Abstract: A method and apparatus for disclosed for shingling stacks composed of flexible planar objects, such as fabric workpieces. The stack is placed over an axis connecting two hinged support surfaces which are rotated relative to one another to bend the workpieces and form a shingle. For subsequent shingling, the rough shingled stack is driven on a conveyor under a series of spreading rollers having positive pressure to drive the rollers onto the stack.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for selectively inverting flexible and limp planar workpieces such as fabric. The apparatus includes a primary workpiece propeller having a cylindrical means for contacting the workpiece about a central rotating axis. A slot of sufficient size to receive the workpiece is positioned in a substantially vertical orientation beneath the primary propeller. The slot preferably has a flared upper end positioned directly beneath and in contact or near contact with the propeller. The fabric is drawn into the slot by the rotation of the propeller and follows the contour of the flared open end of the slot. The fabric enters into the slot until the trailing edge of the fabric is in contact with the primary propeller. The trailing edge of the fabric is drawn by the propeller to the opposite side of the flared opening of the slot and is subsequently pulled out of the slot. Collisions are prevented between workpieces by a control circuit that instructs the workpieces when to leave the apparatus.

Abstract: Apparatus for the seriatim separation and feeding of garment parts from a shingled stack of the parts to a predetermined destination. Comprising the apparatus is a movable hold down mechanism for engaging the trailing edge of the second part in the stack and a picker head for engaging the leading edge of the first part in the shingled stack and removing it from the stack. Mechanisms are provided for accurately determining the location of the trailing edge of the second part in the stack and moving the hold down mechanism into position to accurately engage the trailing edge of the second part in the stack. Following separation, the separated part is transferred to a second location at which the head is withdrawn from the transferred part.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for flipping over flexible and limp planar workpieces such as fabric. The apparatus includes a primary workpiece propeller having a cylindrical means for contacting the workpiece about a central rotating axis. A slot of sufficient size to receive the workpiece is positioned in a vertical orientation beneath the primary propeller. The slot preferably has a flared upper end positioned directly beneath and in contact or near contact with the propeller. The fabric is drawn into the slot by the rotation of the propeller and follows the contour of the flared open end of the slot. The fabric enters into the slot until the trailing edge of the fabric is in contact with the primary propeller. The trailing edge of the fabric is gripped by the propeller and thereby drawn to the opposite side of the flared opening of the slot and is subsequently pulled out of the slot. The fabric has thereby been inverted so that the top of the fabric is now on the bottom.

Abstract: A water tight, single, horizontally rotatable drum washing machine is provided. The frustum interior shape of the drum combined with the centrifugal force generated by rotating the drum moves liquids in the drum to the base of the frustum where the liquids can be removed. The washing machine may be adapted for use as a garment dryer by providing a source of forced air, or for a variety of other garment processing steps, such as dyeing, thus enabling the complete finishing of garments in one operation.

Abstract: Apparatus for the seriatim separation and feeding of garment parts from a shingled stack of the parts to a predetermined destination. Comprising the apparatus is a picker head containing a depending array of needles adapted to positively engage the leading edge of the uppermost part on the stack. The picker head is supported for arcuate motion in the course of effecting separation of the engaged first part, and is arcuately displaced at a high rate of acceleration to aid in overcoming the resistance to separation between the first and second parts in the stack. Following separation, the separated part is transferred to a second location at which the head is withdrawn from the transferred part. Operable concomitantly with part separation by the picker head is a hold down clamp for applying a predetermined downward force on the remaining stacked parts while a vacuum force is being applied from underneath for retarding this displacement in the course of the engaged part being separated.

Abstract: A vision apparatus for indicating the locations of edges of work pieces in an illuminated work area including several arrays where each array includes several light conducting fibers. One end of the array is positioned in the work area to be illuminated by light except when blocked by the object. The other end of the optical fibers are positioned in a matrix plate contained within a camera enclosure. The camera enclosure further includes a lens to optically couple light from the matrix plate optical fiber ends to a light sensing device that produces electrical signals indicating the presence or absence of light at each of the fiber ends.

Abstract: Stacked fabric parts are separated and fed seriatim by apparatus having an endless conveyor which feeds the stack into position for separating the uppermost part from the stack. A mechanism having a knife edge bar or opposed fabric engaging needles is lowered and engages the part for dragging the part to be separated off of the stack. The second part on the stack is held with the stack by a pressure force by a series of vacuum providing orifices or recesses in a horizontally disposed support surface and/or by retractable fabric piercing needles. The part separating and translating bar is connected to a support plate which may be vibrated in a generally horizontal plane to assist in breaking the frictional connection between the part to be separated and the remaining parts in the stack as they are separated from each other. The separated parts are presented seriatim to a guide surface which guides the part under the conveyance of an air jet stream along a feed path to another work station.

Abstract: A workpiece is centered on a transparent work surface by optically transposing one edge of the workpiece to a point beneath the work surface and adjacent the opposite edge of the workpiece and then sliding the workpiece sideways until the transposed edge image is aligned with the actual second edge of the workpiece.

