Patent ID: 7044071

Claim:
An apparatus for orienting and positioning a tubular sock blank for further processing, the sock blank having an opening at each of a top end and a toe end of the blank, the apparatus comprising: a sock rotation device comprising a pair of elongate members each extending along a respective axis thereof and rotatably drivable about said axis, the members being arranged generally parallel to each other and being movable toward and away from each other to respectively decrease or increase a spacing distance between the members, the members being structured and arranged to move into the opening at one end of the sock, move away from each other so as to grasp the sock, and rotate the sock about an axis thereof while the members are inserted in the sock for orienting the sock in a desired rotational orientation for further processing; and a sensor system including at least a first sensor operable to detect a feature on the sock when the sock is rotated by the sock rotation device, whereby a rotational orientation of the sock is determined based at least in part on an output signal from the first sensor.