Method and apparatus for marking and cutting a flexible web

A method of cutting and marking a web of fabric for use in making an item of upholstered furniture or the like, said fabric having at least one distinct visible design feature and a predetermined repeat length, comprising:

• holding a length of said fabric between two stations such that the length is in a generally planar orientation;
• scanning said fabric to identify at least one predominate visible design feature of at least two repeat lengths and storing the locations of each identified design feature in a memory means;
• comparing the locations of stored design features of one or more adjacent stored design features to determine the presence and absence of dimensional distortion of the web;
• determining a layout on the web of fabric, the layout comprising a number of pieces of fabric of predetermined shapes and sizes that are to comprise the pieces of fabric for the item of furniture to be made;
• selectively adjusting the predetermined shapes and sizes of predetermined ones of the pieces of fabric to compensate for the presence of dimensional distortion of the web so that the resulting item of furniture to be made will have no visible fabric distortion and the fabric will snugly cover and fit on the item of furniture.

Apparatus for use in cutting and marking a web of fabric for use in making an item of upholstered furniture or the like, said fabric having at least one distinct visible design feature and a predetermined repeat length, comprising:

• a frame structure having supply roll means and take-up roll means located on opposite end portions thereof, the apparatus being adapted to unroll the web of fabric from the supply roll means onto the take-up roll means during operation, said frame structure having a bed between the supply roll means and the take-up roll means over which the web of fabric is drawn;
• carriage means attached to said frame structure adjacent the bed and carrying a camera means, a marking means and a cutting means, said carriage means being moveable relative to the bed to move said camera means, marking means and cutting means in both the transverse and longitudinal directions along the bed;
• control means operatively connected to said apparatus for selectively controlling each of said carriage means, camera means, marking means, and cutting means, said control means including a computing means, a monitor means, a keyboard means and at least one memory means;
• said control means controlling said carriage means and said camera means to move the carriage means about the bed so that the camera can scan said fabric to identify at least one predominate visible design feature of at least two repeat lengths and storing the coordinate locations of each identified design feature in said memory means;
• said control means being adapted to compare the coordinate locations of stored design features of one or more similar stored design features on the web of fabric on the bed to determine the presence and absence of dimensional distortion of the web;
• said control means being adapted to determine a layout of a number of pieces of fabric of predetermined shapes and sizes on the web of fabric, the layout comprising a portion of the pieces of fabric that are required for the item of furniture to be made, said control means being adapted to selectively adjust the size and shape of the predetermined shapes and sizes of predetermined ones of the pieces of fabric to compensate for the presence of dimensional distortion of the web so that the resulting item of furniture to be made will have no visible fabric distortion and the fabric will snugly cover and fit on the item of furniture;
• said control means selectively controlling said carriage means to move said cutting and marking means about said bed to cut and mark the web fabric into pieces having said adjusted sizes and shapes, said cutting be done such that the web of fabric maintains its structural integrity so that it can be rolled onto the take-up roll means.

A method of scanning a web of material using a video camera which produces an electrical signal that is indicative of the image that is viewed by the camera and a computing means which records digital data indicative of the image in a memory means, the web of material being located on a generally planar work area, the method comprising:

• scanning substantially the entire work area with the work area having a web of material of a substantially constant light value through the work area;
• measuring the light value of each of a large plurality of coordinate locations throughout the web of material on the work area;
• recording in said memory means the measured light values and the coordinate locations at which the measured light values were taken for the plurality of locations to thereby generate a data base of light values at a plurality of locations of the work area;
• scanning webs of material that are subsequently located on the work area with the camera and producing an electrical signal indicative of the image of the scanned webs;
• compensating the electrical signal of the image obtained by the camera by a light value factor for the coordinate location that the camera viewed the web and generating data indicative of the image;
• and
• recording data indicative of the image of webs of material in the memory means, said data having been compensated by a light value factor for the coordinate location that the camera the web.

A method of scanning a web of fabric using a video camera which produces an electrical signal that is indicative of the image that is viewed by the camera and a computing means which records digital data indicative of the image in a memory means, the web of fabric being located on a generally planar work area, the method comprising:

• scanning substantially the entire work area with the work area having a web of fabric of a substantially constant light value through the work area;
• measuring the light value of each of a large plurality of coordinate locations throughout the web of fabric on the work area;
• recording in said memory means the measured light values and the coordinate locations at which the measured light values were taken for the plurality of locations to thereby generate a data base of light values at a plurality of locations of the work area;
• scanning webs of fabric that are subsequently located on the work area with the camera and producing an electrical signal indicative of the image of the scanned webs;
• compensating the electrical signal of the image obtained by the camera by a light value factor for the coordinate location that the camera viewed the web and generating data indicative of the image;
• and,
• recording data indicative of the image of webs of fabric in the memory means, said data having been compensated by a light value factor for the coordinate location that the camera viewed the web.