Sara Lee Corporation

Ken J Thompson

Wayne G Foster

John R Everhart

Joel C Rosenquist

Erik D Moore

David S Trotter

Michael D Hines

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

An apparatus for inserting a cuff into a sleeve of a garment. The apparatus includes a holding fixture for holding the cuff in a generally open configuration. A sleeve opener opens the sleeve of a garment sufficient to allow insertion of the cuff into the sleeve. The sleeve opener includes a support surface for supporting the sleeve and a pick-up head for engaging an upper layer of the sleeve. The pick-up head is mounted for vertical movement relative to the support surface to lift the upper layer of the sleeve and includes means for effecting relative movement between the holding fixture and the sleeve opener to insert the cuff into the sleeve.

Cuff inserting apparatus

An apparatus for making a cuff from a continuous supply of tubular material. The apparatus includes a material feed for advancing the tubular material. A cutter is disposed adjacent the material feed for severing the tubular material to form a circular band. A holding fixture receives and holds the circular band severed from the tubular cuff material in an open position. The holding fixture includes gripping means formed in the holding fixture for gripping the circular band between the ends thereof. A folding mechanism folds the circular band on the holding fixture upon itself to form a double-layer cuff which is subsequently attached to the garment either automatically or manually.

Cuff making apparatus

An apparatus for automatically inverting a garment piece for a sweat suit or the like. The apparatus includes an elongated tube for receiving the garment piece over the front end of the tube. A gripper arm is located adjacent to the rear end of the tube and axially aligned with the tube. The gripper arm includes an elongated arm attached to a frame at one end; gripping means attached to the other end of the elongated arm; and means for moving the arm and the gripping means from a first position away from the garment piece to a second position adjacent to the garment piece. A spreader engages the garment piece adjacent to the front end of the tube to position the garment piece for the gripper means. The gripper means and arm are operable to grasp and withdraw the garment piece through the front end of the tube to the rear end of the tube to automatically invert the garment piece.

Automatic sleeve invertor

A garment stacker for stacking garments in a garment stack. The apparatus includes a stacking tray having a support tray for supporting garments placed thereon in a garment stack and a tray actuator for adjusting the position of the support tray. A rotary stacker is positioned adjacent the stacking tray, wherein the rotary stacker repeatedly moves between a loading and an unloading position to successively stack garments on the stacking tray in a garment stack. A controller directs the tray actuator to position the support tray upwards when the rotary stacker is in the unloading position so as to press the garment stack between the stacking tray and rotary stacker. An unloader moves the garment stack from the stacking tray after a garment stack has been formed thereon.

Garment stacker

An apparatus for receiving a garment piece at a first workstation and moving the garment piece to a second workstation where the garment piece is seamed together. The apparatus includes a garment piece transfer system located adjacent to the first workstation for engaging the garment piece at the first workstation and for moving the garment piece to the second workstation. A vision and control system is located adjacent to the first workstation for determining the position of the garment piece at the first workstation and sending a control signal to the garment piece transfer system to engage the garment piece at the first workstation and move the garment piece to the second workstation. A sewing machine is located at the second workstation for seaming the garment piece together. The vision and control system also determines a parameter value for a selected parameter of the garment and places the garment into a reject or a non-reject class based on a comparison of the parameter value and a reference value. The garment piece is moved to the second workstation for sewing in response to the garment being placed in the non-reject class.

Garment piece positioner and seamer

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

An apparatus for automatically setting a cuff to a garment piece for a sweat suit or the like. The apparatus includes a holding fixture for holding the cuff in the garment piece prior to sewing. A transfer system then moves the cuff and garment piece together to the sewing machine. The apparatus also includes a cuff setter having an elongated tube for receiving the garment piece over the front end of the tube and a spreader assembly for moving the cuff and garment piece together in the direction of sewing to attach the cuff to the garment.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, NC, United States of America

Ken J Thompson