Abstract: Garments and garment parts having soil and stain resistant and/or release properties, and methods for producing the same. An interlining of a garment is treated with a stain-resistant and/or stain-release coating and is located between two layers of the garment fabric. The interlining effectively repels soil and stains so that they are not trapped between the layers of the collar. The interlining also allows any soil and stains that do get absorbed by the interlining to be easily released when the garment is washed, thereby preventing “ring around the collar” (as well as stains in other areas) from forming on the garment.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus and method for forming a V-top shirt pocket or similar article with a folded region, sewing a stitch to hold the fold, and stacking a plurality of same with distributed hem build-up. An unfolded ply of material is provided to a folding station, which forms a tucked edge fold in the material. The ply is then held at the tucked edge, and the opposite end is folded over a folding rod with an air jet. Holding fingers descend to hold the fold in the ply. A transport carriage arrives at the folding station to retrieve the folded, edge-tucked ply. The transport carriage includes a clamp, which clamps on the folded, edge-tucked ply to hold the fold and edge tuck as the folding station elements retract. The transport carriage carries the folded, edge-tucked held ply through a sewing station in synchronization with a sewing machine, where a V-shaped hem is sewn.

Abstract: An automatic and operator-unattended apparatus and method for forming a stitched coin pocket in a ply of material. A continuous length of material is provided to a folding station, which imparts a generally Z-shaped fold in the material by moving parallel plates along paths substantially parallel to each other, while the material is held by holding plates. A carriage with gripping fingers holds the fold in place while moving the length of material out to a predetermined length. A cutter cuts the material into a predetermined length. The carriage then pulls the ply of material through a sewing station where the fold is stitched. The carriage then places the sewn folded ply atop a stack of similarly formed articles by positively depositing same on the top of the stack. An improved stacking apparatus presents a substantially flat stacking surface for the article by allowing tilting of the stacking table to compensate for the increased thickness at one end of the ply due to the presence of the folded region.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for cutting a continuous length of strip-like material into elongate strips and forming the strips into fastened loops such as belt loops and the like, including drawing means for drawing an amount of material from a supply, a cutter for cutting the drawn material into a strip of a predetermined length, grasping fingers for grasping the strip at the cutter and for transferring the strip to a forming area, a forming trough, mandrel and folding fingers which forms the strip into a loop, and a stapler for stapling the strip into a fastened loop. The operations of drawing the material from the supply and cutting the material into strips occur simultaneously with the steps of forming and stapling a previously-cut strip, so that high speeds of operation are possible.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for isolating, separating, and removing a single ply of material from a stack of plies including pickup fingers for lifting a peripheral edge of the topmost ply in the stack with adhesive tape, a spin off assembly for removing clinging plies from the lifted edge of the topmost ply, grasping fingers for engaging and hold the isolated ply, and a separator assembly for positively separating the topmost ply by indexing a separator rod into the gap between the uplifted peripheral edge of the topmost ply and the remaining plies and along the stack. The isolated topmost ply is removed by withdrawing the grasping fingers away from the stack. There is also disclosed an alignment apparatus including a plurality of alignment fingers which define a relatively wide ply-receiving portion and an edge stop which prevents climbing of the edge of the ply.

Abstract: As a strip of material is intermittently moved along its length from a reel, it is heated so as to remove its curl, it is cut into segments in the form of collar stays, and adhesive is applied to one surface of the collar stay segments. The individual collar stays are then moved laterally into alignment with spaced collar template elements, and then moved into overlying relationship with the pointed portions of the collar template elements, and a worker manually inserts a partially completed collar structure about the template elements. The worker presses the collar material against the adhesive on the collar stay and lifts both the collar and the collar stays from the templates, with the adhesive carrying the collar stays with the collar material. The collar stays are subsequently sewn into the collar with top stitching about the edge of the collar structure.

Abstract: Dome-shaped shoulder pad discs are placed in face-to-face overlying relationship and loaded in segmented carriers of a surface conveyor system. Each carrier moves its shoulder pad discs to a first station where the material is cut between the segments of the carrier and formed into a leading stack of shoulder pads, a following stack of shoulder pads, and an intermediate stack of waste material. The carrier is moved to a second station where the intermediate stack of waste material is pushed downwardly between the segments of the carrier and ejected. The leading segment of the carrier is moved to a third station where the leading stack of shoulder pads is picked from the leading segment of the carrier and moved to a stacker, and then the following segment of the carrier is moved to the third station where its stack of shoulder pads is picked from the following segment of the carrier and moved to the stacker. The stacker forms the shoulder pads in a vertical stack.

