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US 2003/0164129 A1Published application
Soft goods slitter and feed system for quilting
AssigneeL&P Property Management Company
InventorsJeff Kaetterhenry, Richard Villacis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for feeding and slitting mattress covers, quilts and other soft goods supported on a table. The apparatus has a first slitting wheel rotatable by a motor. A second slitting wheel is rotatable by the motor and contacts the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action. The apparatus further includes upper and lower conveyors operable by the motor for conveying the soft goods past the slitting wheels. The upper conveyor is resiliently vertically movable and applies a compression force against the soft goods as they are moved between the upper and lower conveyors and past the slitting wheels.
Claims26
An apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods being supported on a table comprising:
- a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table;
- a motor mounted on the frame;
- a first slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame and rotatable by the motor;
- and
- a second slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame and rotatable by the motor, the second slitting wheel contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action.
2 more elements
An apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods being supported on a table comprising:
- a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table;
- a first slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame;
- a second slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame, the second slitting wheel contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action;
- and
- a biasing apparatus mechanically connected to the first slitting wheel and applying a biasing force on the first slitting wheel to force the first slitting wheel against the second slitting wheel with the desired biasing force.
2 more elements
An apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods being supported on an upper surface of a table comprising:
- a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table;
- a motor mounted on the frame;
- a first slitting wheel;
- a spindle having a distal end connected to the first slitting wheel and a proximal end connected to, and mounted to rotate with, the motor;
- a second slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame, the second slitting wheel contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action;
- and
- a biasing apparatus mechanically connected to the spindle and applying a biasing force on the spindle to push the first slitting wheel against the second slitting wheel with a desired biasing force.
4 more elements
An apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods being supported on an upper surface of a table comprising:
- a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table;
- a first slitting wheel;
- a powered first spindle connected to the first slitting wheel and rotatably supported by the frame to define a first axis of rotation adapted to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table;
- a second slitting wheel contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action;
- a powered second spindle connected to the second slitting wheel and rotatably supported by the frame to define a second axis of rotation adapted to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of the table, the first axis of rotation being substantially oblique to the second axis of rotation;
- and
- a biasing apparatus mechanically connected to one of the first and the second spindles and applying a biasing force on the one of the first and the second spindles to axially preload the one of the first and the second slitting wheels against another of the first and the second slitting wheels.
4 more elements
An apparatus for feeding and slitting a stack of compressible soft goods being supported on an upper surface of a table comprising:
- a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table;
- a first powered slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame;
- a second powered slitting wheel rotatably supported by the frame and contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action;
- a powered lower conveyor adapted to be positioned adjacent the table and comprising a lower conveyor belt adapted to contact and support a lower surface along an edge of the soft goods;
- and
- a powered upper conveyor disposed above the lower conveyor and adapted to contact an upper surface along the edge of the soft goods, the upper conveyor comprising an upper conveyor belt having a belt portion resiliently movable in a generally vertical direction with respect to the lower conveyor.
3 more elements
An apparatus for feeding and slitting soft goods being supported on a table comprising:
- a frame adapted to be mounted adjacent one side of the table;
- a motor mounted on the frame;
- a first slitting wheel powered by the motor and rotatably supported by the frame;
- a second slitting wheel powered by the motor and rotatably supported by the frame and contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action;
- a lower conveyor powered by the motor and supported by the frame, the lower conveyor adapted to be positioned adjacent the table and comprising a lower conveyor belt adapted to contact and support a lower surface along an edge of the soft goods;
- and
- an upper conveyor powered by the motor and supported by the frame above the lower conveyor, the upper conveyor adapted to contact an upper surface along the edge of the soft goods, the upper conveyor comprising an upper conveyor belt having a belt portion resiliently movable in a generally vertical direction with respect to the lower conveyor.
4 more elements
An apparatus for feeding and slitting compressible soft goods comprising:
- a stationary table having an upper surface adapted to support the soft goods;
- a rail mounted above the stationary table and extending across a width of the stationary table;
- a first slitter and feed mechanism mounted for sliding motion adjacent one end of the rail;
- a first actuator supported by the rail having a reciprocable drive shaft pivotally connected to the first slitter and feed mechanism;
- a second slitter and feed mechanism mounted for sliding motion adjacent an opposite end of the rail;
- a second actuator supported by the rail and having a reciprocable drive shaft pivotally connected to the second slitter and feed mechanism, the first and second actuators being operable to move respective first and second slitter and feed mechanisms to different positions along the rail.
3 more elements
A method of making quilted panels comprising:
- quilting multi-layered soft goods at a quilting station;
- feeding the quilted soft goods to a cutting apparatus;
- at the cutting apparatus, supporting the quilted soft goods on a table having a frame, a motor mounted on the frame, a first slitting wheel powered by the motor and rotatably supported by the frame, a second slitting wheel powered by the motor and rotatably supported by the frame and contacting the first slitting wheel to provide a cutting action, a lower conveyor powered by the motor and supported by the frame, the lower conveyor adapted to be positioned adjacent the table and comprising a lower conveyor belt adapted to contact and support a lower surface along an edge of the soft goods;
- and an upper conveyor powered by the motor and supported by frame above the lower conveyor, the upper conveyor adapted to contact an upper surface along the edge of the soft goods, the upper conveyor comprising an upper conveyor belt having a belt portion resiliently movable in a generally vertical direction with respect to the lower conveyor;
- and
- energizing the motor to operate the cutting apparatus to feed the quilted soft goods through over the table and to slit the opposite edges from the quilted soft goods.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.