Gerber Garment Technology, Inc.

Larry Billings

Richard Kuchta

Vladimir Evenzon

Philip W Cenedella

Donald Bristow

An automated cutter bed employs a sealer which is mechanically coupled to a tool carriage and moves with it along a first coordinate direction. A first roller is connected with a second roller disposed at the take-off end of the table by an air impermeable sheet which is tensioned between the two rollers by a resilient member housed within each of the rollers causing a preload to be exerted on the air impermeable sheet material. The first roller moves between ends of the table paying out a length of the air impermeable material. As the carriage moves to the cutter datum, equalization is effected by the preloads given in each of the first and second rollers.

Cutter re-sealer using tensioned overlay and related method

A variable height workstation includes a trolley delivery apparatus for controllably moving a rail section from a gap formed in a subsidiary loop rail to a workstation located remotely from the loop. A pivotal cam is controllably rotated by an actuator and moves with the rail section and arrests travel of a trolley on the moveable rail section so that rail section may be removed toward the workstation while carrying the trolley. The pivotal cam is also capable of accelerating a trolley off the rail section either after the rail returns to its normal bridging position or from the rail section without it being lowered. The trolley delivery apparatus is employed in a subsidiary loop system whereby a preworkstation indexer is located upstream of it to advance individual diverted trolleys onto the moveable rail section. A control system utilizing an algorithm is employed which synchronizes the movement of the indexers and the rail section so that an operator may selectively control the movements of the trolley delivery apparatus.

Selectively positionable variable height workstation and method of use

A subsidiary work station loop for a work station conveyor system has a gravity fed rail assembly for trolleys shunted from the main conveyor. An elevator returns the trolleys from the lower end of the rail assembly. Four rail segments define this rail assembly and three of the four are supported by a single bracket and a single fastener. The rail segments are coupled by a pin and slot connection that permits limited angular rotation of one segment relative to the other, but which prevents relative axial misalignment.

Segmented rail assembly for closed loop work station conveyor system

A variable height workstation includes a trolley delivery apparatus for moving a rail section from a gap formed in a subsidiary loop rail to a workstation located remotely from the loop. A pivotal cam moves with the rail section and arrests travel of a trolley on the movable rail section so that rail section may be moved toward the workstation while carrying the trolley. As the rail section moves upwardly toward the gap formed in the subsidiary loop, the cam rotates and accelerates the trolley off the rail section. The trolley delivery apparatus is employed in a subsidiary loop system whereby a first escapement device is located upstream of it to advance selected one of the diverted trolleys onto the moveable rail section. The pivotal cam associated with the moveable rail section in turn advances the involved trolley off the rail section downwardly on a downstream rail portion toward a second escapement device whereupon trolleys may again collect and are subsequently advanced at intervals onto a transfer slide for carriage into an elevator upwards toward the main rail of the system.

Growing community of inventors

Manchester, CT, United States of America

Larry Billings