EP1943382A2 - Horizontal-multi-needle quilting machine and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A multi-needle quilting machine (10) and method uses two separately moveable bridges (21, 22) having selectively operable chain-stitching pairs. Either the material of the bridges or both may be moved relative to the frame. Control schemes are provided to quilt continuous patterns, discrete patterns, linked multiple patterns, 360 degree patterns, or closely spaced patterns, preferably using a single drive servo motor for each bridge with the needle and looper drives phased relative to each other through a differential transmission. The needles (25) and loopers (26) can be driven out of phase, which is particularly useful in starting stitching sequences reliably. The parameters that define different products are used by a machine controller as a basis for deriving different quilting process steps, such as tack stitching sequences, thread wipe cycles and paths, thread pull-off distances and tension, and the need to sew additional lines to stabilize the material layers.

Description

HORizoNTAL-MULTi-NEEDLE OIΠLTING

MACHINE AND METHOD

[0001] Tins PCT application claims the benefit of US Piovisional Applications Senal Nos 60/715,423, filed 9/9/05, 60/762,471, filed 1/26/06, and 60/763,172, filed 1/27/06 [0002] For the United States this application is also a Continuation-m-Pait of

U S Patent Application Senal No 11/040,499, filed Januaiy 21, 2005 and published on August 18, 2005 as US 2005/0178307, whichis a Contmuation-In-PaitU S Patent Application Senal No 10/804,833, filedMaich 19, 2004, which is a Contmuation-In-Pait of PCT Application No PCT/US03/07083, filed Maicli 6, 2003, which claims the benefit of the following U S Piovisional Patent Applications, each heieby expiessly incorpoiated heiemby iefeience Serial No 60/362,179 filed onMaicli 6, 2002, SeiialNo 60/446,417 filed onFebiuaiy 11, 2003, Serial No 60/446,430 filed on Febniary 11, 2003, Serial No 60/446,419 filed on Februaiy 11, 2003, Senal No 60/446,426 filed onFebruaiy 11 , 2003, Senal No 60/446,529 filed onFebruaiy 11 , 2003 , and Senal No 60/447,773 filed onFebiuaiy 14, 2003, all of which aie heieby expiessly mcorpoiated heiemby refeience, and PCT Application PCT/US2005/008312, filed Maich 11, 2005, which claims the benefit of US Application Senal

Nos 10/804,833 and 11/040,499, all of which aie also expiessly mcorpoiated heiem by iefeience and is ielated to US Piovisional Application Senal No 60/362, 179 filed 3/6/02, also expiessly mcorpoiated by iefeience heiein

Field ot the Invention:

[0003] This mventionielates to quilting, and paiticulailyielates to quiltmgwithlugh-speedrnulti-needle quilting machines More paiticularly, the invention i elates to multi-needle chain stitch quilting machines, foi example, of the types used in the manufactiue of math ess coveis and othei quilted pi oducts that aie usually foimed of wide webs of multi-layeied matenal Backgi ouncl ot the Invention'

[0004] Quiltmg is a sewing piocess by which layeis of textile matenal and othei fabiic aie joined to pioduce compiessible panels that aie both decoiative and functional Stitch patterns aie used to decoiate the panels with sewn designs while the stitches themselves join the vaπous layeis of matenal that make up the quilts The manufactiue of mattiess coveis involves the application of laige scale quilting piocesses The laige scale quiltmg piocesses usually use high-speed multi-needle quiltmg machines to foim senes of mattiess covei panels along webs of the multiple-layeied matenals These laige scale quiltmg piocesses typically use cham-stitch sewing heads which pioduce resilient stitch chains that can be supplied by laige spools of thiead Some such machines can be iun at up to 1500 oi moie stitches pei minute and dnve one oi more lows of needles each to simultaneously stitch patterns acioss webs that aie ninety inches oi moie in width Highei speeds, gieatei pattei n flexibility and iiici eased opei atmg efficiency ai e constant goals foi the quiltmg piocesses used in the bedding mdustiy Traditional multi-needle quilting machines, while fast and efficient, have been less useful in pioducmg high-end-market matuess covei products and comfoiteis, which aie often made on the slowei but more flexible single or dual needle quilting machines

[0005] Conventional multi-needle quilting machines have thiee axes of motion An X-axis, can be considered as the longitudinal duection of motion of a web of the mateiial as it moves thiough the quilting station frequently, such bi-dnectional motion is piovided in which the web of mateiial can move in eithei a foiwaid or a leveise duection to facilitate sewing m any duection, such as is needed foi the quilting of 360 degiees patterns on the mateiial Mateiial accumulatois usually accompany suchbi diiectional machines so that sections of a web can be reveised without changing the duection of the entiie length of web mateiial along the quilting line A Y-axis of motion is also piovided by moving the web fiom side to side, also foi foimmg quilted patterns Usually the quilting mechanism iemains stationaiy m the quilting piocess and the motion of the mateiial is contiolled to affect the quilting of various patterns

[0006] The X-axis and the Y-axis are paiallel to the plane of the material being quilted, wluch tiaditionally is a hoiizontal plane A thud axis, a Z-axis, is perpendiculai to the plane of the mateiial and defines the nominal duection of motion of iecipiocatmg needles that foim the quilting stitches The needles, typically on an upper sewing head above the plane of the material, coopeiate with loopeis on the opposite oi lowei side of the mateiial, which iecipiocate perpendiculai to the Z-axis, typically m the X-axis duection The upper poition of the sewing mechanism that includes the needle drive is, in a conventional multi-needle quilting machine, earned by a laige stationary budge The lower poition of the sewing mechanism that includes the loopei dπves is attached to a cast uon table Theie may be, foi example, thiee lows of sewmg elements attached to eachiespective uppei and lower stmctuie All of the needles are commonly linked to and diivenby a single mam shaft

[0007] Conventional multi needle quilting machines use a single laige piessei foot plate that conipiesses the entue web section of mateiial in the sewmg aiea acioss the width of the web On a typical machine that is used m the mattiess mdustiy, this piessei foot plate might, duimg each stitch, compiess an aiea of mateiial that is over 800 squaie inches in size to a thickness of as little as 1/4 inch When the needles aie withdiawn fiom the material following each stitch formation, the piessei foot plate must still compiess the mateiial to about 7/16 inch Since the mateiial must, while still undei the piesser foot plate, move lelative to the stitching elements to foim the pattern, patterns aie typically distorted by the drag foices exerted on it paialiel to the plane of the mateiial These conventional machines aie large and heavy, and occupy a substantial aiea on the flooi of a bedding manufactuimg plant

[0008] Fuithei, multi-needle quilting machines lack flexibility Most pi o vide a lme oi an anay of fixed needles that opeiate simultaneously to sew the same pattern and identical seπes of stitches Changing the pattern lequnes the physical setting, ieanangement oi removal of needles and the thieadmg of the alteied auangement of needles Such ieconfiguiation takes opeiator time and substantial machine down-time

[00091 Tiaditional chain stitch machines used foi qiultmg iecipiocate one oi moie needles thiough thick multi-layeied mateiial using a ciank mechanism diivenby a iotary shaft The foice of a drive motor, as well as ineitia of the linkage, foices the needle thiough the mateiial The needle motion so pioduced is tiaditionally sinusoidal, that is, it is defined by a cutve iepresented by the equation y=sme x Foi purposes of tins application, motion that does not satisfy that equation will be chaiacteπzed as non sinusoidal Thus, the needle motion cauies a needle tip fiom a raised position of, foi example, one inch above the matenal, downwaid thiough mateiial compiessed to appioximately 1/4 inch, to a point about Vi inch below the material wheie its motion leveises The needle cauies a needle thiead thiough the material andpiesents a loop on the loopei side of the mateiial to be picked up by a loopei thiead On the looper side of a material, a loopei oi hook is ieciprocated about a shaft in a sinusoidal iotaiy motion The loopei is positioned lelative to the needle such that its tip enteis the needle thiead loop presented by the needle to extend a loop of looper thiead through, the needle thiead loop on the loopei side of the mateiial The motion of the loopei is synchionized with motion of the needle so that the needle thiead loop is picked up by the looper thiead when the needle is at the downwaid extent of its cycle The needle then rises and withdiaws fiom the mateiial and leaves the needle thiead extending aiound the loopei and loopei thread loop

[0010] When the needle is withdiawn fiom the mateiial, the mateiial is shifted relative to the stitching elements and the needle again descends through the mateiial at a distance equal to one stitch length fiom the pievious point of needle penetiation, foiming one stitch When agam thiough the mateiial, the needle inserts the next loop of needle thread thiough a loop formed m the loopei thread that was pieviously poked by the loopei thiough the previous needle thiead loop At this point m the cycle, the looper itself has aheady withdiaw ήom the needle thread loop, m its sinusoidal iecipiocatmg motion, leaving the loopei thiead loop extendmg around a stitch assisting element, known as a ietainei in many machines, which holds the loopei thiead loop open foi the next decent of a needle In this process, needle thiead loops aie formed and passed thiough loopei thread loops as looper thiead loops aie alternatively foimed and passed thiough needle thiead loops, theieby pioducing a chain of loops of alternating needle and loopei thiead along the loopei side of the mateiial, leaving a senes of stitches foimed only of the needle thiead visible on the needle side of the mateiial

[0011] The tiaditional sinusoidal motion of the needle and loopei in a chain stitch foiming machine have, thiough yeais of expenence, been adjusted to maintain ieliable loop-taking by the thiead so that stitches aie not missed in the sewing piocess In high speed quilting machmes, the motion of the needle is such that the needle tip is piesent below the plane of the mateiial, oi a needle plate that suppoits the mateiial, foi appioximately 1/3 of the cycle of the needle, oi 120 degiees of the needle cycle

