Method and apparatus for folding and sewing hems

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 and wherein the steps of folding over and sewing the cut ends of each length of cloth comprises simultaneously retarding the movement of the cut edge of cloth as it is first folded while advancing the cut end of the cloth ahead of the remaining portion of the length of cloth as the cut end of cloth is folded.

Claim 4

Apparatus for fabricating lengths of cloth from a continuous supply of cloth comprising a transfer surface, feed means for feeding the end of the continuous supply of cloth in a first direction onto said transfer surface, sensing means for determining when a predetermined length of cloth has been fed onto said transfer surface, cutting means responsive to said sensing means for cutting a length of cloth on said transfer surface from the supply of cloth, conveyor means for receiving and moving the length of cloth in a second direction generally normal to the first direction, first edge folding and sewing means positioned adjacent one side of said conveyor means foR folding over and sewing one cut edge of the cut length of cloth to form a closed hem along the first edge as the cut length of cloth moves in the second direction, folding means comprising a folding bar supported in a generally stationary cantilever arrangement with its free end extending above and in the direction of movement of said conveyor means, and a wiper rod extending generally parallel to the direction of movement of said conveyor means and movable from below the path of the cloth on said conveyor means to above said folding bar and then toward said one side of said conveyor means for folding approximately one half the length of cloth about said folding bar as the length of cloth continues to move in the second direction, and second edge folding and sewing means positioned adjacent said one side of said conveyor means for folding and sewing the other cut edge of the length of cloth to form a closed hem along the second edge as the length of cloth continues to move in the second direction.

Claim 5

Apparatus for fabricating lengths of cloth from a continuous supply of cloth comprising a transfer surface, feed means for feeding the end of the continuous supply of cloth in a first direction onto said transfer surface, sensing means for determining when a predetermined length of cloth has been fed onto said transfer surface, cutting means responsive to said sensing means for cutting a length of cloth on said transfer surface from the supply of cloth, conveyor means for receiving and moving the length of cloth in a second direction generally normal to the first direction, first edge folding and sewing means positioned adjacent one side of said conveyor means foR folding over and sewing one cut edge of the cut length of cloth to form a closed hem along the first edge as the cut length of cloth moves in the second direction, folding means comprising a folding bar supported in a generally stationary cantilever arrangement with its free end extending above and in the direction of movement of said conveyor means, and a wiper rod extending generally parallel to the direction of movement of said conveyor means and movable from below the path of the cloth on said conveyor means to above said folding bar and then toward said one side of said conveyor means for folding approximately one half the length of cloth about said folding bar as the length of cloth continues to move in the second direction, and second edge folding and sewing means positioned adjacent said one side of said conveyor means for folding and sewing the other cut edge of the length of cloth to form a closed hem along the second edge as the length of cloth continues to move in the second direction.

Claim 8

In a method of forming folded hems in the edge of sheets of cloth or the like, the improvement comprising sequentially moving sheets in a path approximately parallel to the edges to be hemmed, passing an edge of each sheet through a stationary inwardly converging fold forming guide to form a first fold at one edge of each sheet, and engaging the first fold at the edge of each sheet with a surface moving with and converging about the first fold to form a second fold about the single fold.

Claim 9

In a method of forming folded hems in the edge of sheets of cloth or the like, the improvement comprising sequentially moving sheets in a path approximately parallel to the edges to be hemmed, passing an edge of each sheet through a stationary inwardly converging fold forming guide to form a first fold at one edge of each sheet, and engaging the first fold at the edge of each sheet with a surface moving with and converging about the first fold to form a second fold about the single fold.

Claim 10

The method of claim 5 and wherein the step of engaging the first fold with a surface moving with and converging about the first fold comprises moving a conveyor belt with the first fold and twisting at least a portion of the conveyor belt into and over the first fold.

Claim 11

The method of claim 5 and wherein the step of engaging the first fold with a surface moving with and converging about the first fold comprises engaging the first fold of each sheet with a surface moving faster than the movement of the sheets along their path to urge the first fold ahead of the remaining portion of its sheet as the second fold is formed.

