IES65609B2 - A garment manufacturing process - Google Patents

Abstract

A cloth web 10 is marked and cut into pattern pieces. A number of sets of pattern pieces are collected in a work bag 19. The work bag 19 is delivered to a sewing station 22. At the sewing station 22 an operator sews all the pieces together to form a garment such as a jacket or coat. A sewing machine 26 at the sewing station 22 is adapted to carry out a number of different sewing operations so that the whole garment can be assembled at the one sewing station 22.

Description

A garment manufacturing process This invention relates to a garment manufacturing process, in particular for manufacturing a jacket or coat.

Commercial garment manufacturing systems generally comprise a production line having a number. of sewing stations arranged in series. Sets of garment pieces are delivered from one sewing station to the next along the production line. At each sewing station, a particular sewing operation is carried out so that as a work piece passes along the production line, a desired sequence of sewing operations is carried out sequentially at a number of different sewing stations to produce a garment. Typically, a number of different sewing machines are provided in the production line for carrying out different types of sewing operations. This system while suitable for large scale production has a number of drawbacks. The system is very inflexible and it is not easy to change over between products. There could be several days work in progress passing along the production line at any time.. Also, it is necessary to break down the sewing operations required to produce a garment into stages which take approximately the same amount of time. This can be very difficult to achieve in the production line. The overall production time is dependent on the longest sewing operation of the various stages of the production line. Further, if a breakdown occurs at one sewing station, it affects the whole production line. Also, there are time delays in moving the garment pieces between the various stages in the production line.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems. 265609 - 2 According to the invention there is provided a garment manufacturing process comprising the steps :marking pattern pieces on a cloth web, cutting the pattern pieces on the cloth web and selecting a preselected number of sets of pattern pieces in a work bag; delivering the work bag to a sewing station, the sewing station having a sewing machine mounted at one side of a flat work surface, removing the pattern pieces from the work bag and setting out bundles of pattern pieces on the work surface, each set of pattern pieces including a rear panel, a pair of front panels, and a number of generally quadrilateral flaps for attachment to the front panels; preparing the flaps, each flap being prepared by overlapping a pair of·pattern pieces, joining the pattern pieces by sewing a seam along three sides of the pattern pieces, cutting away joined corners of the patterned pieces outside the seam, inverting the pattern pieces and sewing the seam along a periphery of the three joined sides; attaching the flaps to the front panels, each flap being laid against the panel in an open position, sewing the open edge of the flap to the panel, turning the flap back over the stitching and stitching a seam along the fixed edge of the flap joining the flap to the panel; joining the two front panels together in alignment by sewing a zip between inner edges of the front panels; attaching the front panels to the back panel by sewing the panels together along their outer side edges and top edges of the panels; * preparing a lining for the garment and securing the lining to an inside face of the panels insideout leaving an opening between the lining and the panels, inverting the garment by drawing the panels through the opening and then closing the opening; and connecting a collar flap at a neck of the garment.

In one embodiment of the invention the sewing machine has a sewing assembly comprising a needle and an associated foot, the foot being of two-part construction having a pair of juxtaposed legs, namely a fixed leg and a movable leg, the movable leg vertically movable between a lowered position in which it projects downwardly of the fixed leg and a raised position, the movable leg being spring biased into the lowered position.

In another embodiment a cloth guide is mounted adjacent the foot, the guide movable between a raised stored position and a lowered in-use position, the guide movable towards and away from the needle for adjustment of the relative displacement of the guide and needle.

In a further embodiment means is provided for controlling the sewing machine such that when the sewing machine is * stopped, the needle is located in a lowered cloth-engaging position. * The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Fig. 1 is a schematic illustration of a process and apparatus for manufacturing a garment according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a marking and cutting station; Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating sewing stations used in the process; Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of a sewing station; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sewing station; Fig. 6 is a detail side elevational view of a needle and foot assembly forming portion of a sewing machine at the sewing station; Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the assembly of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the assembly of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the assembly showing a guide associated with the assembly; Fig. 10 is an end elevational view of the assembly and guide; Fig. 11 is a plan view of the assembly and guide; Fig. 12 is a schematic flowchart illustrating the manufacture of a garment according to the process; Figs. 13 and 14 are perspective views showing the formation of a flap for the garment according to the process; Fig. 15 is a detail sectional elevational view illustrating the attachment of the flap to the garment panels according to the process; Fig. 16 is a front perspective view of a garment formed according to the process; and Fig. 17 is a detail front perspective view of portion of the garment.