[0012] Dm ing the poition of the needle cycle when the needle extends thiough the mateiial, no motion of the mateiial lelative to the needle is piefened Ineitia of machine components and mateiial causes some of the between-stitch motion of mateiial lelative to the needle to occui with the needle thiough the mateiial This iesults mneedle deflection, which can cause missed stitches as the loopei misses a needle tlnead loop oi the needle misses a looper thiead loop, oi causes loss of pattern definition as mateiial stretches and distoits Fuithei, limiting the time of needle penetiation of the fabiic defines the speed of the needle thiough the fabnc, which determines the ability of the needle topenetiate thick multi-layeied material Inciease of the needle speed then leqimes incieasmg the distance of needle tiavel, winch causes excess needle thiead slack below the fabnc that must be pulled up to tighten the stitches dm ing the foimation of the stitches Accoidingly, the tiaditional needle motion has imposed limitations on chain stitch sewing and paiticulaily on high speed quilting [0013] Fuithei, loopei heads on known multi-needle quiltrag machines piovide the loopei motion by moving camfolloweis over a cam surface, which lequues lubrication and creates a wear component requiiing mamtenance [0014] Additionally, chain stitch forming elements used on multi-needle quilting machines typically each include a needle that iecipiocates through the mateiial fiom the facing side theieof and a loopei oi hook that oscillates ni a path on the back side of the mateiial thiough top-thiead loops foimed on the back side of the mateiial by the penetrating needle Chain stitching involves the foiming of a cascading senes oi chain of alternating uiteilocking between a top thiead and a bottom thtead on the back side of the mateiial by the inteiaction of the needle and loopei on the backside of the mateiial, which simultaneously foims a clean senes of top-thiead stitches on the top side of the mateiial The ieliable foimmg of the seπes of stitches lequues that the paths of the needle and looper of each stitching element set be accurately established, so that neither the needle noi the loopei misses the take-up of the loop of the opposing thread The missing of such a loop pioduces a missed stitch, which is a defect in the stitching pattern

[0015] Initially, and peπodically in the couise of the use of a quilting machine, the lelative positions of the needle and the looper must be adjusted Typically, this involves the adjusting of the tiansverse adjustment of the position of the loopei on its axis of oscillation In multi-needle quilting machines, such an adjustment is made to bung the path of the looper in close pioximity to the side of the needle just above the eye m the needle thiough which is passed the top thiead At this position, a loop of the needle thiead is formed beside the needle thioiigh which the looper tip inserts a loop of the bottom thiead The foimations ot these loops and the interlocking chain of stitches is desciibed in detail in U S Patent No 5,154,130, heieby expiessly mcorpoiated heiem by iefeience

[0016] Looper adjustment has been typically a manual piocess The adjustment is made with the machine shut down by a technician using some soit of a hand tool to loosen, leposition, check and tighten the loopei so that it passes close to oi lightly against the needle when the needle is neai the bottom-most point m the needle's path of tiavel on the bottom side of the mateiial being quilted The adjustment takes a ceitain amount of opeiator time In a multi-needle quiltmg machine, the number of needles may be many, and the adjustment time may be laige It is not uncommon that the quilting line would be shut down foi the majoi portion of an houi oi moiejust foi needle adjustment

[0017] Furtheimoie, since the loopei adjustment has been a manual piocess, difficulties of access to the adjusting elements, difficulties m determining the lelative loopei and needle positions, and difficulties in holding the adjusting elements in position while seeming or locking the locking components of the assemblies has seived as a souice of adjustment enoi [0018] Chain stitch forming elements used on multi-needle quiltmg machines typically each include a needle that ieciprocates thiough the mateiial fiom the facing side theieof and a looper oi hook that oscillates m a path on the back side of the mateiial thiough top-thiead loops formed on the back side of the material by the penetiatmg needle Cham stitching involves the forming of a cascading senes or chain of alternating mterlockmg between a top thread and a bottom tlnead on the back side of the matei ml by the mteiaction of the needle and looper on the backside of the material, which simultaneously foims a clean seues of top-thiead stitches on the top side of the mateπal The top thiead oi needle tlnead penetiates the fabiic fiom the top side oi facing side of the fabnc and foims loops on the bottom side oi back side of the fabiic The bottom thiead remains exclusively on the back side of the fabric where it forms a chain of alternating interlocking loops with the loops of the top thread.

[0019] High speed multi-needle quilting machines, such as those that are used in the manufacture of mattress covers, often sew patterns in disconnected series of pattern components. In such sewing, tack stitches are made and, at the end of the quilting of a pattern component, at least the top thread is cut. Then the fabric advances relative to the needles to the beginning of a new pattern component, where more tack stitches are made and sewing recommences. One such high speed multi-needle quilting machine is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,154,130, referred to above. This patent particularly describes in detail one method of cutting thread in such multi-needle quilting machines. Accordingly, there is a need for more reliable and more efficient thread management in multi-needle quilting machines.

[0020] These characteristics and requirements of high-speed multi-needle quilting machines, and the deficiencies discussed above, impede the achievement of higher speeds and greater pattern flexibility in conventional quilting machines.

Accordingly, there is a need to overcome these obstacles and to increase the operating efficiency of quilting processes, particularly for the high volume quilting used in the bedding industry.

[0021] Further, mere is a constant need for easy ways to change materials supplied, usually in web form, to multi-needle quilting machines. With web supplies, this need includes the need for ways to splice the length of material to be fed from a new supply to the trailing edge of the web of material that has been fed to the machine. In many quilting machines, particularly in the machines set forth in the applications identified above where the web moves vertically upwardly through the quilting station, the material supply enters the machine from near the floor. This is particularly helpful in minimizing the resistance on the web that could cause distortion of the material when stretchable material is being quilted. Sometimes such stretchable materials are used as ticking in mattress covers, for example. When entering the machine from a position near the floor, it is often difficult to change materials and to splice a new supply of material to the web entering the machine.

Accordingly, improvement in such material supplies is needed.

Summary of the Invention:

[0022] A primary objective of the present invention is to improve the efficiency and economy of quilt making, particularly in high-speed, large-scale quilting applications such as are found in the bedding industry. Particular objectives of the invention include increasing quilting speeds, reducing the size and cost of quilting equipment, and increasing the flexibility in quilt patterns produced over those of the prior art.

[0023] A further objective of the present invention is to provide flexibility in the arrangement of needles in a multi-needle quilting machine. An additional objective of the invention is to reduce machine down-time and operator time needed to change needle settings in multi-needle quilting machine operation.

[0024] A particular objective of the invention is to provide a quilting head that is adaptable to various configurations of a multi-needle quilting machine, and that can be used in a number of machines of various sizes, types and orientations, for example, in single or multi-needle machines, in machines having one or more rows of needles, machines having needles variously spaced, and machines having needles oriented vertically, horizontally or otherwise. Another particular objective of the invention is to piovide sewing heads that can be opemted diffeiently in the same machine, such as to sew m different dnections, to sew diffeient patterns 01 to sew at diffeient iates

[0025] Anothei objective of the piesent invention is to impiove ieliabihty of sewmg element adjustment m quilting machines A moie paiticulai objective of the invention is to piovide for loopei adjustment that can be earned out quickly and positively by a quilting machine opeiatoi A fuithei objective of the invention is to piovide a reliable indication of when the loopei of a chain stitch sewmg head of a quilting machine is in oi out of piopei adjustment

[0026] A fuithei objective of the piesent invention is to piovide for the cutting of thiead in a multi-needle quilting machine

A moie paiticulai objective of the invention is to piovide foi thiead cutting in a multi-needle quilting machine that has sepaiately opeiable oi separately movable, ieplaceable oi ieconfiguiable heads Anothei objective of the invention is to piovide for moie ieliable momtoiing and/oi condol of thiead tension in a quilting machine, particulaily a multi-needle quilting machine A moie particulai objective of the invention is the automatic maintenance and adjustment of thread tension m such quilting machines

[0027] Accoiding to piinciples of the piesent invention, a multi-needle quiltmg machine is piovided in which the needles iecipiocate m otliei than a veitical direction as used by multi-needle quiltmg machines of the pnoi art The quiltmg machine of the piesent invention piovides seveial axes of motion that diffei fiom those of conventional multi-needle quiltmg machines

In the illustiated embodiments of the invention, the sivbstiate is suppoited in a veitical plane while the needles iecipiocate m a lioiizontal diiection While suppoit of the substrate in a veitical plane with needles onented hoπzontally is piefened and has important advantages, othei non-hoiizontal substiate oi ientations (i e , having a significant vertical component to the plane (mentation and iefened to heiein as geneially vertical) and non-vertical needle (mentations (i e , havmg a significant horizontal component to the needle oiientation and iefened to heiein as geneially lioiizontal) aie compatible with many of the featuies of the invention, while some features of the invention can provide advantages with any substiate oi needle oiientation

[0028] One piefened embodiment of a quiltmg machine, accoidmg to certain piinciples of the piesent invention, piovides two oi moie bridges that aie capable of sepaiate oi independent conhol Each budge may be piovided with a low of sewmg needles The needles may be diiven togethei, each sepaiately oi independently, oi in vanous combinations

[0029] In accoi dance with the illustiated embodiment of the invention, seven axes of motion aie piovided These include an X0-axιs that is umdnectional, which piovides for feed of the material in only one downstieam diiection In anothei embodiment, bidiiectional X-a\ιs motion is piovided This X-axu motion is biought about by the iotation of feed iolls that advance the mateiial in web foim fhiough a quiltmg station

[0030] Further in accoidance with the illustiated embodiment, independently movable budges that cany the needle and loopei stitching mechanisms aie piovided with two axes of motion, Xl Yl and X2, Y2, respectively The Y axis motion moves the lespective budge side-to-side, paiallel to the web and tiansveise to its extent and diiection of motion, while the X-axis motion moves the budge up and down paiallel to the web and paiallel to its diiection of motion In the alternative embodiment, wheie bi-dnectional motion of the web is piovided, theX-axu motion of the budge is not necessauly piovided

TlIeX, Y motions of the budges aie biought about by sepaiately contiolledA^and Kdnves foi each of the budges Prefeiably, the Y-axis motion of the bridges has a iange of about 18 inches, 9 inches in each duection on each side of a center position, and thcX-axis motion of the bridges has aiange of 36 inches lelative to the motion of the web, whether the web oi the budges move in the X duection

