Apparatus for changing mesh size of non-woven netting

Claim 1

In a netting machine of the type having a pair of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending, substantially parallel rows of loop-receiving pins advancing along a path at a predetermined speed and supporting therebetween, by selvedge loops on said pins, a non-woven, criss-cross, open mesh netting of predetermined mesh size, the combination of mesh reduction means comprising a pair of laterally-spaced, longitudinally extending, endless transfer and loop stripping means, each having at least a portion thereof located just inside one of said rows of pins and extending from said portion generally in the direction of advance of said netting for receiving and supporting the selvedge of said netting; each said endless transfer and loop stripping means comprising a flexible belt having a plurality of fingers spaced longitudinally along the exterior face thereof, at a predetermined distance apart less than the distance between said pins and of substantially greater height than the height of said pins; each said belt having an end stretch trained around a member, rotatable in a plane normal to the plane of said netting to position the tip of each successive finger travelling around said end stretch in one of the successive loops carried on one of said pins and to lift the loop off the pin while travelling circumferentially at the predetermined speed of said pins to thereby constitute said loop stripping means; and said finger-carrying belt having a straight stretch adjacent said end stretch, travelling at a lesser speed of advance for reducing the size of said mesh.