Patent Application
20070044902
The present invention relates to an apparatus for hemming tridimensional textile fabric articles of manufacture and a method therefor.
The apparatus and method herein disclosed has been specifically designed for hemming loose cups of bras, and finished bras, in a finishing and hemming operation.
More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for hemming tridimensional textile fabric articles of manufactures comprising a plurality of fabric layer, as it occurs, for example, in making bra cups and finished bras.
The latter, as is known, generally comprise a laminated material, including a fabric portion and a foamed plastic material portion or a felt material portion, or other support materials.
The above mentioned articles of manufacture are laminated and thermoformed thereby assuming a tridimensional shape which, in bra cups or in bras, must fit the woman breast wearing the finished articles of manufactures.
The above mentioned tridimensional laminated material, must be coated by a fabric material proper and then subjected to several hemming operating steps which require to perform specifically designed processing operations, to be carried according to a set time sequence.
Thus, the aim of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method adapted to improve the production yield of tridimensional textile fabric articles of manufactures and, in particular, to allow a finishing and hemming operation on loose bra cups or on finished bras to be easily performed.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus and method allowing to make an article of manufacture having very good aesthetic features.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus and method which are very reliable and safe for an operator.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an apparatus for hemming tridimensional textile fabric-articles of manufactures, in particular bras, characterized in that said apparatus comprises a first adhesive applying machine for applying an adhesive strip on an edge of a textile fabric material, at a variable distance from a reference mark with a cutting of an exceeding textile fabric material, and a second machine for folding and sealing that portion of the textile fabric material on which said adhesive strip has been arranged.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, are further achieved by a method to be performed in the inventive apparatus, characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: a first applying step of an adhesive strip at a fixed distance, but of variable size, to a textile fabric material piece, and flush cutting said textile material piece; applying an adhesive supported by a paper support according to the fabric material piece shape; a second detaching step for detaching the paper support from the adhesive proper and trimming an end portion thereof; and a third folding step for folding the textile portion provided with the adhesive material and sealing it on the portion to be hemmed.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative, but not limitative, example, in the accompanying drawings, where:
With reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures, the apparatus, according to the present invention, comprises a first machine for applying an adhesive strip on an edge of a textile fabric material at a variable distance from a reference mark, with a cutting of the exceeding textile fabric material; said machine being shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 and generally indicated by the reference number 1.
Said apparatus further comprises a second machine for folding and sealing that portion of the textile fabric material on which the adhesive has been applied, said second machine being shown in FIGS. 7 to 12 and generally indicated by the reference number 2.
The machine for applying an adhesive strip 22 on an edge of a textile fabric material, at a variable distance from a reference mark, with a cutting of an exceeding fabric material, comprises a drive assembly including two independent wheels, respectively indicated by the reference numbers 5 and 6, the top wheel 5 of which can swing and provide a variable pressure.
More specifically, the top or upper wheel 5 is supported by a supporting arm 40 and can swing about a pivot pin 41, as driven by a driving piston 42.
The first machine 1 comprises a bobbin 44 on which is wound a strip of an adhesive material 22, coupled to a silicone processed paper material strip.
The exceeding textile fabric material, after having applied the adhesive strip 22 to the article of manufacture to be finished, is cut through and conveyed to a negative pressure duct 43, and being collected in a suitable collecting vessel.
The rotary speeds of said wheels 5 and 6 are independent from one another and programmable.
The wheels 5 and 6 comprise a heat resistant antistatic resilient coating.
The machine further comprises a plurality of cleaning knives for trimming the textile fabric material, and, more specifically a rotary knife 7 and a swinging knife 8 which can swing about a shaft 46, as well as a spacer guide 9, of variable size, operating as a reference guide for the adhesive material.
A further hot guide 11, heated by a heater 11′, for pre-heating the adhesive material by conduction through the protective silicone processed paper material being moreover provided.
Said machine 1 further comprises an air conveying circuit for conveying environment temperature air through an air conveying duct 45, for facilitating the supplying of the textile fabric material to be processed.
The machine 2, for folding and sealing the textile fabric material, comprises a wheeled drive unit including two independent and programmable wheels 12 and 13, the top wheel 12 of which can swing with a variable pressure.
