Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for automatically severing individual towels from a length of material comprising a plurality of terry towels. The method includes the steps of measuring slightly less than the supposed length of a towel, then activating a sensor that detects the edge of a cutting space by the change in thickness of the material. The sensor causes feeding of the material to stop with a cut-line at a cutting blade. The first edge of the material is held while a second sensor located the same edge at the opposite side of the material, and the cutting blade is moved with the sensor. The material is stretched to straighten the cut-line, and the cutting blade is caused to cut the material. The apparatus includes feed rolls to move the material, and an encoder measures the length. A roller at one edge of the material detects the change in thickness at one edge, and similar rollers detect the change in thickness at the opposite edge. The sensors are mounted on a single bracket that is pivoted at one sensor; and, the cutting blade is mounted to pivot and remain parallel to a line through the two sensors.

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First Claim