Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
  • D05B—SEWING
  • D05B11/00—Machines for sewing quilts or mattresses
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
  • D05B—SEWING
  • D05B69/00—Driving-gear; Control devices
  • D05B69/28—Applications of servo devices for tool-positioning purposes
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
  • D05B—SEWING
  • D05B57/00—Loop takers, e.g. loopers
  • D05B57/30—Driving-gear for loop takers
  • D05B57/32—Driving-gear for loop takers in chain-stitch sewing machines
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D05—SEWING; EMBROIDERING; TUFTING
  • D05B—SEWING
  • D05B65/00—Devices for severing the needle or lower thread

Definitions

• Tins PCT application claims the benefit of US Piovisional Applications Senal Nos 60/715,423, filed 9/9/05, 60/762,471, filed 1/26/06, and 60/763,172, filed 1/27/06 [0002]
• this application is also a Continuation-m-Pait of
• Quiltmg is a sewing piocess by which layeis of textile matenal and othei fabiic aie joined to pioduce compiessible panels that aie both decoiative and functional Stitch patterns aie used to decoiate the panels with sewn designs while the stitches themselves join the va ⁇ ous layeis of matenal that make up the quilts
• the manufactiue of mattiess coveis involves the application of laige scale quilting piocesses
• the laige scale quiltmg piocesses usually use high-speed multi-needle quiltmg machines to foim senes of mattiess covei panels along webs of the multiple-layeied matenals
• These laige scale quiltmg piocesses typically use cham-stitch sewing heads which pioduce resilient stitch chains that can be supplied by laige spools of thiead Some such machines can be iun at up to 1500 oi moie stitches pei minute and dnve one
• the X-axis and the Y-axis are paiallel to the plane of the material being quilted, wluch tiaditionally is a hoiizontal plane
• a thud axis, a Z-axis is perpendiculai to the plane of the mateiial and defines the nominal duection of motion of iecipiocatmg needles that foim the quilting stitches
• the needles typically on an upper sewing head above the plane of the material, coopeiate with loopeis on the opposite oi lowei side of the mateiial, which iecipiocate perpendiculai to the Z-axis, typically m the X-axis duection
• the upper poition of the sewing mechanism that includes the needle drive is, in a conventional multi-needle quilting machine, earned by a laige stationary budge
• the lower poition of the sewing mechanism that includes the loopei d ⁇ ves is attached to a cast
• Looper adjustment has been typically a manual piocess
• the adjustment is made with the machine shut down by a technician using some discipline of a hand tool to loosen, leposition, check and tighten the loopei so that it passes close to oi lightly against the needle when the needle is neai the bottom-most point m the needle's path of tiavel on the bottom side of the mateiial being quilted
• the adjustment takes a negoin amount of opeiator time In a multi-needle quiltmg machine, the number of needles may be many, and the adjustment time may be laige It is not uncommon that the quilting line would be shut down foi the majoi portion of an houi oi moiejust foi needle adjustment
• Chain stitch forming elements used on multi-needle quiltmg machines typically each include a needle that ieciprocates thiough the mateiial fiom the facing side theieof and a looper oi hook that oscillates m a path on the back side of the mateiial thiough top-thiead loops formed on the back side of the material by the penetiatmg needle
• Cham stitching involves the forming of a cascading senes or chain of alternating mterlockmg between a top thread and a bottom tlnead on the back side of the matei ml by the mt
• High speed multi-needle quilting machines such as those that are used in the manufacture of mattress covers, often sew patterns in disconnected series of pattern components. In such sewing, tack stitches are made and, at the end of the quilting of a pattern component, at least the top thread is cut. Then the fabric advances relative to the needles to the beginning of a new pattern component, where more tack stitches are made and sewing recommences.
• One such high speed multi-needle quilting machine is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,130, referred to above. This patent particularly describes in detail one method of cutting thread in such multi-needle quilting machines. Accordingly, there is a need for more reliable and more efficient thread management in multi-needle quilting machines.
• a primary objective of the present invention is to improve the efficiency and economy of quilt making, particularly in high-speed, large-scale quilting applications such as are found in the bedding industry.
• Particular objectives of the invention include increasing quilting speeds, reducing the size and cost of quilting equipment, and increasing the flexibility in quilt patterns produced over those of the prior art.
• a further objective of the present invention is to provide flexibility in the arrangement of needles in a multi-needle quilting machine.
• An additional objective of the invention is to reduce machine down-time and operator time needed to change needle settings in multi-needle quilting machine operation.
• a particular objective of the invention is to provide a quilting head that is adaptable to various configurations of a multi-needle quilting machine, and that can be used in a number of machines of various sizes, types and orientations, for example, in single or multi-needle machines, in machines having one or more rows of needles, machines having needles variously spaced, and machines having needles oriented vertically, horizontally or otherwise.
• Another particular objective of the invention is to piovide sewing heads that can be opemted diffeiently in the same machine, such as to sew m different dnections, to sew diffeient patterns 01 to sew at diffeient iates
• Anothei objective of the piesent invention is to impiove ieliabihty of sewmg element adjustment m quilting machines
• a moie paiticulai objective of the invention is to piovide for loopei adjustment that can be earned out quickly and positively by a quilting machine opeiatoi
• a fuithei objective of the invention is to piovide a reliable indication of when the loopei of a chain stitch sewmg head of a quilting machine is in oi out of piopei adjustment
• a fuithei objective of the piesent invention is to piovide for the cutting of thiead in a multi-needle quilting machine
• a moie paiticulai objective of the invention is to piovide foi thiead cutting in a multi-needle quilting machine that has sepaiately opeiable oi separately movable, ieplaceable oi ieconfiguiable heads
• Anothei objective of the invention is to piovide for moie ieliable momtoiing and/oi condol of thiead tension in a quilting machine, particulaily a multi-needle quilting machine
• a moie particulai objective of the invention is the automatic maintenance and adjustment of thread tension m such quilting machines
• a multi-needle quiltmg machine is piovided in which the needles iecipiocate m otliei than a veitical direction as used by multi-needle quiltmg machines of the pnoi art
• the quiltmg machine of the piesent invention piovides seveial axes of motion that diffei fiom those of conventional multi-needle quiltmg machines
• the sivbstiate is suppoited in a veitical plane while the needles iecipiocate m a lioiizontal diiection While suppoit of the substrate in a veitical plane with needles onented ho ⁇ zontally is piefened and has important advantages, othei non-hoiizontal substiate oi ientations (i e , having a significant vertical component to the plane (mentation and iefened to heiein as geneially vertical) and non-vertical needle (mentations (i e , havmg a significant horizontal component to the needle oiientation and iefened to heiein as geneially lioiizontal) aie compatible with many of the featuies of the invention, while some features of the invention can provide advantages with any substiate oi needle oiientation
• accoi dance with the illustiated embodiment of the invention seven axes of motion aie piovided These include an X0-ax ⁇ s that is umdnectional, which piovides for feed of the material in only one downstieam diiection
• bidiiectional X-a ⁇ s motion is piovided This X-axu motion is biought about by the iotation of feed iolls that advance the mateiial in web foim fhiough a quiltmg station
• independently movable budges that cany the needle and loopei stitching mechanisms aie piovided with two axes of motion, Xl Yl and X2, Y2, respectively
• the Y axis motion moves the lespective budge side-to-side, paiallel to the web and tiansveise to its extent and diiection of motion
• the X-axis motion moves the budge up and down paiallel to the web and paiallel to its diiection of motion
• wheie bi-dnectional motion of the web is piovided
• theX-axu motion of the budge is not necessauly piovided
• the Y-axis motion of the bridges has a iange of about 18 inches, 9 inches in each duection on each side of a center position, and thcX-axis motion of the bridges has aiange of 36 inches lelative to the motion of the web, whether the web oi the budges move in the X duection
• a quilting machine is provided with one or moie quilting heads that can opeiate with a needle in a hoiizontal oi veitical orientation
• a self- contained sewing head is piovided that can be opeiated alone oi in combination with one oi moie othei such sewing heads, eithei m synchronism in the same motion or independently to sew the same oi a different pattern, in the same oi in a diffeient direction, oi at the same oi at a diffeient speed oi stitch iate
• One piefened embodiment of a quilting machine accoidmg to DCtarn pimciples of the piesent invention, provides sewing heads that can be ganged togethei on a stationaiy platfoim oi a movable bridge, and can be so aiianged with one oi moie othei sewmg heads that aie ganged togethei m a sepaiate and independent gioup on anothei platfoim oi budge, to opeiate in combination with other heads or independently and sepaiately controlled
• the budges aie sepaiately and independently supported and moved, and seveial sepaiately and independently opeiable sewmg heads aie suppoited on each budge
• the b ⁇ dges each aie capable of being contiolled and moved, sepaiately and independently, both transversely and longitudinally lelative to the plane of the matenal being quilted
• the b ⁇ dges are mounted on common leg supports that are spaced around the path of the material to be quilted, which extends vertically, with the budges guided by a common linear -bearing slide system mcorpoiated into each leg support
• Each leg also carries a plurality of counter wasghts, one foi each budge
• Each budge is independently dirven vertically andhoiizontally-tiansveisely by diffeient independently contiollable servo motois Motors for each budge produce the budge
• each budge has an independently contiollable drive foi iecipiocatmg the sewmg elements, the needles and loopeis
• the diive is most practically a iotaiy input, as fiom a iotary shaft, that operates the iecipiocatmg linkages of the elements
• the independent operation of the dirves on each of the budges allows foi independent sewmg operation of the sewmg heads or gioups of sewmg heads, oi the idling of one oi more heads while one oi moie otheis aie sewing
• the heads each have elements that iespond to controls from a controller, pieferably in iesponse to digital signals dehveied to all the heads on a common bus, with each controllable element piovrded with a decoding ciicuit that selects the signals from the
• each sewing head including each needle head and each looper head, is linked to a common iotaiy dnve through an independently contiollable clutch that can be operated by a machine contiollei to turn the heads on oi off, theieby providing pattern flexibility
• the heads may be configured in sewmg element pans, each needle head with a corresponding similaily modulai loopei head While the heads of each pair can be individually turned on oi off, they aie typically ruined on and off together, eithei simultaneously oi at diffeient phases in then cycles, as may be most desnable
• only the needle heads may be piovrded with selective dnve linkages, while the loopei heads may be linked to the output of a needle dnve motoi so as to run continuously This linkage may be diiect and permanent, oi may be adjustable, switchable oi capable of being phase