Referring to the drawings, a process and apparatus for manufacturing jackets according to the invention will be described.

A cloth web 10 is led from a reel 11 and a desired length of web 10 is cut away from the reel 10 by drawing a cutter 12 along a guide 13 parallel to the axis of the reel 11.

Pattern pieces are marked on the web 10 as shown at 15. A number of webs 10 corresponding to the desired number of garments to be produced in a batch are then stacked with the marked web 10 uppermost. Stacks of pattern pieces are cut from the webs 10 by a cutter 16 to provide stacks of pattern pieces 18.

A preselected number of sets of pattern pieces are collected in a work bag 19. Typically, about five sets of pattern pieces are collected in each work bag 19. The work bags 19 are then delivered to a holding station 20 from which they are delivered on demand to one of a number of independent sewing stations 22. At each sewing station 22, the sets of pattern pieces are joined together to form a garment 25 (see Fig. 16).

Each sewing station 22 has a sewing machine 26 mounted at one side of a flat horizontal work surface 27 having a raised peripheral rim 28 along outer edges of the work surface 27 to retain pattern pieces 18 on the work surface 27. As can be seen in Fig. 4, the work surface 27 is of a size to aillow the setting out of sets of pattern pieces 18 associated with the garment being produced on the work surface 27.

Each set of pattern pieces 18 includes a rear panel, a pair of front panels 30, 31 and a number of generally quadrilateral flap pieces 32 for attachment to the front panels 30, 31.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 8, the sewing machine 26 has a sewing assembly 35 comprising a needle 36 and an associated foot 37. The foot 37 is mounted on a support 38 on the sewing machine 26 and is of two part construction having a fixed leg 39 and a movable leg 40. The movable leg 40 is biassed downwardly by a spring 41 mounted between the movable leg 40 and the support 38. The movable leg 40 is vertically movable between a normal lowered position as shown in Fig. 7, in which it projects downwardly of the fixed foot 39 and a raised position. A piece of cloth 42 is shown in broken outline in Fig. 6 and 7 from which it can be seen that an inner face 43 of the movable leg 40 forms a straight-edge guide for an edge of the cloth 42 when feeding the cloth 42 under the needle 36 for sewing a seam along an edge of the cloth 42. Mounted directly below the foot 37 are serrated feed dogs 45 for engaging and feeding the cloth 42 under the needle 36. The dogs 45 comprise a fixed central dog 46 having a hole 47 for reception of the needle 36. A pair of movable dogs are mounted one on each aide of the fixed dog 46 underneath the legs 39, 40 to securely hold and feed the cloth 42 during sewing operations.

Referring to Figs. 9 to 11, a guide 50 associated with the needle and foot assembly 35 is shown. The guide 50 comprises a guide arm 51 pivotally mounted by a pivot pin 52 on the sewing machine frame 53 for movement between a raised inoperative position and a lowered operative position as shown in the drawings. The pivot pin 52 is laterally slidable on the frame 53 for adjustment of the displacement of the arm 51 relative to the needle 36 for defining the position of a seam 55 inwardly of a peripheral edge 56 of the cloth 42.

To make a garment at the sewing station 22, the various flaps required for the garment are initially prepared. Each flap is prepared by overlying a pair of pattern pieces 60, 61 (see Fig. 13) and joining the pattern pieces 60, 61 by sewing the seams 62 along three sides of the pattern pieces 60, 61. To form the seam 62, side edges 63 of the pattern pieces 61, 62 are run along the side face 43 of the movable foot 40. The needle 36 is arranged such that it stops in the lowered position so that when the needle reaches a corner 64, the operator stops the sewing machine 26 and then pivots the pattern pieces 60, 61 through 90° on the needle 36 to align a bottom edge of the pattern pieces 60, 61 with the side face 43 of the movable foot 40. The seam is then made along the bottom edge and the pattern pieces 60, 61 are turned at the other corner before making the final seam run. The comer 64 of the joined pattern pieces 60, 61 are then cut away and the pattern pieces 60, 61 inverted to form the flap 67 having an opening 68 along one edge. A rod 69 is inserted through the opening 68 to push out and square the comers 64. A seam is then sewn around the three joined sides in similar fashion to the seam described previously. A further inner seam may also be run around the same three sides spaced-apart inwardly from the edge by use of the guide arm 51 as described previously with reference to Figs. 9 to 11. If an external pocket is being provided then it can also be formed at this stage by attaching a band 70 around the sides of a rectangular pocket pattern piece 71.

