Patent ID: 8157947

Claim:
A method of cutting foam elements from a foam sheet and attaching the foam elements to a fabric substrate comprising: positioning the foam sheet between a platen with a plurality of elongate punches with punch near ends fixed to the punch plate and punch distal ends extending away from the plate; and a die plate with a plurality of apertures, the punch ends and die apertures substantially equal in diameter and configured to engage the punches in the die apertures; moving the platen toward the die plate; advancing the plurality of punches toward the sheet and the die apertures; cutting the elements from the sheet as the punch distal ends pass through the die apertures; pressing the foam elements to the fabric substrate with the punch ends; attaching the foam elements to the fabric substrate with the punch ends; retracting the punches and separating the punch distal ends from the cut element fixed to the fabric substrate; and moving the platen in relation to the die plate to a second position with the punches and punch ends disengaged and physically spaced from the die apertures.