Automated sewing system and method for sewing a knit glove cuff edge

An automated sewing system for applying overedge stitching to a continuous raw cuff edge of a knit glove as said cuff edge moves along a sewing path, said knit glove having a body portion extending from said cuff edge, said automated sewing system comprising:

• a sewing machine including stitching instrumentalities for sewing said overedge stitching along said raw cuff edge to create a sewn cuff edge thereby inhibiting said cuff edge from unraveling, said sewing machine further including a driven thread cutting assembly positioned adjacent said sewing instrumentalities;
• a driven guiding apparatus arranged upstream of said sewing machine for advancing said cuff edge along and automatically positioning the cuff edge by lateral movement thereof relative to a predetermined path of travel;
• a puller apparatus arranged downstream of the stitching instrumentalities of said sewing machine for operably pulling said sewn cuff edge from said sewing machine;
• and
• a system operably connected to and controlling said guiding apparatus, said puller apparatus, and said sewing machine to progressively advance the cuff edge through said machine until a leading portion of the sewn cuff edge is sewn over a predetermined distance, with said system operating said guiding apparatus to remove the sewn cuff edge from the predetermined path of travel after the leading portion of the sewn cuff edge has been sewn over, and with said system thereafter operating said sewing machine and said puller apparatus to create slack in the sewn cuff edge to allow a chain of overedge stitches extending from said cuff edge to be drawn toward and severed a predetermined distance from said sewn cuff edge.

An automated sewing system for attaching elastic to a cuff edge portion of a knit glove as said glove is turned and said cuff edge moves along a sewing path, said automated sewing system comprising:

• a sewing station including a sewing machine and a driven apparatus for directing a tensioned elastic strip to stitching instrumentalities of said sewing machine to permit said tensioned elastic strip to be attached to said cuff edge, with said sewing instrumentalities applying a stitching pattern along said raw cuff edge to create an elasticized sewn cuff edge which inhibits said knit glove from unraveling, said sewing machine further including a driven thread cutting assembly positioned adjacent said sewing instrumentalities;
• a driven guiding apparatus arranged upstream of said sewing machine for automatically positioning a raw cuff edge for movement along a predetermined path of travel relative to said stitching instrumentalities;
• a puller apparatus arranged downstream of the stitching instrumentalities of said sewing machine for operably pulling said elasticized sewn cuff edge from said sewing machine;
• and
• a system operably connected to and controlling said guiding apparatus, said puller apparatus and said sewing machine including said driven apparatus to progressively advance the raw cuff edge through said machine until a leading portion of the sewn cuff edge is sewn over a predetermined distance, with said system operating said puller apparatus and sewing machine after the leading portion of the sewn cuff edge has been sewn over to create slack in at least that portion of the elasticized sewn cuff edge disposed between said puller apparatus and said sewing instrumentalities to allow a chain of overedge stitches extending from said elasticized and sewn cuff edge to be drawn toward and severed a predetermined distance from said elasticized sewn cuff edge.

An automated method of sewing a continuous cuff edge of a knit glove to inhibit said cuff edge from inadvertently unraveling, said knit glove having a body portion extending from said cuff edge, said method of sewing comprising the steps of:

• moving a raw edge of said glove cuff along a predetermined path of travel toward a sewing station, said sewing station including a sewing machine with stitching instrumentalities and a driven vacuum operated cutting assembly positioned adjacent said sewing instrumentalities for cutting threads;
• positioning an edge of said glove automatically along said predetermined path of travel and relative to said stitching instrumentalities;
• controlling said sewing machine to progressively apply an interlocked stitching pattern to the raw edge of the glove as said cuff edge passes through said sewing machine to create a sewn cuff edge thereby inhibiting the cuff edge from inadvertently unraveling, said application of interlocked stitches continuing until a leading portion of the sewn cuff edge is sewn over a predetermined distance by said stitching instrumentalities;
• removing said sewn cuff edge from said predetermined path of travel after the sewn cuff edge is sewn over said predetermined distance;
• and
• continuing operation of said sewing machine after said sewn cuff edge is removed from said predetermined path of travel to create a chain of stitches extending from said sewn cuff edge, and wherein said chain of stitches is drawn toward said cutting assembly and severed a predetermined distance from said sewn cuff edge.

An automated method of sewing a continuous cuff edge of a knit glove to inhibit said cuff edge from inadvertently unraveling, said knit glove having a body portion extending from said cuff edge, said method of sewing comprising the steps of:

• moving an edge of said glove cuff along a predetermined path of travel toward a sewing station, said sewing station including a sewing machine with stitching instrumentalities and a driven vacuum operated cutting assembly positioned adjacent said sewing instrumentalities for cutting threads;
• positioning an edge of said glove cuff automatically along said predetermined path of travel and relative to said stitching instrumentalities;
• pulling said cuff edge from said sewing machine in a first direction extending generally parallel to the predetermined path of travel of said cuff edge with a puller apparatus;
• controlling said sewing machine to progressively apply an interlocked stitching pattern to the raw edge of the glove as said cuff edge passes through said sewing machine to create a sewn cuff edge thereby inhibiting the cuff edge from inadvertently unraveling, with said application of interlocked stitches continuing until a leading portion of the sewn cuff edge is sewn over a predetermined distance by said stitching instrumentalities;
• evicting the cuff edge approaching said sewing instrumentalities from said predetermined path of travel after the leading edge of the sewn cuff edge has been sewn over said predetermined distance;
• and
• continuing operation of said sewing machine while creating slack in that portion of the sewn cuff edge between said puller and said sewing instrumentalities to create a chain of stitches extending from said sewn cuff edge, and wherein said chain of stitches is drawn toward said cutting assembly and severed a predetermined distance from said sewn cuff edge.

An automated method of attaching elastic to a glove cuff edge of a knit glove having a body portion extending integral with and from said cuff edge, said automated method comprising the steps of:

• moving a raw edge of said glove cuff along a predetermined path of travel toward a sewing machine having stitching instrumentalities and a driven vacuum operated cutting assembly positioned adjacent said sewing instrumentalities;
• positioning said edge of said glove automatically along said predetermined path of travel and relative to said stitching instrumentalities of said sewing machine;
• applying an interlocked stitching pattern to the cuff edge as said cuff edge passes through said sewing machine thereby creating a sewn cuff edge;
• elasticizing the cuff edge of said glove with a relatively narrow tensioned strip of elasticized material, said tensioned strip of elasticized material being sewn into and positioned immediately adjacent to the cuff edge sewn by said sewing instrumentalities;
• controlling said sewing machine to progressively advance the elasticized and sewn cuff edge through said sewing machine until a leading portion of the elasticized and sewn cuff edge is sewn over a predetermined distance by said sewing instrumentalities and a chain of stitches extends from the elasticized and sewn cuff edge to the sewing instrumentalities of said sewing machine, and with said chain of stitches extending from said elasticized and sewn cuff edge and said sewing instrumentalities being drawn toward and severed by said cutting assembly.