Patents Examined by Peter Nerbun
  • Patent number: 7191718
    Abstract: A quilting machine has at least one needle and looper set for forming chain-stitched patterns on a thick multilayered material such as a mattress ticking, preferably a panel of the continuous web clamped stationary on a frame. The stitch forming elements are mounted on separate heads that move independently transversely relative to the panel on a bridge that moves longitudinally relative to the panel. The bridge is longitudinally moved by a servo and the heads are transversely moved on the bridge by separate linear servos. The needle and looper are each driven by a linear servo having an armature to which the element is directly fixed to reciprocate without intervening mechanical linkage assemblies. A controller drives the servos to chain-stitch patterns, differentially move the heads transversely to account for transverse needle deflection and to phase the needle and looper to compensate for longitudinal needle deflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: L&P Property Management Company
    Inventors: Terrance L. Myers, James Bondanza, Roland Bulnes, Jeff Kaetterhenry, James T. Frazer, Glenn E. Leavis
  • Patent number: 7194327
    Abstract: A computer supported system especially configured for users to easily coordinate or harmonize apparel before making a purchasing decision. The embodiments include a body profile generating, encoding and decoding system. The system defines a display region configured for displaying the personalized real human facial image of a user combining the visual image of a selected garment. The shape and size of the garment is faithfully adjusted in accordance to the body profile coding parameters of the garment. The database representing the facial images of users is shared by different stores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Inventor: Peter Ar-Fu Lam
  • Patent number: 7159247
    Abstract: A headband mainly used for headwear and constructed by properly weaving 100% nylon combustible yarn. Having no polyurethane, the headband is woven to single ply or two-ply without an additional stitched portion, and exhibits good elasticity as a whole through the napped, felt-like structure of the textile. The circumferential stretch direction of the headband also provides excellent sweat absorption capability. With this construction a wide range of automatic size adjustment is obtained without imposing undue elastic pressure on the wearer such that the cap and headband are comfortable for extended periods of wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Dada Corp.
    Inventor: Il Dong Kim
  • Patent number: 7110847
    Abstract: A method to adjust weaving parameters of weaving machines when changing the weaving rate based on optimized weaving-parameter values, one or more altering functions being used to determine and adjust weaving-parameter values which match the changed weaving rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Geert Ostyn
  • Patent number: 7040353
    Abstract: A weft yarn deflection brake including a braking element 5 which can be adjusted in timed fashion and by its variable braking force, a drive motor 6 for said braking element and a control device CU connected with said drive motor 6 is equipped by a position detection means E associated to said braking element 5. Said position detecting means E is connected to an adjustment means 9 for functional parameters of the deflection brake. During operation functional parameters as e.g. the braking force and the time of the activation of the deflection brake are varied adaptively in order to assure a performance of the deflection brake which is deemed to be optimal for the insertion system. At selected points in time known target positions of the braking element are set and compared with the actual positions. In case that deviations are detected a respective functional parameter is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Iropa AG
    Inventor: Marco Covelli
  • Patent number: 7007619
    Abstract: A foot controller connection error detection device of the present invention includes a foot controller to output a start/stop instruction and a rotation speed instruction of a sewing machine motor to a control unit to control the sewing machine motor, a plug to disconnectably connect the foot controller to the control unit and a contact failure detection unit to detect a contact failure of the connector between the plug and the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiichi Hamajima
  • Patent number: 7000553
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing headgear of a peeling off effect adopts papers in the headgear manufacture, i.e. pluralities of laminated papers are combined with a fabric, and then integrally colored, cut and sewn to form a headgear. After a wash treatment, the paper material of the headgear will gradually peel off to engender a cracked effect of different degrees on the appearance depending the length of the use time, thereby obtaining an ancient, pioneering and special style.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Inventor: Tai-Kuang Wang
  • Patent number: 7003369
