METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF CUTTING A PANEL FROM A QUILTED MATERIAL WEB

[0001] For the United States, this application (132cwo) is a continuation-in-part of

U.S. Application Serial No. 11/339,602 (132c), filed on January 25, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application Serial No. 10/963,300 (132b), fifed on October 12, 2004, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/555,460 (132a), filed on March 23, 2004, and which applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.

Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates generally to cutting flat stock and, more particularly, to cutting quilted fabric goods.

Background

[0003] Quilting is a sewing process by which layers of textile material and other fabric are joined to produce compressible panels that are both decorative and functional. Stitch patterns are used to decorate the panels with sewn designs white the stitches themselves join the various layers of material that make up the quilts. Large scale quilting processes usually use high-speed multi-needie quilting machines to form a series of panels along webs of the multiple-layered materials. These large scale quilting processes typically use chain-stitch sewing heads which produce resilient stitch chains that can be supplied by large spools of thread.

[0004] After the pattern has been stitched in a panel, the panel must be cut to length and trimmed to a width such that the stitched pattern is approximately centered on the cut panel. If a panel is automatically cut from a quilted material web without locating the quilted pattern, the quilted pattern may be shifted to one side of the pane! or, in some circumstances, may be partially cut off when the panel was cut from the web. Thus, the panel must be cut from the web using manuaf or semiautomatic

processes in which an operator is used to align cutting devices so that the quilted pattern is approximately centered in the pane!. Further, improper placement of the pattern on the panel limits the use of more automated and less labor intensive processes and systems. Therefore, there is a need to provide processes and systems that accurately and quickiy automaticaliy cut panels with respective patterns properly located within the panels.

Summary

[0005] The present invention provides processes and systems that accurately and quickly position cutters with respect to a quilted pattern in a panel, Further, the processes and systems of the present invention automatically cut the panel to the proper length and width with the quilted pattern properly located therein. In addition, the processes and systems of the present invention use known, commercially available components and cutting devices and provide a relatively low cost solution to a difficult problem in the quilting industry. Thus, the processes and systems of the present invention are especially useful in cutting panels with quilted patterns from a quilted material web.

[0006] In accordance with the principles of the present invention and in accordance with the described embodiments, a method of cutting a quilted material web into a panel having a quilted pattern. The panel has a width and length with the quilted pattern disposed therein. With the method, a mark is applied to the quilted material web at a location within the width and the length of the panel; and the quilted material web is moved in a longitudinal direction with respect to the panel. The mark is detected whiie moving the quilted material web, and a controlier determines, with respect to the mark, cutter positions that define the width and the length of the panel. Thereafter, cutters operated by the controller cut the quilted web material along the width and the length of the panel, thereby cutting the panel from the quilted material web.

[0007} In one aspect, the mark is a single mark associated with the panel and is applied to the quilted material web on a quilting machine in the course of quilting the pattern. In another aspect, the mark is applied at a location approximately at the center of the panel. In a further aspect, the mark is applied at a location offset from a center of the pattern being quilted; and the offset is based in part on either the positions of stitches on the paneE, geometric parameters of the quilting machine or geometric parameters of a panel cutter comprising the cutters. In a still further aspect, the method trims opposite longitudinal edges of the panel at substantially equal transverse distances from the center of the pattern and cuts opposite transverse edges of the panel at substantially equal longitudinal distances from the center of the pattern. [0008] In another embodiment, in a method of cutting a panel from a quilted material web, a mark is applied to a location on the quilted material web that is offset from a center of the panel while maintaining data of dimensional relationships of the location of the mark to a width and a length of the panel. The quilted materia! web is moved in a longitudinal direction; and upon detecting the mark, a controller determines a location of the mark. The controller then determines in response to the maintained data and data of the width and length of the panel, positions with respect to the location of the mark of cutters that define the width and the length of the panel. The controller then operates cutters to cut the quilted web material along lines defining the width and the length of the panel, thereby cutting the panel from the quilted materia! web. In one aspect, the mark is applied after quilting at least a portion of a pattern. [0009] In a further embodiment, in a method of cutting a panel from a quilted material web, a mark is applied to the quilted material web; and the mark has known dimensional relationships to a width and a length of the panel. The quilted material web is moved in a downstream longitudinal direction; and upon detecting the mark, a controiler determines a position of the mark. The controller then determines with respect to the mark positions using data representing a shrinkage of the materia! as a result of quilting a pattern therein, the positions determine a width and a length of a

