Patent ID: 8276637

Claim:
A sheet manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a reinforced sheet including a sheet-like material and a sheet by tentering the sheet at a predetermined angle over a transfer device that transfers the sheet-like material in a spread state with both rims fixed, the apparatus comprising: a first sheet feeder and a second sheet feeder, provided as a pair of right and left feeders disposed on the right and left sides of the transfer device, respectively, each of which feeds sheet from first and second sheet sources; a clamping device configured to clamp an end of a sheet fed from one of the first and second sheet sources at a preselected time and to release said end at a preselected time; a tentering locomotive unit configured to move the clamping device from the first sheet feeder to the second sheet feeder and vice versa while carrying an end of a sheet from one of the first and second sheets sources that is clamped within the clamping device in order to provide the first sheet or second sheet in a spread state; right and left holders configured to hold the right and left sides of the first sheet or second sheet in the spread state; first and second cutting devices disposed on right and left sides of the transfer device configured to preselectively cut one of the right and left sides of the spread sheet when the sheet is held by the right and left holders; right and left fixing devices configured to move the cut spread sheet held by the right and left holders downward to tenter the cut spread sheet by fixing both sides of the cut spread sheet to the right and left sides of the transfer device; first and second sheet holding and preparing devices on the right and left sides of the transfer device for holding an end of a sheet from one of the first and second sheet sources that was not moved by the clamping device and for advancing said end towards the clamping device at a preselected time after downward movement of the cut spread sheet.