US3467037A - Method and apparatus for automatically hemming cut portions of textile fabrics - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 16, 1969 J. T. FRYDRYK 3,467,037

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS 0F TEXTILE FABRICS Filed May 5, 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 new ATTORNEY Sept 6, 1969 J. T. FRYDRYK 3,467,037

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING .CUT PORTIONS 0F TEXTILE FABRICS Filed May 5, 1968 I 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1969 J. 'r. FRYDRYK 3,457,037

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS OF TEXTILE FABRICS Filed May 3 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Joy/v 7. F? YD}? YK BYM;

ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1969 J. T. FRYDRYK 3,467,037

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS OF TEXTILE FABRICS Filed May 5 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1969 J. T. FRYDRYK METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS OF TEXTILE FABRICS 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 5 1968 i LV ATTORNEY.-

J. T. FRYDRYK Sept. 16, 1969 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS OF TEXTILE FABRICS 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 5 1968 LVVENTOR. JOHN T FRYDRYK J. T. FRYDRYK Sept. 16, 1969 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS 0F TEXTILE FABRICS V 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 Filed May 5 1968 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1969 A J. r. FRYDRYK 3 ,0

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS OF TEXTILE FABRICS Filed May 5 1968 I 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 fix m;

ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1969 J. "r. FRYDRYK 3,467,037

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS 0F TEXTILE FABRICS Filed May 5 1968 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 T '1r:.1'7. 306 EE g ./-3 4 Y E Q E 300 E l\\\\ \\l E Q g .423 346 I 306 g O l O INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATI- CALLY HEMMING CUT PORTIONS OF TEX- TILE FABRICS .Iohn T. Frydryk, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 3, 1968, Ser. No. 726,372 Int. Cl. Db 37/04 US. Cl. 112-12115 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method for continually manufacturing cut and hemmed pieces of textile fabric. A continuous length of fabric is fed to an intermittently rotating surface and successive pieces are cut fro-m the fabric while it is on the rotating surface. The pieces are deposited on a series of moving surfaces which move in a path parallel to a tangent of the rotating surface. After each piece is deposited on a moving surface the rotating surface is stopped while continuing the movement of the moving surface and turning the moving surface 90. The rotating surface is then started to deposit another piece of cut fabric on a subsequent moving surface while the first cut piece has its automatically cut edges folded and hemmed.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for continuously and automatically manufacturing cut pieces of textile fabric which have their cut edges hemmed to form such products as diapers, pillow cases, towels, etc.

There are a number of methods and machines for automatically producing cut pieces of material, for example, US. Patents 3,097,773 and 3,149,517 show automatic machines for accomplishing such methods. These machines generally have one major problem in that it is difiicult to process square pieces of material on the machines and they are more or less preferably designed to handle rectangular pieces of material which make many of the processing problems somewhat simpler.

In accordance with the present invention I have developed a method and machine wherein both rectangular and square pieces of material may be handled equally well. In accordance with the present invention I combine a feeding technique along with a cutting technique both of which are adaptable to handling limp textile fabrics. These steps are combined with a technique for depositing the cut pieces on a moving surface and controlling the movement of both the surface on which the material is cut r and the moving surface in such a Way that it may 'be utilized to handle various shaped cut pieces.

The invention will be more fully described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the feed portion of the machine of FIGURE 1 being enlarged to more clearly show the feeding mechanism;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a crosssectional view of the rotating cutting surface of the machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the knife operating on the rotating cutting surface and which moves across the rotating surface;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the means for controlling the drive of the rotating, cutting surface;

FIGURE 7 is a side view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a side view taken along line 88 of FIG- URE 6;

FIGURE 9 is a top view of one of the moving surfaces on which cut pieces are deposited;

FIGURE 10 is a top view of the mechanism for controlling the movement of the surface on which the material is deposited;

FIGURE 11 is similar to FIGURE 10 with the mechanism in a different position;

FIGURE 12 is a top view of the depositing surface and the means for hemming and sewing the pieces and cutting the sewn thread;

FIGURE 13 is a side elevation view of the hemming apparatus of the present invention;

FIGURE 14 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 1414 of FIGURE 13 showing the automatic folding mechanism;

FIGURE 15 is similar to FIGURE 14 but taken at line 1515 of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 16 is similar to FIGURE 14 but taken at line 1616 of FIGURE 13;

FIGURE 17 is a cross-sectional view of another means for controlling the drive of the rotating and cutting surface;

FIGURE 18 is a side view taken along line 1818 of FIGURE 17.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the machine may be broken down into three major components the first being the portion for continuously feeding textile fabric from which cut, hemmed pieces are to be made. The second portion comprises the section for cutting portions from the textile fabric and the third portion comprises the means upon which the cut portions are placed along with the means for automatically hemming the cut edges.

