Abstract:
Support members are mounted to move between two separations, respectively less than and greater than the open end of a two-panel cover otherwise seamed together around its edges. Flaps sized to define a desired closure hemm can be in-turned manually along short opposed portions of the panel ends and then positioned over the lesser spaced support members to mount the cover thereon. The support members when at the greater separation will tension the open panel edges and extend the flaps accurately in-folded between the support members. The support members can have a first size defining a large edge opening for receiving a nozzle suited for blowing unwanted materials from between the flaps, and a smaller size for minimally gapping the flaps. A sewing machine can then automatically stitch through the panels and hidden flaps, for closing the cover end edge. Clamps can grip spaced cover locations for added cover support.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A bed quilt  8  (see FIGS. 1-5) is commonly comprised of a mat of batting  10  or insulating fill material sandwiched between top and bottom fabric panels  11   t ,  11   b  that are stitched together by peripheral seams along the four edges (head seam  13   h , foot seam  13   f  and two side seams  13   s ), and by pattern seams  14  across the panels (and batting) inwardly of the peripheral seams. Most quilts are rectangular in shape, having the side seams  13   s  substantially parallel to one another and having the head and foot seams  13   h ,  13   f  substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to the side seams. 
     In forming the quilt, the panels  11   t ,  11   b  initially are laid with the outside faces against one another and are stitched together inside-out around three adjacent edge seams (see FIG. 3, typically the two side seams  13   s  and the foot seam  13   f ). This defines a three-sided bag “B” having the fourth head edge  12  open. A fill machine  16 , commonly used to fill the bag, would have a tubular horn  15  elongated to almost the inside width of the open bag and a ram  17  sized to fit through the horn and completely into the bag. Two operators (not shown), standing on opposite ends of the horn would together fit the open bag onto the horn  15 , bunching up thereon the yet inside-out panels until the foot seam  13   f  is aligned over an inlet opening of the horn. The ram  17  with batting  10  lying thereon would then be advanced against the stitched edge seam  13   f  and through the horn, operable to unfurl the panels  11   t ,  11   b  through the horn and draw them right-side out and around the batting  10 . After the ram  17  is withdrawn, the now filled bag “B” is lying flat on the fill machine table  18  with the final or fourth edge  12  open toward and somewhat proximate the horn outlet opening. 
     The final or open fourth bag edge  12  would then have to be stitched closed along the seam  13   h . Heretofore, a skilled operator had to complete such stitching using a sewing machine, but this procedure has proved to be difficult and costly. For example, (1) the filled bag “B” had to be manually transferred to the sewing machine operator; who (2) then manually had to fold the separate end edges of the open bag panels inwardly along straight corners  20  as short flaps  21 , and (3) had to position the flaps flush against one another, with the flap corners lined up straight and even to define what many call a French Hemm flap configuration; but (4) the operator, starting at one side edge seam  13   s , would have to repeatedly fold and stitch only short lengths of the panel edges at a time, progressively folding additional lengths of the panel flaps  21  (possibly 5-10 inches at a time and just before being stitched at the sewing machine; and (5) all the while trying to keep the closure seam  13   h  uniform and straight for yielding an acceptable guilt. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide a machine and method for closing and stitching closed, in an in-folded flap configuration, the final open or fourth edge of a filled quilt bag or cover, virtually automatically once the bag fill machine operators have transferred the opened bag edge onto the machine. 
