Abstract: A hemming and seaming machine is disclosed, the machine having a hemming conveyor on which a workpiece is moved along a first leg of a U-shaped path of travel toward and through a hemming station which sews a hem in the workpiece. Thereafter, the hemmed workpiece is then moved downstream toward a folding station where a spaced series of first air jets selectively emit a stream of air in a direction opposite the direction of the path of travel between a folding plate and a clamping plate to create a vacuum therebetween to draw the leading edge of the workpiece upward and between the folding plate and the clamping plate. Thereafter, the leading edge of the workpiece is held between the clamping and folding plates while a second series of air jets positioned upstream of the folding plate selectively blows a stream of air underneath the folding plate and against at least a portion the workpiece as it moves along the path of travel.

Abstract: A looped elastic waistband (14) is positioned along a circular sewing path (12) with the waist edge (21) of a pair of pants (12) in straddling relationship thereover. The garment parts are advanced past a folding assembly (61), which folds the waist edge (21) of the pants (16) over the waistband (14), and past sewing needles (13) that form lines of stitching along the aligned edges of the pants (16) and waistband (14) and through the folded portion (22) of the pants waist (19). In the meantime, the position of the waist edge (21) of the pants (16) over the waistband (14) is adjusted in response to position the waist edges (21) as detected by body edge sensor (13) which controls the reciprocation of a pair of drive wheels (87 and 88) of an edge guide assembly (86) which engage and urge the waist edge (21) of the pants (16) across from the sewing path (12).

Abstract: A waist band (18) is placed in straddling relationship about spindles (11-14). The waist edge (24) of the garment body (19) is telescoped about the waist band (18), also in straddling relationship about the spindles (11-14). The garment parts are advanced by the rotation of the spindles (11-14) past a sewing needle (17) that forms a line of stitching at the aligned edges of the shirt body and waist band. In the meantime, the end spindles (11 and 13 and 14) move longitudinally along the sewing path to adjust the position of the waist band in response to the position of the folded edges (22, 23) of the waist band (18) as detected by band sensor (128), and the star wheels (119) engage and urge the waist band (18) and the garment body (19) toward or away from the sewing path (16) as controlled by band and body edge sensors (112, 129).

Abstract: A locker patch attachment system (30) for attaching a locker patch (10) having an arcuate edge (12) to a garment (11) by sewing about the arcuate edge of the locker patch as the garment and locker patch are automatically pivoted about a sewing machine (32) by a patch pivot assembly (70) and a body pivot assembly (105). The patch pivot assembly (70) and body pivot assembly (105) rotate at the same angular speed and about the common axis .alpha. which is displaced from the needle (22) of the sewing machine (32). The patch pivot assembly (70) includes a pivot plate (72) that holds the garment and locker patch in a fixed, overlaid relationship and rotates in order to pivot the garment and locker patch about the sewing machine (32).

Abstract: A cloth cutter attachment (11) is mounted to a conventional double needle sewing machine (10) for shifting a cutter assembly mount (27) fore and aft past the needle mount assembly (26) of the sewing machine (10) so that its cutting blade (76) shifts between cutting positions ahead of and behind the double needles (17) of the sewing machine (10). The cloth cutter attachment (11) allows a cut (161) to be made in a cloth material between the two rows of stitches (158,159) sewn by the double needles (17) for forming a set-in pocket.

Abstract: A waist band (18) is placed in straddling relationship about spindles (11-14). The waist edge (24) of the garment body (19) is telescoped about the waist band (18), also in straddling relationship about the spindles (11-14). The garment parts are advanced by the rotation of the spindles (11-14) past a sewing needle (17) that forms a line of stitching at the aligned edges of the shirt body and waist band. In the meantime, the end spindles (11 and 13 and 14) move longitudinally along the sewing path to adjust the position of the waist band in response to the position of the folded edges (22, 23) of the waist band (18) as detected by band sensor 128, and the star wheels (119) engage and urge the waist band (18) and the garment body (19) toward or away from the sewing path (16) as controlled by band and body edge sensors (112, 129).

Abstract: The waist band (16) is placed in straddling relationship about spindles (12-15). The waist edge (23) of the shirt body (17) is telescoped about the waist band, also in straddling relationship about the spindles (12-15). The garment parts are advanced by the rotation of the spindles and the sewing needle (9) forms a line of stitching at the aligned edges of the shirt body and waist band. In the meantime, the end spindles (14 and 15) move laterally of the sewing path to adjust the position of the waist band in response to the position of the folded edge (21) of the waist band as detected by photocell (30/138), and the star wheels (32) (FIGS. 5-7) reach across the waist band and urge the shirt body toward or away from the sewing path as controlled by the photocell (31/208).