[0031] Accoidmg to ceitain principles of the piesent invention, a quilting machine is provided with one or moie quilting heads that can opeiate with a needle in a hoiizontal oi veitical orientation Accoidmg to othei aspects of the invention, a self- contained sewing head is piovided that can be opeiated alone oi in combination with one oi moie othei such sewing heads, eithei m synchronism in the same motion or independently to sew the same oi a different pattern, in the same oi in a diffeient direction, oi at the same oi at a diffeient speed oi stitch iate

[0032] One piefened embodiment of a quilting machine accoidmg to ceitarn pimciples of the piesent invention, provides sewing heads that can be ganged togethei on a stationaiy platfoim oi a movable bridge, and can be so aiianged with one oi moie othei sewmg heads that aie ganged togethei m a sepaiate and independent gioup on anothei platfoim oi budge, to opeiate in combination with other heads or independently and sepaiately controlled

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the budges aie sepaiately and independently supported and moved, and seveial sepaiately and independently opeiable sewmg heads aie suppoited on each budge The bπdges each aie capable of being contiolled and moved, sepaiately and independently, both transversely and longitudinally lelative to the plane of the matenal being quilted The bπdges are mounted on common leg supports that are spaced around the path of the material to be quilted, which extends vertically, with the budges guided by a common linear -bearing slide system mcorpoiated into each leg support Each leg also carries a plurality of counter werghts, one foi each budge Each budge is independently dirven vertically andhoiizontally-tiansveisely by diffeient independently contiollable servo motois Motors for each budge produce the budge vertrcal and horizontal movements

[0034] Fruthei, accoidmg to ceitam aspects of the piesenl invention, each budge has an independently contiollable drive foi iecipiocatmg the sewmg elements, the needles and loopeis The diive is most practically a iotaiy input, as fiom a iotary shaft, that operates the iecipiocatmg linkages of the elements The independent operation of the dirves on each of the budges allows foi independent sewmg operation of the sewmg heads or gioups of sewmg heads, oi the idling of one oi more heads while one oi moie otheis aie sewing The heads each have elements that iespond to controls from a controller, pieferably in iesponse to digital signals dehveied to all the heads on a common bus, with each controllable element piovrded with a decoding ciicuit that selects the signals from the bus that aie intended foi the lespectrve element

[0035] In an illustiated embodiment of the invention, each sewing head, including each needle head and each looper head, is linked to a common iotaiy dnve through an independently contiollable clutch that can be operated by a machine contiollei to turn the heads on oi off, theieby providing pattern flexibility Further, the heads may be configured in sewmg element pans, each needle head with a corresponding similaily modulai loopei head While the heads of each pair can be individually turned on oi off, they aie typically ruined on and off together, eithei simultaneously oi at diffeient phases in then cycles, as may be most desnable Alternatively, only the needle heads may be piovrded with selective dnve linkages, while the loopei heads may be linked to the output of a needle dnve motoi so as to run continuously This linkage may be diiect and permanent, oi may be adjustable, switchable oi capable of being phased m i elation to the needle dnve, such as by providing a differential dnve mechanism m the looper drive tiam When duect dnve is employed, the loopei head drive is Indeed to an input dnve shaft thiough a geai box, rathei than a clutch Each of the loopei heads is furthei piovided with an alignment disk on the loopei dnve shaft to allow precise phase setting of each loopei head lelative to the other loopei heads or the needle dnve when the looper head is installed ni the machine Fm thei, each loopei headhousing is piovided with adjustments in two dmiensions in a plane perpendiculai to the needle to facilitate alignment of the loopei head with a con esponding needle head upon loopei head installation

[0036] Furthei m accoidance with othei pimciples of the invention, a pluiality of pressei feet aie piovided, each for one needle on each needle head This allows foi a ieductioii in the total amount of matenal mat needs to be compiessed, reducing the powei and the foices needed to opeiate the quiltei Each of the needles, as well as the coiiespondmg loopeis, may be sepaiately movable and controllable, or moved and conti oiled in combinations of fewer than all of those on a budge, and can be selectively enabled and disabled Enabling and disabling of the needles and loopeis is piovided and pieferably achieved by computei contiolled actuatois, such as electiic, pneumatic, magnetic or other types of actuatois 01 motois 01 shiftable linkages

[0037] The need for less oveiall piessuie and foice by the sewing elements and by the presser foot plates allows foi lightei weight constiuction of the quilting machine and foi a smallei machine having a smallei footpimt in the bedding plant Fuithei, the use of individual pressei feetavoids much ofthepatteindistoition caused by the pressei anangements ofthepast These advantages aie fuithei enhanced by widei spacing between the needle plate on the looper side of the fabiic and the iaised piessei feet on the needle side of the fabiic This spacing can be up to seveial inches

[0038] According to fmtlier pimciples of the piesent invention, the needle in a chain stitch forming machine may be dnven in motion that diffeis from a tiaditional sinusoidal motion In an illustiated embodiment of the invention, a needle of a chain stitch foimnig head, oi each needle of a pluiality of chain stitch foiming heads, is dnven so as to remain m a iaised position foi a gieatei poition of its cycle and to penetiate the matenal dining a smallei poition of its cycle than would be the case with a tiaditional sinusoidal needle motion Also in accoidance with this illustiated embodiment of the invention, the needle is dnven so that it moves downwaidly thiough the matenal at a fastei speed than it moves as it withdiaws fiom the matenal In alternative embodiments of the invention, a sinusoidal motion is piovided

[0039] In one embodiment of asymmetric, non-smusoidal needle motion, the needle descends thiough the matenal to a depth appioximately the same as that piesented by sinusoidal motion, but moves fastei and thus amves at its lowest point of tiavel m a smallei poition of its cycle than with tiaditional sinusoidal motion Nonetheless, the needle uses fiom its lowest pomt of tiavel moie slowly than it descends, being present below the matenal for at least as long or longei than with the tiaditional sinusoidal motion, to allow sufficient time foi pickup of the needle thiead loop by the loopei As a lesult, moie matenal penetiating foice is developed by the needle than with the pnoi ait and less needle deflection and matenal distoition is pioduced than with the pnor ait, due pimiaiily to the extension of the needle thiough the matenal foi less time [0040] One embodiment of a quilting machine accoidmg to certain pimciples of the piesent invention, piovides a mechanical linkage m which an aiticulated lever oi dnve causes the needle motion to depait fiom a sinusoidal cuive A cam and cam followei anangementmay also piovide a cuive that departs fioma sinusoidal cuive Similai linkage may also drive a piessei foot

[0041] Mechanical and electucal embodiments of the invention can be adapted to produce needle motion accordmg to the piesent invention In one embodiment of the invention, the stitching elements, particularly the needle, of each needle pair is diiven by a seivo motoi, piefeiably a lmeai servo motoi with the motion of the needle controlled to piecisely follow a piefened curve In one piefened embodiment of a non-smusoidal motion, the curve caπies the needle tip slightly upwaid beyond the tiaditional 0 degiee top position in its cycle and maintains it above the tiaditional cuive, descending moie iapidly than is tiaditionally the case until the bottommost position of the needle tip, or the 180 degiee position of the needle drive, is leached Then the needle uses to its 0 degiee position either along oi slightly below the tiaditional position of the needle [0042] A quilting machine having a seivo-contiolled quilting head suitable foi implementing tins motion is described in U S Patent Application Senal No 09/686,041, heieby expiessly incorporated by iefeience heiem With such an appaiatus, the quilting head seivo is contiolled by a piogiammed contioller to execute a sewing motion With the piesent invention, the coiitiollei is piogiammed to operate the sewing head to dnve the needle in a motion as described herein In an alternative embodiment, the needle head of a quilting machine is piovided with mechanical linkage that is corrfiguied to impait non- smusoidal motion to the needle as desciibed above A mechanism for impaitmg this motion may be formed with asymmetiically weighted linkages and components that have a mass distiibution that will offset the asymmetiical foices geneiatedby the asymmetrical motion, minimizing the inducement of vibiation from megular acceleiationiesultmg fiomthe non-harmonic, non-smusoidal motion that diffeis fiom the tiaditional haimonic sine function In some embodiments, the sewing heads themselves aie piovided with housing structiues which, when the heads aie mounted on the bridges, seive to leinforce, strengthen and stiffen the budges, to minimize violation

[0043] In addition, in accordance with the principles of the piesent invention, the looper heads conveit an input iotaiy motion into two independent motions without lequuing cam followei s sliding ovei cams Therefoie, the loopei heads aie high speed, balanced mechanisms that have a minimum numbei of paits and do not lequire lubrication, theieby minimizing maintenance leqimements Similaily, the needle heads aie constiucted so as to lequire no lubiication [0044] Accoiding to other pimciples of the piesent invention, a looper adjustment featuie is piovided foi adjusting the loopei-needle ielationship in a cham-stitch quilting machine, and paiticularly foi use on a multi-needle quilting machine The adjustment featuie includes a ieadily accessible loopei holdei having an adjustment element by which the tip of the looper can be moved toward and away fiom the needle In one embodiment, a single bi-duectionally adjustable sciew oi othei element moves the loopei tip m eithei diiection A sepaiate locking element is also piefeiably piovided Foi adjusting the loopei, the contioller advances the stitching elements to a loop-take-time adjustment position wheie they stop and entei a safety lock mode, foi adjustment of the loopeis Then, when adjustment is completed, the contiollei leveises the stitching elements so that no stitch is foimed in the mateiial

[00451 Accoiding to anothei aspect of the invention, a needle-loopei proximity sensoi is piovided that is coupled to an indicatoi, which signals, to an opeiatoi adjusting the looper, the position of the looper lelative to the needle of a stitchmg element set Piefeiably, a coloi coded light illuminates to indicate the position of the loopei lelative to the needle, with one indicab.on.when the setting is collect and one 01 moie othei indications when the setting is mcoiiect The mconect indication may include one color coded illumination when the loopei is either too close or too far from the needle, with another indication when the loopei is too fai ni the othei direction

