Fieldcrest Cannon, Inc.

Cannon Mills Company

Dennis L Starnes

William G Kimball

Gregory A Ball

Byron E Moore

Robert E Watson

Eugene J Herrin

David K Keziah

A terry loom having a negative pile warp let-off motor is electronically controlled to produce terry having uniform pile-to-ground warp ratio. The negative pile warp let-off motor is controlled to dispense pile warp yarn at a rate which yields the desired pile-to-ground warp ratio regardless of the tension on the pile warp yarn. The desired rate of pile warp let-off may be provided to the loom controller as a known quantity or may be calculated by the loom controller based upon the known desired pile-to-ground warp ratio and a measured or preset ground warp let-off rate. The desired pile warp let-off rate is compared to the actual pile let-off rate, and a signal is generated based upon deviations between actual and desired pile warp let-off rates, to control the pile warp let-off motor. Simplified control with uniform pile-to-ground warp ratio is thereby provided.

Electronic control of terry pile warp yarn dispensing rate

An end effector mechanism is provided which is adapted to be attached to a robot having means for moving the end effector mechanism in at least up and down and forward and reverse paths of travel. The end effector mechanism is characterized by a construction for gripping a generally flat textile article in a predetermined orientation and holding the textile article while maintaining at least one edge thereof in such predetermined orientation during transportation of the textile article by the robot and subsequently releasing the textile article. The end effector mechanism is in the form of a generally U-shaped member having a flat bottom surface for contact with the textile article and having needle gripping devices mounted for inward and outward movement from the forward free ends of the U-shaped member for gripping and releasing the textile article, while holding at least one edge thereof taut and in a predetermined orientation.

Robot end effector mechanism for gripping and holding a flat textile

An apparatus is provided for automatically cutting apart successive articles, such as terry towels, from a continuous length of material, in which such articles are separated therein by portions extending transversely across the material and of less thickness than the articles, so that each cut article has an equal amount of thinner portion remaining on each cut edge for subsequent hemming or the like. The apparatus includes devices for automatically aligning and positioning the thinner separating portion of the material relative to a cutting device so that the cutting device will cut the articles apart generally through the center of the thinner separating portion of the material.

Apparatus for automatically cutting apart successive articles

An apparatus and method is provided for automatically guiding, trimming, splitting and side hemming continuous textile material having thickened individual portions, such as terry towels, woven therein in side-by-side relationship transversely of the material and in series longitudinally of the material. This material is fed through the apparatus and thinned selvage edge portions are trimmed to a predetermined width, hems are formed in each of the trimmed selvage edges and stitched with mechanisms in a first work station of the apparatus. The trimming, folding and stitching mechanisms on each side of the traveling material are individually moved and aligned in proper transverse positions relative to each of the selvage edges regardless of transverse deviation in the longitudinal paths of travel of the selvage edges as the material travels through the first work station. Thereafter, the material is longitudinally split through a thinned middle portion into strips, hems are formed in the longitudinally-extending cut side edges of the strips and the folded hems are stitched with mechanisms in a second work station in the apparatus. The thinned middle portion of the traveling material is aligned relative to the splitting, folding and stitching mechanisms prior to such operations in the second work station for splitting the material generally through the center of the thinned middle portion and forming uniform stitched hems on each cut edge.

Growing community of inventors

Kannapolis, NC, United States of America

Dennis L Starnes