US3771475A

US3771475A - Device for aligning and maintaining superposed pieces of flexible sheet material

Info

Publication number: US3771475A
Application number: US00106456A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Guichard
Original assignee: TECH IND HABILLEMENT CENTRE ET
Current assignee: CENTRE ETUDES TECHNIQUES IND HABILLEMENT FR; TECH IND HABILLEMENT CENTRE ET
Priority date: 1970-01-30
Filing date: 1971-01-14
Publication date: 1973-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1990-11-13
Also published as: FR2077494A1; FR2077494B1; GB1343634A; DE2102610A1

Abstract

The device according to the invention is constituted by a plate and movable elements comprising a first stop for alignment of a first piece of material and at least one assembly fixture comprising a separating blade and an additional stop for aligning another piece of material, all of said movable elements being mounted and arranged in order to be capable of assuming selectively either a rest position which is distant from the plate or a work position when said elements have been superposed successively on said plate.

Description

United States Patent Guichard Nov. 13, 1973 [54] DEVI E F R ALIGNING A 3,172,379 3/1965 Light 112/121.12 MAI T SUPERPOSED PIECES OF 2,304,011 12/1942 Naftali 269/303 X 2,399,584 4/1946 Thomas 270/58 FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL 2,811,121 10/1957 Bihaly 1l2/l21.15 [75] Inventor: Jean Guichard, Yerres, Essonne, 2,826,158 3/1958 Phillips, Jr. 112/121.15

France [73] Assignee: Centre DEtudes Techniques Des Industries De LHabillement, Paris, Pr'mary Exafnmer lames Boler France Att0rneyR1chards & Geier {22] Filed: Jan. 14, 197.1

[21] Appl. No.: 106,456

[57] ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 30, 1970 France 7003279 The device according to the invention is constituted by a plate and movable elements comprising a first 52 us. (:1 112/121.1s, 269/10, 270/58, Stop for alignment of a first piece of material and at 223 1 least one assembly fixture comprising a separating 51 Int; Cl D05c 9/04 blade and an additional Stop for aligning another piece [58] Field of Search 112/121.12, 121.15, of material, of Said movable elements being 112 9 2; 2 9 9 0 37 40 152 54 303 mounted and arranged in order to be capable of as 304 30 100 199 200 202; 223/1; 270/5 suming selectively either a rest position which is dis- 271/ tant from the plate or a work position when said elements have been superposed successively on said [56] References Cited P UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,194,803 3/1940 Lucas 269/154 X 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDuunsnm 3771.475 SHEET 20F 2 NVENTOR: J. Guzlchczrd dhckw af-gw ATTOR-NSSs DEVICE FOR ALIGNING AND MAINTAINING SUPERPOSED PIECES OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL The invention is concerned with the alignment and positional maintenance of superposed pieces formed of flexible sheet materials such as woven or non-woven fabrics, coated fabrics, plastic materials and the like in order to subject said pieces of material to a subsequent operation consisting of joining together either by sewing or bonding or alternatively to an operation such as marking, notching, cutting and so forth as in the case in particular in the clothing industry or in the manufacture of camping articles or inflated toys.

One known expedient for aligning and holding in position pieces of material which are formed of superposed flexible sheets consists of a template-stop which is fixed on the table on which the pieces of material are to be aligned. The first piece of material is therefore laid flat on the table in order that its edge should be placed against the template-stop edge which may be shaped. The second piece of material is then laid over the first while endeavouring to ensure that its edge is also aligned against the template. However, this operation is not an easy one to carry out since there is a danger of displacement of the first piece of material while attempting to place the second in the correct position. If the number of superposed pieces of material to be aligned is greater than two, the operation is even more difficult and can even prove materially impossible.

Other devices of improved design which are also known comprise a perforated table for receiving the first piece of material against a template while said first piece of material is held in position on the table as a result of suction through the perforations of the table, a separating sheet formed of impermeable plastic material, for example, is laid on said first piece of material, there being then placed on said sheet a second piece of material which is aligned against the template. This alignment can be carried out conveniently since the second piece of material slides over the separating sheet of plastic material without any danger of disturbing the first piece. However, when the number of pieces to be aligned and held in position is greater than two, it is readily apparent that the method employed in this device is no longer suitable by reason of the fact that the second piece cannot be positionnally maintained as a result of the sucking action since this action is stopped by the separating sheet.

The aim of the invention is to provide a device which serves to align and maintain pieces of material and which is both simple in constructional design and convenient to use irrespective of the number of superposed pieces employed.

To this end, the device according to the invention is constituted by a plate and movable elements comprising a first stop for alignment of a first piece of material and at least one assembly comprising a separating blade and an additional stop for aligning another piece of material, all of said movable elements being mounted and arranged in order to be capable of assuming selectively either a rest position which is distant from the plate or a work position when said elements have been superposed successively on said plate.

By means of said device, any desired number of su- 65 posed piece rests on a separating blade which permits of convenient alignment of said piece without any danger of moving the piece which is located immediately underneath. The movable elements are then moved away from the pieces which are applied against each other in their respective positions in which they are maintained by any suitable means.

