Method and semi-automatic apparatus for sewing flypieces to slide fastener chain
AssigneeTalon, Inc.
InventorsSisir K. Sen Gupta, Wayne A. Becker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Flypieces are fed by a conveyor to a sewing station in a sewing machine which is operated by a sensor mounted a spaced distance in front of the sewing station to sew the flypieces to a slide fastener chain. The linear rate of feed of the flypieces by the conveyor is slower than the linear rate of feed of the flypiece and slide fastener chain through the sewing station by the sewing machine, and operation and termination of the sewing machine in response to the sensor is delayed so that uniform spacing is produced between flypieces sewn on the slide fastener chain.
Claims12
A method of sewing flypieces onto a continuous slide fastener chain, comprising the steps of
- guiding a continuous slide fastener chain to a sewing station defined by a sewing machine;
- sequentially feeding flypieces along a feed path to the sewing station by means of a conveyor;
- sensing the presence and absence of a flypiece at a predetermined point in the feed path spaced in front of the sewing station;
- operating the sewing machine in response to the sensing of the presence of a flypiece at the predetermined point;
- said operating including advancing the flypieces and slide fastener chain through the sewing station, and sewing the flypieces to the slide fastener chain during the advancing;
- terminating operation of the sewing machine in response to the sensing of the absence of a flypiece at the predetermined point;
- said operating and said terminating each including delaying the operating and the terminating, respectively, of the sewing machine for selected durations after first sensing the presence and absence, respectively, of a flypiece at a predetermined point;
- said advancing of the flypieces and the slide fastener chain through the sewing station being performed at a first linear feed rate;
- and
- said feeding of the flypieces to the sewing station by the conveyor being performed at a second linear feed rate which is less than the first linear feed rate whereby a predetermined uniform spacing is produced between flypieces sewn to the slide fastener chain.
An apparatus for feeding and sewing flypieces onto a continuous slide fastener chain, comprising
- a sewing machine defining a sewing station for advancing the flypieces and the slide fastener chain through the sewing station and for sewing the flypieces to the slide fastener chain during the advancing,
- means for guiding the continuous slide fastener chain to the sewing station,
- a conveyor in front of the sewing machine for sequentially feeding flypieces to the sewing station,
- sensing means for sensing the presence and absence of a flypiece at a predetermined point spaced in front of the sewing station,
- means controlled by the sensing means for operating the sewing machine in response to the presence of a flypiece at the predetermined point and for terminating operation of the sewing machine in response to the absence of a flypiece at the predetermined point,
- said operating and terminating means including delay means for delaying the operation and the terminating of operation for respective delay periods after an initial sensing of the presence and absence, respectively, of the flypiece by the sensing means,
- said sewing machine having a first linear feed rate of advancement of the flypieces and slide fastener chain through the sewing station, and
- said conveyor having a second linear feed rate of advancement of the flypieces which is less than the first linear feed rate whereby a predetermined uniform spacing is produced between adjacent flypieces sewn to the slide fastener chain.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.