Abstract: Fly pieces for men's briefs, or the like, are formed automatically, and are disposed in aligned pairs in a roll. Automatic sewing machine and trimmers are reciprocated in a dimension perpendicular to the direction of cloth feed to form the band-stitched arcuate side portions, and opposite side portions, of the fly pieces. A bunching-up mechanism acts upon the cloth to prevent wastage of banding material. Individual pieces of cloth that have been band-stitched are fed into face-to-face engagement, are moved in a vertical path, and taken up by a coiler. Partial severing the face-to-face cloth sheets into distinct fly pieces is accomplished just prior to the sheets being taken up on the coiler.

Abstract: An apparatus for sequentially stitching groups of sheets includes a reject assembly which directs groups of sheets containing either more or less than a predetermined number of sheets to a receiving station without being stitched. If a desired number of sheets is in a group, the group will move through the reject station to a stitching station and then through a folding apparatus at one of two discharge stations. The reject assembly includes a ramp which is movable between a retracted position aligned with a main support surface and an extended position projecting upwardly from the main support surface to a reject conveyor. A main conveyor pushes a group of sheets containing more or less than a predetermined number of sheets up the ramp to a reject conveyor which conducts the groups of sheets to a receiving station.

Abstract: A positioning device for advancing a workpiece to and orienting the same in the sewing zone of a sewing unit. The device includes a feed table having a plurality of slots upstream of the sewing zone which are disposed at an angle relative to the line of sewing. A driven endless belt is operatively associated with each slot in the feed table and are disposed so as to partially protrude their respective slot. That portion of the endless belts protruding through their respective slots are caused to engage the underside of a workpiece and are effective in advancing the same to a position in front of the sewing machine's presser foot and in close proximity with a vertical guide wall extending parallel to the line of sewing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for acting upon cloth in a particular manner, most particularly for automatically forming a shirt sleeve from a sleeve blank. The blank is conveyed by a conveyor in a first direction and a hem is automatically formed along a first edge thereof. The hem is ironed, and then the hemmed sleeve blank is automatically picked up off the conveyor and folded about an axis substantially transverse to the first direction. The folded hemmed blank is dropped on a second conveyor which conveys the blank in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction. A seam is automatically formed along a second edge of the blank as it is being conveyed by the second conveyor, to form a shirt sleeve. A roller moving at a speed different than the speed of the second conveyor preferably engages the blank as it is being conveyed by the second conveyor and effects movement of it so that the seam along the second edge includes at least a portion which is arcuate.

Abstract: A sewing machine having a power-driven needle has an endless feed belt for moving workpieces beneath the needle. The belt stops and advances, and there is provision for measuring the movement of the belt upon each advance of the belt. In response to this measurement, the belt is stopped, thereby to ensure that the belt moves only a predetermined distance beneath the needle each time the belt advances. To advance the belt, there is a friction roll in contact with the belt, a back-up roller on the opposite side of the belt from the friction roll, and structure selectively to apply the back-up roll forcibly against the belt and to move the back-up roll away from the belt, thereby respectively to drive the belt and to interrupt the drive to the belt.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for automated joining of limp fabric or material. The system comprises a movable seam joining device, retractable belt assemblies to capture the fabric, and a controller to achieve proper positioning of the seam joining device and the retractable rollers.

Abstract: A succession of like textile fabric pieces is placed in a series on a conveyor which runs through an automated sewing station. There is some space between individual pieces. Immediately prior to the sewing station, the lateral disposition of a critical site on the piece about to be sewn and then being sewn is automatically sensed and, if necessary, automatically shifted to a uniform disposition. Preferably any error in original placement of the pieces is in placing the edge too far over in one lateral direction, so that if any adjustment is necessary, it takes the form of pushing the respective fabric piece edge margin laterally of the conveyor toward the opposite edge of that fabric piece. Thus, it is generally not necessary to laterally drag the whole fabric piece laterally of the conveyor, but only necessary to move a small marginal portion of the fabric piece.