• the needle in a chain stitch forming machine may be dnven in motion that diffeis from a tiaditional sinusoidal motion
• a needle of a chain stitch foimnig head oi each needle of a pluiality of chain stitch foiming heads, is dnven so as to remain m a iaised position foi a gieatei poition of its cycle and to penetiate the matenal dining a smallei poition of its cycle than would be the case with a tiaditional sinusoidal needle motion
• the needle is dnven so that it moves downwaidly thiough the matenal at a fastei speed than it moves as it withdiaws fiom the matenal
• a sinusoidal motion is piovided
• the needle descends thiough the matenal to a depth appioximately the same as thatdepositednted by sinusoidal motion, but moves fastei and thus amves at its lowest point of tiavel m a smallei poition of its cycle than with tiaditional sinusoidal motion Nonetheless, the needle uses fiom its lowest pomt of tiavel moie slowly than it descends, being present below the matenal for at least as long or longei than with the tiaditional sinusoidal motion, to allow sufficient time foi pickup of the needle thiead loop by the loopei As a lesult, moie matenal penetiating foice is developed by the needle than with the pnoi ait and less needle deflection and matenal distoition is pioduced than with the pnor ait, due pimiaiily to the extension of the needle thiough the matenal foi less
• the stitching elements, particularly the needle, of each needle pair is diiven by a seivo motoi, piefeiably a lmeai servo motoi with the motion of the needle controlled to piecisely follow a piefened curve
• the curve ca ⁇ ies the needle tip slightly upwaid beyond the tiaditional 0 degiee top position in its cycle and maintains it above the tiaditional cuive, descending moie iapidly than is tiaditionally the case until the bottommost position of the needle tip, or the 180 degiee position of the needle drive, is leached Then the needle uses to its 0 degiee position either along oi slightly below the tiaditional position of the needle [0042]
• the looper heads conveit an input iotaiy motion into two independent motions without lequuing cam followei s sliding ovei cams Therefoie, the loopei heads aie high speed, balanced mechanisms that have a minimum numbei of paits and do not lequire lubrication, theieby minimizing maintenance leqimements Similaily, the needle heads aie constiucted so as to lequire no lubiication [0044] Accoiding to other pimciples of the piesent invention, a looper adjustment featuie is piovided foi adjusting the loopei-needle ielationship in a cham-stitch quilting machine, and paiticularly foi use on a multi-needle quilting machine The adjustment featuie includes a ieadily accessible loopei holdei having an adjustment element by which the tip of the
• a needle-loopei proximity sensoi is piovided that is coupled to an indicatoi, which signals, to an opeiatoi adjusting the looper, the position of the looper lelative to the needle of a stitchmg element set Piefeiably, a coloi coded light illuminates to indicate the position of the loopei lelative to the needle, with one indicab.on.when the setting is collect and one 01 moie othei indications when the setting is mcoiiect
• the mconect indication may include one color coded illumination when the loopei is either too close or too far from the needle, with another indication when the loopei is too fai ni the othei direction
• a loopei holdei is piovidedwith an accessible adjustment mechanism by which an opeiator can adjust the tiansveise position of a loopei relative to a needle m either dnection with a single adjustment motion
• the mechanism includes a loopei holdei in which a looper element is mounted to pivot so as to cany the tip of the loopei tiansversely lelative to the needle of the stitching mechanism Adjustment of the loopei tip position is changed by turning a single adjustment sciew one way oi the othei to move the loopei tip light oi left lelative to the needle
• the loopei is spimg biased in its holdei against the tip of the adjustment sciew so that, as the sciew is mined one way, the spimg yields to the foice of the screw and, as the sciew is turned the other way, the spimg iotates the loopei tow
• a sensor is piovided to signal the position of the looper tip lelative to the needle, which may be in the foim of an elect, ical ciicuit that detects contact between the loopei and needle Indicatoi lights may be piovided, foi example, to tell the opeiatoi who is making a loopei adjustment when the needle is in contact with the needle, so that the contact make/biake point can be accui ately considered in the adjustment
• the sensor may alternatively be some other loopei and/or needle position monitoiing device
• a multiple needle quilting machine is piovided with mdividual thiead cutting devices at each needle position
• the tlnead cutting devices aie piefeiably located on each of the loopei heads of a multi-needle chain stitch quilting machine, and each of the devices aie sepaiatelyopeiable
• each looper head of a multi-needle quilting machine is piovided with a thiead cutting device with a movable blade oi blade set that cuts at least the top thiead upon a command fiom a machine conuoller
• the device also piefeiably cuts the bottom thiead, and when doing so, also piefeiably holds the bottom oi loopei tlnead until the stitching lesumes, usually at a new location on the fabiic being quilted Whe
• active or passive loopei thread tail guides can be used to manipulate oi othei wise guide the loopei thiead tail below the needle plate upon staitup
• a loopei tlnead deflectoi is piovided to guide the loopei tlnead so the needle does not miss the loopei tlnead tiiangle
• paiticulaily at staitup of a pattern following the cutting of the loopei tlnead a spht-stait contiol method is piovided as an alternative featuie foi avoiding missed stitches at staitup
• the split stait feature is one use of the featuie that allows the needle and loopei dnves to be decoupled and moved sepaiately With the split stait featuie, the mitial motion of the needle and loopei pioc
• a tack-stitch sequence sewing method is also piovided that minimizes needle deflection and fuithei ieduces the likelihood of missing stitches, which is particulaily useful duiing the stait up tack sequence
• the sequence involves stitching a distance, foi example appioximately one inch, in the diiection of the pattern, then ieturnmg along the same line to the oiiginal position befoie staiting the normal sewing of the pattern along the sewmg line
• long stitches aie used coupled with intermittent feed of the stitching elements lelative to the mateiial This mteimittent feed includes the alternate cycling of the needle thiough the mateiial without feeding the mateiial lelative to the needle and then the pausing of the needle cycle with the needle withdiawn fiom the mateiial while the mateiial is moved lelative to the needle
• each tluead of a quilting or othei sewmg machine is piovided with a tluead tension monitoring device
• a tluead tension contiol device foi each such tluead is made to automatically vaiy its adjustment so as to iegulate the tension of the tluead in iesponse to the momtoimg theieof
• a closed loop feedback contiol is piovided foi each of the thieads of the machine
• Each is opeiable to sepaiately measuie the tension of the tluead and to collect the tension on a thiead-by- tluead basis
• the budge dnve system that is piovided allows the budges to be moved and contiolled sepaiately and moves the bridges piecisely and quickly, maintaining then oiientation without binding
• This featuie is used to peifoim novel sewmg methods by which the budges can be staited and stopped sepaiately in a syncluomzed mannei to align patterns and avoid waste mateiial between patterns
• tack stitches can be sewn at diffeient times by the needles of diffeient budges
• the sepaiately contiollable motions of the diffeient budges and the diffeient degiees of motion pi ovide a capability foi pioducing a widei iange of patterns and gieatei flexibility in selecting andpioduciiig patterns
• Unique quilt patterns such as patterns in which diffeient patterns aie pioduced by diffeient needles 01 diffeient needle
• the diffeient budges can be moved to sew diffeient patterns at the same tune
• the mechamsm has lower meitia than conventional quilting machines Incieased quilting speeds by 1/3 is piovided, foi example, to 2000 stitches pei minute
• a split stait featuie is piovided that can be implemented using a single dnve servo foi the needles and loopeis
• a phase shifting mechanism is piovided to accomplish this with both needles and loopeis being dnven fiom the same motor
• the phase of the loopeis is advanced lelative to that of the needles, then the loopeis and needles aie moved together maintaining the phase diffeience between them, then the loopeis and needles aie bi ought back into phase, by i enacting the loopeis foi example oi slowing or stoppmg the loopeis lelative to the needles while the needles catch up, fiom which point the cycle continues with the needles and loopeis in phase
• a staitup oi end tack stitch appaiatus and method are piovided in winch the tack stitch sequence can vary to accommodate diffeient matenals oi pioducts
• the method and appaiatus can piovide foi manual selection of the tack stitch sequence, for manual specification of the product oi mate ⁇ al type followed by machine iesponse to the selection to set the appiopnate tack stitch sequence, foi automatic detection oi analysis of the pioduct oi mate ⁇ al type to deteimme the appiopnate tack stitch sequence, oi to selectable modes piovidmg any oi all of these featuies
• othei machine opeiating paiameteis such as tlnead pull-off, mate ⁇ al movements and o
• Fig. 1 is a peispective view of a quilting machine embodying piinciples of the piesent invention
• Fig. IA is a cross-sectional top view of the quiltmg machine of Fig. 1 taken along the line 1A-1A of Fig. 1 illustrating paiticulaily the lowei bridge
• Fig. IB is an enlaiged top view illustiating a needle head and looper head assembly pair of bridges of Fig. IA
• Fig. 2 is an isometiic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a needle head and loopei head assembly parr of the quiltmg machine of Fig. 1 viewed fiom the needle side
• Fig. 2A is an isometiic diagiam illustiatmg the needle head assembly of the needle and loopei head pan of Fig. 2 viewed fiom the loopei side
• Fig. 2C is an isometiic diagiam, similai to Fig. 2, illustiatmg an alternative needle and loopei head pan
• Fig. 3 is an isometiic diagiam, paitially cut away, illustiatmg the needle head clutch of the needle head assembly of Figs. 2 and 2A
• Fig. 4 is an isometiic diagiam illustiatmg one embodiment of a looper head assembly of Fig. 2
• Fig. 4C is a top view, in the diiectioii of the looper shaft, of a portion of the looper d ⁇ ve assembly of Fig. 4 with the loopei m position foi adjustment
• Fig. 4D is a disassembled peispective view of a loopei holder and loopei of the loopei dnve assembly of Fig.4C
• Fig. 4E is a cioss-sectional view of the looper, in the direction indicated by the line 4E-4E in Fig. 4C
• Fig.4F is a diagiam of one embodiment of a loopei position indicatoi foi the loopei adjustment mechanism of Figs.
• Fig. 4G is a diagiam of one embodiment of a needle guaid assembly
• FIG. 5 is a perspective diagiam illustiating the use of one of a pluiality of thread cutting devices as it is configuied on each of a coiiespondmg pluiality of loopei heads of a multi-needle quiltmg machine accoiding to pimciples of the present invention
• Fig 5A is a diagiam illustiatmg the lespective position of the needle and looper and the needle and looper tmeads at the end of a senes of stitches, in relation to a thiead cutting device
• FIGs. 5B and 5C aie diagiams illustiatmg steps in the thiead cutting opeiation
• Fig. 5D is a diagiam of a thiead tension measuimg ciicuit accoiding to DCtain aspects of the piesent invention
• Figs.5E-5J aie diagiams illustiatmg thiead handling featuies including tlnead tail wipe and tuck cycles accoiding to certain embodiments of the invention
• Figs. 5Y is a diagiam illustiating a loopei tlnead deflectoi accoiding to an embodiment of the invention
• Fig. 6 is a diagiammatic isometiic view illustiating one embodiment of a motion system of the machine of Fig. 1.
