Supply device

A supply device for a sewing machine, particularly a multiple-needle sewing machine, with at least one sewing unit, for sewing material layers of a large-scale sewing product such as mattress panels for example, comprising several sewing material layers, particularly at least three, preferably having one sewing material layer of elastic material, for example foamed material, and one sewing material layer intended as a top layer, which layers are to be stitched together using the sewing machine, said supply device comprising:

• at least two material rolls;
• at least one roll receiver capable of receiving the material rolls;
• a holder being arranged at the roll receiver, wherein each material roll is rotatably supported in a holder of the roll receiver;
• means for removing the material layers from the material rolls arranged in the roll receiver, and for feeding the material layers to the sewing unit;
• and
• wherein the sewing material layers can be alternatively fed to the sewing unit from the roll receiver.

A process for feeding a sewing material layer to a sewing machine, particularly a multiple-needle sewing machine, the process comprising:

• providing a supply device having a roll receiver, the roll receiver having at least two holders, namely, a first holder and a second holder;
• arranging at least two material rolls, e.g. a first material roll and a second material, wherein one material roll is arranged at each of the holders;
• providing at least two sewing material layers, preferably at least a first sewing material layer of elastic material, for example foamed material, and a second top layer of large-scale sewing products such as, for example, mattress panels;
• providing each of the material rolls with one of the sewing material layers, particularly, the first material roll is provided with the first sewing material layer, and the second material roll is provided with the second sewing material layer, wherein the second sewing material layer arranged adjacent to, above or below the first sewing material layer;
• removing the sewing material layers from the material rolls of the holder of the roll receiver;
• feeding the at least two sewing material layers from the supply device to a sewing unit of the sewing machine;
• stitching together the sewing material layers by the sewing unit;
• wherein the second sewing material layer can be removed if necessary from the second material roll in the second holder of the roll receiver and fed to the sewing machine.