Abstract: A work manipulating mechanism for a sewing machine attachable to the presser bar thereof which utilizes a pair of spaced apart endless belts on a first drive plate to feed an endless quantity of work material through a sewing machine in the formation of an ornamental pattern or monogramming, the first drive plate being shiftable in an orthogonal direction by a second drive plate attachable to the presser bar of a sewing machine. The first drive plate may be shifted by a rack and pinion connection to a stepper motor supported on the second drive plate, and the work material may be shifted by a stepper motor connected to one of a pair of shafts carrying sprockets encircled by the endless belts in contact with the work material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing rectangular pieces of fabric wherein the piece of fabric is moved in a first direction until the front edge reaches and is held in a predetermined front position, whereas the remaining part of said piece continues to move in said first direction until the rear edge reaches and is held in a predetermined rear position. The piece is thereafter moved in a second position while the front and rear edges are kept apart at a predetermined distance, and the aforesaid edges are hemmed simultaneously by hemming machines. The method and device according to the invention are used for hemming pieces having two parallel edges, and in particular rectangular pieces cut from a continuous web of fabric, such as for example floor cloths.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for acting upon cloth in a particular manner, most particularly for automatically forming a shirt sleeve from a sleeve blank. The blank is conveyed by a conveyor in a first direction and a hem is automatically formed along a first edge thereof. The hem is ironed, and then the hemmed sleeve blank is automatically picked up off the conveyor and folded about an axis substantially transverse to the first direction. The folded hemmed blank is dropped on a second conveyor which conveys the blank in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction. A seam is automatically formed along a second edge of the blank as it is being conveyed by the second conveyor, to form a shirt sleeve. A roller moving at a speed different than the speed of the second conveyor preferably engages the blank as it is being conveyed by the second conveyor and effects movement of it so that the seam along the second edge includes at least a portion which is arcuate.

Abstract: A piece of loose textile with a spread cut edge is fed to a stitching location in accordance with a method wherein the piece is gripped at an interior location spaced from the edge and this interior gripped location is advanced continuously at an intermediate transport speed in a transport direction parallel to the edge toward the stitching location. Thus relative to the direction the edge has a leading portion and a trailing portion that are successively displaced past a speed-change location. This leading portion of the edge is advanced in the direction toward the stitching location at a relatively slow transport speed slower than the intermediate speed and the trailing portion of the edge is advanced in the direction toward the stitching location at a relatively fast transport speed faster than the intermediate speed. This system therefore automatically rectifies the edges of the piece.

Abstract: A workpiece transporter for a sewing machine comprises an endless conveyor belt looped around a driving sheave and several deflecting rollers, the latter including a first and a second roller carried on the free ends of respective spring-loaded levers placing that belt only under a moderate tension. The first deflecting roller is closely juxtaposed with the upstream side of the driving sheave, its axis defining with that of the sheave and with the fulcrum of its lever an obtuse triangle whose vertex angle increases as that roller approaches the sheave when an obstacle retards the belt motion, such approach clamping the belt more tightly between the roller and the sheave for firmer entrainment.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing limp material such as cloth for overedge stitching. The apparatus has a generally L-shaped arm which is designed to be pivotable in the lateral and upward directions relative to a surface of a working table of a sewing machine. The L-shaped arm has at least a single rotary element for advancing the cloth, the rotary element being driven through a driving pulley and an endless belt. The apparatus has devices for locking the lateral and upward movement against a resilient force of the endless belt.

Abstract: Two workpiece plies, placed on one another, of which the lower one is larger in width than the upper one, are to be sewn together with their edge contours aligned with each other. The device used for this purpose comprises a cutting mechanism provided ahead of the sewing machine in a workpiece feed direction, and following the contour of the upper work ply by means of guide unit for sensing this contour, so that the projecting portion of the work ply is cut off. To prevent the work plies from mutual displacement during their feeding toward the sewing machine, they are secured to each other by spot sealing at some locations wherefor a sealing tape is introduced between the plies.

Abstract: Knit hose are successively fed in a suspended position with their toe portions on top, to a first station at which the odds and ends of the toe portions are individually removed thereby to align the end lines of the toe portions. The hose are conveyed to a second station where the toe portions are individually closed by first linking, stitching and finally the hose are conveyed to a third station at which the first linking stitches are covered with second linking stitches.

