Method and apparatus for forming sleeve plackets

There is disclosed a method and apparatus of forming sleeve plackets which utilizes blades insertable into and retractable from placket halves and which includes means for stretching the placket halves about the blades and means for sequentially retracting the blades for final stitching and completing the placket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to improvements in the finishing and 
reinforcement of slit openings in garments, for example in the sleeves of 
shirts or blouses. Such openings in better quality garments are commonly 
finally formed in a placket which reinforces the areas adjacent to the 
slit, thus protecting the opening from tearing and providing decorative 
trim with respect to the sides and closed end of the opening. Apparatus 
for forming such plackets or slit facings has been illustrated and 
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,453,623, 3,664,283 and 4,160,423. 
The common purpose of the teachings in these patents and others is to 
automate as much as possible or feasible a series of intricate folding and 
stitching steps which if performed entirely manually reduce uniformity, 
quality and output in the production of garments. 
The present invention provides improved apparatus for accomplishing the 
stated objective. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The method of the present invention provides steps to form a finished 
placket with respect to a slitted opening in a piece of fabric (which may 
be a sleeve opening) comprising first forming an open-ended tubular member 
and placing said member perpendicular and immediately adjacent to the 
closed end of the slit. Thereafter, the respective sides of the opening 
are folded toward and into the tube and each side is attached as by 
stitching to the slit facing part of the tube which forms in effect two 
tube sections or placket halves. The placket halves are then folded to be 
superimposed. Thereafter, blades are inserted within each placket halve 
and an intermediate blade is inserted between the placket halves 
themselves. The placket halves are caused to be stretched over the 
respective blades and the intermediate blade is extended to straighten and 
flatten the area at the closed end of the slitted opening between each 
placket halve. The final step of the method incorporates the use of a 
clamp/template in conjunction with a sewing machine head to stitch the 
respective superimposed placket halves to each other at the closed end of 
the placket. 
The apparatus of the present invention provides means for actuating the 
aforementioned blades in the manner required and provides a means (stretch 
pin) to stretch the placket halves over the blades. Also provided is a 
blade carrier assembly which is movable linearly and is rotatable to 
effect loading of the blades and then carrying of the fabric and placket 
into a sewing machine head.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In order to best understand the present invention, the method thereof shall 
be initially described in conjunction with certain portions of the 
apparatus, and then the apparatus shall be more fully described. Moreover, 
although the example chosen in the description is the formation of a 
sleeve placket, it should be understood that the invention has broad 
application generally to the formation of plackets respecting slitted 
openings and should not be restricted to sleeve plackets per se. 
Accordingly, reference is made initially to FIGS. 6a-6d and to FIGS. 
11-25. A sleeve blank 1 shown in FIG. 6a contains a generally rectangular 
slit 2. FIG. 6b shows the addition of a tubular member 3 which is placed 
immediately adjacent to the closed end of the slit 2 to form a tube having 
open ends 3a, 3b. Thereafter, the sides of the slit are folded in the 
direction indicated and are received and stitched within member 3. FIGS. 
6c and 6d illustrate the repositioning of the respective portions 4a and 
4b of member 3 (placket halves). Portion 4b is superimposed upon 4a, and 
the open ends of the respecting placket halves face outwardly of the 
sleeve blank 1 and in alignment with opening 2. 
Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, there are shown portions of the apparatus 
of the invention together with the sleeve blank 1 and placket halves 4a, 
4b. Lower and upper folder blades 5 and 6 are shown having been partially 
inserted by an operator into placket halves 4a and 4b respectively. Blades 
5 and 6 and center blade 7 are aligned (see FIG. 12). In their work 
receiving positions, blades 5, 6 and 7 are separated vertically to receive 
the placket halves 4a, 4b, and blade 6 has been rotated upwardly. Pin 8 is 
thrust upwardly through table 9 by actuator 10. By this means, the end of 
pin 8 engages the lower surface of blade 7 and collar 8a, the lower 
surface of blade 5 to spread the blades as shown for loading. It will be 
noted that pin 8 when extended prevents placket halve 4a from being drawn 
over blade 5 beyond the pin. In FIG. 13 (plan view FIG. 14), pin 8 has 
been retracted and the resilience of blades 5 and 7 causes them to lie one 
above the other, center blade 7 functioning to support blades 5 and 6 in 
spaced relation as shown. The support 11 for blade 6 has been rotated to 
lower blade 6 into its horizontal position above blades 5 and 7. Placket 
halves 4a, 4b are manually advanced by the operator over blades 5 and 6 to 
the position of FIG. 13. 
In FIGS. 15 and 16, a pin 12 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a 
stretch pin) is caused to descend and to pierce the ends of placket halves 
4a, 4b. Note recess 9a in table 9 to accommodate this action. In FIGS. 17 
and 18, the stretch pin 12 is retracted to draw placket halves 4a and 4b 
to fullest extension over blades 5 and 6. Blade 7 is then fully extended 
between the placket halves 4a, 4b. The end 7a of blade 7 is oversized and 
conforms to one side of the triangular connection 13 between the plackets 
4a and 4b and sleeve 1. Thus, section 7a when blade 7 is fully extended 
will straighten the triangular connecting parts between 4a and 4b and 
sleeve 1 to assure proper orientation of these connecting parts and sleeve 
1 prior to final stitching. 