• Fig. 6A is a diagiammatic cioss-sectional iepiesentation a line 6A-6A of Fig. 6 depicting the motion system with a moving matenal web and the budges stationaiy
• Fig. 6B is a diagiammatic cioss-sectional iepiesentation similar to Fig. 6A depicting the motion system with a moving budges and the mateiial web stationary
• Fig. 6C is a an enlaiged peispective view illustiatmg the left portion of the machine of Fig. 1 m detail
• Fig. 6D is a cioss-sectional view along line 6D-6D of Fig. 6C
• Fig. 6E is an enlaiged sectional view of a portion of Fig. 6C
• Fig. 6F is a cioss-sectional view along the line 6F-6F of Fig. 6E
• Fig. 6H is an isometiic view of a poition of a budge illustiatmg an alternative embodiment of a stitching element dnve of the machine of Fig. 1 with the needle head and loopei head assembly pan of Fig. 2C
• Fig. 61 is an enlaiged peispective view of the budge of Fig. 6H illustiatmg the needle head assembly side of the budge
• Fig. 6J is a top view of a budge with a diffeiential d ⁇ ve accoiding to certain embodiments of the invention
• Fig. 6K is a cioss-sectional view thiough a poition of Fig. 6J showing needles and loopeis in phase
• Fig. 6L is a cioss-sectional view srmilai to Fig. 6K showing needles and loopeis m phase out of phase foi a split- start
• Fig. 6M is a disassembled perspective view showing a phase s Kunststoffei diffeiential dnve component in detail
• Fig. 7A is a diagram illustiatmg the quilting of a standaid continuous pattern
• Fig. 7B is a diagiam illustiatmg the quilting of a 360 degiee continuous pattern
• Fig. 7C is a diagiam illusuating the quilting of a discontinuous pattern
• Fig. 7D is a diagiam illustiatmg the quilting of diffeient linked patterns
• Fig. 7E is a diagiam illustiatmg the quilting of variable length, continuous 360 degiee patterns
• Fig. 7F is a diagiam illustiatmg the simultaneous quilting of continuous nnrroi image patterns
• Fig. 7G is a diagiam illustiatmg the simultaneous quilting of diffeient patterns
• Fig. 8 is an isometiic view of a facing mateiial supply and splicing station configured foi installation immediately upstieam of the quilting machine of Fig. 1
• Figs. 8A-8L aie a sequence of diagiams illustiatmg the change and splicing of facing mateiial with the station of Fig. 8
• Fig. 9 is a diagiam illustiatmg a combination pattern made up of closely spaced diveise pattellas quilted accoidmg to one embodiment of the piesent invention
• Fig. 9A is a diagiam illustiatmg a combination pattern quilted on machines of the pnor ait
• Figs. 9B-9N aie diagiams illustiatmg steps m quilting piocesses foi quilting the combination pattern of Fig. 9.
• Figs. 9P-9R aie diagiams illustiatmg a quilting piocesses foi quilting the pattern of Fig. 9R.
• Figs. 1 and IA illustiate a multi-needle quiltmg machine 10 accoiding to one embodiment of the invention
• the machine 10 is of a type used foi quilting wide width webs of multi-layeied material 12, such as the mate ⁇ als used in the bedding mdustiy m the manufactuie of mattress coveis
• the machine 10, as configuied may be piovided with a smallei footpi int and thus occupies less flooi aiea compaied with machines of the prior art, or in the alternative, can be piovided with moie featuies in the same fiooi space as machines of the pnoi ait
• the machine 10, foi example has a footpiint that is about one-thud of the flooi aiea as the machine described in U S Patent No 5,154,130, which has been manufactuied by the assignee of the piesent invention foi this mdustiy foi a numbei
• the machine 10 is built on a name 11 that has an upsti earn oi entry end 13 and a downstream oi exit end 14
• the web 12 extending in a geneially hoiizontal entiy plane, enteis the machine 10 beneath a catwalk 29 at the entry end 13 of the machine 10 at the bottom of the fiame 11, wheie it passes eithei aiound a single entry idlei iollei 15 oi between a pan of entiy idlei rolleis at the bottom of the fiame 11, where it ruins upwardly and extends in a geneially veitical quiltmg plane 16 thiough the centei of the fiame 11
• the web 12 again passes between a pan of web diive iolleis 18 and turns downstieam m a geneially hoiizontal exit plane 17
• One oi both of the pans ofiolleis at the top and bottom of the fiame may be
• the facing layei A is supplied to the machine 10 fiom a supply roll 401 suppoi ted at the supply station 400 as illustiated in Fig.8, and m the side elevational view of Fig. 8 A
• the supply station 401 includes a fiame 402 that can be set in a fixed position against the ups ⁇ eam side of the catwalk 29 of the quiltmg machine 10
• a supply ioll ciadle 403 is pivotally mounted to the fiame 402 and cames, at its iemote end, two pan of notched mounting blocks, including lowei blocks 404 and upper blocks 405
• the blocks 404 and 405 aie configuied to suppoit the opposite ends of an axial Lod, such as axial iod 406, which extends thiough the centei of, and suppoi ts, the supply ioll 401
• the ioll 401 is suppoited on the blocks 404, as illustiated mFig.8A, with the facing layei of material 12a extending honzontally fiom the ioll401, undei the catwalk 29,
• the ioll 410 may have an axial rod 411 extending thiough the hole in the centei of the roll 410
• the extensions of this iod 411 fiom the ends of the ioll 410 can serve as handles foi use by apaii of attendants foi placing the i oil 410 on the catwalk 29 Fi om its position on the catwalk 29, the new roll 410 is staged for ieplacmg the ioll 401 by lolling it onto a tiay 412 immediately adjacent the catwalk 29, as illustrated in Fig.
• a hydraulic oi pneumatic cylinder 415 is activated to lift the cradle 403 above the frame 402 by pivoting the ciadle 403 upward on the frame 402 This leaves the rolls 403 and in the positions illustiated in Fig.8E 1 with the web of facing matenal 12a extending fiom the ioll 401, below the catwalk 29, to the machine 10
• anothei cylmdei 416 is activated to lowei a clamping aim 417, which clamps the matenal 12a against a clamping bai 418 on the flame 402, as illustiated in Fig.
• the matenal 12a is cut fiom the ioll 401, which may be done manually with a knife oi scissois, along a tiansverse line at location 420, piovidmg just enough tailing matenal to allow the trailing edge 421 of the matenal 12a to diop mto a splicing position in a splicer mechanism 425, as illustiated in Fig. 8G
• the i oil 401 can be lifted by i od 406 and i emo ved from the lowei blocks 404 of the ciadle 403 and placed ni a tiay 430 at the top of the frame 402, as illustiated m Fig.
• the new ioll 410 can be moved fiomuppei blocks 405 of the ciadle 403 to the lower blocks 404, wheie it will replace the pervious ioll 401 of facing matenal 12a, as illustiated in Fig.
• the leading edge 426 of matenal fiom the ioll 410 is placed adjacent the hailing edge 421 of the facing matenal 12a, in the splicei 425, wheie the matenals fiom iolls 410 and 401 aie spliced togethei by sewmg a tiansveise low of smgle-lock chain stitches with the splicer 425, to form a continuous web of facing matenal 12a, as illustiated ui Fig.
• the clamping aim 417 can be pivoted up out of its clamping position by actuation of the cylmdei 416, leaving the new matenal fiom ioll 410 extending fiom roll 410 spliced to the old material fiom ioll 401 that extends into the quilting machine 10, as illustiated in Fig. 8K Wheieupon, the cylmdei 415 can be activated to lowei the carnage 403 to bung the roll 410 into the foimei position of the ongmal ioll 401, at which the machine 10 can be run with facing matenal supplied fiom the new ioll 410, as illustrated m Fig. 8L
• a motion system that includes a pluiality of bridges, including a lowei budge 21 and an uppei bndge 22, that move veitically on the fiame, but which may include moie than the two budges illustrated
• a pluiality of bridges including a lowei budge 21 and an uppei bndge 22, that move veitically on the fiame, but which may include moie than the two budges illustrated
• Each of the bi idges 21 , 22 has a fi ont membei 23 and a back membei 24 (Fig.
• Each fiont membei 23 has mounted thereon a phuahty of needle head assemblies 25, each configured to ieciprocate a needle in longitudinal horizontal paths perpendicular to the quilting plane 16 Between adjacent needle head assemblies 25, a lib oi stiffenei plate 89 is piovided to structuially stiffen the budge and to resist dynamic defoimation from the sewing forces applied by the needle dnves
• Each of the needle head assemblies 25 can be sepaiately activated and contiolled by the machine controllei 19
• the loopei head assemblies 26 each aie configuied to oscillate a loopei oi hook in a plane geneially perpend
• theie aie seven such stitching element pans 90 including seven needle head assemblies 25 on the fiontmembeis 23 of each bridge 21,22, and seven conespondmg loopei head assemblies 26 on the ieai member 24 of each budge 21,22 Stitching element pans 90 are illustiated m moie detail in Fig. IB
• each needle head assembly 25 includes a respective one of a plurality of sepaiate piessei feet 158 Such local piessei feet are piovided in lieu of a single piessei foot plate ofthe pnoi ait that extends ovei the eiitne aiea ofthe multiple low an ay of needles A pluiahty of piessei feet aie piovided on each fiont membei 23 of each budge 21,22, each to compress mate ⁇ al aiound a single needle
• each needle assembly 25 is piovided with its own local piessei foot 158 having only sufficient aiea aiound the needle to compiess the matenal 12 for sewing stitches with the lespective needle assembly
• each of the needle assemblies 25 on the fiont membeis 23 of the budges 21,22 is supplied with thiead fiom a conespondmg spool of needle thiead 27 mounted acioss on the fiame 11 on the ups ⁇ eam oi needle side of the quiltmg plane 16
• each ofthe loopei assemblies 26 on the back membeis 24 ofthe bridges 21,22 is supplied with thiead fiom a conespondmg spool of loopei thiead 28 mounted acioss the fiame 11, on the downstieam or loopei side ofthe quiltmg plane 16
• a common needle dnve shaft 32 is piovided acioss the fiont membei 23 of each bridge 21,22 to independently dnve each ofthe needle head assemblies 25
• Each shaft 32 is dnvenby a needle dnve seivo 67 on the needle side membei 23 of eachiespective budge 21,22 that is lesponsive to the contiollei 19
• a loopei belt dnve system 37 is piovided on the back member 24 of each ofthe bridges 21 ,22 to dnve each ofthe loopei head assemblies
• Each loopei dnve belt system 37 is dnven by a loopei drive seivo 69 on the looper side membei 24 of each lespective budge 21,22 that is also lesponsive to the contiollei 19
• Each ofthe needle head assemblies 25 may be selectively coupled to oi decoupled fiom the motion of the needle dnve shaft 32 Si
• each needle head assembly 25 is comprised of a clutch 100 that selectively transmits power from the needle drive shaft 32 to a needle drive 102 and presser foot drive 104.
• the needle drive 102 has a crank 106 that is mechanically coupled to a needle holder 108 by an articulated needle drive 110, which includes three links 114, 116 and 120.
• the crank 106 has an arm or eccentric 112 rotatably connected to one end of the first link 114.
• One end of the second link 116 is rotatably connected to a pin 117 extending from a base 118 that, hi turn, is supported on the front member of one of the bridges 21,22
• One end ofthe third link 120 is rotatably connected to a pin 123 extending from a block 122 that is secured to a reciprocating shaft 124, which is an extension ofthe needle holder 108.
• Opposite ends ofthe respective links 114, 116 and 120 are rotatably connected together by a pivot pin 121 that forms a joint in the articulated needle drive 110.
• the shaft 124 is mounted for reciprocating linear motion in fore and aft bearing blocks 126, 128, respectively.
• the drive block 122 has a bearing (not shown) that is mounted on a stationary linear guide rod 130 that, in rum, is supported and rigidly attached to .the bearing blocks 126, 128.
• rotation ofthe crank 106 is operative via the articulated needle drive 110 to reciprocate a needle 132 secured in a distal end ofthe needle holder 108.
• the presser foot drive 104 has an articulated presser foot drive 144 that is similar to the articulated needle drive 110.
• a crank 140 is mechanically connected to a presser foot holder 142 via mechanical linkage 144, which includes three links, 146, 150 and l52.
• One end of a fourth link 146 is rotatably coupled to an arm or an eccentric 148 on the crank 140.
• One end of a fifth link 150 is rotatably connected to a pin 151 extending from the base 118, and one end of a sixth link 152 is rotatably connected to a pin 155 extending from a presser foot drive block 154.
• Opposite ends ofthe respective links 146, 150 and 152 are rotatably connected together by a pivot pin 153 that forms a joint in the presser foot articulated drive 144.