     A more specific object of this invention is to provide a machine and method for accurately forming an in-folded flap configuration or hemm simultaneously along the entire length of the final open bag edge, by: folding the in-folded flaps along only a short length of the open bag edge across and inwardly from each of the bag side seams, positioning the in-folded flaps over respective spaced separator members with the side seams overlying the separator members, and moving the separator members apart until the bag edges are drawn tight causing said folded flaps to be extended over the remaining intermediate portions of the bag edge, continuously between adjacent side seams of the bag. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a machine and method for moving such folded but yet opened bag edge into operative association with an automatic sewing machine, and for moving the bag and sewing machine relative to one another along the final opened bag edges for first clearing away exposed fill or batting material and then for stitching the opened edges closed, all without operator assistance. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a finished quilt: 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a filled quilt bag or cover yet having its fourth edge open and unstitched; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of stitched quilt bag panels when inside-out and before being filled with the batting; 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views of the fourth edge of a filled quilt bag, 
     FIG. 4 showing the fourth edge folded in the French Hemm configuration, but unstitched; and 
     FIG. 5 showing the fourth edge stitched closed; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the fill machine horn with the inside-out stitched quilt panels bunched up thereon, and with the machine ram and a mat of fill batting thereon each positioned for movement against the panels and passage through the horn; 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the inventive machine operatively overlying the fill machine table and extending to be operatively proximate the sewing machine; 
     FIG. 8 is top view of the machine of FIG. 7; 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B are elevational views of the machine as seen from the right in FIG. 7, except without the fill machine table, and further with the machine being set in FIG. 9A to accommodate a large quilt and FIG. 9B to accommodate a smaller quilt; 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged side elevational view of part of the machine illustrated in FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the left quilt bag gripping assembly, as seen generally from line  11 — 11  in FIG. 10, except showing the clamp arm opened; 
     FIG. 12A is a top view of the quilt bag gripping assembly, such as might be seen generally from line  12 — 12  in FIG. 10, showing the adjacent separator members positioned operatively parallel and the clamp closed; 
     FIG. 12B is a top view of the left side quilt bag gripping assembly, except showing only the small separator member in the operative position and the clamp opened; 
     FIGS. 13A and 13B are enlarged elevational views showing the guilt bag panel edges having in-folded flaps lying against and drawn tightly over the separator members, as in the operative positions of FIGS. 12A and 12B respectively; 
     FIG. 14A is an enlarged elevational view of part of the machine of FIG. 7, except having the transfer mechanism shifted to be in operative association with the sewing machine, and showing the guilt bag guide retracted from operative association with the quilt bag held on the transfer mechanism; 
     FIG. 14B is an elevational similar to FIG. 14A, except having the guilt bag guide shifted to be in operative association with the quilt bag held on the transfer mechanism; 
     FIG. 15 is an enlarged elevational view of the quilt bag guide of FIG. 14B, shown in operative association with the quilt bag illustrated in phantom; and 
     FIG. 16 is an enlarged elevational view of the quilt bag guide shown in operative association with the sewing machine, with the quilt bag illustrated in phantom. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The illustrated machine  23  (see FIGS. 7,  8 ) has a frame  24  that supports and accommodates the different reciprocating movements of transfer mechanism  25  and automatic sewing machine  26 . Thus, frame beams  27  via bearing/guide means  28 , central beam  43  and linear actuator  48  provide for movement of the transfer mechanism  25  between a quilt bag loading position (in FIGS. 7,  8 ,  10 ) overlying the fill machine table  18  (where a filled but open quilt bag “B” ready for closing would lay) and a stitching position operatively proximate the sewing machine  26 . Frame beams  29  support via bearing guide means  30  the sewing machine platform  31  for sewing machine movement for stitching the bag closing seam  13   h . The frame beams  27 ,  29  lie transverse or even normal to one another, so that the transfer mechanism and sewing machine will move in like manner relative to one another. 
     The transfer mechanism  25  (see FIGS. 10,  11 ,  12 A,  12 B,  13 A,  13 B) includes a clamp and stretch assembly  32  comprised of spaced pairs of support arms  33  and separator members  34 ,  35 ; spaced pairs of clamp ledges  36  and arms  37  closed by actuators  38  moving the clamp arms about axes  39 ; and telescoping cross bars  40  spanning the width of the assembly. The assembly  32  is carried near its opposite ends to the opposite ends of separate cross beams  41  (FIGS. 8,  10 ), that via bearing guide means  42  are supported by and can be telescoped relative to the central beam  43 . Gearmotors  45 , carried on central beam  43  and via output rotation of drive pinions  46  enraging racks  47  mounted on the respective beams  41 , can shift the separator members  34 ,  35  to different lateral separations. 
