[0001] The present invention refers to a method for mechanically folding and making a hem
along two opposite edges on a piece of cloth detachable from a fabric, whereby the
width of one of the hems is variable.
Background of the invention
[0002] At known mechanical hemming machines it is not possible in a simple manner to adjust
the machine thus that one of the hems will be wider than the other, which is a practical
as well as esthetical desire.
The purpose and most essential features of the invention
[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for folding
and making a hem on opposite end edges of pieces of cloth such as sheets, whereby
the length of the hem can be given a desired width. This has been obtained thereby
that the forward end edge of the fabric corresponding to the folded-in part of the
hem to be is folded over the edge of a delivery member. A gripper displaceably arranged
on a coiler plate is advanced to the delivery edge to grip the fold of the fabric
thus that the folded-in part is pressed to contact against the fabric. The gripper
and the fabric squeezed therein is displaced on the coiler plate a distance corresponding
to the width of the hem. The coiler plate and the fabric fixed thereto is rotated
substantially half a turn, thus that at least a part of the width of the hem to be,
is located on a second conveyor track for feeding the piece of cloth to a sewing machine.
A holding device presses the hem against the conveyor track while the coiler plate
is pulled out of the hem. An arresting device presses an inner portion of the fabric
against a first conveyor track, between which first track and the delivery member
a piece of cloth is detached, each one of the end edges of said piece of cloth which
are located on the conveyor tracks being fed towards a sewing machine each.
Description of the drawings
[0004]
Figure 1 shows very schematically a section through a part of the hemming machine
and more exactly its pulling carriage and one or two holding and arresting devices,
Figure 2 shows a section through the forward end of the pulling carriage and a transfer
carriage with a gripper cooperating therewith,
Figure 3 is a section analogous with figure 2 but the transfer carriage and the gripper
are shown in a position displaced laterally,
Figure 4 shows a section through the transfer carriage in a position turned 180° relative
to figures 2 and 3, the carriage thereby cooperating with a first conveyor track,
Figure 5 shows a section analogous with figure 4 but the transfer carriage and the
gripper are shown in a position displaced laterally and with the first holding and
arresting device activated.
Description of embodiments
[0005] The hemming machine according to the invention has a length corresponding to the
largest occuring width of the fabric e.g. a single or double sheet. The fabric 11,
which is wound on a not further shown roller, is via guide and drawing rollers (not
shown) fed to a pulling carriage 12, on which is arranged at one hand a feed roller
13 and on the other hand a squeezing device 14. The pulling carriage 12 is displaceable
in the horizontal plane along guides 15, whereby the tongue 16 of the squeezing device
can be moved past a first endless conveyor track 17. This is intended to convey the
rear end of a piece of cloth detached from the fabric to a sewing machine for hemming.
[0006] An arresting device 18 is arranged just in front of the first conveyor track 17 and
it is displaceable to and from this. At the stand 19 of the arresting device 18 there
is supported a pressing device 20, which is moveable vertically relative to the stand
and which has a plurality of rubber blocks 21, which can be brought to press the fabric
11 to engagement against the conveyor track 17. The rubber blocks 21 pass through
openings in a presser base 22, which is connected to the stand 19 and which, when
a holding is desired, can be brought to engagement against the conveyor track, and
which gives less friction than the rubber blocks. In the space between the first conveyor
track 17 and the tongue 16 of the squeezing device it is possible to introduce a cutting
device 23 by means of which it is possible to detach a piece of cloth or a strip of
cloth, e.g. if the edge of the cloth shall be cut clean from the fabric 11. During
the cutting the fabric is squeezed at one hand by an arresting device 18 against the
immobile conveyor track 17 and on the other hand by the squeezing device 14.
[0007] The cutting device 23 is located thus in relation to the'tongue 16 that the forward
end edge of the fabric after being cut will hang over the tongue 16 of the squeezing
device so much that a suitable folding-in part 37 is formed.
[0008] After the cutting by means of the cutting device 23 the arresting device 18 is displaced
vertically upwards so much that a transfer carriage 24 located by the side thereof
can come into action. The transfer carriage 24 consists of a coiler plate 25, which
extends over the entire machine length and at which plate there is arranged on one
side a gripper 26 and on the other side a driver device 27, which under influence
of a guide member 28 can give the gripper 26 a displacement movement in the plane
of the coiler plate. The coiler plate 2is rotatable 180° about the axis 29 by means
of a not further shown driving device. The transfer carriage 4 is displaceable along
guides 30 in the horizontal plane by means of an appropriate driving device, e.g.
a pneumatic piston cylinder of which has been only intimated the piston stem 31 in
figure 2.
