FR2640476A1 - METHODS FOR THE AUTOMATIC MANUFACTURE OF SOFT FOIL PRODUCTS CONSISTING OF MULTIPLE ASSEMBLED PIECES SUCH AS CLOTHING OR UNDAMERS AND DEVICES FOR CARRYING OUT SAID METHODS - Google Patents

Abstract

Processes for the automatic manufacture of products in flexible sheets consisting of several assembled parts such as clothing or underwear, as well as devices for implementing these processes. The installation for the automatic manufacture of briefs comprises cutting stations associated with gripping devices 14, which deposit the cut pieces Ds, Dv, Df, F on conveyors with belts 20, 21, 22 provided with gripping needles 27, 30, assembly stations E, G, a deployment station 7, a gripping station J of the part deployed by a carrier member with multiple arms, elasticizing stations M1, to M4 or for sewing the braid , lace, etc., an unloading station N of the multi-arm member, a folding device 70, and a belt transfer member 74 which transfers the part folded by the folding device 70 to a gripper 75 at U-jaws 75a, 75b.

Description

! Automatic manufacturing processes for flexible sheet products

  The present invention relates to the automatic manufacture of flexible sheet products such as, for example, garments or underwear consisting of pieces, such as garments or undergarments made from pieces, such as garments or undergarments. of fabric cut and assembled by sewing. There are known methods of automatic cutting of fabrics or of placing by sewing on a piece of cloth, an elastic or a braid; but there is no complete process of manufacturing a garment in which all phases of manufacture from cutting to the finished product are automatic. The present invention relates to a set of methods and devices which allow such complete automation, the installation according to the present invention making it possible to produce, in the example produced, a woman's panties every 5 seconds in all sizes and with fabrics.

having no rigidity.

  The method according to the invention is characterized in that: a- one cuts, in a single thickness, pieces of fabric & assemble to dimensions greater than those of the finished product, b- is defined for each piece "n" zones grippers, which determine the only parts by which the part will be held throughout the manufacturing process, said zones being located near the course of the seams to be made, con displaces the pieces of fabric without applying tension to them by means of belts & needles, said needles being engaged in the predefined gripping areas and being carried by belts whose spacing is always less than the minimum possible distance between the gripping zones corresponding to the smallest size of the garment to be manufactured, d- the parts are assembled to each other by means of the needle belts which are covered by possibly pivoting themselves on their own. R bring the fabric portions overlapped, the gripping areas of one piece being transferred from one belt to the other, e-scrolling the portions of fabric pieces overlapped in front of one or more sewing machine heads possibly equipped with knives for

  cut the excess fabric after sewing.

  Preferably: the pieces are cut into a single thickness by means of a laser cutter, the fabric being unrolled on a loop conveyor having a plurality of depression chambers to ensure its maintenance and a good flatness of the fabric, there are as many unloading means as there are different parts, each unloading means depositing the part to which it corresponds on a conveyor, the laser cutting system and the unloading means are programmed and controlled by a computer system. so that each unloading means always takes the same piece and always places it in

  the same position on the corresponding conveyor.

  The invention is for example implemented for the manufacture of women's underpants which are in four parts: back, front, bottom and double bottom, the last piece can be made of a fabric of different contexture. In this particular case, the first three pieces (back, front, bottom) cut out bridge in the same fabric roll and each placed on a conveyor belt and needles of its own, the fourth (double bottom) being cut off & share by any appropriate means (eg cookie cutter) and deposited on a conveyor & needle of the same type as

the other three.

  One of the essential characteristics of the process is that, regardless of the size of the underwear during manufacture, it will always be handled by gripping means always taking it in the same areas, which requires that these areas are all along. spaced apart from each other by constant distances, smaller than the minimal distances corresponding to the smallest size so that the fabric is never energized which would cause

a deformation of the tissue.

  The invention accordingly provides a particular method of gripping the pieces of fabric after cutting them to transfer them to the needle conveyors. This method consists in: lifting the piece of tissue cut by laser and maintained by depression to make it pass through several needles, these needles being placed relative to each other so as to define a polygon comprising the "n" gripping zones, the distances between the vertices of the polygon being variable to seize the parts close to the plots of the seams, - one transfers the pieces on "m" parallel belts carrying needles turned upwards, arranged in a polygon, which is superimposed on it so that the gripping needles correspond exactly to those of the belts,

  the piece of cloth being transferred to these needles.

  It is then necessary to manipulate the pieces of fabric by causing them to coincide in order to be able to sew them, and another essential feature of the invention is that this is achieved by means of the conveyors with belts and needles by bringing the belts to one another. others, by turning them around, bringing them side by side and transferring the pieces of tissue, partially or

  completely from one conveyor & needles & another.

  The invention thus relates to a method of handling pieces of fabric to be joined to each other according to which said pieces of fabric are conveyed on conveyors with belts provided with needles on which the pieces of fabric are inserted and according to which the pieces of fabric from one conveyor to another by bringing said belts opposite each other, in inverted position, the needles of each being in coincidence, the conveyor with needle belts carrying the piece of fabric being next to the belt conveyor on which the fabric is to be transferred; the passage of the needles from one to the needles of the other being caused by a guide

  flushing and / or blowing or vacuuming.

  In the particular case of a brief with a double-bottom, it is possible for aesthetic considerations and comfort that the seam of the bottom and the double-bottom with the back is returned, which poses a problem of automatic handling particularly difficult. The invention relates to such a method of assembling four pieces constituting a brief, namely a front, a back, a bottom (between the front and back) and a double bottom, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a- each piece is carried by two or more parallel needle belts, the needles passing through the workpiece in gripping areas beyond the seam path of the finished object, b- the double bottom is carried by two needle belts, one having the needles pointing upwards, the other having needles pointing downwards, and crossing the fabric in inverted tapping, c- these two belts are placed under the back piece with the needles of the needle belt upwards grasping the end of the back piece, the other belt pivoting on it 90 'outwards to hold the fabric; so that one then has the double-bottom set up, d- the two needle belts (directed towards

  the top) of the front piece are placed

  above the above, by a rotation in the space of 180 'the needle belt carrying the upper end of the front (or belt) being turned 180' (needles down); the other belt & needles carrying the lower end of the front being held parallel and itself so as to turn this end, e- the two needle belts carrying the bottom are transferred to the latter assembly, one end of the bottom coming in correspondence with the end of the front end and the other end in correspondence with the edges of the two pieces previously put in place (paragraph c), the assembly scrolls in front of a machine head

  sewn together the three assembled edges (double-

  bottom, back, bottom) and the belt bearing this assembly is discarded,

  g- the belt that continues to wear the double-

  bottom is moved laterally and rotated 270 so as to unfold the double-bottom on one side (right side in the figure), h- the two belts bearing the front are moved laterally in the same direction and the belt bearing the lower extremity the front and the assembled bottom is returned 180 ', brought in correspondence with that mentioned in g to achieve the assembly "double bottom + bottom + bottom of the front", it'allet is: ouSu and the belt retracted, J - the belt with the front belt is spread laterally and laterally pivoted so & deploy the piece constituted by the assembly "back +

  background and double-bottom superimposed + front ".

  After the phases described above, there is a piece of cloth having a back and a front assembled to each other by a bottom and possibly a double bottom, all being deployed flat and carried by two belts parallel by four attachment zones constituting the four vertices of a polygon, the distances between the vertices being smaller than the minimum distances corresponding to the smallest size, - this part is then transferred to a four-armed carrier member, each arm being provided with grasping means taking the fabric exactly where it is carried by the needles of the belts, the carrier member has the piece of fabric in front of the fixed head of a sewing machine for sewing an elastic and controlled by means that scroll the fabric under the stitching head along a predetermined path; such that an elastic is sewn along the sides of the piece of fabric corresponding to the two openings of the legs and the waist opening, the excess fabric being cut by a knife located next to the crowbar, - The movement of the carrier member being controlled by a programmer having received in memory the corresponding indications b an ideal image of the part to be elasticized, the sewing head of the sewing machine being associated with a corrector device which superimposes the general movement given to the tissue by the organ carrying the instantaneous and local correction movements corresponding to the deviations deduced between the image of the piece and its ideal image, the brief thus provided with elastic on its four sides is folded on itself by a device & belts and transferred to a clamp provided with a plurality of fingers which penetrate & inside the slip and spreads it; the two sides of the underpants being pressed against each other by said pliers, - the slip thus spread in the center and pinched on the sides is presented in front of two sewing stations to which the sides are sewn, - the finished panty is then brought b a

  device that turns it back on itself.

