Abstract: A holder and cementing apparatus for string wound baseball cores includes six vertically downwardly depending tines arranged in a circular pattern to allow the ball to be wedged between the tines with an ejector pin moved upwardly by engagement of the ball and later forced downwardly to eject the ball with the holder supported on a trolley moving along horizontal guides from a first station where the ball is pushed upwardly by a supporting member into the ball holder to a second position inside an enclosure over a coating liquid supply where a cup is raised from below the level of the liquid to immerse the ball in the cup's liquid with movable side panels that open and close to allow the ball to enter the enclosure and to protect from liquid splatter when the ball is rotated at a high rate of speed to remove excess liquid followed by movement out of these openings to a destination station where a ball is sensed to insure proper operation.

Abstract: A ball winding apparatus is described for winding string on a core to form the inner baseball including a ball spinning mechanism against which the core is held by a free spinning holding device where the spinning device imparts a wobble pushing the ball from side to side which is augmented by or opposed by transverse air pressure cylinders moving the holder first to one side and then to the other where the forces are balanced such that the ball holder oscillates in position to produce a random wind and a string conveyance system including hollow tubes transporting the string from the coil supply to a tension producing device feeding string to the winding ball.

Abstract: A fabric handling device and method, particularly useful for light weight, nonwoven web material, including a fast feed roller device in substantial contact with the fabric surface continuously rotating faster than the fabric speed, with a coefficient of friction chosen to provide sliding friction but allow the roller surface to slide over the fabric surface, a positioning device including an air jetting below a horizontal surface element above the fabric, a dual edge cutting tool device that travels and cuts in both directions, and a pair of continuous belts sandwiching the fabric pieces against a table and moving the pieces to a subsequent work station.

Abstract: A fabric label feeding apparatus for use in a stitching process including a roll of continuous labels in strip form, a feeding cylinder for engaging a raised stitch incorporated in each individual label and cut-off means for separating individual labels from the label strip.

Abstract: A sewing machine installation for sewing shirt front box hems and having a first underlying belt conveyor for individually conveying shirt front material blanks longitudinally forwardly along a lower main support table through a shirt front edge folder and a second overlying belt conveyor for individually conveying separate box hem material blanks with a liner tape longitudinally forwardly along an upper auxiliary table section through a box hem edge folder and into superimposed preassembled association with the prefolded shirt front blanks; the overlying and underlying conveyors thereafter cooperating for conveying the preassembled shirt front box hems longitudinally forwardly along the main support table through sewing and shearing stations for sewing the preassembled shirt front box hems and shearing excess material from the leading and trailing edges thereof.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to improvements in automatic mechanisms for feeding properly oriented buttons to the sewing station of a sewing machine, in preparation for sewing on a garment. The system utilizes a highly simplified pneumatic actuating system for both feeding and orienting the buttons. The system of the invention is arranged to accommodate a multiplicity of mechanical operations involved in button feeding and orienting, utilizing a simple arrangement of two pneumatic actuators, which are energized in timed sequence by pulses of air derived from operation of the sewing machine. In one of its most advantageous forms, the system of the invention derives the necessary timed energizing pulses of air from control air cylinders which form part of the basic sewing machine mechanism itself. Thus, adaptation of a conventional industrial sewing machine to incorporate the button feeding and orienting system may be accomplished in a highly simplified and economical manner.

Abstract: A sewing machine installation for sewing shirt front box hems and having a first underlying belt conveyor for individually conveying shirt front material blanks longitudinally forwardly along a lower main support table through a shirt front edge folder and a second overlying belt conveyor for individually conveying separate box hem material blanks with a liner tape longitudinally forwardly along an upper auxiliary table section through a box hem edge folder and into superimposed preassembled association with the prefolded shirt front blanks; the overlying and underlying conveyors thereafter cooperating for conveying the preassembled shirt front box hems longitudinally forwardly along the main support table through sewing and shearing stations for sewing the preassembled shirt front box hems and shearing excess material from the leading and trailing edges thereof.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method and means for detecting a skipped stitch, in the absence of a thread break, on a chain stitch sewing machine or the like. The detector system includes a secondary thread tension system which functions to provide lateral pressure against an unbroken thread in the region between the primary thread tension means and the sewing needle. Whenever, during the course of the sewing operation, there occurs a momentary malfunction in the chain stitch operation, a momentary variation in tension in the unbroken thread occurs in the region between the needle and the primary tension device. This momentary reduction in tension enables a yieldable member to momentarily displace or deflect the thread. The sensing device detects such momentary deflection of the thread and initiates an appropriate control function.

Abstract: A sewing machine installation with a material folding device for automatically prefolding a curtain rod box hem along an edge of a curtain as the curtain is conveyed forwardly through the material folding device to a stitching station.

Abstract: A sewing machine installation for sewing shirt front box hems and having a first underlying belt conveyor for individually conveying shirt front material blanks longitudinally forwardly along a lower main support table through a shirt front edge folder and a second overlying belt conveyor for individually conveying separate box hem material blanks with a liner tape longitudinally forwardly along an upper auxiliary table section through a box hem edge folder and into superimposed preassembled association with the prefolded shirt front blanks; the overlying and underlying conveyors thereafter cooperating for conveying the preassembled shirt front box hems longitudinally forwardly along the main support table through sewing and shearing stations for sewing the preassembled shirt front box hems and shearing excess material from the leading and trailing edges thereof.

Abstract: A sewing machine installation with a reinforced hem forming device for automatically forming a hem, reinforced by an integrated reinforcing strip, along an edge of a material blank as the blank is conveyed forwardly through the forming device to a stitching station.