adjacent to and upstream of the sheet braking device. A suction device applies suction, in the suction region, to the underside of the sheet. A brake carriage carries the sheet braking device and the suction device and is displaceable between selective positions within a segment of the path. A stationary first guide device has a first sheet guide surface segment set back upstream from the sheet braking device. A second guide device has a guide element displaceable by the brake carriage and forming a second sheet guide surface segment between the sheet braking device and the first sheet guide surface segment. The second segment, together with the first segment, form a combined sheet guide surface having a telescopically variable length.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking sheet-like products delivered one after another in a spaced relationship to each other with a transporting device, including a conveyor arranged above a transporting plane of the transporting device for conveying the delivered sheet-like products to a stacking position, and a braking device located beneath the conveyor, with the conveyor having a conveying surface provided with suction openings or magnets for lifting the sheet-like products off the transporting device and for retaining the sheet-like products as they are conveyed to the stacking position.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for nondestructively removing a cut segment of predetermined shape from a limp material sheet workpiece and transporting the cut workpiece segment to a staging area for further processing. The cut segment is picked up by a picker which may comprise an array of carding strips, each strip having a plurality of needle-like elements, arranged such that each strip can be displaced relative to its adjacent strips and the needle-like elements of each strip are angularly offset with respect to the needle-like elements of the adjacent strips. Such removal and transporting having is accomplished without distorting the shape of the cut segment.

Abstract: A cloth pick-up apparatus is used which comprises pressing mechanism for a pressing one end of the top cloth piece from the upper side, a catch roller having on a part of its circumferential surface catch needles and movable toward and away from the other end of the top cloth piece, the catch roller being adapted to be driven for rotation to feed the top cloth piece in a direction remote from the pressing mechanism, a feed roller rotatable in timed relation with the catch roller, and a pressure roller movable toward and away from a cloth-piece-feed surface of the feed roller and rotatable in cooperation with the feed roller. The catch roller is rotated touching one end of front face of the cloth pieces with the other end of the cloth piece pressed by the pressing roller so that the upper most cloth piece is caught by the catch needles and, at the same time, is raised.

Abstract: In the case of a device for depositing sheets on a stack table having stack abutments, comprises a conveying system which includes a plurality of endless conveyor belts arranged in parallelism and mechanism to drive the conveyor belts at the same speed to convey the sheets separately in spaced relation to each other on an upper surface thereof, it is possible to ensure more gentle handling of the sheets and more reliable and troublefree operation together with operation at a higher speed if the device comprises a perforated belt system which overlaps the one end of the conveyor belt system and comprises a plurality of parallel endless perforated belts adapted to be driven by a motor at an adjustable speed, such perforated belt system extending over the stack table, a plurality of suction air ducts, which are respectively arranged behind each lower run of such perforated belt and are solely open toward the perforated belt, a source of vacuum which is connected with the ends of the vacuum ducts nearest to the c

Abstract: A substantially enhanced and improved automated mail or envelope handling system is obtained by incorporating therein the envelope content separating or staggering system of this invention. By positioning separating means in the envelope content pathway which cooperate with the envelope contents to physically separate and/or longitudinally stagger one content element relative to the second content element, the staggered portion of the rear element is easily readable by the operator in addition to the readability of the forward element. In this way, the operator is able to initiate processing of the envelope contents without being required to physically remove and separate the elements before processing the information. In the preferred embodiment, vacuum means are employed to attract and hold one of the content elements for a pre-determined duration of time, while the other element continues to advance. In this way, the desired longitudinally separation is efficiently attained.