A continuous length of textile fabric is fed to the rotating, cutting surface 31. The rotating, cutting surface is driven intermittently as will hereinafter be described. The feed of the material is coincided with the driving of the rotating, cutting surface. This is accomplished by passing the material about a group of three rolls. Two of the rolls 32 and 33 are in the same horizontal plane and the third roll 34 is positioned between these two rolls but is placed in a mechanism 35 for controlling the tension of the fabric as fed. At the same time a caterpillar track 36 also controls the tension and together they take up any slack and provide a controlled intermittent feed of the continuous textile material. The material is fed about the rotating, cutting surface 31 and clamped thereon and cut into pieces. These pieces are deposited on a conveyor 37 comprising a plurality of tables 38 with the tables moving in a plane parallel to a tangent to the rotating surface and immediately adjacent thereto. As the cutting surface rotates a cut piece is desposited on a table. The cutting surface is stopped and the table continues to move forwardly and the next table placed into position with the rotating cutting surface. As soon as the next table is in position the cutting surface is again activated and another piece deposited on the next table. The first table meanwhile moves forwardly, is turned 90 and is presented to an automatic folding and sewing mechanism 39 to continuously sew the cut edges. The threads between tables are clipped by standard shears 40 and the clipped ends taken away by means of vacuum 41. The tables move onwardly about the conveyor to the underneath pass. The cut and sewn pieces are released from the tables and deposited on another conveyor 42 to take them to suitable packaging or for other processing means.

Referring to FIGURE 2 a roll of cloth is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings 51 mounted in framing 53. This roll of cloth is to be fed to the rotating cutting surface which is not shown in this drawing. Since the rotating cutting surface rotates intermittently it is important that the roll of cloth be controlled as it is being fed. The roll of cloth has so much mass, especially when a new roll is being used, that it is extremely difficult to start and stop this process. Hence, the cloth is driven by means of a caterpillar drive 53. The caterpillar drive consists of a continuous, frictional track 54 mounted on a pair of rollers 55 and 56. These rollers are supported from suitable framing 57 mounted from the basic frame. One of the rollers is driven by a suitable motor and the roller in turn drives the track and drives the cloth as shown. The cloth moves about a guide roller 58 and through a tension and control device 59 which comprises two rolls 60 and 61 mounted for rotation in bearings 62 and 63 mounted in suitable framing 64. These two rolls are in the same horizontal plane. Between these rolls and mounted for rotation in a slideable groove 65 is another roll 66. The cloth is fed over the first roll 60 about the slideably movable roll 66 and back around the second roll 61. If desired, gear racks may be mounted in the grooves 65 and roll 66 provided with suitable gears to run in these racks. The use of the gear racks will prevent the roll from tilting in the event uneven tension is placed across the width of the fabric during operation. The shaft of the slideable grooved roll 66 extends through the groove and is connected by a cord or rope 68 about a pulley 69 with a weight 70 on the other end of the cord to maintain suitable tension on the roll 66 at all times. This may be more clearly seen in FIGURE 3. The roll of cloth is fed at a given speed, slower than the speed of the rotating cutting surface. The rotating surface operating intermittently only needs cloth at certain times and the two speeds (speed of the cloth being fed and rotating cutting surface speed) are correlated such that the rotating surface can pick up cloth by pulling the loop in the cloth formed by the slideably movable roll 66. The tension is maintained on the cloth by the weight of this roll along with the weight 70 and as the rotating surface requires cloth the roll is moved upwardly in its slideable groove. When the rotating surface is stopped so that no more tension is placed on the cloth the full roll of cloth is still continuously fed and the weight of the slideably movable roll causes the roll to move downwardly in its sliding groove and pick up the slack of the roll of cloth.

