Quilting machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015274-B2
Application number	US-201816205886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and computer program products for quilting webs without compressing the webs. A quilting machine includes a needle bar to which needles are attached, needle thread passing through each needle, a looper shaft to which loopers are attached, a looper corresponding to each needle and from which looper thread is provided to form stitches, and a retainer bar to which spreaders are attached to facilitate stitching. A drive pulley powered by a first servo motor rotates cranks to move the needles through a cycle and rotates a belt which rotates an indexer pulley. Rotation of the indexer pulley oscillates the looper shaft and reciprocates the retainer bar. Another drive pulley powered by a second servo motor operates to move an input web through the machine between chain stiches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A quilting machine for joining multiple pieces of an input web into a quilted panel, the quilting machine comprising:
a frame;
a sewing assembly comprising a first servo motor supported by the frame and a first drive pulley rotated by the first servo motor;
a feed assembly comprising a second servo motor supported by the frame and a second drive pulley powered by the second servo motor for moving the input web through the quilting machine between a platen and a needle plate without compressing the input web; and
a programmable controller for operating the first and second servo motors.

2. The quilting machine of claim 1 wherein the second servo motor powers the feed assembly to move the input web through the quilting machine a programmed distance without the first servo motor operating.

3. The quilting machine of claim 1 further comprising:
a transfer assembly comprising first and second transfer pulleys secured to opposed ends of a transfer shaft, the transfer shaft extending through rear bearing assemblies, each of the rear bearing assemblies being supported by the frame;
a crank assembly comprising a crank pulley secured to a crank drive shaft, the crank drive shaft extending through front bearing assemblies, each of the front bearing assemblies being supported by the frame, the crank assembly further comprising first and second rotatable cranks secured to the crank drive shaft, the crank assembly further comprising drive rods, an upper end of each of the drive rods being secured to one of the rotatable cranks;
an indexer assembly comprising a mechanical indexer, an indexer input shaft, an indexer output shaft and an indexer pulley for rotating the indexer input shaft;
a first endless drive belt driven by the first drive pulley, the first endless drive belt surrounding the first drive pulley, the first transfer pulley of the transfer assembly and the indexer pulley of the indexer assembly for rotating the first transfer pulley of the transfer assembly and the indexer pulley of the indexer assembly;
an endless transfer belt surrounding the second transfer pulley of the transfer assembly and the crank pulley of the crank assembly for transferring rotation of the transfer shaft to rotation of the crank drive shaft;
a needle bar secured to lower ends of the drive rods;
needles secured to the needle bar;
the needle plate supporting the input web and having holes through which the needles extend;
a looper shaft oscillated by the indexer assembly, the looper shaft being below the needle plate;
loopers connected to the looper shaft from which looper thread is provided to form chain stitches through the input web without compressing the input web;
a retainer bar movable from side-to-side by the indexer assembly, the retainer bar being below the needle plate: and
spreaders connected to the retainer bar.

4. The quilting machine of claim 1 wherein the feed assembly comprises a feed pulley and a feed shaft rotated by the feed pulley;
a front shaft supported by the frame generally parallel the feed shaft;
endless feed belts surrounding the front shaft and the feed shaft; and
a second endless drive belt driven by the second drive pulley and surrounding the second drive pulley and the feed pulley of the feed assembly.

5. The quilting machine of claim 1 further comprising a needle thread tensioner and a looper thread tensioner which are programmed by the programmable controller to operate during a sewing cycle.

6. The quilting machine of claim 1 wherein the platen is positioned by linear actuators connected by a torque tube and controlled by a third servo motor powered by the programmable controller.

7. The quilting machine of claim 1 further comprising a needle thread cutting assembly secured to the platen and looper thread cutting assemblies secured to the needle plate.

8. A quilting machine capable of sewing multiple pieces of an input web into a quilted panel, the quilting machine comprising:
a frame;
a sewing assembly comprising a first servo motor, a needle bar, needles secured to the needle bar, needle thread passing through each needle, a needle plate having holes through which the needles extend, loopers below the needle plate from which looper thread is provided to form stitches extending through the input web without reducing the height of the input web, a retainer bar below the needle plate movable from side-to-side, spreaders secured to the retainer bar;
a feed assembly comprising a second servo motor and a second drive pulley powered by the second servo motor for rotating a feed drive shaft to rotate endless feed belts for moving the input web through the quilting machine between a platen and the needle plate without compressing the input web; and
a controller programmed to operate the first and second servo motors.

9. The quilting machine of claim 8 wherein one rotation of a first drive pulley driven by the first servo motor completes one stroke of the needles and one rotation of a second drive pulley rotates the endless feed belts a programmed distance to move the input web a predetermined distance.

10. The quilting machine of claim 9 wherein the predetermined distance is greater than 0.25 inches.

11. The quilting machine of claim 8 wherein one rotation of the first drive pulley moves the retainer bar, spreaders and loopers one cycle.

12. The quilting machine of claim 8 wherein the retainer bar, spreaders and loopers dwell during a portion of one rotation of the first drive pulley.

13. The quilting machine of claim 8 wherein the retainer bar, spreaders and loopers dwell during a portion of one stroke of the needles.

14. A quilting machine capable of sewing multiple pieces of an input web into a quilted panel, the quilting machine comprising:
a frame;
a sewing assembly comprising a first servo motor and a first drive pulley powered by the first servo motor for operating a crank assembly including a needle bar, needles secured to the needle bar, needle thread passing through each needle, a needle plate having holes through which the needles extend, loopers below the needle plate from which looper thread is provided to form chain stitches extending through the input web without reducing the height of the input web, a retainer bar below the needle plate movable from side-to-side, spreaders secured to the retainer bar;
a feed assembly comprising a second servo motor and a second drive pulley powered by the second servo motor for rotating a feed drive shaft to rotate endless feed belts for moving the input web through the quilting machine without compressing the input web;
an indexer assembly for dwelling the retainer bar, spreaders and loopers during a portion of one stroke of the needles and
a controller programmed to operate the first and second servo motors.

15. The quilting machine of claim 14 wherein the input web passes between a platen and the needle plate without compressing the input web.

16. The quilting machine of claim 15 further comprising a needle thread cutting assembly secured to the platen and looper thread cutting assemblies secured to the needle plate.

17. The quilting machine of claim 14 wherein one rotation of a first drive pulley completes one stroke of the needles and one rotation of a second drive pulley rotates the endless feed belts a programmed distance to move the input web a predetermined distance.

18. The quilting machine of claim 17 wherein the predetermined distance is greater than 0.25 inches.

19. The quilting machine of claim 14 wherein

Assignees

• L&P Property Man Co

Inventors

• James Michael
• Myers Terrance L
• Smallwood Matthew C

Classifications

• D05B69/12

  using rotary electric motors · CPC title

• D05B3/04

  with mechanisms for work feed · CPC title

• D05B11/00 Primary

  Machines for sewing quilts or mattresses (control of workpiece-holding frames, or of sewing machines, in order to obtain particular seam configuration D05B21/00) · CPC title

• D05B57/02

  for chain-stitch sewing machines, e.g. oscillating · CPC title

• D05B27/00

  Work-feeding means · CPC title