US 4,632,046 AGranted

Assembly system for seamed articles

AssigneeThe Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

InventorsDavid S. Barrett, Arthur Ciccolo, Donald C. Fyler, F. Keith Glick, John R. Lawson, Jay A. Sampson, Frank J. Siraco, Robert D. Whiteside, Daniel E. Whitney, George A. Wood

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Abstract

A limp material handling system includes a manipulating apparatus for selectively manipulating one or more layers of limp material on a support table. Folding is accomplished by lifting a curvilinear region of the material, reshaping that lifted region as desired, and lowering that lifted region to a curvilinear region on the support table. A seamed article assembly system incorporates the manipulating apparatus, a seam joining apparatus and a multiple parallel endless belt system for tactile presentation of the limp material to the seam joining apparatus. An optical sensing system provides information representative of the position of the limp material being handled. A programmable computer, or controller, coordinates and controls the operation of the manipulating apparatus, seam joining apparatus, belt assembly, and optical sensing system to provide automatic assembly of seamed articles.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A limp material handling system, comprising:

a limp material manipulating system for selectively manipulating one or more layers of limp material, comprising:
A. a support assembly adapted to support said material on a reference surface,
B. a fold assembly including selectively operable:
i. means for gripping a curvilinear region of at least an uppermost layer of said material,
ii. means for:
(a) controlling the curvature of said gripped curvilinear region whereby said gripped curvilinear region has a selected contour,
(b) selectively translating and selectively rotating said gripped curvilinear region to a selected location overlying an associated curvilinear region of said reference surface, and
iii. means for releasing said gripped curvilinear region to said associated curvilinear region of said reference surface or the next uppermost layer of said material overlying said associated curvilinear region of said reference surface, and
C. a controller including means for selectively controlling said fold assembly.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.