Gerber Technology, Inc.

Gerber Garment Technology, Inc.

Gerber Scientific International, Inc.

Darryl Colburn Stein

A Bruce Plumley

Claude W LeBlond

Kevin M Williams

Alex Zusmanovich

Allan Buckle

Timothy Philip Macdonald

Mark R Johansen

James Loos

Swivel knife holder assembly for a multi-ply reciprocating cutter

An apparatus for adjusting a knife edge offset in a cutter toolhead having a cutter toolhead frame. The apparatus including a knife moveably coupled to the toolhead, an actuated arm moveably attached to the cutter toolhead frame, a computer controller for controlling the movement of the knife and actuated arm, an abrasive sharpener moveably attached to the actuated arm and adapted to contact the knife, and a sensor adapted to determine a distance between the cutter toolhead frame and the actuated arm. The computer controller of the apparatus is further capable of adjusting the movement of the knife and the actuated arm as a function of the distance determined by the sensor.

Knife edge location sensor

The swivel knife holder assembly includes a shoulder screw defining an axis, and having a proximal threaded end and a distal head, and mounted on the shoulder screw is a bobbin assembly. The swivel knife holder assembly also includes a shell defining an interior, and having a distal opening and a proximal opening. A core is secured in the interior and is coupled to a knife for cutting fabric material. The proximal opening of the shell is defined by a flange and houses the shoulder screw therein. Threadably coupled to the proximal threaded end of the shoulder screw is a stem. The stem secures the bobbin assembly within the shell and also includes a mounting surface for engaging a reciprocating drive mechanism.

A reciprocated knife cuts pattern work material pieces without rotating a housing tube for orientation of the cutting knife. An integrated tangent axis drive motor orients the cutting knife, eliminating any inertia caused by the cutting housing tube and preventing the slowing of the angular acceleration and increasing the speed of the knife orientation. Alternative motor types are provided by various embodiments of the invention.

Reciprocated knife having an integral tangent axis orientation drive

In an apparatus for cutting pattern pieces and creating apertures in sheet-type work material a frame has a support surface mounted thereon for carrying at least one layer of the work material. A carriage is coupled to the frame for movement back-and-forth there along a first coordinate direction in response to commands issued from a controller. A cutting head is mounted to the carriage and moves in a second coordinate direction along the carriage approximately perpendicular to the first coordinate direction. A rotary die is coupled to the cutting head and at least one cutting tool is mounted to the rotary die. The cutting tool includes a shaped cutting portion corresponding to the shape of an aperture to be formed in the work material. During operation the rotary die is movable between a working position wherein the cutting tool engages the work material and a non-working position wherein the rotary die is positioned away from the work material.

Apparatus for cutting and creating notches and apertures in sheet-type work material

In an apparatus for printing on a continuously moving sheet of work material, a frame is provided and defines a work supporting surface over which a sheet of work material is advanced in a first coordinate direction longitudinally of itself. An elongated support is mounted to the frame and extends transversely across the work supporting surface. A print head is mounted to the elongated support and is movable across the support, as well as between a forward and rearward position. During operation, as the work material is continuously advanced through the apparatus, the print head traverses the support and simultaneously moves between the forward and rearward positions, such that the print head has a component of speed in the first coordinate direction approximately equal to the rate at which the work material is advanced. This causes the print head to print successive lineal portions of a graphic oriented approximately perpendicular to the first coordinate direction while the work material is continuously advanced.

Method and apparatus for printing on a continuously moving sheet of work material

In an apparatus for printing on a web of work material continuously advanced in an X coordinate direction at a velocity v.sub.wx, at least one print head having a plurality of print elements arranged in a scanning array extending in the X direction is repetitively movable relative to the apparatus. The scanning array moves at a velocity v.sub.a along a path that includes at least one scan segment and at least one repositioning segment. As the scanning array traverses the scan segment it has a first velocity component v.sub.ax in the X direction, and a second velocity component v.sub.ay in a Y direction perpendicular to the X direction. The first velocity component v.sub.ax is equal to the velocity v.sub.wx so that the scanning array in traversing the scan segment, scans a swath on the web parallel to the Y direction, having a swath height h.sub.s. The velocity component v.sub.ay is such that in the time taken for the array to move along the full extent of the scan segment the web advances a distance h.sub.w in the X direction that is less than h.sub.s. The array then travels along the repositioning segment such that prior or equal to a time taken for the web to advance a distance d=h.sub.s -h.sub.w the print head is positioned for movement along the scan segment, thereby causing successive swaths of the web scanned by the array to be positioned immediately adjacent to one another.

Method and apparatus for printing onto a continuously advancing web of

Method and apparatus for printing on a continuously moving sheet of work

A system for automatically making sample garments comprises a controller having a central process for preparing a marker based on data representing individual pattern pieces of an overall garment design and data representing selected portions of the sheet material from which the garment is to be constructed. The system further comprises an apparatus for cutting and performing other work operations on the sheet material. The apparatus includes a table having a core defining a vacuum plenum and a sheet material support surface.

Sample garment making system

A dancer bar including a plurality of segments flexibly linked together is provided. Preferably, the segments are selectively connectable to provide a dancer bar having a length which substantially equals the width of an associated web of sheet material. A sheet material feed mechanism including the segmented dancer bar and an apparatus for performing a work operation on sheet material including the feed mechanism are also provided.

Apparatus for performing a work operation on sheet material and a sheet

A progressive plotter for working on successive segments of an elongated web of sheet material extending across a work surface has a pen supported to move in marking relation to material on the work surface in response to command signals received from a programmable controller. The machine includes a supply roll for paying-off sheet material and a take-up roll for receiving material from the supply roll. Each roll has a cylindrical tubular cardboard roll core extending throughout its axial length. The rolls are supported by flanged hub assemblies, each including a cylindrical hub member having a rough generally cylindrical peripheral surface and a diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the smallest roll core to be supported by the machine. The hub members rotate in rolling engagement with the inner peripheral surfaces of the roll cores to drive and/or support the rolls. Each hub assembly has an axially inwardly open recess defined by the hub member and its associated flange for receiving an end portion of a roll core which extends beyond the radially disposed end face of the sheet material wound thereon.

Growing community of inventors

Andover, CT, United States of America

Darryl Colburn Stein