Hem formation for automated garment manufacture
AssigneeCreateMe Technologies LLC
InventorsThomas C.K. Myers, Khamvong Thammasouk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and tooling for manufacturing flexible articles of manufacture such as garments, bags, backpacks and accessories that require hemmed edges. The method and tooling are compatible for use in an automated system and simplify the hemming process by performing the hemming operation on a flat pattern of material before the pattern of material has been joined with other patterns of material to form a finished or intermediate three-dimensional workpiece. This facilitates the formation of the hem by allowing the hem to be formed on a flat material pattern on a flat surface, thereby facilitating the folding, creasing and affixing of the hem without the requirement of human dexterity and labor.
Claims23
A method for constructing an article of manufacture, the method comprising:
- cutting a notch in a continuous web of material the continuous web of material being retrieved from a roll of material, the notch being configured to define a hem;
- folding the notch of material and affixing the notch of material onto a portion of the continuous web of material to form the hem;
- after forming the hem, forming one or more seams to join a first portion of the continuous web having the hem to a second portion of continuous web of material.
A method for producing garments in an automated manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- defining first and second panels on a continuous web of fabric;
- determining at least one location on the first or second panels for a hem to be formed;
- cutting a notch in the continuous web of fabric at the location of the hem to be formed;
- folding and affixing the cut portion to form the hem;
- forming one or more seams to connect the first and second panels together;
- and
- after forming the hem and forming the one or more seams, cutting the connected first and second panels from the continuous web of fabric to form a garment.
A tool for forming a hem in a flexible material comprising:
- a tool head having a flat base configured to fit under a piece of material and a back extending upward from the base;
- an articulating mechanism for moving the tool head in multiple dimensions;
- and
- a control system for controlling the articulating mechanism to slide the tool head under the material and fold the material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.