Method and apparatus for making a fitted sheet

Abstract

A protective cover is made from a piece of cloth cut from a textile web that is initially held at first and second points by respective first and second devices in the vicinity of a corner near respective first and second outer edges forming the corner. The first point is then moved parallel to a plane and above of the piece of cloth to the second point at the second outer edge under entrainment of a corresponding region of the piece of cloth to form a cloth flap shaped as a right triangle having a hypotenuse extending between the points, a first leg forming an extension of the second outer edge of the piece of cloth, and a second leg. The cloth flap is then seamed along the second leg and then cut along a line of the seam. Thereafter the cover thus formed is released at the points.

Claims

1. A method of making fitted bed sheets or similar protective covers, the method comprising the steps of: cutting a piece of cloth from a textile web, holding the piece of cloth at first and second holding points by respective first and second devices in the vicinity of a corner near respective first and second outer edges forming a corner and spaced from the corner at a spacing corresponding to a cover depth of the fitted sheet or cover to be formed, moving the first holding point at the first outer edge parallel to a plane of the piece of cloth to the second holding point at the second outer edge under entrainment of a corresponding region of the piece of cloth, holding the two holding points one above the other to form a cloth flap shaped as a right triangle having an apex opposite a hypotenuse extending between the holding points, a first leg forming an extension of the second outer edge of the piece of cloth, and a second leg, seaming the cloth flap along the second leg and then cutting off the flap adjacent thereto and the first leg along a line of the seam, and thereafter releasing the fitted sheet or cover at the holding points.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein two front corner parts of the piece of cloth are processed simultaneously.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein two rear corner parts of the piece of cloth are processed simultaneously.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the front and rear corner parts are processed simultaneously.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method and the individual method steps are carried out by mechanical, automatic, electrical, pneumatic, or electronically controlled devices.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein only movements perpendicular to the plane of the piece of cloth and parallel thereto are carried out by the devices.

7. An apparatus for making fitted bed sheets or similar protective parallepipedal covers from a textile web, the apparatus comprising: a conveyor for transporting separated a piece of the textile web in a flat orientation, first and second mechanical grippers immediately adjacent the conveyor at a corner of the piece of cloth near respective first and second outer edges that form a corner spaced from the corner at a spacing corresponding to a cover depth of the parallelepipedal cover to be made, the grippers being closable to hold points of the piece of cloth and openable to release the held points, the first gripper displaceable only in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the piece of cloth, the second gripper being, when closed, displaceable vertically into a position in which the second gripper is moved above or below the plane of the piece of cloth, this the second gripper being displaceable horizontally when in the vertically displaced position or even without vertical displacement or for it to be pivoted about a vertical axis from a starting position into a working position in which the second gripper is positioned above or below the first gripper so that a flap of the piece of cloth is formed that projects over a longitudinal outer edge of the piece of cloth, and a sewing apparatus for stitching a seam in a line along the longitudinal outer edge over which the flap projects, and a cutting apparatus that can remove the flap projecting over the longitudinal outer edge over which the flap projects.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when the first and second grippers are in the working position, the cutting apparatus can be moved along a lateral outer edge of the piece of cloth or parallel thereto.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, when the first and second grippers are in the working position, the sewing apparatus can be moved along a lateral outer edge of the piece of cloth or parallel thereto.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and described in further detail in the following.

(2) In the drawing:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a piece of cloth that is to be used to produce a parallelepipedal fitted bed sheet or similar cover;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a parallelepipedal cover or cloth article in finished form;

(5) FIG. 3 shows the piece of cloth according to FIG. 1 in a first position in which a corner part is being prepared to form a subsequent corner part of the cover;

(6) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the piece of cloth in the completely folded state in which it has been prepared for a further working step;

(7) FIG. 5 shows the cutting and sewing steps for removing the flaps that are formed;

(8) FIG. 6 shows a piece of cloth in a view analogous to that of FIG. 1;

(9) FIG. 7 shows the same in a front edge view;

(10) FIG. 8 shows a completely folded piece of cloth similar to FIG. 5; and

(11) FIG. 9 shows same in a front edge view.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(12) The figures of the drawing illustrate a method according to the invention for making fitted bed sheets or similar protective covers. In this case, rectangular pieces 9 of cloth are cut from a textile web. Such pieces of cloth can be provided all around with a hem. As illustrated in FIG. 1, elastic bands 10 can also be sewn into or onto the edge or sewn into the hem.

(13) The method according to the invention is intended and suitable for forming a parallelepipedal cover 11 such as that shown in FIG. 2 from such a piece 9 of cloth. Special importance is given to the fact that the cover depth, i.e. the height of the cover 11, can be determined in a simple manner and that the corner parts extend at right angles, meaning that the lines that are indicated by reference numeral 12 in FIG. 2 have a vertical orientation that is as exactly perpendicular as possible.

(14) In the configuration according to the invention, the piece 9 of cloth is held at two pairs of holding points 2, 3; 6, 7 near the two outer edges forming the corner 1, 5 and each spaced from the respective corner 1, 5 by a spacing that corresponds to the depth of the corner edge 12 of the parallelepipedal cover 11 to be formed. To form the corner part, the first holding point 2 and 6 located at the first outer edge 13, 13′, are moved parallel to the plane of the piece 9 of cloth to the second holding point 3; 7 while entraining the corresponding region of the piece 9 of cloth. FIG. 6 shows the first holding point with the corresponding holding points in the starting position. In FIG. 8, the positioning of the holding points is shown one above the other. In FIG. 8, the holding point 2 and 6 are shown in the starting position according to FIG. 6, whereas the set position is shown in at 2′ and 6′. The two holding points 3, 2′ and 7, 6′ are thus superposed. A cloth flap in the form of a right triangle is thus formed as illustrated in FIG. 8. The apex opposite the hypotenuse 15 of the triangle is formed by the holding points 3, 2′ and 7, 6′, respectively. The first leg 16 forms an extension of the second outer edge 14 of the piece 9 of cloth, whereas the second leg 17 forms the region of a seam that is to be formed and a point of separation for the removal of the cloth flap. The cloth flap is provided with the corresponding seam 18 along the second leg 17, and the cloth flap is finally separated next to the seam 18 and removed. Upon completion, the piece of cloth can be released at the holding points 2, 3, 6, 7 and deposited onto a cloth stack, for example. As will readily be understood, all four corners of the piece 9 of cloth are prepared and completed by the same procedure. An arrow denoted by reference numeral 19 indicates a possible direction of transport of the piece 9 of cloth through a corresponding apparatus.

(15) Preferably, leading end regions of the piece of cloth can be processed simultaneously in the direction of transport 19 and, analogously, two rear corner parts of the piece of cloth can also be processed simultaneously, for which purpose an appropriate arrangement and design of apparatus components is required. It is also possible for all four corner parts to be processed simultaneously. Preferably, and according to the invention, the method and the individual method steps are carried out by mechanical, automatic, electrical, pneumatic, and/or electronically controlled devices.

(16) With such an apparatus, only movements perpendicular to the plane of the opened piece 9 of cloth and parallel thereto are carried out.

(17) The formation of the flap is also elucidated particularly by the sequence of FIGS. 3, 4, and 5. Reference point 4 or 8 is a reference for the required sewing apparatus 20 and the separating means 21.

(18) FIG. 3 shows the beginning of a first method step, in which the piece 9 of cloth is held in region 2 and 3, with the apex of the corner 1 also being illustrated. In FIG. 4, all of the corners are now flap-like after execution of a corresponding method step. FIG. 5 indicates how the separating cut and the seam extend in order to cut off the flaps and to close the opening that is formed as a result.

(19) The finished product can be seen in FIG. 2.

(20) The method is explained with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 in conjunction with apparatus components. Preferably, the piece 9 of cloth is transported by a conveyor in the direction of the arrow 19. The term “conveyor” can refer to a belt drive or another suitable element, for example. An arrangement of mechanical grippers is respectively provided in the vicinity of a corner 1, 5 of the piece 9 of cloth in proximity to the holding points 2, 3, 6, 7 near the two outer edges that form the corner 1, 5 spaced from the corner 1 that corresponds to the cover depth 12 of the cover 11 to be formed. These grippers 22, 23 correspond to the holding points 3, 2 and 6, 7, respectively. A first of these grippers, namely the gripper 22, can be displaced only in a direction 24 that is perpendicular to the plane of the piece 9 of cloth and counter to this direction for opening and closing. The second gripper 23, 23′ can also be displaced vertically for the purpose of opening and closing and, when in a closed state, can be additionally moved into a position along the arrow 25 in which the corresponding gripper 23 is moved to a position below the holding point of the gripper 22, it being additionally possible for this gripper to be moved horizontally out of the vertically displaced position in the direction of the movement arrow 26, particularly into a working position (shown in FIG. 9) in which the second gripper 23′ is positioned below the first gripper 22, so that a flap of the piece of cloth is formed that projects over a longitudinal edge 13 of the piece 9 of cloth. The movement of the second gripper 23 can also occur in such a way that it is moved from the position according to FIG. 6 into the position according to FIG. 8 by a circular motion as indicated by the movement line 27. A seam 18 can then be produced by a sewing apparatus 20 along a longitudinal outer edge 17 over which the flap projects, and the flap can be separated using a cutting apparatus 21. Depending on which parts are moved, the sewing apparatus 20 and the cutting apparatus 21 can be stationary, particularly if the piece 9 of cloth is moved according to movement arrow 19, or the sewing apparatus 20 and the separating apparatus can be mounted on apparatus components in such a way as to be movable counter to movement arrow 19 or in the direction of movement arrow 19.

(21) The invention is not limited to the embodiment, but rather can be varied in many respects within the framework of the disclosure.

(22) In particular, it is possible for the second gripper 23 to not be moved below the plane of the piece 9 of cloth, but rather above the plane, so that the gripper 23′ is positioned above the gripper 22 in the end position. This would be commensurate with folding as shown to the left in FIG. 5.

(23) All of the features disclosed in the textual description and in the drawing are considered to be essential to the invention.