A shiftable backing feed and shiftable needle assembly is utilized with a tufting machine having reciprocating needles and gauge parts for seizing or cutting yarns wherein marginal step yarn placement techniques can be utilized in connection with a row of needles to minimize over-sewing needle positioning, and three axis shifting may be employed to optimize stitch locations in the backing fabric.

Dual-configuration fabric frame for a maneuverable sewing machine. In some embodiments, a dual-configuration fabric frame for a maneuverable sewing machine may include a left side rail, a right side rail, a front rail, a rear rail, a quilt-backing pole including a ratchet mechanism, a take-up pole including a ratchet mechanism, a hoop frame configuration, and a suspension frame configuration. The hoop frame configuration may support a relatively wide fabric clamped thereto that flows from inside boundaries of a working area to outside the boundaries of the working area. The suspension frame configuration may support a relatively narrow fabric that flows from being spooled on the quilt-backing pole, through the working area, to being spooled on the take-up pole.

A cap frame includes a body member including an arc-shaped curved wall extending in a particular direction, a retaining member including a clamping portion made of elastic material and first and second engagement portions disposed at end portions of the clamping portion in the particular direction, and an attaching portion. In a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, the retaining member holds a cap between the retaining member itself and the body member. The clamping portion is elastically deformed in conformance with the curved wall and presses the cap toward the curved wall. The body member includes third and fourth engagement portions engageable with the first and second engagement portions, respectively, and first and second guide portions that define movable directions of the first and second engagement portions as first and second guide directions, respectively, and their opposite directions.

A cap frame includes a body member including an arc-shaped curved wall extending in a particular direction, a retaining member including a clamping portion made of elastic material and first and second engagement portions disposed at end portions of the clamping portion in the particular direction, and an attaching portion. In a state where the retaining member is attached to the body member, the retaining member holds a cap between the retaining member itself and the body member. The clamping portion is elastically deformed in conformance with the curved wall and presses the cap toward the curved wall. The body member includes third and fourth engagement portions engageable with the first and second engagement portions, respectively, and first and second guide portions that define movable directions of the first and second engagement portions as first and second guide directions, respectively, and their opposite directions.

Devices and related methods for, among other things, maintaining the warp/weft threads of a backing layer of material (e.g., fabric) in a fixed orientation while being sewed are described and provided.

Various examples are provided related to transporting and sewing material in, e.g., automation of sewing robots. Multiple pieces of layered materials can be transported on a flat planar surface while maintaining the material layer's position and orientation relative to one another during a sewing procedure of these materials along any arbitrary seam shape. In one example, among others, a method includes positioning a second piece of material on a first piece of material located on a sewing plane, positioning a material holding apparatus over the pieces of material to secure position and orientation between the pieces of material, locating the pieces of material with respect to an automated sewing machine by repositioning the material holding apparatus, and sewing the second piece of material to the first piece of material. The methods can eliminate the need of custom-made templates for sewing arbitrarily shaped seams with an automated sewing machine.

Various examples are provided related to transporting and sewing material in, e.g., automation of sewing robots. Multiple pieces of layered materials can be transported on a flat planar surface while maintaining the material layer's position and orientation relative to one another during a sewing procedure of these materials along any arbitrary seam shape. In one example, among others, a method includes positioning a second piece of material on a first piece of material located on a sewing plane, positioning a material holding apparatus over the pieces of material to secure position and orientation between the pieces of material, locating the pieces of material with respect to an automated sewing machine by repositioning the material holding apparatus, and sewing the second piece of material to the first piece of material. The methods can eliminate the need of custom-made templates for sewing arbitrarily shaped seams with an automated sewing machine.

Various examples are provided related to transporting and sewing material in, e.g., automation of sewing robots. Multiple pieces of layered materials can be transported on a flat planar surface while maintaining the material layer's position and orientation relative to one another during a sewing procedure of these materials along any arbitrary seam shape. In one example, among others, a system includes a sewing machine including a sewing needle, a material holding assembly and a translation system. The material holding assembly can include mechanical fingers that can contact material on a sewing plane adjacent to the sewing needle and a structural grounding system supporting the mechanical fingers. The translation system can reposition the material on the sewing plane via the mechanical fingers. Clearance around the sewing needle can be provided by repositioning individual mechanical fingers around the sewing needle.

A quilting frame assembly for machine quilting of a quilt core using a quilting machine, the quilting frame assembly having a quilting frame with a first frame element and a second frame element, a machine carriage assembly, a plurality of first element clips, and one or more second element clips, each first element clip being u-shaped, spring biased and reciprocating, and having a plurality of first clip inside frame receiver facets dimensioned and positioned to engage with two or more first frame cross-sectional corners of a first frame element member, and each second element clip being u-shaped, spring biased and reciprocating, and having a plurality of second clip inside frame receiver facets dimensioned and positioned to engage with two or more second frame cross-sectional corners of a second frame element member.

The present invention relates to a structure for fastening composite structures, and more particularly, to a sewing machine for stitching composite materials which is capable of automatically and continuously stitching the composite structures by using a high-rigidity fiber in order to laminate and join the composite materials. The sewing machine for stitching composite materials according to the present invention automatically and continuously performs a stitching operation for joining composite materials by using a high-rigidity composite fiber for joining the composite materials, and as a result, it is possible to reduce process time for joining the composite materials and improve productivity.