Apparatus for subdividing and stacking webs of textile materials or the like

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR SUBDIVIDING WEBS OF TEXTILE OR SIMILAR MATERIAL INTO SECTIONS OF DESIRED LENGTH AND FOR ACCUMULATING SUCH SECTIONS INTO STACKS, AN ELONGATED SUPPORTING TABLE HAVING A TOP FACE; A FEED ADJACENT TO ONE LONGITUDINAL END OF THE TABLE AND INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE SUPPLY OF CONVOLUTED WEB STOCK HAVING A LEADING END; A PLURALITY OF INVERTED U-SHAPED PRESSING UNITS MOVABLE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID TABLE AND EACH INCLUDING A PRESSER BAR EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID TOP FACE, EACH OF SAID PRESSER BARS BEING MOVABLE UP AND DOWN TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID TOP FACE; AN INVERTED U-SHAPED CARRIAGE MOVABLE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID TABLE AND ARRANGED TO BYPASS SAID PRESSING UNITS, AN INVERTED U-SHAPED GANTRY MOUNTED IN SAID CARRIAGE AND INCLUDING A CROSSHEAD EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY ACROSS SAID TOP FACE, SAID CROSSHEAD BEING MOVABLE UP AND DOWN WITH REFERENCE TO SAID CARRIAGE SO THAT IT MAY BE LIFTED TO A LEVEL ABOVE SAID PRESSER BARS DURING MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE PAST SAID PRESSING UNITS; A CLAMPING DEVICE PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID CROSSHEAD AND SAID FEED; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID CLAMPING DEVICE AWAY FROM AND TOWARD SAID CROSSHEAD SO THAT THE CLAMPING DEVICE MAY ATTACH THE LEADING END OF THE STOCK TO THE CROSSHEAD WHEREBY THE STOCK SHARES THE MOVEMENT OF THE CROSSHEAD AWAY FROM SAID FEED AND ITS LEADING END MAY BE TUCKED UNDER ONE OF SAID PRESSER BARS UPON DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID CLAMPING DEVICE; AND A CUTTING DEVICE MOUNTED ON AND MOVABLE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID CROSSHEAD TO SEVER THE STOCK AND TO THUS FORM A SECTION UPON MOVEMENT OF THE CROSSHEAD BACK TOWARD SAID FEED SO THAT THE TRAILING END OF THE THUS SEPARATED SECTION MAY BE TUCKED UNDER ANOTHER ONE OF SAID PRESSER BARS.