finished panel. The controller then positions cutters to positions and operates the cutters to cut the quilted material web to the width and the length of finished panel. [0010] In a stitl further embodiment, an apparatus is provided for cutting a material web into panels, wherein each of the paneis has a width and length with a respective quilted pattern located therein. A quilting machine has a plurality of sewing heads for producing the quiited patterns in the material web; and a mark applicator is mounted on the quilting machine for applying marks associated with the paneis. Each of the panels has a single mark within a width and length of a respective panel. A pane! cutting machine is positioned downstream of the quilting machine, and the panel cutting machine receives the material web having the quilted patterns and marks. The pane! cutting machine has a first detector providing a first output signal in response to detecting a single mark associated with a respective panel, wherein the single mark being used to locate first positions determining a width of the respective panel. A second detector provides a second output signal in response to detecting an edge of the material web. Trimming blades are posttionable at the first positions in a transverse direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and operable to cut the material web in the longitudinal direction. A cross cutting blade is movable longitudinally to a second position and operable to cut the materia! web in the transverse direction. A programmable controller is operable in response to the first and second output signals to cause the trimming blades to cut the respective panel to the width in relationship to the single mark and the cross cutting blade to cut the respective pane! to the length in relationship to the single mark.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, a quilted material web includes a web of quilted material having a plurality of quilted patterns spaced fongitudinaliy with respect to the web of quilted material. A plurality of marks are applied to the web of quiited material, wherein each mark is associated with a respective one of the plurality of patterns. Each mark represents an approximate center of a respective one of a plurality of paneis to be cut from the web of quilted material; and each of the plurality of panels has a respective one of the quilted patterns therein. Each of the plurality of

marks further has a predetermined relationship to positions defining a length and a width of the panel to be cut from the web of quitted material.

[0012] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.

Description of the Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in, and constitute a part of, this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. [0013] Fig. 1 is a schematic top view of one exemplary embodiment of a web of quilted material containing quiSted panels to be cut therefrom. [0014] Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of a panel cutting machine that may be used to cut a panel from a quilted material web in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0015] FIg. 3 is a schematic end view of the panel cutting machine of Fig. 2 looking upstream from the downstream end of the panel cutting machine. [0016] Fig. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a control system that may be used with the panel machine of Fig. 2 in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0017] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary process of cutting a panel from the quilted material web using the panel cutting machine of Figs. 2 and 3. [0018] Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the web of the quilted material of Fig. 1 illustrating a first cutting operation of another embodiment of a pane! cutter in accordance with the principles of the present invention,

[0019] Fig. 7 is a schematic side view of the web of the quiited material of Fig. 1 illustrating a second cutting operation using components of the embodiment of Fig. 6.

[0020] Fig. 8 is a schematic side view of the web of the quilted material of Fig. 1 illustrating a further embodiment of a panel cutter in accordance with the principles of the present invention,

[0021] Fig. 9 is a schematic illustration of a further embodiment of a panel cutter that accommodates webs of quilted material having different widths in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

[0022] Fig, 10 is a flowchart of an exemplary alternative process of cutting a panel from the quilted material web using the panel cutting machine of Figs. 2 and 3.

[0023] Fig. 11 is a schematic top view of another exemplary embodiment of a web of quilted material containing quilted panels to be cut therefrom.

[0024] Fig. 12 is a partial perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of a quilting machine that may be used with the pane! cutting machine of Figs. 2 and 3.

[0025] FIg. 12A is a top elevation view of exemplary embodiments of a mark applicator, a pair of needle heads and a pair of looper heads that may be used with the quilting machine of Fig. 12.

[0026] Fig. 12B is a partial perspective view of exemplary embodiments of the mark applicator, the pair of needle heads and the pair of iooper heads that are shown in

Fig. 12A.

Detailed Description

[0027] Referring to Fig. 1 , a web of quiited material 20 is conveyed along an output portion of a quilting machine (not shown) in a direction indicated by the flow arrow 22. Such quilting machines are of the type shown and described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,130 and U.S. Patent Application filed as Express Mail No. EV354968586US, entitled MULTIPLE HORIZONTAL NEEDLE QUILTING MACHINE AND METHOD and filed March 19, 2004, which patent and application are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein. The quilted material 20 is to be cut to form quilted panels 24, 26 with respective perimeters 28, 30 within which quilted patterns 32, 34 are located. Thus, to cut the panel 24 to a desired length, the quiited material web 20 is

first cut along cut line 36 to remove crop-out piece 56 and thereafter, cut along cut line 38, Further, to cut the panel 24 to a desired width, the quilted material web 20 is cut along trim lines 40, 42, thereby removing respective selvage pieces 44, 46. [0028] As will be appreciated, due to the nature of the quilting process, the positions of successive quilted patterns 32, 34 often vary slightly, which substantially complicates the panel cutting process. For example, if the panels 24, 26 are cut to length after moving the quilted material web through an incremental feed equai to a panel length, the quilted patterns in some panels wHl not be centered. Panels with noncentered quilted patterns are more difficult to properly assemble and/or sew together with other panels; and if the quilted pattern is so far off-center that It can't be used, the panel has to be scrapped.

[0029] . Thus, to facilitate an automatic, fast and efficient cutting of the paneis 24, 26, a center or reference mark 48 is used and centered with respect to the quilting patterns 32, 34 in the respective panels 24, 26. The center mark 48 can be automatically applied to the web 20 as part of the quilting process using a variety of mediums and processes, for example, a stick-on element, painting, detectable stitching, etc. Further, the center mark 48 can be of any useful shape, for example, a circle, a dot, crosshairs, etc. Alternatively, the center mark 48 can be printed on the web 20 using apparatus and methods shown and described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,435,117; 6,263,816; 6,158,366; 6,012,403 and 5,873,315, all of which are hereby incorporated in their entireties by reference herein. The center mark is often located on a backside of the panel, that is, the side opposite a side presenting the quiited pattern to a user. [0030] Referring to Fig. 2, a panel cutter 100 has an upstream portion 102, a cutting portion 104 and a downstream portion 106. As used herein, "upstream" refers to a position, motion or direction to the left of a cross cut blade 123; and "downstream" refers to a position, motion or direction to the right of the cross cut blade 123. A quilted material web 20 is fed over rollers 108, 110 across an upstream table 112 and through a pair of transversely extending, opposed pmch rollers 114. The pinch rollers are engaged and disengaged by means of actuators 116, for example, pneumatic cylinders,

After the pinch rollers 114 are engaged with the quilted materia! web 20 pinched there between, actuator 1 17 (Fig. 3), for example, an electric motor, is turned On to feed the quilted material web between the pinch rollers 114 in a longitudinal direction 118 generally parallel to a length of the web.

