NZ207133A - Apparatus for laying lengths of cloth for cutting pattern pieces - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Quilting process of fabric lengths on a cutting-out table (1) consisting in unwinding a roll of material kept in a cylinder (14) set in a moving carriage (3), the length of the material corresponding to the quilting length desired, the carriage (3) being forwarded to the desired place of the cutting-out table (1) in order to unwind by the cylinder's rotation (14) opposite to the taking up of the fabric's length direction and arrange this latter during the simultaneous travel of the moving carriage (3) either on the cutting-out table (1) or on the fabric layer(s) previously quilted distinguished by the fact that it consists in unwinding from a roll of material (35) maintained on an under-frame (21) lengthening the cutting-out table (1) a fabric length corresponding to the quilted length desired while re-winding simultaneously in the cylinder (14) maintained on a swivelling support (22) forming one piece with the under-frame (21) then once the fabric length is wound in the cylinder (14) it is transferred to the moving carriage (3) forming one piece with the cutting-out table (1) and it's shifted and forwarded to the place of the said table desired to be set by the movement of the cylinder (14) which is perpendicular to the area of the table (1), the wound fabric supported on the cutting-out table or on the layer(s) previously quilted due to the cylinder's (14) rotation depending on the moving carriage's (3) movement direction which is opposite to the fabric's winding direction, unwound and quilted and, once the fabric is unwound off the cylinder (14), it is forwarded to the swivelling support (22) to rewind a new fabric 's length.

Description

Priority Dste(s): If.

Complete Spacification Filed: Class: $&?.• .jR&M 2 9 MAY 19871 Publication Date: ....

P.O. Journal, No: ....J.

NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No.: Date: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR LAMINATING LENGTHS OF CLOTH K/We, JEAN ETCHEPARRE and BERNARD ETCHEPARRE, both of French nationality, of 67, quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux, France, and LECTRA SYSTEMES S.A., a French Company, of 12. chemin de Tillon, 33140 Villenave D'ornon, France, hereby declare the invention for which PV we pray that a patent may be granted to Hie/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 2 207133 This Invention concerns a process and apparatus for laminating lengths of cloth on a cutting table.

In Industry using natural, synthetic, or mixed cloth the operation of laminating several thicknesses of cloth In order to cut them according to one or more patterns Is known. Generally this operation consists In placing the. cloth In superposed layers as the supported piece Is unwound by a carriage moving back and forth along a roller track Integral with the cutting table. The carriage supporting the pieces may or may not have a cutting device making It possible, at the end of the stroke, which Is determined according to the laminating length desired, to cut the cloth In order that, according to the type of cloth, a new layer will be laid when the carriage returns, with the front of the cloth being made to alternate from one layer to the next or else face the same way, by means of a turret Integral with the cloth support, thus enabling the said piece of cloth to be rotated at the end of the stroke. This method of laminating Is tricky and requires Increased supervision to monitor the superposing of the layers to ensure that It Is perfect and also to mitigate the formation of folds during the laying of the cloth caused by the considerable displacement of the piece of cloth relative to the table, which- becomes more and more accentuated with the unrolling of the said cloth, and by the air that gets caught between the layer of cloth being laid and the one already laid - because, depending on the type of cloth, this air Is not systematically eliminated.

The Invention alms to mitigate the difficulties described above.

The object of the Invention Is a process for laminating lengths of cloth on a cutting table, consisting In unwinding, from a piece of cloth held an a frame forming on extension to the cutting 1 MAY ms 207133 length of cloth corresponding to the laminating length desired, at the same time rewinding It onto a cylinder held on a support that Is Integral with the frame; then once the length of cloth Is wound onto the cylinder the latter Is moved by a moving carriage Integral with the cutting table and Is brought to the desired point on the cutting table in order to be set down, the wound-on cloth befng supported on the cutting table or on the layer or layers already laminated and moved by the carriage In the opposite dfrection to the direction of wlndlng-on of the cloth, thus causing the cyl Inder to rotate and the cloth to be unwound and laminated; after unwinding, the cylinder Is brought to the frame In order to rewind a new length of cloth.

