Method and device for attaching a pocket insert

A small part (42) is automatically lowered, with its front side (76) facing upward, directly onto a main part (43) which is spread out on a worktable (2), the front side (76) of said main part also facing upward. The respective patterns of the main part (43) and the small part (42) are aligned. Then the small part (42) is automatically turned over, whereby it then can be deposited, with its front side (76) facing downward, on a sewing-material clamp (8). The latter transports both the main and small sewing parts, fixed in position, first to the sewing station (68) and then to the cutting station (6).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a method of attaching a small sewing part 
to a main sewing part to form a pocket insert, and to a device by which 
said method is carried out. 
2. Description of Related Art 
One prior method in this field was described in the journal "DNZ", No. 
9/1987, on page 44, which includes a picture captioned "Production of a 
Breast Selvage Pocket". In this known method for the production of a 
breast selvage pocket, a main sewing part, with its front side facing 
upward, is spread out on the worktable of the automatic sewing machine and 
aligned in accordance with the proper seating of the pocket insert which 
is to be made. Then the main sewing part is held fast in fixed position on 
the worktable by a lowered clamp for the material being sewn. Finally, a 
prefabricated small sewing part is placed by hand, with its visible side 
downward, at a predetermined place on the sewing-material clamp. After the 
small part has been clamped fast on the sewing-material clamp, the latter 
transports the main part and the small part to the sewing station and then 
to the cutting station. 
For aligning the small part and the main part for proper pattern-matching, 
it was heretofore customary in the industry for the exact position of the 
small part to be designated by corresponding markings on the main part, 
for guiding the subsequent sewing of the small part onto the main part. 
These markings corresponded to the corner points of the small part, and 
fixed the course of the seam to be sewn. In order to optimally utilize the 
capacity of an automatic pocket insert sewing machine, these markings were 
made by another employee at an additional workplace located as close 
nearby as possible. But in he case of prefabricated sewing parts of 
patterned material, mismatches in pattern between the small part and the 
main part sometimes were discovered after the small part was sewn on, and 
as a result, disagreeable disputes, prejudicial to the working climate, 
frequently arose as to which workplace--the workplace for the marking step 
or the workplace for the locating and aligning steps--had made the 
mistake. 
As a matter of fact, incorrect marks, incorrect alignment of the marked 
main part (which may be placed on the worktable under the guidance of 
marking lights), and incorrect application of the small part, are all 
possible causes for the small part being sewn on without proper matching 
of the pattern. 
In order to avoid these problems, another method of operation, described 
briefly below, has at times been used. In accordance with this method, the 
small sewing part is aligned with its pattern matched to the main part 
directly on the automatic sewing machine, and then, both the main part and 
the aligned small part resting on it are shifted in such a manner--without 
interfering with the alignment--hat the end points of the small part 
coincide with light markings produced by marking lights. (In this case, 
the aforementioned marking step can be dispensed with) 
Both the one method (with marks) and the other method (without marks) have 
the following problem: The front side of the small sewing part must face 
upward in order to match its pattern to the main sewing part. But then the 
small part, starting from this position, must be turned through an angle 
of about 180.degree. before being placed at the predetermined spot on the 
sewing-material clamp, since the first step in attaching the small part to 
the main part is to sew its still-open longest side to the main part with 
the visible side of the small part facing downward 
Thus, the two operations which have just been described have the common 
disadvantage that the operator, after the above-described pattern-matching 
alignment, must manually remove the small part from the main part, which, 
in the meantime, has been fixed in position, and then place it with its 
front side facing downward on the sewing material clamp, which is present 
in the meantime at the feed station, as shown in the above-cited prior art 
publication. 
In addition, the position-limiting stops on the sewing material clamp must 
be adjusted very carefully, to achieve the desired sewing and 
pattern-matching results. Both methods of operation have the disadvantage 
that when the small part is removed and placed on the sewing material 
clamp, the small part can pull or stretch, particularly if it is made of 
loosely woven goods. This pulling or stretching makes it impossible for 
the pattern of the small part to match the main part after it is sewn on, 
even though the small part has previously been aligned on the main part 
with its pattern precisely matched. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is thus to provide a method, and a device which 
carries out the method, which makes it possible to automatically, and 
mechanically, attach a pocket insert by placing the small part on the main 
part, with pattern-matching alignment of the small part in accordance with 
the pattern of the main part on which it is placed, and then turning the 
small part to orient it properly for sewing. 
