L&p Property Management Company

Raymond D Swaney

Steven E Ogle

Michael L Shelton

Thomas J Wells

M Burl White

An apparatus for automatically changing a bobbin case on a quilting machine having a hook drive operatively supporting the bobbin case during a stitching operation. The apparatus includes a staging station adapted to support at least one bobbin case normally having a full spool of thread, and a carriage movable between the staging station and the hook drive. A finger is movably mounted on the carriage, and the finger moves a release lever on the bobbin to an unlock position and clamps the release lever at the unlock position. A method of using the above apparatus in an automatic bobbin changing operation is also provided. A controller determines the need for a bobbin change, for example, by counting stitches and calculating the thread remaining on the bobbin. The bobbin change can be carried out between patterns or during a pattern by cutting the bobbin thread or both the top and bottom threads. The sewing of tacking stitches may also be done in sequence with the thread cutting and bobbin changes.

Automatic bobbin changer and method

Apparatus including a mattress support for supporting a mattress lying on a first major face or panel thereof and conveying the mattress as a sewing operation, such as an edge sewing and taping operation, is performed with respect to the first major face. A mattress flipping mechanism is provided and may include a pivoting support portion of the mattress support connected to a powered lift mechanism. Mattress elevating units are provided to create slack in the top panel of the mattress for easier grasping by the operator during a sewing operation. A mattress guide arm is provided for holding the mattress down during the sewing operation. A mattress inclining mechanism is provided for selectively moving the mattress from a generally horizontal orientation used for mattress conveying and flipping operations to an inclined orientation used during sewing to gravity feed the mattress into engagement with the sewing machine.

Mattress sewing and handling apparatus

Apparatus including a mattress support for supporting a mattress lying on a first major face or panel thereof and conveying the mattress as a sewing operation, such as an edge sewing and taping operation, is performed with respect to the first major face. A mattress flipping mechanism is provided and may include a pivoting support portion of the mattress support connected to a powered lift mechanism. In one preferred embodiment the mattress support includes a split conveyor and the pivoting support portion of the mattress support is disposed within the space defined between adjacent belts of the split conveyor. Mattress elevating units are provided to create slack in the top panel of the mattress for easier grasping by the operator during a sewing operation. A mattress guide arm is provided for holding the mattress down during the sewing operation. A sewing machine base is pivoted and connected to a fluid powered cylinder for moving the sewing machine away from the mattress support while flipping the mattress. The mattress guide arm is provided with pivoting features for this reason as well.

Growing community of inventors

Galena, KS, United States of America

Raymond D Swaney