[0031] The cutting portion 104 (Fig. 2) includes a cross cutting apparatus 120 and a trimming apparatus 122. The cross cutting apparatus 120 has a cutting blade 123 operatively connected to a motor 124 that is mounted on a carriage 126. A linear guide 128 extends in the transverse direction 130 (Fig. 3), that is, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 1 18. The carriage 126 has a pluraiity of rollers 132 that ride on opposed longitudinal edges of the guide rail 128. The ends of a drive belt 136 are connected to the carriage 126 and are looped over an idler pulley 138 and a drive pulley 140 that is rotated by a motor 142. Thus, operating the motor 142 is effective to translate the carriage 126 and cross cutting blade 123 in the transverse direction 130 to cut the quilted material web 20.

[0032] A clamp bar 144 extends transversely over substantially a full width of the panel cutter 100 and is supported at its ends by cylinders 146. Motion of the clamp bar 144 in the vertical direction is guided by wheels 147 riding on opposite sides of linear guides 148. The actuators 146 move the clamp bar 144 toward a plate 149 to secure the quilted material web therebetween.

[0033] The trimming apparatus 122 includes left and right slitter and feed mechanisms 150, 152, respectively, that are located on opposite sides of the panel cutter 100 adjacent the ends of the pinch rollers 1 14. The slitter and feed mechanisms 150, 152 are described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,736,078, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Each of the slitter and feed mechanisms 150, 152 is operated by a motor 154 that rotates upper and lower slitting wheels 156, 158, respectively, as well as upper and lower conveyors 160, 162, respectively. Each of the slitter and feed mechanisms 152, 154 has a carriage 164 that supports the motor 154, slitting wheels 156, 158 and conveyors 160, 162 and is mounted via wheels 166 onto a guide rail 168. Each of the carriages 164 is mounted on a nut (not shown) that is

threaded onto a screw 170 rotated by an actuator 172. Thus, the slitter and feed mechanisms 150, 152 are movable to desired positions on the rail 168 by operating respective actuators 172.

[0034] An upstream, center mark detector 180 has a sensor 182 mounted on a carriage 184 that is supported by linear guide rods 186 beneath the upstream table 112. The center mark detector 180 may be any device that is able to provide output signals representing a detected position of the center mark 48 on the quilted material web 20, for example, a vision camera. The vision camera has a charge coupled device (CCD) providing an output that is converted to digital form and processed to determine the location of a center mark on the quilted materia! web 20. The carriage 184 is also connected to a drive belt 188 extending around an idler pulley 190 and a drive pulley 192 that is rotated by a motor 194. Thus, operation of the motor 194 is effective to move the sensor 182 in the longitudinal direction 118.

[0035] A downstream portion 106 has a downstream conveyor 174 operated by a drive pulley 176 that is roLated by a motor 178. A downstream length detector 196 has a sensor 198 mounted to a carriage 200 that is supported by linear guide rods 201. The sensor 198 can be any device capable of providing an output signal in response to detecting an edge of the quϋted material web 20, for example, a proximity or photoelectric sensor. The carriage 200 is connected to a drive belt 202 looped over an idler pulley 204 and a drive pulley 206. A motor 208 rotates the drive pulley 206 to provide linear motion of the detector 198 in the longitudinal direction 118. [0036] As shown in Fig. 4, a programmable controller 210 is used to coordinate the operation of the various actuators and motors on the panel cutter 100 to execute a panel cutting operation as shown in Fig. 5. A quilted material web 20 is first loaded onto the panel cutter 100 and located between the pinch rollers 114, and the operator is then able to initiate a pane! cutting cycle of operation. The controller 210 first determines, at 250, the size of the next pane! 24 (Fig. 1 ). In this embodiment, the panel cutter 100 has the capability of cutting larger panels, for example, up to 80 inches wide

and 60 inches long. However, substantially smaller panels may also be cut; and further, successive panels on the quilted panel web 20 may be of different sizes. [0037] Assuming the first panel to be cut is 60 inches long and 80 inches wide, the controfler 210 first commands the detector positioning motor 194, at 252, to move the detector carriage 184 and center mark detector 182 to a first longitudinal cut position that is 30 inches upstream of the cross cut biade 123. Thus, as the web is moved downstream, when the center mark detector 182 detects the center mark 48 (Fig. 1 ) of paUern 24, a cut line 36 of the pattern 24 will be aligned with the cross cut blade 123. In addition, the controller 210 commands, at 254, the length sensor positioning motor 209 to move the length sensor carriage 200 and length sensor 198 to a second longitudinal cut position that is 60 inches downstream of the cross cut blade 123. In this position, upon the length sensor 198 detecting a leading cut edge 36, a trailing cut line 38 of pattern 24 is aligned with the cross cut blade 123, thereby permitting the cross cut biade 123 to cut the panel 24 of a desired length from the quilted material web 20.

