Machine for manufacturing boxers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12102153-B2
Application number	US-202017620880-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2020
Priority date	Jun 19, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A machine for manufacturing boxers starting from a first and a second tubular fabric includes a separating station configured for separating a fabric element from the second tubular fabric. The machine includes a handling station configured for defining an operating configuration in which the first tubular fabric defines an operating area, and a moving device configured for placing the fabric element inside the operating area. The machine further comprises a sewing station configured for receiving the incoming tubular fabric and the fabric element placed in the operating area and for sewing longitudinal edges the fabric element to edge segments of an end of the first tubular fabric so as to obtain a boxer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A machine ( 1 ) for manufacturing men's underwear, the machine ( 1 ) comprising:
a first loading station ( 3 ) configured for allowing loading of at least one tubular fabric ( 100 ) or a stack of tubular fabrics ( 100 ), the tubular fabric ( 100 ) having a first end ( 100 A) and a second end ( 100 B) opposed to one another, between which a fabric coat delimiting a tubular duct develops, each end ( 100 A, 100 B) exhibiting an edge delimiting a hollow access port apt to enable access to the tubular duct, the edge of the first end ( 100 A) comprising a first edge portion ( 101 ) and a second edge portion ( 102 ) that are adjacent to one another and cooperate so as to delimit the hollow access port of the first end ( 100 A), the first edge portion ( 101 ) and the second edge portion ( 102 ) comprising a respective middle segment ( 101 A, 102 A) destined to be sewn, and respective end segments ( 101 B, 101 C, 102 B, 102 C) opposed to the respective middle segment ( 101 A, 102 A),
a handling station ( 6 ) configured for handling the tubular fabric ( 100 ), the handling station ( 6 ) comprising:
at least a first take-up ( 7 ) device ( 100 ) configured for catching the tubular fabric at said first edge portion ( 101 ) and handling said first edge portion ( 101 ),
at least a second take-up device ( 9 ) configured for catching the tubular fabric ( 100 ) at said second edge portion ( 102 ) and handling said second edge portion ( 102 ),

the handling station ( 6 ) being configured for defining an operating configuration in which the first take-up device ( 7 ) and the second take-up device ( 9 ) define between them an intermediate operating area ( 103 ),
a second loading station ( 13 ) configured for allowing loading of at least one fabric element ( 201 ),
a moving device ( 16 ) configured for moving a fabric element ( 201 ), downstream from the second loading station ( 13 ), as far as the handling station ( 6 ) and configured for placing the fabric element ( 201 ) in an operating position, defined at said intermediate operating area ( 103 ), in which a first longitudinal edge ( 201 A) of the fabric element ( 201 ) and the middle segment ( 101 A) of said first edge portion ( 101 ) at least partially overlap or face each other, and a second longitudinal edge ( 201 B) of the fabric element ( 201 ), opposed to said longitudinal edge ( 201 A), and the middle segment ( 102 A) of said second edge portion ( 102 ) at least partially overlap or face each other,
a sewing station ( 17 ) configured for receiving the incoming tubular fabric ( 100 ) and the fabric element ( 201 ) arranged with respect to the tubular fabric ( 100 ) in said operating position, said sewing station ( 17 ) being configured for sewing the first longitudinal edge ( 201 A) of the fabric element ( 201 ) to the middle segment ( 101 A) of the first edge portion ( 101 ) of the first end ( 100 A) of the tubular fabric ( 100 ) and being further configured for sewing the second longitudinal edge ( 201 B) of the fabric element ( 201 ) to the middle segment ( 102 A) of the second edge portion ( 102 ) of the first end ( 100 A) of the tubular fabric ( 100 ) so as to make the fabric element ( 201 ) integral with the tubular fabric ( 100 ).

2. The machine according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first take-up device ( 7 ) and the second take-up device ( 9 ) is configured for operating between a catching position in which it can catch the respective edge portion ( 101 , 102 ) and an operating position in which it defined, together with the other one of the first take-up device ( 7 ) and the second take-up device ( 9 ), said intermediate operating area ( 103 ), said at least one of the first take-up device ( 7 ) and the second take-up device ( 9 ) being movable with respect to the other one of the first take-up device ( 7 ) and the second take-up device ( 9 ) so as to switch from the catching position to the operating position.

