Garment piece positioner and seamer

An apparatus for receiving a garment piece at a first workstation and moving said garment piece to a second workstation in combination with a sewing device, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a garment, piece transfer system located adjacent to said first workstation for engaging said garment piece at said first workstation and for moving said garment piece to said second workstation, said transfer system including:
• (i) a support table located between said first workstation and said second workstation having a smooth, generally horizontal planar top surface for supporting said garment piece thereon;
• and (ii) a robot positioned adjacent said table and having an arm and presser foot attached thereto, said robot arm including means for selectively moving said presser foot between a non-engagement position and an engagement position with said planar surface whereby said presser foot engages said garment piece on the surface of said support table, said robot arm including means for moving said presser foot between said first workstation and said second workstation when in said engagement position to slidably move said garment piece along the surface of said table from said first workstation to said second workstation;
• and
• (b) a vision and control system located adjacent to said first workstation for determining the position of said garment piece at said first workstation and sending a control signal to said garment piece transfer system to engage said garment piece at said first workstation and move said garment piece to said second workstation;
• said sewing device comprising:
• (c) a sewing machine located at said second workstation for performing a sewing operation on said garment piece;
• and p1 (d) wherein said vision and control system determines a parameter value for a selected parameter for said garment piece in said first workstation and compares said determined parameter value with a reference parameter value stored in said vision and control system, and wherein said garment is selectively placed in a reject class or a non-reject class based on said comparison of said determined and reference parameter values, and wherein said presser foot moves said garment piece to said second workstation for sewing in response to said garment piece being placed in said non-reject class.

A method for receiving a garment piece at a first workstation and moving said garment piece to a second workstation, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) engaging said garment piece at said first workstation and moving said garment piece to said second workstation by a garment piece transfer system located adjacent to said first workstation;
• (b) determining a parameter value for a selected parameter for said garment piece in said first workstation;
• (c) comparing said determined parameter value with a reference parameter value wherein said garment is selectively placed in a reject class or a non-reject class based on said comparison of said determined and reference parameter values;
• and
• (d) determining the position of said garment piece at said first workstation and sending a control signal to said garment piece transfer system to engage said garment piece at said first workstation and move said garment piece to said second workstation by a vision and control system located adjacent to said first workstation when said garment is placed in said non-reject class.

A method for receiving a garment piece at a first workstation, moving said garment piece to a second workstation, and performing a sewing operation on said garment piece said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) engaging said garment piece at said first workstation and moving said garment piece to said second workstation by a garment piece transfer system located adjacent to said first workstation, said transfer system including:
• (i) a support table located between said first workstation and said second workstation having a smooth, generally horizontal planar top surface for supporting said garment piece thereon;
• and (ii) a robot positioned adjacent said table and having an arm and presser foot attached thereto, said robot arm including means for selectively moving said presser foot between a non-engagement position and an engagement position with said planar surface whereby said presser foot engages said garment piece on the surface of said support table, said robot arm including means for moving said presser foot between said first workstation and said second workstation when in said engagement position to slidably move said garment piece along the surface of said table from said first workstation to said second workstation;
• (b) determining a parameter value for a selected parameter for said garment piece in said first workstation;
• (c) comparing said determined parameter value with a reference parameter value wherein said garment is selectively placed in a reject class or a non-reject class based on said comparison of said determined and reference parameter values;
• (d) determining the position of said garment piece at said first workstation and sending a control signal to said garment piece transfer system to engage said garment piece at said first workstation and move said garment piece to said second workstation by a vision and control system located adjacent to said first workstation when said garment is placed in said non-reject class;
• and
• (e) performing a sewing operation on said garment piece by a sewing machine located at said second workstation.