This object is achieved in a method of attaching a pocket insert, 
comprising the steps of: 
spreading out a main sewing-material part with an upward-facing front side 
and aligned at a redetermined position on a worktable of an automatic 
pocket-insert sewing machine; 
lowering a sewing-material clamp onto the main part; 
placing a small sewing part with a downward-facing fronts side at a 
predetermined position on the sewing-material clamp; and 
swinging a clamp lever on the sewing-material lamp to fix the position of 
the small part relative to the main part. 
Then, the main part and the small part are transported by the 
sewing-material clamp to a sewing station and then to a cutting station of 
the automatic pocket-insert sewing machine. 
The object is further achieved in an automatic pocket-insert sewing machine 
comprising: 
a frame; a feed station, sewing station and cutting station defined with 
respect to the frame; and a worktable supported on the frame; 
a two-needle sewing machine on the frame; 
cutting means disposed for cutting workpieces at a portion thereof between 
the respective sewing paths of the two sewing needles; 
a carrier swingably supported with respect to the sewing machine and having 
supporting beam means mounted for linear displacement therein; 
a sewing-material clamp for the transport of a main sewing part and a small 
sewing part which is movable between the feed station and the cutting 
station; holding-down means provided in the vicinity of the sewing station 
for holding down workpieces; and cutting means at the cutting station for 
producing gusset cuts at the ends of the small sewing part; and 
feed table means which is arranged for receiving said small part with a 
predetermined orientation with respect to the frame and the sewing 
machine. 
By such method and device, it is now possible to produce an accurate pocket 
insert, in an efficient manner, even with prefabricated small sewing parts 
which are made from patterned (e.g., striped or checkered) goods. In 
addition to the advantageous, streamlined aspect of the manner of 
operation, which is substantially independent of the operator, mention 
should also be made of the considerable economy of the method. With this 
method it is possible to eliminate one work station. And furthermore, it 
is possible to feed the next small part, which will be sewed on in the 
following sewing operation, during the sewing operation which has just 
been carried out, so an efficient overlapping manner of operation is 
feasible. 
Importantly, the method of this invention comprises carrying out the 
following steps at a feed station for sewing on the small part in 
accordance with the pattern of the main part: 
clamping the small part on one side in a transfer unit and moving the 
transfer unit to a low position in which the upward-facing front side of 
the small part is directly above the spread-out main part; 
aligning the main part in accordance with the direction of the pattern of 
the small part, and then holding the main part fast in fixed position on 
the worktable; 
moving the transfer unit to a raised position, which removes it from the 
path of the sewing-material clamp into the feed station and, at the same 
time, turning the small part in the transfer unit so that its front side 
now faces downward; and 
placing the small part on the sewing material clamp, clamping the small 
part fast thereon, and then loosening its unilateral clamping in the 
transfer unit and releasing it from the transfer unit. 
The device of the invention advantageously comprises transfer means 
supported on said support beam means for transferring said small part from 
said feed table to said sewing-material clamp.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
The automatic pocket-insert sewing machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is 
constructed on a frame 1 having a worktable 2, which receives a two-needle 
sewing machine 3 of known construction. A common drive 4 which is fastened 
to the bottom of the worktable 2 drives an arm shaft 5 of the sewing 
machine 3, a sewing-material clamp 8 which can be moved between a cutting 
station 6 and a feed station 7, and a variable-position gusset knife 9. 
The functional relationship between the drive 4 and the above-mentioned 
structural parts or assemblies that it drives is known from Federal 
Republic of Germany Pat. No. 34 04 758 or from Federal Republic of Germany 
OS No. 35 12 772 and therefore need not be described in detail here. The 
disclosures of all the prior art documents mentioned in this disclosure 
are expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, a bearing pedestal 11 which bears a journal 12 
is firmly connected to an arm 10. On said journal there is mounted a 
carrier 13 which, by means of the corresponding action of a double-acting 
compressed-air cylinder 14 fastened to the arm 10, can be swung so far in 
clockwise direction (as seen in FIG. 2) as permitted by an extended ram 
15, acting as a stop, which is actuated by a single-acting second 
compressed-air cylinder 16 which controls the ram 15 to stop the carrier 
13 in the desired position. The compressed-air cylinder 16 is connected 
via a spar 17, fixed with respect to the frame, to the arm 10. After 
loosening two screws 18, its position relative to the carrier 13 can be 
changed. The spar 17 furthermore receives two ordinary commercial 
variable-position marking lights 19 which can be noted in FIG. 2. 
