Method and apparatus for manufacturing sewn goods
AssigneeAndrew M. Bakaysza
InventorErick C. Couch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for sewn article fabrication wherein the article components are strategically imprinted with processing information using an ink that when irradiated is readable by an operator as well as by strategically located sensors. The printed components are then moved through a sewn goods manufacturing process wherein the indicia is detected and used as reference points to accomplish various manufacturing steps, such as cutting, folding, stitching, and relative positioning of garment components. The ink that is used to imprint the processing information is either invisible or substantially invisible to the naked eye, but becomes readable under exciting radiation such as ultraviolet light.
Claims29
A method for producing from a starting fabric material a printed material having a central portion and a margin circumscribing said central portion for use in manufacturing sewn clothing in accordance with instructional information, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting instructional information on the starting material at a location interiorly of the margin of the printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material a printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a computer controlled processing apparatus having emitting means for controllably emitting radiation and having sensor means for sensing and transmitting instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of producing the printed material by imprinting instructional information on the starting fabric material interiorly of the margin of said printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- using said emitting means, emitting radiation toward said central portion of said printed material to excite said radiation excitable ink;
- and using said sensor means, reading said instructional information and then transmitting said instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus.
A method for producing from a starting material a printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a computer controlled sewing apparatus having emitting means for controllably emitting radiation and having sensor means for sensing and transmitting instructional information to the computer of the sewing apparatus comprising the steps of:
- (a) using an ink that is excited by radiation, producing a printed starting material by imprinting interiorly of the margin on at least one of the upper and lower surfaces of the starting material instructional information;
- (b) introducing said printed starting material into said sewing apparatus;
- (c) exciting said excitable ink using the emitting means of the sewing apparatus;
- and
- (d) reading the instructional information using the sensor means of the sewing apparatus and then transmitting the instructional information to the computer of the sewing apparatus to accomplish the sewing and movement steps specified by the instructional information.
An apparatus for manufacturing sewn goods from a starting material comprising a plurality or starting material components:
- (a) printing means for imprinting instructional material onto the starting material using a radiation excitable ink to form a printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin, said instructional material being imprinted interiorly of said margin;
- (b) sewing means for sewing the starting material in accordance with said instructional material, said sewing means comprising:
- (i) emitting means for controllably emitting radiation in a direction toward said radiation excitable ink, said emitting means comprising a source of ultraviolet radiation;
- and
- (ii) sensor means for sensing radiation emitted by said radiation excitable ink, said sensor comprising an ultraviolet sensor.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material a printed material for use in manufacturing sewn clothing in accordance with instructional information comprising buttonhole location instructions, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting the instructional information comprising buttonhole location instructions on the starting material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material a printed material for use in manufacturing sewn clothing in accordance with instructional information comprising button location instructions, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting the instructional information comprising button locations on the starting material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material, a printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a computer controlled processing apparatus having emitting means for controllably emitting radiation and having sensor means for sensing and transmitting instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of producing the printed material by imprinting instructional information comprising start and stop instructions on the starting fabric material interiorly of the margin of said printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- using said emitting means, emitting radiation toward said central portion of said printed material to excite said radiation excitable ink;
- and using said sensor means, reading said instructional information and then transmitting said instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material, a printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a computer controlled processing apparatus having emitting means for controllably emitting radiation and having sensor means for sensing and transmitting instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of producing the printed material by imprinting instructional information comprising starting material feed instructions on the starting fabric material interiorly of the margin of said printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- using said emitting means, emitting radiation toward said central portion of said printed material to excite said radiation excitable ink;
- and using said sensor means, reading said instructional information and then transmitting said instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material, a printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a computer controlled processing apparatus having emitting means for controllably emitting radiation and having sensor means for sensing and transmitting instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of producing the printed material by imprinting instructional information comprising component positioning information on the starting fabric material interiorly of the printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- using said emitting means, emitting radiation toward said central portion of said printed material to excite said radiation excitable ink;
- and using said sensor means, reading said instructional information and then transmitting said instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material, a printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a computer controlled processing apparatus having emmitting means for controllably emitting radiation and having sensor means for sensing and transmitting instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of producing the printed material by imprinting instructional information comprising buttonhole location instructions on the starting fabric material interiorly of the margin of said printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- using said emitting means, emitting radiation toward said central portion of said printed material to excite said radiation excitable ink;
- and using said sensor means, reading said instructional information and then transmitting said instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material, a printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a computer controlled processing apparatus having emitting means for controllably emitting radiation and having sensor means for sensing and transmitting instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of producing the printed material by imprinting instructional information comprising buttonhole location instructions on the starting fabric material interiorly of the margin of said printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- using said emitting means, emitting radiation toward said central portion of said printed material to excite said radiation excitable ink;
- and using said sensor means, reading said instructional information and then transmitting said instructional information to the computer of the processing apparatus.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material comprising a plurality of starting material components a printed material for use in manufacturing sewn clothing in accordance with instructional information comprising matrix patterns and grid patter said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting instructional information comprising the matrix patterns and grid patterns on the starting material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material comprising a plurality of starting material components a printed material for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a processing apparatus for moving the starting material components along a line of travel, said method being accomplished in accordance with instructional information comprising stitching instructions disposed parallel to the line of travel, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting the instructional information comprising the stitching instructions on the starting material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material comprising a plurality of starting material components, each printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin, for use in manufacturing sewn clothing in accordance with instructional information, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting the instructional information on the starting material interiorly of the margin of the printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material comprising a plurality of starting material components a printed material for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a robotic cloth movement system, said method being accomplished in accordance with instructional information comprising orientation markings to enable the robotic cloth movement system to orient the components, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting the instructional information comprising the orientation markings on the starting material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material comprising a plurality of starting material components a printed material for use in manufacturing sewn clothing using a processing apparatus having a translatable sewing head, said method being accomplished in accordance with instructional information comprising machine translate lines for indicating the direction of translation of the sewing head, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting the instructional information comprising the machine translate lines on the starting material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
A method for producing from a starting fabric material comprising a printed material, said printed material having a central portion circumscribed by a margin, said printed material being fully flexible and foldable during use, said printed material being used in the manufacture of flexible, foldable sewn goods in accordance with instructional information comprising stitching instructions, said method comprising steps of:
- (a) producing a printed material by imprinting the instructional information comprising the stitching instructions on the starting material interiorly of the margin of the printed material using a radiation excitable ink;
- and
- (b) controllably emitting radiation toward said printed material to render said instructional information readable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.