[0038] Thereafter, the controller 210, at 256, initiates a feed of the quilted material web 104. The web feed is initiated by the controller 210 commanding the pinch roller motor 1 17 to rotate the pinch rollers 114 in directions causing the web 20 to move downstream. The quilted material web 20 has a quilted pattern 32 on a presentation or front side facing upward above the upstream table 112 and a center mark 48 on an opposite, back side facing downward beneath the upstream table 112. Being below the upstream table 112, the center mark detector 182 is viewing the back side of the web 20. When the center mark crosses a transverse centerline 66 (Fig. 1 ) in a field of vision of the detector 182, the detector 182 provides an output signal to the controller 210; and the controller commands the pinch roller motor 117 to stop. As wili be appreciated, the process of stopping the operation of the pinch rollers 114 may involve successive decelerations of the pinch rolier motor 117, such that the quilted material web 20 can be stopped with the center mark 148 precisely located on the centerline 66 of the field of vision of the detector 182. Thus, a leading cut line 36 of the

panel 24 is accurately aligned with the cross cut blade 123, so that the leading cut line 36 represents a distance with respect to the center mark 48 that is approximately equal to one-half a desired length of the panel 24.

[0039] If the center mark 48 is offset from a fongitudina! centerϋne 68 (Fig. 1 ) of the field of vision of the detector 182, as indicated by the center mark 48a shown in phantom in Fig. 2, detector 182 and controller 210 are able, at 260, to determine the magnitude of the offset. The controller 210 then commands the side trim positioning motors 172 to position the slitter and feed mechanisms 150, 152 at respective transverse cut positions, so that the side trim blades 156, 158 are equidistant from the detected center mark 48a.

[0040] Thereafter, at 262, the controller 210 commands the clamp actuators 146 to iower the clamp bar 144, thereby clamping the quilted material web 20 between the clamp bar 144 and stationary plate 149. Next, the controller 210 provides command signals to the cross cut blade motor 124 to initiate rotation of the cross cut blade 123. In addition, the controller 210 commands the cross cut blade positioning motor 142 to move the carriage 126 supporting the rotating cross cut blade 123 transversely across the panel cutter 100 along cut line 36 of panel 24. That motion is effective to cut off a crop-out piece 56 to form a cut edge of the panel 24. Upon the cross cut blade 123 finishing its transverse motion, the controller 210 terminates operation of the cross cut blade positioning motor 142 and may initiate, at 264, operation of the downstream conveyor motor 178 to feed the crop-out piece 56 from the panel cutter 100. [0041] The controller 210 then, at 266, commands the clamp actuators 146 to lift the clamp bar 144 from the plate 149, thereby unclamping the quilted materia! web. The controller 210 then turns On the side trim motors 154 of the left and right slitter and feed mechanisms 150, 152. Operating the side trim motors 154 initiates rotation of the upper and lower slitting wheels 156, 158, respectively, and the upper and lower conveyors 160, 162 of the slitter and feed mechanisms 150, 152. Thus, as the quilted material web 20 is moved downstream by the pinch rollers 144, it is captured between the upper and lower conveyors 160, 162 on both sides of the panel cutter 100. The two

sets of upper and lower conveyors 160, 162 are operative to pull the quilted material web 20 past respective sets of upper and lower siitting wheels 156, 158. The controller 210 also commands the operation of the down feed conveyor motor 178 to allow the down feed conveyor 174 to facilitate the conveyance of the quilted material web 20 along the panel cutter 100. Thus, the left and right sets of slitting wheels 156, 158 move along respective cut lines 40, 42 to form side edges of the pane! 24 that are equidistant from the detected center mark.

[0042] That operation continues until, at 268, the length sensor 198 detects the cut edge 36 (Fig. 1) of the panel 24 and simultaneously provides a cut edge feedback signal to the controller 210. The controller 210 immediately turns Off the pinch roller feed motor 117, the two slitter and feed mechanism motors 154 and the downstream conveyor motor 178. The trailing cut iine 38 of panel 24 is now aligned with the cross cut blade 123. Thereafter, the controller 210, at 270, commands the clamp actuators 146 to lower the clamp bar 144 onto the quilted material web 20 and against the fixed plate 149. In addition, the controller 210 commands the cross cut positioning motor 142 to move the carriage 126 and rotating cross cut biade 123 transversely across the panel cuter 100 along trailing cut line 38 of the panel 24. Then, at 272, the controller 210 commands the clamp actuators 146 to raise the clamp bar and unclarnp the quilted material web 20. The controller 210 then initiates a panei feed by activating the slitter and feed mechanism motors 154 and the downstream conveyor motor 178. The two sets of upper and lower slitter wheels continue to cut along the trim lines 40, 42 of the panel 32 to form side edges that are equidistant from the center mark 48. The controller 210 then, at 274, determines whether there is another panei, for example, quilted material panel 26, to be cut. If so, the process steps 250-272 are repeated to cut panel 26 from the web 20.

