James Mark Howell

US Patent:

46884998, Aug 25, 1987

Filed:

Dec 1, 1986

Appl. No.:

6/936168

Inventors:

Lawrence C. Moore - Huntersville NC
Freddy M. Hibdon - Murfreesboro TN
James M. Howell - Nashville TN
James E. Blalock - Franklin TN

Assignee:

Collins & Aikman Corporation - New York NY

International Classification:

D05B 2100
D05B 3300
D05B 3700
D05C 1500

US Classification:

11212112

Abstract:

An apparatus is provided for automatically fabricating textile articles, such as bath throw rugs and the like. This apparatus includes devices for intermittently feeding continuous textile material suitable for fabricating the articles from a supply position to a cutting position in the apparatus. Devices successively cut slightly oversized textile articles from the continuous textile material in the cutting position. A robot mechanism successively picks-up and transports each cut article from the cutting position to an edge finishing position in the apparatus, rotates the cut articles in a predetermined pattern during edge finishing thereof and then transports the fabricated textile article to a stacking position and releases the fabricating textile article. An edge finishing apparatus receives the slightly oversized cut textile article in the edge finishing position as the article is being rotated by the robot device in its predetermined pattern and includes devices for simultaneously trimming off a predetermined width of the outside edge portion of the textile article, positioning an edge binding tape around the trimmed edge and sewing the edge binding tape to the trimmed edge of the textile article. Control devices are provide for controlling the sequential cycles of operations of the feeding device, the cutting device, the robot mechanism and the edge finishing apparatus for automatic fabrication of the textile article.