US 5,782,193 A · Vertical stitching machine and method

Abstract

The disclosed stitching machine and method orients cooperating needle and hook components of a sewing machine in spaced horizontal alignment, and suspends flexible sheet(s) to be stitched in a generally vertical orientation between these sewing machine components, and tensions the sheet(s) to a flat stitchable condition whereby the sewing machine components might stitch interior seams through the flexible sheet(s). Horizontal and vertical slides support the cooperating sewing machine components to move along horizontal and vertical axes parallel to the suspended flexible sheet(s), and controlled drives shift them in unison along these axes as needed to trace out an intended seam pattern relative to the flexible sheet(s). A conveyor is provided with a substantially vertical run of a height in excess of the sheet(s) to be stitched when vertically oriented, to pass the sheets between the sewing machine components and hold them in the vertical orientation for stitching, and to remove them after being stitched. The disclosed invention reduces floor space previously needed for prior art stitching machines that oriented the flexible sheet(s) in a horizontal plane when being stitched.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A stitching machine for making interior seams through flexible sheet(s), comprising the combination of

a sewing machine having cooperating needle and hook components;
a conveyor having a substantially vertical run passing between the cooperating sewing machine components, and of a height in excess of the sheet(s) to be stitched;
the conveyor having means thereon to releasibly retain the leading edge of the sheet(s), and to move said leading edge to near the upper end of said vertical run and thereby have the remainder of the sheet(s) hanging vertically therebelow along the conveyor run and between the sewing machine components;
means to releasibly retain the trailing and side edges of the sheet(s) while along the vertical conveyor run, and to stretch the sheet(s) along the vertical or "Y" axis and the horizontal or "X" axis to a generally flat stitchable condition;
means to shift the cooperating sewing machine components in unison along the "X" and "Y" axes as needed to trace out an intended seam pattern relative to the flexible sheet(s);
and
means to move said retained leading edge from said vertical conveyor run for removing the stitched sheet(s).

4 more elements

A stitching machine for making interior seams through flexible sheets of set lengths and widths, comprising the combination of

spaced vertical side columns, a cross bridge extended between the side columns, and means connecting the cross bridge for movement vertically along the side columns;
said cross bridge comprising horizontally separated front and rear beams, mounting platforms and means connecting the mounting platforms for movement horizontally along the front and rear bridge beams respectively, and a component platform and means connecting the component platform for movement horizontally on one of the mounting platforms in the direction substantially normal to the bridge beams and toward and away from the other mounting platform;
a sewing machine having cooperating needle and hook components, the cooperating needle and hook components being connected to the other mounting platform and to the component platform and being horizontally separated and aligned and means to drive these platforms and the cooperative sewing machine components thereon horizontally as needed to be separated and to be in operative stitching proximity;
means to hold peripheral edges of the flexible sheets to be stitched and to stretch out the sheets to a generally flat stitchable condition vertically aligned and passing between the cooperating sewing machine components;
the maximum available vertical movement of the cross bridge along the side columns and the maximum available horizontal movement of the mounting platforms and sewing machine components carried thereon being in excess of the lengths and widths of the stretched flexible sheets as held and vertically aligned;
and
means to drive the cross bridge vertically along the side columns while maintaining the cross bridge in precise horizontal alignment, means to drive the mounting platforms and cooperative sewing machine components along the bridge beams in unison for maintaining the operative components in precise operative horizontal alignment, and means to operate these drive means as needed so as to shift the cooperating sewing machine components in unison along the horizontal and vertical axes and thereby trace out an intended seam pattern relative to the vertically aligned flexible sheets.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vertical stitching machine and method

Life of this patent

Vertical stitching machine and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13