[0043] Thus, the panel cutter 100 has the capability of first, determining and cutting opposed width edges of a quitted pattern pane! with respect to a center or other reference mark and second, determining and cutting opposed lengthwise ends of a quilted pattern panel with respect to the same center or other reference mark. Thus,

the panel cutter 100 has an advantage of cutting panels 24, 26 from a quilted material web 20 in which quilted patterns 32, 34 are consistently centered on the respective cut panels 24, 26. Further, with the panel cutter 100, successive quilted patterns 24, 26 can be of different sizes, and the panels can be accurately and quickly cut to different lengths and widths with the quilted patterns centered thereon. [0044] While the invention has been illustrated by the description of one embodiment and while the embodiment has been described in considerable detail, there is no intention to restrict nor in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those who are skilled in the art. As wiil be appreciated, there are many variations relating to the structure and operation of the detectors 182, 198, the cross cutting apparatus 120 and the trimming apparatus 150, 152, For, example, Fig. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the panel cutter 100 that uses a cross cutting apparatus 120 and a single center mark detector or camera 182. The cross cutting apparatus 120 is mounted on a second cross cut biade carriage 214 that provides motion of the cross cutting apparatus 120 in the longitudinal direction 1 18. Thus, the cross cutting apparatus 120 is movable to the left and right as viewed in Fig. 6. In a process similar to that previously described, the controller 210 is operative to move the quilted material web 20 to the right as viewed in Fig. 6 and to cause the cross cutting apparatus 120 to cut the web 20 along the cut line 36 of pattern 24. Thereafter, the controller 210 provides command signals to move the cross cutting apparatus 120 to the left as viewed in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7. The cross cutting apparatus 120 is moved through a distance equal to a length of the quilted panel 24, that is, the distance between the cross cut paths 36a, 38, As described earlier, the controller 210 is operative to cause the cross cutting apparatus 120 to move across the quiited materiaE web 20 along the cut line 38 of panel 24, thereby cutting the panel 24 to the desired length. Thereafter, the controller 210 initiates motion of the quilted web materia! 20 and causes the slitter and feed apparatus 150, 152 to cut along the trim lines 40, 42 to form the side edges of the panel.

[0045] Fig. 8 illustrates a further embodiment of the panel cutter 100 using a single center mark detector 182 and two cross cutting apparatus 120a, 120b. Each of the cross cutting apparatus 120a, 120b is supported on a separate cross cut carriage 214a, 214b that is movable in the longitudinal direction 118. In a manner as earlier described, the controller 210 is operative to feed the quilted web 20 to the right as viewed in Fig. 8 until the center mark 48 is detected crossing the centerline 66 (Fig. 1 ) of the detector 182. The controlfer 210 then stops the feed of the quilted material web 20. Thereafter, the controller 210 causes the cross cutting apparatus 120a, 120b to be moved in a iongitudinai direction, so that the center mark 48 is centered between them. The controller 210 then causes the cross cutting apparatus 120a, 120b to move along the cut lines 36, 38 of panel 24, thereby cutting the panel 24 to its desired length. As will be appreciated, alternatively, the controller 210 can operate the cross cutting apparatus 120a, 120b sequentially or simultaneously. As will be appreciated, in a still further embodiment, both of the two cross cut blades and motors can be mounted on the respective longitudinal carriages 214a, 214b instead of the transverse carriage of Fig. 2. Then the longitudinal carriages 214a, 214b can be mounted on separate or a common transverse carriage,

[0046J As indicated earlier, the panel cutter 100 can be designed to cut relatively large panels, for example, up to 80 inches wide; and further, it is desirable that the panel cutter 100 and its associated controller be usable to cut quiited pattern webs of different widths without making changes to the machine structure. One such process is schematicaliy shown in Fig. 9, in which a panel cutter, as shown and described with respect to Figs. 2-4, is designed for a first, wider web 20a having a first quilted pattern 32a. A center mark detector 180 as previously described is generafiy aligned with a longitudinal centerline 276 of the pane! cutter. In that location, the center mark detector 180 can easily detect the center mark 48a; and in a manner shown and described with respect to Figs. 2-4, a controller operates a cross cutting apparatus and a trimming apparatus to cut a pane! 24a from the wider web 20a, so that the quilted pattern 32a is approximately centered within the panel 24a.

[0047] Referring to Fig. 9, often, it is desirable to use the same panel cutter to cut a second quilted web 20b that is narrower than the quilted web 20a; and often the narrower quilted web 20b has a quilted pattern 32b that is narrower than the quilted pattern 32a. In order to cut the narrower quilted web 20b on a panel cutter constructed to cut the wider quilted web 20a, the narrower quilted web must be aligned with the panel cutter. In this exemplary embodiment, the left edges of the respective quilted webs 20a, 20b are aligned with a reference line 278 associated with the panel cutter. The reference line 278 can be provided by an edge of a panel cutter component, a mechanical guide or fence, one or more edge detectors or sensors, a laser beam, etc. [0048] As shown in Fig. 9, if the narrower quilted web 20b is aligned with the reference line 278, a center point 280 of the narrower quilted pattern 32b is outside a field of detection of the center mark detector 180. Consequently, a center mark located approximately at the center point 280 of the narrower quilted pattern 32b would not be detectable by the center mark detector 180. In order to detect the narrower quilted pattern 32b, a pseudo center mark 282 is applied to the narrower web 20b. In its simplest form, the pseudo center mark 282 is displaced or offset from the center point 280 by a dimensional quantity that is, at least, a magnitude required to place the pseudo center mark 282 within the field of detection of the center mark detector 180. More often, the magnitude of the offset 284 of the pseudo center mark 282 places it in general alignment with the machine centerline 276. Thus, the pseudo center mark 282 has a common longitudinal location with the center point 280 but is offset in a direction substantially perpendicular to the machine centerline 276.