Two guide bars 20 are displaceably mounted in the carrier 13. On their 
upper ends there are fastened two setting rings 21, which limit the low 
position, shown in FIG. 3, of the guide bars 20. A second arm 22 is 
provided on the carrier 13. Compression springs 25 are provided between 
the top of this second arm 22 and the bottom of another setting ring 23 
fastened on one of the guide bars 20, and the bottom of a clamping part 24 
fastened on the other guide bar, for damping the impact when the guide 
bars 20 pass into their lowered position. The lower ends of the two guide 
bars 20 extend into a yoke 26 to which they are firmly connected. A 
supporting beam 27 is also firmly connected to the yoke 26. 
Another double-acting compressed-air cylinder 28, whose piston rod 29 has a 
threaded extension, is mounted on the arm 22. The latter is screwed into 
the yoke 26, so the displacement movement of the retractable and 
extendable piston rod 29 is transmitted directly to the yoke 26 and the 
support beam 27. The low position of the support beam 27 is defined by the 
setting rings 21. In the retracted position of the piston rod 29, rubber 
discs 30 on both guide bars 20 damp the upper position of the yoke 26. 
On the supporting beam 27 there is fastened a transfer unit 31 which 
comprises a U-shaped frame 32. The frame is formed of a web 33, a first 
spar 34, and a second spar 35. A clamping clip 36 is rotatably mounted on 
the spars 34, 35. The clamping clip 36 comprises a support angle 37 and a 
clamping ledge 38. At both transverse sides of the support angle 37 are 
fastened bearing pedestals 39, each of which receives a pin, 40 and 40' 
respectively. The rotatability of the clamping clip 36 which is achieved 
thereby is characterized by the fact that the axes of symmetry of the pins 
40, 40' point substantially toward the center of a left-hand sewing needle 
77. The long side of the clamping ledge 38 as well as that of the support 
angle 37 is provided, according to FIG. 3, in its central region with a 
U-shaped recess 41. As a result of this recess 41, the course of the 
pattern of a small part 42, even in the unclamped region, can be 
controlled with respect to the course of the pattern of a main 
sewing-material part 43. 
In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 6a, the clamping clip 36a grips the 
small part 42 in such a manner that the long sides thereof extend beyond 
the clamping clip 36a on both sides, as a result of which the course of 
the pattern, in particular on the two long sides of the small part 42, can 
be compared with the course of the pattern of the main part 43. 
In FIGS. 3 and 6 the small part 42 is shown clamped between the support 
angle 37 and clamping ledge 8, with a substantial portion of the part 42 
being left unclamped in the region of the U-shaped recess 41. The purpose 
of this recess, as mentioned above, is to allow the visual pattern to be 
inspected in the vicinity of the clamping clip 36. On the other hand, in 
the embodiment of FIGS. 6a-6c, an extended length of the longitudinal edge 
of the small part 42 is visible adjacent to the support angle 37a and the 
clamping ledge 38a, since the clamping clip does not intercept the small 
part 42 at its edge, but somewhat further inside the part away from the 
edge. Therefore, the complete longitudinal edge of the small part 42 can 
be viewed and matched with the pattern on the main sewing part 43. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 and 6 and 6a, extending from the support angle 
37 there are provided two angularly bent arms 44 to each of which, in 
accordance with FIG. 3, a further single-acting compressed-air cylinder 46 
and a bearing block 47 are fastened by means of to attachment screws 45. 
To the clamping ledge 38 there are fastened two additional spars 48 each 
of which can be swung around a pin 49, fastened in the bearing block 47, 
by an extendable ram 50 of the compressed-air cylinder 46, in any suitable 
manner, against the action of a spring 51. In this way, the clamping clip 
36 is closed and opened as a result of the swinging of the clamping ledge 
38. 
The clamping clip 36a of FIG. 6a is shown in more detail in FIGS. 6b and 
6c. FIG. 6c is a plan view of the clamping ledge 38a and showing the spars 
48 on each side thereof. FIG. 6c is a plan view of support angle 37a, 
showing the bearing pedestals 39 in phantom on each side thereof. In this 
embodiment, the support angle 38a is made of sheet metal and is bent 
upward at the portion thereof to the left in FIG. 6c, to form the upwardly 
pointing bent arms 44. 
An ordinary commercial first toothed-belt pulley 52 is firmly connected in 
any suitable manner to the pin 40'. In the upper region of the spar 35 
there is fastened, as shown in FIG. 4, a protruding stub shaft 53, which 
receives a rotatably mounted second toothed-belt pulley 54 which is 
secured in known manner against unintentional pulling off. Around the 
toothed belt pulleys 52, 54 there is wrapped a toothed belt 55, thus 
forming a toothed-belt drive 56. 