3. The machine according to claim 2 , wherein the handling station ( 6 ) is configured for further defining, before said operating configuration, a catching configuration in which the first take-up device ( 7 ) and the second take-up device ( 9 ) take respective operating positions in which they catch the first edge portion ( 101 ) and the second edge portion ( 102 ), respectively, in said catching configuration the first edge portion ( 101 ) being at a first height and the second edge portion ( 102 ) being below the first edge portion ( 101 ) at a second height that is lower than the first height, the second take-up device ( 9 ) being configured for rotating with respect to the first take-up device ( 7 ) so as to shift from the catching position to the operating position in order to shift the second edge portion ( 102 ) to the first height at which the second edge portion ( 102 ) takes a pre-established operating position in which it faces the first edge portion ( 101 ).

4. The machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a cutting station ( 12 ) configured for creating a first cut or vent ( 104 ) on the tubular fabric ( 100 ) on the middle segment ( 101 A) of said first edge portion ( 101 ), and a second cut or vent ( 105 ) on the tubular fabric ( 100 ) on said middle segment ( 102 A) of said second edge portion ( 102 ), each cut or vent ( 104 , 105 ) defining a first piece ( 104 A, 105 A) and a second piece ( 104 B, 105 B) on the respective middle segment ( 101 A, 102 A).

5. The machine according to claim 4 , wherein the cutting station ( 12 ) comprises a cutting element ( 12 A) or a pair of scissors or a blade, the machine further comprising a control unit operatively connected to the first take-up device ( 7 ), to the second take-up device ( 9 ) and to the cutting element ( 12 A), and configured for:
driving the first take-up device ( 7 ) to catch the tubular fabric ( 100 ) at said first edge portion ( 101 ),
driving the second take-up device ( 9 ) to catch the tubular fabric ( 100 ) at said second edge portion ( 102 ),
after the first take-up device ( 7 ) has caught the tubular fabric ( 100 ), driving the cutting element ( 12 A) to create the first cut or vent ( 104 ) on the tubular fabric ( 100 ) in the middle segment ( 101 A) of said first edge portion ( 101 ), e.g. at a first point in time, and
after the second take-up device ( 9 ) has caught the tubular fabric ( 100 ), driving the cutting element ( 12 A) to create the second cut or vent ( 105 ) on the tubular fabric ( 100 ) in the middle segment ( 102 A) of said second edge portion ( 102 ), e.g. at a second point in time.

6. The machine according to claim 5 , further comprising managing a time sequence for creating the first cut or vent ( 104 ) and the second cut or vent ( 105 ), according to which the second point in time is after the first point in time.

7. The machine according to claim 4 , further comprising a spreading station ( 5 ) configured for spreading, in operating conditions of the machine ( 1 ), at least partially the tubular fabric ( 100 ) so as to stretch and/or tension it, the spreading station ( 5 ) being arranged, with reference to a forward path of the tubular fabric ( 100 ) in the machine ( 1 ), downwards from the first loading station ( 3 ) and upwards from the cutting station ( 12 ).

8. The machine according to claim 7 , wherein the spreading station ( 5 ) comprises two spreading bars ( 5 A) configured for being distanced and approached one to the other and further configured for being introduced, in operating conditions of the machine ( 1 ), into the tubular duct of the tubular fabric ( 100 ) and for being removed from the tubular duct, the machine ( 1 ) further comprising a first pick-up station ( 4 ) configured for picking up at least one tubular fabric ( 100 ) from th

Assignees

• Santoni & C Spa

Inventors

• Paterlini Stefano
• Lonati Andrea

Classifications

• D05B33/00

  Devices incorporated in sewing machines for supplying or removing the work · CPC title

• A41B9/02

  Drawers or underpants for men, with or without inserted crotch or seat parts · CPC title

• A41H42/00 Primary

  Multi-step production lines for making clothes · CPC title

• D04B9/42

  specially adapted for producing goods of particular configuration · CPC title

• D06H7/00

  Apparatus or processes for cutting, or otherwise severing, specially adapted for the cutting, or otherwise severing, of textile materials {(web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting devices B65H35/0006)} · CPC title