[0049] As noted earlier, the center mark 48a and pseucio center mark 282 can be automatically applied to the web 20 as part of the quilting process using a variety of mediums and processes. Further, a width of a quiltod web entering a quilting machine is known or can be easily detected. !n most applications, a quilting machine and/or panel cutter are set up for a particular width web, and that setup is maintained for a substantial production run. Therefore, knowing a web width and location of a quilted pattern, a quilting machine controller 319 (Fig. 4) can be easily programmed to apply

the pseudo center mark 282 with the desired offset 284. Similarly, the offset 284 of the pseudo center mark 282 used by a quilting machine can also be programmed in the panel cutter controlier 210. If the panei cutter is operating as part of a continuous processing line downstream of the quilting machine, offsets for quilted patterns and quilted panel widths can be electronically transferred from the quilting machine controller to the panel cutter controlter in a known manner. If the panel cutter is operating independently of the quilting machine, the offsets for respective quilted patterns and quiited web widths can be manually programmed each time the panel cutter is set up to run a quilted panel web. Alternatively, the offsets for respective quilted patterns and quilted web widths can be determined from information stored in the panel cutter control.

[0050] The determination of the exact location of center marks, for example, center mark 48a and pseudo center mark 282, may vary. Further, the quilting machine controller can apply the center marks before, during or after a pattern quilting operation. Often, the center marks are applied at a location representing an expected center of the quiited pattern exclusive of "shrinkage", which will subsequently be explained. [0051] St should be noted that quilted webs vary significantly in thickness and may be, for example, up to several inches in thickness. Further, it is known that the process of quilting a pattern results in a "shrinkage" of the quilted pattern from a theoretical size. Further, the magnitude of shrinkage is principally dependent upon a few process parameters, for example, the thickness of the quilted pattern, the composition of the materials comprising the web and the quilted pattern and the order in which different portions of the pattern are quilted. In addition, the quilting machine controller can be programmed to execute a pattern quilting process that minimizes shrinkage, thereby maintaining the Integrity of a center mark. While almost always present, shrinkage of the quiited pattern is often repeatable and thus, predictable. Therefore, applications in which shrinkage is significant can be identified. [0052J in an exemplary alternative embodiment, from experience, a user knows which quilted materia! panels are subject to greater shrinkage. Further, such shrinkage

is measurable and known; and therefore, cutter positions can be determined, so that panels are cut from the web with respective quilted patterns approximately centered therein, in this embodiment, edge locations of shrunken quilted patterns can be measured with respect to a center point and entered into the controller210 as part of the panel size data. Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 10 and 11 , when a panel 24c having a shrunken pattern 32c is to be cut, the controller 210 invokes a center panel cycle 400 (Fig. 10), which is an alternative to the panel cut cycle shown in Fig, 5. This cycle is invoked immediately after a prior panel has been cut; and therefore, the cross cut blade 123 (Fig. 1 1 ) is aligned with the current leading edge 41 of the material web 20. The controller 210 first, at 402, initiates a feed of the quilted materiaf web 20 in the direction of the arrow 22 and, at 404, monitors the output of the upstream center mark detector 180. The speed of this feed is commensurate with a process of detecting a center mark.

[0053] If no center mark is detected, the controlier determines, at 406, when the material feed exceeds more than one-half of the current panel length. When that feed is detected, the controller 210 then, at 408, stops the material feed and determines, at 410, whether this Is the second attempt to detect a center mark. If not, the controller 210 commands, at 412, a rewind of the material web 20, that is, motion in a direction opposite the direction arrow 22 in Fig. 11. Upon the downstream length sensor 196 detecting the leading edge 41 , the feed is then stopped; and steps 402 - 410 are repeated in a second attempt to detect a panel center mark. In this second attempt, the material feed may be reduced over the first attempt to find the center mark. If the material again feeds more than one-half the length of the current panel without detecting a center mark, the controller generates, at 414, an error message requesting manual intervention.

