EP0056760B1 - Process and device for handling rectangular linen pieces - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method of treating articles of fabric with two parallel front and rear edges, this method being of the type comprising the driving of each article in a first direction perpendicular to the two parallel edges, the driving of the article in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first without changing the orientation of the edges and the simultaneous hemming of the two edges, while the article is driven in this second direction.

In methods of this type, it is desirable to hem the two edges of each article with stationary sewing heads. However, hemming requires precision for the presentation of the fabric to the needle of the order of plus or minus two millimeters: if an excess of fabric is presented, there is "stuffing" in the hemmer guide; if fabric is missing, the hem is incomplete.

We know, in particular from French patent 2,166,436 and its addition 2,178,562, a process according to which the solution adopted for hemming is characterized by the following stages: treatment of a first edge, then fold of more than half of the piece of fabric around a fold line parallel to its cut edges and so that its second untreated edge is disposed beyond its first treated edge, then processing the second edge of the piece. No real solution has been sought within the framework of this process to solve possible problems of variations in width of the part: it is simply provided for a leveling of the edges cut by two deburring devices which are part of the two sewing machines. This amounts to saying that any variations in width are purely and simply eliminated by cutting off the excess fabric, which of course results in material loss. In addition, this requires an adjustment of the material for each batch of parts with differences in width, even minimal.

US-A-3,477,397 to HAWLEY teaches a process by which articles of fabric are transferred after being cut from a roll (because, of course, the articles exist as such only after cutting), in a direction parallel to the two edges to be hemmed, on a distribution section, then always in the same direction, on a seam line, where the two edges of the part are hemmed simultaneously.

Because there are several parallel seam lines to feed, and only for this reason, the distribution sections are provided to move entirely in a direction perpendicular to the edges to be hemmed, before and in order to feed the seam lines in a direction parallel to the edges. However, it is clear that while it is moving in the direction perpendicular to the edges, the article is purely and simply translated as a block, and is not subject to any length adjustment. This document therefore teaches no solution for the readjustment of the length of the articles already cut, in order to hem them without loss or insufficiency despite possible differences in length of the articles.

The object of the invention is to propose a method of simultaneously hemming the two edges allowing such length differences.

• a) on entraîne l'article de tissu dans la première direction jusqu'à ce que le bord avant de l'article atteigne une position prédéterminée avant et on maintient dans cette position prédéterminée le bord avant;
• b) pendant que le bord avant est maintenu, on continue à entraîner le reste de l'article dans la première direction jusqu'à ce que le bord arrière atteigne une position prédéterminée arrière, on fait cesser l'entraînement du reste de l'article dans la première direction et on maintient le bord arrière dans sa position prédéterminée;
• c) on entraîne l'article dans la seconde direction en maintenant les bords avant et arrière à leur écartement correspondant à l'écartement entre les positions prédéterminées avant et arrière.

This object is achieved in the context of the invention because:

• a) the article of fabric is driven in the first direction until the front edge of the article reaches a predetermined front position and the front edge is maintained in this predetermined position;
• b) while the front edge is maintained, the rest of the article is continued to be driven in the first direction until the rear edge reaches a predetermined rear position, the rest of the article is stopped from driving in the first direction and the rear edge is maintained in its predetermined position;
• c) the article is driven in the second direction while maintaining the front and rear edges at their spacing corresponding to the spacing between the predetermined front and rear positions.

Advantageously, the arrival of the front and rear edges in their respective predetermined position is detected by respective sensors which generate a signal triggering the maintenance of the edges in their respective predetermined position.

Advantageously, the front and rear edges are respectively maintained in their predetermined position by lowering the front and rear locking belts on the part in the region of said edges.

Advantageously, said locking belts are used to at least start driving the article in the second direction.

Advantageously, an endless belt is used to drive, after cutting, the article in the first direction.

Advantageously, an additional drive roller is used to drive the rest of the article in the first direction while maintaining the front edge.

Advantageously, the entrainment of a fabric article in the second direction is done at least during the whole time when there is no maintenance of the cut edges of another treated article in their predetermined position.

Advantageously, maintaining the front edge in its predetermined position takes place after said edge is aligned with a stop transverse to the first direction.

Although the invention applies to the treatment of any article of fabric with parallel front and rear edges, whatever its shape (trapezoidal, rectangular, square, etc.), it is particularly suitable for a process which comprises beforehand the extraction of a continuous strip of fabric from a roll of fabric, the driving of this strip in the first direction and the cutting periodic in the continuous strip transverse to the first direction of a dimensional fabric article.

