Atlanta Attachment Company

Michael R Pate

Tadeusz A Olewicz

Elvin C Price

Preston B Dasher

A waistband attachment system (10) for sewing an elastic waistband into the waist portion of a garment is disclosed. The waistband attachment system includes a sewing head assembly (16), a puller roller assembly (24), a waistband expansion assembly (44), a bottom edge guide assembly (64), a folder wire (102), a top edge guide assembly (128), and a folder assembly (148) about which the elastic waistband and the unfolded waist edge of the garment are passed, and a stacking assembly (400). The unfinished waist edge of the garment is folded about the elastic waistband by the folder wire and finish folded by the combination of folder tongue/finish folder so that a top ply of the waist portion of the garment overlies an opposed bottom ply to enclose the elastic waistband therein. The bottom edge and top edge guide assemblies, respectively, are constructed and arranged to progressively move the waist edge of the garment into a knife (170) of the sewing head assembly for trimming the excess portion of the waist edge along the folded and hemmed waistband as it is sewn into the garment. Thereafter, the stacking assembly removes each garment for stacking as part of a garment bundle.

Waistband attachment system

A waistband attachment system (10) for sewing an elastic waistband into the waist portion of a garment is disclosed. The waistband attachment system includes a sewing head assembly (16), a puller roller assembly (24), a waistband expansion assembly (44), a bottom edge guide assembly (64), a folder wire (102), a top edge guide assembly (128), and a folder assembly (148) about which the elastic waistband and the unfolded waist edge of the garment are passed. The unfinished waist edge of the garment is folded about the elastic waistband by the folder wire and finish folded by the combination of a folder tongue/finish folder so that a top ply of the waist portion of the garment overlies an opposed bottom ply to enclose the elastic waistband therein. The bottom edge and top edge guide assemblies, respectively, are constructed and arranged to progressively move the waist edge of the garment into a knife (170) of the sewing head assembly for trimming the excess portion of the waist edge along the folded and hemmed waistband as it is sewn into the garment.

A looped elastic waistband (14) is positioned along a circular sewing path (12) with the waist edge (21) of a pair of pants (12) in straddling relationship thereover. The garment parts are advanced past a folding assembly (61), which folds the waist edge (21) of the pants (16) over the waistband (14), and past sewing needles (13) that form lines of stitching along the aligned edges of the pants (16) and waistband (14) and through the folded portion (22) of the pants waist (19). In the meantime, the position of the waist edge (21) of the pants (16) over the waistband (14) is adjusted in response to position the waist edges (21) as detected by body edge sensor (13) which controls the reciprocation of a pair of drive wheels (87 and 88) of an edge guide assembly (86) which engage and urge the waist edge (21) of the pants (16) across from the sewing path (12). An expansion roller assembly (62) maintains tension in the waistband (14) and the waist edge (20) of the pants (16) during a sewing operation, and is pivotable to equalize tension in the waistband (14) and pants (16).

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Sugar Hill, GA, United States of America

Michael R Pate