Sewing – Method of sewing – Stitch forming
Patent
1994-11-15
1996-07-23
Nerbun, Peter
Sewing
Method of sewing
Stitch forming
1121025, D05B 2100, D05C 504, A41H 4300
Patent
active
055379397
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
The invention relates to the control of cutting and embroidery machines and particularly to the control of such machines for reproducing designs incorporating applique elements.
Background of the Invention
Computer control of embroidery machines is well known. Control may be either direct or via a program stored on a punched tape, as described in patent document EP-B-0221163 for example. Such computer controlled embroidery machines have been used for generating designs incorporating applique elements, for example in which shaped elements of one sheet material (the applique elements) are attached to a base of the same or a different sheet material by stitching in the embroidery machine.
The sequence of steps in generating prior art applique designs has been as follows. First a representation of the desired design is entered into the computer by means of a design program or a video input or by other well-known methods. The computer, under the direction of an operator, uses the representation of the design to derive stitch command data for the embroidery machine. The operator may in certain cases manipulate the design, for example by rotation or enlargement, before the stitch command data are generated. A sufficiently large sheet of the applique material is placed over the base material in the embroidery machine and, in response to the stitch command data from the computer, the embroidery machine stitches through both layers an outline of the desired shape of the applique element. A human operator then trims the applique material around this outline and, once trimming is complete, further stitching may be carried out under computer control, for example to hide the edges of the applique element or to add further detail.
The labour-intensive nature of the manual trimming operation described above is clear. The more complex the outline of the applique element, the more difficult is the trimming operation and where the outline is not a simple closed curve, for example with a ring-shaped applique element, the above procedure may not be practical at all. Furthermore, it is very wasteful of material to begin each applique operation with a plain sheet of applique material, much of which must subsequently be trimmed away.
THE INVENTION
The invention provides a process for reproducing a design, comprising the steps of analyzing the design to derive data for use as stitch command data by an embroidery machine and as cutting command data by a cutting machine, cutting out an applique element from a sheet material in accordance with the cutting command data, transferring the cut-out applique element to a base material and stitching the applique element to the base material in accordance with the stitch command data.
One preferred process according to the invention includes the further step of stitching a markout pattern on the base material in accordance with the stitch command data, before the steps of transferring the cut-out applique element to the base material and stitching the applique element to the base material. The markout pattern indicates the correct location of the applique element. The step of stitching the applique element to the base material may be followed by a step in which further decorative stitching is applied to the applique element, after it has been stitched to the base material, also in accordance with the stitch command data.
A rear surface of the sheet from which the applique element is cut is preferably pre-coated with an adhesive in order to assist initial location of the cut-out applique element on the base material. This may be sprayed on or applied as a liquid. Preferably the adhesive layer is used initially to secure the entire sheet from which the applique is to be cut to a backing layer from which the applique element can easily be peeled. A suitable material for the backing layer could be craft paper or vinyl.
The cutting machine for cutting the applique element from the sheet material may be a laser cutter which cuts through the applique element fr
REFERENCES:
patent: 4341169 (1982-07-01), Mainot et al.
patent: 4526116 (1985-07-01), Mannel
patent: 4561127 (1985-12-01), Gerber
patent: 4920902 (1990-05-01), Takenoya et al.
patent: 5205232 (1993-04-01), Sadeh et al.
patent: 5323722 (1994-06-01), Goto et al.
Cadcam Technology Limited
Nerbun Peter
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