Apparatus for cutting, feeding and stacking articles of cloth

Claim 1

A CLOTH HANDLING DEVICE FOR USE WITH SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE WHICH ARE MOUNTED ON A SUPPORT MEANS, SAID CLOTH HANDLING DEVICE COMPRISING MECHANICAL FEEDING MEANS FOR MOVING SUCCESSIVE SECTIONS OF CLOTH AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN STITCHED BY A SEWING MACHINE SO THAT A PORTION OF EACH OF THE SECTIONS OF CLOTH IS ADAPTED TO HANG DOWNWARDLY OVER THE EDGE OF THE SUPPORT MEANS IN A FREELY DEPENDING POSITION, CLOTH SUPPORTING MEANS OPERATIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS AND BEING LOCATED IN SPACED RELATION TO THE DISCHARGE END OF THE FEEDING MEANS SO AS TO RECEIVE THE DEPENDING PORTION OF EACH SECTION OF CLOTH, SENSING MEANS FOR DETECTING PRESENCE OF CLOTH IN THE FEEDING MEANS, ACTUATING MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE DEPENDING PORTION OF EACH SECTION OF CLOTH DISCHARGED FROM THE FEEDING MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CLOTH SUPPORTING MEANS, TIMING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENT OF THE ACTUATING MEANS SO THAT THE SECTIONS OF CLOTH ARE ADAPTED TO BE SUCCESSIVELY DRAPED ACROSS THE CLOTH SUPPORTING MEANS, SAID TIMING MEANS BEING ADJUSTABLE IN SUCH A MANNER SO AS TO PERMIT THE FEEDING MEANS TO DISCHARGE THE CLOTH ON THE CLOTH SUPPORTING MEANS WITH EITHER ONE OF THE OTHER FACES OF THE CLOTH PRESENTED UPWARDLY, SAID TIMING MEANS BEING FURTHER ADJUSTABLE TO ADAPT THE DEVICE FOR USE WITH CLOTH OF VARYING LENGTHS AND CUTTING MEANS INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING BLADE AND SLOTTED GUARD MEANS DISPLACED IN UPWARDLY SPACED RELATION OVER AND AROUND THE BLADES FOR SEVERING THE SEAM-CONNECTION BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE SECTIONS OF CLOTH.