Fabric hold-down fingers 20, 21 (FIGS. 19-21) secure the work piece and 
maintain the relationship just described as the entire carrier assembly 
including blades 5, 6, 7 and stretch pin 12 is rotated into operative 
relation with respect to the sewing head 15. FIG. 20 illustrates 
withdrawal of blades 5, 6 and 7 and retraction of pin 12. The work piece 
is clamped by means of clamp/template 14 which is in effect a foot of the 
sewing head 15. After the carrier assembly 38 is returned to the loading 
position of FIG. 11 (as shown in FIG. 21), sewing clamp/template 14 guides 
the final stitching of inner superimposed ends of placket halves 4a, 4b to 
form finished placket shown in FIG. 24. The clamp/template detail is shown 
in FIG. 23 and illustrates clamp/template 14 which defines stitch path 
14a. Portion 14b is contiguous with outer part 14c by connection therewith 
at 14d. Before final stitching takes place, the outer ends of placket 
halves 4a, 4b are trimmed by knife 16 (FIG. 22) connected to actuator 17 
and pivotally mounted at 16a. 
Having described the method of the invention, we shall now proceed with a 
detailed description of the apparatus, more specifically the apparatus 
provided to control, move and manipulate the operative components which 
have been described in the performance of the method. 
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate overall views of such apparatus respectively in 
plan and in elevation. The frame 30 supports a lower table 31 and 
projecting therefrom vertical base members 32. The vertical base member 32 
provides support for rails 42 and 43. 
A folder carrier assembly 38 contains the means for supporting and 
controlling the movement of blades 5, 6 and 7 as well as the other devices 
described in connection with FIGS. 11-21. The carrier assembly includes 
pneumatic flow controls 33 which are connected to pneumatic flow lines 34 
within harness 35. The means by which the various pneumatic actuators used 
to actuate portions of the apparatus are not part of the present invention 
and shall not be described. The carrier assembly 38 is mounted upon 
carrier support plate 39 (FIG. 3) which is pivotally interconnected 
through pivot shaft 40 to the lower slidable carrier support member 41 
(FIGS. 7 and 8) which straddles two rails 42, 43. As best seen in FIGS. 7 
and 8, the carrier support plate 39 may be rotated by means of actuator 
44, and thus the carrier assembly 38 can be rotated between the placket 
loading position of FIG. 21 to the placket stitching position of FIG. 20. 
The lower carrier support member 41 is slidable upon rails 42, 43 by means 
of an actuator 46 whose reciprocal rod 46 is attached to lower carrier 
support member through bracket 47. Limit switches 48, 49 control actuation 
and deenergization of actuator 46. 
Referring to FIG. 4, the means for raising and lowering the upper blade 6 
(FIGS. 11 et. seq.) shall now be described. The end of blade 6 toward 
carrier assembly 38 is attached to an arm 50 which will pivot about shaft 
51 (connected to carrier support plate) to raise or lower blade 6 when 
bell-crank connection 52 (FIG. 9) is acted upon by rod 53 reciprocally 
movable by actuator 54. 
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 9, the center blade actuator 56 is mounted to 
carrier support plate extension 39a, and rod 56a reciprocally movable 
therefrom is attached to center blade bracket 57. The latter is attached 
to two rods 58, 59 which may extend blade 7 toward and away from the 
placket as previously described. 
As best seen in FIG. 4, the lower blade 5 is attached to forward yoke 60 
which is connected to rods 61, 62. At the rear, rods 61, 62 are connected 
to yoke 63 reciprocally movable by its connection with actuator 65 and rod 
65a. 
Referring to FIG. 4, the stretch pin 12 is connected to an arm 66 which is 
pivotable about 67 by means of the connection between bell-crank 68 and a 
series of rods 69 reciprocally movable by actuator 70. 
Fabric hold-down fingers 20, 21 (FIGS. 5 and 19-21) are connected to 
supports 22, 23 and to outer carrier 24. Arm 24 is secured in inner 
carrier 26 which is pivotally mounted to support plate 39 at 27. 
Reciprocation of rod 28a of actuator 28 therefore will raise or lower 
fingers 20, 21. 
It will be understood that sequence of the various steps of the method as 
initially described will take place by means of programmed sequential 
actuation of the various parts of the apparatus described in connection 
with the figures. The operator of the apparatus of the present invention 
will be able to initiate the sequence progressively. For example, during 
the initial step of loading the placket halves upon the lower and upper 
carrier blades 5, 6 carrier assembly 38 will be in its "loading" position. 
When the operator wishes to load the blades 5 & 6, the operator will cause 
actuation of pin 8 to spread the lower and intermediate blades while the 
upper blade is raised by its actuation. Once the initial loading of 
placket halves 4a and 4b has taken place, the operator will initiate 
withdrawl of pin 8 and lowering of upper blade 7 to complete the loading 
process. Actuation of stretch pin 12 and the subsequent steps will follow 
some of which will be under the control of the operator to initiate and 
some of which will be sequentially controlled by the programmer. 
By means of the apparatus of the present invention, a high production 
capability has been provided uniformly to complete the finalization of 
plackets, that is, the finalization has been truly automated. The placket 
parts are uniformly positioned, straightened and held while being 
transported from the loading station to the sewing station until 
clamp/template 14 is brought into place to secure the placket area to be 
stitched. Only after clamp/template 14 is securely positioned does 
withdrawl of the blades 5, 6 & 7 and stretch pin occur and upon such 
occurence the carrier assembly 38 will be returned to the loading 
position. It will be understood that the foregoing description has 
described the method of the invention and has been representative with 
respect to the specific embodiment. In order to fully understand the scope 
of the invention, reference should be made to the appended claims.