  The invention also relates to devices for implementing the above-mentioned method or methods, and in particular an installation comprising: "x" cutting stations each associated with a gripping device which deposits the cut pieces on belt conveyors equipped with fastening needles, - a series of assembly stations in which the belts intersect and / or overlap to assemble the parts which are then sewn, - a deployment station in which the assembled part is deployed and carried by two belts or more with parallel needles, - a gripping station of the part deployed by a multi-armed carrier member, said arm being carried by a structure allowing it to move in a plane movement to scroll the edge of the fabric in front of positions of elastication comprising a sewing machine & fixed head which lays an elastic and sews it, - "y" elastication stations, - "J" sewing stations of assembled sides,

  - a turning station of the garment.

  As a non-limiting example and to facilitate the understanding of the invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, a schematic view of the automatic installation according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the areas A, B and C of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic side elevational view of the device of Figure 2; Figures 4 & 6, three schematic views of detail illustrating a gripping device of cut fabric pieces; Figures 7 and 8, two detail views, in perspective, illustrating two embodiments of the needle belts; Figure 9 is a view showing the disposition of a front piece on a conveyor with three needle belts; Figure 10 is a schematic view illustrating a folding operation of a piece carried by needle belts; Figure 11 is a schematic view illustrating a transfer operation of a conveyor belt and needles to another; Figure 12 is an enlarged view of a detail of Figure 11; Figure 13, a schematic view illustrating a transfer operation with superposition giving rise to an assembly; Figure 14, a schematic view illustrating various positions of the needles of the conveyor belts and devices for not evading the fabric Figure 15, a schematic view illustrating from bottom to top, the different phases of assembly and sewing of the four parts a slip; Figure 16 is a plan view of the assembly of the four assembled parts; Figure 17 is a perspective view illustrating the gripping member & multiple arms; Figure 18 is a sectional view of a detail of Figure 17; Figure 19, a schematic view illustrating the control of movement and rotation of the member of Figure 17; Figure 20 is a plan view of the precision guide device of the fabric; Figure 21 is a side elevational view partially in section of the device of Figure 20; Figure 22 is a perspective view of the panty folding device and the folded slip transfer device to a gripper; Figure 23 a schematic view showing three phases of operation of the assembly shown in Figure 22; Figure 24 a side elevational view with partial section of the clip of Figure 23; Figure 25, a front view of the jaw of the

  Figure 24, the fingers being open.

  Figure 26 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of a deformable box gripper parts after cutting; Figure 27 a diagram illustrating, in plan, the manner in which the device of Figure 26 is deformed to fit the shape of the part to be grasped; FIG. 28 is a perspective diagram illustrating the manner in which the deformable wall of the device of FIG. 26 is constituted; Figure 29 is a side elevational view of a transfer device of the cut pieces from the deformable box of Figures 26 to 28; Figure 30 is a plan view of the device of Figure 29; Figure 31 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the device having the assembled part in front of the sewing machine heads for elasticity; Figure 32 is a schematic plan view of the device of Figure 31; Figures 33 & 36 four schematic plan views, illustrating the means for changing the orientation of the carriages of the device of Figures 31 and 32; Figures 37 to 38 two views, one side and one from the front, illustrating the attachment of the fabric on a carriage; Figures 39 and 40 two views, one side and one from the front, illustrating the unloading of a carriage; Figure 41 is a perspective detail view showing a carriage and its drive means; Figure 42 a detail view in perspective illustrating the constitution of the flexible rails; Figures 43 and 44 two schematic views, a side and the other in plan, illustrating the arrival of a piece of cloth and spreading Figure 45 a schematic plan view of the device downstream of that of Figure 30; Figure 46 is a side elevational view of a detail of Figure 45; Figures 47 and 48 two schematic views, one in side elevation and the other in plan of the device for setting the standard size of the cut pieces; Figure 49 is an overview of Figures 30, 45 and 48; Figure 50 a schematic view illustrating the spreading of the projection part of its image before the elastic operations using the spreading principle described in Figures 43 and 44; Figure 51 a partial view, in perspective, illustrating a first embodiment of the turning device at the station V, the finished slip; Figures 52 & 55 four schematic views of a second embodiment of the turning device located at the station V; Figure 52 a closed clamp with a slip, Figure 53 the clamp of the

Figure 52 open.

  Figure 54, a front view of the clip wearing the slip and introduced into the turning device;

  Figure 55, a side view of Figure 54.

  FIG. 1 represents a complete installation comprising, arranged in U, all the stations necessary for the implementation of the process of

  automatic manufacture of underpants in four pieces.

  These different items are: A- fabric roll with unwinder, B- cutting station in one thickness, C- unloading areas either: Cl unloading area "back" (Ds>, C2 unloading area "bottom" (F), C3 unloading zone "in front" (Dv), D- cutting station and unloading of the double bottom (Df), E- assembly area Dv + Df + Ds + F, F- first seam station, G - Df turning zone and transfer Dv + F on Df, H- second seam area, I- deployment zone, J- gripping areas of the underwear deployed by a multi-branched gripping member that will be called hereinafter after "spider", position of identification of the contour of the part with respect to an image, Waiting position, M- four positions of elasticity (M1, M2, M3 and M4), Node of unloading spiders, 0- folding station of the part, first seam on one side of the brief formed by the folded part, Q- finishing station of the first seam, R- 180 'reversal of the piece, Ssecond sewing or sewing on the other side of the brief which is thus finished, T- finishing station of the second seam, U and V- reversal and unloading of the underpants

finished.

  Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be seen that in zone A is the roll of fabric 1 from which the garment is to be made, which in the example shown is a women's brief. The fabric of the roll 1 is unwound by a motor roller 2 and a looping device 3 of known type which aims

  to cushion the jolts in the unwinding of the fabric.

  The unrolled fabric is deposited on a closed-loop conveyor 4 which has a plurality of parallel boxes 5 placed side by side and held in slight depression along the length of its upper strand so that the fabric remains stationary during the operation. cutting and gripping operations. The cutting is performed by a laser cutting member 6 which is carried by a traveling crane, consisting of a cross member 7 carried by two end supports 7a moving on two parallel rails 7b. The movements of the laser cutting member 6 along the beam 7 and along the rails 7b are controlled by a computer system so as to cut the pieces "back" (Ds), "in front" (Dv) and " bottom "(F) with the least possible losses. However, in order to simplify the unloading operations, the pieces are cut in only two possible positions, inverted by 180 '. The cutting program is determined accordingly and introduced into the computerized system of general control which controls all the stations, including in particular the cutting station B. The cut pieces are transported by the conveyor 4 and pass to the unloading stations of the zone C. Each unloading station is specialized, that is to say that the station C1 discharges only the back pieces (Ds), the post C2 discharges only the bottom pieces (F) and the post C3 unloads than the front pieces (Dv). Each unloading station comprises a gripping member 8, 9, 10 carried by a traveling crane 11, 12, 13 respectively. The traveling cranes 11, 12, 13 are of the same nature as the traveling crane 7 and the displacements of the gripping members 8, 9, 10 and the traveling cranes 11, 12, 13 are controlled by the central computer system according to the program of cutting. Figures 4 & 6 illustrate the constitution and

  the operation of the gripping members 8, 9 and 10.

  Each gripping member is constituted by a hollow box 14, connected by a flexible pipe 15, for example a bellows pipe, & a vacuum source producing a larger vacuum

  that prevailing in the caissons 5 of the conveyor 4.

  The box 15 is closed at its base by a resilient movable paddle 16 fixed at one of its ends to the box 15 and free at its other end which is provided with a tubular orifice 17 through which a needle 18 fixed to the bottom of the box. Preferably, the lower end of the tubular orifice 17 is provided with a gate 19. The operation of this device is as follows: the gripping member 8, 9 or 10 is brought over the part to be grasped, for example the back Ds by its crane 11, 12 or 13 as shown in Figure 4; then the box 15 is depressed, which locally sucks the piece Ds which comes against the grid 19, thus partially blocking the orifice 17 so that the elastic paddle 16 moves upwards so that the needle 18 crosses the fabric, as shown in FIG. 5; then the piece Ds being grasped simultaneously by several gripping members is

  completely raised as shown in Figure 6.

  Each unloading device 8, 9 and 10 comprises a plurality of gripping members such as that described in Figures 4 to 6 so that the piece of fabric is taken in at least two places so as to be fully raised substantially flat; the dimensions of the piece are then reduced to those of the smallest piece accepted by the machine. Areas

  grippers so defined are immutable, that is,

  say that throughout the process the piece will be

  always taken to the same areas, possibly those

  these will be eliminated as and when the advance

  the process when they become useless.

  As can be seen in FIG. 2, the rolling bridges 11, 12 and 13 deposit the parts gripped on the belt and needle conveyors 20, 21, 22; the conveyors 20 and 22 having three belts with

  needles and the conveyor 21 having only two.

