Abstract: A sheet material advancing and cutting apparatus for incrementally advancing the cut end of a supply of terry cloth sheet material (11) past a cutting blade (66), drawing out the supply of material to its cutting position, and cutting the material along laterally extending napless bands (26) in the material. The apparatus includes a sheet material advancing mechanism (13) for engaging the sheet material and pushing the cut end of the material across the cutting station (14). A material draw out assembly (16) includes a draw out bar (81) which moves downwardly into engagement with the leading edge of the material and pulls the material into its cutting position. The draw out bar (81) is pivoted by cylinder (111) if necessary to stretch the side of the material that is behind in its movement toward the cutting station, causing the following napless band to be straightened.

Abstract: Corner controller (62) (FIG. 5) includes a conically shaped corner control wheel (90) that is rotated so as to apply a sweeping motion against the facing surface of the textile segment (12). This results in removing any folds or wrinkles from the textile segment as it moves to the sewing station (64). The corner control wheel is up the sewing path, ahead of the turning axis (111) of the textile segment. Therefore, when the textile segment is turned by the turning plate (45) through 90.degree. to form a curved corner about the textile segment (FIG. 6), the corner control wheel (90) urges the corner to move through its turning motion, so as to avoid nonuniform turning of the corner and any wrinkling of the corner material, and therefore avoiding the doubling up or bunching of the stitches formed about the rounded corner of the final textile segment.

Abstract: The edge portion (18) of sheet material moves about a turning plate (65), moving through first and second right angle turns (44) and (45). A turning belt (50) moves in unison with the edge portion (18) through the first two turns, and then moves through third and fourth right angle turns to advance along its return flight. An open ended slot (73) is formed between the first and second right angle turns to allow the turning belt and edge portion to move from beneath the turning plate to above the turning plate, so as to permit the edge portion of the sheet material to always turn in a downward direction as it is being turned over and placed in a folded position. Folding plate (77) guides the sheet material to help form the fold (20) in the sheet material, and separator plate (76) separates the edge portion (18) of the sheet material from the turning belt (50).

Abstract: Sheet material 30 is taken from a supply 32 and is cut by cutter 36 into segments 35. The segments are moved rapidly parallel to their cut edges into a slower operating first sewing station 40 where elastic bands are sewn to the side edges of the segments. The rapidly moving trailing portion of the segment 35 of sheet material is temporarily accumulated at the accumulation station 39 and progressively fed at a slower rate through the first sewing station 40. The side edges are folded into overlying relationship with respect to the main body portion at folding station 42. Sewing machines 64 and 165 are moved inwardly of the sewing path to simultaneously cut and sew diagonal corners at the trailing and leading edges of the segments, with the sewing machines pivoting so as to face the relative movement of the sheet material, and the removed corners 25 and elastic banding 21 are pulled away from the work product by a vacuum system 186.

Abstract: Transport plate (28) is moved downwardly into engagement with work product (25) and the plate (28) moves the work product to the edge finisher, such as sewing head (12) (FIG. 3). When the first edge (68) covers the first sensor (61), the transport plate (28) begins its movement from right to left (FIG. 4) so as to move the first edge (28) through the edge finisher, and the edge is finished as with an overedge stitch. When the second edge (69) uncovers the second sensor (62), the transport plate (28) rotates around an axis of rotation (75) (FIG. 5), causing the work product (25) to be rotated about the same axis of rotation (75) and the edge finisher forms the overedge stitch about the curved path until the second edge (69) covers first sensor (61), whereupon the linear right to left movement is resumed (FIG. 7).

Abstract: Sheet material (30) is cut into rectangular segments (35). The segments are then moved in sequence parallel to their cut edges (26) rapidly away from the cutting station (34) into a slower operating first sewing station (40) where elastic bands (20, 21) are sewn to the cut head and foot edge portions (26, 27) of the segments. The rapidly moving trailing portion of each segment (35) of sheet material is temporarily accumulated at the accumulation station (39) and progressively fed at a lower rate from the accumulation station to the first sewing station (40). The head and foot edge portions (26, 27) of each segment are folded into overlying relationship with respect to the main body portion by passing the main body portion through a U-shaped turn (49) and at the same time passing the head and foot edge portions through a pair of reverse 90 degree turns (50 and 53).

Abstract: Sheet material (30) is cut into rectangular segments (35). The segments are then moved parallel to their cut edges rapidly away from the cutting station into a slower operating first sewing station (40) where elastic bands are sewn to the cut head and foot edge portions of the segment. The rapidly moving trailing portion of the segment (35) of sheet material is temporarily accumulated at the accumulation station (39) and progressively fed at a lower rate from the accumulation station to the first sewing station. The head and foot edge portions are folded into overlying relationship with respect to the main body portion by passing the main body portion through a U-shaped turn and at the same time passing the head and foot edge portions though a pair of 90 degree turns. Sewing machines are moved first inwardly and then outwardly across the folded edge portions of the segment, thus forming the sewn line of chain stitching at the corners of the bedsheet.

Abstract: Sheet material (30) is cut into rectangular segments (35). The segments are then moved parallel to their cut edges rapidly away from the cutting station into a slower operating first sewing station (40) where elastic bands are sewn to the cut head and foot edge portions of the segment. The rapidly moving trailing portion of the segment (35) of sheet material is temporarily accumulated at the accumulation station (39) and progressively fed at a lower rate from the accumulation station to the first sewing station. The head and foot edge portions are folded into overlying relationship with respect the main body portion by passing the main body portion through a U-shaped turn and at the same time passing the head and foot edge portions through a pair of 90 degree turns. Sewing machines are moved first inwardly and then outwardly across the folded edge portions of the segment, thus forming the sewn line of chain stitching at the corners of the bedsheet.

Abstract: In a sewing machine a thread 20 moves through a check spring 30, through a takeup arm 32, and to a needle 15. During normal operation, a proximity detector 55 detects the movement of a flag 50 attached to a loop 36 of the check spring during each movement of the takeup arm 32. The proximity detector is supported in a position adjacent the path of movement of the flag. When the thread breaks at the needle, tension is no longer applied to the thread by takeuparm 32, so that check spring 36 and its flag 50 no longer move in front of the detector 55, causing a control circuit to deactivate the sewing machine motor.

Abstract: Sheet material 10 is advanced from a reel 11, cut by cutter 14 and then each segment is moved parallel to its cut edges through sewing machines 22, 23 so as to sew the hems of the work product. The finished product is advanced rapidly in its direction of movement to transfer roll 85, one end 18 of the work product is pulled over a conveyor while the trailing end is urged against the high speed transfer roll 85 which rapidly pulls the trailing portion 19 of the work product out of the way of the next oncoming work product and directs the trailing portion of the work product downwardly to the near side of the conveyor. Each bundle 28 of work products is advanced out of the way so as to make room for accumulating a subsequent bundle on the conveyor.

Abstract: The ticket dispenser includes lower and upper overlying support plates which define a ticket material passageway therebetween. A reel support is mounted on one end and cutting apparatus are mounted on the other end of the support plates. A feed slot is formed in the upper support plate and a feed pawl reciprocates in the feed slot. A feed pawl cam urges the feed pawl downwardly into engagement with the ticket material in the passageway as the feed pawl moves toward the cutting apparatus, and urges the feed pawl upwardly away from the ticket material as the feed pawl moves away from the cutting apparatus. As the feed pawl reaches the end of its feeding stroke, the cutting apparatus cuts off the portion of the ticket material that has been pushed beyond the cutting means, and feed out apparatus pulls additional ticket material from the reel.