Patent ID: 8042478

Claim:
A system for cutting and seaming a fabric material to form a series of fabric panels, comprising: a pair of side edge cutting and seaming assemblies, each comprising: a sewing machine having at least one sewing needle forming a line of stitching adjacent a side edge of the fabric material and at least one top belt feed drive for engaging and pulling the fabric material through said sewing machine; and an edge trimming blade downstream from said sewing machine and adapted to cut the side edge of the fabric material adjacent the line of stitching formed along the side edge by said sewing machine; a puller roll assembly mounted downstream from said side edge sewing assemblies and including a series of puller rolls for engaging and pulling the fabric material through said side edge cutting and seaming assemblies; and a cross-cut sewing assembly comprising: a cross-cut sewing head movable across the fabric panel for cutting and sewing across a width of the fabric material to form downstream and upstream edges of leading and trailing panels, respectively, and including at least two sewing needles, a cutter, and a top belt feed drive mechanism for engaging and pulling the fabric material through said cross-cut sewing head during a leading/trailing edge cutting and seaming operation.