Jet Sew Technologies, Inc.

Other

Ernst Schramayr

Tadeusz A Olewicz

Robert J Beasock

John R Russo, Ii

Robert J Sheets

Andrew T Colerick

Nathaniel E Hatch

George Mitchell

An apparatus and method for automatically stitching a material portion by moving the material portion over a sewing table relative to a sewing head. In particular, the present invention includes a structure, device, or other mechanism for reducing friction between the material portion and the sewing table, whereby the material portion is more easily movable over the sewing table. The present invention especially relates to the manufacture of mats having a non-skid backing which would otherwise be very difficult to move relative to a sewing head for sewing the mats.

Apparatus and method for stitching a material portion

An automated apparatus and method for sealing an edge region of a planar material ply includes a central controller and at least one platform. The automated apparatus and method further employs a mechanism for picking a single planar material ply in addition to a mechanism for moving the single planar material ply to the platform. The automated apparatus and method includes a sealing device which seals the edge region of the planar material ply where the sealing device provides a fluid to a predetermined focused region within the edge region. The fluid substantially shrinks and melts strands in the focused region of the planar material ply.

Method and apparatus for sealing an edge region of a planar material ply

A weft straightener assembly for an automated weft straightener system. The weft straightener system includes proximity sensors, a power roller, and an idler roller rotating on a rotation axis. A biased woven textile planar material is fed to the weft straightener assembly where the assembly stretches the woven planar textile material in a predetermined direction to eliminate or substantially reduce any bias present in the woven planar material.

Method and apparatus for weft correction

A stitching clamp for an automatic sewing sewing machine. The stitching clamp has a flexible membrane defining a track for the presser foot of a sewing head to maintain the presser foot in a spaced relationship with respect to a workpiece as the workpiece is moved through a sewing head by the combination of at least one feed dog and a servocontrol. The stitching clamp further includes a label clamp for securely holding a label against a workpiece.

Clamping device and method for an automatic sewing system

A highly efficient, simplified method and apparatus for joining knitted shirt sleeves to shoulder openings of knitted shirt bodies. A knitted sleeve section, oriented outside-out, is engaged by a limited shoulder edge margin only by guide rollers, which can be separated to apply a very limited, controlled circumferential tension to the mounted sleeve section. A knitted shirt body, oriented inside-out, is positioned with a shoulder edge margin directly surrounding the shoulder edge margin of the sleeve section, and also maintained under light tension. A retractable support is positioned underneath the free portion of the sleeve section during loading of the shirt body. The two fabric sections are arranged to be controllably advanced in unison by the guide rollers on which they are supported while a sewing operation is performed. Immediately in advance of the sewing station, the respective shoulder margins are separated by an intervening plate and are individually engaged by active edge guide devices operating in response to a novel arrangement of individual fabric edge positioning sensors for the respective shoulder margins. Immediately in advance of the active edge guides, decurler devices are provided to flatten and extend the edges of the shoulder margins, assuring that the subsequent edge alignment and sewing operations can be accomplished with a high level of accuracy and reliability.

Method and apparatus for attaching sleeves to shirt bodies

An apparatus for high production assembly and sewing of tubular sleeve sections to shirt bodies. Tubular sleeve sections are loaded onto sleeve cones, preferably of cylindrical or frusto-conical form. The sleeve cones may be mounted for pivoting movement to facilitate manual loading. A retractable hollow body shell closes over the loaded sleeve cones, and a shirt body is loaded over the body shell and previously loaded sleeve sections. Load fixtures, comprising a body shell and a pair of sleeve cones, are mounted on a carrier, preferably a rotary turret, for advancement from one work station to another, for loading, sewing and unloading operations. For sewing, the load fixtures are bodily detachable from the carrier, and rotated about the axis of the sleeve cones, while the shoulder seams are sewn by a stationary sewing apparatus. Shirt bodies are loaded with an inside-out orientation for the sewing operation. At the unload station, the shirt tails are engaged and drawn off of the load fixtures while simultaneously being turned to an outside-out orientation.

Sleeve insertion system for the manufacture of shirts

An apparatus for high production assembly and sewing of tubular sleeve sections to shirt bodies. Tubular sleeve sections are loaded onto sleeve cones, preferably of cylindrical or frusto-conical form. The sleeve cones may be mounted for pivoting movement to facilitate manual loading. A retractable, hollow body shell closes over the loaded sleeve cones, and a shirt body is loaded over the body shell and previously loaded sleeve sections. Load fixtures, comprising a body shell and a pair of sleeve cones as described, are mounted on a carrier, preferably a rotary turret, for advancement from one work station to another, for loading, sewing and unloading operations. For sewing, the load fixtures are bodily detachable from the carrier, and rotated about the axis of the sleeve cones, while the shoulder seams are sewn by a stationary sewing apparatus. To enable expedited loading of the shirt bodies and tubular sleeve sections, the apparatus advantageously includes edge guides, for automatically aligning the edge margins of one or both of the shirt body or sleeve section, as the edge margins approach the point of sewing. Where edge guides are employed, loading of the shirt body and sleeve sections usually can be accomplished more rapidly, since less precision is required in the initial alignment of an inside-out orientation for the sewing operation. At the unload station, the shirt tails are engaged and drawn off of the load fixtures while simultaneously being turned to an outside-out orientation.

