Method and machine for making a garment

Claim 1

In a method for making a garment from a continuous web of material, during movement of the web along a feed path, which comprises the steps of: directing the web along the feed path; dividing the web into successive sheets; successively directing the cut sheets along the feed path; positioning a narrow strip of material across the sheet, so that the strip extends in a direction perpendicular to the sheet's direction of movement along the feed path, with the end portions of the strip protruding from the opposite sides of the sheet; moving the center portion of the strip with a depending member in the sheet's direction of movement along the feed path and through two spaced guides located along the feed path between the opposite sides of the sheet, so that: the strip has a generally V-configuration, its center portion protruding from the sheet, its end portions protruding from opposite sides of the sheet and its leg portions, between the center portion and the end portions thereof, being positioned adjacent opposed corner portions of the sheet; folding the opposed corner portions of the sheet over the adjacent leg portions of the strip and into contact with the body of the sheet on the otherside of the leg portions of the strip; securing the corner portions to the contacted body portions of the sheet to maintain the strip in fixed relationship with the sheet; moving the center portion of the strip with the depending member opposite to the sheet's direction of movement along the feed path and through the two spaced guides located along the feed path to invert the strip so that it has a generally W-configuration, its center portion forming generally a V-configuration above the sheet, and its leg portions maintained in fixed relationship with the sheet through the folded opposed corner portions of the sheet and forming the outer legs of the W; and severing the strip at the apex of the center portion, the improvement in inverting and severing the center portion which comprises maintaining contact between the depending member and the center portion of the inverted strip at about the apex of its V-configuration subsequent to its positioning above the sheet; and moving the depending member in a direction opposite the sheet's direction of movement along the feed path to sever the center portion of the strip at about the apex of its V-configuration.