[0046] In an illushated embodiment of the invention, a loopei holdei is piovidedwith an accessible adjustment mechanism by which an opeiator can adjust the tiansveise position of a loopei relative to a needle m either dnection with a single adjustment motion The mechanism includes a loopei holdei in which a looper element is mounted to pivot so as to cany the tip of the loopei tiansversely lelative to the needle of the stitching mechanism Adjustment of the loopei tip position is changed by turning a single adjustment sciew one way oi the othei to move the loopei tip light oi left lelative to the needle The loopei is spimg biased in its holdei against the tip of the adjustment sciew so that, as the sciew is mined one way, the spimg yields to the foice of the screw and, as the sciew is turned the other way, the spimg iotates the loopei towaid the sciew The adjustment sciew and spimg hold the loopei in its adjusted position and a lock sciew, which is piovided on the holder, can be tightened to hold the loopei in its adjusted position

[0047] Accoiding to othei featuies of the invention, a sensor is piovided to signal the position of the looper tip lelative to the needle, which may be in the foim of an elect, ical ciicuit that detects contact between the loopei and needle Indicatoi lights may be piovided, foi example, to tell the opeiatoi who is making a loopei adjustment when the needle is in contact with the needle, so that the contact make/biake point can be accui ately considered in the adjustment The sensor may alternatively be some other loopei and/or needle position monitoiing device

[0048] Accoiding to pimciples of the piesent invention a multiple needle quilting machine is piovided with mdividual thiead cutting devices at each needle position The tlnead cutting devices aie piefeiably located on each of the loopei heads of a multi-needle chain stitch quilting machine, and each of the devices aie sepaiatelyopeiable In the pi efened embodiment, each looper head of a multi-needle quilting machine is piovided with a thiead cutting device with a movable blade oi blade set that cuts at least the top thiead upon a command fiom a machine conuoller The device also piefeiably cuts the bottom thiead, and when doing so, also piefeiably holds the bottom oi loopei tlnead until the stitching lesumes, usually at a new location on the fabiic being quilted Wheie the quilting machine has sepaiately actuatable oi sepaiately connollable sewing heads, oi heads that can be individually mounted oi lemoved, the loopei component of each such head is piovided with a sepaiately contiollable thiead cutting device

[0049] In oidei to ieduce the likelihood of missed stitches, active or passive loopei thread tail guides can be used to manipulate oi othei wise guide the loopei thiead tail below the needle plate upon staitup In ceitam embodiments, a loopei tlnead deflectoi is piovided to guide the loopei tlnead so the needle does not miss the loopei tlnead tiiangle In addition, paiticulaily at staitup of a pattern following the cutting of the loopei tlnead, a spht-stait contiol method is piovided as an alternative featuie foi avoiding missed stitches at staitup The split stait feature is one use of the featuie that allows the needle and loopei dnves to be decoupled and moved sepaiately With the split stait featuie, the mitial motion of the needle and loopei pioceeding sepaiately upon staitup so as to iendei the pickup of the stitches piedictable This is achieved by msuπng that the loopei picks up the top-tin ead loop befoie the needle picks up the bottom tlnead loop tiiangle, which is a method that can be piovided with alternatives to the split stait, such as loopei thiead manipulation This is assisted by a pan of needle guaids at each loopei dnve location, one on the loopei and one on the looper housing, both of which aie adjustable The dual needle guaids limit needle deflection perpendicular to the plane of motion of the looper, which mci eases the reliability of stitch formation

[0050] Alternative solutions are piovided to wipe the cut top thread to the top of the matenal, including a tluead wipei mechanism and a budge movement wipe cycle that lemove the cut top tluead from the mateiial aftei it has been cut befoie the stait of a new pattern component In addition, a tluead tuck cycle is piovided that places the cut top- tluead tail on the back side of the mateiial at the beginning of the stitching of a pattern ciuve The tuck cycle also ieduces the likelihood of missing stitches on stait up The wipe and tuck cycles may be combined as pait of the tackmg, tluead cutting, jumping, tacking and staitup sequence between patterns

[0051] A tack-stitch sequence sewing method is also piovided that minimizes needle deflection and fuithei ieduces the likelihood of missing stitches, which is particulaily useful duiing the stait up tack sequence The sequence involves stitching a distance, foi example appioximately one inch, in the diiection of the pattern, then ieturnmg along the same line to the oiiginal position befoie staiting the normal sewing of the pattern along the sewmg line In this sequence, long stitches aie used coupled with intermittent feed of the stitching elements lelative to the mateiial This mteimittent feed includes the alternate cycling of the needle thiough the mateiial without feeding the mateiial lelative to the needle and then the pausing of the needle cycle with the needle withdiawn fiom the mateiial while the mateiial is moved lelative to the needle The stopping of the mateiial oi the needle is not necessaiily absolute, but may iatherbe a smooth slowing of the needle oi mateiial motion while the othei moves moie iapidly This sequence of stitches may be applied whenevei stitching leveises diiection in a pattern, paiticulaily when the leveisal causes the stitching to be applied back ovei pieviously formed stitches m the pattern It is paiticulaily useful duiing the stait-up tack, and eithei may oi may not also be applied foi the ending tack Duiing sewing, continuous feed, iathei than mteimittent feed, is piefeiably employed For the tiansition ήom an mteimittent feed stitch sequence to the continuous feed stitching at the beginning of sewmg of a pattern where the thieads have been pieviously cut, a series of intermittent-continuous tiansition stitches aie used

[0052] Fuithei in accoidance withpπnciples of the invention, each tluead of a quilting or othei sewmg machine is piovided with a tluead tension monitoring device A tluead tension contiol device foi each such tluead is made to automatically vaiy its adjustment so as to iegulate the tension of the tluead in iesponse to the momtoimg theieof Prefeiably, a closed loop feedback contiol is piovided foi each of the thieads of the machine Each is opeiable to sepaiately measuie the tension of the tluead and to collect the tension on a thiead-by- tluead basis

[0053] The budge dnve system that is piovided allows the budges to be moved and contiolled sepaiately and moves the bridges piecisely and quickly, maintaining then oiientation without binding This featuie is used to peifoim novel sewmg methods by which the budges can be staited and stopped sepaiately in a syncluomzed mannei to align patterns and avoid waste mateiial between patterns In addition, tack stitches can be sewn at diffeient times by the needles of diffeient budges [0054] The sepaiately contiollable motions of the diffeient budges and the diffeient degiees of motion pi ovide a capability foi pioducing a widei iange of patterns and gieatei flexibility in selecting andpioduciiig patterns Unique quilt patterns, such as patterns in which diffeient patterns aie pioduced by diffeient needles 01 diffeient needle combuiations, can be pioduced

Foi example, the diffeient budges can be moved to sew diffeient patterns at the same tune

[0055] A numbei of new patterns and pattern sewing techniques aie piovidedby the featuies of the piesent invention Some of these aie piovided, at least mpait, as a iesult of the featuies of the equipment accoiding to pimciples of the invention

And some of these aie piovided, at least in pait, by methods and techniques according to otlαei piinciples of the invention

Paiticiilai applications aie set foith m connection with the discussion of the figuies and the opeiation of the equipment in the detailed description below

[0056] The mechamsmhas lower meitia than conventional quilting machines Incieased quilting speeds by 1/3 is piovided, foi example, to 2000 stitches pei minute

[0057] The need foi less oveiall piessme and force by the sewing elements and by the piesser footplates allows foi lighter weight constiuction of the quilting machine and for a smallei machine having a smallei footpimt in the bedding plant

Fuithei, the use of individual piessei feet avoids much of the pattern distoition caused by the piessei airangements of the past

[0058] In addition, the elimination of the need to move the mateπal to be quilted from side to side and the elimination of the need to squeeze the mateπal under a laige piessei foot plate allows the machine to have a simple material path, which allows foi a smallei machine size and is moie adaptable to automated material handling

[0059] In accoidance with still other featuies of the present invention, a split stait featuie is piovided that can be implemented using a single dnve servo foi the needles and loopeis A phase shifting mechanism is piovided to accomplish this with both needles and loopeis being dnven fiom the same motor Further, in accordance with the invention, the phase of the loopeis is advanced lelative to that of the needles, then the loopeis and needles aie moved together maintaining the phase diffeience between them, then the loopeis and needles aie bi ought back into phase, by i enacting the loopeis foi example oi slowing or stoppmg the loopeis lelative to the needles while the needles catch up, fiom which point the cycle continues with the needles and loopeis in phase

[0060] In accoidance with still furthei featuies of the piesent invention, a staitup oi end tack stitch appaiatus and method are piovided in winch the tack stitch sequence can vary to accommodate diffeient matenals oi pioducts The method and appaiatus can piovide foi manual selection of the tack stitch sequence, for manual specification of the product oi mateπal type followed by machine iesponse to the selection to set the appiopnate tack stitch sequence, foi automatic detection oi analysis of the pioduct oi mateπal type to deteimme the appiopnate tack stitch sequence, oi to selectable modes piovidmg any oi all of these featuies In addition oi as an alternative to the tack stitch sequence vanation, othei machine opeiating paiameteis such as tlnead pull-off, mateπal movements and othei functions may be vaned in response to the differences in pioduct oi matenal Foi example, wlieie material is thicker oi denser than ordinal ily encounteied, a slowei, moie aggiessive oi longei inteimittent stitch tack sequence may be apptopπate

[0061 ] These and othei objectives and advantages of the piesent invention will be moie ieadily appaient fiom the following detailed desciiption of the diawmgs of the prefeired embodiment of the invention, m which

Brie! Description ol the Drawings:

[0062] Fig. 1 is a peispective view of a quilting machine embodying piinciples of the piesent invention [0063] Fig. IA is a cross-sectional top view of the quiltmg machine of Fig. 1 taken along the line 1A-1A of Fig. 1 illustrating paiticulaily the lowei bridge

[0064] Fig. IB is an enlaiged top view illustiating a needle head and looper head assembly pair of bridges of Fig. IA

[0065] Fig. 2 is an isometiic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a needle head and loopei head assembly parr of the quiltmg machine of Fig. 1 viewed fiom the needle side

[0066] Fig. 2A is an isometiic diagiam illustiatmg the needle head assembly of the needle and loopei head pan of Fig. 2 viewed fiom the loopei side

[0067] Fig. 2B is omitted

[0068] Fig. 2C is an isometiic diagiam, similai to Fig. 2, illustiatmg an alternative needle and loopei head pan

[0069] Fig. 3 is an isometiic diagiam, paitially cut away, illustiatmg the needle head clutch of the needle head assembly of Figs. 2 and 2A

[0070] Fig. 4 is an isometiic diagiam illustiatmg one embodiment of a looper head assembly of Fig. 2

[0071] Figs. 4A and 4B are omitted

[0072] Fig. 4C is a top view, in the diiectioii of the looper shaft, of a portion of the looper dπve assembly of Fig. 4 with the loopei m position foi adjustment

[0073] Fig. 4D is a disassembled peispective view of a loopei holder and loopei of the loopei dnve assembly of Fig.4C

[0074] Fig. 4E is a cioss-sectional view of the looper, in the direction indicated by the line 4E-4E in Fig. 4C

[0075] Fig.4F is a diagiam of one embodiment of a loopei position indicatoi foi the loopei adjustment mechanism of Figs.