Moreover, the top wheel comprises a raising system, for providing a raising operation with the machine in a stopped or rest condition, said raising system being generally indicated by the reference number 18 and schematically shown in
This raising system 18 comprises a pneumatic piston 51 for raising and lowering a bar or lever 50 supporting the top wheel 12.
Said wheels 12 and 13 comprise, each, a resilient coating, respectively indicated by 14 and 15, having antistatic and heat resistance properties.
An eccentric guide 16 is adapted to hem the textile fabric material on supporting elements of different thicknesses and configurations.
An overheated air top heating system 17 allows to melt the adhesive material, independently from the thickness of the underlying material.
The making method according to the present invention comprises essentially four operating steps.
A first applying step consists of applying an adhesive strip, at a fixed but variable-size distance, to a free textile fabric piece, by flush-cutting the latter.
The adhesive is applied with its paper supporting element, by following the piece shape, and cutting away the exceeding fabric material.
The first operating step is carried out by the first above disclosed machine.
A second detaching step for detaching the paper material from the adhesive material and cutting the projecting portions; this operating step essentially comprises a manual type of operation.
A third folding step for folding the textile portion and adhesive thereon and sealing it on the portion to be hemmed; said third step being carried out by the second above disclosed machine.
A fourth optional, operating step consists of removing the basting or temporary fixing system from the outer fabric portion and repeating the first three operating steps, as it will be disclosed in a more detailed manner hereinafter.
A bra cup, generally indicated by the reference number 19 in
These articles of manufactures are laminated and thermoformed so as to assume a tridimensional shape, which must be coated by a fabric material and, finally, subjected to hemming operations.
The outer coating fabric layer, generally indicated by the reference number 20, must be optionally glued to the underlying laminated material, generally indicated by the reference number 21, by using either a permanent or semi-permanent glue.
According to the inventive method, is herein used a semi-permanent glue, to cause the coating layer 20 to adhere to the support layer 21, for a shirt time period, up to a first washing operation.
Another approach is that of non-glueing the outer fabric material to the support material.
In such an approach, the outer fabric material 20 is basted, that is temporary coupled to the support element 21 by a temporary seaming performed at a side of the textile fabric material.
This solution is a technically preferable one, if it is desired to provide an end article of manufacture having good aesthetic features, and devoid of any yellowing phenomenon.
The method according to the present invention provides, anyhow, that the outer fabric material 20 has a size larger than that of the thermoformed laminated material 21, at the sides or edges thereof to be hemmed, which are usually two or three.
If a hemming operation on two sides must be performed, it is possible to preliminarily perform a definitive clamping or fixing of the outer fabric material on the third side by using either a seam or a hot sealing, while using an adhesive material.
After this operation, the other two sides are finished.
In the case of a hemming on three sides or edges, the outer fabric is fixed or temporarily coupled by a basting or a temporary glueing at a side.
The outer fabric material will have, also in this case, a larger size, to allow the several hemming operations to be easily carried out.
Said operations are carried, at first on two non glued and basted sides.
Then, the temporary basting or glueing is removed, while performing the third hemming operation.
The above mentioned hemming operations can be carried out in a variable number, depending on the shape of the tridimensional article of manufacture to be hemmed.
The hemming operations proper are carried out by applying to the projecting outer textile fabric material 20 a biadhesive material strip 22, supported at the top thereof by a silicone processed paper material strip 23.
The adhesive strip, in particular, is applied to the outer or coating fabric 20 by the above disclosed machine 1, at a preset and variable distance, depending on the thickness of the tridimensional laminated article of manufactures to be hemmed.
The above mentioned adhesive strip 22 is applied to the projecting portions 24 of the outer textile fabric 20, at the sides or edges thereof to be hemmed.
Simultaneously with the application of the adhesive strip 22, the method according to the present invention also provides to use a cutting machine for cutting the outer textile fabric material in a flush relationship with the adhesive material.
Then, said method provides to manually remove the outer silicone processed paper layer 23, while cutting the projecting end portions of the adhesive strip 22 and silicone processed paper material 23.