[0054] Assume during either of the material feeds that the center mark detector

180 detects a center mark 48c of the panel 24c. The controller then commands, at 416, that the feed of the quilted material web be stopped. Thereafter, the controller acquires, at 418, the coordinates of the center mark 48c from the detector 180. The

user has programmed data available to the control, which represents a size of the shrunken pane! 24c based on experience with this particular quilted pattern 32c. Utilizing the center mark coordinate data and the shrunken panel size data, the controller 210 is able, at 420, to command the motor 208 to move the length detector 198 to a longitudinal position representing a desired leading cut h ^' ne 37 associated with the shrunken quilted pattern 32c. Thereafter the controller 210 commands, at 422, the motor 208 to rewind the materia! web 20 until the detector 198 detects the leading edge 41 of the quϋted material web 20. During this material feed, the controller 210 tracks and measures the incremental length of that feed,

[0055] The length of that feed represents the distance of the cross cutter blade

123 from the leading cut line 37. The controller 210 then determines, at 424, a feed increment necessary to bring the leading cut line 37 in alignment with the cross cut blade 123 and commands, at 426, the feed motor 208 to feed the quilted web 20 in the direction of arrow 22 of Fig. 11 , through that feed increment. That motion places the panel cut line 37 in alignment with the cross cutter blade 123. The controller 210 then commands, at 428, the cross cutter 120 to cut along the cut line 37, thereby cutting off a crop-out piece 56. Thereafter, the controller 210 commands, at 430, the motor 208 to move the detector 198 through an incremental displacement that is equal to a length of the shrunken panel 24c to a longitudinal position shown in phantom in Fig. 11. Utilizing the center mark coordinate data and the shrunken panel size data, the controller 210 commands the trimmers 150 152 to move to transverse positions equidistant from the center mark 48c. The trimmers 150, 152 are thus aligned with slit lines 43, 45, which determine a width of the shrunken quilted panel 24c.

[0056] Thereafter the controller 210 commands, at 432, a feed of the quϋted materia! web 20 during which the trimmers 150, 152 are cutting along the slit lines 43, 45. That feed continues until the cut line 37 is detected by the length sensor 198 at which point the material feed is stopped. The trailing cut line 39 is now aligned with the cross cutter blade 123; and the controller thereafter commands, at 434, the cross cutter 120 to cut along the cut line 39. The quilted web 20 is then further feed as previously

described with respect to the standard pane! cut process of Fig. 5 to finish cutting slit lines 43, 45 and feed the panel 24c from the cutting machine. As will be appreciated, many quilted patterns experience some shrinkage; however, the cycle of Fig. 10 is more suitable to those applications where the quilted pattern shrinkage is larger, for example, more than 10%. However, its applicability is ultimately determined by a particular user.

[0057] The use of a pseudo center point 282 is only one example of using a common panel cutter machine to cut quiited panels from webs of different widths. In another embodiment, the center mark detector 180 of Figs. 2 and 3 can be mounted on a carriage that is movable under program controlier in a direction substantially perpendicular to the panel cutter centerline. Thus, with each quilted pattern, the center mark detector 180 can be moved laterally so that a center mark at a center of the pattern is located within the field of detection of the center mark detector 180. Sn a further embodiment, if an expected range of quilted pattern center locations for different web widths is sufficiently narrow, the center mark detector 180 can be mounted about at the middle of that range, so that the expected locations of the center marks are within its field of detection.

[0058] A mark such as marks 48, 48b, 48c _τ 282 may be applied at any time, for example, either before a pattern being quilted, during a pattern quilting process, or after the pattern is quilted in the web. In one exemplary embodiment, the mark 48 (Fig. 1) is applied upstream of the panel cutter 100 (Fig. 2) by a quilting machine that quilts a pattern 32 (Fig. 1 ) on the web 20. One suitable quilting machine is a multi-needle quiiting machine of a type described and illustrated in U. S, Patent No. 7,143,705, an exemplary embodiment of which is a quilting machine or quitter 300 illustrated in Fig. 12. In this exemplary embodiment, the panet cutter 100 of Fig. 2 is often placed downstream of, and in-line with, the quiiting machine 300 of Fig. 12 to cut panels 24, 26 (Fig. 1 ) from the quilted web 20 emerging from the quilting machine 300. Further, the quilting machine 300 has a controller 319 that controls the application of the mark 48 to

the web 20 and is in electricai communications with the controller 210 (Fig. 4) of the panel cutter 100.

[0059] As illustrated in Fig. 12, the quilting machine 300 has a frame 31 1 on which is mounted a lower bridge 321 and an upper bridge 322. Each bridge has a needie head side 323 and a looper head side 324 for supporting a plurality of sets of chain stitch forming heads 320. Each of the chain stitch forming heads has a needle drive head 325 on the needie head side 323 of the bridges 321 ,322 and a looper drive head 326 on the ϊooper head side 324 of the bridges 321 ,322. In the illustrated embodiment, seven pairs of heads 320 are shown as supported on each of the bridges 321 ,322. The bridges 321 ,322 are separately moveable both vertically (longitudinally) and horizontally (transversely) on the frame 311 to stitch quiited patterns in response to signals from the controller 319, Aiso, each of the needle and iooper drive heads 325, 326 is separately controlled by the controller 319 to provide flexibility in sewing various patterns from pattern design files read by the controller 319, The quilting head pairs 320 are illustrated in more detail in the top view of Fig. 12A and in the perspective looper-side view in Fig. 12B.