4C-4E

[0076] Fig. 4G is a diagiam of one embodiment of a needle guaid assembly

[0077] Fig. 5 is a perspective diagiam illustiating the use of one of a pluiality of thread cutting devices as it is configuied on each of a coiiespondmg pluiality of loopei heads of a multi-needle quiltmg machine accoiding to pimciples of the present invention

[0078] Fig 5A is a diagiam illustiatmg the lespective position of the needle and looper and the needle and looper tmeads at the end of a senes of stitches, in relation to a thiead cutting device

[0079] Figs. 5B and 5C aie diagiams illustiatmg steps in the thiead cutting opeiation

[0080] Fig. 5D is a diagiam of a thiead tension measuimg ciicuit accoiding to ceitain aspects of the piesent invention

[0081] Figs.5E-5J aie diagiams illustiatmg thiead handling featuies including tlnead tail wipe and tuck cycles accoiding to certain embodiments of the invention

[0082] Figs. SK-5X aie diagiams illustiatmg stitching element motions of stitching sequences accoiding to ceitain embodiments of the invention

[0083] Figs. 5Y is a diagiam illustiating a loopei tlnead deflectoi accoiding to an embodiment of the invention

[0084] Fig. 6 is a diagiammatic isometiic view illustiating one embodiment of a motion system of the machine of Fig. 1.

[0085] Fig. 6A is a diagiammatic cioss-sectional iepiesentation a line 6A-6A of Fig. 6 depicting the motion system with a moving matenal web and the budges stationaiy [0086] Fig. 6B is a diagiammatic cioss-sectional iepiesentation similar to Fig. 6A depicting the motion system with a moving budges and the mateiial web stationary

[0087] Fig. 6C is a an enlaiged peispective view illustiatmg the left portion of the machine of Fig. 1 m detail

[0088] Fig. 6D is a cioss-sectional view along line 6D-6D of Fig. 6C

[0089] Fig. 6E is an enlaiged sectional view of a portion of Fig. 6C

[0090] Fig. 6F is a cioss-sectional view along the line 6F-6F of Fig. 6E

[0091] Fig. 6G is omitted

[0092] Fig. 6H is an isometiic view of a poition of a budge illustiatmg an alternative embodiment of a stitching element dnve of the machine of Fig. 1 with the needle head and loopei head assembly pan of Fig. 2C

[0093] Fig. 61 is an enlaiged peispective view of the budge of Fig. 6H illustiatmg the needle head assembly side of the budge

[0094] Fig. 6J is a top view of a budge with a diffeiential dπve accoiding to certain embodiments of the invention

[0095] Fig. 6K is a cioss-sectional view thiough a poition of Fig. 6J showing needles and loopeis in phase

[0096] Fig. 6L is a cioss-sectional view srmilai to Fig. 6K showing needles and loopeis m phase out of phase foi a split- start

[0097] Fig. 6M is a disassembled perspective view showing a phase sluftei diffeiential dnve component in detail

[0098] Fig. 7A is a diagram illustiatmg the quilting of a standaid continuous pattern

[0099] Fig. 7B is a diagiam illustiatmg the quilting of a 360 degiee continuous pattern

[0100] Fig. 7C is a diagiam illusuating the quilting of a discontinuous pattern

[01011 Fig. 7D is a diagiam illustiatmg the quilting of diffeient linked patterns

[0102] Fig. 7E is a diagiam illustiatmg the quilting of variable length, continuous 360 degiee patterns

[0103] Fig. 7F is a diagiam illustiatmg the simultaneous quilting of continuous nnrroi image patterns

[0104] Fig. 7G is a diagiam illustiatmg the simultaneous quilting of diffeient patterns

[0105] Fig. 8 is an isometiic view of a facing mateiial supply and splicing station configured foi installation immediately upstieam of the quilting machine of Fig. 1

[0106] Figs. 8A-8L aie a sequence of diagiams illustiatmg the change and splicing of facing mateiial with the station of Fig. 8

[0107] Fig. 9 is a diagiam illustiatmg a combination pattern made up of closely spaced diveise pattellas quilted accoidmg to one embodiment of the piesent invention

[0108] Fig. 9A is a diagiam illustiatmg a combination pattern quilted on machines of the pnor ait

[0109] Figs. 9B-9N aie diagiams illustiatmg steps m quilting piocesses foi quilting the combination pattern of Fig. 9.

[0110] Fig. 9O is omitted

[0111] Figs. 9P-9R aie diagiams illustiatmg a quilting piocesses foi quilting the pattern of Fig. 9R. Detailed Description ol the Drawings:

[0112] Figs. 1 and IA illustiate a multi-needle quiltmg machine 10 accoiding to one embodiment of the invention The machine 10 is of a type used foi quilting wide width webs of multi-layeied material 12, such as the mateπals used in the bedding mdustiy m the manufactuie of mattress coveis The machine 10, as configuied, may be piovided with a smallei footpi int and thus occupies less flooi aiea compaied with machines of the prior art, or in the alternative, can be piovided with moie featuies in the same fiooi space as machines of the pnoi ait The machine 10, foi example, has a footpiint that is about one-thud of the flooi aiea as the machine described in U S Patent No 5,154,130, which has been manufactuied by the assignee of the piesent invention foi this mdustiy foi a numbei of yeais

[0113] The machine 10 is built on a name 11 that has an upsti earn oi entry end 13 and a downstream oi exit end 14 The web 12, extending in a geneially hoiizontal entiy plane, enteis the machine 10 beneath a catwalk 29 at the entry end 13 of the machine 10 at the bottom of the fiame 11, wheie it passes eithei aiound a single entry idlei iollei 15 oi between a pan of entiy idlei rolleis at the bottom of the fiame 11, where it ruins upwardly and extends in a geneially veitical quiltmg plane 16 thiough the centei of the fiame 11 At the top of the fiame 11, the web 12 again passes between a pan of web diive iolleis 18 and turns downstieam m a geneially hoiizontal exit plane 17 One oi both of the pans ofiolleis at the top and bottom of the fiame may be linked to drive motois oi biakes that may contiol the motion of the web 12 through the machine 10 and contiol the tension on the web 12, paiticularly in the quiltmg plane 16 Alternatively, one or moie othei sets of lolleis, as desciibed below, may be piovided foi one oi moie of these purposes The machine 10 operates undei the contiol of a progiammable contiollei 19

[0114] At the entiy end 13 of the machine 10 aie the rolls of material that make up the web of multi-layeied matenal 12 that enteis this entiy iegion 13 m web foim from beneath catwalk 29, wluch is piovided for a machine opeiatoi to walk acioss the fiont of the machine 10 The top oi facing layei 12a of the mateiial 12, or, m the case of mattiess covei quiltmg, the ticking layei, is fed beneath this catwalk fiom a supply station 400 located upstream of the catwalk 29 The supply station 400 is that illustrated in perspective m Fig. 8 The iemammg layeis of mateiial, including the fill 12b and the backing layei 12c aie fed fiom supplies (not shown) upstream of the facing layei supply station 400 The facing layei A is supplied to the machine 10 fiom a supply roll 401 suppoi ted at the supply station 400 as illustiated in Fig.8, and m the side elevational view of Fig. 8 A

[0115] The supply station 401 includes a fiame 402 that can be set in a fixed position against the upsύeam side of the catwalk 29 of the quiltmg machine 10 A supply ioll ciadle 403 is pivotally mounted to the fiame 402 and cames, at its iemote end, two pan of notched mounting blocks, including lowei blocks 404 and upper blocks 405 The blocks 404 and 405 aie configuied to suppoit the opposite ends of an axial Lod, such as axial iod 406, which extends thiough the centei of, and suppoi ts, the supply ioll 401 When matenal is being fed fiom the supply ioll 401, the ioll 401 is suppoited on the blocks 404, as illustiated mFig.8A, with the facing layei of material 12a extending honzontally fiom the ioll401, undei the catwalk 29, and to the machine 10

[0116] When a mateiial change is desned, a new ioll of facing matenal 410 is set on the catwalk 29, which selves as apie- stagmg aiea, as illustiated in Fig. 8B The ioll 410 may have an axial rod 411 extending thiough the hole in the centei of the roll 410 The extensions of this iod 411 fiom the ends of the ioll 410 can serve as handles foi use by apaii of attendants foi placing the i oil 410 on the catwalk 29 Fi om its position on the catwalk 29, the new roll 410 is staged for ieplacmg the ioll 401 by lolling it onto a tiay 412 immediately adjacent the catwalk 29, as illustrated in Fig. 8C Fiom this position, the ioll 410 is moved to the ciadle 403 by lifting fiom the tiay 412 the axial rod 411 by its ends and placing them in the uppei blocks 405 of the ciadle 403, as illustiated in Fig. 8D