• the presser foot drive block 154 is secured to a presser foot reciprocating shaft 156 that, in turn, is slidably mounted within the bearing blocks 125, 126.
• a presser foot 158 is rigidly connected to the distal end ofthe presser foot reciprocating shaft 156.
• the drive block 154 has a bearing (not shown) that is mounted for sliding motion on the linear guide rod 130.
• the needle drive crank 106 and presser foot crank 140 are mounted on opposite ends of an input shaft (not shown) supported by bearing blocks 160.
• a pulley 162 is also mounted on and rotates with the cranks 106, 140.
• a timing belt 164 drives the cranks 106, 140 in response to rotation of an output pulley 166.
• the clutch 100 is operable to selectively engage and disengage the needle drive shaft 32 with the output pulley 166, thereby respectively initiating and terminating the operation ofthe needle head assembly 25.
• the output pulley 166 is fixed to an output shaft 168 that is rotatably mounted within a housing 170 ofthe clutch 100 by means of bearings 172.
• the needle drive shaft 32 is rotatably mounted within the output shaft 168 by bearings 174.
• the drive member 176 is secured to the needle drive shaft 32 and is rotatably mounted within the housing 170 by bearings 178.
• the drive member 176 has a first, radially extending, semicircular flange or projection 180 extending in a direction substantially parallel to the centerliiie 184 that provides a pair of diametrically aligned drive surfaces, one of whiclus shown at 182
• the duve suifaces 182 aie substantially paiallel to a longitudinal centeilme 184 of the needle d ⁇ ve shaft 32
• the clutch 100 fuither m cludes a sliding membei 186 that is keyed to the output shaft 168
• the sliding raembei 186 is able to move with iespect to the output shaft 168 m a direction substantially paiallel to the centerline 184 Howevei, the sliding membei 186 is locked oi keyed fiomielative iotation with iespect to the output shaft 168 and theiefoie, rotates thei ewith
• the keyed i elationship between the slidmg membei 186 and the output shaft 168 can be accomplished by use of a keyway and key oi a splme that couples the sliding membei 186 to the shaft 168
• an internal boie of the sliding membei 186 and the external suiface of the output shaft 168 can have matching noncuculai cross-sectional profiles, foi example, a t ⁇ angulai piofile,
• the sliding membei 186 has a fust, semiciiculai flange oi piojection 188 extending in a diiection substantially paiallel to the centeilme 184 towaid the annulai flange 182
• the flange 188 has a pan of diametiically aligned dnvable suifaces, one of which is shown at 190, that can be placed m and out of opposition to the diive suifaces 182 of the flange 180
• the sliding member 186 is translated with iespect to the output shaft 168 by an actuator 192
• the actuatoi 192 has an annulai piston 194 that is mounted for sliding motion within an amiulai cavity 196 in the housing 100, thereby forming fluid chambeis 198, 200 adjacent opposite ends of the piston 194
• the sliding membei 186 has a second, semiciicular annulai lockable flange 206 extending to the left, as viewed in Fig.3, m a diiection substantially paiallel to the centeilme 184
• the lockable flange has diametrically aligned lockable siufaces 205
• the loopei and ietamer d ⁇ ve 212 provides a loopei 216 with a iecipiocatmg angulai motion about a pivot axis 232 in a plane immediately adjacent the iecipiocatmg needle 132
• the loopei and ietamei duve 212 also moves a ietamei 234 in a closed loop path m a plane that is substantially perpendiculai to the plane of iecipiocatmg angulai motion of the loopei 216 and the path of the needle 132
• the looper 216 is secuied in a loopei lioldei 214 that is mounted on a flange 220 extending noma fust loopei shaft 218a An outei end of the looper shaft 218a is mounted in a bea ⁇ ng 236 that is supported by a looper duve housing 238
• the loopei d ⁇ ve assembly 26 may include a selective coupling element 210, foi example, clutch 210 that connects the input 209 of the d ⁇ ve assembly 226 to a diive barn that is synchronized to the diive for a coopeiatmg needle duve assembly
• the loopei d ⁇ ve assembly 26 includes a fiame membei 219 on which the duve assembly 226 and 210 aie mounted in mutual alignment
• the frame membei 219 is mounted to the ieai poition 24 of the lespective budge 21,22 such that the loopei head assembly 26 aligns with the coiiesponding needle head assembly 25
• the output of the clutch 210 drives a loopei drive mechanism 212, that has an output shaft 218 having a flange 220 theieon, on which is mounted a looper holdei 214
• a loopei drive mechanism 212 that has an output shaft 218 having a flange 220 theieon, on which is
• a loopei 216 when mounted in a loopei holdei 214, is made to oscillate on the shaft 218 along a path 800 that bungs it into a coopeiatmg stitch forming ielationship with a needle 132, as illustrated m Fig.4C
• the tip 801 of the loopei enteis a loop 803 m a top thiead 222 that isivanted by the needle 132 In oidei to pick up this loop 803, the tiansveise position of the tip 801 of the loopei 216 is maintained in adjustment so that it passes immediately beside the needle 132
• Adjustment of the loopei 216 is made with the shaft 218 stopped in its cycle of oscillation with the loopei tip 801 in tiansveis
• a piefened embodiment of the looper 216 is formed of a solid piece of stainless steel having a hook poition 804 and a base poition 805 At the iemote end of the hook poition 804 is the loopei tip 801
• the base poition 805 is a block fiom which the hooked poition 804 extends fiom the top theieof
• the base poition 805 has a mounting peg 806 extending fi om the bottom thei eof by which the loopei 216 is pivotally mounted in a hole 807 m the holdei 214
• the holder 214 is a foiked block 809 foimed of a solid piece of steel
• the foiked block 809 of the holdei 214 has a slot 808 theiein that is wider than the base poition 805 of the loopei 218
• the loopei 216 mounts m the holdei 214 by inseition of the base 805 into the slot 808 and the peg 806 into the hole 807
• the loopei 216 is loosely held in the holder 214 so that it pivots though a small angle 810 on the pin 806 with the body 805 moving m the slot 808 as illustiated in Fig.
• the holdei 214 is electiically connected to an LED oi some other visual nidicatoi 822, which is connected m se ⁇ es between the holdei 214 and an electiical powei supply oi electiical signal source 823, whichis connected to giound potential on the name 11
• the needle 132 is also connected to giound potential As such, when the loopei 216 is m contact with the needle 132, a cucuit thiough the mdicatoi 822 and power oi signal souice 833 is closed, activating the mdicatoi 822
• An opeiatoi can adjust the loopei 216 by adjusting the sciew 812 back and forth such that the make-bieak contact point between the needle 132 and the loopei 216 is found Then the opeiatoi can leave the loopei in that position oi back off the setting one way oi the other, as desned, and then lock the loopei 216 in position by tightening the sciew 816 [0144] When loopei adjustment is to be made, the machine 10 will be stopped with the needle m the 0 degiee oi top dead center position, wheieupon the contiollei 19 advances the stitching elements to the loop-take-time position in the cycle (Fig.
• a vaiiety of thiead cutting devices Such a device 850 is illustiated m Fig. 5 It includes a iecipiocatmg lmeai actuatoi 851, which may be pneumatic
• a double baibed cutting knife 852 is mounted to slide on the actuatoi 851, which withdiaws hneaily towaid the actuatoi 851 when it is actuated
• the actuatoi 851 is, m ruin, mounted on a sliding block 858 (not shown in Fig 5, shown in embodiment of Fig.2C) which moves the actuatoi 851 and ielated assembly towaid and away from the needle hole m the needle plate 38, to a position it occupies when the cutting device is actuated and back to a iest position out of the way of the loopei 216
• the knife 852 has a needle thiead baib 854 and a looper thiea
• 5-5D illustiate the assembly in a machine havmg the needles onented veitically
• the needle 132 is oiientedhoiizontally,perpendiculai totheveiticalmateiialplane 16
• the loopei 216 is oiiented to oscillate in a tiansveise-lio ⁇ zontal duection, paiallel to the plane 16, with the tip 801 of the loopei 216 pointing towaid the left side of the machine 10 (viewed fiom the fiont as in Fig. 1)
• FIG. 5A shows the loopei dnve assembly 26 of a type of multi-needle quilting machine 10 in which the needles aie oiiented hoiizontally
• the needle 132 and loopei 216 typically stop m a position as illustiated in Fig.5A in which the needle 132 is withdiawn from the mateiial on the needle side of the fabiic 12 being quilted
• a needle thread 222 and a looper thiead 224 aie present on the loopei side of the mateiial 12 being quilted
• the needle thiead 222 extends from the mateiial 12 down aiound the loopei hook 804 of the loopei 218 and ieturns to the fabiic 12, while the loope
• each of the cutting devices 850 there are positioned one of the cutting devices 850, each having an actuatoi 851 theieof equipped with a pneumatic contiol line 857 connected thiough appiopnate inteifaces (not shown) to an output of a quilting machine contiollei 19
• the individual thread cutting device 850 pei se is a thread cutting device used in the pnor ait in single needle sewmg machines
• a pluiality of the devices 850 aie employed in a multi-needle quilting machine m the mannei desciibed heiein Refei ⁇ ng to Figs.
• a device 850 is positioned so that, when extended, the knife 852 of the device 850 extends between the loopei 216 and the mateiial 12, and is connected to opeiate undei computer contiol of the contiollei 19 of the quilting machine
• the controllei 19 actuates the actuator 851, which moves the knife 852 thiough the loop of the needle thiead 222 such that it hooks the needle and loopei thieads, as illustiated in Fig.5B
• the looper is onented such that, should the end of the loopei thiead 224 fail to clamp, the end of the thiead 224 will be oriented by giavity on the conect side of the needle so that the series of stitches will begin In tins way, the piobabihty that the loops will take within the fust few stitches that constitute the tack stitches sewn and the beginning of a pattern is high
• the above thiead trimming featuie is particulaily useful for multi-needle quilting machines having selectively opeiable heads oi heads that can be individually and sepaiately installed, removed oi ieananged on a sewing bridge
• the individual cutting devices 850 aie piovided with each loopei head assembly and aie lemovable, installable and movable with each of the loopei head assemblies
• the featuie piovides that each thiead cutting device is separately contiollable
• a thiead tail wipei 890 is provided on the needle head assembly 25 as further illustiated in Fig.5C, the wipei 890 includes a wiie hook wipmg element 891 that is pivotally mounted on a pneumatic actuatoi 892 adjacent the needle 132 to iotate the wiping element 891, after the needle thiead 221 is cut, about a horizontal axis that is perpendiculai to the needle 132
• the actuatoi 892 sweeps the wiping element 891 aiound the tip of the needle 132 on the mside of the piesser foot bowl 158 to pull the tail of the needle thiead 221 ⁇ om the mate ⁇ al 12 to the needle side of the material 12 and to the mside of the piessei foot bowl 158 Fiom this position, upon startup of sewing, the top thiead
• Fig. 5D illustiates a thiead tension contiol system 870 that can similaily be applied to individual thieads of sewmg machines, and which is paiticulaily suitable foi each of the individual thieads of a multi-needle quilting machine as desciibed above
• a thiead, foi example, a loopei thiead 224 typically extends fiom a thread supply 856 and thiough a thiead tensioning device 871 , which applies faction to the thiead and theieby tensions the thiead moving downstieam, foi example, to a loopei 216
• the device 871 is adjustable to contiol the tension on the thiead 224
• the system 870 includes a thiead tension monitoi 872 thiough winch the thiead 224 extends between the tensioner 871 and the loopei 216 The
• a tlnead tension signal is output by the tiansducei 876 and communicated to the controllei 19
• the contiollei 19 deteimines whethei the tension m the tlnead 224 is appiopnate, oi whethei it is too loose oi too tight
• the thread tensioner 871 is piovided with a motoi oi othei actuatoi 877, which peifoims the tension adjustment
• the actuatoi 877 is lesponsive to a signal fiom the contiollei 19
• the contiollei 19 deteimines fiom the tension measurement signal fiom the tiansducei 876 that the tension m tlnead 224 should be adjusted
• the contioHei 19 sends a contiol signal to the actuatoi 877, m iesponse to which the actuatoi 877 causes the tension
• a machine control sequence may be executed that will achieve the results of the thiead tail wiping function
• Fig.5E illustiates the state of the top tluead 222 immediately aftei a tack stitch sequence is peifoimed at the end of the sewing of a pattern component, befoie thieads have been cut
• the top thiead 222 is shown extending fiom a top tluead supply 401, thiough a top-thiead tensionei 402 to the eye of the needle, which is opeiated by an actuatoi 403 contiolled by an output of the controller 19, to the needle 132 Between the tensionei 402 and the needle 132, the top thiead
• the pushei 405 is shown in solid lines m its ietiacted position
• the pushei 405 moves to its extended position 407, illustrated by a bioken line, to pull the top thiead to the position also illustiated by a broken line
• a top-thiead pull-off is executed by the contiollei 19 sending a signal to the actuatoi 403 of the top-thiead tensionei 402 to release tension on the top thiead 222 foi a shoit interval of tune duimg which the tluead pull-off mechanism 404 is pulsed
• the pulsing of the thiead pull-off mechanism 404 iesults fiom a signal fiom the contiollei 19 to the actuatoi 406 of the pull-off mechanism 404 which causes the pushei 405 to deflect the top tluead 222 so as to pull off
• the wipei mechanism 890 howevei, need not be piesent Instead, a wiping motion may be employed
• the top-thiead tail extends fiom the needle 132 down thiough the mateiial 12 to below the mateiial to the position at which it was cut, as illustiated in Fig.