By this means the roll of cloth is continuously fed while being maintained under constant tension at all times and the cloth is uniformly fed to the intermittently rotating cutting surface. If desired there may be a microswitch at the bottom of the slideable groove so that when the drive on the rotating cutting surface is stopped the caterpillar drive is also stopped on the roll of cloth but the inertia in the supply roll will cause the roll to continue rotating somewhat which inertia is taken up by the slack in the slideably grooved roll. If the inertia is suflicient to cause roll 66 to reach its bottommost position the microswitch is activated and a suitable auxiliary brake may be used to stop the roll of cloth. The main purpose of this feed mechanism is to level out and apply a uniform feed to the intermittently rotating cutting surface.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5 the cutting drum 78 comprises a pair of end plates 79 and 80 secured to the opposite ends of the metal cylinder 81. The cylinder consists of three 120 segments. The segments are actually slightly less than 120 of the surface of the cylinder since they are arranged so that they define between them three cutter slots each extending widthwise of the cylinder. One of these slots 82 is shown in detail in FIGURE 10. The drum is mounted for rotation upon a fixed shaft 83 which in turn is mounted for rotation in suitable framing not shown. Each of the end plates is secured to a bushing 84. A drive gear 85 integral with one end of one of the bushings is provided for driving the drum. The drive gear meshes with mechanism for intermittently driving this drum as will be described hereinafter.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE 5 the cutter and drum clamps 91 are associated with each of the cutter slots and rotate with the slots and the drum. There is a pair of cutter clamps for each slot at each end of the drum, one clamp on each side of the slot. For clarity only the clamps for one side end are shown and described since they are to be the same at each end of each slot.

Each of the cutters is in the form of an electrically driven circular knife 92 mounted for rotation from a cutter unit 90 which in turn is adapted for axial movement on the drum while it rotates therewith. Each knife 92 is mounted in the end of an arm 93 extending from an electric motor 94. The motor is mounted in the cradle 95 integral with the top of a vertical standard 96 extending upwardly of the hollow cutter sleeve 97. The sleeve defines a square opening 98 which extends through the sleeve lengthwise thereof. Each of the cutter units is mounted for motion axially of the drum on a square shaft 99 which fits into the square longitudinal opening of the sleeve and is secured at each of its ends to one of the drum discs by suitable means. Since the square opening in the cutter sleeve fits the square shaft the cutter unit is keyed to the shaft in motion with respect thereto only in the direction of the length of the shaft. Each of the cutter shafts is positioned radially below or inwardly of its corresponding cutter slot so that the cutter sleeves travel across the drum just inside the drum cylinder segments. The vertical standard 96 is necked down in width somewhat where it passes through the slot 82 so as to minimize the width of the slot. A cam follower roller 100 for moving the cutter unit transversely of the drum is secured in a boss 101 at the bottom of each of the cutter sleeves. The cutter first passes from one side of the drum to the other in its corresponding cutter slot to cut through the material and then return to the first side of the drum and remain there until another cut is initiated. The motion of the cutting unit across the drum occurs during a relatively small segment of the drums rotation say 60 and the cutting and return motions of the cutting unit preferably are spaced about 180 from one another. Thus the cutter itself need only be turning in the cutter arm during a small portion of the travel of the drum. Intermittent cutter operation may be achieved by supplying power intermittently to the cutter motors. This technique for applying power to the cutter sleeves is more fully explained in United States Patent No. 3,149,517 and since it forms no part of the present invention it is not repeated here.