In accordance with a further property of the invention which further enhances the ease of use of the device, an additional movable element is placed along at least one of the alignment stops and forms a piececlamp which has a smaller thickness than said stop.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description and from the accompanying drawings which show by way of example without any intended limitation a few embodiments of devices for aligning and maintaining superposed pieces of material in accordance with the invention.

In these drawings FIG. 1 is a cutaway view in perspective showing a first embodiment according to the invention in the work position FIG. 2 is a view on a larger scale showing a detail of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective showing the same device as in FIG. 1 but in the rest position FIG. 4 is a cutaway view in perspective showing a second embodiment in the work position FIG. 5 is a sectional view on a larger scale showing a detail of FIG. 4.

The device which is illustrated in the work position in FIG. 1 and in the rest position in FIG. 3 is intended to permit of convenient alignment and positional maintenance of superposed pieces of flexible sheet material.

Said device essentially comprises a plate which is stationary in this example and consists of a horizontal table 1 which is supported on legs such as the leg 1A, movable elements such as the

elements

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, a bearing-bracket 9 which carries said elements and is capable of vertical motion on a carriage 11. As shown diagrammatically, said carriage is capable of moving on roller tracks such as the track 13 which rests on supports 13A. The carriage 11 is fitted with a locking device 12 of any suitable type (not shown in the drawings) in order that the bracket 9 may be secured in position at a suitable height.

The movable element 2 is an alignment template-stop which is rigidly fixed to the bracket 9 by means of angle-iron members 10, for example.

The movable elements 3 to 6 to which further reference will be made hereinafter are designed in the form of rules or plates of elongated shape which are supported at one end by

bars

15, 16, l7, 18 respectively, said bars being pivotally mounted on a horizontal crosspin 19 which is carried by the bracket 9 and at the other end by similar arms (not shown).

In the example which is illustrated, the arms 15 to 18 are integral respectively with

further arms

22, 23, 24, 25 which are joined to corresponding arms on the other side of the device by means of

spacer members

26, 27, 28, 29 which are disposed beneath the table 1 and by means of which the aforesaid movable elements can be actuated either by hand or from any suitable mechanical or automatic control means according to the applications which are contemplated.

The template-stop 2 has a front edge 32 which is suitably shaped so as to serve as a bearing edge for the first piece of material A to be aligned (as also shown in FIG. 2). The profile of said template can be identical with that of the edge of the piece A or different from this latter, depending on whether the profile of the piece is either intended to be modified or not during positioning.

The movable element 3 is a piece-clamping rule which maintains the edge of the piece of material A well applied against the table ll after alignment. The piece-clamp 3 is provided in the form of a rule which follows the shaped or rectilinear edge 32 of the template-stop 2.

The movable element 4 is made up of two parts, namely a plate 4a which is intended to serve as a separating surface between the first piece of material A and the second piece B which will be laid on the first. The other part 4b of the movable element 4 is of greater thickness and has an edge 35 which consitutes a second template-stop for the second piece B to be aligned. The profile of said alignment stop can be the same as that of the first stationary stop 32 or else different according to the applications which are contemplated.

The movable element 5 is another piece-clamping rule which is similar to the piece-clamp 3 and is therefore intended to hold the piece of material B in position once it has been suitably aligned.

The movable element 6 is similar to the movable element 4 and therefore has a portion 6a which forms a separating blade and a portion 6b having an edge 37 which forms a template-stop for a third piece of material C to be aligned. Finally, a plate 51 (shown in FIG. 2) which forms part of an associated apparatus, for example, carries a strip of plastic foam 52 which is intended to bear on the aligned pieces of material. There can in any case be employed for this purpose any suitable holding device such as, for example, one of the devices described and illustrated in French patent Application No. 6,942,305 as filed by the present Applicant on Dec. 8, 1969 and entitled Device for displacing and aligning pieces of flexible materials in layers".

The aligning and maintaining device of FIG. 1 to 3 is used as follows When the carriage II has been moved forward, the bearing-bracket 9 which is set at a height such that the template-stop 2 comes to rest exactly on the table I and the movable elements 3 to 6 have been lifted as shown in FIG. 3, a first piece of material A can be aligned on the table 1 against the edge 32 of the template-stop 2. The movable element 3 is lowered onto the piece A in order to ensure that this latter cannot move during the operations involving alignment of the other pieces of material.

The movable element 4 is then moved down against the template-stop 2 so that the blade 4a should cover that portion of the piece A which is adjacent to the template-stop 2 and that the second piece B may therefore be laid without difficulty on the first while bringing the edge of said piece against the edge 35 of the portion 4b of said second movable element 4.

The movable element 5 which is a piece-clamp is moved downwards against the piece B in order to secure this latter in position.

Finally, the movable element 6 is displaced downwards and this will make it possible to place the third piece C in position with ease in order that the edge of this latter can be brought against the edge 37 of said movable element.