Abstract: A labeller head using the Bernoulli Effect is suited for applying thin, flexible, pressure sensitive labels (14, 106) of the type having a first, display side and a second, adhesive side, and includes a body having a rigid or resilient support surface (52, 64, 102, 104); a plenum (54) within the body; a plurality of bores (56, 74, 86-90, 114) extending from the plenum through the support surface, the bores being angled with respect to the support surface and arranged in an array so that jets of gas issuing from the array will cause the label to be drawn onto the support surface when the label is presented to the support surface and the first, display side is brought into close proximity of the jets, thereby causing a zone of reduced gas pressure to be formed between the support surface and the first, display side and establishing a pressure differential across the label to hold the label on a film of gas flowing over the support surface; a source of pressurized gas (58) for directing gas into the plenum and t

Abstract: Sheets that arrive one after another in a horizontal travel direction at a relatively high input speed at an input station are stacked by first displacing the sheets transversely downward as they pass the input station, and then braking the downwardly displaced sheets so that they move in the direction at an output speed that is substantially lower than the input speed. The sheets are then stopped so that they settle downward on a stack in the bin. Since the sheets move downward somewhat before they are braked, the trailing edge of the braked sheet is below the leading edge of the following sheet. In other words a leading edge of a sheet passing through the input station extends in the direction downstream past a trailing edge of the sheet is braked. The sheets are braked by gripping their trailing edges and retarding their downstream movement. This gripping can be effected by suction or, in the case of ferromagnetic sheets, magnetically.

Abstract: In an apparatus for detaching an article from a member attached thereto, the attached article and member are supported on a grid such that the member is in contact with a substantially rigid surface of the grid and the article is suspended away from the rigid surface. Holders hold the member to the rigid surface. While the member is held to the rigid surface, a punch detaches the article and the member. The member from which the article has been detached is gripped by a pin assembly and the gripped member is removed from the substantially rigid surface by raising the pin assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for stacking cards, printed sheets or similar products has feeder stations situated in a row and a conveyor with pushers. The feeder stations include spaced inner and outer tables. Individual products are deposited on the tables at the feeder stations. The inner tables are provided with lateral stops and a plurality of nozzles which emerge from the upper surface at a shallow angle towards the stop. Compressed air emitted from these nozzles creates a suction force which stabilizes the products on the tables. The pushers extend between the tables and push the product through a cut-out in the outer table onto a stack of products moving in synchronization on the conveyor below the tables.

Abstract: The stack-forming device (10) has a stack compartment (20), which is closed at the bottom by slide plates (22) and to which printing products (16) are fed by the conveying device (14). Above the slide plates (22), intermediate-bottom elements (58) can be pushed into the stack compartment (20), on which elements the fed printing products (16) can be deposited one on top of the other at the beginning of a preliminary stack formation. As soon as a certain number of printing products have been stacked, the intermediate-bottom elements (58) are drawn out of the stack compartment (20), as a result of which the stacked printing products (16) fall onto the slide plates (22), and the preliminary stack is completed by feeding further printing products (16). The finished preliminary stack is then set down onto the depositing table (30) by moving the slide plates (22) apart.

Abstract: Sheets or sets of sheets are turned very rapidly and reliably, especially after the cutting of endless stationery, conveyed further in a different transport direction and separated in that the leading edge of each sheet is taken to a diagonal bending slot (33) via which a corner of each sheet first reaches an output slot (49).

Abstract: A sheet delivery in a printing machine comprises a vacuum system for applying suction air and a sheet brake. The sheet brake is in the form of a brake roller which includes a carrier shaft having a longitudinal axis extending transversely to a sheet delivery direction. The carrier shaft includes a carrier pipe which communicates with the vacuum system. The carrier shaft has a control slit formed therein for the suction air. The control slit extends axially across the carrier pipe, corresponding approximately to a sheet width. A suction body pipe is coaxially supported on and surrounds the carrier pipe. The suction body pipe has a plurality of perforations formed therein and it is rotatably mouted on the suction body pipe. The suction body pipe is rotatably driven at a circumferential speed which is slower than a sheet delivery speed. Suction bodies are supported on the suction body pipe and they may be axially shifted thereon.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating an uppermost textile cut from a pile of textile cuts by gripping the uppermost cut at the top surface. The uppermost cut is lifted, and a loader is placed onto a restricted area closed to the edge of the uppermost cut. The uppermost cut is deformed in the restricted area region which causes a relative lateral movement between the uppermost cut and the other cuts. Air is blown through the uppermost cut onto the other cuts, thereby forming a gap between the cuts. A down molder is moved laterally into the gap to completely separate the uppermost cut and the other cuts.