• the needle 132 is advanced to a new starting position 410 lelative to the mateiial 12, that is, either the budges oi the material oi both can be moved, biingmg the thiead to the top of the mateiial foi the iesumption of sewing as illustiated m Fig. 5G
• a top-thiead. tuck cycle is executed in which the sewing heads aie opeiated through one stitch cycle, which pokes the top-thiead tail thiough the mateiial 12 to below the mateiial 12, wheie it is caught by the loopei 216, as illustiated in Fig.
• the contiollei 19 selects the duection by interpietmg the pattern to be sewn This motion is enough to pull the iemaining top-tluead tail to the bottom oi loopei side of the mateiial 12 without pulling the tail again out of the matei ial
• the length of this motion may be diffei ent foi diffeient applications
• the motion path may be, foi example, a line, an aie, a tiiangle a combination of a lme and an aie oi some othei motion oi combination that takes the needle about two inches moie oi less fiom the position 410
• a different path length may be used depending on the length of the thiead tail that the machine is designed or piogrammed to cut
• the path is piefeiably onented so that any slack in the top thiead pioduced at the needle 132 lies on a side of the pattern path that avoids the thread being caught m the sewing pattern oi being struck by the needle 132 With the machme 10, this motion is pieferably implemented by holduig the material 12 stationaiy and moving the bridges 21,22 in the path paiallel to the plane of the matenal 12 At the end of the tuck cycle, the machine is in the position shown in Fig. 5J
• Each sewing head including each needle head and each looper head, may be linked to a common rotaiy diive thiough an mdependeiitly contiollable clutch that can be opeiated by a machine contiollei to turn the heads on or off, theieby pioviding pattern flexibility
• the heads may be conf ⁇ guied in sewing-element pans, each needle head being modular with a couespondmg similaily modulai loopei head While the heads of each parr can be individually ruined on or off, they aie typically tinned on and off togethei, eithei simultaneously oi at diffeient phases in then cycles, as may be most desiiable Alternatively, only the needle heads may be piovided with selective d ⁇ ve linkages, while the loopei heads may be linked to the output of a needle dnve motoi so as to run continuously, since they do notpenetiate the mate ⁇ al and do not form stitches
• a spht-stait contiol method is piovided foi avoiding missed stitches at startup
• a split stait method is one use of the featuie that allows the needle and loopei dnves to be decoupled and moved separately With the split stait featuie, the initial motion of the needle and loopei pioceed sepaiately upon staitup so as to iendei the pickup of the stitches piedictable This is achieved by msuimg that the loopei picks up the top-thiead loop befoie the needle picks up the bottom thiead loop tuangle
• the needle can be advanced 1 SO degiees lelative to the loopei position to bung the needle m phase with the looper, msuimg that the needle will miss the loopei thiead tnangle oi loop m the loopei tlnead at the beginning of the initial cycle
• the elements can he ielocked m phase
• the loopei will theieiipoiipickiip the needle thiead loop befoie a loopei thiead loop is picked up by the needle, pioducmg a piedictable start to the
• the needle and looper drives aie again coupled togethei and advanced togethei in syncliiomzation, wheieupon the looper 216 begins to take up the needle loop m appioximately the three-quarter position of the stitch cycle, as illustrated in Fig.5S, and pioceeds fiom theie to the full cycle position as illustiated in Fig.5T
• the elements continue to move through the next cycle, wheie the foimation of stitches can be seen, as illustiated m Figs. 5U thiough 5X Appioximately by the position m Fig. SX, the loopei thiead tail will have pulled itself fiom the clamping action of the thiead t ⁇ mmei
• the splitting of the needle and loopei dnve cycles has othei uses, such as in facilitating thread tiimming [01661
• the likelihood of missed stitches at staitup can be ieduced by ieduectmg oi guiding the thiead tail of the looper thiead so as to pi event the bottom thiead loop fiom being picked up by the needle befoie the top-thiead loop is picked up by the loopei
• Such ieduection may be achieved by a shifting oi othei positioning of the thiead t ⁇ mmei and clamp 850 (Fig.
• 5Y Stractuie such as a thiead deflectoi 430 can be placed to contiol the diiection of the tail of loopei tlnead 224 leaving the looper 216 upon stait-up and to affect the spacing the loopei thiead tail and the loopei in such a way that the needle 132 does not miss the loopei tlnead loop aftei the looper has taken the needle thiead loop
• Such stractuie as the looper thiead deflectoi 430 improve the ieliabihty of stitch foimation whethei or not split stait techniques aie employed In some cases, the impioved ieliabihty is enough to allow the split stait feature to be omitted
• the loopei tlnead deflectoi 430 illustiated m Fig.5Y is in the shape of a wedge and is seemed to the bottom of the needle plate 38
• the wedge of the deflectoi 430 has a tapeied suiface 431 that is positioned close to the path of the tip of the loopei 216 when the loopei advances to its foiwaid position neai the zeio degiee oi needle up position as illustiated in Fig.
• the loopei tlnead tail is clamped at the thiead cut off 850 at the opposite side of the needle path
• the suiface 431 of the deflectoi 430 is positioned lelative to the path of the loopei to guide the loopei thiead tail away fiom the needle plate enough so that, once the loopei has picked up the needle thread loop, the loopei tlnead 224 is highly likely to be on the needle side of the loopei 216 so that the descending needle 132 picks up a loopei thiead loop on its next descent
• the loopei thread deflectoi 430 cont ⁇ butes to ieducing the missed stitches on startup when the split stait method descubed above is not used or not available
• Fig.5Y also ilhisttates a conventional needle guaid 460, mounted to the base portion 805 of the loopei 216, as bettei illusti ated m Fig.4D
• This needle guai d can be adjusted by pivoting it on the loopei 216, where it can be locked in position by a set sciew (not shown) m hole 461 in Fig.4D
• This needle guaid 460 keeps the descending needle 132 fiom deflecting to the light of the advancing looper 216, keeping it to the left of the looper, as illustiated in Figs.5R and 5S, so that the loopei 216 picks up the loop and does not skip the stitch
• FIG. 4G An impioved alternative embodiment is illustiated in Fig. 4G, in which a double needle guard assembly 470 is piovided
• the assembly 470 includes a fiist needle guaid 471 and a second needle guaid 472
• the fiist needle guaid 471 peifoims a function similar to that of needle guaid 460, and is also pivotally adjustably mounted to the base 805 of the looper 216
• the second needle guard 472 is a iod of ciiculai cioss-section, and is rotatably adjustably mounted m a hole in a mounting block 473 iigidly fixed to the looper side of the needle plate 38
• the thiead deflector 430 is also mounted to the mounting block 473
• the needle guaid 472 keeps the descending needle 132 fiom deflecting fuithei to the left of the advancing loopei 216 so that the loopei 216 does not pass to
• a stait-up tack stitch sequence is staited by sewmg a shoit distance of approxmiately one inch in the dnection of the intended pattern, then sewmg back ovei the initial stitches to the staitmg position befoie pioceeding foiwaid ovei the same line of stitches
• a few long stitches aie sewn, followed by noimal length stitches A typical noimal stitch iate might be seven stitches pei inch
• the tin ead would f ⁇ i st be set at the oiigm of the pattern cm ve, which can be by using the wipe and tuck cycle descubed above Then
• the feed of the budges oi the matenal oi the combination theieof piefeiably iesults m a continuous feed motion of the stitching elements lelative to the mate ⁇ al
• the iesultant feed is intermittent
• the mteimittent feed is piefeiably not abiupt, howevei, and is iathei made by smooth tiansitions between iapid lelative motion between the stitching elements and the material when the needle is clear of the material and lelatively little or no such motion when the needle is engaged with the matenal Dm ing the sewing of noimal length stitches, whether befoie 01 aftei the sewing of the long stitches, the feed is piefeiably continuous and smooth
• the needle motion may be consideied non-sinusoidal as a function of distance, with the recipio cation of the needle being fastei than sinusoidal when the needle penetiates the matenal and slower when the needle is withdiawn fiom the matenal
• the needle speed tiansition may be smooth This type of needle speed variation is useful whenever a leveisal is employed in the sewmg of a pattern Cases involving the staitmg of sewing with needles moving fiom a stopped condition lelative to the matenal aie cases wheie such needle dnve motion is beneficial Tack sewmg is a common example of both situations, and whe
• needle speed may be started fiom a stop and run at a continuous cycle speed with motion that is sinusoidal as a function of time, but with feed of the matenal and needle lelative to each other being fastei when the needle is withdiawn fiom the matenal and slowei when the needle is peneuatmg the matenal, piesentmg needle motion as a non sinusoidal motion lelative to the distance moved lelative to the matenal With such motion, a few laigei than aveiage stitches may be sewn, then the material feed between needle penetiations of the matenal can be giadually reduced to noimal stitch spacing at which continuous stitching can continue Then, in peifoimmg a tack, the needle direction lelative to the matenal is leveised, and a similai sequence of a few longei than noimal stitches, with the non-smusoidal needle motion, aie earned out followed by a
• the machine 10 has a motion system 20 that is diagiammatically illustiated in Fig.6
• Each of the budges 21,22 aie sepaiately and independently movable veitically on the flame 11 thiough a budge veitical motion mechanism 30 of the motion system 20
• the budge veitical motion mechanism 30 includes two elevator or lift assemblies 31, mounted on the fiame 11, one on the light side and one on the left side of the name 11 (see Fig.
