EP0200963B1 - Apparatus of continuous quilting - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Apparatus for the quilting of materials, with or without batting, with chequered or chequer-like patterns or with patterns with interrupted stitches, with an ongoing or continuous feeding of material to the stitch-forming zones for the production of parallel lines of stitching, characterised in that a plurality of longitudinal stitch forming zones (11) are provided in order to produce ongoing parallel longitudinal lines of stitching, and in that at least one cross-stitch forming zone (15a, 15b, 15c) is provided in order to execute at least one cross-stitch at at least one predetermined position on the material, in that the cross stitch forming zone (15a, 15b, 15c) has a buffer (13a, 13b, 13c) in advance thereof such that the continuously supplied material (10) is accumulated, so that the cross-stitching can be carried out free from tension, and in that the respective cross-stitches can only be executed at the cross-stitch forming zones (15a, 15b, 15c) if the preceding buffer (13a, 13b, 13c) has more than sufficient capacity to receive the material to be supplied.

Description

The invention relates to a device for quilting fabrics according to the preamble of claim 1.

A quilting device of this type is known from DE-PS 2 154 359. This known device has a single multi-needle carrier with a plurality of needles arranged in a row transversely to the feed direction of the fabric. This multi-needle carrier forms both a longitudinal seam forming point and a transverse seam forming point, depending on how the multi-needle holder is moved back and forth laterally by means of a U-shaped frame for pattern generation or is held in a stationary position. In this way, for example, a check pattern, a diamond pattern or the like can be produced. The quilting by means of such a multi-needle machine already avoids the disadvantages of the quilting by means of frames, which is explained below in relation to the prior art. But it is only rarely achieved that the quilt corners meet exactly with checker-like patterns, and there is also the risk that the sewing needle coming from above no longer engages exactly in the lower sewing unit during transverse movements, so that a loop is no longer formed and thus the seam breaks open easily. Especially with lighter fabrics, there is a risk of mutual displacement of the individual layers of material.

The present invention is based on the idea of designing a device of the type initially assumed to be known in such a way that the continuous stitching of checks or checker-like patterns can be carried out with the highest degree of stitching accuracy and great versatility of different stitching patterns.

The solution to the problem is highlighted in the characterizing part of claim 1.

The limitation of the longitudinal seam production to several longitudinal seam image points and the cross seam production to one or more transverse seam image points with stress-relieved intermediate storage of the continuously fed fabric between longitudinal seam image points and cross seam image points allows a precise quilting seam execution with high speed and use of the programming possibilities for the seam image points to produce a large number of samples or checks. A change to other samples is possible without a significant changeover time by changing or changing the programming of the devices used.

With regard to the prior art, it should be noted that DE-PS 3 321 749 has disclosed another device for the production of stitching seams on fabrics, in which two sewing heads sit on arms which can be guided across the fabric from the side and transversely to the fabric conveying direction and are program-controlled in various ways Sewing positions can be brought. Field by field or stripe by stripe is sewn in time, with rosette-like sewing points to delimit different quilting fields. There are no separately working longitudinal seam image points and transverse seam image points here.

A device with programmed movable sewing heads is also already shown in EP 0 136 639. Here, a lower carriage is provided, which holds the material to be quilted, and an upper carriage for the sewing heads. The carriages are to be moved relative to one another in accordance with a predetermined seam pattern.

Independent production of longitudinal seams and transverse seams is also possible with a quilting machine model SNA-Mikro from 1983 known from a publication No. 260 483-10. With this automatic quilting machine, a sewing head is firmly attached over a programmed movable frame with the clamped fabric. The frame was also rotatable by 90 _° . With such a frame quilting, a very precise quilting pattern could already be achieved, but only with a limited production speed. Continuous quilting on a continuously fed fabric without frame clamping was not possible here.

