US 4,750,442 A · Cuff production

Abstract

A method and apparatus provided for the automatic production of discrete cuffed sleeve blanks from distinct initial sleeve blanks and a continuous roll of knit cuffing material. The initial sleeve blanks are place end-to-end, a gap is introduced between them, and they are passed in a first direction with a first edge thereof parallel to the first direction. The continuous length of cuffing material is folded over to provide a double thickness having a first edge which is parallel to the sleeve blank first edge, the cuffing material and sleeve blank first edges are overlapped, moved together, and sewn to each other with an "over-edger" automatic sewing machine. The cuffing material is stretched just prior to being fed to the sewing machine, and is stretched again after sewing and severed from the rest of the roll. A driven roller includes non-rotatable washers having projecting portions engaging a blade of the cutting mechanism. The sleeve blanks formed are automatically picked up and moved in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. For long sleeve finished blanks this is accomplished by utilizing a pair of projecting portions relatively rotatable with respect to each other to grasp the cuff of the finished blank betwen them, one of the projections having an air jet associated with it.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of automatically cuffing sleeves, utilizing discrete sleeve blanks and a continuous roll of cuffing material, comprising the steps of:

(a) passing the sleeve blanks in a first direction, with a first edge thereof generally parallel to said first direction;
(b) automatically folding over the continuous length of cuffing material to provide a double thickness edge thereof, thereby defining a first edge;
(c) feeding said first edge of said sleeve blank and said first edge of said cuffing material so that they are in generally parallel overlapping relationship, and generally parallel to said first direction;
(d) automatically sewing said sleeve blank to said cuffing material adjacent said first edges thereof;
(e) automatically severing the cuffing material sewn to said sleeve blank from said continuous length of cuffing material, so as to form a distinct, discrete cuffed sleeve blank;
and
(f) automatically moving said cuffed sleeve blank in a second direction, generally perpendicular to said first direction to a distinct stacking area by directing an air jet between the cuff and the sleeve of said cuffed sleeve blank so as to provide spacing therebetween;
automatically grasping said cuff, including moving a grasping member into the space created by the air jet between the cuff and the sleeve;
and draping the cuffed sleeve blank over a rail so that the cuff thereof extends substantially flat, and cuffed sleeve blanks may be stacked so that the cuff portions thereof are uniformly disposed one atop the other.

6 more elements

Apparatus for automatically cuffing sleeves comprising:

a substantially flat first conveyor surface;
a plurality of conveyor belts elongated in a first direction and having a portion thereof disposed atop said first conveyor surface, said belts spaced from each other in a second direction, substantially perpendicular to said first direction;
means for supporting a roll of cuffing material;
means for folding the cuffing material supplied from said roll so that said cuffing material is formed into a double thickness having a double thickness first edge thereof generally parallel to said conveyor belts;
a first driven roller mounted for operative cooperation with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, said first roller rotatable about a first axis generally perpendicular to said first direction;
a second driven roller mounted for rotation about a second axis generally parallel to said first axis, and said second roller in operative association with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, and spaced from said first roller in said first direction;
an automatic sewing machine operatively disposed between said first and second rollers;
a third driven roller rotatable about a third axis substantially parallel to said first and second axes, and disposed in operative relationship with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, and spaced from said second roller in said first direction;
automatic cutting means disposed between said second and third rollers for cutting the continuous length of cuffing material;
automatic pick-up means for moving the formed cuffed sleeve blanks off said first conveyor surface, said pick-up means disposed downstream of said third roller in said first direction;
wherein each of said rollers comprises a plurality of rubber rings connected to a central shaft for rotation therewith, and spaced by a plurality of washers, said rubber rings each having an outside diameter greater than the outside diameter of said washers to that said rubber rings project radially outwardly from said central shaft farther than said washers;
and
wherein at least some of the washers associated with said second roller are loosely disposed about said central shaft so that said washers do not rotate with said shaft or said rubber rings;
and wherein at least some of said washers of said second roller include a projecting portion thereof which extends outwardly beyond the circumferential periphery of said rubber rings and operatively engages said cutting means, to prevent material from passing behind said second roller and in front of said cutting means.

