US 5,685,250 A · Quilting method and apparatus

Abstract

Quilts (120) are made from unquilted comforter bags (206) without premounting the panel on a rectangular frame (11,11a). A leading edge clamp (50,250) is preattached along the leading edge of a panel and fed from an operator station (15) onto a shuttle (20) movably mounted on the frame of a programmed single needle quilting machine (10,10a). Opposed belt conveyors (61,62) on opposite sides of the shuttle (20) advance the clamp (50,250) and pull the panel onto the shuttle (20), gripping the side edges of the panel as it is pulled. A trailing edge clamp bar (48) frictionally engages the panel as the panel is pulled onto the shuttle (20). The shuttle (20) reciprocates longitudinally under a sewing head (18) that moves transversely on the frame (11,11a) to stitch a pattern in the panel. A pickup head (86) engages the clamp (50,250) on the shuttle (20) and moves it to an outfeed table (81,281) at the top of the frame where the clamp (50,250) releases the quilted panel (120), folded once, onto the table (81,281) from which it conveyed to a stacker (200) by belt conveyors (82) or a moveable conveyor table (283). Preferably, the quilted panels (120) are conveyed to an elevator platform (302) at the operator station (15) that lowers a stack (320) of quilts (120) onto a cart (204) on which the unquilted panels (206) were supplied. When a quilted panel (120) is free of the shuttle (20), another front edge clamp (50,250) is clamped to the next panel to similarly pull it onto the shuttle (20). When a clamp (50,250) has released a quilted panel (120) at the outfeed table (81,281), it is returned by the pickup head (86) to the operator station (15) where it is released for reuse.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of quilting rectangular panels of fabric comprising the steps of:

providing a quilting head, a leading edge clamp and a shuttle on a stationery frame, the shuttle and clamp being moveable relative to the quilting head, the shuttle having two side edge securements and a trailing edge securement;
then
providing a carrier having a plurality of rectangular panels of fabric stacked on a supply surface in a supply position thereon;
providing a stacker surface in a receiving position vertically spaced from the supply position;
connecting the leading edge clamp to a leading edge of one of the rectangular panels of fabric;
then
moving the leading edge clamp and the leading edge of the panel connected thereto relative to the shuttle to position the panel on the shuttle, and engaging the other three edges of the panel with the two side edge securements and the trailing edge securement to support the panel along four edges thereof on the shuttle;
then
moving the leading edge clamp and the shuttle relative to the quilting head on the frame while stitching a pattern on the panel of fabric;
and then
transferring the quilted panel to the stacker surface at the receiving position;
shifting quilted panels from the receiving position to the supply position;
and
removing the carrier with a plurality of quilted panels thereon from the supply position.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Quilting method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Quilting method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20