Patent Application
20080184922
The present application relates generally to a rug sewing device and more particularly relates to a rug sewing device that automatically cuts a work piece, adds a binding tape to the work piece, sews the work piece, and cuts the excess binding tape.
Although numerous attempts have been made to automate the finishing products for textiles, carpeting, and similar types of materials, these attempts have not always been successful with respect to quality control and/or with respect to production time. For example, the binding tape used in the manufacture of square rugs generally extends beyond the corners in an automated system. As a result, each rug must be individually finished in a time consuming process. Specifically, the operators need to manually fold back the tape and sew it down in a bar-track unit. Likewise with respect to rugs with rounded edges, the entire rug generally must be die cut or cut by some other manual means before being finished. This additional finishing step also adds to the overall production time.
Thus, there is a desire for automatic finishing devices and methods for textile products. The improved devices and methods preferably can complete the finishing process in an automated fashion for work pieces with square finishes, rounded finishes, or any desired finish. The devices and methods should be able to finish the work piece in a high speed and efficient manner while accommodating variations in the work piece itself.
The present application thus describes a work piece finishing apparatus. The work piece finishing apparatus may include a cutter assembly, a binding tape applier, and a flat bed sewing head.
The flat bed sewing head may include a cantilevered arm. The binding tape applier may include a tape folder. The cutter assembly may include a cutter arm with a driven knife thereon as well as a fixed knife. The work piece finishing apparatus further may include a binding tape separator. The binding tape separator may include a sonic separator/sealer and an anvil. The work piece finishing apparatus further may include a thread chain cutter. The work piece finishing apparatus further may include a maneuvering system so as to maneuver the work piece about the cutter assembly, the binding tape applier, and the flat bed sewing head. The maneuvering system may include a gantry arm assembly with a template. A drive wheel positioned about the flatbed sewing head cooperates with the maneuvering system.
The present application further describes a method for finishing the edges of a work piece. The method may include trimming the edges of the work piece, applying a binding tape to the edges, stitching the binding tape, removing any excess binding tape along the one or more corners of the work piece and sealing the corners.
The trimming step may include cutting a square corner on the work piece. The stitching step may include stitching the binding tape with a flat bed sewing head. The sealing step may include sonically sealing the corners.
The present application further describes a method for finishing the edges of a work piece. The method may include trimming the work piece to form rounded edges, applying a binding tape to the edges, and stitching the binding tape with thread and a flat bed sewing head.
The method further may include maneuvering the work piece across a tabletop and through the flat bed sewing head with a maneuvering system in combination with a sewing head drive wheel. The method also may include removing any excess thread with a chain cutter.
These and other features of the present application will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon the review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and appended claims.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numeral refer to like elements throughout the several views,
As described above, the finishing apparatus 100 also includes a binding tape applier 160. The tape applier 160 generally includes a tape looper 170 for the binding tape 50 to be mounted thereon. The binding tape 50 is then driven via a tape feeder 180 and positioned about the work piece 10 via a tape folder mount 190. The tape folder mount 190 positions the binding tape 50 in a general “U” shaped configuration around the edges of the work piece 10 as is shown in
The finishing apparatus 100 also includes a cutter assembly 200. The cutting assembly 200 may be driven from a shaft 210 connected to the pulley based drive system 150. The shaft 210 drives a first cutter arm 220. The cutter arm 220 has a knife 230 thereon. The cutter assembly 200 also may include a fixed lower knife 240. The cutter assembly 200 is positioned upstream of the bind tape applier 160. The cutter assembly may be synchronized with the action of the sewing needle 140. The cutter assembly 200 cuts from the back to the front and uses standard industrial sewing machine carbide blades. The cutter assembly 200 cuts one (1) time per sewing needle stitch. The length of the cut each stroke may be maximized such that the sewing feed may be as fast as possible.
The finishing apparatus 100 also includes a chain cutter 250. The chain cutter 250 includes a striker 260 driven by a Bimba 270 or similar types of drive means. The striker 260 may have a blunt edge so as to separate the chain of thread used for the stitches 60. Other types of separation means may be used herein. The thread chain cutter 250 is positioned downstream of the flat bed sewing head 110. As will be described in more detail below, the thread chain cutter 250 is particularly useful when producing a work piece 10 with rounded corners 40.
The finishing apparatus 100 also may include a binding tape cutter 275. As is shown in
The finishing apparatus 100 may be used with a maneuvering system 300. The maneuvering system 300 may be of conventional design. The maneuvering system 300 may be any type of device that maneuvers the work piece 10 across a tabletop 310. In this example, the maneuvering system 300 may take the form of gantry arm assembly 320 with a template 330 or similar type of device as is shown in
A programmable controller 350 may control operations of the components of the finishing system 100 as a whole. The controller 350 may be a conventional microprocessor or similar type of programming device. More than one controller 350 may be used herein.
The finishing apparatus 100 also may accommodate variations in the work piece 10 itself via one or more finishing algorithms that ensure that the actual dimensions of the work piece 10 are accommodated. For example, co-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed herewith, is entitled “System And Methods For Edge Measurement.” This patent application is incorporated herein by reference.
In use, the work piece 10 is positioned about the finishing apparatus 100 via the maneuvering apparatus 300. The maneuvering system 300 maneuvers the work piece 10 through the cutter assembly 200. The cutter assembly 200 trims the work piece 10 into the desired final shape 20. As described above, the final shape 20 may include square corners 30 or rounded corners 40. Any desired shape may be used herein. Once the final shape 20 is cut, the tape applier 160 applies the binding tape 50 to the outer edge of the final shape 20. The binding tape 50 is then sewn into place via the sewing needle 140 of the flat bed sewing head 10. The maneuvering system 300 maneuvers the final shape 20 of the work piece 10 about the various edges so as to produce any desired shape. Once the binding tape 50 surrounds the entire perimeter of the final shape 20 of the work piece 10, the striker 260 of the chain cutter 250 cuts the thread from a work piece 10 with rounded corners 40. Likewise, the binding tape cutter 275 cuts the thread and the binding tape 50 about a work piece with square corners 30 and then seals the corners through the interaction of the anvil 280 and the sonic separator/sealer 285. The maneuvering system 300 then removes the completed work piece 10 from the finishing apparatus 100.
The finishing apparatus 100 thus has the ability to produce a work piece 10 that has square corners 30, rounded corners 40, or any desired shape. The combination of the flatbed sewing head 110 and the maneuvering system allows the formation of the rounded corners 40. The use of the binding tape cutter 275 allows for the formation and the sealing of the square corners 30 without the need for bar tacking. The finishing apparatus 100 thus provides for superior automation of the finishing of the work piece 10.
It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to the preferred embodiments of the present application and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
