Abstract: An endoscopic stitching machine, including a housing for mounting the actuators for the stitch-forming tools (needle, gripper and pressure pad), and a housing shaft to house one or more devices for the transmission of the movements generated by the actuators to the stitch-forming tools, whereby the housing shaft (3) and the transmission devices (9, 12, 13) are divided into two shaft parts (14, 15) and lower and upper transmission devices (9a, 12a, 13a and 9b, 12b, 13b), in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof, detachably connected to each other by means of a corresponding coupling piece (26), whereby the coupling pieces (26) may be introduced into and positively housed within corresponding recesses (32, 33) of the lower and upper transmission means (9a, 12a, 13a and 9b, 12b, 13b), parallel to the section plane and running in the longitudinal direction of the transmission devices (9, 12, 13).

Abstract: A process and a device are provided for forming an end-to-end anastomosis on two hollow organs, which can be attached to a surgical suturing machine with at least one driven needle bar with a thread-carrying needle, a shuttle cooperating with this needle, a needle plate and a holding-down device accommodated by a push rod. A carrier (9) is provided designed as a hollow cylinder and has a longitudinal slot (13) for the edge areas of the two hollow organs. The carrier can be connected by a bracket to the housing shaft of the suturing machine in such a way that its longitudinal axis runs transversely to the path of movement of the needle, and its contact area for the two hollow organs is directed essentially parallel to the plane of the contact surface of the needle plate of the suturing machine.

Abstract: A process and a device are provided for forming an end-to-end anastomosis on two hollow organs, which can be attached to a surgical suturing machine with at least one driven needle bar with a thread-carrying needle, a shuttle cooperating with this needle, a needle plate and a holding-down device accommodated by a push rod. A carrier (9) is provided designed as a hollow cylinder and has a longitudinal slot (13) for the edge areas of the two hollow organs. The carrier can be connected by means of a bracket to the housing shaft of the suturing machine in such a way that its longitudinal axis runs transversely to the path of movement of the needle, and its contact area for the two hollow organs is directed essentially parallel to the plane of the contact surface of the needle plate of the suturing machine.

Abstract: An endoscopic suturing machine is provided with a housing, with a housing upper part (2, 4) for accommodating drives (20, 50, 60 and 80) for the stitch-forming tools (11, 12), with a housing shaft (3) adjoining same for accommodating a device for transmitting the movements generated by the drives (20, 50, 60 and 80) to the stitch-forming tools (11, 12). The forming tools include at least a needle (11) and a shuttle (12), which cooperates with the needle. The shuttle or looper can be moved after grasping the thread loop along a multidimensional path of movement from its position which is located under the material being sewn and grasps the thread loop into a position which is located above the material being sewn and in which the thread triangle formed by the thread loop led onto the upper side of the material being sewn surrounds the projection of the path of the needle (FIG. 5).

Abstract: The invention relates to an endoscopic stitching machine, comprising a housing for mounting the actuators for the stitch-forming tools (needle, gripper and pressure pad), and a housing shaft to house means for transmission of the movements generated by the actuators to the stitch-forming tools, whereby the housing shaft (3) and the transmission means (9, 12, 13) are divided into two shaft parts (14, 15) and lower and upper transmission means (9a, 12a, 13a and 9b, 12b, 13b), in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction thereof, detachably connected to each other by means of a corresponding coupling piece (26), whereby the coupling pieces (26) may be introduced into and positively housed within corresponding recesses (32, 33) of the lower and upper transmission means (9a, 12a, 13a and 9b, 12b, 13b), parallel to the section plane and running in the longitudinal direction of the transmission means (9, 12, 13).

Abstract: The present invention pertains to an endoscopic suturing machine with a housing, with a housing upper part (2, 4) for accommodating drives (20, 50, 60 and 80) for the said stitch-forming tools (11, 12), with a housing shaft (3) adjoining same for accommodating means for transmitting the movements generated by the drives (20, 50, 60 and 80) to the stitch-forming tools (11, 12), which have at least a needle (11) and a shuttle (12), which cooperates with the needle and can be moved after grasping the thread loop along a multidimensional path of movement from its position which is located under the material being sewn and grasps the thread loop into a position which is located above the material being sewn and in which the thread triangle formed by the thread loop led onto the upper side of the material being sewn surrounds the projection of the path of the needle (FIG. 5).

Abstract: A suturing apparatus to suture tissue edges to each other includes an oscillating needle and a loop catcher cooperating with the needle to form stitches. Two-legged forceps are provided to brace the tissue edges in the vicinity of the needle path transverse to the tissue edges. The forceps are movable to a closed position for holding together the tissue edges before the needle pierces them and, upon the ensuing exit of the needle from the tissue edges, an opened position to release the tissue edges. Furthermore, advancing tongs with two legs are provided for gripping the tissue edges directly on the other side of the forceps in a closed position and, in an open position, to release the tissue edges.

Abstract: A sewing device (13) consists of a basic unit (13) comprising the main motor, the needle bar (27), and the take-up lever (31), and a shuttle block (24) detachably mounted thereto which comprises the shuttle (35) with the thread bobbin (36) for the lower thread. For changing an empty thread bobbin, the sewing machine mounted to a robot arm is inserted into a reception unit (21) in which the shuttle block (24) remains, whereas the basic unit (23) is moved to another shuttle block with full thread bobbin (36a) and receives it. The sewing machine does not require a time-consuming manual change of the thread bobbin for the lower thread.

