Abstract: An automated system that can be used for prosthetic heart valve manufacturing or suturing procedures. The system can include a first automated fixture that includes an articulating arm and a target device holder. The system can also include one or more additional automated fixtures, which can be configured as one or more suturing arms that include another articulating arm and a needle holder. The first automated fixture can be configured to rotate a target device held by the holder to allow the one or more additional automated fixtures to perform operations such as form sutures on the target device without intervention of a human operator. The system can include a targeting system configured to provide positioning feedback to the system.

Abstract: A portable carpet binding machine comprising a housing defining an interior region, a drive mechanism supported by the housing and at least partially disposed in the interior region, a prime mover operatively coupled to the drive mechanism for providing motive power to the drive mechanism, a sewing assembly driven via the drive mechanism for sewing a strip of material to a piece of carpet. The portable carpet binding machine includes a carpet feeding assembly including a feed driver mechanism and a coacting puller mechanism operating in substantially synchronous movement to linearly feed the piece of carpet relative to the sewing assembly. The feed driver mechanism includes a feed-dog driven via the drive mechanism that intermittently engages the bottom of the piece of carpet to thereby advance the piece of carpet forward. The coacting puller mechanism includes first and second feed rollers driven via the drive mechanism.

Abstract: A stitched pile surface structure and a process and apparatus for producing and finishing the same is disclosed. The stitched pile surface structure includes a backing having a thickness T. A plurality of parallel lines of stitches extends longitudinally along the backing. Each stitch has a predetermined stitch length dimension S. A plurality of rows of pile elements (either as loop pile or cut pile) is formed from one or more pile yarn(s) having an effective predetermined yarn diameter D. The total weight of the yarn used to form the pile loop elements is G grams. Substantially all of the stitches have a thread length DKL that satisfies the relationship: DKL<=D·(1+?/2)+(2·T)+(2·S) A mass of binder material having a weight of less than G grams is disposed on the pile surface structure.

Abstract: A portable carpet binder applies and sews a binding tape to a carpet edge. The binder includes a sewing head having a carpet support table, a sewing mechanism, a motor, means for folding the binding tape over the carpet edge, and wheels to move the carpet binder on a floor. The binder operates using a puller having a U-shaped puller bracket, means for mounting the puller bracket on the sewing head above the table, a first longitudinally serrated roller rotatably mounted on the puller bracket, a second longitudinally serrated roller rotatably mounted on the puller bracket parallel to the first roller, and coupling means for rotatably and synchronously coupling the first roller to the second roller so as to transfer rotary motion from the first roller to the second roller. Also provided are driving means for intermittently driving the puller in unidirectional rotation, and timing means for adjusting a timing relation between the driving means and the sewing mechanism.

Abstract: A device for winding a carpet strip into a compact roll for handling and transport winds the carpet strip about a motor powered winding spindle controlled by, for example, a foot pedal, the strip being guided onto the spindle by a pair of selectively spaced apart guiding discs. The rolling machine may be attached to the frame of a sewing station through which the strip is passed to provide a binding tape along an edge of the carpet strip, the strip passing without handling from the sewing machine to the carpet strip rolling machine. Pedal or other controls at the sewing machine permit the operator to control both the rolling device and the sewing machine from this single location.

Abstract: A portable carpet binding machine comprising a housing defining an interior region, a drive mechanism supported by the housing and at least partially disposed in the interior region, a prime mover operatively coupled to the drive mechanism for providing motive power to the drive mechanism, a sewing assembly driven via the drive mechanism for sewing a strip of material to a piece of carpet, the sewing assembly including a binder guide, a sewing needle and a looper, the binder guide operating to fold the strip of material around an edge portion of the piece of carpet, the sewing assembly, when driven, operating to stitch the strip of material to opposite sides of the edge portion of the piece of carpet using first and second pieces of thread. The portable carpet binding machine includes a carpet feeding assembly including a feed driver mechanism and a coacting puller mechanism operating in substantially synchronous movement to linearly feed the piece of carpet relative to the sewing assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for sewing an over-edge stitch to form a butt-seam in sections of carpet or other thick workpieces is provided, wherein an existing over-edge stitching machine has four primary parts removed and replaced with four parts of different designs, the parts being the workpiece guide, the top looper, the top looper pivot arm and the bottom looper. The new workpiece guide forgoes using the attachments employed by the guide it replaces, and is instead soldered or otherwise secured to the existing needle plate, and the new workpiece guide has a finger extension which operates to keep thread loops formed by the stitching components in a loose configuration until substantially no further tension is produced on the thread loops by the stitching components.