Abstract: A continuous loop waist band (10) is placed in edge alignment with a garment body (11), and the garment parts are stretched about spindles (19, 20, 21 and 23). The spindles are moved away from one another so as to stretch the aligned edges of the garment parts. The edges of the garment parts tend to curl when stretched, and an edge decurler (84) removes the curl from the stretched garment parts as the edges approach the sewing machine needle (26). Edge guide (102) maintains the plies of material in overlying contact so as to make sure the curls do not reappear in the garment parts as the parts approach the sewing machine.

Abstract: A cloth cutter attachment (12) mounted onto a conventional double sewing machine (10) for shifting a cutter blade assembly (17) past the needle mount assembly (15) of the sewing machine so that the cutter blade of the cutter blade assembly shifts between and ahead of and behind the double needles of the sewing machine. The cloth cutter attachment allows a cut to be made in a cloth material between the two rows of stitches sewn by the double needles. Such a stitch and cut operation is desirable for forming a set-in pocket.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating a "serging", "overlock" or "504" stitch wherein the excess thread chain (44) extending from the sewing machine needle to the previously sewn garment part (54) is cut in a manner to create a leading thread chain of a predetermined length extending from the sewing machine needle, and the free end of the leading thread chain is drawn off by a stream of air flowing into a hollow member (31) acting as a chaining tongue (29). The leading thread chain is subsequently progressively withdrawn from the chaining tongue and oversewn into the stitching of a succeeding garment. The hollow member (31) acting as the chaining tongue (29) is integrally formed with the throat plate (21) of the sewing machine (20). A vacuum reservoir (81) is connected to the hollow member (31) to create the air flow through the hollow member to draw the leading thread chain therein.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating an overlock or 504 stitch wherein the excess thread chain (65) extending from the sewing machine needles (19) and the hollow chaining (32) to the previously sewn garment part (60) is stretched and is cut by thread chain cutter (70) to create a leading thread chain of predetermined length extending form the sewing machine needle and the hollow chaining tongue. When cut, the thread chain recoils toward the hollow chaining tongue, and a stream of air draws the free end of the thread chain into the hollow chaining tongue. When the next work piece is moved through the sewing area, the thread chain in the hollow chaining tongue is attached to the work piece and is progressively drawn out of the hollow chaining tongue and oversewn in the overlock stitch.

Abstract: An overlock stitch is formed by sewing machine (11) (FIG. 1) into a work product (34) and the work product is accelerated away from the sewing machine so as to stretch the thread chain (FIG. 5). The stretched thread chain is cut by cutter (40), and the leading thread chain (43) recoils back toward the hollow chaining tongue (21) and is drawn into the chaining tongue by the stream of air (26) created by vacuum canister (52) (FIG. 6). The next work product draws the leading thread chain out of the hollow chaining tongue and the sewing machine captures the leading thread chain in the stitch. Transfer conveyor (15) (FIG. 1) moves the work product (34) into alignment with everter tube assembly (106), grippers (109) and (110) grip and open one end of the work product (FIGS. 9-14), and air drawn through the everter tube assembly everts the work product. The gripper tube assembly opens along its lower portion (FIG. 16) and drops the work product.

Abstract: A shirring attachment includes a rotatable feed wheel 51 positioned over a stripper blade 60 and normally positioned in spaced relationship above the work surface of and in front of the sewing needle 45 of a sewing machine. A first ply of material 78 is extended over the work surface and beneath the stripper blade to the feed dogs 68 of the sewing machine, and a second ply of material 80 is extended over the stripper blade to the sewing needle. The rotatable feed wheel is driven with a peripheral velocity that corresponds to the speed of the sewing machine motor, usually at a higher velocity that the feed dogs, and the feed wheel is moved by an air-actuated cylinder 54 at the command of the machine operator down toward the stripper blade into engagement with the upper ply of material so as to feed the upper ply of material to the sewing needle at a faster rate than the movement of the lower ply of material.

Abstract: A presser foot assembly is mounted to a sewing machine and includes a bifurcated skid for mounting to the sewing machine in alignment with and projecting in front of the sewing station and a wheel mounted on the skid which is biased downwardly through the slot of the tines of the skid into yielding contract with the material extending through the sewing station. When a tape feed apparatus is moved to a position in front of and aligned with the wheel and the sewing station, the tape moves with the base material beneath the wheel and through the sewing station where it is sewn to the base material. When the tape feed apparatus is moved out of alignment with the wheel and sewing station, the tape no longer moves beneath the wheel and to the sewing station.

Abstract: As a web of material is guided along an L-shaped path toward a sewing station, the web is progressively folded in the first leg of the L-shaped path, and the web is refolded into a binding fold as it turns from the first leg to the second leg of the L-shaped path. The folder through which the web of material passes progressively shapes the web into the desired fold, and the folder is open along its upper edge so that if the material is too wide or irregularly shaped, the upper edge of the material can protrude out of the folder as the material is being folded along the first leg of the L-shaped path, and when the material is being refolded, the protruding edge of the web is folded into the binding fold.