[0117] Aftei the new ioll 410 has been mounted on the ciadle 403, a hydraulic oi pneumatic cylinder 415 is activated to lift the cradle 403 above the frame 402 by pivoting the ciadle 403 upward on the frame 402 This leaves the rolls 403 and in the positions illustiated in Fig.8E₁ with the web of facing matenal 12a extending fiom the ioll 401, below the catwalk 29, to the machine 10 At this point, anothei cylmdei 416 is activated to lowei a clamping aim 417, which clamps the matenal 12a against a clamping bai 418 on the flame 402, as illustiated in Fig. 8F At this point, the matenal 12a is cut fiom the ioll 401, which may be done manually with a knife oi scissois, along a tiansverse line at location 420, piovidmg just enough tailing matenal to allow the trailing edge 421 of the matenal 12a to diop mto a splicing position in a splicer mechanism 425, as illustiated in Fig. 8G

[0118] Once the hailing edge 421 is in the splicing mechanism 425, held between the clamping aim417 and the clamping bai 418 , and the matei ial 12a has been cut fi. om the i oil 401 , the i oil 401 can be lifted by i od 406 and i emo ved from the lowei blocks 404 of the ciadle 403 and placed ni a tiay 430 at the top of the frame 402, as illustiated m Fig. 8H Then, the new ioll 410 can be moved fiomuppei blocks 405 of the ciadle 403 to the lower blocks 404, wheie it will replace the pervious ioll 401 of facing matenal 12a, as illustiated in Fig. 81 Then the leading edge 426 of matenal fiom the ioll 410 is placed adjacent the hailing edge 421 of the facing matenal 12a, in the splicei 425, wheie the matenals fiom iolls 410 and 401 aie spliced togethei by sewmg a tiansveise low of smgle-lock chain stitches with the splicer 425, to form a continuous web of facing matenal 12a, as illustiated ui Fig. 8 J Then the clamping aim 417 can be pivoted up out of its clamping position by actuation of the cylmdei 416, leaving the new matenal fiom ioll 410 extending fiom roll 410 spliced to the old material fiom ioll 401 that extends into the quilting machine 10, as illustiated in Fig. 8K Wheieupon, the cylmdei 415 can be activated to lowei the carnage 403 to bung the roll 410 into the foimei position of the ongmal ioll 401, at which the machine 10 can be run with facing matenal supplied fiom the new ioll 410, as illustrated m Fig. 8L

[0119] Wliile the desciiption above discusses a device used foi splicing webs of matenal togethei when ieplacmg one web of matenal with another, the device can be used foi easily and efficiently splicing a shoit length of matenal to a web to feed one oi a few panels of matenal mto a qiulter This can be advantageous m piovidmg custom punted panels to a quiltei, foi example, as desciibed in U S Patent Nos 6,263,816 and 6,435,117, heieby expiessly mcorpoiated by refeieiice heiem [0120] Alternative embodiments can be devised using the piinciples and featmes set foith above Foi example, the matenal 12a can be guided through the splicer mechanism 425 and spliced to the leading edge of the matenal fiom ioll 410 befoie the matenal 12a is cut fiom the ioll 401

[0121] On the flame 11 is mounted a motion system that includes a pluiality of bridges, including a lowei budge 21 and an uppei bndge 22, that move veitically on the fiame, but which may include moie than the two budges illustrated Each of the bi idges 21 , 22 has a fi ont membei 23 and a back membei 24 (Fig. 1 A) that each extend hoi lzontally generally paiallel to, and on opposite sides of, the quilting plane 16 Each fiont membei 23 has mounted thereon a phuahty of needle head assemblies 25, each configured to ieciprocate a needle in longitudinal horizontal paths perpendicular to the quilting plane 16 Between adjacent needle head assemblies 25, a lib oi stiffenei plate 89 is piovided to structuially stiffen the budge and to resist dynamic defoimation from the sewing forces applied by the needle dnves Each of the needle head assemblies 25 can be sepaiately activated and contiolled by the machine controllei 19 A plurality of loopei head assemblies 26, one coπesponding to each of the needle head assemblies 25, aie mounted on each of the backmembeis 24 of each of the bridges 21,22 The loopei head assemblies 26 each aie configuied to oscillate a loopei oi hook in a plane geneially perpendiculai to the quilting plane 16 to mteisect the longitudinal paths of the needles of the conespondmg needle head assemblies 25 The loopei head assemblies 26 may also be sepaiately activated and conb oiled by the machine contiollei 19 Each needle head assembly 25 and its conespondmg loopei head assembly 26 make up a stitching element pair 90, in which the stitching elements coopeiate to foim a single senes of double lock chain stitches In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and IA, theie aie seven such stitching element pans 90, including seven needle head assemblies 25 on the fiontmembeis 23 of each bridge 21,22, and seven conespondmg loopei head assemblies 26 on the ieai member 24 of each budge 21,22 Stitching element pans 90 are illustiated m moie detail in Fig. IB

[0122] No single -piece needle plate is piovided Rathet, a six-inch squaie needle plate 38 is piovided paiallel to the quilting plane 16 on the loopei side of the plane 16 on each ofthe loopei heads 26 This needle plate 38 has a single needle hole 81 that moves with the loopei head 26 AU ofthe needle plates 38 typically he m the same plane

[0123] Similaily, no common piessei foot plate is piovided Instead, as desciibed below, each needle head assembly 25 includes a respective one of a plurality of sepaiate piessei feet 158 Such local piessei feet are piovided in lieu of a single piessei foot plate ofthe pnoi ait that extends ovei the eiitne aiea ofthe multiple low an ay of needles A pluiahty of piessei feet aie piovided on each fiont membei 23 of each budge 21,22, each to compress mateπal aiound a single needle Prefeiably, each needle assembly 25 is piovided with its own local piessei foot 158 having only sufficient aiea aiound the needle to compiess the matenal 12 for sewing stitches with the lespective needle assembly

[0124] Each of the needle assemblies 25 on the fiont membeis 23 of the budges 21,22 is supplied with thiead fiom a conespondmg spool of needle thiead 27 mounted acioss on the fiame 11 on the upsπeam oi needle side of the quiltmg plane 16 Similaily, each ofthe loopei assemblies 26 on the back membeis 24 ofthe bridges 21,22 is supplied with thiead fiom a conespondmg spool of loopei thiead 28 mounted acioss the fiame 11, on the downstieam or loopei side ofthe quiltmg plane 16

[0125] As illustiated in Figs. 1-lB, a common needle dnve shaft 32 is piovided acioss the fiont membei 23 of each bridge 21,22 to independently dnve each ofthe needle head assemblies 25 Each shaft 32 is dnvenby a needle dnve seivo 67 on the needle side membei 23 of eachiespective budge 21,22 that is lesponsive to the contiollei 19 A loopei belt dnve system 37 is piovided on the back member 24 of each ofthe bridges 21 ,22 to dnve each ofthe loopei head assemblies Each loopei dnve belt system 37 is dnven by a loopei drive seivo 69 on the looper side membei 24 of each lespective budge 21,22 that is also lesponsive to the contiollei 19 Each ofthe needle head assemblies 25 may be selectively coupled to oi decoupled fiom the motion of the needle dnve shaft 32 Similaily, each loopei head assembly 26 may be selectively coupled to oi decoupled from the motion of the looper belt drive system 37. Each of the needle drive shafts 32 and looper belt drive systems 37 are driven in synchronism through either mechanical linkage or motors controlled by the controller 19. [0126] Referring to Fig.2, each needle head assembly 25 is comprised of a clutch 100 that selectively transmits power from the needle drive shaft 32 to a needle drive 102 and presser foot drive 104. The needle drive 102 has a crank 106 that is mechanically coupled to a needle holder 108 by an articulated needle drive 110, which includes three links 114, 116 and 120. The crank 106 has an arm or eccentric 112 rotatably connected to one end of the first link 114. One end of the second link 116 is rotatably connected to a pin 117 extending from a base 118 that, hi turn, is supported on the front member of one of the bridges 21,22, One end ofthe third link 120 is rotatably connected to a pin 123 extending from a block 122 that is secured to a reciprocating shaft 124, which is an extension ofthe needle holder 108. Opposite ends ofthe respective links 114, 116 and 120 are rotatably connected together by a pivot pin 121 that forms a joint in the articulated needle drive 110. [0127] The shaft 124 is mounted for reciprocating linear motion in fore and aft bearing blocks 126, 128, respectively. The drive block 122 has a bearing (not shown) that is mounted on a stationary linear guide rod 130 that, in rum, is supported and rigidly attached to .the bearing blocks 126, 128. Thus, rotation ofthe crank 106 is operative via the articulated needle drive 110 to reciprocate a needle 132 secured in a distal end ofthe needle holder 108.

[0128] Referring to Fig. 2A, the presser foot drive 104 has an articulated presser foot drive 144 that is similar to the articulated needle drive 110. A crank 140 is mechanically connected to a presser foot holder 142 via mechanical linkage 144, which includes three links, 146, 150 and l52. One end of a fourth link 146 is rotatably coupled to an arm or an eccentric 148 on the crank 140. One end of a fifth link 150 is rotatably connected to a pin 151 extending from the base 118, and one end of a sixth link 152 is rotatably connected to a pin 155 extending from a presser foot drive block 154. Opposite ends ofthe respective links 146, 150 and 152 are rotatably connected together by a pivot pin 153 that forms a joint in the presser foot articulated drive 144. The presser foot drive block 154 is secured to a presser foot reciprocating shaft 156 that, in turn, is slidably mounted within the bearing blocks 125, 126. A presser foot 158 is rigidly connected to the distal end ofthe presser foot reciprocating shaft 156. The drive block 154 has a bearing (not shown) that is mounted for sliding motion on the linear guide rod 130. Thus, rotation of the crank 140 is operative via the articulated presser foot drive 144 to reciprocate the presser foot 158 with respect to the needle plate 38.

[01291 The needle drive crank 106 and presser foot crank 140 are mounted on opposite ends of an input shaft (not shown) supported by bearing blocks 160. A pulley 162 is also mounted on and rotates with the cranks 106, 140. A timing belt 164 drives the cranks 106, 140 in response to rotation of an output pulley 166. The clutch 100 is operable to selectively engage and disengage the needle drive shaft 32 with the output pulley 166, thereby respectively initiating and terminating the operation ofthe needle head assembly 25.