The cutter clamps 91 are in the form of an arm which may be shaped from a piece of heavy metal wire. The wire is bent 90 to provide straight arm portion 105 and a rear axle portion 106 so that it may be mounted at its rear end in such a way that its tip may be pressed down upon or lifted off a portion of the surface of the drum merely by rotating its rear axle portion. The axle portion is mounted for rotation in a boss 107 extending upwardly from a clamp sleeve 108. The clamp sleeve, like the cutter sleeve, contains a square opening 109 extending lengthwise of the sleeve and is fitted over a square clamp shaft 110 for axially movement along the shaft. Again the clamp shaft fits in the square opening of the clamp sleeve in such a way as to prevent motion in the sleeve with respect to the shaft in any direction except longitudinally of the shaft. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 a cutter track 112 and a pair of identical but oppositely faced drum cams 113 and 114 are mounted on a sleeve 115 secured to the fixed shaft inside the drum. The cutter track is made of the track-guide or strip on one side of the track and one of the drum cams on the other side of the track except in the inclined sections and where the track crosses the drum. The inclined section guides the cutter during its cutting stroke and this section returns the cutter to the first side of the drum. The sections are made up of a pair of spaced strips which are mounted on supporting arms which are fixed to the sleeve. Each of the drum cams is in the form of a pair of flanged circular plates fixed to the opposite ends of the sleeve on the axle just inside of the drum discs. Each of the oppositely facing drum cams operates the clamps at one end of the drum and controls the cutter units when they are at the end of the drum. By suitable compression springs, or other means at the end of the clamps, the clamps can be urged into the upright position as material is being fed onto the surface of the drum and then the compression springs released so that the clamps clamp the material to the surface just prior to activating the cutter. The material is cut as the drum is rotating and when the drum reaches its very bottom point of its path the clamps may again be released to drop the cut portions of the material from the cutting surface.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 9 a plurality of tables pass in a plane parallel to the tangent at the bottom most portion of the path of the rotating cutting surface and immediately adjacent this rotating cutting surface. The material is clamped to the cutting drum as described and pulled around the drum. During the time it moves with the drum the strip is cut into blanks by the cutters associated with the drum. Each of the blanks is positioned on one of the tables just as the table passes under the drum. The surface of the drum and the tables move in the same direction and at the same linear speed as the transfer is accomplished. Tables supporting the blanks continue forward at the same speed. 'Each of the tables 125 is secured to a vertical shaft 126. As the tables pass from beneath the rotating cutting surface they are rotated 90 while being moved forward at the same linear speed so that the cut edges of the blanks now extend in the direction of the linear travel of the tables. As the tables are turned, table clamps 151 are actuated as will be described more fully hereinafter. The tables continue to move in the same path at the same linear speed to present both of the cut edges to a pair of sewing machines mounted on each side of the machine.

The cut edges of the blanks overlap the end of each table so that these edges may be folded and sewn with out the table interferring with this operation.

As shown in FIGURE 9 the table clamps 127 are provided at each corner of the table. Each clamp may be formed from a bent metal wire and is more or less C shape with one leg of the C acting as an axle 149 for the pivotal motion of the clamp and the other leg acting as a clamping bar 151 for holding the blank on the table. In the figure the clamps are shown in full in their unclamped position and in phantom in their clamped position.

Referring to FIGURES 9, 10, and 11 the table is securd to a vertical shaft 126 which in turn is caused to rotate at the appropriate time to turn the table 90 with respect to its original position. The shaft extends through a table cam 152 Which in turn moves mainly with the table but is fixed against rotative movement therewith.

Each of the clamps 127 is mounted in an inclined bushing 153 secured at an angle to an edge portion of the underside of the table. A portion 154 of larger diameter at the inner end of each clamp is connected to a transverse shaft 155 which connects the clamps at each end of the table. The clamps are connected to the shaft by flexible spring connectors 156 and the shafts are mounted for rotation in similar bushings 157 attached to the underside of the table. The bushing at one end of each of the shafts is slit to provide a housing for a gear 158 which is keyed to the shaft. Riding underneath each of the gears and meshing therewith is a separate rack 159 which slides along the underside of the bottom of the table. The racks are connected to opposite ends of the cam follower rocker arm 161 by pins 162 which extend from a link 163 at the end of the rack into a hole at each end of the rocker arm. The rocker arm is mounted on a stub shaft 164 which is tapped into the table and extends downwardly therefrom. The stub shaft may be in the form of a screw having a head which holds the rocker arm against the bottom of the table. A cam follower 165 for the table cam 152 is mounted on a leg 166 extending from one side of the rocker arm and a tension spring 167 secured to the bottom of the table is attached to the adjacent end of the rocker arm so that the cam follower normally is urged into contact with the table cam. The table cam is almost circular in shape but has one depression 168 which corresponds with the unclamped position of the table clamps. If the table is turned with respect to the table cam so that the cam follower can enter the depression it will do so since it is urged in that direction by the tension spring. This will move both of the racks inwardly of the shafts to rotate each of the clamps into an unclamped position. This position of the table cam with respect to the cam follower corresponds to the position of the table as it passes underneath the cutting drum. As the table makes the turn preceding the sewing machine it turns with respect to the table cam and the follower rises onto the circular portion of the cam and moves the rack so as to rotate the table clamps to the clamping position. The clamps remain in this position until the tables are again rotated to their original position at the underside of the front end of the machine just before they again approach the cutting drum. Roughened portions or prongs may be provided on the underside of the clamps to assist in holding the blanks more firmly in position.

If desired, the sewing machines may be placed all on the same side of the machine and the tables turned another to present the second cut edge of the blank to the second sewing machine in the same manner as is done with the first cut edge. After both edges are sewn the table is rotated a final 90 at the underside of the machine to release the blank.