Advantageously, before cutting, the edges of the continuous strip of fabric are hemmed.

Advantageously, the treatment ends with the folding of the part and the stacking of the part with the parts previously treated.

• a) des moyens pour entraîner l'article dans la première direction jusqu'à ce que le bord avant de l'article atteigne une position prédéterminée avant et des moyens pour maintenir le bord avant dans cette position prédéterminée;
• b) des moyens pour entraîner le reste de l'article dans la première direction pendant que le bord avant est maintenu et jusqu'à ce que le bord arrière atteigne une position prédéterminée arrière; des moyens pour faire cesser l'entraînement du reste de l'article dans la première direction une fois que le bord arrière a atteint sa position prédéterminée et des moyens pour maintenir le bord arrière dans sa position prédéterminée;
• c) associés aux moyens d'entraînement de l'article dans la seconde direction, des moyens pour maintenir les bords avant et arrière à leur écartement correspondant à l'écartement entre les positions prédéterminées avant et arrière.

The invention also relates to a device characterized in that it comprises specific means for carrying out the various steps of the method of the invention, and in particular:

• a) means for driving the article in the first direction until the front edge of the article reaches a predetermined front position and means for maintaining the front edge in this predetermined position;
• b) means for driving the rest of the article in the first direction while the front edge is held and until the rear edge reaches a predetermined rear position; means for halting entrainment of the remainder of the article in the first direction after the trailing edge has reached its predetermined position and means for maintaining the trailing edge in its predetermined position;
• c) associated with the means for driving the article in the second direction, means for maintaining the front and rear edges at their spacing corresponding to the spacing between the predetermined front and rear positions.

Advantageously, the device comprises front and rear sensors which detect the arrival of the front and rear edges in their respective predetermined position and generate a signal triggering the means for holding the front and rear edges in their respective predetermined position.

Advantageously, the respective means for holding the front and rear edges in their predetermined position consist of front and rear locking belts capable of lowering on the article in the region of said edges.

Advantageously, these belts are endless belts capable of being rotated and at least starting to drive the article in the second direction.

Advantageously, the belts entirely carry out the driving of the article in the second direction, and comprise a fixed part in height situated in particular at the level of the hemming means and a movable part in height situated in particular above the holding zone. front and rear edges of an article in their predetermined position.

Advantageously, the belts are entirely mobile in height and only carry out the start of the drive in the second direction, the device comprising downstream of these belts fixed means for resuming the drive in the second direction.

Advantageously, the device comprises a stop transverse to the first direction, and detection means associated with a delay circuit so that the means for holding the front edge are triggered after the front edge of an article has aligned with stop.

• - la figure 1 est une vue schématique en plan d'un dispositif conforme à l'invention;
• - la figure 2 est une vue en élévation de la courroie de maintien avant du dispositif de la figure 1, en position haute;
• - la figure 3 représente la courroie de la figure 2 en position basse;
• - la figure 4 est une vue partielle gauche du dispositif de la figure 1, représentant l'avancement d'un article de tissu avant l'abaissement des courroies de maintien;
• - la figure 5 représente la même vue que la figure 4, après l'abaissement de la courroie avant;
• - la figure 6 représente la même vue que la figure 5 après l'abaissement de la courroie arrière;
• - les figures 7 et 8 sont des vues analogues aux vues des figures 5 et 6, dans un dispositif où le tassement de l'article de tissu est obtenu par un rouleau d'entraînement supplémentaire.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the detailed description of an embodiment of a device according to the invention, description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• - Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a device according to the invention;
• - Figure 2 is an elevational view of the front holding belt of the device of Figure 1, in the high position;
• - Figure 3 shows the belt of Figure 2 in the low position;
• - Figure 4 is a partial left view of the device of Figure 1, showing the advancement of a fabric article before the lowering of the holding belts;
• - Figure 5 shows the same view as Figure 4, after lowering the front belt;
• - Figure 6 shows the same view as Figure 5 after the lowering of the rear belt;
• - Figures 7 and 8 are views similar to the views of Figures 5 and 6, in a device where the compression of the article of fabric is obtained by an additional drive roller.

We see in Figure 1 a continuous strip of fabric 1 extracted by a set of conventional means not shown from a roll of fabric 2 and driven in a first direction (arrows 3) by known means.

Also conventionally, the free front end of the strip 1 advances discontinuously (for example by a suitable intermediate drive and a free loop of fabric between the roller 2 and said end) to be cut transversely by cutting means such as '' shears, knife, etc.