Abstract: For making seams on three-dimensional objects, a manipulator (20) is used at the manipulator arm (19) of which a sewing machine (18) is secured. The cuttings (12,14) to be sewn are fixed to a holding device (10), and the sewing machine (18) sews the protruding edge strips (16) which confront each other. The sewing machine (18) can be guided by the manipulator arm (19) along the intended seam line at constant speed. While the needle penetrates the material, the sewing machine being guided on a guide (21) by means of a carriage (22) is driven in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the manipulator so that the sewing machine is at a temporary standstill with respect to the holding device (10). After completion of the stitch, the carriage (22) is advanced on the guide (21) in feeding direction so that the sewing machine catches up with the lag. With each stitch, the edge strip (16) is clamped between a needle plate and a presser of the sewing machine.

Abstract: For forming three-dimensional envelopes of at least two blanks (11, 13) which are to be sewn together, the first blank (11) is laid on a first support surface of a carrier body (14) in such a manner that its edge portion projects beyond the carrier body. Thereafter, a second blank (13) is laid on a second support surface of the carrier body (14), the edge portions (11a, 13a) of both blanks projecting obliquely from the blanks and forming a double flange portion projecting from the carrier body (14). A sewing machine is guided along the root line (57) formed by the kink lines of the edge portions (11a, 13a) so that a seam interconnecting the blanks (11, 13) is created there.

Abstract: Process and device for aligning and jointly processing flaccid workpiece layers (4, 104). The workpiece layers (4, 104) to be processed jointly are brought toward one another in the hanging position by endless conveyors (1, 101). A scanning and aligning station (10) is located in the delivery path of the two endless conveyors (1, 101). The workpiece layer is temporarily removed from the respective conveyor in at least one of the endless conveyors and aligned in relation to the other workpiece layer. The workpiece layer is then returned in the aligned position to the conveyor. After which the workpiece layers that are associated with one another will leave the scanning and aligning station (10) together. The present invention permits simplified fastening of clamps (16, 17; 116, 117) for the workpiece layers to the endless conveyors.

Abstract: A process and device for automatically feeding workpiece layers to be processed in a hanging position in a vertical plane to a scanning and aligning station (R). The workpiece layers are grasped individually in a horizontal starting position, brought into the vertical position, and transferred to the scanning and aligning station (R), from which they are taken over directly after alignment and forwarded to the processing station (N). The device for carrying out this process has two conveyors (F and F'), each of which consists of a feed conveyor (Z; Z') designed as a manipulator and a transport mechanism (T; T') formed by a conveyor belt (48; 48'). The workpiece layers are held by controllably movable clamps (20; 20') in the scanning and aligning station (R). The transport mechanisms (T and T') can be moved to and fro between a carrying position and a non-carrying position in the area of the clamps (20 and 20').

Abstract: A process is described for producing garments or individual parts thereof from at least one top fabric, from which the cuts belonging to a garment are cut out in a cutting device and are fed to further processing, wherein, if desired, cuts of a predetermined type are provided with coated lining parts and are attached thereto, wherein during the cutting of the cuts, at least those cuts which will subsequently be provided with lining parts are provided mechanically with marks, and during the attachment of cuts to lining parts, at least one of the parts to be attached is provided with a mark immediately before, during or after the attachment. Separate marking in an operation intended especially for this purpose is thus avoided.

Abstract: The process comprises the steps of creating three reference points at an object and taking a tomogram of the object such that the three reference points define a first set of positional data in the tomogram. The object is then non-rigidly placed on a support for operation thereupon by an instrument which is mounted at a flexible arm containing sensors for sensing the movements of an instrument tip. The instrument tip is placed at the three reference points in order to create a second set of positional data which are in a fixed relationship to the first set of positional data. When the instrument is inserted into the object placed on the support, the positional data of the instrument tip during the insertion movement are sensed and related to the first set of positional data via the fixed relationship between the first and second sets of positional data.

Abstract: A blind-stitch sewing machine has an elastic fabric bender to bulge the material to be sewed following each step of advance through an aperture of a throat plate into the arcuate path of motion of an arc needle pivoting to-and-fro transversely to the direction of advance of the material being sewed, and a stop for the bulged material mounted on the throat plate. The stop of the throat plate is designed for the purpose of sewing labels having unevenly thick rims onto the inside of finished garments along the label rim so that the arc needle pierces the edge of the label laid on the garment and emerges from the garment and the label rim is lifted off the garment at the stop so that only the garment is forced by the fabric bender against the stop.

Abstract: In a procedure for feeding two limp workpiece sheets intended to be treated together and/or connected with each other and positioning them with respect to each other, it is provided to clamp them in a planar suspended position in clips of trolleys guided by rails. They are moved by the trolleys to scan their contours in a scanning station and to align them relative to each other in an alignment station. The alignment position of the workpiece sheets is fixed through a coupling device, which acts upon clip holders on the trolleys and can be moved together with them. This simultaneously connects the trolleys assigned to each other in pairs into a structure moving as a unit. The workpiece sheets are subsequently guided in their fixed alignment position to a treatment or processing station.

Abstract: An apparatus for tensioning and controlled advancing of tube-like articles includes at least one stationary roller and a non-stationary roller which is movable by a slider in order to tension the waist of an article pulled over the rollers. Depending on the position of the slider when having tensioned the article, the speed of one of the rollers is controlled to allow the sewing of belt loops in controlled distances onto the article.

Abstract: An apparatus for holding tubular goods for stitching at the station of a sewing machine has a support adjacent the sewing station, a drive for rotating the support about a horizontal support axis, and at least three arcuate segment plates displaceable radially of the support axis on the support and together forming a segmented drum centered on the axis. The plates are displaceable between inner positions defining a circumference smaller than that of the smallest tubular goods to be sewn and outer positions defining a circumference larger than that of the largest tubular goods to be sewn. The plates can be radially spread on the support to change the diameter of the drum. Thus when a tubular workpiece is fitted over the drum it is tensioned thereover. The support can also be displaced vertically adjacent the station to align the uppermost segment plate generally with the stitch plate.