[0009] The guiding member 28 is on one hand carried by the transfer carriage 24 and will
therefore make the same horizontal movements as this and on the other hand it is displaceable
relative to the transfer carriage by means.of a separate driving device (not shown),
the motion path of which can be manually adjusted by means of a handle 32.
[0010] The gripper 26 consists of an upper and a lower gripper plate 33, 34, which by means
of pneumatically inflateable rubber hoses 35 and 36 can grip around an object along
its entire length. In figure 2 is shown how the gripper is beginning to squeeze the
forward edge of the fabric which is hinging freely over the tongue 16 between its
gripper plates 34, 35 in such a manner that a folded-in part 37 is formed. In order
to allow the gripper to be able to grip the forward end edge of the fabric the pulling
carriage 12 has been displaced along the guides 15 so far that the tongue 16 of the
squeezing device 14 extends over the conveyor track 17.
[0011] When the forward end edge of the fabric and the folded-in part 37 have been squeezed
in the gripper 26 it is possible to displace the transfer carriage 24 in a direction
away from the conveyor track 17 at the same time as the guiding member 28 is displaced
on the coiler plate 25 so far as allowed by the position of the handle 32. From this
position shown in figure 3 it is possible for the transfer carriage to rotate the
coiler plate 25 through 180
0, whereby its forward end portion will be located on a second endless conveyor track
38, which is shown in figure 4.
[0012] The side displacement of the gripper 26 from the collection position to the position
shown in figure 3 corresponds to the length of the hem and it is manually adjustable
with said handle 32. Also the displacement of the transfer carriage 24 along the guides
30 is adapted so that the coiler plate 25 in its delivery position according to figure
4 extends so far over the conveyor track 38 that an essential part of the hem to be,
except the outer end edge with the folded-in part, is located over the conveyor track
38.
[0013] Adjacent the conveyor track 38 is arranged a holding device 39, which in the same
manner as the arresting device 18 is provided with two squeezing devices, which are
independent of each other, and which more correctly are a first pressure plate 30
and a second pressure plate 32 provided with rubber blocks 31 and arranged at some
distance from and above the first pressure plate 30. In this plate is made openings
33 for the passage of the rubber blocks 31 and depending on if it is desired a retention
with or without friction it is possible to activate one or the other of the pressure
plates. The means for the rotation of the holding device and thereby the plate 30
against the conveyor track about the axis 34 and also for the movement of the pressure
plate 32 are not further shown on the drawing but they consist of appropriate driving
devices, e.g. pneumatical piston engines.
Description of the function
[0014] The forward end edge of the fabric 11 is advanced so far that it will be located
over the first conveyor track 17 against which the end of the fabric will be pressed
by means of an arresting device 18 - figure 1. As a safe retention is desired the
pressing device 20 with the rubber block 21 will be activated. At the same time the
squeezing device 14 will come into function, whereby the forward portion of the fabric
will be firmly retained between two retention members. The pulling carriage 12 is
displaced somewhat in a direction away from the conveyor track 17, whereby the fabric
is stretched. A cutting device 23 is moved over the stretched fabric and will detach
the forward end portion thereof, i.e. the fabric will be cut clean. Thereby is formed
an end edge, which will hang freely over the tongue 16 and the length thereof will
correspond to the folded-in part 37 of the hem to be.
[0015] After the detachment the cutting device is displaced to its inactive position and
the arresting device 18 is raised so much that it will not hamper the subsequent operations.
[0016] The squeezing device 14 will maintain its pressure against the fabric, whereas the
pulling carriage 12 will be displaced along the guides 15 so much that the tongue
16 extends over the conveyor track 17 such as shown in figure 2. The transfer carriage
24 is displaced in a direction against the conveyor track 17 at the same time as the
gripper 26 is moved on the coiler plate 25 to its collecting position in which the
two gripper plates 33 and 34 of the gripper will grip the folded forward end edge
of the fabric.
[0017] In the next phase the transfer carriage 24 is displaced in a direction away from
the conveyor track 17 and the gripper 26 is also by means of the guiding member 28
displaced a predetermined distance along the coiler plate 25 corresponding to the
length of the hem and the squeezing device 14 is furthermore opened to allow the feed
roller 13 to feed a length of the fabric corresponding to the length of the piece
of cloth, i.e. the future sheet such as shown in figure 3.