Such a set of means is already known: this is why its description will not be more detailed.

After cutting, each article of fabric 5 is driven in the same first direction 3 by an endless conveyor belt 6, consisting of one or preferably several individual bands 7, supported and driven by shafts 8, at least one of which is a drive shaft controlled by a control device 9.

In order to facilitate the cutting of the articles by the means 4 and in particular to avoid any slipping ment of the fabric towards the rear of the carpet during this cutting, there may be provided means for applying (not shown) the part on the carpet intended to hold it in place during the cutting operation. These means are applicator rollers; more advantageously, they can consist of a shaft parallel to the roller 8 and bearing on its surface; along a generator, a series of normal fingers on the surface, compressible in length, and terminated by rubber pads. When the belt stops for cutting the piece, the shaft pivots so that the fingers come to rest on the piece and at the same time stretch and hold it, so that the cutting operation runs smoothly. The shaft pivots again to release the article when the carpet reactivates.

The belt 6 is extended, in the first direction, by a fixed table 10 on which, transversely, a stopper 11 is fixed.

The cut article of fabric 5 is driven by the carpet 6 until its front edge 12 reaches a predetermined position before merging with the stop 11.

A front sensor 14, optical or mechanical or of any other type, is placed directly above the table 10 to detect the arrival of the front edge 12. The detector is advantageously of the photosensitive type sending and receiving a light ray reflected by a mirror 15, placed in the table or under the table in which a passage for the light has been provided.

The sensor is associated with a delay circuit which triggers a command signal to lower the front locking belt 16, (FIG. 5) arranged transversely to the first direction 3 and perpendicular to the fixed table 10.

The delay is calculated, on the one hand, as a function of the distance from the sensor 14 to the stop 11 and, on the other hand, so that the lowering of the holding strap 16 occurs immediately after the front edge has suitably aligned with the stop 11, so as to compensate for any small misalignment of the front edge 12.

The length (in the direction of direction 3) of the table 10 is chosen to be as short as possible, knowing that it is only conditioned by the distance between the belt 16 and the stop 11, itself determined according to the position hemming needle for optimum hemming.

So that the operation of detecting and holding the front edge 12 is carried out under the best conditions, an additional safety sensor 17 can be provided, placed upstream of the holding strap 16, and which; after detection of the arrival of the article 5 at its level, delivers to the drive control device 9 a deceleration signal, so that the drive speed of the belt 6 is lower during the time of the operation of detection and maintenance of the front edge, and resume its normal value, either at the end of said operation (which indicates the triggering of the support belt before 16), or after the transfer operation of article 5 in the second direction, which will be described later.

While the front edge 12 is maintained by the locking strap 16 (and the stop 11), the rest of the article 5 continues to advance in the first direction, under the effect of the belt 6 which continues to rotate and / or under the effect of an optional drive roller greater than that of the belt 6.

The drive roller 18 is advantageous in that it makes it possible to accelerate the advance of the rest of the article 5 or else to stop the carpet 6 as soon as the front edge is maintained by the belt 16 and to proceed with the advance of the rest of the article only by means of said roller with the latter solution, the belt may very well be plumb with the carpet and not with the table 10 since the latter stops during the maintenance of the article by said belt 16.

On the other hand, the presence of the optional drive roller 18 makes it possible to provide a relatively high grip in the direction 3 on the surface thereof, facilitating the compaction operation without being annoying for the transverse transfer operations. described later, provided that a lifting system for said roller is provided during these transfer operations, or poor adhesion in the transverse direction of the roller.

According to another embodiment, for reasons of good adhesion of the article 5 to the carpet 6 during the packing operation of said article and without being required to provide the surface of the carpet 6 with relatively high permanent adhesion in the first direction 3, it may be advantageous to replace the optional drive roller 18 with a free application roll (roller or series of rollers, of course), this application roller coming to rest on the article 5 only during the 'packing operation, this support naturally increasing the friction of the article 5 on the belt 6 sufficiently, in general, to ensure the proper driving of the article 5 by the belt 6.

While the rest of the article 5 progresses in direction 3, the front edge maintained (fig. 5 or 7), a second rear support strap 19 is lowered to maintain the rear edge 13 in a predetermined rear position in response to a detection made by a rear sensor 20, advantageously of the photosensitive type with mirror 21, the mirror 21 being placed for example between two upper strands of two strips 7 of the mat 6. The response to detection by the sensor 20 is possibly affected by 'A delay depending on the respective locations of the sensor 20 and the predetermined rear position (shown in Figures 6 and 8 by the arrows 22).

