Seaming method and apparatus for goreless panty-hoses

Claim 2

An improved seaming method for panty hose, comprising the steps of: providing a pair of stockings having hip portions; holding corresponding parts of the hip portions of said pair of stockings in directly adjacent side-by-side relation; cutting the adjacent, corresponding parts of said hip portions along a predetermined line so as to result in the formation of front and rear flaps on each of said hip portions, the front flaps of said hip portions being positioned directly adjacent in side-by-side relation and the rear flaps of said hip portions being positioned directly adjacent in side-by-side relation; spreading the hip portions of said stockings until the cut edges of said front and reaR flaps are disposed in a substantially straight line; and then seaming the cut edges of said hip portions together while said cut edges are maintained in said substantially straight line condition.

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, including the step of holding the corresponding parts of said hip portions together at two adjacent areas which are elongated and substantially parallel to one another and are slightly spaced from one another to define a narrow elongated nip therebetween, said cutting line extending along said nip.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1, including the steps of continuously holding the opposed front flaps of said hip portions in side-by-side relation so that the cut edges of said front flaps are directly adjacent and substantially overlap one another, and continuously holding the rear flaps of said hip portions in side-by-side relation so that the cut edges of said rear flaps are disposed directly adjacent and substantially overlap one another, and then relatively swinging the overlapping front flaps outwardly away from the overlapping rear flaps substantially about the bottom of said cut so that the overlapping and adjacent cut edges of said front flaps are substantially aligned with the respective cut edges of said rear flaps.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3, wherein the overlapping cut edges are continuously seamed from a first point located adjacent the free edges of one of the overlapping pairs of front and rear flaps, said seam running continuously along said cut edges and through the central region thereof as defined by the bottom of said cut until reaching a second point located adjacent the free edges defined by the other of the overlapping pairs of front and rear flaps.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, further including the step of tensing the spread flaps for maintaining same in a substantially straight line condition during the seaming operation, said tensing being caused by application of a suction to said spread flaps.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of said template units includes spring means normally biasing said first and second template assemblies away from one another for permitting said corresponding parts of said stockings to be inserted therebetween, and selectively actuatable power means coacting with said first and second template assemblies for selectively moving same toward one another for clamping said corresponding parts of said stockings therebetween.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first and second support member of each of said first and second template assemblies comprise first and second arms which are disposed adjacent but slightly spaced from one another when said arms are in a closed position, said arms defining a narrow nip therebetween, and means mounting said arms for relative movement outwardly away from one for permitting said arms to be disposed in an open position wherein they are substantially aligned with one another.

Claim 11

An appartus according to claim 6, further including means mounting said cutter means for movement with said carrier means, and driving means coacting with said cutter means for selectively moving same at the same rate of travel as said carrier means for permitting cutting of said stockings while same are being held on the traveling carrier means.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 6, further including pneumatic suction means disposed adjacent said seaming mechanism for tensing the aligned cut edges of said stockings as said cut edges are fed into said seaming mechanism, said suction means being located closely adjacent but upstream of said seaming mechanism.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 6, further including removal means for automatically removing the finished panty hose from its associated template unit, said removing means being located adjacent said guide rail means at a location downstream of said seaming mechanism.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said removal means includes a pair of relatively movable levers adapted for engaging the panty hose therebetween, and a power device associated with said levers for moving same relatively toward one another for causing the panty hose to be clamped therebetween, and means for moving the pair of levers when in a clamped position outwardly away from said guide rail means for pulling said panty hose off of its associated template unit.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said movement means includes intermittently engageable gear means coacting between each of said template units and said guide rail means for causing relative movement of said support members between the open and closed positions at selected locations as said carrier means travels along said guide rail means.

Claim 16

An improved apparatus for seaming together a pair of individual stockings into panty hose, comprising: substantially straight and elongated guide rail means; carrier means mounted on said guide rail means for movement therealong; and drive means connected to said carrier means for reciprocating same along said guide rail means at a preselected speed; a pair of arm means swingably mounted on said carrier means, each arm means mounting thereon opposed and spaced upper and lower templates, whereby a first stocking is adapted to have the upper templates inserted into the open end thereof and the other stocking is adapted to have the lower templates inserted into the open end thereof, whereby the pair of stockings have opposed corresponding parts which are disposed directly adjacent one another and positioned between the upper and lower templates; power means coacting with each opposed pair of upper and lower templates for relatively moving same toward one another for clamping the corresponding parts of said stockings therebetween in directly adjacent side-by-side relation; elongated cam means disposed adjacent and extending along said guide rail means; cam follower means rigidly connected to each respective arm means and disposed in engagement with said cam means for causing selected swinging movement of said arm means as said carrier means is moved along said guide rail means, said cam means causing the upper templates and the lower templates to be relatively swung toward and away from one another as said carrier means is moved along said guide rail means; and control means for energizing said power means for causing the upper and lower templates to be relatively moved into clamping engagement with the corresponding parts of said stockings at a selected location as said carrier means is moved along said guide rail means.

