Patent ID: 6950717

Claim:
A system for controlling the width of a moving fabric web that is moving through a fabric compactor system, the fabric compactor system having a mechanical spreader, a compactor, a fabric conveyor and a folder, wherein the mechanical spreader is located upstream of the compactor, the compactor is located upstream of the fabric conveyor, and the fabric conveyor has a downstream end that delivers a moving fabric web to a folder, comprising: (a) a camera, wherein the camera captures an image of a preselected portion of a moving fabric web at a preselected position on the fabric conveyor; (b) a controller, wherein the controller receives from the camera the captured image of the preselected portion of the moving fabric web; calculates the width of the preselected portion of the moving fabric web using the received, captured image; compares the calculated width of the moving fabric web to a first width set point; and causes a width setting of the mechanical spreader to change from the first width set point to a second width set point if the calculated width of the preselected portion of the moving fabric web varies from the first width set point.