Sewing – Method of sewing – Workpiece manipulation other than straight line feeding
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-26
2004-05-11
Izaguirre, Ismael (Department: 3765)
Sewing
Method of sewing
Workpiece manipulation other than straight line feeding
C112S475080, C112S470290, C112S011000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732669
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A bed quilt
8
(see
FIGS. 1-5
) is commonly comprised of a mat of batting
10
or insulating fill material sandwiched between top and bottom fabric panels
11
t
,
11
b
that are stitched together by peripheral seams along the four edges (head seam
13
h
, foot seam
13
f
and two side seams
13
s
), and by pattern seams
14
across the panels (and batting) inwardly of the peripheral seams. Most quilts are rectangular in shape, having the side seams
13
s
substantially parallel to one another and having the head and foot seams
13
h
,
13
f
substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the side seams.
In forming the quilt, the panels
11
t
,
11
b
initially are laid with the outside faces against one another and are stitched together inside-out around three adjacent edge seams (see
FIG. 3
, typically the two side seams
13
s
and the foot seam
13
f
). This defines a three-sided bag “B” having the fourth head edge
12
open. A fill machine
16
, commonly used to fill the bag, would have a tubular horn
15
elongated to almost the inside width of the open bag and a ram
17
sized to fit through the horn and completely into the bag. Two operators (not shown), standing on opposite ends of the horn would together fit the open bag onto the horn
15
, bunching up thereon the yet inside-out panels until the foot seam
13
f
is aligned over an inlet opening of the horn. The ram
17
with batting
10
lying thereon would then be advanced against the stitched edge seam
13
f
and through the horn, operable to unfurl the panels
11
t
,
11
b
through the horn and draw them right-side out and around the batting
10
. After the ram
17
is withdrawn, the now filled bag “B” is lying flat on the fill machine table
18
with the final or fourth edge
12
open toward and somewhat proximate the horn outlet opening.
The final or open fourth bag edge
12
would then have to be stitched closed along the seam
13
h
. Heretofore, a skilled operator had to complete such stitching using a sewing machine, but this procedure has proved to be difficult and costly. For example, (1) the filled bag “B” had to be manually transferred to the sewing machine operator; who (2) then manually had to fold the separate end edges of the open bag panels inwardly along straight corners
20
as short flaps
21
, and (3) had to position the flaps flush against one another, with the flap corners lined up straight and even to define what many call a French Hemm flap configuration; but (4) the operator, starting at one side edge seam
13
s
, would have to repeatedly fold and stitch only short lengths of the panel edges at a time, progressively folding additional lengths of the panel flaps
21
(possibly 5-10 inches at a time and just before being stitched at the sewing machine; and (5) all the while trying to keep the closure seam
13
h
uniform and straight for yielding an acceptable guilt.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a machine and method for closing and stitching closed, in an in-folded flap configuration, the final open or fourth edge of a filled quilt bag or cover, virtually automatically once the bag fill machine operators have transferred the opened bag edge onto the machine.
A more specific object of this invention is to provide a machine and method for accurately forming an in-folded flap configuration or hemm simultaneously along the entire length of the final open bag edge, by: folding the in-folded flaps along only a short length of the open bag edge across and inwardly from each of the bag side seams, positioning the in-folded flaps over respective spaced separator members with the side seams overlying the separator members, and moving the separator members apart until the bag edges are drawn tight causing said folded flaps to be extended over the remaining intermediate portions of the bag edge, continuously between adjacent side seams of the bag.
A further object of this invention is to provide a machine and method for moving such folded but yet opened bag edge into operative association with an automatic sewing machine, and for moving the bag and sewing machine relative to one another along the final opened bag edges for first clearing away exposed fill or batting material and then for stitching the opened edges closed, all without operator assistance.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3527180 (1970-09-01), Cerioni
patent: 3554146 (1971-01-01), McClusky
patent: 3865058 (1975-02-01), Rovin et al.
patent: 5373977 (1994-12-01), Migliorini
patent: 5540167 (1996-07-01), Mussig et al.
patent: 5588384 (1996-12-01), Miyachi et al.
patent: 5979345 (1999-11-01), Price et al.
patent: 6109196 (2000-08-01), Silber
Kames Edward D.
Podolski Joseph C.
Schwarzberger Michael V.
Schwarzberger Neal A.
Will Scott M.
Izaguirre Ismael
Lind Charles F.
Schwarzberger Michael V.
LandOfFree
Machine and method for closing and stitching final edge of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Machine and method for closing and stitching final edge of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Machine and method for closing and stitching final edge of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3192688