The predetermined front and rear positions are a function of the spacing chosen between the right and left hemming machines as will be seen below. These positions actually determined, the location of the sensors is chosen, and the delay circuits which are possibly associated with them are adjusted, so that, if the article of fabric has exactly the length (in direction 3) corresponding to the positioning of the two heads d hemming, the lowering of the two belts 16 and 19 is simultaneous.

The conveyor belt 6 is stopped at the same time as the belt 19 is lowered, if it has not been lowered when the front holding belt 16 was lowered.

The optional roller 18 is raised simultaneously with the lowering of the rear retaining strap 19.

It will be lowered again when the front holding belt 16 is lowered to block the front edge of the next article 5 whose length (in direction 3) will exceed the spacing between predetermined front and rear positions.

The various operations which have been previously described have enabled the positioning in the direction 3 of the two edges 12 and 13, either that the article 5 was initially at the right size, or that, larger, it has settled between the respective moments of lowering of the two holding belts 16 and 19.

As soon as the article of fabric is thus positioned, and the two belts 16 and 19 lowered, these which are endless belts parallel to the second direction (arrow 23, fig. 1) of drive substantially perpendicular to the first direction 3, are driven in their endless rotational movement in order to move the article of fabric which thus passes from the carpet 6 to a fixed transfer table 24, separate or integral with the table 10.

The adhesion of the belts 16 and 19 in the second direction 23 is greater than the adhesion of the mat 6 in this same direction 23. For this purpose, the belts 16 and 19 can be striated parallel to the direction 3, and the mat 6 striated parallel to direction 23.

The article of fabric which leaves the carpet 6 and the table 10 is driven on the bable 24 by the belts 16 and 19, its front edges 12 and rear 13 being maintained at their spacing corresponding to the spacing between the predetermined positions before and rear (represented in FIG. 1 by the stop 11 and the imaginary dotted line 25).

Corrective edge guides 26a and 26b possible left and right precede left and right hem guides 27a, 27b, themselves preceding left and right hemers 28a and 28b of conventional type, which sew the left and right hems.

Downstream of the hemming machines 28, and conventionally, means 29 are provided for folding and stacking the fabric articles.

It is already known to produce endless belts capable of raising or lowering thanks to a set of rollers movable in height.

In order to allow work in masked time, that is to say so that the machine can hem a piece 5 while the next piece is positioned against the stop 11, it is not necessary that the holding belts 16 and 19 move a piece in front of the hemming machines 28 and at the same time, they are lowered onto the belt 6, which would prevent the supply of the following article.

It is therefore advantageous to produce the belts 16 and 19 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, where it can be seen that each belt comprises a part 30 fixed in height situated in particular at the level of the hemming means, 28, and a part 31 movable in height, located in particular above the zone for holding the front and rear edges in their predetermined position, that is to say above the carpet 6 or the table 10.

The fixed part 30 comprises two rollers 32, 33 permanently applying the belt against the work table 24, and an upper roller 37. The rollers 32, 33, 37 are fixed in height.

The movable part 31, located upstream of the sewing means must be able to be raised (fig. 2) to allow passage to the fabric 5 when it comes to bear against the stop 11, and to be lowered (fig. 3) to block the fabric and move it sideways. The movable part 31 comprises rollers 34, 35, 36 for applying the belt at least to the holding zone, a roller 38 for the upper strand of the belt. All these rollers are movable in height between a high position (fig. 2) and a low position (fig. 3).

A fixed end roller 39 drives each belt continuously, except during the period when the moving part 31 of the front belt 16 is lowered and the moving part 31 of the rear belt 19 raised.

A fixed roller 40 or a guide maintains each belt in a position released from the drive surface 6, 10, 24 in the intermediate zone between the fixed part 30 and the mobile part 31, so as in particular to ensure for an article 5 a good recovery of the transverse direction 23 by the edge guides 26 correcting the poor selvedge placements.

The stopping of the belt drive, very short, even zero, since it is a function of the possible excess length (in direction 3) of an article 5 with respect to the predetermined spacing between front edges and rear, simultaneously causes the stitching function of the hemming machines 28 to stop temporarily, which does not present any drawback, even if an article is engaged in the hemming machines 28.

We can, if we prefer, replace each of the belts 16 and 19 with fixed and movable parts 30 and 31, by two independent belts, one of which is fixed, continuously rotating, and applies the fabric against the work table 24 to near the sewing heads and the other mobile in height. Between the fixed and movable belts, a free gap is left opposite the edge guides 26.