  Figures 7 and 8 show two embodiments of the needle belts which are constituted by the conveyors. According to the embodiment of Figure 7, the belt is a toothed belt 23, or any other system for the indexing in position of the needles (to prevent slippage which would cause a shift) having a raised axial strip 24 provided fastening studs 25 on which are fixed one or more support blocks 26 laterally carrying at least two bent needles 27 '90', the horizontal base 27a of the needles being in the same plane as the 23 'of the belt 23, so that the distance between the elbow of the needles 27 remains substantially invariable even when the belt 23 is wound on a pulley. According to the embodiment of Figure 8, the toothed belt 23 comprises studs 28 in the form of tenon & dovetail whose axis is transverse to that of the belt 23; these studs 28 are fitted with support blocks 29 provided with dovetail mortise, these support blocks 29 carrying four

needles 30.

  In the example shown in FIG. 7, the support 26 carries two L-shaped hands and in the example shown in FIG. 8, the support 29 carries four needles 30, but it should be noted that the invention is not these examples, said supports 26 and 29 can carry at least one needle and this number

can be any.

  Figure 9 illustrates the conveyor 22 carrying a front piece Dv by means of three needle belts 23. The base of the piece Dv is attached to two pairs of needles 27 while the two sides are

  each attached to two sets of four needles 30.

  The dotted line 31 represents the exact surface of the piece Dv of the finished brief, the implantation areas of the needles 27 and 30 being outside this surface. In Figure 9, the belts 23 are parallel to each other. This is so when the piece

  must simply be transported from one post to another.

  But, according to one of the features of the invention, it is possible by moving relatively relative to each other to operate a number of handling operations. Thus, by way of example, FIG. 10 schematically illustrates a folding operation. Figure 10 is broken down into three views; Figure 10 is a side elevation; Figure 10b is a plan view; Figure 10c is a sectional view; the piece of fabric F, for example, being shown only in Figure 10c; and the belts 23 and 23 'moving in the direction of the arrow f. We see that in position I, the two belts are parallel in the same horizontal plane; then, position II, the belt 23 'rises up towards the belt 23; in position III the belt 23 'is at its maximum high position and passes over the belt 23 which it crosses; in position IV the belt 23 'is slightly down, it is still higher than the belt 23 but it is passed on the other side of

so that the part F is folded.

  According to the invention, it is possible, thanks to the conveyor belts with needles, not only to perform folding and deployment operations; but it is also possible to bring the one on top of each other in coincidence with the transported parts and to transfer them from one conveyor to another or from a conveyor on itself. This transfer operation is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, FIG. 12 being an enlarged view.

a detail of Figure 11.

  FIG. 11 illustrates the transfer of any part "p" from an upper conveyor 23s to a lower conveyor 23i, the part "p" being held by two needles "a". It can be seen that the two conveyors 23s and 23i wind on guide pulleys 32 so that the needles "a" of the upper conveyor 23s are directed downwards and those of the lower conveyor 23i are directed upwards, while being in position. exact coincidence. A support guide 33 prevents the workpiece "p" from falling into the portion of the conveyor path 23s where the "a" needles, although directed downwards, must continue to transport the workpiece. At the place where the transfer is to take place, the end 33e of the guide 33 moves away so that the piece "p" is detached from the needles of the conveyor 23s to come to seize on the needles of the conveyor 23i. To facilitate this transfer, there may be a transfer guide 34 which applies the piece "p" 'on the needles of the conveyor 23i and / or small air jets which blow the piece "p" on said needles. Obviously, it is necessary that the scroll speeds of the two conveyors 23s and 23i are exactly synchronized. It is also necessary that the needles of the one and the other are in exact coincidence so that the parts are always seized in exactly the

same gripping areas.

  FIG. 13 illustrates a superposition transfer operation of any two pieces called for example "pl" and "pZ". As in the case of FIGS. 11 and 12, the conveyor 23s is wound on guide pulleys 32 so that its needles "a" are directed downwards exactly in coincidence with the needles "a" of the lower conveyor 23i which are , they, directed upwards. The conveyor needles 23s carry a piece pl and those of the conveyor 23i carry a piece p2; in the zone where the needles of one and the other coincide, a transfer guide (and / or air jets) detaches the piece pl from the conveyor needles 23s and pushes it on the needles of the conveyor 23i so that the two pieces are found superimposed on

the needles "a" of the conveyor 23i.

  To prevent the tissue from being detached from the needles when this is not desired, it is advantageous, by means of appropriate guide pulleys, to rotate the belt 23 by 90 'or more on itself as shown in FIG. this figure, the left position represents a belt 23 with the needles "a" directed horizontally for a transport without transfer and directed downwards while passing through a guide 33

  for transport with or without subsequent transfer.

  In connection with FIGS. 10 to 14, there is shown theoretically and by way of example the various operations of handling of fabric pieces which are made possible by the conveyors with belts and needles; Figure 15 illustrates, from bottom to top, the different phases of the assembly with sewing of the four parts (Ds, Dv, F, Df)

constituting a slip.

  In position I, there is shown the conveyor carrying the double-bottom Df, the left-hand belt pivoting on itself in order to hold the part Df in position II, the superposition of the back, Ds, on Df the base is represented. Ds being brought into register with the corresponding end of F, the piece Dv being brought in proximity; in position III, it can be seen that the piece Dv was first turned 180 'by the combined displacement of the two belts, then one of these belts was turned over again. 180 'so that the base of Dv is turned upwards; in position IV, the bottom F has been brought so that one of its ends is in coincidence with the turned end of Dv and that its other end is in coincidence with the edges of Ds and Df already in coincidence in II . These phases I to IV correspond to the zone E of FIG. 1. In position V (zone F of FIG. 1), the edges of Df, Ds and F are sewn together, the fixed-point sewing machine being able to be equipped with a knife that removes excess tissue; after the first seam the piece Df is deployed from the bottom as illustrated in position VI; in position VII, the superimposed pieces Dv and F are superimposed with the other end of Df and transferred onto it and in position VIII, the second seam is performed, after which,

  the set is deployed in position IX.

  This set is shown in plan in Figure 16. In this figure, the trace bearing the reference 35 corresponds to the largest size and the trace 36 corresponds to the smallest; the first seam (in position V, figure 15) is indicated by the reference 37, the second seam (position VIII> is indicated by the reference 38, the references 39 indicate the gripping zones either by means of the needles 18, or by means of needles 29-30 either by means of

  gripping device which will be described below.

  In this figure, the zones 39 are not represented in the same position along the path 35 or 36 so as to illustrate the difference of the traces; however, and this is a feature of the invention, the spacing of the last two needle belts 23 which carry the deployed part is such that it corresponds to the pattern 36, the fabric is not stretched. thus, when the conveyor & needles carries larger size pieces, the zones 39 are always in the same relative position and the fabric is

more licks.

  Figures 15 and 16 describe the particular case of the assembly of four pieces intended to constitute a panty, but the invention is not limited to this particular case: the assembly may comprise more or less than four pieces, be worn by more than two belts and constitute a polygon of

more than four summits.

  The following operations will aim at placing a rubber band along the four sides of the piece. Again the invention is not limited to the operation of laying an elastic, but relates to the installation of any reported element such as a lace, lace or the like. For this, the piece is gripped by a gripping member & multiple arms that takes it in the zones 39 and spreads it according to its size (station J, Figure 1). To facilitate the

  description, this multi-arm gripping member

  will be hereinafter referred to as "spider". An illumination of the room spread by the spider to its exact shape projects the shadow of the room onto a frosted glass. At this position, an optical reader establishes a computerized image of the periphery of the room. The computerized central system establishes a contour gap between the actual image of the part and the ideal image programmed to remove the elastic. Then, at the various positions M, the piece will be guided in front of the fixed head of a machine to be laid and sew the rubber band both by the movement of the spider and by an orientable wheel located in the immediate vicinity of the crowbar. the machine, this wheel being guided so as to correct the error observed at any time by an optical viewfinder between the distance between the rim of the fabric and the laying pattern of the previously stored elastic K station and the actual distance between the edge of the fabric and its

  actual presentation under the crowbar.

  Figures 17 and 18 partially illustrate the general grip and guiding member called "spider". Referring to these figures, we see that this member comprises a central body 40 carried by a shaft 41 pivotable about an axis 42. Said shaft 41 is carried by a support that can move along two perpendicular axes so that the body

  can move along a flat trajectory

  defined. The shaft 41 can also be raised or lowered.

  The body 40 carries four arms so as to take the piece by the four places where the points 39 are located. Preferably, the four arms are doubled so that the spider can adapt to all sizes and shapes. In this case, the body 40 carries four arms Y, 43 and 44 superimposed which are carried by sliding rods 45 and 46 so as to deviate from the body 40; in addition, each end of the branches of the Y arms carries sliding rods 47 and 48 carrying tabs 49 and 50. The tabs 49 and 50 are bent & 90 & their lower end and have a slot 51 in which moves a hook 52 likely to swing around an axis 53

  under the effect of a control member 54 (Figure 18).