[0130] Referring to Fig.3, the output pulley 166 is fixed to an output shaft 168 that is rotatably mounted within a housing 170 ofthe clutch 100 by means of bearings 172. The needle drive shaft 32 is rotatably mounted within the output shaft 168 by bearings 174. The drive member 176 is secured to the needle drive shaft 32 and is rotatably mounted within the housing 170 by bearings 178. The drive member 176 has a first, radially extending, semicircular flange or projection 180 extending in a direction substantially parallel to the centerliiie 184 that provides a pair of diametrically aligned drive surfaces, one of whiclus shown at 182 The duve suifaces 182 aie substantially paiallel to a longitudinal centeilme 184 of the needle dπve shaft 32

[0131] The clutch 100 fuither mcludes a sliding membei 186 that is keyed to the output shaft 168 Thus, the sliding raembei 186 is able to move with iespect to the output shaft 168 m a direction substantially paiallel to the centerline 184 Howevei, the sliding membei 186 is locked oi keyed fiomielative iotation with iespect to the output shaft 168 and theiefoie, rotates thei ewith The keyed i elationship between the slidmg membei 186 and the output shaft 168 can be accomplished by use of a keyway and key oi a splme that couples the sliding membei 186 to the shaft 168 Alternatively, an internal boie of the sliding membei 186 and the external suiface of the output shaft 168 can have matching noncuculai cross-sectional profiles, foi example, a tπangulai piofile, a squaie piofϊle, or a piofile of anothei polygon

[0132] The sliding membei 186 has a fust, semiciiculai flange oi piojection 188 extending in a diiection substantially paiallel to the centeilme 184 towaid the annulai flange 182 The flange 188 has a pan of diametiically aligned dnvable suifaces, one of which is shown at 190, that can be placed m and out of opposition to the diive suifaces 182 of the flange 180 The sliding member 186 is translated with iespect to the output shaft 168 by an actuator 192 The actuatoi 192 has an annulai piston 194 that is mounted for sliding motion within an amiulai cavity 196 in the housing 100, thereby forming fluid chambeis 198, 200 adjacent opposite ends of the piston 194 Annulai sealing imgs 202 aie used to piovide a fluid seal between the piston 194 and the walls of the fluid chambeis 198, 200 The sliding member 186 is iotationally mounted with iespect to the piston 194 by beaimgs 204

[0133] In opeiation, the needle dπve shaft 32 is stopped at a desued angulai oiientation, and piessiuized fluid, foi example, piessuπzed an, is mtioduced into the fluid chambei 198 The piston 194 is moved from left to right as viewed in Fig. 3, theieby moving the dnvable surfaces 190 of the sliding membei 186 opposite the duve suifaces 182 With the clutch 100 so engaged, the needle duve shaft 32 is diiectly mechanically coupled to the sliding membei 186 and the output shaft 168, the output pulley 166 follows exactly the iotation of the needle duve shaft 32 A subsequent iotation of the needle drive shaft 32 results in a simultaneous iotation of the output shaft 168

[0134] Upon the needle diive shaft 32 again being stopped at the desued angulai oiientation, the piessuπzed fluid is ieleased from the fluid chambei 198 and applied to the fluid chamber 200 The piston 194 is moved fiom light to left as viewed in Fig. 3, theieby moving the dnvable suifaces 190 out of contact with the driving surface 182 and disengaging the clutch 100 Thus, the duve suifaces 182 iotate past the dnvable lugs 188 and the needle duve shaft 32 iotates independent of the output shaft 168 However, in the disengaged state, it is desiiable that the output shaft 168 maintain a fixed angulai position while the clutch 100 is disengaged Thus, the sliding membei 186 has a second, semiciicular annulai lockable flange 206 extending to the left, as viewed in Fig.3, m a diiection substantially paiallel to the centeilme 184 The lockable flange has diametrically aligned lockable siufaces 205

[0135] As shown m Fig. 4, the loopei and ietamer dπve 212 provides a loopei 216 with a iecipiocatmg angulai motion about a pivot axis 232 in a plane immediately adjacent the iecipiocatmg needle 132 The loopei and ietamei duve 212 also moves a ietamei 234 in a closed loop path m a plane that is substantially perpendiculai to the plane of iecipiocatmg angulai motion of the loopei 216 and the path of the needle 132 [0136] The looper 216 is secuied in a loopei lioldei 214 that is mounted on a flange 220 extending noma fust loopei shaft 218a An outei end of the looper shaft 218a is mounted in a beaπng 236 that is supported by a looper duve housing 238 An imiei end of the loopei shaft 218a is connected to an oscillatoi housing 240 Thus, the looper 216 extends generally iadiallyoutwaidfiomthe axis ofiotation232 of the loopei shaft 218 [0137] Fig. 4 shows the loopei duve assembly 26 of a type of multi-needle quilting machine 10 m winch the needles aie onented horizontally The loopei dπve assembly 26 may include a selective coupling element 210, foi example, clutch 210 that connects the input 209 of the dπve assembly 226 to a diive barn that is synchronized to the diive for a coopeiatmg needle duve assembly The loopei dπve assembly 26 includes a fiame membei 219 on which the duve assembly 226 and 210 aie mounted in mutual alignment The frame membei 219 is mounted to the ieai poition 24 of the lespective budge 21,22 such that the loopei head assembly 26 aligns with the coiiesponding needle head assembly 25 The output of the clutch 210 drives a loopei drive mechanism 212, that has an output shaft 218 having a flange 220 theieon, on which is mounted a looper holdei 214 In othei types of multi-needle quilting machines, such a loopei holder 214 may oscillate with othei loopeis about a common shaft that is locked by a common drive linkage that is permanently coupled to the drive tiam of a needle drive, as desciibed in U S Patent No 5,154,130 The natiue ofthe chain stitch forming machine and the number of needles is not mateπal to the concepts of the piesent invention

[0138] In geneial, a loopei 216, when mounted in a loopei holdei 214, is made to oscillate on the shaft 218 along a path 800 that bungs it into a coopeiatmg stitch forming ielationship with a needle 132, as illustrated m Fig.4C The stitch forming ielationships and motions of the needle and loopei aie moie completely desciibed in U S Patent No 5,154,130 During stitch foimation, the tip 801 of the loopei enteis a loop 803 m a top thiead 222 that is piesented by the needle 132 In oidei to pick up this loop 803, the tiansveise position of the tip 801 of the loopei 216 is maintained in adjustment so that it passes immediately beside the needle 132 Adjustment of the loopei 216 is made with the shaft 218 stopped in its cycle of oscillation with the loopei tip 801 in tiansveise alignment with the needle 132, as illustiated in Fig.4C In such adjustment, the tip 801 of the loopei 216 is moved tiansveisely, that is, peipendicular to the needle 132 and perpendiculai to the path 800 of the loopei 216

[0139] As depicted in Figs. 4C and 4D, a piefened embodiment of the looper 216 is formed of a solid piece of stainless steel having a hook poition 804 and a base poition 805 At the iemote end of the hook poition 804 is the loopei tip 801 The base poition 805 is a block fiom which the hooked poition 804 extends fiom the top theieof The base poition 805 has a mounting peg 806 extending fi om the bottom thei eof by which the loopei 216 is pivotally mounted in a hole 807 m the holdei 214

[0140] The holder 214 is a foiked block 809 foimed of a solid piece of steel The foiked block 809 of the holdei 214 has a slot 808 theiein that is wider than the base poition 805 of the loopei 218 The loopei 216 mounts m the holdei 214 by inseition of the base 805 into the slot 808 and the peg 806 into the hole 807 The loopei 216 is loosely held in the holder 214 so that it pivots though a small angle 810 on the pin 806 with the body 805 moving m the slot 808 as illustiated in Fig. 4E This allows the tip 801 of the looper 216 to move tiansveisely a small distance, as is indicated by the anow 811, which, though aicuate, is compaiable to a straight tiansveise lme, with the angle of the hook 804 of the loopei 214 being lelatively insignificant

[0141] The adjustment is made by an alien-head sciew 812 thieaded m the holdei 214 so as to abut against the base 805 of the loopei 214 at a point 813 offset fiom the pin 806 A compiession spiing 814 beais against the loopei body 805 at a point 815 opposite the sciew 812 so that a tightening of the sciew 812 causes a motion of the tip 801 of the looper 216 towaid the needle 132 while a loosening of the sciew 812 causes a movement of the up 801 of the loopei 216 away from the needle 132 A locking sciew 816 is piovided to lock the loopei 216 in its position of adjustment in the holder 214 and to loosen the loopei 216 foi adjustment The locking sciew 816 effectively clamps the pin 806 in the hole 807 to hold it against iotation [0142] In piactice, the loopei 214 position is piefeiably adjusted so that the tip 801 is eithei baiely in contact with the needle 132 oi minimally spaced fiom the needle 132 In oidei to facilitate the attainment of such a position, an electiical nidicatoi cncuit 820 is piovided, as diagiammatically lllustiated inFig.4F The cucuit 820 includes the loopei 216, which is mounted m the holdei 214, which is, in ruin, mounted though an electrical insulator 821 to the flange 220 on the shaft 218 as shown in Fig. 4D The holdei 214 is electiically connected to an LED oi some other visual nidicatoi 822, which is connected m seπes between the holdei 214 and an electiical powei supply oi electiical signal source 823, whichis connected to giound potential on the name 11 The needle 132 is also connected to giound potential As such, when the loopei 216 is m contact with the needle 132, a cucuit thiough the mdicatoi 822 and power oi signal souice 833 is closed, activating the mdicatoi 822