The trimming operation on the exceeding outer textile fabric material is performed by using the swinging trimming knife 8, cooperating with the bottom circular counter-knife 7, which turns rigidly with the bottom wheel 6.
The adhesive strip 22, supported by the silicone processed paper material 23, is fed into the machine, by passing over the heated guide 11, bringing, by conduction, the adhesive material to a pre-glueing temperature, and being arranged on the underlying textile fabric material immediately before the pressing wheels for applying it.
The outer side 9 of said guide operates as a reference element for a relocating of the adhesive.
By varying the thickness of this outer side, it is possible to change the distance between the tridimensional laminated material and the applied adhesive strip.
This distance variation is necessary to prevent the adhesive from being arranged on the edge of the laminated textile fabric material, which would cause the adhesive to prematurely cure with a self-evident visual defect.
The above disclosed machine comprises moreover a guillotine type of knife 48, which is controlled or driven by a pneumatic piston 49 provided for cutting through the adhesive strip coupled to the siliconized paper.
The textile fabric material folding and sealing machine 2, which represents a main part of the apparatus according to the present invention, is designed for folding the outer or coating textile fabric material through 180° and hot glueing, by a top and side hot air thermosealing, the adhesive material.
Thus, the outer projecting portion 24 of the outer textile fabric material 20 will be folded and sealed to the underlying portion of the tridimensional article of manufacture, thereby forming a hemmed edge.
The above mentioned operations are carried out by the above disclosed machine 2, including the bottom wheel 13, coated by heat resistant resilient plastics coating 15.
Said bottom wheels 13 operates in contact with the top wheel 12, likewise coated by the resilient coating 14.
The top or upper wheel 12 can swing to fit a plurality of different thicknesses of the material to be hemmed.
Moreover, said top wheel 12 can be raised and lowered by a pneumatic raising and lowering piston 18, constituting the raising system proper.
The two above mentioned wheels 12 and 13 are driven by independent and programmable motors.
Thus, said two wheels can be driven with mutually different speeds, depending on the programmed distances, to provide a differential effect on the tridimensional textile fabric material article of manufacture being processed.
This effect is provided by a differential change gear, driven through a pushbutton 25.
The top or upper wheel 12 is supported by a swinging supporting arm about a horizontal shaft, driven by a pneumatic piston 51, at one end portion of said arm 50.
The top or upper swinging wheel 12 can be lowered to provide a pressure on the bottom wheel 13.
This pressure can be changed and suitably adjusted.
Moreover, said top wheel 12 is automatically raised by a pneumatic piston as the machine is stopped, thereby preventing the material being processed from being damaged.
Said machine further comprises the eccentric guide 16, adapted to fold the outer fabric portion on which the adhesive has been applied, before conveying the article of manufacture between the mentioned top and bottom wheels.
Said eccentric guide 16 is arranged on an eccentric shaft and is rotatively driven to adjust the thickness of the material being fed under said guide.
Accordingly, said guide 16 will hem the outer fabric on different thickness and configuration supports.
Said machine comprises moreover an overheated air top heating system 26, for melting the adhesive, independently from the thickness of the underlying material.
Said machine also comprises a heater 27 for heating air and conveying it through a plurality of conveying ducts 28 and 29 arranged at the feeding regions of the laminated material to be hemmed.
Said air ducts or manifolds heat on the top and sides thereof the adhesive 22 arranged at the side strip on the top fabric, thereby thermomelting the adhesive and properly hemming the article of manufacture.
This last operation, as already disclosed, is performed by folding through 180° the projecting edge contacting the bottom surface of the tridimensional supporting material.
The above disclosed machine comprises moreover a tridimensional template 30, for coupling the bra cups 19.
Said template 30 has been specifically designed for properly performing its provided operation.
The above disclosed operations can involve a partial removal of the basting for temporary fixing the outer fabric.
The above disclosed operations can be carried out on all the sides or edges of the article of manufacture to be hemmed.
It has been found that the invention fully achieves the above mentioned aim and objects.
In practicing the invention, the used materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes can be any, depending on requirements.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI2005A 001610 | Aug 2005 | IT | national |
