Web cutting sewing machine and process

Claim 2

A sewing apparatus comprising first and second cutting stations, a sewing station and means for feeding a pair of superimposed flexible webs through said first cutting station and said sewing station to form a central strip having profiled edges sewn together and border strips adjacent said central strip having free edges congruent to said sewn profiled edges, means transporting said strips from said first cutting station and said sewing station through said second cutting station for cutting the central strip into separate articles, and means for collecting the sewn articles and the unsewn borders.

Claim 3

A sewing apparatus comprising first and second cutting stations, a sewing station and means for feeding a pair of superimposed flexible webs through said first cutting station and said sewing station to form a central strip having profiled edges sewn together and border strips adjacent said central strip having free edges congruent to said sewn profiled edges, means transporting said strips from said first cutting station and said sewing station through said second cutting station for cutting the central strip into separate articles, and means for collecting the sewn articles and the unsewn borders.

Claim 4

A sewing apparatus comprising first and second cutting stations, a sewing station and means for feeding a pair of superimposed flexible webs through said first cutting station and said sewing station to form a central strip having profiled edges sewn together and border strips adjacent said central strip having free edges congruent to said sewn profiled edges, means transporting said strips from said first cutting station and said sewing station through said second cutting station for cutting the central strip into separate articles, and means for collecting the sewn articles and the unsewn borders.

Claim 5

An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first cutting station comprises a pair of cutting tools and guide means for guiding the tools toward and away from each other to form said edges.

Claim 6

An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the guide means comprises a pair of travelling belts, cam means on the surface of the belts having a contour identical to said profiled edges, and means operated by said cam means for moving said cutting tools.

Claim 7

An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said sewing station comprises a pair of sewing heads and guide means for guiding the heads toward and away from each other to join the edges of the central strip along lines parallel to said profiled edges.

Claim 8

An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the guide means comprises said belts and cam means, and means operated by said cam means for moving said sewing heads.

Claim 9

An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the means for feeding the webs comprises a pair of opposed conveyor belts having a width substantially equal to the width of the webs for clamping together and transporting the webs to the first mentioned cutting and sewing stations, opposed conveyor belts for clamping together and transporting the webs between the said first mentioned cutting and sewing stations, opposed conveyor belts for clamping together and transporting the webs between the said first mentioned cutting and sewing stations and the second cutting station opposed conveyor belts for clamping together and transporting the webs to the collecting means, and means for driving said conveyor belts and the belts of the guide means at the same surface speed.

Claim 10

A device as defined in claim 5 wherein said sewing heads are operated by electric motors, switch means for controlling said motors, and switch operating means carried by the belts of the guide means for operating said switch means.

Claim 11

A sewing apparatus comprising first and second cutting stations; a sewing station; means for feeding a pair of superimposed flexible webs through said first cutting station and said sewing station to continuously form a central strip, the central strip being of mated interconnected garment parts having profiled, shaped, aligned coinciding edges sewn together and border strips adjacent said central strip having free edges congruent to said sewn profiled shaped edges; said first cutting station means for cutting said mated interconnected garment parts in a predetermined position; means for transporting said strips from said first cutting station and said sewing station, in said predetermined position, through said second cutting station for cutting the central strip of mated interconnected garment parts into separate partially sewn garments; and means for collecting the partially sewn garments and the unsewn borders.

Claim 12

A sewing apparatus comprising first and second cutting stations; a sewing station; means for feeding a pair of superimposed flexible webs through said first cutting station and said sewing station to continuously form a central strip, the central strip being of mated interconnected garment parts having profiled, shaped, aligned coinciding edges sewn together and border strips adjacent said central strip having free edges congruent to said sewn profiled shaped edges; said first cutting station means for cutting said mated interconnected garment parts in a predetermined position; means for transporting said strips from said first cutting station and said sewing station, in said predetermined position, through said second cutting station for cutting the central strip of mated interconnected garment parts into separate partially sewn garments; and means for collecting the partially sewn garments and the unsewn borders.

Claim 13

An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said first cutting station comprises: a pair of cutting tools; and guide means for guiding the tools toward and away from each other to form said edges.

Claim 14

An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the guide means comprises: a pair of travelling belts; cam means on the surface of the belts having a contour identical to said profiled shaped edges; and pantograph means, operably coupled to said cam means, for driving said cutting tools transversely across the path of the moving superimposed mated flexible webs.

Claim 15

An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said sewing station comprises: a pair of sewing heads; and guide means for guiding the sewing heads toward and away from each other to join the continuous shaped aligned coinciding edges of the central strips of mated interconnected front and back garment parts along lines parallel to said profiled shaped edges.

Claim 16

An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the guide means comprises: a pair of travelling belts; cam means on the surface of the belts having a contour identical to a pattern of stitches in the garment parts; and pantograph means operably coupled to said cam means, for moving said sewing heads transversely across the path of the moving strips of continuous mated interconnected front and back garment parts.

