L&p Property Management Company

Leggett & Platt, Inc.

Glenn E Leavis

Jeff A Kaetterhenry

James T Frazer

James F Bondanza

Terrance L Myers

Roland Bulnes

David Brian Scott

Andrew K Schnaufer

Richard N Codos

Michael A James

Michael J Gribetz

A quilting machine has at least one needle and looper set for forming chain-stitched patterns on a thick multilayered material such as a mattress ticking, preferably a panel of the continuous web clamped stationary on a frame. The stitch forming elements are mounted on separate heads that move independently transversely relative to the panel on a bridge that moves longitudinally relative to the panel. The bridge is longitudinally moved by a servo and the heads are transversely moved on the bridge by separate linear servos. The needle and looper are each driven by a linear servo having an armature to which the element is directly fixed to reciprocate without intervening mechanical linkage assemblies. A controller drives the servos to chain-stitch patterns, differentially move the heads transversely to account for transverse needle deflection and to phase the needle and looper to compensate for longitudinal needle deflection. The controller determines or predicts needle deflection, either based on stored empirically determined data or optical sensing, and generates deflection compensation signals to drive the servos.

Servo driven quilter

A quilting machine is provided having at least one set of single needle stitch forming elements for forming chain stitched patterns on a thick multilayered material such as a mattress cover. The machine is preferably web-fed, with a panel of the continuous web being clamped and held stationary on a frame. The stitch forming elements include a needle and a looper mounted on separate heads that are independently moveable on a bridge transversely relative to the panel, which is moveable longitudinally relative to the frame. The bridge is longitudinally moved by a servo and the heads are transversely moved on the bridge by separate servos. The stitching elements on each head are driven by separate servos. A controller drives the servos to chain stitch patterns and differentially move the heads transversely to account for transverse needle deflection. The drives of the needle and looper are phased to compensate for longitudinal needle deflection. The controller determines or predicts needle deflection. It may store empirically determined data and respond to control signals and/or sensors to determine or predict deflection and to calculate the needle deflection compensation, in response to which it generates deflection compensation signals to drive the servos. Infrared, LED or magnetic deflection sensors are preferred, but many other types are or will become available that will be suitable.

Web-fed chain-stitch single-needle mattress cover quilter with needle deflection compensation

A quilting apparatus is provided with a computer controlled presser plate adjusting mechanism. A presser plate rocker shaft is separate from and mechanically connected to a needle rocker shaft and imparts a reciprocating motion to the presser plate. The presser plate rocker shaft is adjustable to vary the range of its output link to the presser plate, thereby changing the endpoints of its reciprocating path of travel. Certain embodiments have an output end of the presser plate rocker shaft adjustable relative to the input end through a coupling to different angular positions relative to an input end in order to change the upper and lower ends of the range of reciprocation of the pressure plate relative to the needle plate. Alternatively, the length of a link between the needle and pressure plate rocker shafts is variable to make the presser plate adjustment. A motor or other actuator changes the coupling or link in response to a signal from a quilting machine controller, which can be made instantly, either manually by an operator at a controller interface terminal, by a batch mode program run by the controller to set the machine to the parameters required by products on a product schedule, or automatically in response to measurements from sensors that are interpreted by the controller in determining optimal pressure plate setting.

Quilting machine with adjustable presser plate and method of operating the quilting machine

A quilting machine is provided having at least one set of single needle stitch forming elements for forming chain stitched patterns on a thick multilayered material such as a mattress cover. The machine is preferably web fed, with a panel of the continuous web being clamped and held stationary on a frame. The elements include a needle and a looper mounted on separate heads that are independently moveable transversely on a bridge, which is moveable longitudinally on the frame. The bridge is longitudinally moved by a servo and the heads are transversely moved on the bridge by separate servos. Each head is driven by a separate servo. A controller drives the servos to chain stitch patterns and differentially moves the heads transversely to account for transverse needle deflection. The drives of the needle and looper are phased to compensate for longitudinal needle deflection. The controller stores empirically determined data and responds to control signals or sensors to determine deflection and calculate the needle deflection compensation from which it generates deflection compensation signals to drive the servos.

