Patent ID: 7617751

Claim:
A method of cutting a quilted material web having quilted patterns into panels, each of the panels having a width and a length with a respective quilted pattern disposed therein, the method comprising: applying center marks to the quilted material web, the center marks identifying centers of respective quilted patterns; providing a cross cutting apparatus for cutting end edges of respective panels; providing an edge detector for detecting end edges of respective panels; providing a trimming apparatus for cutting side edges of the panels; providing a center detector for locating the centers of the quilted patterns by detecting the center marks; moving the center detector to a position longitudinally displaced from the cross cutting apparatus by a distance substantially equal to one-half the length of a panel; moving the quilted material web in the longitudinal direction; detecting a position of a center mark; stopping motion of the quilted material web in response to detecting the position of the center mark; transversely centering the trimming apparatus relative to the center of the panels in response to the detecting of the position of the center mark; operating the cross cutting apparatus to form a first end edge of the panel; moving the edge detector to a position longitudinally displaced from the cross cutting apparatus by a distance substantially equal to the length of the panel; moving the quilted material web in the longitudinal direction; operating the trimming apparatus to simultaneously longitudinally cut opposed side edges of the panel substantially equidistant from the center of the panel; detecting the first end edge with the edge detector; stopping motion of the quilted material web in response to detecting the first end edge; and operating the cross cutting apparatus to form a second end edge of the panel, the first end edge and the second end edge being equidistant from the center of a panel.