Abstract: In handling machines, in particular punching machines, operating in discrete steps, for sheets of paper or similar objects, a warping, waving or wrinkling of the sheets occurs during the deceleration movements of the sheets ahead of the delivery station. These deformations are smoothed by the hold-down device according to the invention, which consists of a circulating perforated endless belt, to which an underpressure is applied from below. There is also synchronization between the feed movement of the sheets and the movement of the endless belt.

Abstract: There is disclosed an improved fabric picking device having a circumferentially toothed picking wheel carried at one end by an elongated inner frame, a shoe adjacent thereto carried by an outer frame, the inner and outer frames being hingedly connected for limited relative movement at their ends opposite the wheel and shoe, of the wheel being responsive independently to controlled spring pressure such that the gap for receiving and pinching fabric between wheel and shoe is rendered self-adjusting for an infinitely variable range of fabric thickness.

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: An apparatus is disclosed for stacking flat workpieces, which are conveyed on a transport cylinder provided with holding tongs, on a stacking table put against the transport cylinder. The apparatus is provided with a control for opening the holding tongs before reaching the stacking table, and with a braking arrangement for decelerating the workpieces such that the workpieces are set down on the stacking table at a lower speed than the peripheral speed of the transport cylinder. In accordance with the invention the braking arrangement consists of a row of suction nozzles or a suction belt circulating at a lower speed that the transport cylinder.

Abstract: A material handling apparatus particularly suitable for transferring lay-out patterns to a molding die press comprises a central drive unit, a plurality of outstretched wing units operatively connected to the central drive unit, and a plurality of gripping talons supported by the wing units wherein the gripping talons are operative in unison by interconnection with the wing unit and central drive unit.

Abstract: A device for the formation of a train of underlapping sheet-like articles and more particularly for the formation of an overlapped stream during conveying sheets cut by a preceding transverse cutter device from a web of paper to a feed table of a paper processing machine, comprising a holding up device arranged over a belt arrangement and with which the trailing part of the successively moving articles is able to be moved into engagement with the formation of an inlet gap for the respectively following article and more particularly by means of an associated lifting device, is able to be brought into engagement, and a draw off device following the belt arrangement and adapted to be driven at the same speed as the overlapped stream. The belt arrangement is designed in the form of a drag device with circulating entraining belts adapted only for engagement of the consecutively moving articles at the leading edge thereof.

Abstract: A device for grasping a sheet member includes a support unit, a pair of grasping units having sharp pawls, respectively, and supported by the support unit rotatably about parallel pivot axes, respectively, and a pivotally rotating unit for rotating the grasping units to move the pawls away from each other to bite the sheet member, thereby grasping the sheet member. The device is supported by a movable base through a universal joint to an apparatus for supplying the sheet member from a pallet to a conveyor.

Abstract: A succession of sheets are delivered by a main conveyor in a direction at high speed to a braking station and are thereafter piled up by a stacker. A braking apparatus at the station has an endless braking belt having a section of predetermined limited length formed with throughgoing belt holes and a section of substantially greater length that is substantially imperforate. A support holds the belt in the station with a stretch of the belt generally aligned with the direction and positioned to receive the sheets from the main conveyor. A suction box underneath the stretch has a face engaging the stretch, formed with throughgoing suction holes, and having a length in the direction shorter than the length of the imperforate section of the belt. A drive advances the belt such that the stretch moves in the direction at a periodically varying speed with the belt holes and suction holes only aligning periodically.