Web-fed chain-stitch single-needle mattress cover quilter with needle

Quilts (120) are made from unquilted comforter bags (206) without premounting the panel on a rectangular frame (11,11a). A leading edge clamp (50,250) is preattached along the leading edge of a panel and fed from an operator station (15) onto a shuttle (20) movably mounted on the frame of a programmed single needle quilting machine (10,10a). Opposed belt conveyors (61,62) on opposite sides of the shuttle (20) advance the clamp (50,250) and pull the panel onto the shuttle (20), gripping the side edges of the panel as it is pulled. A trailing edge clamp bar (48) frictionally engages the panel as the panel is pulled onto the shuttle (20). The shuttle (20) reciprocates longitudinally under a sewing head (18) that moves transversely on the frame (11,11a) to stitch a pattern in the panel. A pickup head (86) engages the clamp (50,250) on the shuttle (20) and moves it to an outfeed table (81,281) at the top of the frame where the clamp (50,250) releases the quilted panel (120), folded once, onto the table (81,281) from which it conveyed to a stacker (200) by belt conveyors (82) or a moveable conveyor table (283). Preferably, the quilted panels (120) are conveyed to an elevator platform (302) at the operator station (15) that lowers a stack (320) of quilts (120) onto a cart (204) on which the unquilted panels (206) were supplied. When a quilted panel (120) is free of the shuttle (20), another front edge clamp (50,250) is clamped to the next panel to similarly pull it onto the shuttle (20). When a clamp (50,250) has released a quilted panel (120) at the outfeed table (81,281), it is returned by the pickup head (86) to the operator station (15) where it is released for reuse.

Quilting method and apparatus

The quilting of rectangular comforter bags, mattress cover panels or other similar panels is provided without the need to premount the panel on a rectangular frame. A leading edge clamp is preattached along the leading edge of a panel and the clamp is fed from an operator station to the upstream end of a shuttle movably mounted on the frame of a programmed single needle quilting machine. Opposed belt conveyors on opposite sides of the shuttle advance the clamp and pull the panel onto the shuttle, with the belts gripping the side edges of the panel as it is pulled. A trailing edge clamp bar frictionally engages the panel to provide trailing edge securement to the panel, with the belts and leading edge clamp providing securement around the other edges to stretch the panel on the shuttle. The shuttle reciprocates longitudinally under a sewing head that moves transversely on the frame at a quilting station, while the sewing head operates to stitch a pattern in the panel. A pickup head then engages the clamp and directs it along a conveyor across an outfeed table at the top of the frame, pulling the quilted panel over the table where the clamp is released to drop the panel on the table, where it is folded and conveyed to a stacker. When a first quilted panel is free of the shuttle, another front edge clamp similarly pulls another panel onto the shuttle. When a clamp has released a panel at the outfeed table, it is returned by the conveyor to the operator station for reuse.

An automatic thread trimming method and apparatus are provided for tack and jump sewing of fabrics. In a preferred embodiment, a quilting apparatus having a plurality of sets of, preferably, double lock chain stitch forming elements, is disposed on a mechanically linked mechanism in a reconfigurable array corresponding to an array of discrete patterns to be sewn. Each set of the array is equipped with a thread trimming element. In a preferred embodiment, a thread trimming cutting edge is formed on one surface of a thread stitch forming element, preferably on a revolving retainer element that is mechanically linked to the mechanism. When operated in a forward direction, a chain stitched pattern is sewn with the stitches formed in cooperation with the retainer revolving in a forward direction. Upon completion of the pattern, the mechanism is reversed for half of a cycle to bring the cutting edge against a thread, the thread tension is released, the fabric is advanced to pull the thread, the thread tension is reapplied to cause the thread to be cut, and the fabric is positioned for the start of a new discrete pattern.

Growing community of inventors

Hollywood, FL, United States of America

Glenn E Leavis