  In the example shown, the rods 45, 46, 47, 48 and the member 54 are actuated penumatically, but any other suitable system can be used. The movements of the arms 43 and 44 as well as the shaft 41 are controlled by the central computer system. To take the part, the arms 43 and 44 are actuated so that the tabs 49 and 50 are brought into the position corresponding to the points 39 of the line 36; then the body 40 is lowered until the horizontal parts of the tabs 49 and 50 are in contact with the tissues and the hooks 53 are tilted so as to be stitched in the fabric (station J) and then the spider is raised and brought to the station K. In this position the arms Y are spread so that the assembled part is practically flat, but without being

power on.

  The shaft 41 carrying the spider can, to move in the horizontal plane, be carried by a crane type device or, as shown in Figure 19 by two conjugate arms 55 and 56 provided with pulleys and belts or any other rotation device to rotate the shaft 41 about its axis 42. In Figure 19, there is shown schematically the different positions of the piece of fabric at different positions K, Ml which corresponds to the elasticity of the first thigh, M2 with the elasticity of the second thigh, M3 with the back elasticity and M4 with the elasticity in front. To make the figure clearer, there is shown the shaft 41 and the piece of cloth and represented by a spider holding the piece of cloth. The device described in FIG. 19 ensures the general guidance of the piece of fabric in front of the crowbars of the sewing machines, which are fixed and which, as is known per se, realize the laying of

  the elastic by cutting the excess tissue.

  But the movement of the spider is not precise enough, it must be superimposed guidance precision. This guiding device is shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. In these figures, it can be seen that a drive roller 59 presses on the piece of fabric whose flange bears the reference 58. This roller 59 is rotated along the arrow fl (Figure 21) to slide the fabric 57 on a smooth and slippery surface 60. The roller 59 is carried by means allowing it to pivot on itself as shown schematically in Figure 20. The sewing machine comprises a usual system of advancement that are claws animated by a "no pilgrim", the assembly being known is not shown in detail and is indicated by the reference 61; the elastic is deposited according to the pattern 62. Between the steerable motor roller 59 and the crowbar 61 are arranged a tissue tension control mechanism designated by the general reference 63 and an optical sensor 69. The control device 63 comprises a pallet 65 movable around its horizontal support 66, biased upwards and resting at its end on a pusher 67, said pusher sliding in a housing at the bottom of which is placed a detector 68, for example an optical cell. The claw of the system animated by a pilgrim step under the crowbar 61 pulls on the fabric 57 while the roller 59 pushes it. If the roller 59 turns too fast, a fold appears in the fabric, the pallet 65 is raised and the pusher 67 no longer acts on the detector 68, which gives the signal to decrease the speed of rotation of the roller 59; as soon as the fabric is tightened, the pallet 65 is sinking and the pusher 67 again activates the detector 68, which causes the signal to increase the speed of rotation of the roller 59. This gives the advancement of the fabric 57 caused by the roller 59 corresponds exactly to the advancement of the fabric caused by the claw of the pilgrim step. Just after the control device 63 is disposed an optical reader 69 which detects the exact position of the rim 58, in relation to

  a fixed point marked on the machine.

  As explained previously, the item K was made to compare the rim 58 of the piece 57 with the image of the pattern in which the elastic is to be placed. This comparison was done by calculating at regular intervals the distance separating the flange 58 from the elasticization plot; these measurements have been stored. The optical reader 69 measures the position of the rim 58, this measurement is sent to the computer system which compares it with the measurement stored in memory and which consequently controls the variations of direction of the roller 59 to make the necessary corrections to the scrolling

fabric under the crowbar.

  Then you proceed in the same way to

  the elasticity of the half-belt back then half

belt in front.

  The spider then moves to the post N (Figure 1) where the piece of fabric 57 is elasticated and cut according to the final route is discharged on a conveyor

  b belts shown in Figures 22 and 23.

  Figure 22 shows, in perspective the folding device of the slip 70, as well as the transfer device 74 of the folded brief in a handling clamp 75; while Figure 23 illustrates three phases of operation of this set. The folding device 70 comprises means for gripping the workpiece 57. These gripping means are carried by belts and can be

  for example, tongs or needles.

  In the example shown in FIG. 22, the belts of the folding device 70 are provided with gripping needles as has been described for the conveyors, 21 and 22. On the other hand, in connection with FIG.

  39, there will be described a gripper gripper system.

  The needle belt folding device (FIGS. 22 and 23) is of a constitution similar to the conveyors 20. 21 and 22. After the fourth elasticity, at the station M4, the Y-arms of the spider come to a position to release the tension of the elastics and to deploy without tension the lengths of seams sides of the parts in front and back; the needles of the two belts of the device being arranged so that they grip

  room 57 still in the same areas 39.

  The two belts of the folding device 70 remain parallel to each other throughout their path. They are wound on guide pulleys 71 so as to form two horizontal loops U, an upper loop 72 and a lower loop 73, symmetrical with respect to each other so that the strands 72a and 72b of on the one hand, 73a and 73b on the other hand move in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrows, according to the winding or

counter-winding belts.

  The folding device 70 is fixed. On the other hand, in front of this fixed device 70, is disposed a transfer member 74 which can move vertically to occupy a high position corresponding to the U-shaped loop 72 or a lower position, corresponding to the other loop 73. This transfer member 74 can also move horizontally between two positions: a position in which it enters between the belts of the folding device 70 and another position in which it enters between

the jaws of a forceps 75.

  The transfer member has two parallel arms 76, each arm has four belts 76a, b, c, d, which are superimposed. The belts 76a and b are parallel and driven in the opposite direction; it is the same for the belts 76c and 76d. These belts can move apart and move towards each other by upward movement 76a and bottom 76d

belts 76b and 76c.

  The piece of fabric 57, provided with its four elastics (belt front and back, left and right thighs) is driven on the two belts of the conveyor 70 and is folded in one direction by the

  loop 72 is in the opposite direction by the loop 73.

  Depending on whether it is desired that the elasticity be apparent or not, one of the two loops 72 or 73 will be selected by deformation of the transfer 76.

  operation will be described below with loop 72.

  When the piece 57 is in the loop 72, the two belts of the folding device 70 are immobilized so that the upper edges 57a and 57b are exactly one above the other; the belts 76a and b on the one hand and 76c and d on the other are spaced from each other and the transfer member 76 is advanced so that the upper part of the piece 57 enters between the belts 76a and b, while the lower portion enters between the belts 76c and d (Figure 23a). The belt 76a is lowered on the belt 76b, which detaches the upper part of the piece 57 from the needles of the folding device 70 and this part is clamped between the belts 76a and b. In a similar manner the belt 76d is raised which detaches the lower part of the piece 57 from the needles of the folding device 70, this part being clamped between the belts 76c and 76d. The belts 76a and b and 76c and d are then set in motion and, as shown in FIG. 23b, the folded slip is driven by these belts, and is brought to the other end of the transfer member 74 of 77 and 75b of the clamp 75 open simultaneously and the transfer member 74 moves back (ie moves from right in Figure 23) so that its end comes to present the tissue between the jaws 75a and b: the parts are then in the relative position shown in Figure 23c. The jaws of the gripper are closed, the belts 76a and 76d move apart and the member 74 advances (movement from left to right) and the pieces are found in the position shown in FIG. 23a: the slip 57 is tightened in position

  folded between the jaws 75a and b of the clamp 57.

  Figures 24 and 25 show the clip 75.

  In these figures, as well as in Figure 23 we see that the two jaws 75a and b are U-shaped, each jaw thus having two parallel branches connected to their bases by a transverse part. The two jaws are slidably mounted on four pins 78 and urged against each other by springs 79. The transverse part of the lower jaw 75b carries an axis 80 on which are rotatably mounted four L-shaped angled fingers 81, 82 , 83 and 84; two fingers 81 and 82 being on one side and the two fingers 83 and 84 being on the other. In FIGS. 23 and 24, the fingers are represented in the starting position for which they are all four in the plane separating the two jaws 75a and b (In FIG. 23, the fingers 83 and 84 are masked by the two arms of FIG. right of the jaws 75a and b, while in Figure 24, the finger 81 is masked by the finger 82). These four fingers have a thickness slightly less than that of the fixed piece 77. When the piece of fabric 57 is brought onto the piece 77 (FIG. 23c), its two parts are spaced from each other by this piece; when the transfer member 74 enters between the branches of the jaws 75a and 75b the fingers 81 & 84 of the gripper 75 can penetrate inside the folded part 57, as shown in solid lines in FIG. When by rotation of their supports the fingers 81 and 84 will be raised and the fingers 82 and 83 lowered, the slip although closed on its sides and thus kept closed by the branches of the jaws 75a and 75b will be open in its central part as is

  represented in dotted line in FIG.