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: A sewing machine designed to stitch together two stacked fabric layers advancing at different speeds comprises an upper and a lower conveyor belt coupled with a common drive shaft by a differential gearing. The relative speed of the two conveyor belts can be manually adjusted with the aid of a friction coupling comprising two mutually parallel larger disks with relatively offset axes and overlapping surface areas contacted by a smaller disk perpendicular thereto, the latter disk being displaceable in a common axial plane of the two larger disks to vary their transmission ratio.

Abstract: Cloth moves from a reel along its length, a first "right-handed" edge treatment system positioned at one edge of the path of movement of the cloth treats one edge of the cloth, the cloth is turned over and a second "right-handed" edge treatment system positioned at the edge of the path of movement treats the opposite edge of the cloth. The cloth then moves into a cutting station where the cloth is cut into smaller sections. The cut sections are moved along an L-shaped path by a conveyor system with the cut edges extending along the path, and a third "right-handed" edge treatment system positioned adjacent the first leg of the L-shaped path treats one cut edge of the sections, the sections are turned over as they move into the second leg of the L-shaped path, and a fourth "right-handed" edge treatment system treats the opposite cut edge of the sections. The sections are then stacked.

Abstract: Sheet material is taken from a supply, moved along its length to a cutting station, an edge thereof is hemmed as it moves toward the cutting station, the sheet material is cut into segments, and the cut segments are moved parallel to their cut edges, the cut edges are hemmed, and the segments are folded. At the cutting station the leading portion of the sheet material is gripped and pulled from the entrance to the cutting station to the other side thereof, a slack bar is moved downwardly into the segment of sheet material in the cutting station to form slack in the segment, the sheet material is clamped adjacent the entrance to the cutting station and the segment in the cutting station is clamped against parallel conveyor tapes. A cutting disc is drawn across the sheet material at the entrance to the cutting station, and the parallel conveyor tapes move the sheet parallel to its cut edges to a hemming station where the edges are folded and hemmed.

Abstract: A device for thread stitching layers to form a book wherein the stitching apparatus comprises a conveying mechanism for transporting a plurality of open layers in spaced relation to each other, the conveying device transporting the layers with respect to at least one spiral sewing needle which is rotationally driven, the point of the spiral needle penetrating into the layer backs and exiting the layer backs to stitch the layers together in sequence.

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 continuous, automated method and apparatus for manufacturing pillowcases in which a hem is continuously formed along one longitudinal edge of an indeterminate length fabric, and the fabric is thereafter successively cut to length and folded, with the folded pieces being sewn along the side and end thereof to form successive completed pillowcases. The versatile method and apparatus of this invention is adapted for manufacturing pillowcases of the conventional folded hem style, as well as pillowcases of the attached hem and mock attached hem styles.

Abstract: A device for feeding materials in a feed direction for operations thereon, such as sewing buttons or buttonholes, either directly on the material or onto separate strips of material which are fed thereto. The device includes means for clamping the material which is to be sewn so that it does not shift as it is moved through a stitching area. A movable carriage is mounted on a support frame for movement backwardly and forwardly in respect to the direction of material feeding, and it carries a lower endless conveyor arranged beneath and cooperable with an upper endless conveyor so that the endless belt stretched thereon may be biased together during the feeding operation so that the material is clamped along its entire length as it is fed with the movement of the carriage. The apparatus includes a separate clamping device for clamping the forward edge of the material at the end thereof which is beyond the sewing needle operating area and this is also movable with the carriage.

Abstract: Cloth moves from a reel along its length, a first "right-handed" edge treatment system positioned at one edge of the path of movement of the cloth treats one edge of the cloth, the cloth is turned over and a second "right-handed" edge treatment system positioned at the edge of the path of movement treats the opposite edge of the cloth. The cloth then moves into a cutting station where the cloth is cut into smaller sections. The cut sections are moved along an L-shaped path by a conveyor system with the cut edges extending along the path, and a third "right-handed" edge treatment system positioned adjacent the first leg of the L-shaped path treats one cut edge of the sections, the sections are turned over as they move into the second leg of the L-shaped path, and a fourth "right-handed" edge treatment system treats the opposite cut edge of the sections. The sections are then stacked.