Claim 17

An improved apparatus for seaming together a pair of individual stockings into panty hose, comprising: substantially straight and elongated guide rail means; carrier means mounted on said guide rail means for movement therealong; and drive means connected to said carrier means for reciprocating same along said guide rail means at a preselected speed; a pair of arm means swingably mounted on said carrier means, each arm means mounting thereon opposed and spaced upper and lower templates, whereby a first stocking is adapted to have the upper templates inserted into the open end thereof and the other stocking is adapted to have the lower templates inserted into the open end thereof, whereby the pair of stockings have opposed corresponding parts which are disposed directly adjacent one another and positioned between the upper and lower templates; power means coacting with each opposed pair of upper and lower templates for relatively moving same toward one another for clamping the corresponding parts of said stockings therebetween in directly adjacent side-by-side relation; elongated cam means disposed adjacent and extending along said guide rail means; cam follower means rigidly connected to each respective arm means and disposed in engagement with said cam means for causing selected swinging movement of said arm means as said carrier means is moved along said guide rail means, said cam means causing the upper templates and the lower templates to be relatively swung toward and away from one another as said carrier means is moved along said guide rail means; and control means for energizing said power means for causing the upper and lower templates to be relatively moved into clamping engagement with the corresponding parts of said stockings at a selected location as said carrier means is moved along said guide rail means.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for seaming together a pair of individual stockings for forming panty hose therefrom, a template unit including first and second template assemblies adapted to respectively support thereon first and second stockings, said first template assembly including first and second relatively movable template members adapted to be inserted into the open end of one of said stockings, said second template assembly including first and second relatively movable template members adapted to be inserted into the open end of said other stocking, said first and second template members of said first template assembly being normally disposed substantially opposite to but spaced from the respective first and second template members of said second template assembly whereby the stockings when disposed between the template assemblies have corresponding portions adjacent the open end thereof positioned directly adjacent and between the first and second template assemblies; drive means coacting with the first and second template members of each of said first and second template assembly for causing relative movement between said first and second template members between a closed position and a spread position, said first and second template members when in said closed position being disposed closely adjacent but slightly spaced from one another so as to define a narrow nip therebetween, the open ends of said stocking receiving therein said first and second template members when same are in said closed position, said first and second template members when in said spread position being spaced outwardly from said closed position for causing lateral spreading of the open end of the respective stocking; pressure means coacting between said first and second template assemblies for relatively moving the first and second template members of said first assembly respectively toward the first and second template member of said second assembly for causing the first and second template assemblies to clampingly engage the corresponding parts of said stockings therebetween, whereby said first and second template assemblies hold the corresponding parts of said pair of stockings in directly adjacent, overlapping, side-by-side relation; cutting means associated with said template unit for cutting the overlapping corresponding parts of said stockings along a predetermined line located within said nip when said first and second template assemblies are disposed in said clamping position and said first and second template members are in said closed position, said cutting means including a cutting member and means mounting said cutting member relative to said template unit for permitting said cutting member to move relative to said template unit along said nip for cutting said corresponding parts of said stockings; control means associated with said drive means for activating same for causing the first and second template members associated with each template assembly to be relatively moved from their closed position to their spread position after said corresponding parts have been cut, said first and second template assemblies remaining in said clamped position, said template members when reaching said spread position being disposed so that the opposed cut edges of each stocking are disposEd in substantial alignment with one another; and seaming means associated with said template unit for fixedly connecting the overlapping cut edges of said pair of stockings together while said cut edges are maintained in said aligned position.

Claim 19

In an apparatus for seaming together a pair of individual stockings for forming panty hose therefrom, a template unit including first and second template assemblies adapted to respectively support thereon first and second stockings, said first template assembly including first and second relatively movable template members adapted to be inserted into the open end of one of said stockings, said second template assembly including first and second relatively movable template members adapted to be inserted into the open end of said other stocking, said first and second template members of said first template assembly being normally disposed substantially opposite to but spaced from the respective first and second template members of said second template assembly whereby the stockings when disposed between the template assemblies have corresponding portions adjacent the open end thereof positioned directly adjacent and between the first and second template assemblies; drive means coacting with the first and second template members of each of said first and second template assembly for causing relative movement between said first and second template members between a closed position and a spread position, said first and second template members when in said closed position being disposed closely adjacent but slightly spaced from one another so as to define a narrow nip therebetween, the open ends of said stocking receiving therein said first and second template members when same are in said closed position, said first and second template members when in said spread position being spaced outwardly from said closed position for causing lateral spreading of the open end of the respective stocking; pressure means coacting between said first and second template assemblies for relatively moving the first and second template members of said first assembly respectively toward the first and second template member of said second assembly for causing the first and second template assemblies to clampingly engage the corresponding parts of said stockings therebetween, whereby said first and second template assemblies hold the corresponding parts of said pair of stockings in directly adjacent, overlapping, side-by-side relation; cutting means associated with said template unit for cutting the overlapping corresponding parts of said stockings along a predetermined line located within said nip when said first and second template assemblies are disposed in said clamping position and said first and second template members are in said closed position, said cutting means including a cutting member and means mounting said cutting member relative to said template unit for permitting said cutting member to move relative to said template unit along said nip for cutting said corresponding parts of said stockings; control means associated with said drive means for activating same for causing the first and second template members associated with each template assembly to be relatively moved from their closed position to their spread position after said corresponding parts have been cut, said first and second template assemblies remaining in said clamped position, said template members when reaching said spread position being disposed so that the opposed cut edges of each stocking are disposEd in substantial alignment with one another; and seaming means associated with said template unit for fixedly connecting the overlapping cut edges of said pair of stockings together while said cut edges are maintained in said aligned position.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to claim 15, further including means for causing relative movement between said seaming means and said template unit for causing the overlapping cut edges of said pair of stockings to be continuously seamed from the free end of one cut edge to the free end of the other cut edge as said edges are maintained in said aligned position.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 16, further including a suction device disposed adjacent said seaming mechanism for tensing the cut edges of said stockings at a location disposed adjacent the seaming mechanism.