11 more elements

Apparatus for automatically cuffing sleeves comprising:

a substantially flat first conveyor surface;
a plurality of conveyor belts elongated in a first direction and having a portion thereof disposed atop said first conveyor surface, said belts spaced from each other in a second direction, substantially perpendicular to said first direction;
means for supporting a roll of cuffing material;
means for folding the cuffing material supplied from said roll so that said cuffing material is formed into a double thickness having a double thickness first edge thereof generally parallell to said conveyor belts;
a first driven roller mounted for operative cooperation with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, said first roller rotatable about a first axis generally perpendicular to said first direction;
a second driven roller mounted for rotation about a second axis generally parallel to said first axis, and said second roller in operative association with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, and spaced from said first roller in said first direction;
an automatic sewing machine operatively disposed between said first and second rollers;
a third driven roller rotatable about a third axis substantially parallel to said first and second axes, and disposed in operative relationship with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, and spaced from said second roller in said first direction;
automatic cutting means disposed between said second and third rollers for cutting the continuous length of cuffing material;
automatic pick-up means for moving the formed cuffed sleeve blanks off said first conveyor surface, said pick-up means disposed downstream of said third roller in said first direction;
and
wherein said third roller includes an extension having a larger diameter than the diameter of the rest of said roller, and rotatable about said axis of rotation, said extension adapted to engage sleeve blanks at portions thereof remote from the cuffing material.

9 more elements

Apparatus for automatically cuffing sleeves comprising:

a substantially flat first conveyor surface;
a plurality of conveyor belts elongated in a first direction and having a portion thereof disposed atop said first conveyor surface, said belts spaced from each other in a second direction, substantially perpendicular to said first direction;
means for supporting a roll of cuffing material;
means for folding the cuffing material supplied from said roll so that said cuffing material is formed into a double thickness having a double thickness first edge thereof generally parallel to said conveyor belts;
a first driven roller mounted for operative cooperation with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, said first roller rotatable about a first axis generally perpendicular to said first direction;
a second driven roller mounted for rotation about a second axis generally parallel to said first axis, and said second roller in operative association with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, and spaced from said first roller in said first direction;
an automatic sewing machine operatively disposed between said first and second rollers;
a third driven roller rotatable about a third axis substantially parallel to said first and second axes, and disposed in operative relationship with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, and spaced from said second roller in said first direction;
automatic cutting means disposed between said second and third rollers for cutting the continuous length of cuffing material;
automatic pick-up means for moving the formed cuffed sleeve blanks off said first conveyor surface, said pick-up means disposed downstream of said third roller in said first direction;
and
a second conveyor surface and a second plurality of conveyor belts disposed in operative association therewith, said second plurality of conveyor belts interleaved with at least some of said plurality of conveyor belts elongated in the said first direction;
and means for continuously powering said first plurality of conveyor belts, and for intermittently powering said second plurality of conveyor belts.

10 more elements

Apparatus for automatically cuffing sleeves comprising:

a substantially flat first conveyor surface;
a plurality of conveyor belts elongated in a first direction and having a portion thereof disposed atop said first conveyor surface, said belts spaced from each other in a second direction, substantially perpendicular to said first direction;
means for supporting a roll of cuffing material;
means for folding the cuffing material supplied from said roll so that said cuffing material is formed into a double thickness having a double thickness first edge thereof generally parallel to said conveyor belts;
a first driven roller mounted for operative cooperation with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, said first roller rotatable about a first axis generally perpendicular to said first direction;
a second driven roller mounted for rotation about a second axis generally parallel to said first axis, and said second roller in operative association with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, and spaced from said first roller in said first direction;
an automatic sewing machine operatively disposed between said first and second rollers;
a third driven roller rotatable about a third axis substantially parallel to said first and second axes, and disposed in operative relationship with said first conveyor surface and said conveyor belts, and spaced from said second roller in said first direction;
automatic cuffing means disposed between said second and third rollers for cutting the continuous length of cuffing material;
automatic pick-up means for moving the formed cuffed sleeve blanks off said first conveyor surface, said pick-up means disposed downstream of said third roller in said first direction;
and
wherein said finished cuffed sleeve blank moving means comprises a first projecting portion and a second projecting portion, said projecting portions mounted for rotation with respect to each other about an axis substantially parallel to said first direction;
said first projection having means for directing an air jet therefrom to effect separation between the cuff portion and sleeve portion of a cuffed sleeve blank;
and means for moving said axis of rotation of said first and second projections in a linear direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said conveyor belts.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cuff production

Life of this patent

Cuff production

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14