     Panels  50  (FIG. 11) on the remote ends of respective lateral beams  41  support linear drive actuators  51 , which in turn via guides  52  support the assembly  32  to move between positions  32 - 1  (in solid) and  32 - 2  (in phantom) in FIG.  10 . In position  32 - 2  (see FIG.  14 A), the assembly  32  is close to the sewing machine  26  suited for stitching the quilt.; but the small clearance between the assembly and overlying beams hinders the operators in reaching the separator members  34 ,  35  for loading the quilt bag thereon (as will be noted). However, with the assembly  32  in position  32 - 1  (and when overlying the table  18 , FIG.  7 ), the separator members  34 ,  35  are laterally clear of the beams  41  yielding better accessibility for easy operator loading of the quilt bag onto the transfer mechanism  32 . 
     Each separator member  34  can be in the form of a cylindrical pin several inches long (or slightly longer than the width of the folded flap  21 ) and a small cross section of ¼ inch or less, the pin being fixed to and cantilevered from arm  33  to point away from sewing machine  26 . Each separator member  35  can also be a cylindrical pin (of related or shorter length than pin  34 ) but of larger cross section between ½ inch, and 1 and ½ inch. However, the pins  35  are pivoted inwardly adjacent the fixed pins  34  to swing around respective axes  54  disposed normal to a plane extended centrally through the spaced pins  35 . An actuator  55  powers each pin  35  between an operative orientation (FIG. 12A) generally parallel to the pin  34  and pointing away from the sewing machine  26 , and an inoperative orientation (see FIG. 12B) pointing transverse to the pin  34  and inwardly toward the other pin  35 . The fixed pins  34  extend substantially parallel to one another and normal to the beams  41 . 
     A power thruster  56 , having a drive rod  57  supporting the separator arm  33 , is further provided adjacent each end of the assembly  32  operable to move the separator pins  34 ,  35  between the illustrated spacing from the edge clamps  36 ,  37  (for quilt loading and sewing), and an inoperative position (not shown) where the pins are at a greater pin/clamp spacing so as to thereby axially withdraw the pins  34  from the yet clamped quilt bag “B”, at the end of the sewing cycle to be noted later herein. 
     The parallel pins  34 ,  35  might be separated by perhaps 3-6 inches less than the inside of the final quilt bag opening, for easy but yet accurate operator bag loading on the pins. The two fill machine operators (not shown but acting as a team and standing on opposite sides of the table  18 ) could thus accurately fold along both the upper and lower panel corners  20  (see FIGS. 4,  5 ) in-folded flaps  21  extended between ½ and 1 inch in from the panel corners  20  (known to many as the French Hemm). The flaps  21  would extend across the intervening bag side seam  13   s  and along both bag panel edges from the seam by only a few inches. The operators might then: orient the bag opening to open toward the sewing machine  26  (rotated one half turn from when on the table  18 ); pass the gripped folded bag edge over the cross bar  40 ; and position the opened and folded bag edges onto the nearby separator pins  34 ,  35 , with the fold corners  20  against the arm  33  and with each side seam generally parallel to and overlying its pin members  34 ,  35  (see FIG.  13 A). 
     Each operator further can then make sure that the trailing bag side edge overlies the adjacent clamp ledge  36 , and when the bag is positioned accurately, can activate the clamp actuator  38  to swing the clamp arm  37  about axes  39  and against clamp ledge  36  to hold the quilt bag therebetween as positioned. Each clamp actuator  38  can be independently activated by each operator upon depressing a nearby clamp control element (not shown), or can be activated together but only after both operators have triggered both respective clamp control elements within a short duration of one another (such as within 2-5 seconds). 
