LANDONI, Giannino (Strada Provinciale Busto/Cassano 1, Fagnano Olona, I-21054, IT)
CLAIMS
1. Device for applying a ribbon (38) or a tape onto a continuously fed fabric (11) , wherein said device is able to be associated with a multi-needle sewing machine having upper sewing members (15) and lower sewing members (16) cooperating with each other in order to achieve stitches (20) on said fabric (11) , and at least an auxiliary supporting bar (21) cooperating with said sewing members (15, 16), and wherein said application device is selectively able to be associated with said auxiliary supporting bar (21), characterized in that it comprises guide means (46, 47, 55, 57, 65, 75) able to feed said ribbon (38) towards said sewing members (15, 16) and to dispose it in cooperation with said fabric (H), and cutting means (50, 51, 67) able to cut said ribbon (38), interrupting the feed thereof, into segments of a desired length able to be applied by sewing to said fabric (11) by means of said sewing members (15, 16), distancing the application thereof at desired intervals with simple stitches (20) made by said sewing members (15, 16).
2. Device as in claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises attachment means (32) of a standard type, able to cooperate with housing means (22) of said auxiliary supporting bar (21), in order to selectively associate said device (30) with said sewing machine (10).
3. Device as in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it also comprises support means (34) on which at least said guide means (46, 47, 55, 57, 65, 75) and said cutting means (50, 51, 67) are mounted. 4. Device as in claim 3, characterized in that said support means (34) comprises containing and sliding means (43) able to accommodate said ribbon (38) and defining a sliding plane for said ribbon (38).
5. Device as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it also comprises connection means (40, 46, 48), able to be mechanically connected with movement means (23, 29) of said sewing machine, and able to selectively transmit motion to at least a part of said guide means (46, 47, 55, 57, 65, 75) and of said cutting means (50, 51, 67).
6. Device as in claims 3 and 5, characterized in that said guide means comprises at least a fixed part (55) associated with said support means (34), and a part (47) mobile with respect to said fixed part (55) and mechanically connected to said connection means (46).
7. Device as in claim 6, characterized in that said connection means (46) is suitable to move said mobile part (47) in a substantially linear manner and parallel to the direction of sliding of said ribbon (38), between a first condition of movement of the ribbon (38), and a second condition of cooperation with said cutting means (50, 51, 67).
8. Device as in claim 7, characterized in that said guide means also comprises, associated with said mobile part
(47), at least a gripper element (65, 75) able to cooperate with said containing and sliding means (53) and with said ribbon (38) in order to transport the latter from said first condition to said second condition. 9. Device as in claim 8, characterized in that said gripper element comprises at least a wheel (65) having an axis of rotation substantially parallel , to the sliding plane of said ribbon (38) and substantially perpendicular to the direction of sliding of said ribbon (38). 10. Device as in claim 9, characterized in that said wheel (65) is free to rotate in one direction, but is prevented from doing so in the opposite direction, so that in the passage from said first to said second condition said wheel (65) cannot rotate, whereas in the passage from said second to said first condition said wheel (65) can rotate.
11. Device as in claim 8, characterized in that said gripper element comprises at least a blade (75), mounted inclined with respect to the sliding plane of said ribbon (38) and able to press elastically on said ribbon (38) disposed on said containing and sliding means (53) in the passage from said first to said second condition of said wheel (65), and able to slide on said ribbon (38) in the passage from said second to said first condition.
12. Device as in claim 3 f characterized in that said cutting means comprises at least a mobile blade (50) and a fixed counter-blade (51) associated with said support means (34) and able to cooperate with said mobile blade (50) in order to cut the ribbon (38).
13. Device as in claims 5 and 12, characterized in that said cutting means also comprises mechanical transmission elements (67) connected mechanically to said connection means (48) and to said mobile blade (50) in order to move the latter between a first condition of cooperation with said fixed counter-blade (51), in order to cut said ribbon (38), and a second condition of non-cooperation with said fixed counter-blade (51).