• Each of the lift assemblies 31 includes two pans of stationaiy veitical iails 40, one pan on each side of the fiame 11, on each ofwhich iide two veitically movable platfoims 41, one foi each of two of veitical budge elevators, mcluding a lower budge elevatoi 33 and an upper budge elevatoi 34
• Each of the elevatois 33,34 includes two of the vertically movable platfoims 41, one on each side of the fiame 11, which is equipped with beaimg blocks_42 that iide on the iails 40
• the platfoims 41 of each of the elevatois 33,34 are mounted on the iails 40 so as to support the opposite sides of the lespective bridge to geneially remain longitudinally level, that is, level fiont-to-back
• the uppei budge 22 is supported at its opposite left and light ends oniespective light and left ones of the platforms 41 of the uppei elevatois 34, while the lower bridge 21 is suppoited at its opposite left and light ends oniespective right and left platfoims 41 of the lowei elevatois 33 While all of the elevatoi platfoims 41 aie mechanically capable of moving independently, the opposite platfoims of each of the elevatois 33,34 aie controlled by the contiollei 19 to move up or down in unison Furthei, the elevatois 33,34 aie each contiolled by the contiollei 19 move the platfoims 41 on the opposite sides each budge 21 ,22 m synchronism to keep the budges 21 ,22 tiansveisely level, that is, fiom side-to-side [0178] Mounted on each side of the fiame 11 and
• a lineal seivo statoi bar 60 Fixed to one of the platforms 41 of each lespective budge 21,22 is an armatuie of a lmeai seivo 45,46 positioned to coopeiate with and tiansveisely move the statoi bai 60 in iesponse to signals fiom the contioller 19
• the tiansveise-ho ⁇ zontal motion mechanism includes decodeis 63 foi each of the budges 21,22 that aie piovided adjacent the aimatuies of seivos 45,46 on the lespective elevatois 41 to feed back tiansveise budge position information to the controllei 19 to aid in piecise contiol of the tiansveise budge position
• the budges 21,22 are independently contiollable to move
• the seivo 64 diives the iolleis 18 to feed the web of matenal 12 downstieam, pulling ltupwaid along the plane 16 thiough the quilting station and between the membeis 23 and 24 of both of the budges 21 and 22
• the i oilers 18 fuitliei dnve a tuning belt 65 located m the name 11 at the left side of the machine 10, as illustiated in Fig.
• the budges 21,22 may also each be piovided with a pan ofpmch iollers 66, in place of idlei roller 15, that aiejoumalled to the lespective elevatoi platforms 41 on which the lespective budges 21,22 aie suppoited
• iolleis 66 giip the material 12 at the levels of the budges 21,22 to munmize the tiansveise shifting of the matenal at the level of the sewmg heads 25,26
• the pinch iolleis 66 aie synchiomzed by the belt 65 so that the tangential motion of then suifaces at the nips of the pans of iollei 66 move with the mate ⁇ al 12
• the stmctuie that enables the belt 65 to synchionize the motion of the pinch iolleis 66 with the motions of the budges 21,22 and the web 12 is illustiated also mFigs. 6C and ⁇ D as well as Figs.6A and 6B as explamed above
• the belt 65 extends aiound the cog duve iollei 600, which is diiven thiough a gear assembly 601 by the feed iolleis 18 (Fig.
• the belt 65 fuithei extends around foui idlei pulleys 602-605 iotatably mounted to the stationaiy fiame 11
• the belt 65 also extends aiound a diiven pulley 606 and an idler pulley 607, both rotatably mounted to the elevatoi platform 41 foi the lowei budge 21 , and aiound idlei pulley 608 and driven pulley 609, both iotatably mounted to the elevatoi platfoim41 foi the uppei budge 22, all on the left side of the name 11
• the d ⁇ ven pulley 606 is diiven by the motion of the belt 65 and, m ruin, thiough a geai mechanism 610 (Fig.
• the geai mechanisms 610 and 611 have d ⁇ ve iatios ielated to that of duve geai mechanism 601 such that the tangential velocity of the iolleis 66 and iolleis 18 is zeio relative to that of the web 12
• mlet iolleis 15 aie shown at the bottom of Fig. 6D and in Figs. 6E and 6F as a pan of iolleis similai to iolleis 18
• iolleis 15 should be also driven by the belt 65, as thiough a geai mechanism 612 duven by the iollei 605 that is d ⁇ ven by the belt 65
• the rolleis 15 should be maintained at the same tangential velocity as the feed iolleis 18 thiough pioperly matched geai ratios between mechanisms 601 and 612 It might, however, be piefe ⁇ ed to allow the iolleis 15 to iotate fieely as
• the stitching of patterns by the sewing heads 25,26 on the budges 21,22 is earned out by a combination of veitical and tiansveise motions of the budges 21,22 and thus, the sewing heads 25,26 that are on the budges, lelative to the matenal 12
• the contiollei 19 cooidmates these motions in most cases so as to maintain a constant stitch size, foi example, seven stitches to the inch, which is typical
• Such cooidmatioii often lequnes a vaiymg of the speed of motion of the budges oi the web oi both or a vaiymg of the speed of sewing heads 25,26
• the speed of the needle heads 25 is controlled by the controller 19 controlling the operation of two needle diive servos 67 that respectively drive the common needle drive shafts 32 on each of the budges 21,22.
• the speed of the loopei heads 26 is controlled by the contioller 19 controlling the operation of two looper diive seivos 69, one on each hiidge 21,22, that drive the common looper belt drive systems 37 on each of the bridges 21 ,22.
• the sewing heads 25,26 on different bridges 21 ,22 can be driven at different rates by different operation of the two servos 67 and the two servos 69.
• the needle heads 25 and loopei heads 26 on the same bridges 21,22 are run at the same speed and in synchronism to cooperate in the formation of stitches, although these maybe phased slightly with respect to each other for pioper loop take- up, needle deflection compensation, or other purposes.
• the horizontal motion of the bridges is controlled in some circumstances such that they move in opposite directions, thereby tending to cancel the tiansveise distoition of the material 12 by the sewing opeiations being performed by either of the bridges 21 ,22.
• the two bridges 21 ,22 are sewing the same patterns, they can be controlled to circle in opposite directions. Different patterns can also be controlled such that transveise forces exerted on the web 12 cancel as much as piactical.
• each bridge 21 ,22 includes a needle drive servo 67, sepaiately controllable by a signal from the controller 19, which drives a shaft 32, which, in turn, drives all of the needle head assemblies 25 on the respective bridge, with each needle head assembly 25 being selectively engageable through a clutch 100, also operated by signals from the controllei 19.
• each bridge 21,22 further includes a looper drive servo 69, also sepaiately controllable by a signal from the controller 19, which drives a belt 37, which, in turn, drives all of the looper head assemblies 26 on the respective bridge, with each looper head assembly 26 being selectively engageable through a similar clutch 210, also opeiated by signals from the controller 19.
• the separate drives 67 and 69 facilitate the split-stait feature, described above, as well as needle deflection compensation, plus is useful for other control refinements.
• FIG.6H an end portion or tongue 49 of a bridge 21 or 22 is illustrated m which the needle drive motor 67 is linked to drive both the needle head assemblies 25 and looper head assemblies 26 of the same bridge.
• the servo 67 directly drives the output shaft 32, which is the needle drive input shaft foi that biidge.
• the shaft 32 drives a cog belt 32a that drives a looper drive input shaft 37a, which takes the place of the looper drive belt 37 m previously described embodiments.
• the looper drive shaft 37a is linked through a belt 37b to a segmented shaft 37c that is formed of an alternating series of torque tubes 37d and gear boxes 210a.
• the gear boxes 210a take the place of the looper drive clutches 210, but drive the looper and retainer drives 212 of the looper head assemblies 26 continuously rather than allowing each to be driven selectively as with the embodiments desciibed above Activation and deactivation of the needle alone determines whether the set of stitching elements participates m the sewmg of the pattern Since the loopeis 216 do not penetrate the matenal being sewn, they can be run continuously whethei the conesponding needle drive assemblies 25 aie being dnven oi not, although clutches 210 could be piovided mstead of geai boxes 210a
• the looper head assemblies 26 of this embodiment include a looper and retamei dnve 212 essentially as desciibed above They also each include the needle plate 38, illustiated as a iectangulai plate 38a, which is fixed lelative to the loopei dnve housing 238, which contains the needle hole Sl
• Each geai box 210a has an output shaft that is locked to the input shaft of the loopei and ietamei d ⁇ ve 212 by a collai 440 such that these shafts aie adjustable only axially with iespect to each othei
• Each geai box.210a is suppoited by two beanngs 441, one on each side of the geai box 210a, that su ⁇ ound the shaft 37c, which is the input d ⁇ ve shaft of the gear boxes 210a
• the beatings 441 aie each locked
• a needle head assembly 25 that pioduces a simple sinusoidal needle motion is illustiated, as the needle head assembly embodiment 25a also m Fig. 2C
• Each needle head assembly 25a includes a clutch 100 that selectively transmits powei fiom the needle dnve shaft 32 to a needle dnve 102a andpiessei foot dnve 104a
• the needle dnve 102a, the piessei foot dnve 104a and the clutch 100 as well as the shaft 32, aie supported on a needle dnve housing 418
• the needle dnve 102a includes the ciank 106 that is d ⁇ ven thiough a dnve belt 164 by the output pulley 166 of the clutch 100
• the ciank 106 is mechanically coupled to the needle holdei 108 by a diiect needle drive link HOa
• the aim oi eccentiic 112 of ciank 106 is
• the piessei foot dnve 104a is geneially similai to the piessei foot d ⁇ ve 104 desciibed in connection with Fig. 2A above
• the components of the needle head assemblies 25a aie made of materials that allow the heads to be opeiated without lequumg lub ⁇ cation [0195]
• the housing 418 is a facilitatorctuial membei having tluee mounting flanges 451 , 452 and 453 mat suppoit the assembly 25a and its i elated components on the fiontpoition 23 of the budge 21,22
• the fiont poitions 23 of the budges 21,22 of the embodiment 23a illustiated in Fig.
