(57) A dual-chain sewing machine for aligning the edges and the corresponding seam tracks
of pieces of a garment that have different curvatures and for sewing the pieces together
along the seam tracks includes two flexible, elongated carriers, which move at approximately
the same linear speed and which are mounted and arranged for motion around continuous
paths. Each carrier has pins extending from it in a direction transverse to the direction
of movement, with the pins of one carrier extending towards the pins of the other
carrier. A first fabric piece is applied to the pins of the first carrier when a pin
bearing portion of the first carrier is in a path segment corresponding to the seam
track on the first fabric piece; a second fabric piece is applied to the pins of the
second carrier when a pin bearing portion of the second carrier is in a path segment
corresponding to the seam track on the second fabric piece. The second carrier is
guided towards the first carrier so that the pins of the first carrier engage the
second fabric piece, and then the second carrier is guided away from the first carrier.
Consequently, the second fabric piece is transferred from the second carrier to the
first carrier and aligned with the first fabric piece already on the pins of the first
carrier. The first carrier transports the fabric pieces to a sewing machine, which
sews them together along the desired seam track.
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