Patent ID: 6978964

Claim:
Apparatus for supplying a ribbon-like material, in particular a fabric, to at least one work machine ( 14 a , 14 b , 14 c ) of said material, in particular to at least one machine for cutting the material into predetermined shaped portions, said apparatus comprising a storage bay ( 16 ) having a front end and a plurality of predefined housings ( 18 ) for storing a respective individual reel ( 12 ) supporting a respective ribbon-like material, said housings ( 18 ) comprising a plurality of housings ( 18 ) horizontally and vertically distributed, each housing having a front opening ( 22 ) for the drawing of the reels ( 12 ) which are on the same front side of the storage bay; means ( 19 ) for supplying the material to the machine ( 14 a , 14 b , 14 c ), means ( 20 ) for drawing a respective reel ( 12 ) between the front side of the storage bay ( 16 ) and said means ( 19 ) for supplying the material to a respective machine; and control means (EE) able to command the gripping of a reel ( 12 ), by said drawing means ( 20 ), from a predefined housing ( 18 ) and the delivery to said means ( 19 ) for delivering the material of a respective work machine ( 14 a , 14 b , 14 c ) and, vice versa, to command, by said drawing means ( 20 ), the gripping of the reel by the same means ( 19 ) for supplying the ribbon-like material, and the release of said reel ( 12 ) to the corresponding housing ( 18 ) in said storage bay ( 16 ).