• the panel cuttei 71 has a cut-off head 72 that tiaveises the web 12 just downstieam of the drive iolleis 18, and a pan of tiimming oi shttmg heads 73 on opposite sides of the fiame 11, immediately downstream of the cut-off head 72, to trim selvage fiom the sides of the web 12
• the cut-off head 72 is mounted on a iail 74 to tiavel tiansversely acioss the frame 11 from a rest position at the left side of the fiame 11
• the head is dnven acioss the rail 74 by an AC motor 75 that is fixed to the fiame 11 with an output linked to the head 72 by a cog belt 76
• the cut-off head 72 uicludes a pair of cutter wheels 77 that ioll along opposite sides of the mateiial 12 with the matenal 12 between them so as to tiansveisely cut quilted panels fiom the leading edge of the web
• the contiollei 19 synchiomzes the opeiationof the cut-off head 72, activating the motoi 75 when the edge of a panel is couectly positioned at a cut-off position defined by the path of the tiavel of the cutting wheels 77
• the contioUer 19 stops the motion of the matenal 12 at this position as the cut-off action is earned out
• the contiollei 19 may stop the sewmg performed by the sewmg heads 25,26, oi may continue the sewmg by moving the budges 21,22 to impait any longitudinal motion of the sewmg heads 25,26 lelative to the matenal 12 when the matenal 12 is stopped foi cutting
• the tiimmnig oi slitting by the shttmg heads 73 takes place as the web of matenal 12 oi panels cut theiefiom aie moved downstieam
• tlie contiollei 19 moves the web m theforwaid diiection, moves the uppei bridge up, down, light and left, moves the lowei budge up, down, nght and left, switches individual needle and looper dnves selectively on and off, and contiols the speed of the needle and loopei drive paus, all in vanous combinations and sequences of combinations, to piovide an extended vauety of patterns and highly efficient opeiation
• simple lines aie sewn fastei and in a va ⁇ ety of combinations Continuous 180 degiee patterns (those that can be sewn with side to side and foi waid motion only) and 360 degiee patterns (those that lequire sewing in leveise) aie sewn in gieatei va ⁇ eties and with gieatei speed than with pievious quilteis Disci ete patterns that
• Continuous patterns aie those that aie foimed by iepeatmg the same pattern shape iepeatedly as the machine sews
• Continuous patterns that can be pioduced by only uniduectional motion of the web lelative to the sewmg heads, coupled with tiansveise motion, canbe iefened to as standaid continuous patterns
• These aie sometimes refened to as 180 degiee patterns
• Fig. 7A is an example of a standaid continuous pattern
• the illustiated pattern 900 can be sewn piovided that theie aie two lows of needles spaced by the distance D
• the distance D is a fixed paiametei of the machine and cannot be varied fiom pattern to pattern This is because the needle low spacing is fixed and all of the needles must move together
• the distance D can be any value, because alternate stitches can be sewn with needles on one budge while the othei stitches aie sewn with needles on the othei budge
• the two budges canbe moved in any ielationslup to each othei Fuitheimoie, if the two budges aie spaced at a veitical distance of 2Z), with a needle of each budge starting
• 360 degiee patterns can be sewn in vanous ways
• the web 12 can be held stationaiy with a pattern iepeat length sewn entiiely with budge motion, then the web 12 can be advanced one repeat length, stopped, and the next iepeat length can then also be sewn with only bridge motion
• a moie efficient and highei throughput method of sewmg such 360 degiee continuous patterns mvolves advancing the web 12 to impait the lequued veitical component of web veisus head motion of the pattern, with the budges sewing only by hoiizontal motion lelative to the web 12 and the fiame 11
• the web 12 is stopped by
• An example of a 360 degiee continuous pattern 910 is illustiated m Fig.7B
• the sewmg of this pattern staits, foi example, at pomt 911 and vertical line 912 is sewn only with upwaid veitical web motion
• the web stops and the hoiizontal line 914 is sewn with tiansveise budge motion only to point 915, then with upwaid budge motion only to sew line 916, then tiansveise budge motion only to sew line 917, then with downwaid vertical budge motion only to sew line 918, then tiansveise budge motion only to sew line 919, then downwaid vertical budge motion only to sew line 920
• line 921 is sewn with transveise budge motion only then line 922 is sewn with upwaid budge motion only, then line 923 is sewn with tiansveise budge motion
• Fig.7D is an example of linked patterns that can be sewn on the machine 10 without vertical motion of a budge, with the two budges shaimg the sewing of the clovei -leaf patterns 941 by sewing the opposite sides as minor images Alternatively, one budge can sew the patterns 941 as 360 degiee discontinuous patterns while the othei bridge sews the stiaight line patterns [0210] Fig.
• Two diffeient patterns can be sewn simultaneously by moving one budge to form one pattern and the othei budge to foim another pattern
• the opeiation of both budges and the sewmg heads theieon aie contiolled m ielation to a common vntual axis
• This viitual axis can be increased m speed until one budge ieaches its maximum speed, with the othei budge being opeiated at a lower speed at a iatio deteimmed by the pattern lequuements Pattern 960 of Fig.
• Patterns can be sewn by combinations of veitical and honzontal motion of the budges while the matenal is being advanced, theieby making possible the optimizing of the piocess
• Fig. 7G shows a pattern 970 made up of a straight line bolder pattern 971 m combination with diamond patterns 972 and ciicle patterns 973
• the oveiall panel is laigei than the 36 inch veitical budge tiavel, for example if dimension L is 70 inches
• stitching can pioceed as follows the diamonds and cucles of the uppei half 974 of the panel aie sewn fiist, with one budge sewmg the diamonds and the othei sewmg the cucles, oi some othei combination, using 360 degiee logic, with the web stationary
• the boidei pattern 971 is sewn with the web moving 35 inches upwaid duiing the piocess, sewmg vei
• othei patterns can be sewn that have eithei not been possible oi piactical with machines of the pnor ait
• Fig. 9 shows a section 500 of the quilted web 12 on which two pattern sections 501 and 502 have been quilted Both of these patterns aie selected as continuous, uniduectional patterns foi simplicity, but the pimciples discussed in connection with the sewing of these patterns can be combined with the pimciples discussed above in connection with many of the patterns of Figs.
• the patterns 501 and 502 on the web section 500 have some common chaiacteiistics as well as some distinctive pioperties Both aie continuous uniduectional patterns of types that have been each sepaiately produced on fixed-needle, multi needle quilting machines wheie the same pattern extends fiomone of a panel to the othei
• the pattern 501, foi example, is iefened to as an "onion" pattern, which is foimed of alternating, geneially-sinusoidal cm ves 503 and 504
• These curves 503,504 may be considered as identical but 180 degiees out of phase, so that they conveige and diverge to pioduce the illustiated onion pattern 501
• the pattern 502 is iefened to as a "diamond” pattern, and is foimed of alternating, zig-zag lines 50
• Each of the patterns 501 and 502 may be consideied as being made up of (1) a starting length 511 and 512, lespectively, that is spanned by 180 degiees, oi half, of a pattern iepeat cycle, (2) an intermediate length 513 and 514, lespectively, that is spanned by one oi moie 360 degiee OL full, pattern iepeat cycles, and (3) an ending length 515 and 516, lespectively, that is also spanned by 180 degiees of a pattern iepeat cycle
• These lengths 511-516 aie described foi a web 12 that moves upward m Fig.
• Each curve of the patterns 501 and 502 begins with a tack stitch sequence 517 and ends with a tack stitch sequence 518 The tacked beginnings and ends of these cuives and the longitudinal pioximity of the end tacks 518 of one pattern and the beginning tacks 517 of the next pattern aie paiticulaily advantageous featuies of this aspect of the piesent invention
• the length 210 of web 12 between the patterns 501 and 502 may be less than the length of 180 degiees of the pattern, even substantially less, foi example, 90 degiees, 15 degiees oi zeio degiees
• This intei -pattern length 210 may be piesent on a panel wheie the panel is made of two of the same oi diffeient patterns, such as both of the patterns 501 and 502 as illustiated, oi may be piesent at the boundaiy between
• pattern 502 could be ieplaced with a pattern limited to those that use the same fom needles as pattern 501, such as a pattern having fom iathei than seven lows of diamonds, so that no needle change would be required to change fiom pattern 501 to pattern 502 Furthei, since all of the needles of a fixed needle machine start and stop sewing at the same time, iegaidless of which row on the sewmg head they occupy, the stait and stop positions of pattern cm ves 503 and 504, which aie se
• a pattern as illustiated m Fig.9 is pioduced on a modified multiple- needle quilting machine
• a pattern has the limitation that the iepeat length 507 foi pattern 501 is geneially the same as the iepeat length 508 foi the pattern 502
• a multi-needle quilting machine such as that of U S Patent No 5,154,130 is piovided with automatically ietiactable oi selectable needles, so that one bar of needles may be disabled while anothei bai of needles is sewmg
• such a multi-needle quilting machine has the ability to leveise the lelative motion of the web 12 lelative to the bais or bridges that cany the sewmg heads While the method is explained heiem foi a machine m which the sewmg heads aie longitudinally fixed lelative to a machine frame thiough
• a web 12 is advanced in the duection of the arrow 531 through a quiltmg station having a needle bar army 532 that includes an upstieam needle bai 533 and a downsueam needle bar 534
• the needle bars 533 and 534 aie at a fixed distance 525 apait
• the needles of the upstieam needle bai 533 begin sewmg pattern curves 503 by sewing tack stitch sequences 517 at needle positions 523 Aftei the web 12 has advanced a distance 525, as illustiated in Fig.
• the needles of the downstieam bai 534 aie activated and begin sewmg the pattern curves 504 by sewmg tack stitch sequences 517 at needle positions 521 to begin sewmg cuives 504 at stait positions that align at the same longitudinal position as the beginnings of curves 503
• the web 12 is advanced fuithei as bothbais 533 and 534 of needles stitch cuives 503 and 504 simultaneously until the position of Fig.9D is leached, at whichpomts tack stitch sequences 518 aie sewn, the thiead is cut and the needles at positions 523 on bai 533 aie disabled Sewing then continues with the needles at positions 521 on bai 534 until the web is at the position illustiated in Fig.
• Fig. 9 J shows the bridges 21 and 22 of the maclnne 10 m aibitiary stait positions in the middle of then tiavel langes, sufficiently high on the name to allow for some downwaid tiavel
• the sewing may start with the needles of the lowei budge 21 stitching tack stitch sequences 517 at the beginnings of cuives 503 of pattern 501 Then the lowei budge 21 begins to sew the cuives 503 while moving downwaidly with the web 12 stationaiy while uppei budge 22 moves downwaidly to the same staitmg position, to the positions shown in Fig.
• Aftei pattern 501 is complete, as illustrated in Fig. 9M, the web 12 is stopped and the budges 21 and 22 move upwaid until the budge is at the same staitmg position that is shown ni Fig.
• Figs. 9-9M While the description of Figs. 9-9M have been described in connection with continuous, unidirectional patterns, this has been done to more clearly illustrate certain features and principles. These features and principles can be used with other pattern features, such as those described in connection with Figs. 7-7G. Where such patterns might include bidirectional longitudinal motions, the principles of the methods of Figs.9-9M maybe the same net longitudinal forward or backward motions to such other patterns or pattern features.
• Panel cutting can be synchronized with the quilting.
• the web feed rolls 18 stop the web 12 and the cut is made. Sewing can continue uninterrupted by replacing the upward motion of the web with downward motion of a bridge. This is anticipated by the controller 19, which will cause the web 12 to be advanced by the rollers 18 faster than the sewing is taking place to allow the bridge to move upward enough so it is enough above its lowermost position to allow it to sew downward for the duration of the cutting operation while the web is stopped.
• the controller can switch the needles on or off.
• These features can be used to sew pattern combinations as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,026,756, hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. With the machine 10 described herein, a wider variety of patterns can be combined and efficiently sewn.
• embodiments of the invention produce complex patterns that combine continuous patterns, as for example the zig-zag pattern 550 shown in Fig. 9P, with a TACK AND JUMP pattern, for example, the circle array pattern 552 shown in Fig. 9Q.
• Such patterns 550 and 552 can be simultaneously sewn on the machine 10 to produce a combination pattern 554 as shown in Fig. 9R.
• the continuous pattern 550 can be sewn on a continuously advancing web with the heads of the lower bridge 21, preferably in an alternating left and right transverse motion while in a fixed horizontal position, while separate TACK AND JUMP circles of the pattern 552 are sewn with heads of the upper bridge 22 in coordination with the zig-zag pattern 550.
