Sewing – Special machines – Pattern controlled or programmed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-06
2001-09-25
Nerbun, Peter (Department: 3765)
Sewing
Special machines
Pattern controlled or programmed
C112S130000, C112S155000, C112S002100, C112S470330, C112S470360, C112S475020, C112S475060
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293213
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a gusset manufacturing machine for producing pillowtop mattresses. More particularly, it relates to such a machine having an automatic measuring and cutting station for the corner notches.
2. Prior Art
Recently, the mattress industry has adopted pillowtop mattresses as the standard in their premium mattress lines. The pillowtop is essentially a cushioned pad attached to the upper surface of the mattress. To enhance the comfort and aesthetics of this design, the periphery of the pillowtop remains free from the edge of the mattress. Rather, the periphery of the pillowtop is secured to the upper flap of an inwardly-folded gusset. The lower flap of the gusset includes a flange, both of which are secured to the edge of the mattress. The flange extends inwardly past the gusset fold where it is secured to the mattress' spring unit.
Gusset construction consists of doubling-over and stitching the gusset material to create the fold line and sewing the flange material to the bottom flap of the gusset. To simplify this operation, certain prior art methods attach the flange material at the gusset fold line in a single operation. Ideally, the flange material is secured to the free end of the lower gusset flap. In either case, the material handling necessary for the folding, unfolding and joining operations, require the gusset and flange to be unspooled and sewn together in a continuous web. In a subsequent manual operation, needing a large workspace, the web is laid out and alternating length and width measurements are made along its length. At the end of each measured length, notches are cut into the web or cut as the gusset is being taped to the top panel. The edges of each notch are sewn together to form a corner. It would, therefore, be desirable to automatically measure and notch the web in a mechanized operation immediately following creation of the continuous web.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a measuring and cutting station in-line with the gusset and flange sewing operations.
It is a further object of the invention to continuously cut notches into the web and to severe completed gusset frames from the web.
It is another object of the invention to provide slack-induced sections of the web to the measuring and cutting station so that the web may be drawn and accurately measured without tension.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a slack bin that is automatically filled by the upstream sewing stations.
These and other related objects are achieved according to the invention by a method and apparatus for automatically cutting notches at specific location on the web which are separated by predetermined lengths which define the outer dimensions of a pillowtop mattress. The web is pulled through a sewing station with a traction drive. Slack is induced in the web by downstream of the traction drive. One predetermined length is drawn out of the slack bin in a single motion through a linear measuring device. A knife disposed in close proximity to the measuring device cuts the notches at the specific locations. After all four predetermined lengths are measured and notched, the knife separates the notched section from the remainder of the continuous web.
In the first stage sewing operation, a first material is folded and a first seam is sewed along the folded edge. A second material is sewn to the first material along one of the free ends. The first and second sewing steps and the associated traction drive are synchronized to pull the web uniformly. After the sewing operation, the web is suspended to form a slack loop under the influence of gravity. A sensor within the slack bin generates a sensor output representative of the length of a slack loop. The output is evaluated to determine when additional slack needs to be generated. The traction drive is selectively operated within a feedback loop to control operation of the upstream sewing station.
Material from the slack bin is pulled without tension to measure a particular predetermined length. A cutting device positioned in close proximity to the linear measuring device cuts a notch into one side of the web. The notch may be formed with one V-shaped die cut or two knife cuts oriented at 90 degrees from each other. After one entire pillowtop gusset is notched, the same or a different knife severs the gusset from the remainder of the continuous web with a cut oriented approximately 90 degrees to the longitudinal direction of the web.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3773002 (1973-11-01), Burton
patent: 3990374 (1976-11-01), Heidt
patent: 4893574 (1990-01-01), O'Neal et al.
patent: 5816177 (1998-10-01), Brocklehurst
Block Paul
Lydick Michael
Galkin Automated Products Corp.
Keusey & Tutunjian, P.C.
Nerbun Peter
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