Material aligner
AssigneeSoftWear Automation, Inc.
InventorsDavid Otto Konrad Mikolajewski, Luther Lloyd, III, Michael J. Baker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various examples are provided related to transporting and sewing material in, e.g., automation of sewing robots. An automated sewing process feed control system is disclosed in which a material aligner is utilized. An omni-chain material aligner can include a circular roller chain in which the rollers allow for a controlling force to be applied to a material. An omni-belt material aligner can include a belt with attached perpendicular rollers which allow feed control and active motorized steering control. The material aligner can control the pressure applied onto the material to facilitate control of feeding the material.
Claims20
An apparatus for adjusting the position of materials during processing, comprising:
- first and second material aligners each comprising:
- a material contact loop comprising rollers distributed about a length of the material contact loop, the rollers configured to rotate about a rotational axis substantially parallel to the material contact loop;
- a support arm comprising a plurality of loop guides, the material contact loop positioned over the plurality of loop guides;
- and;
- a loop driver coupled to at least one loop guide of the plurality of loop guides, the loop driver configured to control rotation of the material contact loop about the plurality of loop guides and along a length of the support arm, while allowing rotation of the rollers about the rotational axis;
- where the first and second material aligners are positioned with the length of the first material aligner substantially parallel with the length of the second material aligner, and the rollers along one side of the support arm of the first material aligner are adjacent to the rollers along one side of the support arm of the second material aligner opposite the first material aligner.
A system for transporting and sewing material, comprising:
- a sewing or bonding machine configured to join pieces of material;
- first and second material aligners each comprising:
- a material contact loop comprising rollers distributed about a length of the material contact loop;
- a support arm comprising a plurality of loop guides, the material contact loop positioned over the plurality of loop guides;
- and;
- a loop driver coupled to at least one loop guide of the plurality of loop guides, the loop driver configured to control rotation of the material contact loop about the plurality of loop guides and along a length of the support arm;
- where the first and second material aligners are positioned with the length of the first material aligner substantially parallel with the length of the second material aligner, and the rollers along one side of the support arm of the first material aligner are adjacent to the rollers along one side of the support arm of the second material aligner opposite the first material aligner;
- and
- where rotation of the material contact loop about the support arm of the first material aligner repositions a first piece of material in contact with the rollers along the one side of the first material aligner and rotation of the material contact loop of the second material aligner repositions a second piece of material in contact with the rollers along the one side of the second material aligner.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.