Abstract: In a delivery section of a sheet-fed printing press convertible between single-sided sheet printing and first-form and perfector printing, a sheet guide is provided formed with a sheet guide surface alterable between conditions wherein the surface is formed with throughholes and the surface is continuous and smooth, and a device for altering the sheet guide surface so that it is formed with throughholes when converting the press from first-form and perfector printing to single-sided sheet printing, and for altering the sheet guide surface so that it is continuous and smooth when converting the press from single-sided sheet printing to first-form and perfector printing.

Abstract: A sheet conveyor table for delivering sheets from a printing press has upper and lower portions. The lower portion is secured adjacent a delivery unit of the printing press and the upper portion is releasably attached to the lower portion through a swivel joint and catch coupling. An endless conveyor belt is trained about a pair of guide rollers and a tensioning roller on the upper portion for continuous movement imparted by the rotational force of a drive wheel mounted on the lower portion of the table. A guide plate extends substantially parallel and closely adjacent the conveyor path for guiding sheet materials during transfer. A wedge-shaped suction aperture in the guide plate is adapted for communication with a vacuum source, thereby creating a downwardly directed suction force for braking and guiding the sheet materials during transfer.

Abstract: Sheet delivery apparatus at a printing machine. The sheet delivery apparatus comprises a chain conveying system for conveying printed sheets to a delivery pile and a suction roller for decelerating the sheets before being deposited on the pile. A suction chamber, positioned below the chain-conveying system, extends over the width of the sheets and up to the suction roller. In the region of the upper sheet layers of the delivery pile, suction boxes are disposed at four lateral pile surfaces.

Abstract: An assembly for controlling individual positioning elements in a delivery region of a sheet-fed printing machine, including at least one computer, at least one input device connected to the computer for inputting therein characteristic data specific to a sheet and/or to the printing machine, the computer having devices for further processing the characteristic data, and a control device operatively connected to the computer and having individual positioning elements for causing a format-dependent adjustment in accordance with the inputted characteristic data, the computer having devices for calculating, from the characteristic data, energy of the sheet oncoming to the delivery region and, in accordance with the calculated energy value, also for calculating an actuating value for at least one individual positioning element in the delivery region so that energy withdrawal by the individual positioning element is substantially equal to the energy of the oncoming sheet in the delivery region, the control device h

Abstract: Rolls of individual plastic bags are formed on apparatus that overlaps the bags before the bags are fed into the roll to provide a compact roll of individual bags. The apparatus overlaps portions of the bags so that a plurality of bags can be continuously fed into the roll even though the bags are not mechanically connected end-to-end to adjacent bags on the roll.

Abstract: A sleeve loader having a table for positioning trays container either a stack of folded or unfolded sleeves at a processing position, a device for lifting up an upper ply of a garment in the stack of sleeves, a device for picking up the upper ply of the sleeves in the stack, a device for assuring the correct orientation of the sleeve for sewing, a device for alignment of the sleeves in a correct position for sewing, and a device for rejecting sleeves having an undesirable characteristic or orientation.

Abstract: Apparatus for overlapping and depositing sheets cut by a crosscutter from a web of material, including a conveying device disposed immediately downstream from the crosscutter in a conveying direction of the sheets for conveying the sheets at a conveying speed along a conveying path and for further guidance thereof to floating strips extending over a sheet-pile stacking location, a combined conveying and braking device disposed immediately upstream of the stacking location and including a camshaft disposed above the conveying path of the sheets, the camshaft carrying conveying and braking cams and being rotatable in synchronism with the crosscutter, slide elements and brake elements disposed one after the other along a circle of rotation of the cams below the sheet conveying path and at a distance from one another corresponding to the length of the cams, a device for rotating the cams at the sheet conveying speed, a device for rotating the brake elements at a braking speed, the cams having a constant radius an