For this drive, there is provided another double-acting compressed-air 
cylinder 57, fastened on the frame 32. Its extendable and retractable 
piston rod 58 is provided on its free end with a threaded extension 59 
which is screwed into a threaded hole in a clamping pedestal 60 and is 
secured against unintentional loosening by means of a locknut 61. Prior to 
assemble, a spacer sleeve 62 which limits the piston stroke, is pushed 
over the piston rod 58. 
The clamping pedestal 60, the construction of which can be noted from FIG. 
4a, comprises a block 63 and a pressure part 64 which receive the toothed 
belt 55 between them. The side of the pressure part 64 facing the belt is 
also profiled in accordance with the profile of the toothed belt 55, as a 
result of which a form-locked functional connection of the clamping 
pedestal 60 to the toothed belt 55 is obtained 
The block 63 and the pressure part 64 are surrounded by a U-shaped angle 
65. In each of its arms there is provided a slot 66 (see FIG. 4) through 
which the shanks of respective screws 67 extend. By the latter, and the 
angle 65, the clamping pedestal 60 is reliably held together. By means of 
a screw 64', the pressure part 64 is furthermore firmly connected to the 
angle 65. 
Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, on the arm 10 of he sewing machine 3, 
directly in front of a sewing station 68, there is provided a holding-down 
device 69 for pressing down the unclamped portion of the small sewing part 
42. With the lowering of the sewing-material clamp 8, the holding down 
device 69 is also lowered in such a manner that by its own weight it 
presses on the main part 43 and possibly also on the small part 42. With 
the lifting of the sewing-material clamp 8, the holding-down device 69 is 
also lifted. The manner of operation and construction of the holding-down 
device 69 are already known from Federal Republic of Germany OS No. 21 23 
160, in which it is referred to as a fold-rail piece, so that further 
description can be dispensed with here. 
Above the worktable 2 in the region of the feed station 7, as shown in FIG. 
5, there is provided a feed table 70 which is mounted on a spar 17a. The 
top of the feed table 70 can be so inclined around a pivot axis 71 
extending parallel to the direction of sewing N that said top side of the 
feed table 70 can be adjusted to the worktable 2. On the top side of the 
feed table 70, there ar provided, in known manner, two adjustable stops 73 
and 74 which, on the one hand, can be adapted to the shape of the specific 
small part 42 and, on the other hand, are adjustable corresponding to the 
initially aligned position of the main part 43 spread out on the worktable 
2. Thus the carefully adjusted stops 73, 74 permit the correct depositing 
of the small part 42 in predetermined position on the feed table 70. 
The manner of operation of the device of the invention for the 
pattern-matched sewing of a small part 42 on a main part 43 will now be 
described. 
The main part 43 is first spread out on the worktable 2 with its front side 
facing upward and is pushed into an initially aligned position which is 
indicated by light markings projected by the marking lights 19, or by 
other markings arranged on the worktable 2. 
Referring now to FIG. 5, the small part 42 is placed, with its front side 
76 facing upward, against the suitably aligned stops 73, 74 on the feed 
table 70, so that the open long side of the small part 42 protrudes beyond 
the feed table 70 as shown in FIG. 5. During the prior sewing process, the 
sewing-material clamp 8 is located either in the region of the sewing 
point 68 or in the region of the cutting station 6. By actuation of the 
two compressed-air cylinders 46, the clamping clip 36 is closed, as a 
result of which the protruding edge region of the small part 42 is now 
located within the clamping clip 36. By the actuation of the 
compressed-air cylinder 14, the carrier 13 is swung so far in clockwise 
direction around the journal pin 12, that the carrier 13 strikes against 
the extended ram 1 of the compressed-air cylinder 16. The transfer unit 31 
is now in its upper position, shown in FIG. 6. 
The compressed-air cylinder 28 is then actuated, as a result of which the 
transfer unit 31 is brought linearly into its lowered position, visible in 
FIG. 7, in which the small part 42, which is held clamped, is located 
directly above the initially aligned main part 43. The operator now checks 
the direction of the pattern of the small part 42 on all four of its sides 
against the direction of the pattern of the main part 43. If he or she 
notes a mismatch in the pattern, the operator moves the main part 43 
slightly until there is agreement between the patterns of the two parts. 