  The position shown in Figure 23a corresponds. at station 0 in Figure 1. At this station, the piece 57 is held folded and closed by the branches of the two jaws 75a and 75b. The clamp is then transported by a suitable conveyor in front of a machine sewing head & sewing, which corresponds to the station P. There the slip is sewn on one of its sides and the excess fabric is cut. At the station Q, a seam finish is possible such as a stitch.Then the pliers are turned 180 'to the post R and the second seam is made to the post S. At the post T, a second stitch finish is possible such as a breakpoint. The panties are then finished, but it is upside down, seams apparent. At the station U, the fingers 81 to 84 are spaced apart and grippers able to grip the underpants at the waist catch the back and front parts, then the jaws 75a and 75b are spread, releasing the underpants on its sides. By rotation of these clamps, accompanied by a blow, the slip is returned to itself. The brief is then completed and can be presented to any control system or

conditioning.

  Two exemplary embodiments of this device

  will be described below.

  It should be noted that, as shown in FIG. 1, the process generally comprises three phases, each corresponding to a branch of the installation: a first phase that goes from the A, B, C stations to the station I; a second which goes from the posts J to M4; a third which goes from the positions O to V. The first phase corresponds to the cutting and assembly in one piece 57 of the four pieces Dv, Ds, F and Df of which the slip is made (note that the double bottom Df could be removed without changing the process). The second phase corresponds to

  four-sided elasticisation using the spider.

  The third phase corresponds to the folding of the room

57 on herself.

  It should also be noted that the different operations performed at different stations are not provided by the same mechanical process, it is necessary to provide intermediate positions of liaison between the different phases. In the example shown, the station 31 corresponds to a seizure by the spider after reversal on itself of the part deployed at the station I; while the item J2 corresponds to a seizure

without reversal.

  Preferably, before the station 31 is a

arrival post of spiders.

  The installation thus described makes it possible to produce fully automatic briefs every

five seconds.

  Figures 26 to 47 show alternative embodiments of certain components of the installation

previously described.

  FIGS. 26 and 28 relate to an alternative embodiment of the gripping device for parts of

  tissue after they have been cut.

  According to this embodiment variant each piece of fabric is gripped by a deformable box, under depressions, which is constituted so that its peripheral wall fits the contour of the workpiece. Referring to FIG. 26, it can be seen that the deformable box consists of a frame 87, connected by a hood 85 to a suction pipe 86. The frame 87 carries a plurality of movable columns 88 on which a wall is stretched flexible 89. The base of the flexible wall 89 rests on a perforated carpet 91. FIG. 28 shows that the flexible wall 89 consists of flexible strips 89a and 89b which can

slide on each other.

  On instructions from the central computer the posts 88 move, as shown in Fig. 27, to cause the wall 89 to conform exactly to the contour of the fabric piece. The depression is then applied and the piece of fabric is grasped by the box and kept pressed onto the carpet

openwork 91.

  Figures 29 and 30 show a device for transferring parts cut from the box

  deformable described in connection with Figures 26 & 28.

  Referring to FIG. 29, it can be seen that the deformable casing, hereinafter designated by the general reference 89, is itself disposed inside an enclosure 90 under a vacuum, this enclosure being not deformable. This enclosure 90 is carried by a mechanism, not shown, which allows it to move, firstly along the x and y axes of the figure and secondly along the x and z axes of FIG. of this box and one of its side walls are constituted by the perforated carpet 91, whose width is at least equal to the largest dimension of the cut pieces. This belt 91 is closed loop so & have a lower strand 91a which passes between the base of the deformable wall 89 and the conveyor 4 and an upper strand 91b which passes above the enclosure 90. Another loop belt 92 cooperates with the belt 91; so that the cut piece, grasped by the deformable casing 89,

  is transported between the strand 92a and the strand 91a.

  As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the belts 91 and 92 are on the one hand folded 180 'to one another so that the enclosure 90 can move over the entire width of the cutting table 4 and secondly folded 90 and then folded back to 180 'and allow a displacement along the length of the cutting table 4 at the end of the belt 91. The operation of this device is as follows: the deformable box 89 is brought above the cut piece to be grasped and the columns 88 are moved so that the flexible wall 89 conforms to the contour of said piece; the deformable casing is then lowered to come into contact with said part, and is then depressed: the part is then adhered by the suction against the strand 91a of the perforated mat 91; the two mats 91 and 92 are set in motion and the piece is taken between the mats 91 and

92.

  The parts thus transported. by the belt 91 are transferred to the end of the carpet fed to the location 93, oriented 90 'relative to the beginning of the carpet 91 corresponding to the gripping head. At this point, each piece is supported by a transfer belt 120 (FIGS. 45, 46) which either transfers it directly to a belt conveyor 121 or pivots about 180 'to orient the workpiece in the correct direction as shown in FIG. It must be remembered that the laser cutting device cuts the pieces parallel to each other or by reversing them.

  180 'to reduce tissue loss.

  Figures 47 and 48 correspond to the part

  dotted box in figure 45.

  The carrier 121 deposits the piece on a table 122 whose surface is covered with a sliding material. Above this table are arranged conveyors 123, 124, 125 which are each constituted by a pair of loop belts, both

  belts of the same pair being slightly spaced.

  The conveyor 123 has a straight line while the conveyors 124 and 125 can be moved away from or closer to the conveyor 123 and away or close together as symbolically indicated by the arrows. These movements are controlled by the pulleys 126 and 127 which are mounted so as to be movable; on the other hand pulleys 128 and 129 are fixed. The cut piece indicated by the reference "p" is thus reduced by bringing the belts 124 and 125 closer to the minimum standard height corresponding to the smallest size. It must still be reduced to the minimum standard width. For this the piece "p" is pushed by the conveyors 123, 124, 125 on a table 129. On the other side of this table are three conveyors 130, 131, 132 constituted as the conveyors 123, 124, 125 arranged in front of them at the same spacings but shorter. The part "p" is guided on the table 129 to go from the end unsheathers 123, 124, 125 at the beginning of the conveyors 130, 131, 132 by intermediate conveyors & flat belts 133, 134, 135; these three carriers can be lowered or raised. The three conveyors 133, 134, guide the leading edge of the part "p" from the end of the conveyors 123, 124, 125 to the beginning of the conveyors 130, 131, 132. At this moment the conveyors 133, 134, 135 are raised. The desynchronized stops of the conveyers 123-125 on the one hand and 133-135 on the other hand, bring the rear edge of the piece "p" closer to its front edge. This approximation causes the formation of folds on the piece "p" as shown in FIGS. 48 and 49, more particularly in FIG. 48. The piece "p" thus being at the minimum standard dimensions corresponding to the manipulation by means of the belts Needles of the smallest possible size of the piece "p", it is necessary that the piece does not stretch again. For this purpose, the carriers 133, 134, 135 are lowered and put pressure on the folds; then the carriers 130 to 132 as well as the transporters 133 to 135 start simultaneously and at the same time.

speed.

  Table 129 has longitudinal slots (not shown) in which the

  needles "a" belts 23 described above.

  By moving up the belts 23 by any appropriate means, the needles are stitched on the "a" needles of the "p" piece which can thus be transported and handled as described.

upper.

  In the preceding example, with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19, a mechanism has been described for gripping the assembled part 57 (comprising: a back, a front, a bottom and a double bottom) by means of an element called "spider"; a further embodiment of the means whose function is to take the assembled part 57 and to present it in front of the crowbars of the sewing machines to perform the elasticisation. These means are described below with reference to FIGS. are constituted by a set of rails on which carriages move, which, by means of hooks, grip the workpiece

  assembled 57, always by the same points.

  Referring to these figures, we see that this device comprises rails 94 carrying carriages driven by belts 96 (Figure 41). The rails 94 comprise a groove 94a in which rollers 97 roll. At their upper part, the carriages 95 are provided with a notched plate 98 which meshes with notches 96a of the belt 96. Each carriage 95 carries at. its base a hook 99 pivoting about an axis 100. As seen in Figures 37 and 38 to transfer the piece of fabric 57 from the straps & needles to the carriages, the needle belt 23 rises, the hook 99 flips and penetrates

in the fabric.

  Referring to Figures 31 and 32, we see that the device comprises four rails 94 arranged in two parallel pairs, each pair of rails carrying two pairs of trolleys; so that there are eight hooks 99 which enter the part 57 in eight points, which are the invariable gripping points described in the previous embodiment. These points of

  seizures are hereinafter referred to as 1 to 8.

