A fabric spreading machine

Abstract

A fabric spreading machine has a chassis, an unspooling cradle of opposing proximal and distal drive belt assemblies and a tilting actuator interfacing the cradle and the chassis. The tilting actuator is configured to position the cradle in an unspooling position wherein the cradle is raised to provide clearance under the cradle for piled fabric lengths as the chassis traverses the fabric spreading table in use and in a loading position wherein the cradle is lowered and a proximal drive belt assembly is lowered towards the fabric spreading table to a lesser angle to allow a replacement spool to be more easily loaded into the cradle.

1 . A fabric spreading machine comprising:
 a chassis configured to traverse a fabric spreading table in use;   an unspooling cradle of opposing proximal and distal drive belt assemblies, the opposing drive belt assemblies defining a lower vertex therebetween; and   a tilting actuator supporting the cradle from the chassis, the tilting actuator configured to position the cradle in:
 an unspooling position wherein the cradle is raised so that:
 the drive belt assemblies are each angled with respect to the fabric spreading table to cradle a roll of fabric therebetween for unspooling; and 
 the vertex and the fabric spreading table define a raised offset therebetween to provide clearance under the cradle for piled fabric lengths as the chassis traverses the fabric spreading table in use; and 
 
 a loading position wherein the cradle is lowered so that:
 the proximal drive belt assembly is lowered towards the fabric spreading table to a lesser angle with respect to a surface of the fabric spreading table as compared to when the cradle is in the unspooling position; and 
 the vertex and the fabric spreading table define a lowered offset therebetween, the lowered offset being less than the raised offset so that the lowered offset and the lesser angle allow a replacement spool to be more easily loaded into the cradle. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein rollers of the drive belt assemblies are turned synchronously so that belts of the drive belt assemblies travel in the same direction to rotate the spool to unspool a sheet of fabric from the spool. 
     
     
         3 . The machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the sheet is fed through counterrotating feed rollers down a dispensing chute. 
     
     
         4 . The machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein a mechanised cutter cuts across the sheet to cut the sheet into individual sheets. 
     
     
         5 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the raised offset is at least 10 cm. 
     
     
         6 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lowered offset is less than half the raised offset. 
     
     
         7 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the proximal drive belt assembly is lowered to be parallel with respect to the surface of the fabric spreading table. 
     
     
         8 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the proximal drive belt assembly is lowered to lie flat against the surface of the fabric spreading table. 
     
     
         9 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the drive belt assemblies are fixed with respect to each other, so that the distal drive belt assembly is also lowered when the cradle moves to the loading position but the distal drive belt assembly tilts to a greater angle as compared to when in the cradle is in the unspooling position. 
     
     
         10 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the machine comprises a controller and wherein the controller is controlled to only lower the cradle to the lowered position at an end of the fabric spreading table. 
     
     
         11 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to measure a length of fabric dispensed from the spool and automatically control the chassis to travel to and end of the fabric spreading table and to control the tilting actuator to lower the cradle when a new spool is required to be loaded. 
     
     
         12 . The machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tilting actuator comprises a pivot arm pivoting with respect to a pivot point and wherein the pivot point is laterally offset from the vertex. 
     
     
         13 . The machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the tilting actuator comprises a curved rack arm interfacing the pivot arm and a pinion turning against the curved rack arm. 
     
     
         14 . The machine as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising an electric motor interfacing the pinion via stepdown gearing. 
     
     
         15 . The machine as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the stepdown gearing comprises a worm drive. 
     
     
         16 . The machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the machine comprises a cross driveshaft at the pivot point acting on respective pivot arms at each side of the chassis. 
     
     
         17 . The machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the machine comprises electric motors at each side of the chassis which are controlled synchronously to act on respective pivot arms. 
     
     
         18 . The machine as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the tilting actuator is devoid of any driveshaft componentry across the chassis beneath the pivot point.