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US 2006/0213413 A1Published application
Stitching method and apparatus employing thread payout detection
OwnerRalph Koernerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing uniform stitches in a stack of fabric layers while allowing a user to manually guide the stack across a planar surface beneath a stitch head. Stitch head actuation is controlled as a function of the rate of thread payout.
Claims20
A machine for stitching at least one fabric layer, said machine comprising:
- an upper arm and a lower arm mounted in vertically spaced substantially parallel relationship to define a throat space therebetween;
- a substantially horizontally oriented plate mounted proximate to said lower arm for supporting said fabric layer for guided movement in said throat space;
- a needle arm supported from said upper arm actuatable to reciprocally move a needle substantially perpendicular to said plate for piercing said fabric layer with a top thread paid out through said needle;
- means for paying out a bottom thread beneath said plate in accordance with the movement of said fabric layer;
- means operable to loop said top thread inserted through said layer around said bottom thread;
- detector means for detecting an increment of thread payout;
- and
- control means responsive to said detected increment of thread payout for actuating said needle arm.
5 more elements
A quilting apparatus for forming successive stitches in a stack of one or more fabric layers, said apparatus comprising:
- a bed defining a substantially horizontally oriented planar surface configured to support said stack for guided movement across said planar surface;
- a needle mounted above said bed operable to execute successive cyclic movements each such movement including a needle-up position above said planar surface and a needle-down position piercing said stack to deliver a top thread paid out through said needle beneath said planar surface;
- means mounted beneath said planar surface for paying out a bottom thread to form successive stitches with said top thread;
- detector means for measuring the length of thread payout;
- and
- control means responsive to said detector means for causing said needle to execute cyclic movements at a rate substantially proportional to the rate of thread payout.
3 more elements
A method of forming successive stitches in a stack of one or more fabric layers, said method comprising;
- providing a horizontally oriented planar surface for supporting said stack for guided movement across said planar surface;
- causing a needle mounted above said planar surface to execute successive cyclic movements, each cyclic movement including a needle-up position above said planar surface and a needle-down position piercing said stack and delivering an increment of top thread paid out through said needle beneath said planar surface;
- causing each top thread increment delivered beneath said planar surface to form a stitch with an increment of bottom thread paid out from a source of bottom thread;
- and
- causing said needle to execute said cyclic movements at a rate substantially proportional to the rate at which thread is paid out.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.