Claim 12

The method of claim 5 and further including the step of disengaging the folded portion of the sheet with the surface moving with the sheet, sewing through the folds, and forming back stitches at the leading and trailing ends of the folds.

Claim 13

The method of claim 5 and further including the steps of separating the moving surface and second fold in the sheets from each other and sewing through the folds.

Claim 16

The method of claim 10 and further including the step of folding the second edges of the cloth lengths across the cloth lengths so that the second edges rest on the same side of the cloth lengths as the first edges and repeating the steps of claim 14 with respect to the second edges.

Claim 17

The method of claim 11 and further including stacking the cloth lengths.

Claim 18

In apparatus for forming folded hems in the edges of lengths of cloth or the like, the combination therewith of conveying means for moving lengths of cloth in sequence along an approximately horizontal path with the edges of the cloth to be hemmed oriented parallel to the path, first folding means positioned at the edge of the path and comprising an edge folding guide angled toward and about the edge of the path for forming a first fold in the edge of the length of cloth, and second folding means positioned at the edge of the path and comprising a surface movable with and about the first fold in the length of cloth for forming a second fold about the first fold.

Claim 19

In apparatus for forming folded hems in the edges of lengths of cloth or the like, the combination therewith of conveying means for moving lengths of cloth in sequence along an approximately horizontal path with the edges of the cloth to be hemmed oriented parallel to the path, first folding means positioned at the edge of the path and comprising an edge folding guide angled toward and about the edge of the path for forming a first fold in the edge of the length of cloth, and second folding means positioned at the edge of the path and comprising a surface movable with and about the first fold in the length of cloth for forming a second fold about the first fold.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 13 and wherein said first folding means is stationary.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 13 and wherein said second folding means comprises a first stationay guide extending along the path, a second stationary guide converging inwardly toward and about the first stationary guide, and belt means movable along the path first beneath said first guide and over said first guide and then foldable with the second guide about the first guide.

Claim 22

Apparatus for forming folds at the edge of a sheet of material or the like as the sheet is moved along a path approximately parallel to its edge comprising a first stationary concave guide surface converging into and along the path of the edge of the sheet and curved about the path of the edge of the sheet in a configuration for progressively forming a first fold in the sheet at its edge as the sheet moves along its path, a first guide surface extension extending along the path of the edge of the sheet beyond said first guide surface and defining a helical surface therein, a second stationary concave guide surface located inwardly toward the middle portion of the path of the sheet from the first guide member curved about the edge of the path of the sheet and about the first guide member extension, and belt means including at least a portion thereof movable with the sheet first beneath said first guide member extension and then about the helical surface of the first guide member extension until it emerges between said first guide member extension and said second guide member in a folded over configuration.

Claim 23

Apparatus for forming folds at the edge of a sheet of material or the like as the sheet is moved along a path approximately parallel to its edge comprising a first stationary concave guide surface converging into and along the path of the edge of the sheet and curved about the path of the edge of the sheet in a configuration for progressively forming a first fold in the sheet at its edge as the sheet moves along its path, a first guide surface extension extending along the path of the edge of the sheet beyond said first guide surface and defining a helical surface therein, a second stationary concave guide surface located inwardly toward the middle portion of the path of the sheet from the first guide member curved about the edge of the path of the sheet and about the first guide member extension, and belt means including at least a portion thereof movable with the sheet first beneath said first guide member extension and then about the helical surface of the first guide member extension until it emerges between said first guide member extension and said second guide member in a folded over configuration.

Claim 24

The method of claim 1 and wherein the steps of sewing the cut ends of cloth comprises advancing the folded end of cloth toward a sewing station, sewing the folded end of the length of cloth with a sewing speed between the leading and trailing edges of the length of cloth which is faster than the movement of the remaining portion of the length of cloth along the second path, and back stitching the folded end of the length of cloth at the leading and trailing edges of the length of cloth.