Multi-needle double lock chain stitch tack, jump and thread trimming quilting method and apparatus

A method of manufacturing quilted fabric having an array of discrete chain lock stitched patterns comprising the steps of:

• providing a cyclically operable lock chain stitch forming mechanism including a plurality of sets of stitch forming elements disposed in an array corresponding to an array of patterns to be stitched, each of the sets including:
• a needle disposed on one side of a fabric to be quilted, each of the needles having a needle thread supply associated therewith and a needle thread extending from the needle thread supply through an eye in a tip of the needle, each of the needles of the sets being ganged to reciprocate in synchronism to simultaneously form a stitch with the needle thread in each of a corresponding plurality of patterns of the fabric during each cycle of operation of the mechanism,
• a looper disposed on the opposite side of the fabric from the needle, each of the loopers having a looper thread supply associated therewith and a looper thread extending from the looper thread supply through a guide in the looper, each of the loopers of the sets being ganged to reciprocate in synchronism to simultaneously form a lock stitch in cooperation with a needle in each of the corresponding plurality of patterns during each cycle of operation of the mechanism;
• providing a plurality of thread trimming surfaces, one on each of a plurality of thread trimming elements, each located adjacent each of the sets in the array, the thread trimming elements being ganged to move in synchronism to move the thread trimming surfaces with respect to a thread at each set;
• forming a discrete set of the patterns, including the steps of:
• operating the mechanism through a plurality of cycles to form a plurality of lock chain stitched patterns in the fabric, one with each corresponding needle and looper;
• then, contacting at least one thread of each set with the trimming surface of each adjacent trimming element, on the side of the fabric opposite the needle, and cutting at a thread therewith;
• then positioning the fabric relative to each needle to bring each needle to a position adjacent the starting point of a new pattern;
• and
• repeating the pattern forming step to form a second set of discrete patterns of the array.

An apparatus for manufacturing quilted fabric having an array of discrete identical lock chain stitched patterns sewn therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a needle plate for supporting thereon a fabric to be quilted, the plate having a plurality of holes spaced thereon in an array corresponding to an array of patterns to be sewn;
• a cyclically moveable stitching mechanism including a plurality of sets of cooperating lock chain stitch forming elements spaced thereon in an array corresponding to the array of patterns to be sewn, each of the sets including cooperating elements spaced on opposite sides of the plate in alignment with a corresponding hole of the array thereon;
• each of the sets including a needle on a front side of the needle plate and a looper on the back side of the needle plate;
• a plurality of thread trimming elements on the back side of the needle plate corresponding to a respective one of the sets and each having a thread trimming surface thereon;
• and
• fabric movement means selectively coupled to the stitch forming mechanism for moving the fabric relative to the sets of stitch forming and thread trimming elements for forming consecutive arrays of discrete patterns in the fabric and for cutting the threads therebetween.