     After the quilt bag “B” has been accurately located on the separator pins  34 ,  35  and the clamps  36 ,  37  have been closed to hold the bag sides, one or both of the gearmotors  45  can be activated to shift the pins  34 ,  35  apart to a greater sewing separation. This will draw the final open bag edges tightly around both separator members  34 ,  35  (see FIG. 13A) which effectively will hold the accurately in-folded flaps  21  thereon and will flip over the unsupported intermediate bag end edges between support on the large pins  35  to define accurately in-folded flaps extended completely across the span between these pins. The tightly drawn bag edges further will extend substantially straight across the span tangent to the pins  35  to define the bag opening  58 A (FIG.  13 A). After the pins  34 ,  35  have been separated as desired, the beams  41 ,  43  can be locked in place such as by braking the gearmotors  45 , to keep this pin separation. 
     The stretching separation of separator Pins  34 ,  35  might be the same as or up to several inches more than the nominal full quilt width. However, as different quilt fabrics stretch differently, some experimentation might be needed for determining a preferred stretching separation for each construction, type, size of quilt bag to be stitched closed. Conventional means, such as linear encoders (not shown), can be associated with the separator pins to accurately control the gearmotors  45  to obtain any desired separation. Further, an alternative or supplemental separation control might be used, such as a force sensor (not shown) operatively associated with the powered separating gearmotor means  45  that would terminate the separation when a desired tensile force has been reached. 
     This method of folding the quilt flaps  21  between separating support pins  34 ,  45  is fast and easy, and accurate to the end that the developed flaps should line up substantially opposite one another and the fold corners  20  should be straight, over the entire span between the pin supports. 
     With the beams  41 ,  43  locked in place, the clamp and stretch assembly  32 , by drive actuator  51 , could be shifted from the loading position  32 - 1  to the stitching position  32 - 2  (FIG. 10) where the cross bar  40  underlies the central beam  43 . One or more power cylinders  59  are carried on the central beam  43 , and when actuated will shift respective ram carried clamps  60  against the underlying bar  38 , and the intermediate parts of the quilt bag therebetween. This would securely hold the stretched open bag end, with accurately the folded flaps  20  extended entirely across its unstitched edges, for transfer to the sewing machine. 
     The sewing machine  26  (FIGS. 14A,  14 B,  16 ) can be conventional, having a base  63  (and underlying bobbin needle, not shown), an overlying sew head  65  and powered thread needle  66 . The open quilt edges to be stitched would ride over the base  63  and under a pressure foot (not shown), past the reciprocating needles. The illustrated arrangement provides for the quilt bag to be stationary and the sewing machine  26  via its supporting platform  31  to be moved laterally along frame beams  29 , powered by motor  68  (on the platform) and its driven pinion  69  engaging and rolling along rack  70  held on one of the beams. The arranged sewing machine base  63  will be aligned to be slightly below (by possibly ⅛ inch) the tangent plane spanning between the lower sides of the spaced separator pins  34 ,  35  (FIG.  14 A). 
     A quilt edge guide  72  (FIGS. 14A,  14 B,  15 ) is also carried on the sewing machine platform  31 , spaced a small lateral distance (possibly several inches) upstream from or ahead of needle  66  (FIG.  16 ), referenced according to movement of the sewing machine during stitching. The guide  72  is carried by independently operated power actuators  73 ,  75 , to be moved either generally toward and away from and/or transverse to the bag opening. Actuator  73  carried on the platform  31  thus powers a guided ram  74  and power actuator  75  carried thereon generally toward and away from the bag opening; and actuator  75  powers a guided ram  76  and quilt guide  72  carried thereon transverse to the elongation of the bag opening or to the top and bottom side tangent planes off of the separated support pins. 
     The quilt guide  72  includes a base  78  and three fingers  80 ,  82  projected therefrom. The upper and lower fingers  80  project generally normal to the base  78  initially and then diverge apart like at  83 , and the intermediate finger  82  projects generally normal to the base evenly spaced between the fingers  80 . Thus, upper and lower channels  81  are defined between the spaced fingers  80 ,  82 , the channels being sized to receive (somewhat snugly) the respective upper and lower folded bag edges that are to be stitched together. The guide fingers lie generally within a single plane that, when the guide is operatively mounted on the machine, extends generally normal to the elongated bag opening. 