The method and means by which the table is guided in its path and rotated with respect thereto is best shown in FIGURES 10 and 11. Four rollers 172 are mounted at the ends of guide arms 173 and the rollers are spaced equally about the table shaft 126 and extend 90 to one another from the hollow sleeve 174 which is fixed to the table shaft. Each of the tables is guided in its linear movement in a given path determined by the side plates 130. Two of the follower rollers always are in contact with one of the side plates while the other two are in contact with the other side plate, except when one of the rollers is under control of one of the turning and indexing units 197. There are two turning and indexing units all located in the right hand side plate, one adjacent the top and designed to operate during the top pass of the tables and one adjacent the bottom at the front of the machine and designed to operate during the bottom pass of the tables.

The operation of all of the turning and indexing units is as follows: the unit is in the form of a block 198 which fits into an opening in the right side plate. The block protrudes inwardly of the side plate and has a passage 199 which communicates with the front and rear edges of the block and is opened to the top of the block. The block is held in position on the side plate by screws extending into the side plate from a flange extending from the block. The block and the passage in the block are so located that as one of the tables and its corresponding guide arms and follower rollers move forwardly with its rollers in contact with its guide plates the leading roller L in contact with the right side plate enters the front end of the passage in the block. The top surface of the block is located below the guide arms and the side plate is cut out above the block so as to allow the arms to pass over the block when the lead roller is under control of the passage in the block. The left side plate is relieved or cut out between the points E and F so as not to contact the follower rollers on the left side of the machine when one of the follower rollers on the right side of the machine is under control in the passage of the turning and indexing block. Looking at the top of the block the passage 199 in the block is a Y shape. The portions 203 and 204 communicating with the front and rear portions of the block respectively forming the top of the Y and another portion 205 extending outwardly of and normal to the right side plate forming the base of the Y. It is the purpose of the block to hold the roller so that the guide arms pivot 90 as the table and carriage unit pass the block. This is accomplished without disturbing the straight line linear movement of the center of the table and carriage unit, this point being represented by the vertical table shaft 126. The leading follower roller enters the top of the Y shape passage at the front edge of the block moving outwardly slightly along this side of the top of the Y and then moves out into the base 205 of the Y. When under control of this part of the Y shaped passage the roller L can only move in the direction normal to the linear movement of the tables, thus the roller is held effectively against the motion and direction of the path of the tables. To assure that the leading roller moves from the front portion 203 of the Y shaped passage into the base 205 of the Y a swinging gate 206 is provided. The gate is in the form of a plate which is fitted in the recess 207 in the top of the block and mounted for pivotal movement on a pin 208 located on the transverse center line of the block near its innermost edge. The recess is shaped to allow the gate to swing from one position where it blocks off the front half of the Y shaped passage to another position where it blocks off the rear half of the Y shaped passage. The gate normally is urged by a tension spring into the position where it blocks off the front half of the passage. The edges of the gate where it extends into the passage are curved to provide a curved corner in the passage. As the leading roller enters the front half of the top of the Y shaped passage it contacts the gate shown in phantom in this position in FIGURE 10 and pushes it into the position shown in full in FIG- URE 10 where it blocks off the rear or exit portion of the top of the passage. When the tables reach this position in the linear path that causes the roller to move inwardly in the base of the passage and finally out of the block to the rear or exit portion of the top of the passage the roller is free to do so because the gate will have moved back to its original position as shown in full in FIGURE 11 under the pull of a suitable compression spring. Thus the table effectively rotates at 90 while moving lineally in the same straight line path at the same speed as it was when all four rollers were in contact with the two side plates.

As shown in FIGURE 1 the cloth being cut is continuous, however, there is a space between each table which is required in order to rotate the table at 90 to be able to sew the cut edges. This is extremely important when utilizing square tables for use with square blanks and there must be sufficient space to allow this movement. There must also be space for the sewing and clipping of the sewn hems as will be hereinafter described. Hence, to operate on square pieces or square blanks the movement of the table is continuous and hence, the movement of the rotating cutting surface must be intermittent and must be coincided so that the cutting surface only rotates as long as there is a portion of one of the tables directly underneath its bottommost portion. Whenever there is an opening under the rotating, cutting surface its rotation must be stopped. This movement is controlled by means of a drive clutch and stop mechanism, more clearly shown in FIGURES 6, 7, and 8.

Mounted on the shaft 230 of the drum is a gear 231. This gear meshes with a second gear 232 mounted on the driven shaft 233. Mounted on the opposite end of the driven shaft is a single revolution clutch 234. The clutch comprises a sleeve 235 which is driven by a suitable motor, chain, and pulley. Power is applied to the sleeve and housing 236 by means of a sprocket 237 and this is the driving member which rotates continuously. The hub 238 which carries the trip mechanism 239 is keyed to the shaft of the drum and is the intermittently driven member. As more clearly shown in FIGURE 7 the trip lever 240 rides on the contour of the clutch trip cam 241 until it contacts the step or stop 242. At this point the driven shaft continues to rotate at approximately 5 but not more than 15 to release the clutch. During this period the trip cam 241 swings on a pivot pin 243 moving the trip block 244 to rotate the cage 245 with respect to the hub 238 and force the clutch rollers out of driving contact.

Mounted on the gear on the rotating cutting surface is a cam 250. This cam has three stops 251 or steps on it approximately apart which stops or steps coincide with each slot on the cutting drum. A trip lever 252 having a depending stop 253 is positioned from suitable framing 254 and pivotally mounted 255 fi'om the frame so that its depending portion rides on this cam. As the drum rotates when a slot gets in the correct position, that is, directly underneath the lowest point of the rotation of the cutting surface the depending portion 253 of the trip lever engages a stop on the cam. A second pivotal member 256 mounted at the opposite end of the trip lever moves downwardly. This member is connected by suitable framing 257 to the trip lever 240 riding on the clutch which engages the clutch and stops the rotation of the surface of the cutting drum. It is held in this position for the desired time and a microswitch is actuated to supply air to the cylinder 258 which drives the top lever on the clutch upwardly and removes the stop from the cam on the drum allowing the drum to continue its rotation until another stop is met in the large cam. The trip levers are controlled by the air cylinder which is controlled by a suitable microswitch. This microswitch may be activated by either the tables, that is, as the tables move a certain distance from the bottommost point of the cutting surface they actuate a microswitch which in turn applies air to the cylinder and raises the stops to allow a further rotation of the drum, or this microswitch might be actuated by the continually driven shaft by activating a microswitch after the shaft has turned a certain portion of its rotation.

Referring to FIGURES 17 and 18 there is shown another means for controlling the movement of the rotating and cutting surface without the use of a clutch. Mounted on the shaft 300 carrying the cutting drum is a gear 301. The gear teeth have been removed at three locations 302 about the periphery of the gear and these spaces are equidistant apart. The gear is driven by a second gear 303 mounted on a shaft 304 which is driven by a suitable motor and pulley 305.

The large gear 301 has three fingers 306 mounted on its back portion immediately behind the area with the teeth removed. The smaller gear 303 has one finger 307 mounted on its rear portion. These fingers are set so that when the teeth of the smaller gear meet the area of the larger gear having no teeth the drum stops rotating for the desired length of time until the finger on the small gear engages the finger on the large gear and causes the teeth to engage and drive the drum.

A locking means is also employed to hold the drum in a set position when not being positively driven. This locking means comprises an arm 310 mounted from suitable framing. At the end of the arm and mounted from the arm by a pivot 311 is a lever 312 having a dog 313 which rides on a Wheel 314. The wheel is keyed to and rotates with the shaft 300. There are three equidistant stops 315 in the periphery of the wheel. These stops are positioned so that when the teeth of the small gear meet the flat area 302 of the large gear the dog 313 falls into the stop 315 and holds the cutting drum in place. The dog is released from the stop by means of an eccentric motion mounted on the lower shaft 304. This motion comprises a wheel 320 rotating with the shaft 304. A smaller roller wheel 321 is mounted on the surface of wheel 32.0. This wheel runs in a semicircular track 322 mounted on a rod 323 pivotally mounted from the lever 312. When the roller meets the flat portion of the track it raises the lever releasing the dog and allowing the cutting drum to rotate.

The blanks after being clamped on the table and the table turned 90 then have their cut edges folded and hemmed. The automatic hemming device is more clearly shown in FIGURES 1'2 through 16. Positioned at the height of the upper reach of the tables are a pair of sewing heads, one on each side of the machine. As previously mentioned, the cut edge 280 of the blank 281 overlaps the edge of the table 282 from one-half to one and one half inches or so and this portion of material is picked up by a chain drive 283 and the edge passed through an automatic hemmer 284. This automatic hemmer is a specifically spiraled convoluted piece of sheet metal. The metal is fiat and it initially contacts the cloth and rests just beneath the cloth with the chain drive on top thereof. As the cloth moves along this piece of sheet metal the outer edge of the sheet metal is curved inwardly 295 (FIG. 14) and as it continues to move towards the sewing head it is curved into a spiral 295 (FIG. 16) which in turn forms a spiral in the cloth. The convoluting sheet metal ends and the cloth as it moves forwardly continues with its spiral flattened out so that its edge is folded inwardly over itself. This edge then passes through a shoe 290 along with a second chain 291 having pins 292 on the surface thereof to positively grip the material as it passes through the shoe. As the material passes through the shoe it is sewn by any standard sewing machine utilizing a standard stitch. As the material continues the thread 293 from the sewing machine being operated continuously forms a stitch between each blank. The thread between each blank is clipped by a pair of clippers 294 which are actuated intermittently. As the table continues the cut thread is picked up by suitable vacuum means 285 such as a suction head, and drawn outwardly from the table. A second clipper 286 positioned as shown, has the thread moved directly into its mouth and is intermittently actuated to clip the loose end 287 and remove it by the vaccum means 285.

If desired further chain drives may be positioned underneath the top chain drive to give even more positive control on the edge of the cloth as it is going through the folding and sewing operations.

Referring back to FIGURE 1 the tables are passed about the end of a conveyor 300 and when in the lower reach 301 of the conveyor the table rotated back 90, the clamps open and the sewn blanks are dropped to a moving surface 42 which takes the blanks to either packaging or further processing.

The operation of the various parts of the machine of this invention may be timed with respect to one another by various conventional devices and techniques. Many of the drives and frames and standard mechanical devices as are well known in the art have been omitted from both the drawings and the description for the sake of clarity.

In operation the cloth is fed to the top of the cutting drum. If desired it may be printed or otherwise marked as it is being fed to the cutting drum. The cloth moves about the drum on which there are three knives equally spaced about the drum. Both sides of the knives have clamps which clamp the material and the material is cut between these clamps. The material as out then comes around the under surface of the drum, simultaneously the tables moves immediately adjacent the bottom most portion of the drum. There is a minimum clearance maintained between the table and the drum. It is preferred that the table moves immediately adjacent the bottom most cloth when dropped thereon is dropped in a position and held in that position as it continues. The drum is stopped and the table continued until the next table immediately comes underneath the drum. The first table is turned 90 and the cloth clamped thereon and the cut edges are folded and sewn as previously described. By the surface of the table and clamping on the table the cloth is carried under positive control through the folding and sewing operation. As the edges are sewn the thread is cut between each blank. Suction then pulls the loose edges of the cut thread outwardly and the rear thread of the first piece is clipped and the front thread of the next piece clipped. The tables are then moved underneath the conveyor, turned the clamps opened and the second blank deposited on another conveyor for further processing while the table is returned to the drum.

Iclaim:

1. A method for continuously manufacturing pieces of textile fabric having two opposed cut edges hemmed comprising: (a) fee-ding a continuous length of material from which the hemmed pieces are to be produced to a rotating surface, (b) clamping said material to said rotating surface, (0) transversely cutting said clamped material, ((1) depositing successive cut pieces on a plurality of spaced tables moving in the same direction as the rotating surface and at substantially the same peripheral linear speed and in a path substantially parallel to a tangent to said rotating surface and immediately adjacent thereto during said deposition, (e) stopping the rotating surface while continuing the movement of said tables, (f) turning a table with a piece thereon 90 and clamping the cut piece to said table, (g) starting the rotating surface when the first portion of the subsequent table is immediately below the rotating surface to deposit a subsequent piece on the subsequent table, (h) automatically folding the cut edges of said out piece while it is turned 90, (i) sewing the folded edges of said out pieces with continuous thread, and (j) severing the thread between each of said out pieces to produce a plurality of separate pieces of sheet material having their cut edges hemmed.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pieces of textile fabric have a square configuration.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cut edges are folded twice to produce a smooth hem.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the cut thread between each piece of textile fabric is further cut and removed from the cut piece.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the sewn piece with the thread cut is removed from the table and the table is returned to receive another cut piece from the rotating surface.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the pieces of the textile fabric have a square configuration and the cut thread between pieces is further cut and removed from each piece.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the pieces of textile fabric have a square configuration, the cut edges of the cut piece are folded twice to produce a smooth hem, the thread after being cut between pieces is further cut and removed from each piece, and the cut and sewn piece is removed from the table and the table returned to its initial position to receive another cut piece from the rotating surface.

