Abstract: An attachment for a sewing machine to provide simultaneous sewing and sealing of a seam comprises a reel for dispensing a strip of adhesive thermoplastic polymer between fabric members to be sewn. A plurality of heated driven rollers opposed to heated idler rollers having a continuous belt thereover collectively exert heat and pressure on the seam, melting the polymer strip so as to seal the seam. Thread having been treated with adhesive thermoplastic polymer may be employed to seal the punctures in the fabric made by the sewing machine's needle. The driven rollers are driven in synchronization with the operation of the sewing machine, and are engaged with and withdrawn from the seam responsive to operator command.

Abstract: A flat seam construction made up of a number of sequentially formed stitches and formed on a portion of one or more stitchable materials is disclosed. Each stitch has two outer threads, formed into first and second outer thread loops, and at least one inner thread, formed into at least one inner thread loop. Each of the inner and outer thread loops transversely penetrate the one or more stitchable materials. Each of the inner and outer thread loops have a bight portion engaging a bottom surface of the one or more stitchable materials. At least one looper thread is formed on the bottom surface, and arranged such that, the at least one looper thread passes between the bottom surface and at least one of the bight portions. At least one decorative thread is visible on a top surface of the seam construction.

Abstract: A pressing apparatus including an unfolding prearranger device to preliminarily open or unfold sewing margins seamed and folded in a pressing object mounted on a trestle thereof, a pad cloth which covers the sewing margins as preliminarily opened or unfolded, a pressurizing device which forces the sewing margins as preliminarily opened or unfolded against the trestle through the pad cloth, and a conveyor which moves the unfolded prearranger device and the pressurizing device in an integrated form along seams of the sewn workpiece.

Abstract: A sewing machine provided with guide means and ironing means having an ultrasonic heating means. The guide means folds back the free margins of an upper and lower fabric pieces, and the folded margins are pressed or ironed by the ultrasonic heating means. The ultrasonic heating means includes an ultrasonic horn and an anvil relatively movable toward and away from each other. A thickness detector is provided for detecting a combined thickness of the upper and lower fabric pieces, and control means is also provided for controlling one of the heating energy of the ultrasonic heating means and a distance between the horn and the anvil in response to the detected thickness.

Abstract: A system and semi-automated method for folding and fusing limp strips of fabric to form a semi-finished placket and for assembly of the placket together with an unfinished shirt. The system comprises a folder apparatus, a fuser apparatus, and a sewer apparatus capable of applying reversed "L"-shaped pattern, to the semi-finished placket-unfinished shirt combination.

Abstract: A sewing machine for sewing together two sheets of material and for separating and pressing their edges, includes folding means for separating and folding the edges and an ultrasonic generator for pressing and creasing them. An additional device includes a speed sensor for sensing a sewing speed of the sewing machine and a control device for controlling the ultrasonic generator to vary a strength of the ultrasonic wave according to the sensed sewing speed.

Abstract: A machine for folding and pressing the internal flaps of seams comprises a heated plate 1 in the body of which are fomed separate chambers 6, 7, 8 respectively connected to a steam generator, a suction system and a cold air blower. These chambers communicate with a pressing surface of the plate itself through a series of holes. Facing the pressing surface of the plate 1 is a floating platen structure 2 having a corresponding series of holes 9 able to put into communication with the exterior two chambers 10, 11 in the floating platen structure fronting, each chamber being separated into two parts by a partition 12 which divides it into two distinct portions.

Abstract: Upper and lower fabric pieces are separated by a presser foot and sewn along a seam with respective edges left therealong. The upper and lower fabric pieces are fed along in a direction by means of a main feed dog. The edge of the upper fabric piece is folded back on the latter by means of a guide member disposed above a throat plate, with the guide member heated to heat the seam. The edge of the lower fabric piece is folded back on the latter below the throat plate by means of a guide rod mounted on the throat plate. The folded edge of the lower fabric piece is lifted up to the throat plate by means of an auxiliary feed dog, and guided onto a bearing plate by means of a guide body movable with the main feed dog. The upper and lower fabric pieces with their folded edges are pressed with heat between a roller and the bearing plate while being moved in said direction by the roller being rotated. Steam is applied against the seam when it is heated by the guide member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for acting upon cloth in a particular manner, most particularly for automatically forming a shirt sleeve from a sleeve blank. The blank is conveyed by a conveyor in a first direction and a hem is automatically formed along a first edge thereof. The hem is ironed, and then the hemmed sleeve blank is automatically picked up off the conveyor and folded about an axis substantially transverse to the first direction. The folded hemmed blank is dropped on a second conveyor which conveys the blank in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction. A seam is automatically formed along a second edge of the blank as it is being conveyed by the second conveyor, to form a shirt sleeve. A roller moving at a speed different than the speed of the second conveyor preferably engages the blank as it is being conveyed by the second conveyor and effects movement of it so that the seam along the second edge includes at least a portion which is arcuate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for use with a sewing machine by which a liquid is injected between lapped layers of material being sewn. A supply of the liquid at atmospheric pressure is fed by gravity to a constant displacement pump, the pump being actuated by a driven part of the sewing machine so that pumping rate is proportional to sewing rate. The outlet of the pump passes through a line which divides under the control of valve means. One branch of the line leads to a tube that is disposed in a folder, the tube having a discharge end projecting from the folder and disposed just upstream of the sewing machine needle(s). A further flattening roller is disposed after the presser foot through which the needles reciprocate. The other branch of the line is a return line that leads back to the reservoir.

Abstract: In this apparatus for stretching sewn portions of cloth, comprises a stretching member extends along the feed direction of the cloth in the front and rear of the sewing position of a sewing machine. This stretching member includes an inserting portion which enters into the cloth in the front of the sewing position prior to sewing and a pair of stretching portions for stretching the cloth from both sides with the sewn portion acting as the boundary in the rear of the sewing position. The stretching portions extended backwards in parallel with a predetermined distance between them and the thickness gradually increases towards the rear. A guide member for guiding and shifting the stretched cloth toward the rear extends from the rear end of one stretching portion in the backwards direction with the same thickness as that of the rear end of this stretching portion.

Abstract: An attachment for sewing machines for folding and pressing seam plies for sleeves, trousers and the like having a pair of endless belts or tapes between which the cloth being sewn is carried. After the seam has been sewn, the cloth is carried forwardly into the path of a V-shaped seam opening member which causes the seam plies to be separated, be positioned at right angle to the cloth and lie on either side of the seam in a common plane. Upon being carried further forwardly, the seam plies engages a seam folding member which guides and folds over the seam plies from their right angle position to a flattened position against the cloth whereby the seam plies lie in substantially the same plane as the two layers of cloth after which the heated rollers and a hot air blower presses the four layers of cloth in superimposed contact relation.

Abstract: There is disclosed a sewing machine and ironing device for sewing and ironing seams in which two ironing elements are disposed on opposite sides of the path followed by the seam as it issues from a region at which the sewing is completed, one of which is urged towards the other magnetically to apply ironing pressure to a seam disposed therebetween.

Abstract: A seam is set by pressing while the seam allowances are folded to lie flat against the fabric reverse sides while the fabric face sides are facing each other by running the fabric through a seam allowance separator and folder with the seam constrained against lateral displacement. The constraint may comprise the needle, presser foot and feeder of a sewing machine producing the seam.