The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Robert D Whiteside

Daniel E Whitney

David S Barrett

Donald C Fyler

Frank J Siraco

George A Wood

John R Lawson

F Keith Glick

Arthur Ciccolo

Jay A Sampson

A limp material handling system includes a manipulating apparatus for selectively manipulating one or more layers of limp material on a support table. Folding is accomplished by lifting a curvilinear region of the material, reshaping that lifted region as desired, and lowering that lifted region to a curvilinear region on the support table. A seamed article assembly system incorporates the manipulating apparatus, a seam joining apparatus and a multiple parallel endless belt system for tactile presentation of the limp material to the seam joining apparatus. An optical sensing system provides information representative of the position of the limp material being handled. A programmable computer, or controller, coordinates and controls the operation of the manipulating apparatus, seam joining apparatus, belt assembly, and optical sensing system to provide automatic assembly of seamed articles.

Assembly system for seamed articles

Growing community of inventors

Watertown, MA, United States of America

Robert D Whiteside