     The fingers  80 ,  82  are hollow, with base connections  83  for delivering via conventional lines (not shown) air under pressure to the finger interiors. The fingers  80  have side outlet openings  85  to direct air into the adjacent channels  81  angled about 40-50 degrees back toward the base  78 , and finger  82  has end outlet opening  86  to direct air forwardly away from the base, just beyond where the fingers  80  diverge. The fingers can be formed of rigid cylindrical tubing possibly between ¼ and ¾ inch outer diameters. 
     The air discharge jets from the upper and lower fingers  80  tend to bias the respective bag panels  11   t ,  11   b  into the channels  81  and hold them against the base, while the air discharge from the intermediate finger  82  is directed as jets against nearby batting  10  between the bag panels  11   t ,  11   b  to move such inwardly between the panels and clear of the bag edges, leaving the edges to be stitched together without any exposed batting that could for quality purposes require costly trimming to remove. 
     The sewing machine  23  could have a lateral start position, where: (1) the needle  66  and quilt guide  72  are between the spaced pair of separator pins  34 ,  35  and closely adjacent one set of pins  34 ,  35 , but adjacent the one set of pins  34  that will be on the opposite side of the sewing machine needle  66  from the quilt guide  72 ; (2) the quilt guide as shifted by actuator  75  will have its intermediate finger  82  aligned generally along a central plane through the large separator pins  35 , which central plane will be spaced above the sewing machine base  63 ; (3) the upper and lower diverging guide finger  80  will be projected forwardly beyond the front edge of the sewing machine base  63  and transversely above and below the respective stretched upper and lower quilt panels; and (4) the quilt guide as shifted by actuator  73  will have the guide channels  81  extended past the plane of needle movement during stitching. 
     Thus, as the transfer mechanism  25  (and stretched opened and folded quilt bag “B” held thereon) is moved by actuator  48  to the sewing position (FIGS. 14A,  14 B), the intermediate guide finger  82  will fit quite accurately into the large bag opening  58 A while the outer fingers  80  overlap and direct the respective folded bag panels into the channels  81  so that the flap corners  20  can butt against the pin arms  33 . After the quilt guide  72  has vertical control of the bag via the bag panels being contained in the channels  81 , the large separator pins  35  will be shifted by actuator  55  to the inoperative positions (FIG.  12 B). This provides open bag edge support (FIG. 13B) only on the smaller pins  34 , so that the upper and lower panel edges move closer together to reduce the baa opening  58 B size. The guide  72  will then be lowered (by actuator  75 ) to present the channels  81  even with or slightly below the base  63 , to draw the folded quilt bag edges to be stitched more tightly and/or evenly against the base for yielding more reliable stitching. 
     The sewing machine will traverse the quilt edges for stitching them, moving so that the quilt guide  72  will be ahead of the sewing needle  66  (left to right in FIGS. 9A,  9 B, and right to left in FIG.  16 ). To achieve accurate spacing of the stitched seam from or parallel to the panel edges, an optical scanner (not shown) having a receiver located in the base  63  and a sender in the sew head  65  can sense the moving bag edge and its spacing from the needle  66  or stitched seam, and respond to sensed excessive variances from a desired set distance (¼ inch for example) to active the actuator  48  and shift the sewing machine in a counter acting manner so as to maintain the desired seam/edge spacing. 
     During stitching, the initial sewing machine movement can be toward the adjacent side seam  13   s  to back tack over several inches the bag edge up to close proximity (possibly within ⅛ inch) of the small support pin  34  (without striking the pin), whereupon the sewing machine movement can be reversed to stitch the closure seam in the direction toward the other support pin  34  until the seam is almost across the full width of the accurately folded bag opening. Just before the quilt guide  72  reaches the other pin  34  (perhaps yet 4-10 inches away), the guide actuator  73  can be activated to shift the guide  72  to its retracted position (FIG. 14A) clear of the path of the sewing machine so that seam stitching can continue up to an appropriate safe needle/pin gap (again possibly within ⅛ inch). The sewing machine movement can then be reversed to stitch a back tack at this opposite seam end. The seam thread can be trimmed as needed, and the sewing machine then can be moved back to the start position ready for stitching a subsequent quilt bag. 