14. Device as in claim 6, characterized in that said connection means comprises at least a first cam element
(46) able to rotate in order to move said mobile part (47) linearly.
15. Device as in claim 13, characterized in that said connection means also comprises at least a second cam element (48) able to cooperate with said mechanical transmission elements (67) in order to move said mobile blade (50) with respect to said fixed counter-blade (51).
16. Device as in claims 14 and 15 , characterized in that said connection means also comprises a pulley element (40) connected mechanically with said movement means (23, 29), wherein said pulley element (40), said first cam element (46) and said second cam element (48) are solid with each other.
17. Multi-needle sewing machine comprising at least upper sewing members (15) and lower sewing members (16) cooperating with each other in order to achieve stitches (20) on a continuously fed fabric (H), at least an auxiliary supporting bar (21) cooperating with said sewing members (15, 16) and an application device associated with said auxiliary supporting bar (21) and able to apply a ribbon (38) or tape onto said fabric (11), characterized in that said application device (30) comprises guide means (46, 47, 55, 57, 65, 75) able to feed said ribbon (38) towards said sewing members (15, 16) and to dispose it in cooperation with said fabric (H), and cutting means (50, 51, 67) able to cut said ribbon (38), interrupting the feed thereof, into segments of a desired length able to be applied by sewing to said fabric (11) by means of said sewing members (15, 16), distancing the application thereof at desired intervals with simple stitches (20) made by said sewing members (15, 16). 18. Method for sewing onto a continuously fed fabric (11) for a multi-needle sewing machine having at least upper sewing members (15) and lower sewing members (16) cooperating with each other in order to achieve stitches (20) on said fabric (H), at least an auxiliary supporting bar (21) cooperating with' said sewing members (15, 16) and an application device associated with said auxiliary supporting bar (21) in order to apply a ribbon (38) or tape onto said fabric (11), characterized in that it comprises at least a first step, or feed step, during which said ribbon (38) is fed by means of guide means (46, 47, 55, 57, 65, 75) towards said sewing members (15, 16) in order to dispose it in cooperation with said fabric (11); and a second step, or cutting step, during which, by means of cutting means (50, 51, 67), said ribbon (38) is cut, interrupting the feed thereof, into segments of a desired length which are applied by sewing to said fabric (11) by means of said sewing members (15, 16), distancing the application thereof at desired intervals with simple stitches (20) made by said sewing members (15, 16). |
"DEVICE FOR APPLYING RIBBONS OR TAPES, RELATIVE METHOD OF APPLICATION AND MULTI-NEEDLE SEWING MACHINE COMPRISING SAID
APPLICATION DEVICE"
* * * * * FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a device for applying ribbons or tapes onto a continuously fed fabric, and a multi-needle sewing machine comprising an auxiliary supporting bar to which said application device can be selectively attached. The invention also concerns a method for applying ribbons or tapes onto said fabric.
The present invention allows to perform on the fabric stitches with an unlimited number of designs, embroideries and ornamental patterns, by applying the ribbons or tapes. Here and hereafter, the fabric is intended as the simple type, or multi-layer or padded.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the field of sewing machines and embroidery machines, it is known to make intermittent stitches and apply, either manually or automatically, ribbons or tapes onto fabrics cut into pieces .
These operations are normally carried out with specifically predisposed machines which can perform one type of work only, and which therefore, in the case of works performed in sequence, . require manual steps to reposition the cut fabrics with every production cycle, which entails a considerable expense and dispersion of
/ energy.
One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a device for applying ribbons and tapes onto a fabric, and a multi-needle sewing machine, comprising an auxiliary supporting bar on which said application device can be attached, and to perfect a relative application method,
which allow the fabric to be worked continuously, obtaining any ornamental pattern whatsoever, by means of simple stitches and intermittent applications of ribbons or tapes , by means of stitches. Another purpose of the present invention is to achieve an application device of the removable type, which can be mounted, even only when necessary, on an auxiliary supporting bar of a multi-needle sewing machine by means of • standardized attachment means, which can be predisposed for the assembly and use of other different devices, in order to perform other processes with the same machine and the same device that moves the mobile members of the relative application device.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages .
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.
In accordance with the above purposes, an application device, a multi-needle sewing machine and a method according to the invention can be used for the intermittent application of ribbons or tapes onto a continuously fed fabric .
Here and hereafter, the fabric is intended as the simple type, or multi-layer or padded. The sewing machine according to the present invention comprises at least upper and lower sewing members cooperating with each other so as to achieve stitches on
the fabric, and at least an auxiliary supporting bar cooperating with the sewing members.
The application device according to the invention is able to be selectively associated, when necessary, with the auxiliary supporting bar, advantageously by means of standardized attachment means, for example of the type described in the international patent application
PCT/IB2005/001882 in the name of the present Applicant.
According to a characteristic of the present invention, the application device comprises guide means able to feed the ribbon, during a first step of the method, or feed step, towards the sewing members and to dispose it in cooperation with the fabric, and cutting means able to cut the ribbon, during a second step, or cutting step, interrupting the feed thereof, into segments of desired length. These segments of ribbon are able to be applied by sewing to the fabric by means of the sewing members, distancing the application thereof at desired intervals with simple stitches, that is, without applying the ribbon, said stitches being performed by the same sewing members.
The invention therefore allows to perform processes on continuously fed fabrics, obtaining any ornamental design whatsoever of stitches and intermittent applications, by means of stitches, of ribbons or tapes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other characteristics of the' present invention will become apparent from the fpllowing description of a
/ preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein: - fig. 1 is a schematic view of a multi-needle sewing machine according to the present invention; - fig. 2 is a three-dimensional view from below of a first part of an auxiliary bar of the machine in fig. 1;
- fig. 3 is a three-dimensional view from below of a second part of the auxiliary bar of the machine in fig. l;
- fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a device for applying a ribbon, applied to the auxiliary bar of the machine in fig. 1;
- fig. 5 is a partly sectioned three-dimensional view of the application device in fig. 4;
- fig. 6 is a further sectioned three-dimensional view of the application device in fig. 4;
- fig. 7 shows four examples of stitches with ribbons made according to the present invention;
- fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a detail of a variant of fig. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT
With reference to fig. 1, a sewing machine 10 according to the present invention is shown, of the automatic and multi-function type, a multi-needle quilting machine with electronic control, for example the one described in the international patent application PCT/IB2005/001882.
The sewing machine 10 substantially comprises an inlet assembly 10a, a sewing assembly 10b and an outlet assembly 10c.
The inlet assembly 10a feeds a textile material 11 on which the stitches are to be made, and is managed and controlled by a control unit 13, so as to move the textile material 11 in any direction whatsoever, backwards-forwards
/ or left-right, in order to make any design.
The sewing assembly 10b comprises upper sewing members 12 and lower sewing members 15 of a known type.
The upper sewing members 15 consist of needles 18 mounted on needle-bearing bars, in this case two, respectively front 15a and rear 15b (figs. 2 and 3), parallel to each
other, and equipped with alternate ascending-descending motion so as to take the needles 18 to cooperate with the respective lower sewing members 16 consisting, in known manner, of shuttles, rotary crochets or alternately mobile hooks .
The cooperation between the sewing members 15 and 16 determines the simultaneous formation on the textile material 11 of a plurality of stitches 20 which, according- to the movement imparted to the textile material 11, make desired patterns to obtain the embroidered or quilted textile product which is collected by the outlet assembly 10c.
During the sewing cycle the needle-bearing bars 15a and 15b cooperate with an auxiliary supporting bar 21, disposed transversely, parallel to them and mobile alternately in an ascending-descending direction, in a manner correlated to the movement of the needle-bearing bars 15a and 15b.
A toothed belt 23, made of flexible plastic material with teeth on both sides, slides on the flanks of the auxiliary supporting bar 21.
The toothed belt 23 is held tense between a return pulley 24 and a guide pulley 25, both idle and mounted at a first end of the auxiliary supporting bar 21, and a drive pulley 26 and an idle guide pulley 27, mounted at a second end of the auxiliary supporting bar 21. In this case, the pulleys 24-27 are toothed in a manner mating with the toothed belt 23.
