US3500777A - Quilting apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1970 KALNING ETAL 3,500,777

QUILTING APPARATUS Filed March 7, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,500,777 QUILTING APPARATUS Frederick E. Kalning, Quincy, and Howard E. Redman,

Weymouth, Mass., assignors t0 Mathewson Corporation, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 7, 1968, Ser. No. 711,386 Int. Cl. D05f 11/00 U.S. Cl. 112-118 20 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for quilting having a plurality of transversely spaced sewing heads, a movable frame which is adapted to support the material to be quilted below the sewing heads for movement transversely and laterally thereof and transversely spaced pairs of lower and upper endless chains mounted on the movable frame with the upper runs of the lower chain and the lower runs of the upper chain substantially parallel and movable in directions to draw the material to be quilted onto the frame and to hold it gripped therebetween during the process of quilting.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Customarily quilting apparatus is designed to support the material to be quilted with its longitudinal dimension lengthwise of the machine for movement longitudinally and transversely with respect to a sewing head or heads. A clamping frame is used to mount the material on the movable frame for holding it stretched fiat by engagement of clamps at its edges and ends with the material. Usually several such clamping frames are employed so that while one frame is on the machine another is available for mounting of the next quilting to be made. These clamping frame are quite heavy and awkward to handle so that some means must be provided to lift and position them on the movable frame of the machine. The operation is laborious and time-consuming. Additionally since the frame supports the material with its long dimension longitudinally of the quilting machine and there is only a single sewing head, the travel of the movable frame in each direction relative to the sewing head must be at least equal to half the width and half the length of the material to be quilted so that a considerable floor space is required for operation. To improve on apparatus of the foregoing kind there have been attempts to supply the material to be quilted continuously from a roll of material, quilt it on the run and cut the quilted material into suitable lengths after the entire length has been processed. Such equipment has suffered from a lack of control which would enable producing acceptable articles and requires that finishing operations be performed after quilting which in large part nullify the advantages sought to be obtained.

SUMMARY As herein illustrated the apparatus comprises a fixed frame, a plurality of linearly spaced sewing heads mounted on the frame, a movable frame adapted to hold the material to be quilted in a plane to be operated on by the sewing heads, said movable frame being supported for movement in directions longitudinally and transversely of the sewing heads, and means for mounting the material on the movable frame comprising endless conveyors at opposite sides of the movable frame with which an end of the material to be quilted is adapted to be engaged and drawn onto the movable frame, by progressive engagement of the conveyors with the lateral edges of the material, to a position such that the material is entirely supported on the movable frame with its lateral edges engaged by said conveyors. There are clamps at the opposite ends of the frame adapted to be engaged with the ends of the material after it has been drawn onto the frame. The conveyors have means spaced therealong for engaging the lateral edges of the material, and extend the length of the movable frame with the portions with which the lateral edges of the material are to be engaged substantially horizontal and movable from one end of the frame to the other to draw the material onto the frame, hold it on the frame during the quilting operation and then discharge it from the frame. At the discharge end of the frame there are means for separating the quilted material from the conveyors. Preferably the conveyors comprise pairs of upper and lower endless chains supported with the lower runs of the upper chains and the upper runs of the lower chains adjacent and substantially parallel and carry upwardly and downwardly arranged alternate lugs for gripping the lateral edges of the material as it is drawn between them. Guides support the adjacent runs intermediate their ends substantially parallel. At their discharge ends the runs diverge to facilitate stripping the quilting material from the conveyors. A loading table mounted on wheels adjacement the end of the frame provides a supporting surface on which the material to be quilted is adapted to be spread out flat with its lateral edges substantially aligned with the conveyors for movement of its leading end toward the movable frame to present the leading end to the conveyors and there is means on the table for engagement with the upper surface of the material to spread it laterally as it is drawn from the table by the conveyors. The lower conveyors are fixed on the movable frame and there are beams mounting the upper conveyors in parallel relation to the lower conveyors for adjustment relative thereto to effect increase or decrease of the gripping action of the conveyors on the edges of the material. The movable frame corresponds in width to the length of the longest quilt to be made and is adjustable therefrom to the shortest to be made and has a length at least as long as the width of the widest quilting to be made.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan to very small scale of a quilted covering for one side of a mattress showing the pattern of the stitching;

FIG. 1a is a section on the line la-la of FIG. 1, with the component parts comprising the ticking, filling and net separated to more easily identify them;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus by means of which the quilting is effected;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an end elevation on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevation taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3, to much larger scale;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an elevation of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the loading table with the component parts of the mattress cover which is to be quilted resting thereon in a position ready for movement onto the quilting frame of the machine.

Referring to the drawings (FIGS. 1 and 1a), there is shown a mattress covering 10 of rectangular configuration with the pattern 12 of the quilting stitching shown on the surface. The covering is conventionally comprised of a ticking layer 14, a filling layer 16 and a backing net 18. The three layers are joined to each other by the quilting stitches.

The machine for joining the layers is illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 8, inclusive, and has a rigid standing frame comprised of spaced parallel, vertically disposed columns 20-20 between which there are secured vertically spaced, parallel, transversely extending beams 22 and 24. The beam 22 supports at its underside transversely spaced sewing heads 26, each being provided with a vertically supported needle 28 and a presser foot 30. The beam 24 supports correspondingly spaced shuttle heads 32. The beam 24 on which the sewing heads are mounted is vertically movable to raise the sewing heads relative to the shuttle heads to enable the material to be introduced between them. The sewing heads and shuttle heads are adjustable on the beams to change the spacing or positioning to enable varying the pattern of the quilting stitches.

The machine embodies a frame 34 adapted to support the material to be quilted in a horizontal position for movement longitudinally and laterally between the sewing heads and the shuttle headsthe longitudinal and lateral movement being provided for by supporting frames 36 and 38 which are of conventional design and need not be described further herein. Longitudinal and lateral movement of these frames is generally produced by a pattern and follower (not shown); however, other control means may be employed, for example, suitably designed cams and levers as shown in Patent No. 2,260,382, or a programmed tape.

An important aspect of this invention is to mount the assembly to be quilted on the frame 34 without having to use the conventional clamping frames currently employed for this purpose. This is achieved herein by providing the supporting frame 34 with conveyor means which will be described hereinafter and providing a supporting table 37 at one end of the frame 34 upon which the material to be quilted is assembled and which enables spreading it out perfectly flat and uniform preparatory to mounting it on the frame 34. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the assembly of the ticking, filling and net is mounted on the top of the table 37 with the leading end adjacent the frame 34 for movement in the direction of the arrow a. Although the top of the table is smooth enough so that operators standing at each side could slide the leading end of the assembly into engagement with the conveyor means on the frame 34, this is somewhat awkward and wasteful of manpower. Hence the table is provided with wheels, as shown in FIG. 2, for movement up to the frame of the machine to present the leading end of the assembly to the conveyor means. To enable bringing the leading end into close proximity with the conveyor means the forward end of the table is made narrower than the distance between the conveyors so that it can be moved forwardly between the conveyor means thereby presenting the laterally projecting edges of the leading end of the assembly directly into engagement with the conveyor means. Preferably drag bars 38 are mounted above the table to have frictional engagement with the assembly and these are located at diverging angles so as to spread the assembly as it is moved forwardly and to maintain it in a smooth unwrinkled condition. Optionally there may be corresponding drag bars located in slots in the top of the table for engagement with the underside of the assembly.

The frame 34 for holding the assembly during the quilting operation comprises transversely spaced channels 46-46 fixed to the frame 36 and vertically above these channels spaced parallel channels 4848 which are yieldably supported above the channels 46-46 as will appear hereinafter.

The channels 46 (FIGS. 5, 6 and 7) have mounted on their inner sides longitudinally spaced sprockets 50 and 52 upon which are entrained an endless chain 54. The channels 48 have on their inner faces longitudinally spaced sprockets 56 and 58 upon which there are entrained endless chains 60. The upper runs of the lower chains 54 and the lower runs of the upper chains 60 are held in spaced parallel relation by guides 62 and 64 mounted on the inner sides of the channels and extending lengthwise thereof from the sprockets 50 and 56 at the entrance end toward the sprockets 52 and 58 at the discharge end. There are nubs or pins 66 on alternate links of the chains and the chains are arranged on the sprockets so that the nubs on one chain alternate with the nubs on the other chain so as to engage and grip the material to draw it from the loading table forwardly onto the frame 34 between the parallel runs of the chains and thus to hold it spread transversely in a horizontal position for the quilting operation. Portions of the chains at the discharge end are supported in diverging relation, as shown in FIG. 5, with respect to each other by the eX- pedient of providing smaller sprockets at this end so that these portions of the chain travel away from each other and thus disengage the nubs or pins 66 from the quilted material. Stripping bars 68 are provided at each side of the frame between the diverging portions of the chains for engagement with the underside of the quilted material at its edges to lift the latter from the lugs on the lower chains.

As related above, the chanels 48 are yieldably supported on the channels 46, the purpose of which is to enable varying the pressure between the confronting runs of the chains and hence the grip which may be applied to the edges of the material to both draw it onto the frame and to hold it taut after it is on the frame during the quilting operation. Support is provided for by longitudinally spaced channel members 69 fixed at their lower ends to the channels 46 with their upper ends extending upwardly therefrom as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The channels 69 have spaced parallel flanges 7070 and are secured at their lower ends with spacers 72 between them and the channels 46 by screw bolts 74 passing through the channels and spacers into the channels 46. The upper ends of the channels 69 contain vertically disposed slots 76 and are secured to the upper channels 48 with spacers 78 between them and the channels 48 by bolts 80 which extend through blocks 82 spanning the slots 76, through the slots 76 and spacers 78 into the channels 48. The spacers 78 have bosses 84 extending forwardly therefrom through the slots 76 which contain vertically threaded holes 86 in which there are mounted screws 88. Each boss 84 has a base which seats against the spacer 78 behind it. Vertically below the lower ends of the screws there are blocks 90 welded or otherwise fastened to the lower ends of the channels 69 containing vertically disposed holes 92. Coiled springs 94 are mounted in the holes 92 with their upper ends engaged with the lower ends of the screws 88. It is thus evident that the channels 48 are movable upwardly and downwardly relative to the channels 46 to an upper position in which the lower ends of the slots 76 engage the lower ends of the bases 84 and to a downward position in which the upper ends of the slots engage the upper ends of the bases 84. By rotation of the screws 88 the compression in the springs 94 may be increased or decreased to in turn adjust the pressure between the conveyor chains.

The chains at the respective sides of the frame diverge from the ends engaged with the sprockets 50, 56 to the ends engaged with the sprockets 52, 58 laterally, that is, away from each other approximately one inch from endto-endthe purpose being to place some tension in the material as it is drawn onto the frame and thereby to prevent any sag midway between the sides of the frame below the bobbin heads 32.

After the material is drawn entirely onto the frame its ends must be clamped and for this purpose there are provided clamps 91 at each end, each clamp comprising a transversely mounted bar 93 pivotally supported at its opposite ends on trunnions 95 fixed to the frame so that it may be moved from a retracted position, elevated from the plane of the material to an operative position in engagcment with the material all the way across the frame.

The clamping bar at the discharge end is adjustable longitudinally of the frame for different widths of material.

While it is customary to position the material which is to make up the mattress cover with its long dimension disposed longitudinally of the quilting apparatus, the present aparatus is designed to support the material which is to be quilted with its long dimension transversely of the apparatus and this, together with the fact that there are a plurality of sewing heads instead of one, enables reducing the floor space required for the apparatus since the length of the machine is reduced by the difference between the length of the covering and its width and the transverse travel of the frame is reduced in direct proportion to the number of sewing. heads employed.

Suitable driving means for effecting longitudinal and transverse movement of the frames 36 and 38 to traverse the material supporting frame 34 relative to the sewing head is provided and in addition there is means fordriving the conveyor chains to draw the assembled material onto the frame and after the quilting operation to drive them again to discharge the quilted material from the frame. Optionally there is means for moving the end clamps into and out of engagement. The transverse components of the frame 34 are comprised of telescopically associated parts which enable adjusting the'spacing between them to provide for different length covers.

The term quilting as used herein is intended to cover the joining together of two or more layers of material usually with a soft filler layer by courses of stitching running along straight, zigzag or curved lines as desired to effect joining of the parts and optionally to produce a pleasing pattern.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for quilting comprising a fixed frame, a plurality of linearly spaced sewing heads mounted on the frame, a movable frame adapted to hold the material to be quilted in a plane to be operated on by the sewing heads, said movable frame being supported for movement in directions longitudinally and transversely of the sewing heads, and means for mounting the material on the movable frame; comprising endless conveyors at opposite sides of the movable frame with which an end of the material to be quilted is adapted to be engaged and drawn onto the movable frame by progressive engagement of the conveyors with the lateral edges of the material, to a position such that the material is entirely supported on the movable frame with its lateral edges engaged by said conveyors, and clamps at the opposite ends of the movable frame adapted to be engaged with the ends of the material after it has been drawn onto the frame.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endless conveyors have means spaced therealong for engaging the lateral edges of the material.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means paralleling the endless conveyors between which and the conveyors the lateral edges of the material are drawn by the conveyors, said means operating to hold the edges engaged with the conveyors.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the endless conveyors extend the length of the movable frame and there is means for effecting movement of the conveyors to draw the material to be quilted onto the movable frame from one end, said means being operable following the quilting operation to elfect further movement of. the conveyors to discharge the material from the movable frame at the other end and simultaneously to draw another length of material onto the one end of the movable frame.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, comprising, at the end of the movable frame from which the material is to be discharged, means for disengaging the lateral edges of the material from the conveyors.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the endless conveyors diverge from the one end of the movable frame where they receive the material to be quilted toward the other end of the movable frame from which the quilted material is discharged.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a loading table mounted adjacent the end of the conveyors to which the material to be quilted is delivered for drawing of the material onto the frame, said table providing a supporting surface upon which the material to be quilted is adapted to be spread out fiat with its lateral edges substantially aligned with the conveyors.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising means mounting the table for advancing the leading end of the material resting thereon into engagement with the conveyors.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising means on the table for spreading the material resting on the table laterally as it is moved toward the conveyors for engagement therewith.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising means supporting the table for movement of its forward end toward the conveyors to present the leading end of the material to the conveyors, and means on the table for engagement with the upper side of the material, said latter means holding the material against the surface of the table and operating to spread the material laterally as it is moved from the table by the conveyors.

11. Apparatus for quilting comprising a fixed frame, a

plurality of linearly spaced sewing heads mounted on the frame, a movable frame adapted to hold the material to be quilted in a plane to be operated on by the sewing heads, said movable frame being supported for movement in directions longitudinally and transversely of the sewing heads, and means for mounting the material on the movable frame comprising pairs of upper and lower endless conveyors supported with the lower runs of the upper conveyors adjacent the upper runs of the lower conveyors between which the lateral edges of the material are adapted to be engaged and advanced onto the frame, and upwardly and downwardly arranged, alternating lugs lengthwise of the conveyors for gripping the lateral edges of the material as it is drawn between the runs of the conveyors.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the conveyors extend lengthwise of the movable frame with their adjacent runs travelling in a direction to draw the material to be quilted from one end of the frame toward the other, and there are guides intermediate the ends of the conveyors supporting the adjacent runs in parallel relation to each other and the ends at the discharge end in divergent relation to each other to facilitate discharge of the quilted material from the frame.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, comprising stripper rails situated substantially in the plane of the adjacent runs of the conveyors and extending in the direction of movement of the runs from the points of divergence thereof to the ends of the runs.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the conveyors comprise a pair of transversely spaced endless chains mounted on sprockets spaced longitudinally of the movable frame with their upper runs substantially horizontal, a second pair of transversely spaced endless chains, beams mounting sprockets on which the second pair of chains are entrained, means yieldably supporting each beam with its chain on the movable frame with the lower run of the chain parallel to the upper run of the chain on the movable frame below it, and means operable to adjust the pressure exerted by the weight of the beams on the material between the runs of the chain.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, comprising telescoping parts connecting the longitudinal components of the movable frame for adjusting the transverse width of the frame.

16. Apparatus for quilting comprising a fixed frame, a beam mounted transversely thereof, said beam being movable in elevation, a plurality of sewing heads mounted in spaced relation on the beam transversely of the fixed frame with their needles extending perpendicularly downward from the beam, a movable frame adapted to hold material to be quilted below the beam in a plane to be operated upon by the needles, said movable frame being Supported for movement in directions longitudinally and transversely of the sewing heads, and a pattern operable to control the movement of the movable frame, said movable frame corresponding in transverse width to the length of the longest quilting to be made and being adjustable therefrom to the shortest quilting to be made, and in length to the Widest of the quilting to be made, an assembly table supported at one end of the movable frame on which the material to be quilted is adapted to be placed with its long dimension transverse to the movable frame and with its transverse dimension longitudinally of the frame, conveyor means on the movable frame movable longitudinally thereof, said conveyor means having transversely spaced runs situated at the level of the top of the table, travelling away from the table toward the opposite end of the movable frame, and means on the runs operable by engagement with the transverse ends of the material on the table to pull it forwardly from the table onto the frame, said means being operable to hold the material when drawn onto the frame while the quilting operation is in progress.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, comprising means on the table adjacent the ends of the conveyors bearing upon the material and operating thereon to spread the ends laterally in opposite directions.

18. Apparatus according to claim 16, comprising means supporting the table for movement toward the movable frame to present the leading end of the material to the conveyors.

19. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein there is means mounting the sewing heads for movement vertically on the fixed frame relative to the movable frame.

20. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sewing heads are adjustable transversely on the fixed frame relative to the movable frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,044,426 7/1962 Schwarzberger 1121 17 3,180,293 4/1965 Cash 112118 3,382,825 5/1968 Cash 112-117 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner

Images