[0018] The coiler plate 25 of the transfer carriage 24 is thereupon rotated 180
0 round the axis 29, whereby the forward end portion of the plate will be located in
engagement with the second conveyor track 38, such as shown in figure 4. The holding
device 39 will now come into function and it is revolved to engagement with the coiler
plate 25, whereby the future hem of the fabric 11 is pressed against the conveyor
track 38. At this squeezing the pressure plate 32 with the rubber blocks 31 is active
and presses under good friction the fabric against the conveyor track 38. The forward
portion of the coiler plate 25 has a surface of low friction and it might therefore
be pulled out of the hem although the squeezing device exerts a pressure on the fabric.
[0019] Prior to the transfer carriage 24 being moved in the direction away from the conveyor
track 38 the gripper 26 will be opened to let free the folded in part 37. This position
is shown in figure 5. During the transfer of the fabric 11 to the conveyor track 38
the pulling carriage 12 has returned to its initial position shown in figure 1, whereby,
when the coiler plate has been pulled out of the hem (figure 5), the arresting device
18 can be put in action, whereby an inner portion of the fabric 11 is pressed to contact
against the conveyor track 17. The same procedure as that described hereabove in connection
with the clean cutting is now repeated, i.e. the squeezing device 14 holds the fabric
against the tongue 16, the pulling carriage 12 stretches the fabric and the cutting
device 23 separates a piece of cloth from the fabric. Two end edges of the piece of
cloth are pressed against the conveyor tracks 17, 38 by the presser base 22 of the
presser device 20 and by the presser plate 30 of the holding device 39, whereupon
both conveyor tracks is rotated syncronously, whereby the piece of cloth is conveyed
in a direction against two sewing machines (not shown). On its way to those machines
the rear end edge of the piece of cloth will pass a folding device of a known design,
which makes the hem which has a non-variable width. With the method and the device
according to the invention it is thus provided a completely mechanized hemming of
e.g. sheet fabric, where the width of one of the hems can be varied.
1. A method for mechanically folding and making a hem along two opposite edges of
a piece of cloth detachable from a fabric, whereby the width of one of the hems is
variable, characterized by the following steps:
a) that the forward end edge of the fabric, corresponding to the folded-in part of
the hem to be, is folded over the edge of a delivery member,
b) that a gripper displaceably arranged on a coiler plate is advanced to the delivery
edge to grip the fold of the fabric thus that the folded-in part is pressed to contact
against the fabric,
c) that the gripper and the fabric squeezed therein is displaced on the coiler plate
a distance corresponding to the width of the hem,
d) that the coiler plate and the fabric fixed thereto is rotated substantially half
a turn, thus that at least a part of the width of the hem to be, is located on a second
conveyor track for feeding the piece of cloth to a sewing machine,
e) that a holding device presses the hem against the second conveyor track, while
the coiler plate is pulled out of the hem, and
f) that an arresting device presses an inner portion of the fabric against a first
conveyor track between which first track and the delivery member a piece of cloth
is detached, each one of the end edges of said piece of cloth which are located on
the conveyor tracks being fed towards a sewing machine each.
2. A device for accomplishing the method according to claim 1 for mechanically folding
and making a hem along two opposite edges of a piece of cloth detachable from a fabric,
whereby the width of one of the hems is variable, characterized by two spaced apart
and parallel endless conveyor tracks, holding and arresting devices cooperating therewith
and extending over the entire width of the fabric for squeezing portions of the fabric
against the conveyor tracks, a transfer carriage provided between the two conveyor
tracks and equipped with a coiler plate which is rotatable substantially half a turn,
and having a gripper displaceably supported thereupon, which gripper is arranged when
positioned in one position adjacent the first conveyor track to grip the forward end
edge of the fabric and which is designed to be displaced by means of a driving device
on the coiler plate a distance from the end edge corresponding to the width of the
hem, and during the rotation of the coiler plate to convey the end portion of the
fabric thus that it will be located on the second conveyor track said conveyor tracks
being arranged under influence of said holding and arresting devices to convey a piece
of cloth detached from the fabric to a sewing machine intended for each end edge.
3. A device according to claim 2, characterizedthere by, that the holding and arresting
devices are each provided with two sets of clamping members one set of which has low
friction and the other set has high friction relative to the fabric.
4.Adeviceaccordingtoclaims2or3,characterizedthere by, that the gripper is adapted
in one end position to cooperate with a delivery edge, which forms part of a pulling
carriage provided with a squeezing device for squeezing the fabric.