• the continuous pattern 550 can be sewn with four heads of the lower bridge 21 running continuously as the web feeds downstream at a constant speed, while 360 degree circles of pattern 552 are being sewn with three heads of the upper bridge 22 sewing intermittently, tacking and cutting threads at the end of each circle pattern.
• the circles can be sewn using six heads of the upper bridge 22, three simultaneously sewing one row of three circles alternating with three other heads sewing simultaneously an alternating row of circle patterns. Using six heads requires less transverse bridge motion and allows the circles to be more widely spaced.
• multi-needle quilting machines set forth above provide several axes of motion that differ from those of conventional multi-needle quilting machines.
• Some embodiments of these quilting machines have two or more bridges that are capable of separate or independent control, each bridge being provided with a row of sewing needles that may be driven together, each separately or independently, or in various combinations.
• Each bridge may have an independently controllable drive for reciprocating the sewing elements, the needles and loopers.
• the drive is most practically a rotary input, as from a rotary shaft, that operates the reciprocating elements.
• Independent operation of the drives on each of the budges can allow foi independent sewing opeiation of the sewing heads or groups of sewmg heads, 01 the idling of one oi moie heads, while one or raoie otheis is sewing
• each sewmg head including each needle head and each loopei head, can be linked to a common iotaiy d ⁇ ve thiough an independently contiollable clutch that can be opeiated by a machine contioller to turn the heads on oi off, theieby pioviding pattern flexibility
• the heads are typically configmed m sewmg element pans, each needle head with a coiiespondmg similaily modulai loopei head While the heads of each pan can be individually ruined on oi off, they are typically turned on and off togethei, eithei simultaneously oi at diffeient phases m their cycles, as may be most desiiable Alternatively, only the needle heads maybe piovided with selective d ⁇ ve linkages, while the loopei heads may be linked to the output of a d ⁇ ve motoi so as to urn continuously This linkage may be duect and peimanent, or may be
• split stait featuie is one use of a featuie that allows the needle and loopei dnves to be decoupled and moved sepaiately
• the initial motion of the needle and loopei pioceed sepaiately upon staitup so as to iendei the pickup of the stitches predictable This is achieved by insuring that the loopei picks up, that is passes thiough, a top-thiead loop befoie the needle picks up oi passes thiough a bottom thiead loop t ⁇ angle
• the elements aie unlocked and the loopei can be advanced m its cycle
• the advance can be, foi example, ISO degiees to the loopei's ietiacted position oi by some lessei amount that is enough to msuie that the loopei thiead t ⁇ angle is not in the path of the needle Fifteen degrees to twenty degtees, foi example 17 degiees, can be sufficient
• the needle can be advanced a like amount to bung it in phase with the loopei, insuimg that the needle will miss the loopei thiead triangle oi loop in the loopei thiead on its fiist penehation of the mate ⁇ al for a pattern
• the elements are ielocked Upon
• a split stait maybe executed using a single dnve seivo foi the needles and loopeis
• a phase shifting mechanism is piovided to accomplish tins with both needles and loopeis being d ⁇ ven fiom the same motoi Fuithei, m accoidance with othei p ⁇ nciples of the invention, the phase of the loopers may be advanced relative to that of the needles, then the loopeis and needles may be moved together while mamtaimng the phase diffeience between them, then the loopeis and needles may be bi ought back into phase by re acting the loopeis, foi example, oi by slowing 01 stopping the loopeis lelative to the needles while the needles catch up, fiom which point the cycle can continue with the needles and loopers in phase
• a multi-needle qmltmg machine 10 includes two moveable and independently opeiable budges 21 and 22, each having theieon a pluiahty of sepaiately controllable needle heads 25 and a conespondmg pluiahty of loopei heads 26, the speed of the needle heads 25 may be contiolled by a contiollei contt oiling the operation of a needle dnve sei vo 67 that dnves a common needle d ⁇ ve shaft 32 on the budge 21 Similarly, the speed of the loopei heads 26 maybe contiolled by the contiollei contiollmg the opeiation of a loopei d ⁇ ve seivo 69 on the budge 21 , that dnves the common loopei belt d ⁇ ve systems 37 on one of the bridges
• the sewing heads 25,26 on diffeient bridges 21,22 can be
• each budge includes a needle drive servo 67, separately controllable by a signal fiom the contioller 19 which diives shaft 32, winch, in turn, dnves all of the needle head assemblies 25 on the lespective bndge, with each needle head assembly 25 being selectively engageable thiough a clutch 100, also opeiated by signals fiom the contiollei 19
• each bndge fuithei includes a looper dnve seivo 69, also sepaiately contiollable by a signal fiom the contiollei 19, which dnves a belt 37, which, m turn, drives all of the loopei head assemblies 26 on the lespective budge with each loopei head assembly 26 being selectively engageable
• the needle and loopei d ⁇ ves can be decoupled when at the staitmg position of Fig. 5P, which is similai to that of Fig. 5L, and the needle can be held m its top dead centei position
• the loopei d ⁇ ve is then advanced one-half cycle, to move the looper 216 to the position lllustiated m Fig.
• theieby ietiactmg the loopei 216 out of the path of the needle 132 Then the loopei dnve is held in its half cycle position while the needle d ⁇ ve is activated to lowei the needle 132 to its half cycle position, which leaves the needle 132 cleai of the bottom thiead 224, as lllustiated m Fig.5R
• an end poition oi tongue 49 of a budge 21 oi 22 is illustrated in which the needle drive motor 67 is linked to dnve both the needle head assemblies 25 and loopei head assemblies 26 of the same bridge
• the seivo 67 directly drives the output shaft 32, which is the needle d ⁇ ve input shaft foi that bridge
• the shaft 32 drives a cog belt 32a that dnves a loopei d ⁇ ve input shaft 37a, winch takes the place of the loopei dnve belt 37 m pieviously desciibed embodiments
• needles 132 and loopeis 216 aie dnven togethei, and aie not sepaiately contiolled oi phased Because the stitching elements aie mechanically linked, powei failuies and othei malfunctions aie less likely to iesult in mechanical damage to the machine Nonetheless, the ability to sepaiately contiol needle and loopei heads
• Figs. 6J-6M m which Fig. 6J is a top view of a budge 21 with the differential dnve 69a included, seivo motor 67 directly dnves the shaft 32 to opeiate the needle heads 25
• the differential dnve 69a includes a tiansfer d ⁇ ve belt 32a connected between the needle drive shaft 32 and the input shaft 37a of the loopei dnve belt assembly 37 which dnves the looper heads 26
• Fig.6K which is a cioss-sectional view thiough the phase shiftei 69a, shows the shiftei 69a in its default condition m which the shafts 32 and 37a aie synchiomzed to d ⁇ ve the needle heads 25 and loopei heads 26 m phase
• the phase shiftei 69a is shown in detail in Fig. 6M
• a pneumatic linear actuatoi 310 is linked between the housing of the phase shiftei 69a and the idlei plates 303,304 to pivot the plates when actuated to the position shown in Fig.6L, which moves the slack m the belt 32a to the high tension side 305 of the pulley 37c, which iotates the loopei dnve shaft 32a foiwaid, advancing the phase of the loopei heads 26 m ielation to the needle heads 25 Tins is coni ⁇ guied to advance the loopei appioximately 25 degiees ni its cycle At the sta
• the split-stait featuie may be combined in diffeient ways with other featuies when startmg to sew a pattern
• the wipe cycle desciibed in connection with Figs. 5H-S J is one of them
• the needle thiead tails aie lying on the face of the material, extending fiom the needles thiough the holes in the pi essme foot plates along the fabiic
• the wipe cycle is a way to lemove these tails by pulling them to the backside of the mate ⁇ al
• the machine can be made to opeiate in alternative modes that eithei employ oi omit such a wipe cycle Wheie product quality is piefeired, the wipe cycle is used to totally i emove the needle thread tails from the face of the pioduct This can mciease the quilting time of fiom 2 to 20 peicent, depending on
• the fust stitch is usually the fust stitch of a beginning tack stitch sequence, which may be an mteimitte ⁇ t stitch sequence as desciibed above
• Such inteimittent tack stitches include stimgs of stitches usually beginning with one oi moie long stitches then ttansitionmg thiough pi ogiessively shoitei stitches into a series of continuous stitches sewn with a standard sinusoidal needle motion
• the piefeued tack stitch sequence may diffei foi diffeient quilted pioducts
• the diffeience may be m the numbei of stitches in the tack sequence as well as in the combination of diffeient stitches that make up a particulai tack stitch sequence
• stiffei oi thickei quilted pioducts may call foi a diffeient tack stitch sequence than moie flexible oi thinnei quilted pioducts
• the pioduct database may also contain othei pioduct-basedpaiameteis
• the desned wipe cycle path oi distance may diffei fiom pioduct to pioduct, and the contiollei may base the wipe cycle to be executed on data iead fiom oi denved fiom the pioduct iecoid
• the pioduct iecoids in the product database typically include the identification of the pattern to be quilted, the matenal combination that will make up the mate ⁇ al web, and the size of the panels To tins infoimation may be added, oi fiom this iiifoimation may be denved, the pioduct-based featuies set forth above and below [0246]
• Another pioduct-based paiametei may include the positioning of the thiead foi thiead t ⁇ mnung at the end of a pattern For example, to make it
• Anothei pioduct-based feature is one that modifies thiead pull-off so as to prevent the needle thiead fiom being pulled from the needle undei DCtain conditions
• the matenal does not piovide enough faction on the thiead tail to insure that needle thiead is pulled fiom the needle tlnead supply spool upon staitup Theiefoie, for pioducts foimed of such matenal, extia budge motion is added to the thiead pull-off This leaves additional needle thiead slack at the needle, i educing the diag caused by the needle thiead spool on the needle thiead The addition of this extia bridge movement is added based on data lead ⁇ om oi denved from the pioduct database [0248] The sewing of extia stitch lines to piovide mat
• the need to sew a stabilization line can ause wheie a web is iegisteied to the left side of the machine (facing downsueam.fi.om the fiont)
• the leftmost head of a budge will move close to, but not off of, the left edge of the matenal as the budge shifts uansveisely
• the iightmost head can, howevei, move off the light edge of the material when the budge shifts to the light Aftei doing so, when the budge returns to the left, the heads that moved off the matenal can snag the matenal
• the sewing of a stabilization line longitudinally along the right edge of the web to join the loose layeis of matenal togethei can avoid the snagging of the matenal
• the line of stitches along the light edge of the web holds the layeis togethei so the top layei oi layeis of material aien't fie
• This featuie is only needed on tack and jump pattern ariays m which the heads move hansveisely off the edge of the web when the head is not sewmg
• the featuie is pioduct based, and involves sewing pattern logic that adds the longitudinal stabilization line to be sewn when the web is advancing downstieam lelative to the badges, including when the bridges are descending on the name and moving upstieam lelative to the web, and the pattern is one that takes the nghtmost head oi heads off the edge of the machine
• the stabilization line sewing featuie is noimally turned off, but is automatically enabled fiom the pioduct database foi pioducts needing the stabilization line [0251]
• the stabilization lme featuie is on, whenevei the bottom-most or upstream budge is moving below orupstream of the leading end of the sewn stabilization line oi the sewn pattern, which

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• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Sewing Machines And Sewing (AREA)
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• 2006
  • 2006-09-08 JP JP2008530009A patent/JP4944114B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
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  • 2006-09-08 WO PCT/US2006/035233 patent/WO2007030809A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2006-09-08 EP EP06803304.2A patent/EP1943382B1/de active Active
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