US 6,668,740 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for linking plain knitted fabrics

AssigneeDan Co., Ltd.

InventorsSadao Kawamura, Akira Isii, Takahiro Wada, Naomasa Ochi, Kimio Takeda

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Abstract

A method for linking plain knitted fabrics includes the steps of fixing a first plain knitted fabric in a stretched state, obtaining an image including an image of a darning stitch, calculating a location of the darning stitch, repeating the above steps with a second plain knitted fabric, calculating a location of the darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric from the obtained image, moving the first plain knitted fabric and the second plain knitted fabric relative to each other to align the darning stitches of the first and second plain knitted fabrics, moving a sewing machine needle of a sewing machine to the location of the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric, and linking together the darning stitches.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for linking plain knitted fabrics comprising the steps of:

fixing a first plain knitted fabric in a stretched state;
obtaining an image including an image of a darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric in the stretched state;
calculating a location of the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric from the obtained image including the image of the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric in the stretched state;
holding a second plain knitted fabric in a stretched state;
obtaining an image including an image of a darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric in the stretched state;
calculating a location of the darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric to be linked to the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric, from the obtained image including the image of the darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric in the stretched state;
moving the first plain knitted fabric and the second plain knitted fabric relative to each other to align the darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric and the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric with each other;
moving a sewing machine needle of a sewing machine mechanism to the location of the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric;
and
linking together the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric and the darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric with the sewing machine needle.

7 more elements

An apparatus for linking plain knitted fabrics comprising:

a fixing device fixing a first plain knitted fabric in a stretched state;
a first image obtaining device for obtaining an image including an image of a darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric in the stretched state;
a holding fixture for holding a second plain knitted fabric in a stretched state;
a second image obtaining device for obtaining an image including an image of a darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric in the stretched state;
an image processing system for calculating a location of the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric and a location of the darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric from the images picked up by the first image obtaining device and the second image obtaining device;
a controller for locating a holding fixture controlling the movement of the holding fixture such that the location of the darning stitch of the second plain knitted fabric is aligned with the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric;
and
a sewing machine mechanism provided with a control apparatus for locating a sewing machine needle which controls the sewing machine needle to move to the location of the darning stitch of the first plain knitted fabric to be linked with.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.