Abstract: A continuous web of paper is subdivided into a series of discrete webs of finite length, and successive discrete webs of the series are provided with looped sections in zig-zag formation. Successive discrete webs of the series are moved forwardly and away from the next-following webs of the series while advancing toward a stacking station to thus establish between successive discrete webs gaps of predetermined width. The making of gaps involves advancing the discrete webs with the upper reaches of three parallel foraminous endless belt conveyors which attract the webs and move them toward the stacking station. The median belt conveyor is accelerated when it is approached by the trailing end of a discrete web and then advances the trailing end at a speed exceeding the speed of the other conveyors and of the leader of the next-following discrete web.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to processes and gripping devices for picking up, transporting, and depositing flexible, limp, flat workpieces (1) made of textile material, plastic, or other materials that can be grasped with needles (3). To handle such workpieces (1) rapidly and reliably even under complicated spatial conditions, needle grippers (2) are brought by a manipulating device (5) into a position parallel to the workpiece (1) and, after grasping the workpiece (1), into another position in which the horizontal projection of the workpiece is reduced and in which the workpiece (1) assumes an approximately loop-like shape, in which position the workpiece (1) is transported and deposited.

Abstract: A sheet conveying/sorting system which sorts sheets being successively conveyed by a target number of sheets, that is, by a package units. The sheet conveying/sorting system includes a downstream conveyor, an upstream conveyor, sucking conveyor and controller. In the sheet conveying/sorting system, in accordance with a signal output from the control, the successively conveyed sheets are separated from each other and, after separation, the respective parts of the system are returned to their original positions. By repeating these steps sequentially and sucessively, the sheets can be sorted by the package units.

Abstract: A hydrid nudger roll for use in a friction retard feeder includes alternating elastomeric and studded rolls positioned on a support shaft. The outer surface of the elastomeric rolls extends beyond the tips of the studded rolls, but when the elastomeric rolls are deformed against a stack of sheets due to normal force, the tips of the studded rolls extends beyond the outer surface of the elastomeric rolls.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sheet delivery system for rotary cross cutters which has a stacking place and a suction brake table preceding the stacking place. Disposed preceding the suction brake table are drawing rollers which run at at least the conveying speed of the sheets arriving from the rotary cutter and which are disposed spaced out from one another on a driven shaft and between which deflecting rollers of smaller diameter are mounted for driven suction belts guided over the suction brake table. Provided in the gaps between the drawing rollers are blowing nozzles whose blowing direction is directed over the suction brake table.

Abstract: A sheet delivery for a printing machine or the like with a device for changing a sheet pile while the machine is in operation, includes suction-type grippers insertable into a sheet feeder, opposite to a conveying direction of the sheets and between pile stops for a leading edge of the sheets, the suction-type grippers having a device for gripping by suction, in an inserted end position of the grippers, the leading edge of a sheet deposited onto the suction-type grippers and for holding the sheet at a distance above the sheet pile in an auxiliary-pile position, so as to permit the insertion of an auxiliary-pile device beneath the sheet, and a device for stretching the sheet after the leading edge of the sheet has been gripped by the inserted suction-type grippers, the sheet-stretching device being effective for withdrawing the suction-type grippers a predetermined distance towards the pile stops for the leading edge of the sheet.

Abstract: A gripper for handling limp workpieces has piercing needles slanting downward on translatable needle bars. Slots in the needle bars slant parallel to the needles and engage stationary pins for constraining the needles to move axially. The needles mutually cross after piercing the workpiece to trap a portion thereof between themselves and a baseplate, thus gripping the workpiece securely without stressing or deforming it. An adjustment thimble with a venier scale limits the piercing depth of the needles. A rectangular housing facilitates juxtaposition of a number of such grippers, which may be conjointly controlled.