  By advancing the drive belts 96 at different speeds, points 1 to 8 can be moved closer or further away; thus as shown in Fig. 32, the pair of gripping points 2-4 of the pair of gripping points 8-6 can be moved away so that the flange of the coin 57 is substantially rectilinear. By this process, depending on the nature of the fabric, it can be applied to any desired size. The piece of fabric thus extended then passes in front of the head of the sewing machine 61 being oriented by the roller 59, its forward speed being regulated by the loop sensor 63, as in the previous example. As can be seen in FIGS. 31 and 32, immediately after the machine 61, there is an additional belt 101

  to ensure clearance of the machine.

  Once the elasticity of one side of the piece 57 has been achieved, it is necessary to rotate it 180 'to lay the elastic on the other side, then 90' in

  pivoting on themselves the pairs of points 1-

  3, 5-7, 4-2 and 6-8 to put the first belt elastic and again 180 'to put the second belt elastic. These various movements of

  rotation are illustrated in Figures 33, 34, 35 and 36.

  In these figures, it is seen that there is arranged on the path of the two pairs of rails 94 a turntable 102, itself provided with four small plates 103, 104, 105, 106. Figure 33 illustrates the position of the parts when the entry points 1 & 8 arrive on the plate 102; Fig. 34 illustrates the position of the pieces as the plate 102 has turned from '; Fig. 35 illustrates an overall rotation of '; Figure 36 shows individual rotations of

small plates 103 to 106.

  In the previous example, in which the piece of spread fabric 57 is manipulated by a spider, it was necessary to project the image of the piece spread on a frosted glass to establish a computerized image of the periphery of the piece to then control the movements of the spider. According to the present variant, it is still necessary to proceed, at station K, to identify the part so as to determine the lengths of elastics that must be deposited. For that, it is necessary to spread the room. For this purpose, as shown schematically in Figure 50, the rails are deviated 94 which causes a spreading of the part 57 whose image is projected on a frosted glass 136; so that an optical reader establishes a computerized image that determines the length of each elastic to be deposited. Figures 42, 44 and 50 illustrate in a more detailed way how is done this flattening of

room 57.

  Referring to these figures we see that the rails 94 are constituted by a juxtaposition of flexible lamellae, which are assembled to each other by rivets 111, either fixedly or slidably by means of windows 112.

26404? 6

  rails deviate from each other as shown in the middle portion of Figure 45, the carriages 95 are driven not by the loop belts 96, but by side belts 113, guided by rollers 114. On the FIG. 44 shows that, by moving the carriage 96 'forward faster than the carriage 96 ", the piece 57, which has previously been spread in width by

the gauge of the rails 94.

  Once the elasticization is complete, the following operations will be carried out: entry at the station N; folding at the station O (by the folding member 70 and then transfer by clamp 75); stitching a first side at the station P of the belt at the station P; finishing by stitching stitch at Q station; 180 'rotation at station R; stitching of the second side to the S station; finish of the stitch at the station T, grasped on the overturning clamps at the station U and turned over to the station V. FIGS. 39 and 40 illustrate the unloading of a carriage 95. As can be seen in these figures, the belts of the device 70 carry clips 109 pivoting about axes 110 mounted on studs 108 integral with the belt 107; they come to put under the piece to seize. The tongs 109 swing to the open position, the hook 99 tilts to disengage the tissue and an auxiliary system which may be an aspiration, amines the tissue with the open clamps that close. The piece is then carried by the belts of the folding device previously

  described in connection with Figure 22.

  Figure 51 schematically shows a first embodiment of such a turning device. In this figure, the clamps 75 and the fingers 81 to 84 holding the slip 57 assembled in the open position shown in Figure 25, are not shown to simplify the figure. In this figure, we see that two clips 115 and 116 come to grasp one the upper edge, the other the lower edge of the belt of the slip 57; the clamp 75 (no

  shown) is then open to lick the panties.

  After evacuation of the clamp 75 the two clamps 115 and 116 are rotated towards each other and air is blown by a tube 117, which causes the reversal of the slip which is shown returned to 57 '. However, it turns out that the control of the movements of the two clamps 115 and 116 is mechanically difficult to achieve: FIGS. 52 to 55 show a second embodiment of this turning device which is located at station V. FIGS. 53 show the clip 75 of Figures 24 and 25 which has been slightly modified. Referring to this figure, it can be seen that the jaws 75a and 75b are carried by two supports 137 and 138 which can move away from each other or approach one another. The fingers 81, 82, 83 and 84 are replaced by spacers 139 and 140, the lower spacer 139 being secured to the upper support 137 and vice versa. In Figure 52, the slip 57, transported, is held on both sides by the jaws 75a and b; while in Figure 53, the clamp is shown open, unloaded

slip 57.

  Referring to FIGS. 54 and 55, it can be seen that the turning device consists of

  four symmetrical sets of double belts.

  Each set comprises a loop belt 141 arranged in a horizontal U-shape inside which is placed a loop belt 142. The return pulleys 141a, b, c and d of the first and the return pulleys 142a and b are arranged so that the two lower and upper strands of the belt 142 are in contact with the two inner strands of the belt 141. In front of the pulleys 141d of the two sets are

arranged ramps 143.

  Figure 55 is actually two half-views; the upper half-view represents the disposition of the pieces when the gripper 75 has just been introduced into the turning device, the slip 57 not having yet been turned over the lower half-view represents the disposition of the pieces when the gripper has been evacuated , slip 57 just returned. In addition to facilitating understanding, it is illustrated on the left of the figure three positions of the brief first one corresponding to the upper half; a second corresponds to the intermediate phase of reversal at the moment of rotation of the belts;

  a third corresponding to the upper half-view.

  The operation of this device is as follows. The clip 75 holds the slip 57 by its two sides the spacers 139 and 140 being inside the slip. This clamp 75 enters the turning device from the right of Figure 55 according to the arrow (1). The flanges of the underpants are guided by the ramps 143 and are between the pulleys 141d and 142a. These pulleys are then actuated so that the two edges of the slip are apprehended by the belts 141 and 142. Of course, the speed of said belts 141 and 142 must correspond to the speed of advance of the clamp 75. When the edges of the underpants are fully pinched between the belts 141 and 142, the drive pulleys stops and the two jaws 75a and 75b of the clamp 75 separate, which is symbolically represented by the arrow (2). The clamp 75 resumes its movement and is evacuated by the left side of Figure 55 according to the arrow (3). The drive pulleys of the belts 141 and 142 are then set in motion and the slip is transferred continuously and progressively from the internal strand of the belt 142 to its outer strand to occupy the position shown in the half-view

  bottom of Figure 55. The slip is then returned.

  It is also possible to provide a blowing device, similar to the device 117 of FIG.

facilitate this reversal.

  The pants are then finished and brought under his

final presentation.

Claims (53)