Abstract: Tubular bag material is threaded downwardly between spaced support members. A garment support assembly is inserted into the tubular bag material at a level below the support members and then moved upwardly between the support members and rests on the support members. A garment is hung from the hook at the lower end of a downwardly projecting support rod extending from the garment support assembly and the tubular bag material is pulled downwardly by an operator about the garment. A bag cutting and sealing means moves into contact with the tubular bag material about the support rod to form the upper end of the bag about the garment and to cut the formed bag away from the tubular bag material. The operator then pulls the formed bag away from the tubular bag material down onto the garment.

Abstract: A placket forming system comprises a double needle sewing machine with a cutter which cuts between the lines of stitching and a positioning apparatus including mechanically movable arms with gripping surfaces which operate in conjunction with the sewing machine and cutter apparatus. The positioning apparatus grips a work piece such as a shirt front placket assembly at the sewing machine work surface after the work piece has been sewn and cut and moves the work piece a predetermined distance along the work surface to a proper position under a cutting blade, and the cutting blade is actuated to make a crow's foot cut in the work piece at the end of the line of stitching in the work piece.

Abstract: As a strip of material is intermittently moved along its length from a reel, it is heated so as to remove its curl, it is cut into segments in the form of collar stays, and adhesive is applied to one surface of the collar stay segments. The individual collar stays are then moved laterally into alignment with spaced collar template elements, and then moved into overlying relationship with the pointed portions of the collar template elements, and a worker manually inserts a partially completed collar structure about the template elements. The worker presses the collar material against the adhesive on the collar stay and lifts both the collar and the collar stays from the templates, with the adhesive carrying the collar stays with the collar material. The collar stays are subsequently sewn into the collar with top stitching about the edge of the collar structure.

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.

Abstract: A series of shirt cuff pattern parts are placed in spaced apart relationship on a web of lining material and a conveyor belt system engages and holds the layers of material together as they are moved through a folder and a sewing machine. The movement terminates automatically if the space between the pattern part last received by the system and the pattern part next to be fed to the system is too great or too small. The connected together series of partially completed shirt cuffs is continuously accumulated from the sewing machine on a reel, and the reel is subsequently moved to another work station where the connected series of partially completed shirt cuffs is fed to a cutter on a demand basis. The web of lining material is cut adjacent the trailing edge of the leading pattern part, and when an operator removes the separated partially completed shirt cuff from the connected series for further processing, the feeding and cutting steps are repeated.

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.

Abstract: Fabric cutting apparatus for accurately cutting over-cut pattern pieces, including a pair of band knives spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the pattern pieces, and a plurality of clamp members which hold a stack of the over-cut pattern pieces while a continuous conveying means carries the clamp members between the band knives for cutting.

Abstract: A carton sealer system moves a plurality of boxes with telescoping upper and lower sections along a horizontal conveyor path, and the top sections are lifted to expose the side walls of the bottom section. Adhesive is applied to the exposed side walls of the bottom sections, the top sections are urged downwardly to their fully closed positions, and the top wall of the top section is urged downwardly and the side walls are pressed inwardly to expel the air from the box and to seal the sections of the box together.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing curved shirt plackets with buttonholes includes the steps of moving curved placket blanks in sequence from the top of a bundle to a positioning station, positioning the plackets for feeding to a buttonhole sewing machine, intermittently feeding the plackets to a buttonhole sewing machine and turning the plackets as necessary to align the lengths of the buttonholes across the length of the curved placket blanks, and transferring the plackets to a cutting station where they are cut in half and stacked in bundles of buttonhole halves and button halves.

Abstract: A series of shirt cuff pattern parts are placed in overlying relationship on a web of lining material and a conveyor belt engages the upper surfaces of the web of lining material and the pattern parts and holds the layers of material together as they are moved through a sewing machine. The overlying side edge of each of the pattern parts is folded down under an edge of the web of lining material, and the sewing machine sews through the folds. A predetermined range of lengths of the connected together series of partially completed shirt cuffs is continuously accumulated from the sewing machine, and are continually fed from the accumulation to a cutter, and are separated by cutting the web of lining material adjacent the trailing edge of a pattern part so that each partially completed shirt cuff is formed with a short length of the web of lining material protruding from the shirt cuff panel pattern part, and the pattern parts are stacked.