The apparatus enabling the process to be used has a frame forming an extension to the cutting table. On this frame are held a piece of cloth and a rotary support, In the horizontal plane. In the vertical plane the frame has rotary crosspleces receiving and holding at their ends at least one cylinder onto which Is wound, by rotation, a length of cloth unwound from the piece of cloth and corresponding to the laminating length desired; once the length of cloth Is wound on and separated from the piece of cloth, after rotation of the crosspleces and/or pivoting of the frame, the cylinder Is lined up with a moving carriage guided by a roller track Integral with the cutting table, the said carriage being fitted with moving brackets In order to lift the cylinder off the supports on the ends of the crosspleces and bring It In the up position to the desired point on the cutting table; the said cylInder Is then set down on the cutting table or on the layer or layers of cloth that have already been laminated and Is moved by the carriage in order to cause It to rotate in the opposite dli that of the wlndlng-on of the cloth, to cause the cloth tqf'be unwound it 3 APR 1987 4 207133 and laid and/or laminated on the cutting table or on the layer or layers of already laminated cloth; at the end of the unwinding, the cylinder fs again raised and brought to the rotary support, where It Is set down on the supports of the crosspieces whose rotation, or that of the support, positions the latter for the wlndlng-on of a new length, this rotation having placed a second cylInder, onto which a length of cloth has been wound during the unwinding of the former, onto the cutting table plumb with the moving carriage In order to be removed and brought to the desired point on the cutting table, the various operations and controls of the drive units being synchronized by means of a computer to which the various units are enslaved.

Other characteristics and benefits of the Invention will emerge more clearly from the following description made with regard to the attached drawings, which are given by way of example and which are In no way restrictive: Figure I Is a side view of the apparatus, one cylinder laying a length of cloth while a length of cloth Is wound onto a second cyl Inder.

Figure 2 Is a top view of the carriage, which Is Integral with the cutting table.

Figure 3 Is a detail of the support which Is Integral with the frame that forms an extension of the cutting table.

Figure 4 fs a detafl of the crosspleces supported by the support.

Figure 5 shows the manner In which the cloth Is gripped by the cyl Inder.

Figure 6 shows the various ways of winding the cloth onto the cylinder and unwinding the cloth from the latter for the purposes of I am InatIng. 207133 As represented by Figures 1 to 4 the apparatus consists of a cutting table 1 with a roller track 2 serving as a guide for the moving carriage 3, which can be moved back and forth by means of a motor 4, Imparting for example a clockwise or anticlockwise rotary motion to a shaft 5 through a wheels-and-chaIn transmission 6; the ends of the said shaft 5 serve as an axle for the wheels 7 In order to cause the carriage 3 to move as It rotates; to either side of the frame 8 Is attached a vertical guide 9 which has a known screw and nut system; the nuts 10, which are able to move In the guide 9, are connected to a bracket 11 which has at Its end a semi-bear Ing 12 whose purpose Is to receive the ends 31 of the axle 13 of the cylinder 14; the screws 15 are rotated by means of a two-directIonaI motor 16 connected by the transmission 17 to a shaft 18 on whose end are conical gears 19 engaging wheels 20 that form a prolongation of the screws 15, In such a way as to be able to raise or lower the cylInder 14; In the up position the cylinder 14 can be moved above the cutting table 1 In order to place It at the desired point; In the down position the length of cloth corresponding to the laminating length that has been wound onto the cylinder can be unwound when the cylInder Is moved In the opposite direction to that of the wlndlng-on of the said cloth, with the cylinder, and hence the wound-on cloth, being supported on the cutting table 1 or on the layer or layers that have already been laid and laminated. Once the cloth has been unwound from the cylinder 14, the latter Is raised and brought by the carriage 3 towards a frame 21 that forms an extension of the cutting table 1; on the frame 21 Is held a U-shaped support 22; at Its centre It has a turret 23 that has known drive components, enabling It to pivot by at least 18p~degrees, and also a lifting device such as jack 23a, while at the end o 207133 there are two pivoting crosspleces 25 Interlocked by means of an axle 26 held on the bearings 27 attached to the arms 24; the said axle Is connected by a chain drive 28 for example to a motor 29, enabling the said axle 26 to be driven with rotary motion and hence to pivot the crosspleces 25; these latter on both ends of the axle 26 have semi-bearings 30 at their ends to receive the ends 31 of the axle 13 of the cylinder 14, the latter being placed on the semi-bearIngs 30 when It Is moved by the carriage 3 In the up position; once the axle 13 of the cylinder 14 has been placed In position on the bearings 30, articulated semi-bearIngs lock the ends 31 of the axle 13, by means of pneumatic jacks, for example, so as to permit the moving of the cylinder 14 when the crosspleces 25 rotate. In order to place the said cylInder 14 face on to a device with rotary cylinders 34 to feed the cloth, which Is unwound from the piece 35 held on the frame 21 by appropriate, known means of tensioning.

As shown In Figure 5, there Is a groove 36 on a generating line of the cylinder 14. In this groove are placed, for example, an Inflatable component 37 whose function Is to grip the edge 38 of cloth presented to It by a carriage 40 that moves back and forth "at the output side of the rotary cylinder device 34; the function of this latter, when It moves towards the groove 36 of the cylinder 14 as the cloth advances. Is to place the edge of the said cloth Into the groove 36 so that ft Is gripped when the carriage 40 is removed, In order to wind the cloth onto the cylinder 14 when the latter fs rotated by a two-directIonaI motor 39.