Claim 17

An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the means for feeding the webs comprises: a first pair of opposed conveyor belts having a width substantially equal to the width of the webs for clamping together and transporting the webs to the first mentioned cutting and sewing stations; a second pair of opposed conveyor belts for clamping together and transporting the webs of mated interconnected garment parts between said first mentioned cutting and sewing stations in a predetermined position; a third pair of opposed conveyor belts for clamping together and transporting the webs between the first mentioned cutting and sewing stations and the second cutting station; a fourth pair of opposed conveyor belts for clamping together and transporting the webs to the collecting means; and drive means for synchronously driving all said conveyor belts, clamping belts, and guide means belts at the same surface speed.

Claim 18

A device as defined in claim 11 wherein: said sewing heads are operated by electric motors; switch means for controlling the operation of said motors; and switch operating means mounted on the belts of the guide means to operate said switch means.

Claim 19

The garment working process which comprises the steps of: feeding a first pair of flexible superimposed webs to a primary pair of fixed, opposed clamplike contacting conveyor belt means; operating-said primary pair of conveyor belts to move the mated webs forward to, through and past a first cutting device in a continuous manner; operating and guiding said cutting means along a predetermined-path-to-cut out simultaneously central strips of continuous, non-linear, interconnected, front and back garment section parts which are oriented in direction and plane, properly positioned, aligned and mated with corresponding continuous, shaped, divergent, outer, side edges in an aligned coinciding state; moving said central strips of mated, shaped, interconnected, garment sections forward by means of a secondary pair of opposed, clamplike, contacting, driven, conveyor belt means to, through and past a guided sewing device in a continuous manner; guiding said means for joining and sewing along a predetermined path; joining and sewing, in a predetermined, discontinuous, intermittent pattern, the aligned edges to form seams and partially sewn garments; conveying said partially sewn garments to a second cutter device and cutting out a portion of each of said front and back section parts to form the neck portions of the garments; cutting transversely across the front and back garment section parts at spaced locations to form the hem and the shoulder lines and thereby separate a partially sewn garment from the strips of interconnected partially sewn garments; conveying the separate garments into a receptacle; and winding the unwanted outer side edges of the fabrics on a roll.

Claim 20

The garment working process which comprises the steps of: feeding a first pair of flexible superimposed webs to a primary pair of fixed, opposed clamplike contacting conveyor belt means; operating-said primary pair of conveyor belts to move the mated webs forward to, through and past a first cutting device in a continuous manner; operating and guiding said cutting means along a predetermined-path-to-cut out simultaneously central strips of continuous, non-linear, interconnected, front and back garment section parts which are oriented in direction and plane, properly positioned, aligned and mated with corresponding continuous, shaped, divergent, outer, side edges in an aligned coinciding state; moving said central strips of mated, shaped, interconnected, garment sections forward by means of a secondary pair of opposed, clamplike, contacting, driven, conveyor belt means to, through and past a guided sewing device in a continuous manner; guiding said means for joining and sewing along a predetermined path; joining and sewing, in a predetermined, discontinuous, intermittent pattern, the aligned edges to form seams and partially sewn garments; conveying said partially sewn garments to a second cutter device and cutting out a portion of each of said front and back section parts to form the neck portions of the garments; cutting transversely across the front and back garment section parts at spaced locations to form the hem and the shoulder lines and thereby separate a partially sewn garment from the strips of interconnected partially sewn garments; conveying the separate garments into a receptacle; and winding the unwanted outer side edges of the fabrics on a roll.

Claim 21

The garment working process of claim 15 including the steps of cutting out said central strips of continuous, interconnected, mated, front and back garment parts in a predetermined position; and moving said strips of mated, interconnected, garment parts forward in said predetermined position, by means of the secondary pair of clamplike, contacting, driven, conveyor belt means, to the sewing station to accurately join and sew the aligned coinciding edges and form seams.

Claim 22

The garment working process provided in claim 15 including the steps of cutting out said central strips of continuous, interconnected, garment parts in a predetermined position and accurately positioning said strips of mated interconnected garment parts on the secondary pair of clamplike conveyor belts; and moving the interconnected garment parts to the guided sewing machine device to accurately sew the outer side edges of said mated interconnected garment parts to form seams.

Claim 23

The garment working process provided in claim 15 which comprises the steps of positioning the guided sewing device so that it precedes the guided cutting device to first sew a pattern of stitches in the two flexible, superimposed webs; conveying said sewn webs to the cutting device; and cutting out the strips of mated, shaped, interconnected, garment parts with sewn seams and sewn edges.

Claim 24

The process of claim 15 wherein; the first step of cutting comprises, cutting out said central strips of mated, interconnected, garment parts to form integrally cut sleeve portions extending downwardly, in a substantially vertical direction with a portion of said sleeves substantially parallel to the main portion of said interconnected garment parts; and said strips of mated, interconnected, garment parts have continuous, aligned, coinciding, shaped edges.

Claim 25

The process of claim 15 which comprises; arranging the uncut webs with printed surfaces of the fabrics facing inwardly whereby the printed surfaces will face outwardly in the finished partially sewn garments after said garments have been everted.

Claim 26

The process of claim 15 which comprises: positioning an inner pair of continuous lining fabric webs between said first pair of continuous fabric webs to form four plys of fabric webs; and cutting and sewing the four webs to form partially sewn garments which have a lining fabric.