The drive pulley 26 is mounted on the shaft of a command motor 29, for example of the electric type, managed by the control unit 13, and is able to impart to the toothed belt 23 movements with a cadence, amplitude and direction that vary according to the signals received from the control unit 13, according to the type of operation to be
performed, for example set by the operator at the start-up of the machine 10.
The machine 10 also comprises a plurality of application devices, or robotized heads 30 denominated STRING heads (figs. 3, 4-6) provided with a connection element 32 of a standard type, able to be associated with a housing 22 of the auxiliary supporting bar 21 shown in figs. 2 and 4.
Each robotized STRING head 30 also comprises a support- element 34 which, with the robotized STRING head 30 mounted, protrudes laterally with respect to the auxiliary supporting bar 21.
The robotized STRING head 30 allows, when commanded, to feed or cut, interrupting the feed, ribbons 38 or tapes of the desired length, and to apply them using stitches onto the textile fabrics 11 according to desired patterns, while in the intervals between one segment and the other of the ribbons 38, the needles 18 perform simple stitches 20, also according to desired patterns.
The robotized STRING head 30 comprises a toothed pulley 40 rotating idle on two ball bearings 42 attached to the upper surface 34a of the support element 34.
When the robotized STRING head 30 is mounted on the auxiliary bar 21, the toothed pulley 40 is connected mechanically to the toothed belt 23 so that any movement of the latter is transmitted to the toothed pulley 40.
The toothed pulley 40 has a central hole through which the needle 18 passes, and is equipped, in its lower part, with two cams, an upper cam 46 which radially drives a mobile actuator 47, which makes the ribbon 38 advance, and a lower cam 48 which drives a mobile blade 50 vertically, made for example of tempered steel and able to cooperate with a fixed counter-blade 51 in order to cut the ribbon 38.
On the upper surface 34a a sliding groove 53 is made, having a longitudinal development and a size such as to allow the ribbon 38 to slide therein. The mobile actuator 47 that feeds the ribbon 38 acts in the groove 53. The mobile actuator 47 is supported by a fixed element 55 attached with screws to the upper surface 34a and disposed above the sliding groove 53.
The mobile actuator 47 comprises a cylindrical cursor 57 able to move with a movement parallel to said groove 53, sliding inside two bushings 58 solid with the fixed element 55, and takes to its free end a block 60 on which a bearing 61 is attached, which is held in contact with the outer surface of the upper cam 46 by means of a helical compression spring 63 acting on said cylindrical cursor 57. To the lower part of the block 60 an idle wheel 65 is attached, which can rotate freely in one direction but not in the other. The wheel 65 rests elastically, by means of an assembly spring not shown here, on the bottom of the sliding groove 53, and has an axis of rotation parallel to the upper surface 34a and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sliding groove 53.
The idle wheel 65 is mounted so that, when the mobile actuator 47 moves forwards towards the toothed pulley 40 under the action of the helical compression spring 63, it cannot rotate, whereas when the mobile actuator 47 moves backwards under the pressure exerted by the upper cam 46 of the toothed pulley 40 on the bearing 61, on the contrary it can rotate.
On the upper surface 34a a cutting assembly 67 is also mounted, comprising a pin 68 that rotates in a hole made in the support element 34. At one end of said pin 68 a little support 70 is attached, with which the mobile blade 50 is solid.
The support 70 is free to rotate together with the pin 68 with respect to an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sliding groove 53 and its position is such that when it rotates downwards, the mobile blade 50, lowering in turn, comes into contact with the counter-blade 51 attached to the end of the sliding groove 53.
The cutting assembly 67 also comprises a helical traction spring 72 mounted on the pin 68 and able to guarantee an elastic pressure between the mobile blade 50 and the fixed counter-blade 51, and to keep the support 70 in a raised position.
