Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus is provided for feeding fabric workpieces one at a time from the top of a stack of like workpieces having a first rough side and a second smooth side, the workpieces being stacked with alternating sides up. A computer controlled picker is used to separate the top workpiece from the remaining workpieces in the stack, and for depositing the workpiece on a downstream conveyor. An ultrasonic face detector is mounted above the first conveyor for determining whether the side of the workpiece facing the face detector--the top surface--is relatively rough or relatively smooth. A pivoting feeder/inverter is provided at the end of the first conveyor. If the workpiece has the desired side up for subsequent sewing operations, the inverter/conveyor is placed in a first position so that the workpiece is directed into a sandwich belt type conveyor which will not change the orientation of the workpiece. If the workpiece has the desired side down, the feeder/inverter is pivoted to a second position to enable the workpiece to enter an inverter conveyor which will rotate the workpiece 180 degrees about an axis along the direction of travel to place the workpiece in the correct orientation for the subsequent sewing operation. Thus, this apparatus takes all of the fabric workpieces from a stack in which the sides facing up alternate, and automatically places all of them in the same orientation prior to arrival at a sewing station.

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First Claim