In order to cut the cloth once the length has been wound onto the cylinder, a known cutting device 41 fs positioned at the j>utput the cylinder device 34. j it 3 APR 1987 7 20713Z Depending on the direction In which the cloth Is wound onto the cylinder 14 and the type of laminating desired, and depending on the printing of the cloth, the loaded cylinder Is presented to the carriage after rotation of the crosspleces 25, as Is, or Is presented after rotation of the support 22. The diagrams fn Figure 6 represent the different modes of winding the cloth onto the cylinder 14 and the different directions of unwinding, enabling the different laminating variants that It Is possible to achieve.

In order to limit losses of time, two cylinders 14 are used, one being In place on the carriage for unwinding while the other Is being loaded; one cylinder 14 Is placed by the carriage 3 onto the crosspleces 25 before the loaded cylInder 14 Is presented to the moving brackets 11 of the carriage 3.

V z t i-:AV!985'v A 8 207133

Claims (11)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A process for laminating lengths of cloth on a cutting table, characterized in that it consists in unwinding and cutting from a bolt of cloth held on a frame forming an extension of the cutting table, a piece of cloth corresponding to the laminating length desired, while at the same time winding it up again onto a cylinder held on a movable support that is integral with the frame, then once the length of cloth has been wound onto the cylinder the latter is moved by a movable carriage that is cooper-able with the cutting table and brought to the desired point on the cutting table, in order to be laid on it, the wound-on cloth being supported on the cutting table or on the already laminated layer or layers and moved by the carriage in the opposite direction to the direction of winding-on of the cloth, causing the rotation of the cylinder and the unwinding and laminating of the cloth; once the cloth has been unwound from the cylinder the latter is moved towards the support in order to wind on a new length of cloth.

2. An apparatus for laminating lengths of cloth comprising: a cutting table, supporting in use a. length or lengths of cloth; a frame forming an extension to said table; a rotary support mounted on said frame; a rotatable cylinder, the ends of which are held by said rotary support; a cutting device for cutting a cloth in a desired length; a movable carriage guided by a roller track integral with said cutting table; elevating brackets mounted on said carriage, said brackets being cooperable,(when said carriage is adjacent said extension frame and said 9 207133 rotary support has been rotated to a position in which it presents said cylinder to said brackets,) with said rotary support to remove said cylinder therefrom; the arrangement and construction being such that in use: said cylinder is held on said rotary support in a first position; cloth is wound onto said cylinder and is cut to a desired length by said cutting device; said rotary support is then pivoted into a second position in which said cylinder is presented to said elevating brackets; said carriage is positioned adjacent the said extension frame and said elevating brackets elevated to remove said cylinder from said rotary support; said carriage is then moved along said table and said elevating brackets lowered to contact the length of cloth on the cylinder with the table or a length of cloth on the table, the two actions being synchronized so that the length of cloth on said cylinder is unwound in registry with any preceding length of cloth in the laminate; said cylinder is returned to said rotary support; said rotary support is then pivoted back to its first position; and said steps are repeated until the desired number of lengths of cloth have been unwound in the form of a laminate on said table.

3. A laminating apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rotary support is fitted with a pair of crosspieces rotatable on a horizontal axis and capable of holding said cylinder between them.

4. A laminating apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein said cylinder has a groove extending axially along its circumferential surface, said groove having an inflatable component to grip an edge of said length of cloth placed therein.

5. A laminating apparatus as claimed in claim 4 which includes a rotary figCylindrical cloth feeding device on said extension frame, the arrangement 10 207133 and construction being such that in use said groove in said cylinder is positioned to receive the free end of cloth fed from said cloth feeding device when said rotary support is in said first position.

6. A laminating apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein said support is rotable by 180 degrees in the horizontal plane.

7. A laminating apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said rotary support is moved from said first position to said second position by rotating said crosspieces, a cylinder being held in each end of said crosspieces.

8. A laminating apparatus as claimed in either of claims 3 or 7 wherein the ends of said cylinder are supported and held in place by articulated semi-bearings at the ends of the crosspieces.

9. A laminating apparatus as claimed in any one of. claims 3, 7 or 8 wherein there are provided arms on said rotary support and said cross-pieces are mounted on the ends of said arms.

10. A laminating apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein said carriage is fitted with vertical guides in which travels a device to raise and/or lower said cylinder, to which device said brackets are attached.

11. A laminating apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. By fjfc/Th "ir Authorised Agents, A. J. PARK & SON