In short, each time a fresh piece of material is brought into alignment, this operation is carried out on a blade such as the blade 4a or 611 which ensures that said piece of material is perfectly isolated from the pieces which have previously been positioned, only those parts of pieces which are in the vicinity of the edges to be aligned being isolated. The fact that the other parts of said pieces of material are applied against each other and may thus result in puckering of the material is of no consequence. The plate 51 is then moved downwards and the strip 52 applies the aligned portions of the pieces A, B, C against the table I so that all the movable elements can then be moved away in this example by withdrawing the carriage 11 and thus freeing the edges of the pieces on which work can be carried out while they are held in position on the table.

A device of this type can be employed for pieces of material which may or may not have the same composition, profile or length and which may or may not have undergone previous operations. The alignment of each piece of material along any rectilinear or curved profile can be carried out conveniently without any consequential effect on the other pieces of material.

The complete aligning and maintaining device can alone constitute an apparatus for preparation of work. The device can also be considered as either an ancillary or integrated portion of an automatic unit having the function of a sub-assembly for preparation, presentation, positional maintenance, or even in the form of an assembly such as a carriage for guiding pieces of material during one or a number of operations.

In FIG. 4, there is shown an alternative form of construction which differs essentially from the embodiment of FIG. l to 3 in that it comprises an additional top movable element for applying pressure to the uppermost piece of material, namely an element 45 in which is formed an open portion 46 through which a work tool is permitted to pass. In the example which is illustrated, the opening 46 is intended to permit the needle of a sewing machine to pass through in order to attach a pocket pouch 47 to the reverse side of a trouser-leg 48. The pocket pouch 47 is thus maintained suitably in position at the desired distance from the top edge of the piece of material 48, this being achieved without any hesitation on the part of the operator by virtue of the template formed by said rotatablypositioned top movable element 45. Said element can also perform the function of the plate 51 of FIG. 2.

A large number of alternative forms can be contemplated among the movable elements for aligning, maintaining and locating the different superposed pieces of material, depending on the applications which are envisaged. In the example which is illustrated, the bearing-bracket is readily detachable and can therefore be replaced immediately by another bracket which is equipped with different movable elements.

As will be clearly understood, the invention is not limited to the embodiments which have been described in the foregoing with reference to the accompanying drawings and which have been given solely by way of example many modifications can be made therein according to the applications which are contemplated without consequently departing from the scope of the invention.

It thus follows in particular that instead of being a stationary table, the plate 1 could be a movable element which is mounted on a carriage, for example that the number of movable elements could be different from those of the embodiments which are illustrated that the movable elements aforesaid could be supported by means which are wholly different from the means illustrated by way of example that the plate and movable elements need not be flat as illustrated but can have a different configuration such as portions of cylindrical surfaces, for example, or any other suitable curved surfaces. What I claim is: l. A device for aligning and maintaining superposed a plurality of pieces of flexible sheet material, comprising a plate having a positioning zone adapted to receive a first piece of material, a first stop positioned on said plate adjacent said zone for alignment of the first piece of material on said zone, at least one assembly having a blade and an additional stop, means mounting said blade to said plate for movement of said blade relatively to said plate from a position of rest distant from said plate to a working position over said zone for receiving another piece of material, and means mounting said additional stop to said plate for movement of said additional stop relatively to said plate from a position of rest distant from said plate to a working position substantially over the first-mentioned stop for alignment of the other piece of material.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein an additional element is placed along at least one of the alignment stops and forms a piece-clamp having a smaller thickness than the said stop.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment stop has the same profile as the piece to be aligned.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the alignment stops has a profile which is different from that of the piece to be aligned in order to modify the profile of the said piece.

5. A device for aligning and maintaining superposed pieces of flexible sheet material, comprising a plate, a bracket, means mounting said bracket to said plate for movement relatively to said plate, a shaft carried by said bracket, arms pivotally mounted on said shaft and elements carried by said arms and comprising a stop for alignment of one piece of material and at least one assembly comprisinga blade for separating two successive pieces of material and an additional stop for aligning another piece of material, said elements being movable from a position of rest distant from said plate to a work position wherein they are superposed successively upon said plate and vice versa.

Claims

1. A device for aligning and maintaining superposed a plurality of pieces of flexible sheet material, comprising a plate having a positioning zone adapted to receive a first piece of material, a first stop positioned on said plate adjacent said zone for alignment of the first piece of material on said zone, at least one assembly having a blade and an additional stop, means mounting said blade to said plate for movement of said blade relatively to said plate from a Position of rest distant from said plate to a working position over said zone for receiving another piece of material, and means mounting said additional stop to said plate for movement of said additional stop relatively to said plate from a position of rest distant from said plate to a working position substantially over the firstmentioned stop for alignment of the other piece of material.

5. A device for aligning and maintaining superposed pieces of flexible sheet material, comprising a plate, a bracket, means mounting said bracket to said plate for movement relatively to said plate, a shaft carried by said bracket, arms pivotally mounted on said shaft and elements carried by said arms and comprising a stop for alignment of one piece of material and at least one assembly comprising a blade for separating two successive pieces of material and an additional stop for aligning another piece of material, said elements being movable from a position of rest distant from said plate to a work position wherein they are superposed successively upon said plate and vice versa.