     When the final edge seam (including back tacks at both ends) has been completed, the power thruster  56  will be activated to shift the support arm  33  and pins  34  axially away from the adjacent clamps  36 ,  37  and  40 ,  60 , for withdrawing the pins  34  from the yet clamped but now stitched quilt bag. The clamp actuators sequentially can be activated then to open the clamps  36 ,  37  and  40 ,  60  to release the quilt bag, for manual or automatic removal from the machine  23 , as will now be noted. 
     It will be appreciated that as the transfer mechanism  25  is initially moved from the table  18  to the sewing machine  26  (FIGS. 7,  8 ), the lead portion of the quilt bag held thereon will be shifted right up to the sewing machine. On the other hand, only its mid portion will for sure also be moved over a frame beam  90  to a space between the frame beams  30 ,  90 . If the beams  30 ,  90  are spaced between 3-5 feet apart, means  91  can be provided between the beams  30 ,  90  to support the quilt mid portion before, during and after seam stitching. Further, rotary product folders  92 ,  95  can be mounted on the frame adjacent its opposite entry beam  90  and the sewing machine beam  30 , operable to fold the trailing and leading quilt bag ends inwardly toward and onto the quilt mid portion on the support  91 . 
     The folders  92 ,  95  might respectively have shafts  93 ,  96  and spaced fold arms  94 ,  97  radially projected therefrom and underlying the respective trailing and leading quilt bag portions, and means (not shown) to support and rotate the shafts and arms. The folders further might extend to near side edges of the widest quilt bag to be stitched on the machine  23 . Thus, the trailing folder  92  can rotate its arms  94  counterclockwise (see FIG. 7) to fold the trailing quilt bag end onto the quilt bag mid portion already on the surface  91 ; and after the clamps have released the lead now stitched end of the quilt bag, the lead folder  95  can rotate its arms clockwise (see FIG. 7) to fold the stitched quilt end portion onto the mid and trailing quilt portions supported on the surface  91 . The surface  91  can be slightly lower than sewing machine base  63 , to ease the effort needed in folding the released quilt bag lead portion. 
     One preferred surface  91  can be a moveable belt of an automatic powered belt conveyor  98  suited for removing the stitched quilt bag away from the sewing machine. The conveyor might further operate to convey the stitched quilt bag directly to a subsequent handling station (not shown and which forms no part of this invention) that might be used as part of the quilt fabrication. The cleared sewing machine also will be ready for stitching a subsequent quilt. 
     Of great importance, the disclosed edge closure machine  23  stitches the final open edge of a quilt bag accurately and consistently; and without operator intervention after having the filled quilt bag loaded onto the machine&#39;s transfer mechanism initially. The illustrated and preferred embodiment has the closure machine paired with a fill machine, to be loaded by the same two operators generally used with the fill machine. However, its advantages would allow closure and stitching of filled but open quilt bag retrieved from a hopper of like bags and individually loaded on the machine by one or more unskilled operators (not shown). Machines as disclosed herein have closed and stitched successive quilt bags on complete cycle times as fast as 25-40 seconds. 
     While specific structures have been disclosed, it is apparent that variations can be made therefrom, or the structures might even be eliminated completely, while yet having an operable and advantageous invention. For example, the clamp and stretch assembly  32  illustrated had transfer structures  51  for moving the assembly between two positions  32 - 1  and  32 - 2 ; but such structures and movement only provide for greater clearances for easing the efforts needed for the operators to load the quilt bag onto the separator pins  34 ,  35 . However, the position  32 - 1  and its related structures could be eliminated entirely. The invention thus is not to be limited to its disclosure, but only by the scope of the following claims.