Abstract: A force transfer harness that utilizes the harness structure to redirect the handler's forces through the harness structure and into the underlying ground is provided. The harness creates a moving support for a handler. Through the act of the dog sitting, the associated dog and handler cause a change in the orientation of the harness legs, both fixed and moveable, and cause the moveable legs to be brought into an angular relationship with the fixed legs that allows the harness to form a support structure. After the dog sits, the harness legs are brought in contact with the ground, whereas previously they were hovering above the ground in a ready orientation. As a result, the dog's act of sitting enables the human to transfer his or her weight through the harness and into the ground.

Abstract: A force transfer harness that utilizes the harness structure to redirect the handler's forces through the harness structure and into the underlying ground is provided. The harness creates a moving support for a handler. Through the act of the dog sitting, the associated dog and handler cause a change in the orientation of the harness legs, both fixed and moveable, and cause the moveable legs to be brought into an angular relationship with the fixed legs that allows the harness to form a support structure. After the dog sits, the harness legs are brought in contact with the ground, whereas previously they were hovering above the ground in a ready orientation. As a result, the dog's act of sitting enables the human to transfer his or her weight through the harness and into the ground.

Abstract: Printhead-to-panel spacing is controllable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied. Each of a plurality of printheads may be independently moveable to control the spacing of the printheads from the substrate surface. Sensors on the printhead carriage measure the shape, or vertical position of, the printhead's distance from the printhead carriage to the surface of the substrate being printed. The position or focal length of the UV light curing head may be varied to maintain focus of the UV light on the ink on a contoured surface of the substrate. UV curing heads may be located on the printhead carriage, one on each side of the printheads, and activated alternately as the carriage reciprocates, to spot cure and freeze the dots of ink immediately after being deposited on the substrate.

Abstract: A quilting machine (10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) is provided with a printing station (20, 125, 225, 325, 425, 525, 611, 626, 631) and a quilting station (44, 127, 227, 327, 427, 527, 627, 632). A master batch controller (90, 135, 235, 335, 435, 535) assures that the proper combinations of printed and quilted patterns are combined to allow small quantities of different quilted products to be produced automatically along a material web. The controller also controls the printing so that patterns on different panels of the same product are spatially or aesthetically coordinated.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided on large area substrates such as wide width textile webs. The printheads are driven by linear servo motors (633) across a bridge (630) that extends across the substrate. The timing of the jetting of the ink is coordinated with the motion of the printheads (640,641), so that the heads can be rapidly moved and the ink can be jetted while the printheads are accelerating or decelerating as they move on the bridge. Preferably, ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink is jetted and first partially cured with UV light (645,646) and then subjected to heating to more completely reduce uncured monomers of the ink on the substrate. Preferably, the heat is applied by contacting the substrate with a heated plate (661,662). Ink jet printing is provided using ultraviolet (UV) light curable or other curable composition or stable or other printable substance. In certain embodiments the UV ink has a dye-component therein.

Abstract: A quilting machine (10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600) is provided with a printing station (20, 125, 225, 325, 425, 525, 611, 626, 631) and a quilting station (44, 127, 227, 327, 427, 527, 627, 632), either on the same or a different production line. Ticking is preprinted with a plurality of different patterns, organized and coordinated by the computer so that a print head can scan the material and print different patterns of different panels (32). Identifying data (40) for matching the panels of a mattress product can be provided in data files and codes can be printed on the fabric. Panels can be matched and assembled into products based on the codes, and quilting, cutting, slitting and other operations can be controlled by printed codes and other data. The quilting and combining of the panels for assembly of a mattress product can be carried out manually or automatically using the data.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming flanged quilted panels from an infed web of quilted material (18) has a panel cutter (14) which receives the web of quilted material (18) and severs it into discrete quilted panels (16). A flanger (34) integrated with the panel cutter (14) has a table (40) which supports individual panels in a fixed position while a trimming and sewing head (60) is moved around the perimeter of the panel to trim the panel to a desired size and to stitch a flange near the trimmed edge. Because the panel is trimmed prior to stitching, precise alignment of the panel on the table is not required. The flanger (34) may further include a cutting head (72) which is movable relative to the table (40) and enables the flanger (34) to cut very thick quilted material without the need for precise holding and guiding of the material.

Abstract: Ink jet printing is provided onto rigid panels such as foamboard and contoured material using ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink, which is first at least partially cured with UV light and then may be subjected to heating. Printhead-to-panel spacing is controllable to maintain a predetermined constant distance from the printing element to the surface of the panel where the ink is to be applied. Each of a plurality of printheads may be independently moveable to control the spacing of the printheads from the substrate surface. Sensors on the printhead carriage measure the shape, or vertical position of, the printhead's distance from the printhead carriage to the surface of the substrate being printed. The position or focal length of the UV light curing head may be varied to maintain focus of the UV light on the ink on a contoured surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Native code for a CNC stitching machine is generated by generating a geometry model of a preform; generating tool paths from the geometry model, the tool paths including stitching instructions for making stitches; and generating additional instructions indicating thickness values. The thickness values are obtained from a lookup table. When the stitching machine runs the native code, it accesses a lookup table to determine a thread tension value corresponding to the thickness value. The stitching machine accesses another lookup table to determine a thread path geometry value corresponding to the thickness value.

Abstract: A stitching head for a computer numerically controlled stitching machine includes a thread tensioning mechanism for automatically adjusting thread tension according to the thickness of the material being stitched. The stitching head also includes a mechanism for automatically adjusting thread path geometry according to the thickness of the material being stitched.

Abstract: A stitching system includes a gantry that is movable along a material support table. Mounted to the gantry are a plurality of stitching heads and bobbins. The stitching heads are individually controllable in a z-direction, and the bobbins are individually controllable in the z-direction. Each stitching head is paired with a bobbin. Each pair of stitching heads and the bobbins is controlled synchronously in the z-direction. The stitching system is well-suited for stitching preforms of aircraft wing covers and other preforms having variable thickness and compound, contoured three-dimensional surfaces.