Abstract: A device for collecting a trailing edge of a sheet for a sheet delivery with a non-step auxiliary piling device in a sheet-fed rotary printing machine includes a plurality of collecting fingers all disposed at the same level at distances mutually spaced from one another, a motorized drive for moving the collecting fingers forwards and backwards, parallel to sheet travel, in a guide channel, a suction roller in operative proximity with the collecting fingers, and sheet pile stops for the trailing edges of the sheets, the sheet pile stops extending upwardly beyond the level of the sheet pile to the suction roller, the collecting fingers being disposed beneath the suction roller and between the pile stops, the motorized drive including a common drive member with mechanical transmission members coupled with the collecting fingers.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating sequential batches of overlapping sheets includes a conveyor of laterally spaced belts. Lift bars secured to tubes are mounted for vertical positioning above the belts to raise the sheets from the conveyor and remove the moving force. The lift bars includes spaced vacuum openings coupled to the tube, which is coupled to a vacuum source. The openings are spaced for alignment with the trailing portions of sheets moving through the conveyor. A piston in the tube selectively opens and closes the openings. The tubes are pivotally mounted at the downstream ends and the piston projects from the upstream end of the tube. A cam drive reciprocates the piston and simultaneously raises and lowers the tubes. The cam drive includes an inclined cam rod on which a motor-driven rack is slidably mounted. A link connects the rack to the outer end of the piston.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for lifting a single layer of fabric or fiber reinfed plastic sheets from a stack of such sheets with minimal damage to the structure of the fabric. A frame and a flexible base plate are provided with a plurality of individual needle gripper devices located at opposite ends of the base plate. Each needle gripper device includes a needle of arcuate form rotatably mounted about an axis of its arc so that when the needle rotates, the tip of the needle will penetrate a fabric sheet upon which the apparatus is placed and then roll the sheet relative to the frame so that the sheet is peeled away from its original position without stretching or deformation of the fabric.

Abstract: A pair of back sheet stops are pivotably mounted on a sheet delivery assembly and move in an oscillating manner to align a stack of sheets on a main pile board. As an auxiliary deposit table is inserted above the main sheet pile to allow removal of the main sheet pile while the printing machine is running, the back sheet stops are maintained in contact both with the main sheet pile and also with an interim sheet pile being formed on the auxiliary deposit table.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for automatically inverting workpieces of limp sheet material, such as fabric sheet material. The apparatus includes an endless conveyor having a forward-traveling upper reach for conveying workpieces in a forward direction. A gripper grasps a portion of the workpiece adjacent its leading edge as the workpiece travels on the conveyor, and lifts the leading edge portion of the workpiece off the conveyor. The gripper holds the leading edge portion stationary with a trailing portion of the workpiece extending downwardly from said pick-up means. A pushing mechanism acting on a generally rearwardly facing surface of the trailing portion of the workpiece pushes the trailing portion forwardly to effect complete inversion of the trailing portion as the leading edge portion is held stationary by the gripper. The gripper releases the leading edge portion of the workpiece after the trailing portion of the workpiece has been inverted.

Abstract: Apparatus for the seriatim separation and feeding of garment parts from a shingled stack of the parts to a predetermined destination. Comprising the apparatus is a movable hold down mechanism for engaging the trailing edge of the second part in the stack and a picker head for engaging the leading edge of the first part in the shingled stack and removing it from the stack. Mechanisms are provided for accurately determining the location of the trailing edge of the second part in the stack and moving the hold down mechanism into position to accurately engage the trailing edge of the second part in the stack. Following separation, the separated part is transferred to a second location at which the head is withdrawn from the transferred part.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process and an apparatus for superimposing at least two flexible sheets, in particular a back panel and a front panel of an article such as a slip. The process comprises forming a stack of each type of sheets and arranging said stacks on a plate (1), then for each of these stacks: gripping at least one sheet by means of a gripping assembly (12, 14) arranged above the plate (1) and relatively displacing said plate and said gripping assembly between a rest position and a sheet gripping position, displacing the gripping assembly (12, 14) so as to bring it above a deposit member (15) and actuating the assembly so as to release the sheet and spread it on the deposit member, returning the gripping assembly (12, 14) above the plate (1) and causing the plate to rotate a portion of a revolution to position a second stack directly below the gripping assembly.