Claim 27

The sewing apparatus of claim 9 further comprising; a die roll cutting device at each of said first and second cutting stations; each of said die roll cutter devices having a die roll cutter and an associated contacting conveyor belt; and coupling means for synchronizing said die roll cutters, in surface speed, with said associated conveyor belt and the other conveyor belts of said apparatus.

Claim 28

The sewing apparatus of claim 8 further comprising; a guided reciprocating sabre knife at said first cutting station.

Claim 29

The sewing apparatus of claim 10 wherein; the means operated by said cam means is a pantograph device.

Claim 30

The sewing apparatus provided in claim 12 wherein: the means operated by said cam means is a pantograph device.

Claim 31

The garment working process which comprises the steps of automatically and separately cutting a continuous, separate, strip of interconnected back garment parts at a first cutting station; automatically and separately cutting a continuous separate strip of interconnected front garment parts at a second cutting station; arranging the cutting stations one above the other to form a unitary cutting station; said front and back garment parts being of different dimensions and having unaligned outer edges; automatically positioning said continuous strips of unlike, interconnected, front and back garment parts for movement in a continuous manner along separate paths; arranging said interconnected, garment parts on their respective, separate, conveyor belts in a predetermined position; mating the edges of said strips of front and back garment parts by bringing them into partial alignment; separating said strips of front and back garment parts; guiding the edges of the separated strips of garment parts into alignment and mating said edges; guiding said means for joining and sewing along a predetermined path; joining and sewing the aligned mated edges of the front and back garment parts to form seams at a sewing station; in a predetermined discontinuous intermittent pattern; cutting the strip of mated interconnected garments into separate, partially sewn garments at another cutting station; and collecting said partially sewn garments.

Claim 32

The garment working process which comprises the steps of automatically and separately cutting a continuous, separate, strip of interconnected back garment parts at a first cutting station; automatically and separately cutting a continuous separate strip of interconnected front garment parts at a second cutting station; arranging the cutting stations one above the other to form a unitary cutting station; said front and back garment parts being of different dimensions and having unaligned outer edges; automatically positioning said continuous strips of unlike, interconnected, front and back garment parts for movement in a continuous manner along separate paths; arranging said interconnected, garment parts on their respective, separate, conveyor belts in a predetermined position; mating the edges of said strips of front and back garment parts by bringing them into partial alignment; separating said strips of front and back garment parts; guiding the edges of the separated strips of garment parts into alignment and mating said edges; guiding said means for joining and sewing along a predetermined path; joining and sewing the aligned mated edges of the front and back garment parts to form seams at a sewing station; in a predetermined discontinuous intermittent pattern; cutting the strip of mated interconnected garments into separate, partially sewn garments at another cutting station; and collecting said partially sewn garments.

Claim 33

The sewing apparatus of claim 8 which comprises in combination in one machine, cutting means at said first cutting station including two die roll cutter device means which are exactly positioned one over the other and synchronized in surface speed with each other by coupling means of sprocket gears and sprocket chains, a pair of mating roll means, a primary pair of opposed conveyor belt means, garment part separator roll means, edge guide device means for guiding and aligning the dissimilar outer side edges of the front and back garment parts, a secondary pair of opposed conveyor belt means for mating and conveying said strips of shaped, interconnected, garment parts, guided means for joining and sewing at a sewing station, a tertiary pair of opposed conveyor belts for conveying the strips of mated, sewn, interconnected, garment parts to cutter means at said second cutter station which include a die roll cutter device means which cuts the strip of mated interconnected garments into separate partially sewn garments.

Claim 34

The sewing apparatus provided in claim 27 in which edge guide device means for guiding and aligning the dissimilar, outer, side edges of the front and back garment parts in order to form aligned and coinciding edges are guided by a cam means on a travelling belt and also provided are means operable by said cam means to guide said edge guide device means.

Claim 35

The sewing apparatus of claim 8 in which said means for feeding comprises pairs of clamplike, contacting, driven, roll means preceding and leading to said first cutting station and preceding and leading to said sewing station and coupling means for synchroniaing the surface speed of said pairs of contacting, opposed rollers comprises sprocket gears and sprocket chains.

Claim 36

The sewing apparatus of claim 8 in which a die roll cutter device is employed at said first cutter station and second cutter station and said die roll cutter device comprises a die roller and a conveyor belt on which are patterned pieces of hard, slightly compressible, rubber material which form patterned grooves between their outer side edges and said die roll cutter has attached to its surface patterned pieces of highly compressible, rubber material which surround and are closely adjacent to the cutting die blade on said die cutting roller and means for synchronizing the surface speed of said die cutting roller with its associated, conveyor belt comprise a pair of sprocket gears and a sprocket chain and said cutting die blade formed in a pattern projects into, engages and coincides with said patterned grooves on said conveyor belt.

Claim 37

The garment working process provided in claim 15 in which the cutting pattern of said first cutting means and the sewing pattern of said sewing means are substantially synchronized or made substantially alike by synchronizing the cutting and sewing cam means of the common cam travelling belt.