It should be noted that in FIG. 1, the hemming machines 28 are shown very close to the carpet 6, but in reality they are preferably distant from it at least the width (in the direction 23) of an article 5 so that positioning operations against the stop and hemming may have takes place simultaneously at a high production rate.

The conveyor belt 6 consists of several conveyor belts 7, the upper strands thereof can be separated, in particular in the downstream region of the conveyor belt where the articles 5 are driven in the second direction 23, by fixed flat surfaces serving slide when the holding belts 16, 19 convey the article 5 towards the sewing heads.

The spacing between the predetermined positions (25, 11) front and rear of the edges is chosen as a function of the minimum possible length (in direction 3) of the articles 5, so that the length of the articles 5 can only be equal or greater than said spacing, and can therefore in all cases be adjusted thanks to the invention to the value of said spacing, which allows perfect hemming of the front and rear edges of the articles.

The spacing of the hemming machines 28a and 28b is adjustable, the hemming machine 28b associated with the stop 11 being fixed, and the hemming machine 28b being adjustable parallel to the direction 3, by means of a slide or rail system not shown.

This makes it possible to adjust the spacing of the hemming machines 28a and 28b so as to correspond, taking into account the width of the hems, to the spacing between the predetermined positions of the edges.

The adjustable space of the hemming machines 28 makes it possible to adapt the machine of the invention to the production of articles of different length in each series.

The installation described in accordance with the invention is particularly suitable for the hemming of mops.

For certain applications, such as hemming of tea towels, bath towels, etc., it is necessary to hem the four edges of each article 5. In this case, it is sufficient to add to the previous installation upstream of the cutting means 4, while the continuous strip 1 of fabric is extracted from the roll 2 fallen from the loom, two left sewing heads 41a and right 41b which will hem the two selvedges of the continuous strip 1.

Claims (26)

1. Method for processing a piece (3) of fabric having two selvages, and two free front (12) and rear (13) parallel edges, said piece being liable to have possible variations of real length with respect to an average theoretical length, said method being of the type which consists in moving each piece (5) in a first direction (3) perpendicular to the two parallel edges (12,13), said piece (5) being driven in a second direction (23) substantially perpendicular to the first (3) without the orientation of the edges (12,13) to be altered, while the piece (5) is moved in said second direction (23), characterized in that:

a) the piece of fabric (5) is moved in the first direction (3) until the front edge (12) of said piece reaches a predetermined front position and said front edge (12) is kept in that predetermined position;

b) while said front edge (12) is so held, the remaining part of the piece (5) is moved in the first direction (3) until the rear edge (13) reaches a predetermined rear position fixed with respect to the predetermined position of the front edge (12) and independent of the real length of the article (5), the remaining part of the piece moving in the first direction (3) is stopped, and the rear edge (13) is held in its predetermined position; and

c) the piece (5) is moved in the second direction (23) the front (12) and rear (13) edges being kept apart at a distance which corresponds to the distance separating the predetermined front and rear positions, in consideration of which the edges (12, 13) can be accurately hemmed without any loss or any deficieny, notwithstanding the possible length variations of the pieces.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrival of the front (12) and rear edges (13) into their respective predetermined position is detected by respective sensor means (14, 20) which generate a signal causing the edges (12, 13) to be held in their respective predetermined position.

3. Method according to chlaim1, characterized in that the front (12) and rear (13) edges are respectively held in their predetermined position by lowering front (16) and rear (19) clamping belts on to the piece (5) in the area of said edges.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said clamping belts (16, 19) are used at least to start moving the pieces in the second direction (23).

5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an endless belt (6) is used for moving the piece in the first direction (3).

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in extra feeding roller (18) is used to move the remaining part of the piece (5) in the first direction (3) while the front edge (12) is clamped in position.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the speed of the extra driving roller (18) is greater than the speed at which the cut piece (5) is moved.

8. Method according to any one of chlaims 1 to 7, characterized in that one piece of fabric is moved in the second direction (23) when the cut edges (12, 13) of another processed piece are not clamped in their predetermined position.

9. Method according to any one of chlaims 1 to 8, characterized in that the front edge (12) is clamped in its predetermined position once said edge has been aligned with an abutment (11) which is transverse to the first direction (3).

10. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it consists in first drawing a continuous web (1) of fabric from a roll of fabric, in moving said web in the first direction (3) and periodically cutting into said continuous web, transversely to said first direction (3) a piece of fabric (5) to size.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the selvages of the continuous web of fabric (1) are hemmed prior to cutting.