claims   1. A method of fully automatic manufacture of multi-piece garments assembled to each other by seams, according to which: a- one cuts, in a single thickness, pieces of fabric to assemble & dimensions greater than those of the finished product, b- for each part "n" gripping zones, which determine the only parts by which the part will be held as necessary during the manufacturing process, are defined, said zones being located near the seams & make, c- it moves the pieces of fabric without applying tension to them by means of belts & needles, said needles being engaged in the predefined gripping zones and being carried by belts whose spacing is always less than the minimum possible distance between the corresponding gripping zones to the smallest size of the garment to be made, d-assemble the pieces to each other by means of needle belts that overlap by pivoting in the space to bring the fabric portions overlapping, the gripping areas of a piece being transferred from one belt to the other, e-scrolling portions of parts cloth covering in front of one or more machine heads & sewing & fixed sewing heads optionally provided with knives for cutting fabric into excess after sewing.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that: the pieces are cut in a single thickness by means of a laser cutter, the fabric being unwound on a loop conveyor comprising a plurality of caissons in depression to ensure a good holding of the fabric, there are as many unloading means as there are different parts, each unloading means depositing the part to which it corresponds on a conveyor, 5. the laser cutting system and the unloading means are programmed and controlled by computerized system so that each unloading means always takes the same type of part and always places it in the same position on the conveyor corresponding.   3. Method according to claim 2 for the manufacture of slip having a back (Ds), a front (Dv), a bottom (F) and optionally a double bottom (Df) wherein the first three pieces are cut in the same roll of fabric (1) and each placed on a conveyor of its own (20, 21, 22), the possible double bottom (Df), in another material or not, being cut apart by any appropriate means ( to the punch for example) and deposited on a conveyor analogous to the other three.   4. A method of manufacturing a panty according to claim 1, characterized in that one proceeds in three phases: a first phase in which one cuts the various components of the panty (Dos, front, bottom, double- bottom) and are assembled to each other by two seams so as to obtain a single piece (57); a second phase during which the four sides of the single piece (57) are elasticized; a third phase during which the piece of fabric is folded, the seam on both sides and the reversal of the finished brief for the   put & place while sewn upside down.   5. A method for unloading parts according to claim 1 comprising: - lifting the piece of tissue cut by depression to make it pass through several needles (18), these needles being placed relative to each other so as to define a polygon with the "n" gripping zones, this polygon being deformable.   6. The method according to claim 1 wherein, after unloading the cut pieces, said pieces are transferred to "m" parallel belts carrying upwardly facing needles, said needles being arranged in a polygon corresponding exactly to gripping devices according to the invention. claim 3, which is superimposed thereon so that the gripping hands are exactly in correspondence with those of the belts, the piece of cloth being transferred on these needles. 7. A method of handling pieces of fabric according to claim 6, to assemble to each other according to which transporting said pieces of fabric on conveyors & belts provided with needles on which the pieces of cloth are plugged and according to which one transfers the pieces of fabric from one conveyor to another by bringing said belts opposite, in inverted position, the needles of one and the other being in coincidence, the conveyor belt & needles carrying the piece of fabric being in front of the belt conveyor on which tissue is to be transferred; the passage of the needles from one to the needles of the other being caused by a guide.   8. A method of assembling four pieces of a panty according to claim 7, namely a front, a back, a bottom (between the front and back) and a double bottom, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a- each piece is carried by two or more belts and parallel needles, the needles passing through the workpiece in gripping areas located beyond the seam path of the finished object, b- the double-bottom is carried by two needle belts, one having the needles directed upwards, the other having the needles pointing downwards, c- these two belts are placed under the back piece, the needles of the needles upwards grasping the end of the back piece, the other belt pivoting on it from 90 outwards to hold the fabric; so that the double-bottom and the back are assembled together, d- the two needle belts (directed towards   the top) of the front piece are placed   above the above, by a rotation in the space of 180 'the belt & needle carrying the upper end of the front (or belt) being returned from' (needles down); the other needle belt carrying the lower end of the front being held parallel to itself so as to return this end, e- the two needle belts carrying the bottom are transferred to the latter assembly, one end from the bottom matching the upside end of the front and the other end in correspondence with the flanges of the two previously assembled parts (paragraph c), f- the assembly runs in front of a machine head   sewing stitching the three assembled edges <double-   bottom, back, bottom) and the belt bearing this assembly is discarded,   g- the belt that continues to wear the double-   bottom is moved laterally and rotated 270 'so as to unfold the double-bottom on one side <right side in the figure), h- the two belts carrying the front are moved laterally in the same direction and the belt bearing the extremity bottom of the front and the assembled bottom is returned 180 ', brought in correspondence with that mentioned in g to achieve the assembly "double-bottom + bottom + bottom of the front", it'allet is sewn and the belt retracted, J - The belt with the front belt is spread laterally and laterally pivoted so as to deploy the piece constituted by the assembly "back +   background and double-bottom superimposed + front ".   9. A method of manufacturing a panty according to claim B, characterized in that after the previously described phases, there is a piece of fabric having a back and a front assembled one to the other by a bottom and possibly a double bottom, the assembly being deployed flat and carried by two or more parallel belts by four or more zones of attachment constituting the four or more vertices of a polygon, the distances between the vertices being less than the distances the smallest size corresponding to the smallest size, - this piece is then transferred to a carrier member and four or more arms, each arm being provided with gripping means taking the fabric exactly and where it is carried by the needles of the belts - The carrier member has the piece of fabric in front of the fixed head of a machine & sewing for sewing an elastic and is controlled by means that scroll the fabric under the stitching head according to a predetermined trajectory; such that an elastic is sewn along the sides of the piece of fabric corresponding to the two openings of the legs, the excess fabric being cut by a knife located on the side of the crowbar, - the movement of the organ carrier being controlled by a programmer having received in memory the corresponding indications by comparison of an image of the ideal profile of laying an elastic and the sewing head of the machine & sewing being associated with a corrector device which superimposes the given general movement to the tissue by the organ carrying the   instant correction movements.   10. A method of manufacturing a panty according to claim 8, characterized in that after the assembly phases of the back pieces, front, bottom and double bottom, there is a piece assembled, deployed & flat and carried by two or more parallel belts into four or more gripping zones constituting the four or more vertices of a polygon, the distances between the vertices being smaller than the minimum distances corresponding to the smaller size; this part is then transferred onto a carrier member constituted by a plurality of parallel rails (94), carrying carriages (95), each carriage being provided with at least one hook (99) and each hook (99) grasping the part in one of the aforementioned areas; said carriages (95) being drivable at different speeds to spread the workpiece (57) at the desired locations; said rails being provided with means for pivoting the workpiece (57) about itself 180 'or 90' and to rotate the   trolleys, in pairs, of 180 'or 90'.   11. A method of manufacturing a panty according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the piece of fabric elastically on its four sides-is deposited, still by the same gripping areas, on a conveyor & belts provided with gripping means, said belts forming at least one loop for folding the piece of fabric; then the folded piece is grasped by a transfer member & parallel belts which deposits it between the jaws of a clamp by means of which the two sides of the piece are scrolled.   folded in front of two machines & sew & fixed head.   12. A method of manufacturing a panty according to claim 11, wherein the slip once sewn is deployed and then taken by means capable of turning the fabric stitched from the back to the place with   help, possibly, a blowing means.   13. Installation for the automatic manufacture of underpants according to the process object of any one of the   preceding claims, characterized by the fact   it comprises: - "x" cutting stations, each associated with a gripping device (14) which deposits the cut pieces (Ds, Dv, Df, F) on belt conveyors (20, 21, 22) provided with seizure needles (27, 30),   a series of assembly stations (E, G) in which the belts intersect, turn over and / or position themselves facing each other to assemble the parts which are then sewn, - a deployment station (7) in which the assembled part (57) is deployed and carried by two parallel needle belts, - a gripping station (J) of the assembled part by a transport means which scrolls the rim of the part (57) assembled and deployed in front of a or a plurality of elastic devices, comprising a sewing machine with fixed head which lays an elastic, a braid, a lace, etc. and the sewing, - "y" elastication stations (M1 to M4), or stitching of lace, lace, etc., - an unloading station (N) of the multi-arm member, wherein the piece deployed (57) is deposited on a clamp carried symmetrically face & face on a conveyor belt, - a folding device <70) constituted by a belt conveyor provided with gripping means such as needles <27; 30) or pliers <109) having at least one loop (72, 73) for folding the assembled and elasticated part (57), - a belt transfer member (74) which transfers the folded part by the folding device ( 70) to a U-jaw clamp (75) (75a, 75b); said forceps (75) having fingers (81 to 84) for opening the finished panty and presenting it in front of overturning tongs associated with a blow which turns it upside down to the place moving in front of a first puncture stitching station. side, turning 180 and moving in front of a second stitching post aside and bringing the slip to a rollover disposition where he   has been turned upside down.   14. Part cutting device according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises: a roll of fabric (1), a loop conveyor (4) consisting of a series of parallel boxes (5) and set depression on which the fabric is deposited as it is unrolled, a laser cutting device carried by a crane (7) and a plurality of unloading stations (C1, C2, C3) each station corresponding to a particular piece and being associated with a conveyor (20, 21, 22).   15. Device according to claim 14, wherein each unloading station (C1, C2, C3) comprises a set (8, 9, 10) of gripping members, each set (8, 9, 10) being carried by a crane.   