Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Courtaulds Plc

Courtaulds Textiles (Holdings) Limited

Cegelec Projects Limited

Keith Jeffcoat

Frank Robinson

Gerald F Day

John Flavell

Max W Betts

Paul R Morris

David C Munday

Rodger G Smith

A three-dimensional continuously weft knitted fabric cover characterized by a wale-wise orientated pouch and a method of knitting the same, in which a knitting pattern for knitting the fabric cover in a single operation is made by forming a two-dimensional development of the object and the pouch, determining the wale-wise direction for knitting, performing a geometric rearrangement on the two-dimensional development so that any non-horizontal edges to be joined together in the knitting operation have the same length, and said edges are biased at equal angles to the course-wise direction.

Knitted cover and a knitting method

A method of determining the shape of a knitting pattern for continuous knitting of a three-dimensional weft knitted object having a two-dimensional development in which at least one pair of edges to be knitted together have a large angle therebetween in excess of x.degree. where x.degree. is the maximum knittable angle between edges for the particular application of the cover. The method produces a cover having distinct sutures including a first suture formed from knitting together two edges with two sutures extending from one end of the first suture to intersect another suture extending from the other end of the first suture at a point.

Knitting method

A vehicle seat head restraint has a framework stiffened resilient core and a fabric covering formed from at least one three-dimensional knitted fabric piece secured around the core.

Cover for vehicle head restraint

A piece of upholstery fabric for covering three-dimensional supports such as vehicle seat bases and seat backs is machine-knitted, preferably in a mainly double jersey structure, with integral tubular portions. These serve as anchorage devices for securing the fabric piece to the support which it is to cover using rods or tapes which are threaded through the tubular portions. The tubular portions may be located at the margins of the fabric piece and also at intermediate positions where the fabric piece needs to be held down, for example in a depression in the support. They may project from a surface of the fabric piece and may be like loops or they may be in the form of tubular hems or a tube lying between front and rear faces of a double jersey structure.

Upholstery fabric

A piece of upholstery fabric for covering three-dimensional supports such as vehicle seat bases and seat backs is machine knitted, preferably in a mainly double jersey structure, with integral tubular portions. These serve as anchorage devices for securing the fabric piece to the support which it is to cover using rods or tapes which are threaded through the tubular portions. The tubular portions may be located at the margins of the fabric piece and also at intermediate positions where the fabric piece needs to be held down, for example in a depression in the support. They may project from a surface of the fabric piece and may be like loops or they may be in the form of tubular hems or a tube lying between front and rear surfaces of a double jersey structure.

Robot end effector

In order to move a piece of fabric (1) over a work table (2) using a gantry robot (4), a gripper (7) comprising a flat foam-covered plate is lowered on to the fabric by the robot shaft (6). It is found that the best control over the fabric is obtained by allowing the gripper to rest on the fabric solely under its own weight, i.e. it should not be pressed down by the robot shaft. A flexible coupling (8) allows the gripper to float, while preventing relative rotation between the robot shaft and the gripper. The coupling is mounted to be movable up and down relative to the shaft, and a coupling part (13) to which the gripper is attached can tilt along two horizontal axes. When the gripper is raised, compressed air is introduced into the coupling, causing parts (11,15) of the two coupling members (10,13) to make contact, so that the gripper is held rigidly in a horizontal position. It is held in that attitude while it is lowered on to the fabric, and the pressure is then released.

Sheet handling apparatus

A flat knitting machine including a presser foot assembly comprising a support mounted on the machine for movement along the needle array of the machine and at least one presser foot mounted on the support. The assembly includes a supporting arm carried on the support and itself carrying a slider on which a presser foot is mounted, the supporting arm providing a structure for effecting guided displacement of the slider up-and-down in relation to the needles. Resilient means, such as one or more springs, are arranged to urge the slider and presser foot down, away from the support, so that the presser foot can ride up on the supporting arm against the pressure of the resilient means and thus the whole of the presser foot extending from in advance of the rising needles to the rear of the fully raised needle position is resiliently mounted in the machine.

Presser foot mechanism in a knitting machine

A method of knitting a blank for a sleeved garment on a knitting machine having two opposed needle beds containing independently operable needles, comprises, in either order, the steps of forming two sleeve portions of the blank, each extending between a cuff and an underarm level of a sleeve of the garment, by knitting in reciprocatory manner on needles of the two opposed needle beds at two locations to form U-shaped courses, the joined ends of the two arms of each U-shaped course of a sleeve portion lying on the needle beds adjacent the joined ends of a corresponding U-shaped course of the other sleeve portion, and forming two body portions of the blank by knitting separately two pieces of fabric one on each of the two needle beds. The method also comprises forming a shoulder region of the blank to constitute a connection between the sleeve portions and the body portions. This shoulder region comprises two sleeve shoulder portions formed by knitting U-shaped courses to constitute an extension of each sleeve portion and two body shoulder portions formed by knitting two pieces of fabric to constitute extensions of the two body portions. In the course of knitting one pair of the pairs of sleeve and body shoulder portions, needles are made progressively inactive in an inwards direction from the outermost edges of the pair of portions, without casting off loops from those needles, and in the course of knitting the other of the pairs of sleeve and body shoulder portions inactive needles holding knitted loops are brought progressively back into action in the opposite direction, whereby the sleeve and body shoulder portions are shaped and joined to one another and a one-piece blank is formed having sleeve portions each open down one edge and body portions separated at the sides.

Growing community of inventors

Nuneaton, United Kingdom

Keith Jeffcoat