12. Method according to anyone of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the processing ends with the piece being folded and stacked with the precedingly processed pieces.

13. Device for processing pieces of fabric (5) having two selvages and two free front (12) and rear (13) parallel edges, said pieces being liable to have possible variations of real length with respect to an average theoretical length, which device comprises means (6) for moving the pieces in a first direction (3) perpendicular to the front (12), and rear (13) parallel edges, means (16, 19) for moving the pieces (5) in a second direction (23) substantially perpendicular to the first (3), the orientation of the parallel edges (12, 13) remaining unchanged, means (26, 27) for simultaneously hemming the two edges (12, 13) while the piece are moved in the second direction (23), characterized in that said device further comprises:

a) means (6) for moving the piece (5) in the first direction (3) until the front edge (12) of the piece (5) reaches a predetermind front (11) position and means (16) to keep the front edge (12) to said predetermined position (11);

b) means (6, 18) for moving the remaining part of the piece (5) in the first direction (3) while the front edge (12) is held stationary and until the rear edge (13) reaches a predetermined rear position (25), fixed with respect to the predetermined position of the front edge (12) and independent from the real length of the article (5), means (6, 18) for stopping the remaining part of the piece (5) moving in the first direction (3) once the rear edge (13) has reached its predetermined position (25) and means (19) for holding the rear edge (13) in its predetermined position (25); and

c) all of the aforesaid means being associated to means (18, 19) for moving the piece in the second direction (23), means (16, 19, 26) for holding the front (12) and rear (13)edges apart at a distance which corresponds to the distance between the predetermined front (11) and rear (25) positions, in consideration of which the edges (12, 13) can be accurately hemmed without any loss or any deficiency, notwithstanding the possible length variations of the pieces.

14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that it is provided with front (14) and rear (20) sensor means detecting the arrival of the front (12) and rear (13) edges to their respective predeterined position (16, 25), and generating a signal which causes the front and rear edges to be held in their respective predetermined position by means (16, 19) provided for this effect.

15. Device according to any one of claims 13 or 14, characterized in that said means (16, 19) for holding the front (12) and rear (13) edges in their respective predetermined positions are constituted by front (16) and rear (19) clamping belts adapted to be lowered on to the piece (5), close to said edges.

16. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that said means (16, 19) are endless belts adapted to rotate and to at least start moving the piece in the second direction (23).

17. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that said belts (16, 19) alone move the piece in the second direction (23), and comprise a fixed portion (30) situated higher up, for example on the level of the hemming means (28) and a movable (31) also higher up, situated for example above the area where the front and rear edges of a piece (5) are held in their predetermined position.

18. Device according to claim 17, characterized in that the endless belts (16, 19) rotate continually except while the movable part (31) of the front belt (16) is lowered and while the movable part (31) of the rear belts (19) is raised.

19. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that the belts are vertically movable as a whole and only contribute to starting to move the piece in the second direction (23), the device being provided downstream of said belts with stationary means taking over the driving of the piece in the piece in the second direction.

20. Device according to any one of claims 13 to 19, characterized in that it is provided with an endless belt (6) for moving each piece in the first direction (3).

21. Device according to any one of claims 13 to 20, characterized in that it comprises a roller (18) for moving the pieces of fabric (5), which roller is situated between the means provided at the front (16) and at the rear (19) for camping the front (12) and rear (13) edges in position.

22. Device according to any one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that it comprises an abutment (11) transverse to the first direction, and with sensor means (14) associated to a time-delay circuit so that the means (16) provided for clamping the front edge in position are actuated after the front edge (12) of a piece (5) has been aligned with the abutment (11).

23. Device according to any one of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that the hemming means are provided from upstream to downstream, with left and right edgeguides (26a, 26b), left and right hem-guides, (27a, 27b) and left and right sewing heads (28a, 28b).

24. Device according to any one of claims 13 to 23, characterized in that it is further provided with means for drawing a continuous web (1) of fabric from a roll of fabric and for moving said web in the first direction (3), as well as means (4) for cutting in said web transversely to the first direction, a piece of fabric (5) to size.

25. Device according to claim 24, characterized in that it comprises upstream of the cutting means (4), means (41 a, 41 b) for hemming the two selvages of the continuous web of fabric.

26. Device according to any one of claims 13 to 24, characterized in that it further comprises means for folding and stacking the processed pieces.

Images