Sara Lee Corporation

Erik D Moore

Wayne G Foster

John R Everhart

Joel C Rosenquist

Ken J Thompson

Michael D Hines

James Moore Schenck

Jimmy Franklin Plyler

David L Kamp

David S Trotter

Mike D Hines

A fabric cutting system for cutting a pre-selected pattern from a fabric stock and transferring the cut fabric piece to a workstation. The system includes a cutter assembly for cutting the preselected pattern from the fabric stock. A configurable pickup assembly is located between the cutter assembly and the workstation and adapted to pick-up and transfer the cut fabric piece to the workstation. A hold down table adjacent to the cutter assembly maintains the position of the fabric stock in a determinable relationship to the position of the cutter assembly and the configurable pickup assembly. In the preferred embodiment, the hold down table is vacuum operated and includes a moving mesh belt on which and the fabric stock is moved downstream towards the pickup assembly as the fabric piece is being cut by the cutter assembly. This arrangement results in substantially higher throughput through the fabric cutting system.

Automated garment piece cutter

A fabric width control system for a fabric compactor for compacting a moving fabric web. The system includes a vision assembly for measuring the width of the moving fabric web downstream of the fabric compactor. A mechanical spreader is located upstream of the fabric compactor for adjusting the width of the web in response to a control signal from an open loop controller. The controller is connected to the vision assembly and the mechanical spreader for controlling the position of the mechanical spreader in response to a change in the width of the moving fabric web from a pre-set value. In the preferred embodiment, a cloth stabilizer is located downstream of the fabric compactor for maintaining the moving fabric web at a pre-determined position with respect to the vision assembly, thereby further increasing the accuracy of the system.

Fabric width control system

An apparatus for automatically forming a finished sleeve or pant leg for a sweat suit or the like is disclosed. The invention consists of six sub-assemblies: 1) a garment piece positioner and seamer; 2) a cuff making apparatus; 3) a cuff inserting apparatus; 4) an automatic cuff setter; 5) a sleeve invertor; and 6) a garment stacker.

Automatic garment manufacture

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Lexington, NC, United States of America

Erik D Moore