Finally, reference is also made to US Pat. No. 4,224,883. This shows a device for the continuous sewing of pillow cases, in which a first boundary seam is made along a first conveying path by means of a first sewing device, whereupon the blank of the pillow is transferred to a transverse conveying path and then a transverse seam is placed by means of a further sewing device. Here individual pillow blanks are processed with a 90 _° change in direction. This requires a considerable amount of mechanical effort, and when there is a change in direction there is also the risk of undesirable displacements and thus inexact seams. The continuous laying of longitudinal and transverse seams according to a plaid or plaid-like pattern on a continuously fed web of material is not possible here, but rather the fabric is divided up and the separate sections are conveyed on conveyor tracks running in different directions before the sewing processes.

With the present invention, an unexpectedly advanced overall concept has been created in relation to the known prior art with regard to the exact execution of checker seams on material fed continuously at high speed and with regard to simple construction, simple operability and operational reliability. The subclaims characterize advantageous refinements and developments.

An embodiment of the invention is described in more detail with reference to the following drawings.

• Fig. 1: einen Querschnitt der Vorrichtung gemäß der Erfindung
• Fig. 2: eine Draufsicht der Vorrichtung aus Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3: den Verlauf der Steppnähte bei Einsatz einer herkömmlichen Vielnadelmaschine;
• Fig. 4: Versteppungen einer Decke nach dem erfindungsgemäßen Verfahren;
• Fig. 5: Versteppungen einer Decke nach dem erfindungsgemäßen Verfahren, bei der eine körpergerechte Flachsteppung erzielt wird.
• Fig. 6: Versteppungen einer Decke mit Kurznaht

Show it:

• Fig. 1: a cross section of the device according to the invention
• FIG. 2: a top view of the device from FIG. 1;
• 3: the course of the stitching when using a conventional multi-needle machine;
• Fig. 4: Quilting a blanket according to the inventive method;
• Fig. 5: Quilting of a blanket according to the method of the invention, in which a flat quilting is achieved.
• Fig. 6: Quilting a blanket with a short seam

An essential feature of the present invention is that the longitudinal and the transverse quilting take place independently of one another. In principle, it is irrelevant which of the two quilting directions is carried out first.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention described here, the longitudinal stitching takes place first. Whether the cross seams are carried out with one or more machines depends on the type and number of quilting seams required, the throughput speed and similar parameters.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, the essence of the invention consists mainly in that the longitudinal stitching and the transverse stitching are carried out by different devices. The materials 10 to be quilted, one on top of the other, become continuous at the beginning of the quilting method according to the invention, i.e. Quilted in the longitudinal direction without cutting by means of a longitudinal quilting device 11. This longitudinal quilting device 11 has a plurality of needles, spaced apart in a line, the two outer needles of which can be used independently of those in between for continuous seam sewing. After the material 10 has passed through the longitudinal stitching device 11, it is fed to one or more transverse stitching devices 15. In order to build up a working buffer between the individual quilting devices, so-called dancers 13 are located between the respective quilting devices, which are attached in such a way that the material 10, e.g. emerges from the longitudinal quilting device 11, is guided upwards by means of lower deflecting rollers 16 and is guided downwards by upper deflecting rollers 12, the material material 10 coming down to the dancer 13 whom it surrounds, and then again to an upper deflecting roller 12 on the other Side to be led. The dancer 13 is mounted in such a way that it is moved back and forth between a stop 14, which is attached at the same height or below the upper deflection rollers 12, and its lower point. The fabric material 10 is then moved to the next quilting station, in the exemplary embodiment to the first cross-stitching device 15a. The fabric material 10 runs from this first cross-stitching device 15a via the deflection rollers 12b, 16b and a dancer 13b, as described above, to the second cross-stitching device 15b. Further cross-stitching devices can be attached behind this second cross-stitching device 15b, depending on whether this is appropriate in terms of optimizing the speed of the material feed and the number of cross-stitching devices.

If the dancer upstream of the respective quilting station has moved so far upwards due to a lack of material supply that it bears against the stop 14, the cross-stitching device connected downstream of the dancer is not reactivated, but rather it continues the sewing process that has started and then switches off automatically in order not to cause excessive tensile stress and thus damage to the material 10. When the dancer 13 has moved downwards from the stop 14 over a certain path, the subsequent quilting device is switched on again. The individual quilting stations can thus execute their work program in such a way that a damaging effect on the material 10 or on a quilting station 15 is avoided.