Sleeve insertion system with edge guide feature

A method and apparatus for sewing sleeve sections to a knitted shirt body. The sleeve sections are provided with a right-side-out orientation and are engaged and supported for sewing by a limited edge margin. A shirt body, supplied in an inside-out orientation, is applied over a previously loaded sleeve section, and is also engaged by only a limited edge margin at the sleeve opening, with the shoulder margin of the shirt body closely surrounding and approximately aligned with the edge margin of the sleeve section. The two components are placed under limited tension to equalize the respective circumference dimensions and are controllably advanced while a shoulder seam is sewn. The respective edges are guided and aligned as they approach the sewing position. A pair of opposed fixtures and sewing heads are provided at each sewing station, so that both sleeve sections and both sides of the shirt body can be loaded in preparation for sewing. Sewing then can proceed at each side sequentially or simultaneously, depending upon configuration of the sewing heads. In a two-station installation, sewing can take place at one station while the operator loads a shirt body and sleeve sections into a second station. Exceptionally high rates of production can be achieved with relatively simplified and economical equipment installations. The system is adaptable for both long-sleeved and short-sleeved shirts.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for automating the sewing of tubular sleeve sections onto tubular shirt bodies, as in the manufacture of T-shirts. Shirt bodies and sleeve sections are applied over a generally cylindrical body form having portions aligned with the sleeve openings of the shirt body. In one version, the sleeve sections are applied inside-out and inner end first over opposed hollow sleeve cones. The areas of the shirt body surrounding the sleeve openings are engaged at spaced points by positioning devices, which independently position segments of the sleeve opening edges with respect to predetermined reference planes. Thereafter, tubular sleeve sections are applied axially over the body form, in surrounding relation to the shoulder areas of the shirt body. As segments of the sleeve inner edges approach the reference planes, individual segments are engaged and retained in position, until all portions of the sleeve edges are aligned with their respective reference plane. The alignment means are then withdrawn and the body form is indexed to a sewing station, where each end of the body form is approached in succession by a sewing machine, which is rotated about an axis aligned with the body form, following a circular path to sew the sleeve edges to the edges of the sleeve opening. In another version, the sleeve openings and sleeve edges are aligned manually by the operator, as part of the operations of loading the body and sleeves onto the body form.

Method and apparatus for attaching sleeves to tubular shirt bodies

There is disclosed a computerized control system for stitching apparel parts in various stitching patterns according to individual designs or styles. The control system prevents mismatching the hardware components used to hold the apparel parts during stitching thereof and a selected computerized program which controls an individual stitching pattern. A program may not be selected unless a code identifying such program is found to match the code which identifies the hardware used for a particular style or design.

Style group recognition system for automated sewing patterns

A method and apparatus are disclosed for automating the sewing of tubular sleeve sections onto tubular shirt bodies, as in the manufacture of T-shirts. Shirt bodies are applied over a generally cylindrical body form having portions aligned with the sleeve openings of the shirt body. The sleeve sections are applied inside-out and inner end first over opposed hollow sleeve cones. The body form, oriented horizontally for loading, is indexed to a sleeve inserting station, where it is re-oriented vertically. The areas of the shirt body surrounding the sleeve openings are engaged a spaced points by positioning devices, which independently position segments of the sleeve opening edges with respect to predetermined reference planes. Thereafter, tubular sleeve sections are applied axially over the body form, in surrounding relation to the shoulder areas of the shirt body. As segments of the sleeve inner edges approach the reference planes, individual segments are engaged and retained in position, until all portions of the sleeve edges are aligned with their respective reference plane. The sleeve cones are then withdrawn, while the sleeve sections are held in their aligned positions. Next, the alignment means are withdrawn and the body form is indexed to a sewing station, where each end of the body form is approached in succession by a sewing machine, which is rotated about an axis aligned with the body form, following a circular path to sew the sleeve edges to the edges of the sleeve opening. The previously labor-intensive operations of edge alignment and sewing are thus accomplished entirely automatically. After sewing, the finished garment is automatically extracted from the body form and placed on a stack.

An apparatus for affixing garment parts, such as pockets to a tubular knit garment body (for example, a T-shirt) which permits conversion of conventional pocket setting equipment, the apparatus providing means to convert the tubular body essentially into a flat undistorted .garment surface prior to and during the stitching operation; followed by subsequent restoration of the tubular garment body prior to stacking.

Pocket setter for flat and tabular garments

Method and apparatus is disclosed for the automated forming and hemming of pocket plies or like parts provided with a contoured top flap. Individual pocket plies are picked from a stack and positioned on a plate provided with V-contoured forward end edge. A clamping die clamps the ply to the plate and conforms a projecting hem-forming margin to the V-contoured (or other shaped) forward edge. A transfer mechanism completes the hem fold and, by the use of a transfer clamp, engages the folded hem area. After the clamping die is opened, the transfer clamp removes the ply and conveys it to a sewing station, while forming the top fold of the pocket ply. The top fold is completed as the transfer mechanism places the ply on the surface of the sewing table and transfers it to the control of a controllably movable sewing clamp. After retraction of the transfer mechanism, the movable sewing clamp advances the folded ply relative to a sewing needle, for sewing of the folded, V-contoured hem to the body of the pocket ply, simultaneously completing the hem and the 'V' pocket flap. Special clamping devices enable the pocket ply to be gripped by one clamp before being released by the other to maintain positive control over the part.

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Barneveld, NY, United States of America

Ernst Schramayr