Sewing – Elements – Frames
Patent
1988-08-29
1990-01-30
Hunter, H. Hampton
Sewing
Elements
Frames
11212115, 11212126, 112147, 112305, 112DIG2, D05B 3500, D05B 2700
Patent
active
048966185
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to the handling of limp fabric in manufacturing processes and in particular, to the stretching and folding of such fabric prior to the performance of a sewing operation thereon.
The fabrication of garments from fabric is currently a labour-intensive process, principally because of the lack of mechanical means for holding pieces of fabric as they are subjected to various operations including transporting, feeding through machines such as sewing machines, and folding.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for mechanically stretching and folding a limp fabric piece to enable subsequent sewing of the folded fabric piece to produce a garment.
The present invention is an improvement in and modification of the method and apparatus disclosed and claimed in applicant's earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,671, the disclosure of which is hereby imported by reference into the present application.
The invention accordingly provides a method of stretching and folding a limp fabric piece having a plurality of opposed elastic bands extending therefrom comprising locating and holding said fabric piece in an extended condition on a platform having a foldable segment such that one half of said fabric piece is located on said foldable segment and in a position to enable subsequent folding of said fabric piece to obtain the shape of the desired garment, applying suction to said elastic bands in an axial direction thereto by suction means, gripping said elastic bands relative to the suction means, releasing the holding action on said fabric piece, releasing the suction, stretching said fabric piece by axially moving the suction means with the gripped (attached) elastic bands away from said fabric piece, gripping the fabric piece adjacent the elastic bands, associated with said foldable segment, relative to the segment in the correct position to form the garment with overlapping elastic bands when folded, releasing the gripping hold on said elastic bands associated with said foldable segment, folding said segment to form said garment with said elastic bands overlapping, pressing and holding said garment adjacent said overlapping elastic bands, releasing the grip on the elastic bands associated with said (stationary) platform and said foldable segment respectively, and returning said foldable segment.
The garment may then be held flat on said (stationary) platform between said overlapping bands and moved along an adjacent platform to a sewing station after releasing the hold on said garment adjacent said overlapping elastic bands.
The invention also provides apparatus for carrying out the above method, comprising said platform and holding said fabric piece thereon in an extended condition and in a pre-determined position to enable eventual folding of the fabric piece to produce a garment, elastic bands extending from the fabric piece, and holding the sucked-in elastic bands, relative to said suction means, said fabric piece, and holding the stretched fabric piece at the correct position for folding said piece and pressing and holding the folded garment adjacent the overlapping elastic bands of said fabric piece
Conveniently, the apparatus also includes a garment feeding plate reciprocating horizontally adapted to be superimposed on the garment between the points of contact of said garment pressing means and moving said garment to a sewing station after release of said garment pressing means.
Conveniently, the suction means comprises a plurality of suction pipes, one adjacent each elastic band, connected to an air-suction source. These air suction pipes are movable relative to said platform by conventional pneumatic means so as to stretch the fabric piece.
Advantageously, the elastic band gripper means may consist of a clip mounted at the outer end of the suction pipes for pivotal movement about said pipes and which clip may be actuated by a link mechanism coupled to conventional pneumatic means.
The garment gripper means may take the form of a pair of horizontally, slidably moun
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patent: 4530295 (1985-07-01), Adamski et al.
patent: 4548141 (1985-10-01), Freermann
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patent: 4811671 (1989-03-01), Hancock
Blake Robert C.
Bone Shane A.
Fukuyama Yoshinobu
Lau David
Maegawa Hiroji
Hunter H. Hampton
Pacific Dunlop Limited
Philpitt Fred
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