Abstract: An edge finishing system for heavily piled, relatively stiff materials has a robot member which engages a piece of the material and forces it to bear against a fence along one edge. The robot moves the piece through a sewing station where tape is applied and sewn to the edge as it is pulled through the station by a splined wheel. A rotating mechanism rotates the piece ninety degrees and the second edge is finished. Where all four edges have been finished, a cutter removes any trailing tape. An automatic hopper moves pieces into position to be gripped and lifted by a gripper mechanism and placed on the work table for the robot to engage the piece.

Abstract: A machine for sewing a binding tape to a cut edge of carpeting comprises a wheel-mounted sewing machine having an opposed pair of pinch rollers engaging opposed sides of the carpeting, the pinch rollers being inset from the cut edge and one of the rollers being intermittently motor driven in synchronism with the reciprocating movement of the sewing machine's needle assembly. As the one pinch roller is driven, the sewing machine moves along the floor as the binding tape is played from a reel, folded longitudinally and stitched to the carpet edge. The machine incorporates a spring-biased needle guide which effectively surrounds the needle shank as it moves reciprocally up and down to create the stitches. This guide prevents deflection of the needle and possible breakage thereof should it encounter a hard object, such as a glue bead or the like in the carpet backing.

Abstract: An apparatus including a sewing machine head mounting a support plate, with the support plate orthogonally oriented relative to a reciprocating sewing needle, with the support plate including a forward edge, the support plate mounting a first "L" shaped plate thereunder, with the plate including a plurality of slots positioned forwardly and orthogonally relative to the forward end. A second "L" shaped plate has secured thereto a plurality of rods, the rods including fasteners, with the rods positionable through the slots to reciprocatingly position an abutment leg in an orthogonal orientation relative to the forward edge, with the abutment leg arranged generally parallel to the forward edge.

Abstract: A yarn control system and apparatus for use in the manufacture of non-woven, non-knitted fabrics which have a pile supported by a backing cloth, such as carpets, the apparatus including a plurality of needles for inserting yarns from yarn supplies into the backing cloth to provide a pile material and control means for controlling the amount of each yarn inserted by the needles to maintain constant pile height, the control means including a yarn compensating roller upstream of the needles and around which each yarn is entrained, and biassing means acting on the roller to maintain a constant tension in the yarns, the biassing means preferably comprising pneumatic piston and cylinder devices. The compensating roller may have a roughened surface and is preferably able to rotate in one direction only, but in an alternative construction, a driven guide roller which has a roughened surface is provided and the compensating roller has a smooth surface.

Abstract: The sewing machine is used for looping or linking floor coverings and is transportable, so that, apart from being used in stationary manner, it can also be moved along the material edge to be looped. It produces a two-thread overcast seam and has a cutting device with a knife (108) for rounding the material corners prior to looping and is automatically started up under the control of a photoelectric cell (117) on approaching a corner.

Abstract: A portable integral compact rug binding machine which may be guided along the outside edge of a carpet to be bound by means of a handle is disclosed. The rug binding machine is provided with a vertically mounted drive motor and a low or close to the floor base member wherein a portion or zone of the carpet being bound curves up and over the base plate or support means without need for folding the carpet back over its entire length. The binding machine performs the binding operation with the use of a single binding thread fed to the needle from above. A driven carrier roll is provided for moving the carpet with respect to the binding needle, and in one embodiment, an adjustable pressure roller is provided for enabling binding around curved edges of the carpeting.

Abstract: A carriage-mounted sewing machine with special stitch forming means and an advance power trimmer are driven as a unit along the rails of a railway sewing machine bed by operation of the sewing machine motor and a unique clutch arrangement coupled with the carriage train drive for the railway bed. The stitching mechanism features an improved looper arrangement whereby precisely the necessary degree of slack is produced in the butt seam stitches to enable the spliced carpet sections to "butt out" perfectly without a gap and without overlapping at the butt seam or buckling. A specialized presser foot and throat plate arrangement allows the butt seaming of carpet sections up to two inches in total thickness. Carpet scrap is reduced to a minimum.