    Abstract: A real time design, development and delivery collaborative apparel solution digital platform is provided. The platform includes a virtual design library module, a technical designer network module, an eCAD module for facilitating design collaboration between a label owner and one or more approved designers, a production/distribution source network module, a collaborative web portal module for translating designs in a plurality of different CAD software applications to one or more of a plurality of unrelated production software applications, and a pre-production engineering resources module for facilitating the selection of pre-production engineers and engineering methods for various production processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Inventor: Benjamin C. Gage
  • Patent number: 6997125
    Abstract: The automated sewing device itself includes several known constitutional elements similar to those of the earlier described prior-art automated sewing devices. Namely, a known sewing machine (M) having a sewing needle (32), a pressure foot member (31), and a feed dog member (33) is fixedly provided on a table (3), and a stationary guide plate (2) having a pair of first and second guide grooves (20A)(20B) formed therein is fixedly mounted on the table (3). And, movably attached on that stationary guide plate (2) is a movable guide plate (1) which has a pair of guide rollers (12)(12) rotatably provided on the reverse side thereof. Designation (30) denotes a guide member disposed adjacent to the sewing needle (32), which is so designed that both end portions (53) and (63) respectively of the first and second base materials (5)(6) will be slidably contacted therewith and thereby be guided in a direction to that sewing needle (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Tachi-S Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihito Kobayashi, Yoshiyuki Takei
  • Patent number: 6996451
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a control device to control a sewing machine which executes a sewing operation using a bobbin thread wound on a bobbin and a needle thread by the drive of the sewing machine motor. The control device includes a sewing restarting unit that restarts the sewing operation after stopping the sewing machine motor in response to a detection of bobbin thread scarcity by a bobbin thread remaining amount detection unit. A permitted sewing amount is preset for the sewing operation restarted after stopping the sewing machine motor and when an actual amount of sewing performed after the stop of the sewing machine motor reaches the permitted sewing amount, information is given by the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norihiko Asai, Yuji Ilda, Ayako Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 6983192
    Abstract: A plurality of stitching machines and a control system used in stitching patterns into a plurality of items is capable of flexible control. The plurality of stitching machines may include one or more clusters of stitching machines, with each cluster able to stitch patterns into items independently of other clusters. Stitching machines within the plurality of stitching machines, or within the clusters of stitching machines, may be set to stitch patterns into items using one of a synchronized mode and an unsynchronized mode. When in the synchronized mode, the stitching machines perform stitching substantially synchronously with other stitching machines, and when in the unsynchronized mode the stitching machines perform stitching independently of the status of other stitching machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: MELCO Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey T. Block, Robert Bruce Ton, Peter Kern, Donald Grayson
  • Patent number: 6983193
    Abstract: The disclosed apparatus and program stored on a computer readable medium for processing embroidery data make stitch data subdivisions into which the stitch data was divided, according to the size of partitions, and add partition position information corresponding to the position of stitch data subdivision in the stitch data to the stitch data subdivisions. If the size of an embroidery pattern which is embroidered by the embroidery data is greater than a predetermined workable area of sewing within the embroidery frame, the embroidery data is divided into subdivisions and where the embroidery data subdivisions is positioned in the whole embroidery design can be identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Mizuno, Yukiyoshi Muto, Mikitoshi Suzuki, Shoichi Taguchi, Akihiro Wakayama
  • Patent number: 6973886
    Abstract: A bedding foundation is manufactured with a cover having a welt cord extending upwardly to create a seal when a mattress is placed on the foundation. The cover is made using a two stage process. During the first stage a sewing machine is used to join a welt cord to a web of border material. In the second stage a second sewing machine sews a piece of non-skid decking to the border assembly. Fullness may be incorporated into the border material to enable the cover to fit around the corners of the bedding foundation with the welt cord being spaced inwardly from the perimeter of the foundation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Inventor: Steven Marcangelo
  • Patent number: 6971326