On the other hand, if the operator notes different spacings in the 
respective repeats of the small part 42 and the main part 43, these 
differences are eliminated in the region of the pocket insert to be 
produced on the main part 43 by slightly pulling the material apart or 
pushing it together. The operator then actuates a knee switch or foot 
switch (not shown), whereupon, in a manner which is known, the main part 
43 is fixed in position, by production of a vacuum, on the resting surface 
72 of the worktable 2. 
The transfer unit 31 is then brought by corresponding actuation of the 
compressed-air cylinder 28 into its raised position, the clamping clip 36 
being rotated at the same time by about 150.degree. in clockwise 
direction, as shown in FIG. 8. By this rotation, the front side 76 of the 
small part 42 is now facing downward. If the prior sewing and cutting 
process has been completed, the sewing-material clamp 8, which has been 
lifted in the meantime, can move back into the feed station 7. Upon its 
arrival, the sewing-material clamp descends, as does the holding down 
device 69, onto the main part 43. 
Since the clamping clip 36 has been rotated--as previously 
described--through an angle of less than 180.degree., the small edges of 
the small part 42 have been shifted transversely; in this case, toward the 
left as seen in FIG. 8. This shift would be equal to zero if the clamping 
clip 36 were rotated by 180.degree.. The smaller the angle of swing--about 
150.degree. in the embodiment shown--the greater the shift will be. The 
result is that the pattern over the transverse sides of the small part 42 
now no longer agrees with the pattern of the main part 43, despite the 
previous precisely effected alignment. In order to compensate for this 
displacement of the pattern, the carrier 13 and thus the transfer unit 31 
must be rotated, in addition, through an additional empirically determined 
angle in clockwise direction. For this purpose, simultaneously with the 
above-described rotation of the clamping clip 36 by about 150.degree., the 
compressed-air cylinder 16 is vented, as a result of which its ram 15 
moves inward slightly. The compressed-air cylinder 14, which is still 
actuated, now swings the carrier 13, and thus the transfer unit 31, 
through a defined angle in clockwise direction until the carrier 13 
strikes against the ram 15, which has now been somewhat retracted. With 
the above-described rotation of the transfer unit 31, an equalization of 
the various angular displacements is effected. This has the result that 
upon rotation of the clamping clip 36 through an angle of less than 
180.degree., a dependable pattern-matching sewing of the small part 42 
onto the main part 43 is nevertheless assured In this connection, it will 
be seen that such an equalization need not be effected if the clamping 
clip 36 is swung through an angle of precisely 180.degree.. In this case, 
what takes place is a mirror-image rotation of the small part 42 around 
the subsequent sewing seam for the attachment of the small part 42 to the 
main part 43. 
The compressed air cylinder 28 is then again actuated in such a manner that 
the transfer unit 31 is brought into the lowered position shown in FIG. 9. 
The clamping lever 79, which is swingably mounted in a known manner on the 
sewing material clamp 8, is then swung in clockwise direction, as a result 
of which the small part 42 placed on the sewing-material clamp 8 is 
clamped fast, as shown in FIG. 10. After the fastening thereof by the 
clamping lever 79, the compressed-air cylinders 46 are vented, as a result 
of which the clamping clip 36 is opened, also as seen in FIG. 10. The 
transfer unit 31 then moves back on a straight path into its raised 
position, at the same time being swung by the aforementioned compensation 
angle in clockwise direction and the clamping clip 36 also being swung in 
counterclockwise direction through an angle of 150.degree.. When the 
upward moving transfer unit 31 is outside the range of movement of the 
sewing-material clamp 8, the latter travels, together with the main part 
43 and the small part 42, as well as a pocket bag which has been inserted 
previously in known manner between the main part 43 and the 
sewing-material clamp 8, first of all to the sewing point 68 and then into 
the cutting station 6. Since the pocket bag, which is to be sewed by the 
sewing needle 78 to the main part 43, is not essential for the invention, 
it is not further described or shown here 
Simultaneous with the above-described travel of the sewing-material clamp 8 
to the sewing point 68, the carrier 13, and with it also the transfer unit 
3 are swung, by corresponding actuation of the compressed-air cylinder 14, 
starting from the raised position into the transfer position shown in FIG. 
5. Since the open clamping clip 36 is now opposite the feed table 70, the 
next-following small part 42 can now be placed on the feed table 70. The 
cycle of operation described above then takes place again. 
The actuation of the aforementioned compressed-air cylinders is controlled, 
in known manner, by an electropneumatic control 80, which is not further 
described here. 
Although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described 
herein, the appended claims are not to be limited to such embodiments, but 
rather are to be interpreted as including any modifications and variations 
which may occur to an ordinary skilled person within the spirit and scope 
of the invention.