Method and apparatus for inspecting and grading garments
First Claim
1. A garment inspecting and grading apparatus for inspecting a garment, the apparatus comprising:
- means for mounting a garment thereon, said mounting means being formed of translucent material;
optical inspecting means positioned adjacent said mounting means for inspecting predetermined portions of a garment mounted on said mounting means, said optical inspecting means including at least one light emitter positionally aligned with a portion of said mounting means to emit light through a predetermined portion of a garment mounted thereon and at least one light detector positionally aligned with said at least one light emitter and the portion of said mounting means to detect either the presence or absence of light traveling from said light emitter and through the predetermined portion of a garment article mounted on said mounting means so that presence and absence of defects in a garment are thereby determined; and
means positioned downstream from said mounting means and said optical inspecting means and in electrical communication with said optical inspecting means for grading and sorting a garment into one of a plurality of predetermined quality groups responsive to the presence or absence of defects detected by said optical inspecting means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A garment inspecting and grading apparatus and methods of inspecting a garment are provided that preferably have a mounting member arranged to mount a garment thereon. A light emitter is positionally aligned closely adjacent the mounting member to emit light through a predetermined portion of a garment mounted thereon. A light detector is also positionally aligned with the light emitter to detect either the presence or absence of light traveling from the light emitter. A controller is positioned in electrical communication with the light detector and arranged to determine the presence and absence of defects in a predetermined portion of a garment responsive to electrical signals representative of the presence or absence of light received from the light detector. A grader and sorter are positioned downstream from the light emitter and the light detector for sorting an inspected garment into one of a plurality of predetermined quality groups.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A garment inspecting and grading apparatus for inspecting a garment, the apparatus comprising:
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means for mounting a garment thereon, said mounting means being formed of translucent material; optical inspecting means positioned adjacent said mounting means for inspecting predetermined portions of a garment mounted on said mounting means, said optical inspecting means including at least one light emitter positionally aligned with a portion of said mounting means to emit light through a predetermined portion of a garment mounted thereon and at least one light detector positionally aligned with said at least one light emitter and the portion of said mounting means to detect either the presence or absence of light traveling from said light emitter and through the predetermined portion of a garment article mounted on said mounting means so that presence and absence of defects in a garment are thereby determined; and means positioned downstream from said mounting means and said optical inspecting means and in electrical communication with said optical inspecting means for grading and sorting a garment into one of a plurality of predetermined quality groups responsive to the presence or absence of defects detected by said optical inspecting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A garment inspecting apparatus for inspecting a garment, the apparatus comprising:
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a mounting member formed of translucent material arranged to mount at least a portion of a garment thereon; a light emitter positionally aligned closely adjacent said boarding member to emit light through a predetermined portion of a garment mounted thereon; a light detector positionally aligned with said light emitter to detect either the presence or absence of light traveling from said light emitter; a controller in electrical communication with said light detector and arranged to determine the presence and absence of defects in a predetermined portion of a garment responsive to electrical signals representative of the presence or absence of light received from said light detector; and means positioned downstream from said light emitter and said light detector for sorting an inspected garment into one of a plurality of predetermined quality groups. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A garment inspecting and grading apparatus for inspecting a hosiery garment, the apparatus comprising:
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a base; a plurality of mounting members rotatably connected to said base for mounting at least leg and gusset portions of a hosiery garment thereon; at least one light emitter positionally aligned closely adjacent said mounting member and mounted to said base for emitting light through a predetermined portion of a leg of a hosiery garment during reciprocal and vertical movement along a leg of a hosiery garment mounted on at least one of said plurality of mounting members; at least one light detector positionally aligned with said at least one light emitter for detecting either the presence or absence of light traveling from said at least one light emitter; a controller in electrical communication with said at least one light detector and arranged to determine the presence and absence of defects in a predetermined portion of a garment responsive to electrical signals representative of the presence or absence of light received from said light detector; and means positioned downstream from said light emitter and said light detector for sorting an inspected garment into one of a plurality of predetermined quality groups. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A garment inspecting apparatus for inspecting a stitch line of a garment, the garment inspecting apparatus comprising:
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a mounting member positioned to mount at least portions of a garment to be inspected; a shadow-forming member positioned adjacent said mounting member and a stitch line of a mounted garment; a light source positioned to emit light along at least a portion of stitch line of a garment so as to cause a shadow to be formed on said shadow-forming member; and at least one detector positionally aligned with said shadow-forming member to detect the presence and absence of light positioned on said shadow-forming member so that presence and absence of defects in a stitch line of a garment are thereby determined. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A garment inspecting apparatus for inspecting a stitch line of a hosiery garment, the garment inspecting apparatus comprising:
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a pair of elongate and spaced-apart boarding members arranged to mount a pair of legs of a hosiery garment thereon; means positioned closely adjacent said pair of mounting members for sewing a stitch line in legs of a hosiery garment mounted on said pair of boarding members; a shadow-forming board member positioned adjacent a stitch line of a hosiery garment; a light source positioned to emit light along at least a portion of a stitch line of a hosiery garment so as to cause a shadow to be formed on said shadow-forming board member; and a light detector positionally aligned with said board member to detect the presence and absence of defects in a stitch line responsive to a shadow formed on said board member so that presence and absence of defects in a stitch line of a hosiery garment are thereby determined. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A garment sewing and inspecting apparatus for inspecting a toe portion of a leg of a hosiery garment, the garment inspecting apparatus comprising:
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at least one elongate mounting member arranged to mount a toe portion of a leg of a hosiery garment thereon; means for sewing a stitch line into a toe portion of a leg of a hosiery garment; a shadow-forming board member positioned adjacent a stitched toe line of a hosiery garment; a light source positioned to emit light along at least a portion of a stitched toe line of a hosiery garment so as to cause a shadow to be formed on said board member; and a light detector positionally aligned with said board member to detect the presence and absence of defects in a stitched toe line responsive to a shadow formed on said board member so that presence and absence of defects in a stitched toe line of a hosiery garment are thereby determined. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of inspecting a stitch line of a garment comprising:
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emitting light closely adjacent a portion of a stitch line of a garment mounted on a mounting member while forming a shadow of the portion of the stitch line; and detecting the presence and absence of defects in the portion of the stitch line responsive to a shadow representative of the presence and absence of defects in the portion of the stitch line of a garment. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A method of inspecting a stitch line of a garment comprising:
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emitting light closely adjacent a stitch line of a garment mounted on a mounting member while forming a shadow of the stitch line; directing a gas toward the stitch line so as to cause a defect in the stitch line to be more easily recognized; detecting the presence and absence of defects in the stitch line responsive to a shadow representative of the presence and absence of defects in the stitch line of a garment; and grading and sorting a garment into at least one of a plurality of predetermined quality groups responsive to detecting the presence or absence of defects therein.
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- 32. In an apparatus for making garments from blanks including means for receiving and mounting garment blanks in operative association, means for sewing the garment blanks to form seams thereof securing portions of the garment blanks together, and means for conveying the garment blanks to and from said sewing means, the combination of means for optically inspecting and grading the garment blanks based upon the presence and absence of defects in the seams formed, said optical inspecting and grading means comprising a light source operatively associated with said conveying means downstream of said sewing means for directing a beam of light onto the seam after the seam is formed, a detector operatively associated with said conveying means and said light source for detecting any defects in the seam exposed by said light source and for generating a signal indicative of the presence or absence of such defects, and a controller in electrical communication with said detector for grading a garment based upon the presence or absence of defects in the seam.
Specification