When the flaps are being formed, they are attached to the front panels 30, 31. Referring to Fig. 15, each flap 67 is laid against the front panel 30 in an open position as shown in Fig. 15(a). The open edge 72 of the flap 7 is sewn to the front panel 30. The flap 67 is then turned back over the stitching 73 and a second seam 75 is made joining the fixed edge of the flap 67 through the panel . A third seam 76 faced inwardly from the second seam 75 may also be provided if desired.

A zip 80 is sewn between inner edges of the front panels , 31 having first correctly aligned the front panels 30, 31. The front panels 30, 31 are then joined to the back panels along their upper edges. Sleeves 82 are connected to the panels which are further joined along outer edges of the front and back panels and along edges of the sleeves 82.

A lining for the jacket 25 is prepared and secured insideout to an inner face of the jacket leaving an opening between the lining and the outer jacked. The garment is then inverted by drawing the outer jacket portion through the opening in the lining and then closing the lining opening. A collar flap 85 is then connected at a neck of the garment.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a process and apparatus whereby a complete garment can be formed at a single work station in an efficient manner. A range of high-quality garments can be produced. The process is very adaptable as the change-over between the production of the different garments can be carried out very quickly. Production of each garment is streamlined as each garment is produced by a single operator at one work station so the relative timing of the various steps required to produce a garment is irrelevant. Further, advantageously, a break down at any one work station does not effect the other work stations and has relatively little effect on the overall production. Also, there are no time delays in moving garment pieces between a number of different work stations as with conventional multistage garment production lines.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (4)

1. A garment manufacturing process comprising the steps:marking pattern pieces on a cloth web, cutting the pattern pieces on the cloth web and selecting a preselected number of sets of pattern pieces in a work bag; delivering the work bag to a sewing station, the sewing station having a sewing machine mounted at one side of a flat work surface, removing the pattern pieces from the work bag and setting out bundles of pattern pieces on the work surface, each set of pattern pieces including a rear panel, a pair of front panels, and a number of generally quadrilateral flaps for attachment to the front panels; preparing the flaps, each flap being prepared by overlapping a pair of pattern pieces, joining the pattern pieces by sewing a seam along three sides of the pattern pieces, cutting away joined comers of the patterned pieces outside the seam, inverting the pattern pieces and sewing the seam along a periphery of the three joined sides; attaching the flaps to the front panels, each flap being laid against the panel in an open position, sewing the open edge of the flap to the panel, turning the flap back over the stitching and stitching a seam along the fixed edge of the flap joining the flap to the panel; joining the two front panels together in alignment by sewing a zip between inner edges of the front panels; attaching the front panels to the back panel by sewing the panels together along their outer side edges and top edges of the panels; preparing a lining for the garment and securing the lining to an inside face of the panels inside-out leaving an opening between the lining and the panels, inverting the garment by drawing the panels through the opening and then closing the opening; and connecting a collar flap at a neck of the garment. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sewing machine has a sewing assembly comprising a needle and an associated foot, the foot being of two-part construction having a pair of juxtaposed legs, namely a fixed leg and a movable leg, the movable leg vertically movable between a lowered position in which it projects downwardly of the fixed leg and a raised position, the movable leg being spring biased into the lowered position. A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein a cloth guide is mounted adjacent the foot, the guide movable between a raised stored position and a lowered in-use position, the guide movable towards and away from the needle for adjustment of the relative displacement of the guide and needle, and preferably means is provided for controlling the sewing machine such that when the sewing machine is stopped, the needle is located in a lowered cloth-engaging position.

2. 4. A garment manufacturing process substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the

3. 5 accompanying drawings.

5. A garment whenever produced by the process as claimed in any preceding claim.