Patents by Inventor Thomas K. Patterson

Thomas K. Patterson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Creel loading and cutting system
    Patent number: 4176566
    Abstract: Sheet material is moved along its length from a supply to a take-up spool and the material is inspected as it is moved. A garment pattern image is projected on and is moved with the material. The operator determines where the material is to be cut either from the length accumulated on the take-up spool or from the image projected on the material, and if a flaw in the material is detected, the operator determines if the flaw should be removed by identifying the pattern part in the garment from the image projected on the material where the flaw will appear. If the flaw is to be removed, the operator cuts the flaw out and splices the cut ends of material together at splice marks in the image projected on the material. The spools loaded with sheet material with this procedure are loaded in a creel, and the ends of the sheets of material from the spools in the creel are aligned in a vertically stacked arrangement and moved to a cutting apparatus where the garment pattern is cut in the stacked sheets of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Assignee: Oxford Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas K. Patterson, William O. Mitchell, Donald H. Smith, John P. Hunter, Jr.
  • Creel loading, cutting, and splicing system for sheet material
    Patent number: 4082589
    Abstract: Sheet material is moved along its length from a supply to a take-up spool and the material is inspected as it is moved. A garment pattern image is projected on and is moved with the material. The operator determines where the material is to be cut either from the length accumulated on the take-up spool or from the image projected on the material, and if a flaw in the material is detected, the operator determines if the flaw should be removed by identifying the pattern part in the garment from the image projected on the material where the flaw will appear. If the flaw is to be removed, the operator cuts the flaw out and splices the cut ends of material together at splice marks in the image projected on the material. The spools loaded with sheet material with this procedure are loaded in a creel, and the ends of the sheets of material from the spools in the creel are aligned in a vertically stacked arrangement and moved to a cutting apparatus where the garment pattern is cut in the stacked sheets of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1978
    Assignee: OXFORD Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas K. Patterson, William O. Mitchell, Donald H. Smith, John P. Hunter, Jr.