    Abstract: The invention concerns a tufting machine having at least one needlebar, loopers, hooks to pick up yarn delivered through the needles of the needlebar, knives to cut yarn loops and driving means, with the needle action and/or the looper action and/or the hook action, and/or the knife action being a non-simple harmonic motion. In said machine the needles, the hooks, the knives and the loopers have separate drive systems. So the motion of the needles, the hooks, the knives and the loopers can be such that first of all the pickup of the yarn or the cutting of the yarn loop can be improved. When the drive system is computer controlled more accurate machine set up can be achieved. Moreover different set ups can be achieved automatically for different products. Patterning effects are also possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Groz-Beckert KG
    Inventors: Jonathan William Clarke, Warren John Meade
  • Patent number: 6971325
    Abstract: A method for mending an embroidery pattern sewn on an embroidery machine controlled based on a sewing data, having the steps of determining if a sequin is dropped from the embroidery pattern. If the sequin is dropped, stopping the embroidery machine and retrieving a control signal with a supply command for the sequin from the sewing data. An embroidery frame of the embroidery machine is returned to a position prior to the retrieved control signal. The embroidery machine is restarted and a new sequin is sewn onto the dropped part of the embroidery pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Kabushikikaisha Barudan
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Inaba
  • Patent number: 6968255
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a method of applying a stippling stitch design to an area defining an asymmetrical polygon in a coordinate planar display format, involving: defining a pathway, which may be based on a fractal design, within a geometrically symmetrical boundary, the pathway comprising a single non-intersecting line; conforming the pathway to an asymmetrical polygon area substantially disposed within the geometrically symmetrical boundary; deriving a plurality of coordinate points representative of the pathway; and passing the points to a data storage medium in a pre-determined embroidery data format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Pulse Microsystems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Christos Dimaridis, Niranjan Mayya, Thanasis Triantafyllidis, Yanchun Wang
  • Patent number: 6968229
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and program product correlates measured endodontic signals to stored distance values indicative of probe position within a root canal. An appropriate distance value is retrieved from a memory having a plurality of electrical signal measurements and other information stored in associative relationship with respective distance values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Ormco Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander H. Siemons
  • Patent number: 6963790
    Abstract: An embroidery data producing device includes an offset line producing device for producing data of an offset line obtained by offsetting an outline defining an embroidery area inside an embroidery area by a previously set offset width, based on data of the outline defining the embroidery area, a self-intersection or mutual intersection detecting device for detecting a self-intersection of the offset line produced by the offset line producing device or a mutual intersection of the offset line and the outline, and an offset line changing device for changing the offset line data produced by the offset line producing device upon detection of a self-intersection or mutual intersection by the self-intersection or mutual intersection detecting device so that the self-intersection or the mutual intersection is dissolved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masahiro Mizuno, Mikitoshi Suzuki, Shoichi Taguchi, Yukiyoshi Muto, Akihiro Wakayama
  • Patent number: 6951177
    Abstract: A buttonhole sewing machine comprises a top arm (1) with a needle (6) movable in up and down reciprocation and a base plate (2). A buttonhole cutting device (13) is provided, having a knife (36) which is disposed on the base plate (2) and comprises a straight cutting edge (37) that extends in the y direction and an eye cutting edge (38). A cutting block (15) cooperates with the knife (36). The knife (36) and the cutting block (15) are motor-adjustable one in relation to the other in the y direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Dürkopp Adler Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jochen Fischer, Thomas Nöltge
  • Patent number: 6952626
    Abstract: An embroidery data producing device for use with an embroidery sewing machine sewing an embroidery pattern on work cloth using a needle thread and a bobbin thread is disclosed. The embroidery data producing device produces sewing data necessary for an embroidery sewing operation of the embroidery sewing machine. The embroidery data producing device includes an image data obtaining unit that obtains image data of an original image of an embroidery pattern, a dot pattern data producing unit that produces dot pattern data representative of the embroidery pattern by a dot pattern, based on the image data, and a sewing data producing unit that produces sewing data for obtaining needle drop points forming the embroidery pattern by a pattern of the needle thread appearing in the form of dot on a back of the work cloth by an embroidery sewing operation of the embroidery sewing machine, based on the dot pattern data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Taguchi, Mikitoshi Suzuki, Masahiro Mizuno, Yukiyoshi Muto, Akihiro Wakayama