The lower cam 48 of the toothed pulley 40 rests on the upper part of the support 70, and thanks to its shape, with variable height according to the position of the toothed pulley 40, it can leave the mobile blade 50 in the raised position thanks to the recall action of the helical traction spring 72; or it can press it downwards, overcoming the action of the spring 72, until it takes it to the cutting position when it is in contact with the mobile counter-blade 51.
The machine 10, and in particular each of the robotized STRING heads 30, functions as follows.
During normal stitching, without ribbons 38 or tapes being applied, the toothed belt 23 remains still and hence the toothed pulley 40 of each robotized STRING head 30 does not move.
In this condition the ribbons ,38 remain pressed between
/ the idle wheels 65 and the respective sliding grooves 53 and are not sewn, while the needles 18 pass through the central holes 44 of the respective toothed pulleys 40.
Thanks to the cooperation with the lower sewing members 16, the needles 18 make a plurality of stitches 20 on the textile materials 11; according to the movements imparted
to the textile materials 11, said stitches achieve desired patterns .
When it is desired to start the application of ribbons 38 by means of stitches, the toothed belt 23 is moved by the control unit 13 and the command motor 29, which in turn makes the toothed pulleys 40 of the robotized STRING head
30 rotate.
Consequently, the upper cams 46, in contact with the respective bearings 61, allow the mobile actuators 47 to advance, under the thrust of the helical compression springs 63, and hence the idle wheels 65, which cannot rotate backwards, draw the ribbons 38 forwards, making them slide on the respective sliding grooves 53 until they are taken into a condition of cooperation with the needles 18. At this point the movement of the textile materials 11 is interrupted to allow the needles 18 to perform three attachment stitches in the same point, and then the movement of the textile materials 11 is restarted and the ribbons 38 are attached to the textile materials 11 by means of stitches 20 according to the desired patterns, in order to define a condition of movement thereof.
When it is desired to interrupt the application of the ribbons 38, the movement of the textile materials 11 is again interrupted in order to allow the needles 18 to perform three attachment stitches in the same point and simultaneously, by means of the control unit 13 and the command motor 29, the toothed belt 23 is again moved.
The toothed belt 23 in turn makes the toothed pulleys 40 of the robotized STRING head 30 rotate and, following this action, the upper cams 46, acting on the bearings 61, thrust backwards the mobile actuators 47, whose idle wheels 65, being able to rotate, do not draw the ribbons 38 which are retained by the stitches 20. Subsequently, the lower
cams 48, in contact with the upper part of the supports 70, thrust downwards the mobile blades 50 which, coming into contact with the fixed counter-blades 51, cut the ribbons 38. At this point the movement of the textile materials 11 is restarted and the needles 18 start again to perform the desired patterns with simple stitches 20 on the textile materials 11, while the ribbons 38 remain pressed between the idle wheels 65 and the respective sliding grooves 53. It is clear that the reciprocal position of the upper 46 and lower 48 cams with respect to the respective toothed pulleys 40 and the entity and direction of movements imparted thereto by the toothed belt 23 are such as to guarantee a sequence of actions of the mobile actuators 47 and the cutting assemblies 67. This sequence of actions, coordinated with the sequence of movements of the textile materials 11, allows the correct execution of the various steps of application or non-application of the ribbons 38.
According to a variant shown in fig. 8, the idle wheels 65 are replaced by little blades 75, for example made of steel, mounted inclined on the lower part of the blocks 60, so as to press elastically on the respective sliding groove 53 and exert pressure on the ribbons 38.
In this way, when the mobile actuators 47 move forwards towards the toothed pulleys 40, the ribbons 38 are thrust forwards under the needles 18 by the free end of the blades 75 and, during the subsequent step of application by means of stitches 20, the ribbons 38 slide under the blades 75, while during the stitches without application of ribbons 38, the latter remain pressed between the blades 75 and the respective sliding grooves 53.
It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts and/or steps may be made to the machine 10, the application
device or robotized STRING head 30 and the method as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.
It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of devices for applying ribbons or tapes, relative application methods and multi- needle sewing machines comprising said application devices, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.
Next Patent: IMPROVED SHOE