8. An automatic machine for producing a plurality of pieces of material having cut and hemmed edges from a continuous strip of said material comprising: (a) a -rotatable cutting cylinder, (b) means for rotating said cutting cylinder, (c) means for supplying a continuous strip of material to said rotatable cutting cylinder, (d) at least one cutter mounted on said rotatable cutting cylinder and moving axially of said cylinder and adapted to cut through the strip of material passing circumferentially around the cylinder from edge to edge of the strip to sever successive pieces of material from this strip as the cylinder rotates, (e) front and rear clamping means clamping front and rear edge portions respectively of each of the pieces of material prior to, during, and after the aforesaid cutting operation, (f) a plurality of spaced apart individual work supporting tables moving under the said cylinder in the same direction as the periphery of said cylinder and at approximately the same linear speed in a path substantially parallel to a tangent to the surface of said cylinder and immediately adjacent the surface of said cylinder, (g) means responsive to the relative rotative position of the cylinder for activating said front clamping means to release the front end of each piece of material to allow it to rest upon the front end of one of the tables approximately when the front edge of the piece passes under the midpoint of said cylinder and for activating said rear clamping means holding the same piece of material to release the rear end of said piece to allow it to rest upon the rear end of the same table approximately when the rear end of this piece of material reaches the mid-point on the bottom of said cylinder, (h) means for arresting the rotation of said cylinder when the rear end of one table passes the mid-point of the bottom of said cylinder until the front end of the next table reaches the mid-point of the bottom of said cylinder, (i) means for turning the work supporting table 90, (j) means for clamping the piece of material to the work supporting table, (k) means for folding the cut edges of the piece of material, (l) means for sewing each cut edge with a continuous thread, (m) means for severing the thread between each piece, and (11) means for releasing the piece from said work support table.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein there are a plurality of cutters mounted on said rotatable cutting cylinder.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the work supporting tables have a square configuration.

-11. Apparatus according to claim 8 including means for controlling the supply of material to the rotatable cutting cylinder so that it is continually supplied uniformly even while said rotatable cutting surface is arrested.

12. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the means for folding the cut edges comprises a spiral tube for double folding said cut edges.

13. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the means for sewing each cut edge with a continuous thread comprises a pair of sewing machines mounted on each side of the apparatus to simultaneously sew both out edges.

14. Apparatus according to claim 8 including means for further cutting the cut threads of each piece and removing the cut portions of the thread.

15. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the work 40 supporting tables have a square configuration and the means for sewing the cut edges comprise a pair of sewing machines mounted on opposite sides of the apparatus for simultaneously sewing the cut edges.

16. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the work supporting tables have a square configuration, the means for folding the cut edges of the material comprises a spiral tube for double folding of the cut edge, a means for sewing each cut edge with a continuous thread comprising a pair of sewing machines mounted on opposite sides of the machine for simultaneously sewing the cut edges and means for further cutting each cut thread at the edge of the cut piece and removing the cut portion of the thread.

17. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein there are a plurality of cutters mounted on the rotatable cutting cylinder, the work supporting tables have a square configuration, means are provided to uniformly continually supply material even while the rotating cylinder is arrested, the folding means comprises a spiral for double folding the cut edges, the means for sewing each cut edge comprises a pair of sewing machines mounted on opposite sides of the apparatus for simultaneously sewing folded, cut edges, and means for further cutting the cut threads of each piece at the edge of each piece and removing the cut portions of the thread.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,355,766 8/1944 Westhoff 112-141 2,940,404 6/1960 Damon 112--10 2,989,935 6/1961 Butler 112-252 3,097,733 7/ 1963 Frydryk.

3,143,987 8/1964 Daniel et a1 112-252 3,149,517 9/1964 Frydryk 83155 3,192,885 7/1965 Timm.

3,232,256 2/ 1966 Buckalter.

3,296,986 1/1967 Gansl.

JAMES R. BOLER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 112-147, 203, 262

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,467,037 September 16, 1969 John T. Prydryk It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 5, lines 48 and 49, "scurd" should read secured Column 9, line 65, "moves immediately adjacent the bottom most" should read have a sandpaper or routh surface so that the Column 11, line 20, "support" should read supporting Signed and sealed this llth day of August 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. E.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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