Abstract: Straps or belt loop strips are formed with the apparatus and method of the present invention by folding a strip of fabric about a strip of fusible material, threading the folded, combined strip back and forth between two side-by-side, counter-rotating cylinders so that, in the preferred embodiment, the strip forms a plurality of figure eight patterns over and between the two cylinders, and heating the cylinders to a temperature which is above the melting point of the fusible strip but below the scorching point of the material. The speed at which the cylinders are counter-rotated with respect to each other is chosen, in conjunction with the number of loops of the combined strip over the cylinders, to place the combined strip in contact with the heated surface for a length of time sufficient to accomplish complete fusing.

Abstract: In order to allow a sewing machine to continuously sew workpieces fed to it by a conveyor during periods when the conveyor is stopped for workpiece loading, drive means are provided for cyclically moving the sewing machine back and forth alongside the conveyor parallel to the direction of conveyor travel, while simultaneously driving the conveyor at twice the sewing machine's rate of travel when it moves in the direction of workpiece feed and for stopping the conveyor when the sewing machine is traveling in the opposite direction.

Abstract: Apparatus for independently guiding two overlaid fabric workpieces as they are simultaneously fed through a sewing work station and are seamed together, wherein the guide apparatus comprises a pair of opposed guide wheels located upstream from the work station with respect to the direction of workpiece feed through the work station; separate servo motors for rotating guide wheels in planes perpendicular to the direction of workpiece feed; a separating bar for spacing apart the two workpieces and for individually pressing them against a different one of the guide wheels; and separate sensors for monitoring the edges of each workpiece and for controlling the servo motors separately to rotate their guide wheels so as to center each workpiece edge opposite its corresponding sensor.

Abstract: A belt loop is made by folding the longitudinal edges of an elongated fabric strip over a strip of fusible material and then heating the folded strip until the fusible material diffuses into the fabric and not only bonds the folded edges to the strip but also fuses together the fabric fibers to prevent fraying.

Abstract: Alternate facing plies in a single stack are separated by this apparatus into two separate piles. The apparatus of the invention includes a head for differentiating each top layer from the feed stack and a transporter for transporting the differentiated top layers alternately to a first location and to a second location. The differentiating head includes a movable, rotating element for curling back one or more of the edges of the top layer from the edges of the next underlying layer in the stack and thereafter lifting the layer with the curled edges away from the stack.

Abstract: Straps or belt loop strips are formed with the apparatus and method of the present invention by folding a strip of fabric about a strip of fusible material, threading the folded, combined strip back and forth between two side-by-side, counter-rotating cylinders so that, in the preferred embodiment, the strip forms a plurality of figure eight patterns over and between the two cylinders, and heating the cylinders to a temperature which is above the melting point of the fusible strip but below the scorching point of the material. The speed at which the cylinders are counter-rotated with respect to each other is chosen, in conjunction with the number of loops of the combined strip over the cylinders, to place the combined strip in contact with the heated surface for a length of time sufficient to accomplish complete fusing.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed for hemming successive pieces of fabric as they are moved past a sewing machine by a transport then clipping the stitching chain between pieces and removing each hemmed fabric piece from the stitching path and transporting it to a receiving position.

Abstract: A fabric workpiece removal mechanism which includes a pair of spaced apart pulley wheels, a continuous drive belt of resilient material entrained about the wheels, a switch actuated motor for intermittently driving the wheels and the belt, at least one gripper finger clamped to the belt for clasping the edge of a fabric workpiece against the belt, the gripper finger being bent inwardly toward the belt to deform the belt from its natural configuration and a sensor switch for detecting the presence of the fabric workpiece edge between the gripper finger and the belt and for then energizing the belt drive motor.

Abstract: The lengths of at least a pair of limp workpieces fed through a work station are controlled by pressing each of the workpieces into engagement with a separate toothed wheel and by controlling the rotational velocity of one of the toothed wheels as a function of the rotational velocity of the other toothed wheel. In one preferred embodiment the contorl of the rotational velocities of the two wheels is accomplished by means of a differential gear and a motor which operates under the control of rates of feed sensors which monitor the rates of feed of the two workpieces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the orientation of a fabric work piece being sewn by mechanically following the fabric work piece orientation, connecting a detector to move in response to a change in the fabric work piece orientation, moving a pattern representing a desired stitching pattern past the detector in synchronism with the rate of feed of the fabric work piece through the sewing machine and reorienting the fabric work piece in a manner to cause the detector to accurately follow the pattern of the desired stitching.

Abstract: Digital control signals can be accepted and translated directly into low inertia, high torque intermittent rotary motion by this fast time response apparatus which comprises a low mass, rotatably mounted driving member, a source of driving torque such as a torque motor, a low rotary inertia torsion member which interconnects the driving member with the torque member to thereby apply torque to rotate the driving member, reciprocatably operated escapement means for controlling the rotation of the driving member, and a two-ended toggle linkage connected at one end in an operating relationship with the escapement means, and at the other end to a mechanism which supplies a reciprocating driving force. The toggle linkage has a normally flexible knee joint which can be selectively locked by electromechanical means to which the digital signals are supplied.