Abstract: An apparatus for attaching a gusset to a panel includes a gusset folder that receives and folds a gusset material to form the gusset. The panel is supported by a sewing table. A sewing machine is positioned relative to the sewing table so as to be able to sew the gusset to the panel. A gusset guides the gusset toward a selected edge of the panel so that the gusset is held in substantial alignment with the edge of the panel. An edge detector detects when a next edge of the panel is approaching the sewing machine. A turning mechanism is positioned along the sewing table and is moveable into engagement with the panel. The turning mechanism turns the panel relative to the sewing machine when the edge detector detects the next edge of the panel is approaching the sewing machine.

Abstract: An automatic border sewing system having a pre-feed assembly for feeding a length of material for forming a mattress border. A feed and cut assembly feeds the border material into a sewing station for forming mitered corners in the border material and thereafter cuts the border material to form a border of a desired length. The mitered border is moved to a closer station for closing the leading and trailing edges of the border.

Abstract: An automatic border sewing system having a pre-feed assembly for feeding a length of material for forming a mattress border. A feed and cut assembly feeds the border material into a sewing station for forming mitered corners in the border material and thereafter cuts the border material to form a border of a desired length. The mitered border is moved to a closer station for closing the leading and trailing edges of the border.

Abstract: A waistband attachment system (10) for sewing an elastic waistband into the waist portion of a garment is disclosed. The waistband attachment system includes a sewing head assembly (16), a puller roller assembly (24), a waistband expansion assembly (44), a bottom edge guide assembly (64), a folder wire (102), a top edge guide assembly (128), and a folder assembly (148) about which the elastic waistband and the unfolded waist edge of the garment are passed, and a stacking assembly (400). The unfinished waist edge of the garment is folded about the elastic waistband by the folder wire and finish folded by the combination of folder tongue/finish folder so that a top ply of the waist portion of the garment overlies an opposed bottom ply to enclose the elastic waistband therein.

Abstract: A collar attachment station having an automatic collar loading system that includes a pair of guide rollers about which a circular collar is received. The guide rollers have a substantially conical construction and a roughened outer surface. As the guide rollers are rotated, the collar is drawn along the roughened surface of the guide rollers and into a sewing position beneath the sewing needle and presser foot of a sewing machine for the collar attachment station. A shirt body is placed over the collar and the collar and shirt body are expanded, and the edges of the collar and the neck opening of the shirt body are sewn together to attach the collar to the shirt body.

Abstract: A sewing system (10) includes a tension adjustment spindle assembly (30) constructed and arranged to move a spindle (26) laterally toward and away from a sewing head (16) of the sewing machine to adjust the tension in the looped end of a work piece (28). A tension roller (70) engages a bottom run (29) of the work piece (28), so that when proper tension is applied to the work piece at the beginning of the cycle of operation by the lateral shifting of the tension adjustment spindle assembly (30), a proximity switch (88) detects the upward movement of a tension arm (72) and initiates the operation of the sewing system.

Abstract: A waistband attachment system (10) for sewing an elastic waistband into the waist portion of a garment is disclosed. The waistband attachment system includes a sewing head assembly (16), a puller roller assembly (24), a waistband expansion assembly (44), a bottom edge guide assembly (64), a folder wire (102), a top edge guide assembly (128), and a folder assembly (148) about which the elastic waistband and the unfolded waist edge of the garment are passed. The unfinished waist edge of the garment is folded about the elastic waistband by the folder wire and finish folded by the combination of a folder tongue/finish folder so that a top ply of the waist portion of the garment overlies an opposed bottom ply to enclose the elastic waistband therein.

Abstract: A textile fold control system (40) includes a hem engager (46) mounted to a downstream side of a sewing machine (42), and a roller (76) for engaging and moving a hem formed in a textile work piece slightly downward so as to bend the hem about a trailing edge (79) of a work surface (54) of the sewing machine, thereby applying increased frictional contact between an edge portion (88) of the work piece and the work surface, and additional surface-to-surface contact between the edge portion and an adjacent body portion (90) of the hem in order to avoid the curling or unfolding of the hem during a pre-feed portion of the sewing cycle of the sewing machine.

Abstract: A hemming and seaming machine (5) having a hemming conveyor (16) on which a workpiece is moved along a path of travel toward and through a hemming station which sews a hem in the workpiece is disclosed. The hemmed workpiece is then moved downstream to a folding station (25) where a spaced series of first air jets (61) selectively emit streams of air between a folding plate (26) and clamping plate (55) to create a vacuum therebetween to draw the leading edge of the workpiece off of the hemming conveyor and between the folding plate and the clamping plate. The leading edge of the workpiece is held between the clamping and folding plates while the workpiece continues to move along the path of travel. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the detection of the leading edge of the workpiece, or in response to the detection of the trailing edge of the workpiece, the leading edge of the workpiece is released from between the folding and clamping plates.

Abstract: A guiding system for use with translucent textile work pieces is disclosed. A free edge (52) of a tubular work piece extends along a continuous processing path and is folded under the work piece to form a hem in the work piece. The work piece is then advanced along the processing path toward a downstream sewing machine (11), whereupon the hem is sewn in the work piece. A lower ply sensing opposed beam sensor (76) upstream of the sewing machine detects a multiple ply leading edge of the folded hem, and is moved by a pneumatic cylinder (88) into a position laterally with respect to the processing path where it will detect the free edge of the folded and sewn hem, and will control a lower work piece guide assembly (34) so as to maintain a proper depth of the hem. This enables the sewing needles (20) of the sewing machine to align the two spaced parallel lines of stitching (68) at the beginning and end of the hem line for minimizing waste in such hem forming operations.

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 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: An attachment for a sewing machine which automatically conveys and folds cloth into an imitation cuff prior to sewing. The attachment comprises a conveyor which is modified to accept a tuck fold blade, an imitation cuff folder and an edge trimmer. After the material is conveyed through the edge trimmer, the imitation cuff folder forms an edge fold and a tuck fold in the material, as it is conveyed to the sewing area. The imitation cuff folder has two slots which guide the cloth into the two folds. The material is positioned in the folder by an edge fold tongue, which is attached to the imitation cuff folder and by the tuck fold blade which guides a portion from the center of the cloth into the tuck fold slot. The attachment converts to a plain hem configuration by retracting the tuck fold blade and adjusting the position of the edge trimmer.

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.