16. Device according to claim 15, wherein each gripping assembly (8, 9, 10) comprises at least two gripping members constituted by a hollow box (14) connected to a source of depression; said box being closed at its base by a resilient movable paddle (16) fixed at one of its ends to the box (15) and free at its other end which is provided with a tubular orifice (17) through which a needle (18) passes. ) so that when the fabric is sucked by the depression, the movable pallet (16) moves inwardly of the   box and the needle (18) comes through the fabric.   17. Device for unloading pieces of fabric cut, according to claim 14, characterized in that it is constituted by a frame (87), connected by a hood (8J) & a vacuum source; said frame (87) carrying a plurality of posts (88) on which is stretched a flexible wall (89); said posts being movable along two axes & 90 'so that the deformable wall (89) can take any desired shape.   18. Device according to claim 17, wherein the deformable box (89) is disposed inside a chamber (90>, also under vacuum, whose bottom is constituted by a mat openwork carrier (91).   19. Device according to claim 18, wherein the conveyor belt (91) cooperates with another conveyor belt (92) so that the piece of cut fabric is pinched between the two   carpet (91) and (92) and carried by them.   20. Device according to claim 19, wherein the two conveyor belts (91) and (92) are folded at 180 'in a first loop, then in a second loop at 90' followed by a third loop at 'so that the enclosure (90) can sweep the entire surface of the cutting table according to both dimensions of a gripping surface.   21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the perforated mat (91) deposits the cut piece on another mat (120) which rotates 180 'to transfer the cut piece to the needle conveyor after possibly pivoting on itself. from 180 '   so that the room is always in the same direction.   22. Device for transport and continuous handling of pieces of fabric according to claim 13, characterized in that it consists of at least two belts provided with needles which pass through the fabric in determined zones, said belts being able to cross each other. , overlapping and / or turning over to fold the pieces of fabric or bring two pieces of fabric in concordance on at least one of their   edges or to overlay two pieces of fabric.   23. Device according to claim 22, for the transfer of a belt conveyor (23) with needles (27, 30) & another conveyor of the same type or to itself, characterized in that the first conveyor (23s ) is disposed facing the second (23i), the point of the needles (27, 30) being screwed, the position of the needles of one corresponding exactly to the position of the needles of the other, a guide ( 33) now the piece of fabric '("p") stitched on the needles of the two conveyors directed downwards to the point of transfer o the piece "p" passes needles of the first conveyor (23s> for plant on those of the second (23i).   24. Device according to claim 23, wherein a transfer guide and / or air jets facilitate the passage of the needles of a carrier (23s) to another (23i).   25. Device according to any one of   Claims 22 & 24, in which the needles (27)   on which the fabric is pricked are L-shaped and carried laterally, in pairs or in units or more, by a block (26) fixed on a band (24) fixed to the belt (23) so that the needle base (27) is in the same plane as the blade (23a) of the belt (23).   26. Device according to any one of   Claims 22 to 24, in which the needles (30)   on which the fabric is pricked are carried, in groups of three, four or more, by blocks (29) provided with a dovetail mortise engaging in a tenon (28), of corresponding shape, worn by the belt (23).   27. Device according to any one of   claims 22 to 26, wherein the conveyor is   with guide pulleys (32) pivoting one or more belts on themselves to prevent   the fabric to come off the needles.   28. Device according to claim 13, wherein the gripper of the assembled part is a gripping member, called spider, comprises a central body (40) carried by a shaft (41) said central body carrying four arms Y superimposed in pairs <43, 44) by means of movable rods <45, 46) each branch of each Y carrying at its end a clamp (49, 50) by means of movable rods (47, 48) so that it is possible to put the ends of   pliers in any desired relative positions.   29. Device according to claim 28, wherein each clamp comprises at its base a slot (51)   in which a hook (52) moves.   30. Device according to one of claims 28   or 29, wherein the shaft (41) carrying the central body (40) is carried by means enabling it to move: in rotation along its axis (42), upwards or downwards along its axis (42) and in a horizontal plane. 31. Device according to claim 30, wherein the shaft (41) is carried by two conjugate levers (55, 56) so as to be able to move in   all the points of a horizontal plane.   32. Device according to claims 28 & 31,   wherein the gripping member carrying the deployed piece of tissue (57) is carried by means allowing it to scroll this piece in front of the foot   doe (61) fixed from a sewing machine.   33. Device according to claim 32, wherein a local guiding means is superadded to the general guiding means according to claim 26, the local guiding means being constituted by: a motor roller (59) pivotally pivotable on itself; a presser foot (61) of sewing machine provided with a walking claw with a pilgrim step; a fabric tension control device (63) interposed between the motor roller (59) and the presser foot (61); and an optical sensor (69) measuring the distance between a fixed point marked on the machine and the edge of the fabric (58) of the workpiece (57) presented under the crowbar (61); this distance measurement being sent to a central computer system which controls accordingly   the variations of orientation of the motor roller (59).   Apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the tissue tension control device (63) is constituted by a pallet (65) movable about a horizontal axis (66) and urging upwardly and resting on a pusher ( 67), actuating, when depressed by the fabric tension, a sensor (68) which controls the speed of rotation of the motor roller (59) so that said motor roller (59) drives the fabric at exactly the same speed & that of the tissue absorbed by the claw under the crowbar (61), animated by his pilgrim step.   35. Apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 10, characterized in that it consists of four parallel rails (94>, arranged in two pairs, each pair of rails carrying two pairs of carriages (95), each carriage (95) being provided with a tilting hook <99); so that the piece <57) is entered at eight points, which are the points of   invariable captures mentioned above.   36. Device according to claim 35, characterized in that each carriage (95) comprises at least two rollers (97) circulating on a   rail (94) and is driven by a belt (96).   37. Device according to claim 36, characterized in that the drive belts of the carriages (95) can drive them at different speeds, which allows to vary the spacings between the carriages and therefore of   stretch more or less the piece of cloth.   38. Device according to any one of   claims 35 to 37, characterized in that   comprises, on the path of the rails (94), rotary plates (102) for rotating the assembly trolleys (95) of 180 'or 90'.   39. Device according to claim 38, characterized in that it further comprises on each turntable (102>, four small plates rotating (103) to (106).   40. Device according to any one of   claims 35 & 39, characterized in that the   rails (94) are made of a flexible material so that they can be laterally spaced so as to flatten the assembled part (57) and project the image   on a frosted glass to memorize the outline.   41. Device according to any one of   claims 28 to 40 in which the   transport and the motor roller (59) scroll the part (57> according to the trajectory (62) .voulu for elasticization in a plurality of positions, a station by laying elastic. 42. Device according to claim 41, characterized in that it comprises four elasticization stations (M1, M2, M3, M4) for depositing a first elastic along a thigh edge, a second elastic along the edge of the other thigh, a third elastic along the front half-belt and a fourth elastic along the half back belt.   43. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that after the elasticization stations (M) are folding means (station 0), first lateral seam (P station), rotation 180 '(post R) second side seam (S station), spacing and reversing of the finished part (V) with Q and T stitch finishing positions. 44. Device according to claim 43, characterized in that it comprises: a folding device (70) constituted by a conveyor belt for folding the workpiece (57), a gripper (75) with moires (75a, 75b); and, to go from one   the other, a transfer member & belts (74).   45. Device according to claim 43, wherein the folding device (70) comprises two parallel belts provided with gripping means such as needles (27, 30) or tongs (109) on which the parts (57) are deposited. ) Elasticated at the preceding positions (M), these two belts each forming two horizontal U-shaped loops (72, 73) in which the piece of fabric (57) is folded & 180 ', in different directions (upside down).   or place) according to the U-loop (72, 73) considered.   46. Device according to claim 45, wherein the transfer member (74) comprises two parallel arms, said transfer member (74) being controlled by means allowing it to be raised or lowered so that the ends of one side of his arms come at one or the other of the two U-shaped loops (72, 73) and means allowing him to move forward or backward so that the ends of his arms come, 'one engage in a U-loop <72, 73) or disengage, the other, engage in the   jaws (75a, 75b) of the clamp (75) or disengage therefrom.   47. Device according to claim 46, wherein each arm has two pairs of belts (76a and b, 76c and d) that can move away or come closer to pinch a side of the part (57> folded located in one of the U-shaped buckles 48. Device according to claim 47, wherein the transfer member (74> comprises on the side of   the clamp (75) a spacer (77).   49. Device according to claim 43, wherein the clamp (75) comprises two U-shaped jaws (75a, 75b) and, between the branches of said jaws (75a, 75b) four L-shaped fingers (81, 82, 83, 84) mounted and pivoted in the middle of the base of the U on an axis (80) so as to be able to move apart, these fingers (81 & 84) having a thickness slightly less than that of the spacer (77) of the transfer member (74) to be able to be introduced inside the piece of fabric (57) folded.   50. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the folded part (57) gripped by the clamp (75) is presented at the station (P) in front of a fixed sewing machine which performs the first lateral seam, then is rotated by 180 'at the station. (R) and is presented at the station S in front of another fixed sewing machine which performs the second sewing: after which the fingers (81 to 84) of the clamp (75>   are removed and the finished brief returned by blowing.   51. Device according to claim 44, wherein after the side stitching have been performed the finished briefs carried by a clamp (75> is brought open, in front of two symmetrical clamps (115 and 116) which come to grip, one the upper edge, the other the inner edge of the slip, then the clamp (75) is open and after evacuation thereof, the two clamps <115, 116) are rotated towards each other and the air is blown by a tube (I17) which causes the reversal of the underpants. 52. Device according to claim 44, wherein the finished briefs carried by a clamp (75) is brought open in front of four sets of belts (141, 142) between which the slip is pinched, the start   these belts causing the reversal of the underpants. 53. Device according to claim 52, wherein each of the four   sets of belts comprises a first belt (141) in a loop, disposed in a horizontal U-shape, and inside which is placed a second loop belt (142); the return pulleys of these two belts being arranged so that the two lower and upper strands of the second belt (142) are in contact with the two inner strands of the first belt (141).