In order that the cross-stitching devices 15 connected downstream of the longitudinal stitching device 11 receive their working impulse, a marking 17 is made on the material material 10 during the passage on the longitudinal stitching device 11 or at any point in this area. When this marker 17 reaches the cross-stitching device 15, it is recognized by a scanning device, whereby the cross-stitching device 15 is started. How many cross-stitching this device then carries out and at what intervals can be controlled via a program. This program can be specifically designed for this single cross-stitching device 15, or it can be coordinated externally with other cross-stitching devices. The mark 17 can be used as a label, e.g. as a metal strip, or be applied by fluorescent material or the like.

From Fig. 2 it can be seen that the mark 17 can be made not only on the edge of the fabric material 10, but also along a line perpendicular to the forward movement as a line or point, such that the cross-stitching only begins at the point where the Mark 17 is attached. This allows quilting profiles to be generated, as shown for example in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. These markings, which may or may not be visible on the article, or may not be visible until later, enable pattern-based cutting at the same time.

The marking 17 can, however, also be designed as a separate thread or in connection with such a thread. This thread is sewn in when quilting. This marking 17 is recognized in the next quilting device or in one of the following ones and regulates the work processes. Such a marking offers e.g. with a quilting pattern, as shown in Fig. 4. But this marking option also offers advantages for all other quilting patterns that cannot be overestimated. Such a marking thread can consist of metal, fluorescent material or the like. It is important that the material is such that it can be read by machine.

Fig. 5 shows very clearly that by programming the longitudinal stitching device 11 and the individual transverse stitching devices 15 he stitching pattern can be enough, as they could not be produced with conventional devices and methods or only more complex and thus more expensive. This high-quality type of quilting also shows that disadvantages such as arise from the multi-needle quilting shown in FIG. 3 do not occur. With such high-quality, quilted materials, quilting inaccuracies, as can be seen from FIG. 3, reduce the quality so that the products are hardly competitive. As already mentioned above, such quality requirements could previously only be achieved by manual quilting or single-needle quilting.

Claims (9)

1. Apparatus for the quilting of materials, with or without batting, with chequered or chequer-like patterns or with patterns with interrupted stitches, with an ongoing or continuous feeding of material to the stitch-forming zones for the production of parallel lines of stitching, characterised in that a plurality of longitudinal stitch forming zones (11) are provided in order to produce ongoing parallel longitudinal lines of stitching, and in that at least one cross-stitch forming zone (15a, 15b, 15c) is provided in order to execute at least one cross-stitch at at least one predetermined position on the material, in that the cross stitch forming zone (15a, 15b, 15c) has a buffer (13a, 13b, 13c) in advance thereof such that the continuously supplied material (10) is accumulated, so that the cross-stitching can be carried out free from tension, and in that the respective cross-stitches can only be executed at the cross-stitch forming zones (15a, 15b, 15c) if the preceding buffer (13a, 13b, 13c) has more than sufficient capacity to receive the material to be supplied.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the cross-stitch forming zone or zones (15a, 15b, 15c) have a dancer (13a, 13b, 13c) positioned in advance thereof between deflection rollers (12a, 12b, 12c; 16a, 16b, 16c) to form the buffer.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each dancer (13a, 13b, 13c) has associated therewith a stop (14) controlling the cross-stitch forming zone (15a, 15c) such that at the cross-stitch forming zone following a dancer no further material is fed and only the quilting action already begun is fully completed if the dancer has moved into contact with a stop.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the longitudinal stitch forming zone is adapted for the application of a marker (17) to the material, and that the cross-stitch forming zone is controllable by the marker (17) for the initiation of actions.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the marker (17) is formed as a tag, metal strip or fluorescent material.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the marker (17) is a thread, or is combined with a thread, which is stitched into the material in the quilting process.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the marker (17) is applied to the edge of the material (10).

8. Apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the longitudinal stitch forming zone is adapted for the application of the marker (17) at a point along a line extending transversely to the direction of advance material.

9. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that a cutting device positioned following the quilting system is controllable by the marker.

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