Application of waistbands to garments

Abstract

A method of attaching a waistband to a garment is disclosed which comprises providing a strip (26) of waistband fabric having outer portions more extensible than the centre section, and presenting the fabric to a sewing machine through a folder (18) for attachment to a garment, characterised in that the folder is angled to the sewing zone (16) whereby to force the outer sections of the waistband strip to proceed faster than the central section resulting in a curve being formed during attachment to the garment. Since the strip does not have a shape until it is treated in accordance with the invention, it may be provided on a reel for continuous operation. Moreover, the angle at which the folder presents the waistband to the sewing zone can be altered whereby to give shapes that are not of constant curvature. The folder may be mechanically linked using, for example, a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder arrangement, to a knee-switch or foot-switch, to enable different degrees of curvature to be achieved at the operator's control.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.