[0060] A reference mark 48 (Fig. 1 ) is often applied to a back side 21 of the quilted web 20 _f that is, the looper head side 326, which is the unfinished side that becomes the inside of a mattress cover when it is mattress cover panels that are being quilted. In this way, the mark 48 may be permanent without marring a quilted pattern on an opposite front side presented to a user. As shown in Figs. 12A and 12B, the mark 48 may be applied by a mark applicator 348, for example, an ink jet or a paint jet, that is often mounted on the looper drive side 324 of the lower bridge 321. A mask 349 may be placed between the applicator 348 and the web backside 21 , so that marks are applied with a more consistent shape and edge definition. Having a more consistent mark from panei-to-panei improves the ability of a mark detector or camera to find a mark and thereafter, determine a position of the detected mark. Referring to Fig. 12, the mark applicator 348 may be placed aϊ a location on one side of a centermost one of

the looper heads 326, thai is, a location between the third and fourth or fourth and fifth looper heads 326.

[0061] The mark applicator 348 and shield 349 move with the lower bridge 321 and the mark 48 may be applied at a desired location on the web 20 by operation of the controller 319. The controller 319 is operable to vertically position the lower bridge 321 and/or web 20 relative to each and aiso horizontally position the lower bridge 321 relative to the frame 311 to bring the applicator 348 and mask 349 opposite an intended location of the mark on the web backside 21. The controller 319 then initiates operation of the mark applicator 348 to apply a reference mark to the web backside 21. The mark 48 is often applied at a location generally central relative to a panel, for example, panel 24 of Fig. 1 ; and in some applications, that mark 48 may also be generally centrally located with respect to the quilted pattern 32 of Fig. 1. Generally centrally located means that the mark 48 is within a perimeter defined by desired edges 36, 38, 40, 42 of the panel 24 and generally proximate a two-dimensional center of the panel 24. The mark 48 is often sufficiently close Lo the center of the panel 24, so that measuring the desired panel edges 36, 38, 40, 42 from the mark 48 will equally distribute any error essentially equally. Therefore, when the panel 24 is cut from the web 20 along the desired edges 36, 38, 40, 42 _r the quilted pattern 32 will appear centered on the cut pane! 24. This is particularly useful for panel-centric patterns, that is, those having a quilted pattern design intended to be located in a specific relationship to the center of the panel.

[0062] Often, a mattress cover panel length is oriented in a horizontal or transverse direction on the web as viewed in Fig. 12; and the length varies generally in a range of about 75 to 85 inches. A mattress panel width is oriented longitudinally or verticaily on the web as viewed in Fig. 12; and the width generally varies in a range of about 40 to 85 inches. A reference mark may be located within a radius of about 18 inches of a center of a pattern or panel, and may also be located within a radius of about 12 inches of the center. As a practical matter, it is difficult to place the mark near the center, that is, within a radius of about one-half to one inch of the center. More

often, the mark is placed within a radius of about 5 inches of the center. In most applications, the mark is placed in a radius of about 5 to 12 inches of the center. However, when a mark is placed other than at the center, an offset vector identifying an offset of the mark with respect to the center should be provided to the panel cutter controller 210, preferably by communication of data from the quieter controller 319. This offset may vary from panel to panel.

[0063] The final dimensions of a quilted panel 24 may vary due to stretching of lhe fabric being quilted, and due to the so-called "shrinkage" that results from the gathering of the multi-layered web during quilting. This shrinkage differs with different quiited products as a result of variations in the thickness and compressibility of the material and as a result of variations in the stitching of different patterns. Accordingly, determination of the amount of shrinkage and the location of the center of a finished quilted panel may be made in the pattern design or product specification phase and stored in a product database provided to the quieter controller 319. Alternatively, the shrinkage and center location may be calculated from product parameters and other process values determined by the quieter controller 319 at the time of quilting. [0064] Offset of the mark 48 from the center of the panel 24 is often desired to avoid application of the mark on a feature of the quilted panel 24 that makes the mark hard to read or locate. For example, printing the mark directly over a sewn seam or on the slopped fabric immediately beside a seam is often avoided, as it can lead to a deformed mark or one that cannot be easily or accurately read with an optica! detector. In such cases, it is often easiest for the quieter controller 319 to determine the need to offset the mark and the amount and direction of the offset, and to communicate data of the offset to the panel cutter controller 210. Printing the mark 48 with a printhead 348 located near the center of the lower bridge 321 allows the mark 48 to be applied immediately after the center of the pattern on the quilted panel has been sewn, thereby increasing the accuracy of placing the mark 48 relative to the center of the panel. [0065] In other applications, the quilted patterns in a web can be visually inspected by a human being, and respective center marks manually applied. IVtore

specifically, a web of quilted patterns can be unrolled or spread out on a flat surface with the finished side of the quilted patterns facing down. By a simple visual inspection of a rear side of the quilted pattern or, by using one or more measuring instruments, a human being can determine centers of respective quilted patterns and then, manually apply respective center marks. Thereafter, the quilted pattern web can be fed into a panel cutter as described herein; and quilted panels cut, so that the quilted pattern is approximately centered within the cut quilted panei.

[0066] In view of lhe above descriptions, center mark, as used herein, means indicia, which is automatically or manually applied to a web of material and indicates, represents or has a known dimensional relationship to, a center of a pattern that will be, is being, or has been quilted in the web of material.

[0067] Therefore, the invention in its broadest aspects is not limited to the specific details shown and described. Consequently, departures may be made from the details described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims that follow.

[0068] What is claimed is: