Apparatus configured to fold belt loops to be sewn onto trousers, skirts or the like

Abstract

A folding device (10) adapted to fold two end flaps of material suitable for forming a belt loop (P), comprising two rotating folding units operating by counter-rotating relative to one another, each of the two rotating folding units comprising at least a pair of forked pins (13, 14) rotated and parallel to each edge of the material of the belt loop to be folded, each of the at least pair of forked pins comprising a first pin (14a) which in a rest position is arranged above a second pin (14b) and which in a first position grips the ends of the belt loop (P). from the folding position, rotates about the axis of the second pin (14b) so as to be placed in a fully folded position after a rotation of 270°, each pair of forked pins (13, 14) being associated with a moving unit of which a third pin (17) forms part, the pins (17) being straight or "S" shaped and parallel to the pins (14a, 14b) attached to the edge of an annular bushing (18), the annular bushing (18) rotating about a shaft (19) generated by a rotation driven by a rotating cylinder transmitted to the rotating devices (15, 16).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device configured to fold belt loops that are sewn onto the edges of garments such as, for example, trousers, skirts or the like.

[0002] More specifically, the device according to the present invention is designed to hold a flap or loop of fabric that is folded over by a folding system with adjustable elements and to apply a further double rotational motion to each side of the belt loop that is formed and attached to trousers or other garments.

[0003] The folding device according to the invention represents an important advancement compared to known solutions since it makes it possible to minimize the length of the inwardly folded flaps, which makes it possible to avoid subsequent operations of cleaning or trimming the folded material following the final washing cycle.

[0004] This device therefore makes it possible to produce belt loops with "neatly" folded inner flaps, i.e. without unsightly fraying.

[0005] The invention finds advantageous application in the field of industrial equipment for the manufacture of clothing, in particular for the manufacture of jeans-style trousers or skirts, or other similar applications for various types of clothing. [Background technology]

[0006] It is known that different types of machines are used in the manufacture of clothing, depending on the operations that need to be performed. For example, in the field of the manufacture of jeans-style trousers or skirts, machines are used that automate the formation of the various elements that are to be combined and their attachment to a base fabric, which in a specific example may be represented by the trouser parts to which the belt loops are attached.

[0007] Among the various types of machines for manufacturing clothing, there are also automatic machines for attaching belt loops.

[0008] Such a machine comprises a mechanical operating assembly which allows the formation and attachment of a belt loop to a base fabric, the preparation of the belt loop folded over with its outer flap, and which operates according to two main operating concepts: a) Before the loader arrives, the belt loop strip is tensioned and cut to the desired size. At this point, a system of grippers holds the strip tightly in place until the moment the outer flaps are folded over. b) The belt loop strip is pulled to the desired size and awaits the arrival of the loader, upon which the strip is cut while the central gripper holds it tightly in place until the moment the outer flaps are folded over.

[0009] The two methods differ substantially in the sequence of motions the apparatus operates to prepare the belt loop, i.e., when the apparatus begins to pull the strip of material or when the loader places the rotating pin inside the strip and the cut of the strip of material is made.

[0010] What all these automatic belt loop attachment units have in common is the fact that after the material is cut, the formation of the belt loop takes place, whereby its edges are folded inward.

[0011] To do this, as shown in Figures 1 to 1d, the loading device is equipped at its front with two pairs of rotating fork-like pins A and B configured to form, by taking and folding over at both ends, a classic belt loop P which is attached like a patch.

[0012] The linear rotating fork pins A and B are, in their starting position, arranged on a horizontal axis and parallel one above the other, i.e. the main lower pin is arranged almost in contact with the lower edge of the upper pin.

[0013] The distance between the two rotating pins is typically adjustable based on the thickness of the material being folded to allow the material to remain in place while the belt loop is inserted between the two pins, and this distance is adjusted to maintain minimal friction of the material against said rotating pins during insertion, but maintain significant friction during rotation to prevent the material from potentially slipping as the rotating pins rotate.

[0014] The loader positions the two pins until the strip of material is completely inserted inside the two pins, after this step, a more or less simultaneous rotation of the outer flap of material begins, while the central device locks the strip of belt loop in place. This action is carried out by rotating the upper pin by 270 degrees around the axis of the main lower pin, which in turn rotates around its longitudinal axis.

[0015] The rotation step is completed when the two rotation pins are positioned horizontally alongside each other, with the main lower pin located on the outside and the upper pin located on the inside.

[0016] All loaders have two pairs of pins located on either end of the belt loop.

[0017] The pair of rotating pins rotate simultaneously in opposite directions to each other, thereby allowing the outer flap to be folded over toward the inside of the belt loop.

[0018] Thus, during the folding step, despite the presence of a central locking device, the simultaneous rotation of the outer flaps places the strip of material in tension, a fact which tends to cause the folded flaps of material to slip off the internal pins, especially in the case of elastic or very stiff materials.

[0019] This drawback is exacerbated if the length of the folded flaps is too short or if tensions built up in the material during rotation are not controlled.

[0020] To prevent belt loop slippage and avoid related quality issues, the internal pin needs to be sized to have enough material beyond its contour to lock the flap of folded material onto the underside of the top strip, as tension in the material itself will tend to cause the material to slip off the pin applied to the folded material.

[0021] Thus, the final required length of the folded flap of material is calculated based on various parameters. - the type of material and its thickness, - A mechanical system applied to rotate the two flaps, - the rotational speed of the pin and the friction of the pin against the material.

[0022] Therefore, to overcome all these problems, it is common practice to greatly increase the length of the folded over material, but this solution creates a further problem: between the stitching applied to secure the belt loop in place and the free edge of the inner folded over flap, the fibres of the material that are not held in place by the stitching open up during washing, i.e. the edges come apart and fray.

[0023] The disadvantage resulting from this is the fact that the loose and frayed edges of the folded ends of the belt loop become visible under the upper profile of the belt loop, with the result that further manual cleaning operations with associated costs must be intervened in order to cut off this frayed material and avoid disputes regarding the execution of the sewing operation or the quality of the trousers.

[0024] Document JP 2003 311058A discloses a belt loop element supplying device for a sewing machine, which aims to perform bar tack stitching by folding back both ends of a belt loop element without generating dog ears. A fork-shaped first gripping part is fixed to the distal end of a rotating shaft fixed to the rod of a first rotating cylinder. The vicinity of both ends of the belt loop element can be clamped by a pair of upper and lower forks formed on the first gripping part. In this case, a first movement preventing member is provided that approaches the belt loop element gripped by the first gripping part from above and maintains a contact state with the upper surface of the belt loop element, and a locking part is formed on a vertical part of the first movement preventing member. Thus, the side of the clamped belt loop element is locked, and the belt loop element can be kept in a stopped state until it is handed over to the sewing machine. Summary of the Invention

[0025] The present invention aims to provide a device that relies on suitable means for folding belt loops attached to trousers or other garments, comprising an additional element for holding the folded flap of material, thus creating conditions that make it possible to eliminate or at least reduce the drawbacks highlighted above.

[0026] The invention particularly aims to provide a constructive solution that provides for the use of a mechanical device applied to the final part of a conventional arm of a folding system.

[0027] In order to place the folded flap inside the belt loop, regardless of the type of material and the width dimensions of the strip to be folded, the machine according to the invention comprises a third rotating pin that makes it possible to "combed" the material during its dedicated eccentric rotation, and a push that is maintained on the edge of the material folded inside the belt loop at the end of its rotation while the material is folded by the rotation steps of the other two pins present in each folding unit.

[0028] Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for folding flaps of fabric, which is simple and economical to manufacture and which envisages the use of a third pin applied to a fixed point of its moving means and configured to enable its rotation along its axis and thus to modify its initial position in order to compensate for different types or thicknesses of material. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent on reading the following description of one embodiment of the invention, given by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the figures shown in the attached drawings, in which: [Figure 1-1d] 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a solution according to the prior art; [Diagram 2] 1 shows a diagram relating to a solution according to the invention comprising a mechanical device formed by a third rotating pin associated with a forked pin. [Diagram 3-4] 2A and 2B show schematic views of a device according to the invention with a belt loop disposed between the folding members in a first and a second final operating step, respectively; [Figure 5-6] FIG. 1 shows a schematic axonometric perspective view highlighting details of one of two folding units from two different angles. [Figure 7-7 (Prime)] 1A-1C are schematic front views highlighting the first and second final steps of operation of a third pin according to the present invention, respectively; [Figure 8-8 (Prime)] 1A-1C are detailed schematic front views highlighting a first initial and a second final operation step, respectively, of a third pin according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, and particularly initially to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the reference numeral 10 generally indicates a folding device according to the present invention designed to fold two ends of a material adapted to form a belt loop P.

[0031] The device, in one embodiment shown in the figure, generally comprises a central device 11 with an arm 12 having an adjustable stroke for keeping the central portion of the belt loop P locked in place.

[0032] The device 10 further comprises two pairs of forked pins 13 and 14 which rotate and are parallel to each edge of the material of the belt loop to be folded, and which are moved to undergo axial rotation by respective rotating devices 15 and 16, each of which is driven by its own rotating device.

[0033] More specifically, referring to one of the two pairs of forked pins, i.e. the pin designated 14, it comprises pin 14a, which in the rest position is located above pin 14b, and during the operating step both rotate about the axis of pin 14b, with pin 14a moving relative to pin 14b from the 12 o'clock position to the 9 o'clock position after a 270° rotation.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a movement unit is added to each pair of forked pins 13 and 14, which includes a third pin 17, in this case an "S" shaped pin, arranged on an axis parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating device 16 and rotating around the axis of the same pin 14b.

[0035] More specifically, according to the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6, pin 17 consists of a metal rod with an off-axis central portion 17' forming two parts with an axis parallel to the axis of pins 14a and 14b and is attached to the edge of an annular bushing 18 rotatable about its own shaft 19 generating a rotation driven by a rotating cylinder, which is transmitted to the rotating devices 15, 16 on the axis of pin 14b.

[0036] More particularly, according to the embodiment shown in Figures 2 and 3, and more preferably in Figures 4 and 5, the annular bushing 18 is provided with a pair of concentric arcuate slots 20 and 21 arranged radially as arcs of a circle and offset from one another.

[0037] Protruding from the first slot 20 is a set screw 22 rigidly connected to the shaft 19, while the second slot 21 is interrupted by a further fixed set screw 23 rigidly connected to a lock plate 24 fixed to the machine body by screws 25.

[0038] Set screws 22 and 23 operate within respective offset arcuate slots 20 and 21 to permit controlled rotation of pin 17 in synchronization with the movement of shaft 19 which rotationally drives pins 14a and 14b.

[0039] In practice, the action of the set screws 22, 23 develops reciprocal opposition within their respective slots 20, 21 so that the pins 17 can be moved eccentrically and angularly with the utmost precision in perfect synchronism.

[0040] In other words, the action of the set screws 22 and 23 is such that rotation of the shaft 19 imparts a primary rotation to both the pin 14a, which rotates about the axis of the pin 14b, and to the set screw 22 acting within the slot 20, and a secondary rotation of the annular bushing 18, which begins when the set screw 22 moves angularly within the slot 21 until it reaches the opposite end of the slot itself against the set screw 23 which acts as a limit stop.

[0041] From an operational point of view, the bushing 18 consists of a ring which imparts eccentric rotation to said pin 17 attached to its annular edge by rotation of the bushing itself about the axis of the shaft 19 which moves the pin 17 from the distal start of the material to the proximal end of the material against a set screw 23 which acts as a limit stop in an offset slot 21.

[0042] The total eccentric rotation permitted for pin 17 is given by the rotation of shaft 19 about the axis of pin 14b (270 degrees) minus the length of slot 20 formed in bushing 18.

[0043] In fact, when the set screw 22 reaches and contacts the end opposite the starting point located within the slot 20, it imparts rotation to the annular bushing 18 in which the pin 17 is inserted, against the set screw 23 which acts as a limit stop.

[0044] It should be noted that the folding device according to the invention, designed to fold two flaps of material adapted to form a belt loop P, comprises two corresponding symmetrical folding units, each of which comprises a pair of fork-shaped pins 13 and 14 rotated and parallel to each edge of the material of the belt loop to be folded, which pins are moved so as to undergo axial rotation by respective rotating devices 15 and 16, which rotate in the opposite direction to the other.

[0045] In summary, the above device is designed to enable: - a specific angle of rotation of pin 17 relative to the rotation of the other two rotating pins 14a and 14b, - eccentrically rotating the pin 17 to change the start and end points of the pin 17 relative to the belt loop being folded; - a guide for maintaining the mechanical device in a longitudinal position relative to the axis of the rotation curve of the end of the belt loop to be folded, which coincides with the axis of the pin 14b and the shaft 19; - the last part of the third rotating pin 17 combs while the other two pins 14a and 14b rotate the outer flap inside the belt loop, keeping the upper profile of the material in the same position at the end of its rotation; - Compensating for tension in the material by applying force to push the folded edges inwards; - They are made in such a way that it is possible to compensate for the different thicknesses of the part of the trousers to which the belt loops are attached (e.g. yoke-crotch) by the elasticity of the material.

[0046] This device has the further advantage of being able to be included in a kit which can be easily adapted to standard folding systems, making it possible to produce belt loops P with a "clean" flap, so to speak, thus eliminating the need for cleaning operations after washing, thus reducing costs and operations in the overall trouser production cycle.

[0047] With reference to the same sewing cycle of a conventional folding machine, which takes about 10 seconds to attach five belt loops to one pair of trousers, in the folding machine according to the invention the step of cleaning after the inner edges of the five belt loops P have been washed is eliminated, which typically takes an additional 10-25 seconds per pair of trousers, depending on the speed of the operator performing the cleaning and the degree of automation applied to the cleaning operation.

[0048] As a result, the use of the device according to the invention eliminates, for every operator who installs belt loops, the need for one or two operators to clean the belt loops after washing, as well as the need for a cutting unit for each operator, with all the advantages which accrue therefrom in terms of productivity and cost-effectiveness.

[0049] The present invention has been described above with reference to its preferred embodiments, however, it is envisioned that some structural modifications may be introduced that fall within the scope of the present invention in terms of technical equivalence. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0050] [Patent Document 1] JP2003 311058 A

Claims

1. A folding device (10) designed to fold two end flaps of material suitable for forming a belt loop (P) to be attached to a garment, comprising: two rotating and folding units that operate by rotating in opposite directions relative to each other; each of the two rotating folding units comprises at least one pair of forked pins (13, 14) that rotate and are parallel to each edge of the material of the belt loop to be folded over; the at least one pair of forked pins (13, 14) are angularly rotatable by a rotating shaft (19) for undergoing axial rotation by respective independent rotating devices (15, 16); each of said at least one pair of forked pins (13, 14) comprises a first pin (14a) which in a rest position is arranged parallel to and close to a second pin (14b) and which rotates about the axis of said second pin (14b) so as to be arranged from a first position in which it grips the end of said belt loop (P) to a position in which said belt loop is fully folded after rotation according to a predetermined angle; each pair of forked pins (13, 14) is associated with a moving unit of which a third pin (17) which is partially molded and partially parallel to said first pin (14a) and said second pin (14b) forms part; The third pin (17) is attached to the edge of an annular bushing (18) that is rotatable about the rotating shaft (19) that generates the rotation transmitted to the rotating devices (15, 16), and the third pin (17) is configured to perform eccentric rotation around the annular bushing (18) while the material is being folded by the rotation of the first pin (14a) and the second pin (14b), making it possible to comb the material during its eccentric rotation and to maintain a pressing force against the edge of the material folded into the belt loop at the end of its rotation, a folding device (10).

2. 2. The folding device (10) of claim 1, wherein the third pin (17) is "S" shaped and, due to its structure, rotates eccentrically about the axis of the second pin (14b), which is arranged on an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotating device (16).

3. 2. The folding device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the third pin (17) consists of a metal rod having a central broken portion (17') forming two parts with axes parallel to the axes of the first pin (14a) and the second pin (14b), the structure providing the third pin (17) with eccentric rotation relative to the axis of the second pin (14b).

4. 4. The folding device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the annular bushing (18) is provided with a pair of concentric arc-shaped first and second slots (20) and (21) arranged radially as arcs of a circle and offset from one another.

5. 5. The folding device (10) according to claim 4, wherein a set screw (22) rigidly connected to the rotating shaft (19) protrudes from the first slot (20), while the second slot (21) is blocked by a further fixed set screw (23) rigidly connected to a locking plate (24) fixed to the machine body by a locking element (25).

6. 6. The folding device (10) of claim 5, wherein the set screw (22) and the further fixed set screw (23) operate within the offset arcuate first slot (20) and second slot (21), respectively, to enable controlled rotation of the third pin (17) in synchronization with the movement of the rotating shaft (19) that rotationally drives the first pin (14a) and the second pin (14b).

7. 6. The folding device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the action of the set screw (22) and the further fixed set screw (23) is configured so that rotation of the rotating shaft (19) imparts a primary rotation to both the first pin (14a) rotating about the axis of the second pin (14b) and the set screw (22) operating in the first slot (20), and a secondary rotation of the annular bushing (18) that begins when the set screw (22) has moved angularly against the further fixed set screw (23) acting as a limit stop in the second slot (21) until it reaches the opposite end of the first slot (20) itself.

8. 6. The folding device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the annular bushing (18) imparts eccentric rotation to the third pin (17) provided on its annular edge by rotation of the bushing itself about the axis of the rotating shaft (19), which moves the third pin (17) from its start point distal to the material to its end point proximal to the material against the further fixed set screw (23) which acts as a limit stop in the offset second slot (21).

9. 9. The folding device (10) according to claim 8, wherein the total eccentric rotation allowed for the third pin (17) is given by the rotation of the rotating shaft (19) on the axis of the second pin (14b) minus the length of the first slot (20) formed in the annular bushing (18).

10. 6. The folding device (10) according to claim 5, wherein when the set screw (22) reaches and contacts the end opposite to the starting point disposed in the first slot (20), it imparts a rotation to the annular bushing (18) into which the third pin (17) is inserted, against the further fixed set screw (23) which acts as a limit stop.

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