[0143] An opeiatoi can adjust the loopei 216 by adjusting the sciew 812 back and forth such that the make-bieak contact point between the needle 132 and the loopei 216 is found Then the opeiatoi can leave the loopei in that position oi back off the setting one way oi the other, as desned, and then lock the loopei 216 in position by tightening the sciew 816 [0144] When loopei adjustment is to be made, the machine 10 will be stopped with the needle m the 0 degiee oi top dead center position, wheieupon the contiollei 19 advances the stitching elements to the loop-take-time position in the cycle (Fig. 4C), wheie the elements stop and the machine enteis a safety lock mode in which an opeiator will make loopei adjustments Aftei the needles and loopeis aie set, with input fiom the opeiatoi, the contiollei 19 of the machine 10 moves the looper and needle m a diiection othei than the duection to foim a stitch This is achieved by diivnig the needle and loopei diive sei vos 67 and 69 m reveise to iotate the needle dnve shafts 32 and loopei dnves 37 backwaid to move the looper and needle backwaids in then cycles, thereby returning the needle to its 0 degiee position This pievents the forming of a stitch, which is desuable because loopei adjustment is often best made between patterns Bypieventmg stitch foimation, loopei adjustment can be made anywheie along a stitch line, whethei oi not it is desned to continue sewmg along a line oi path Fuithei, the condition that holds the tiimmed loopei thiead and wiped top thiead, as explained in connection with Figs. 5-5D below, m describing the tπmmed thread condition, is pieseived

[0145] Single needle sewing machines have employed a vaiiety of thiead cutting devices Such a device 850 is illustiated m Fig. 5 It includes a iecipiocatmg lmeai actuatoi 851, which may be pneumatic A double baibed cutting knife 852 is mounted to slide on the actuatoi 851, which withdiaws hneaily towaid the actuatoi 851 when it is actuated The actuatoi 851 is, m ruin, mounted on a sliding block 858 (not shown in Fig 5, shown in embodiment of Fig.2C) which moves the actuatoi 851 and ielated assembly towaid and away from the needle hole m the needle plate 38, to a position it occupies when the cutting device is actuated and back to a iest position out of the way of the loopei 216 The knife 852 has a needle thiead baib 854 and a looper thiead baib 853, each of which hooks the lespective top and bottom threads when the actuator 851 is actuated The barbs 853 and 854 both have cutting edges theieon to thereupon cut the lespective thieads A stationary sheath membei 855 is fixed to the actuatoi 851, which has suifaces configuied to cooperate with the sliding knife 852 to sevei the thieads In doing so, the knife 852 is stopped m a ietiacted position which allows the tail of the needle thiead to be ieleased but keeps the bottom tin ead tail clamped between the knife 852 and a spimg metal clamp 856 fixed to the bottom of the sheath membei 855 This clamping pi events unthieadmg of the loopei, which can be close to the cutoff position, wheieby the loopei thiead tail may be veiy short Figs. 5-5D illustiate the assembly in a machine havmg the needles onented veitically In the machine 10, ho wevei, the needle 132 is oiientedhoiizontally,perpendiculai totheveiticalmateiialplane 16, while the loopei 216 is oiiented to oscillate in a tiansveise-lioπzontal duection, paiallel to the plane 16, with the tip 801 of the loopei 216 pointing towaid the left side of the machine 10 (viewed fiom the fiont as in Fig. 1)

[0146] Fig. 5A shows the loopei dnve assembly 26 of a type of multi-needle quilting machine 10 in which the needles aie oiiented hoiizontally At the end of the sewing of a chain of stitches that constitutes a disci ete pattern oi pattern component, the needle 132 and loopei 216 typically stop m a position as illustiated in Fig.5A in which the needle 132 is withdiawn from the mateiial on the needle side of the fabiic 12 being quilted At this point in the stitching cycle, a needle thread 222 and a looper thiead 224 aie present on the loopei side of the mateiial 12 being quilted The needle thiead 222 extends from the mateiial 12 down aiound the loopei hook 804 of the loopei 218 and ieturns to the fabiic 12, while the loopei thiead 224 extends fiom a thiead supply 856, thiough the loopei hook 804 and out a hole m the tip 801 of the loopei 216, and into the mateiial 12

[0147] On the loopei side of the mateiial 12, at each of a pluiality of the loopei heads 26, is positioned one of the cutting devices 850, each having an actuatoi 851 theieof equipped with a pneumatic contiol line 857 connected thiough appiopnate inteifaces (not shown) to an output of a quilting machine contiollei 19 The individual thread cutting device 850 pei se is a thread cutting device used in the pnor ait in single needle sewmg machines

[0148] In accoidance with the piesent invention, a pluiality of the devices 850 aie employed in a multi-needle quilting machine m the mannei desciibed heiein Refeiπng to Figs. 5 and 5A, on each looper assembly 26 of a multi-needle chain stitch quilting machine, a device 850 is positioned so that, when extended, the knife 852 of the device 850 extends between the loopei 216 and the mateiial 12, and is connected to opeiate undei computer contiol of the contiollei 19 of the quilting machine When at a point in the cycle at which the thiead may be cut, as illustiated in Fig.5A, the controllei 19 actuates the actuator 851, which moves the knife 852 thiough the loop of the needle thiead 222 such that it hooks the needle and loopei thieads, as illustiated in Fig.5B Then the knife 852 ietiacts to cut the needle thiead 222 and the loopei thiead 224 extending fiom the mateiial 12 Both cut ends of the needle thiead 222 aie leleased, as is the cut end of the loopei fhiead 224 that extends to the mateiial Howevei, the end of the loopei thiead 224 that extends to the loopei 216 iemams clamped, as illustiated m Fig. 5C This clamping holds the looper thiead end so that a loop is foimed when sewmg lesumes, theieby pieventmg the loss of an unpiedictable numbei of stitches befoie the chaining of the threads begins, winch would cause defects in the stitched pattern

[0149] As additional insurance in avoiding lost stitches at the beginning of sewing, the looper is onented such that, should the end of the loopei thiead 224 fail to clamp, the end of the thiead 224 will be oriented by giavity on the conect side of the needle so that the series of stitches will begin In tins way, the piobabihty that the loops will take within the fust few stitches that constitute the tack stitches sewn and the beginning of a pattern is high

[0150] The above thiead trimming featuie is particulaily useful for multi-needle quilting machines having selectively opeiable heads oi heads that can be individually and sepaiately installed, removed oi ieananged on a sewing bridge The individual cutting devices 850 aie piovided with each loopei head assembly and aie lemovable, installable and movable with each of the loopei head assemblies In addition, wheie the heads aie selectively opeiable, the featuie piovides that each thiead cutting device is separately contiollable

[0151] To supplement the thiead tiimming featuie, a thiead tail wipei 890 is provided on the needle head assembly 25 As further illustiated in Fig.5C, the wipei 890 includes a wiie hook wipmg element 891 that is pivotally mounted on a pneumatic actuatoi 892 adjacent the needle 132 to iotate the wiping element 891, after the needle thiead 221 is cut, about a horizontal axis that is perpendiculai to the needle 132 When actuated, the actuatoi 892 sweeps the wiping element 891 aiound the tip of the needle 132 on the mside of the piesser foot bowl 158 to pull the tail of the needle thiead 221 ήom the mateπal 12 to the needle side of the material 12 and to the mside of the piessei foot bowl 158 Fiom this position, upon startup of sewing, the top thiead will not be clamped undei the piesser foot, so the thiead tail will typically be ieadily tucked to the back of the mateiial 12 when the needle first descends at the stait of a pattern

[0152] Fig. 5D illustiates a thiead tension contiol system 870 that can similaily be applied to individual thieads of sewmg machines, and which is paiticulaily suitable foi each of the individual thieads of a multi-needle quilting machine as desciibed above A thiead, foi example, a loopei thiead 224, typically extends fiom a thread supply 856 and thiough a thiead tensioning device 871 , which applies faction to the thiead and theieby tensions the thiead moving downstieam, foi example, to a loopei 216 The device 871 is adjustable to contiol the tension on the thiead 224 The system 870 includes a thiead tension monitoi 872 thiough winch the thiead 224 extends between the tensioner 871 and the loopei 216 The monitoi 872 includes a pan of fixed tlnead guides 873, between which the thiead is uiged and deflected hansveisely by a sensoi 874 on an actuating aim 875 supported on a tiansveise foice tiansducei 876, which measuies the tiansveise foice exeited on the sensoi 874 by the tensioned tlnead 224 to pioduce a tlnead tension measuiement Each of the tlneads 222 and 224 is piovided with such a tlnead tension contiol

[0153] A tlnead tension signal is output by the tiansducei 876 and communicated to the controllei 19 The contiollei 19 deteimines whethei the tension m the tlnead 224 is appiopnate, oi whethei it is too loose oi too tight The thread tensioner 871 is piovided with a motoi oi othei actuatoi 877, which peifoims the tension adjustment The actuatoi 877 is lesponsive to a signal fiom the contiollei 19 When the contiollei 19 deteimines fiom the tension measurement signal fiom the tiansducei 876 that the tension m tlnead 224 should be adjusted, the contioHei 19 sends a contiol signal to the actuatoi 877, m iesponse to which the actuatoi 877 causes the tensionei 871 to adjust the tension of the tlnead 224 [0154] In lieu of the use of a thiead tail wiper 890, as illustiated in Fig. 5C, oi othei mechanism foi pulling the cut top tluead fiee aftei being cut and befoie iesummg sewmg at a new location, a machine control sequence may be executed that will achieve the results of the thiead tail wiping function Fig.5E illustiates the state of the top tluead 222 immediately aftei a tack stitch sequence is peifoimed at the end of the sewing of a pattern component, befoie thieads have been cut The top thiead 222 is shown extending fiom a top tluead supply 401, thiough a top-thiead tensionei 402 to the eye of the needle, which is opeiated by an actuatoi 403 contiolled by an output of the controller 19, to the needle 132 Between the tensionei 402 and the needle 132, the top thiead 222 passes thiough a pull-off mechanism 404 that nicludes a pushei 405 diiven by an actuatoi 406 that is also contiolled by an output of the contioller 19 In Fig. SE, the pushei 405 is shown in solid lines m its ietiacted position When the actuatoi 406 is actuated, the pushei 405 moves to its extended position 407, illustrated by a bioken line, to pull the top thiead to the position also illustiated by a broken line A top-thiead pull-off is executed by the contiollei 19 sending a signal to the actuatoi 403 of the top-thiead tensionei 402 to release tension on the top thiead 222 foi a shoit interval of tune duimg which the tluead pull-off mechanism 404 is pulsed The pulsing of the thiead pull-off mechanism 404 iesults fiom a signal fiom the contiollei 19 to the actuatoi 406 of the pull-off mechanism 404 which causes the pushei 405 to deflect the top tluead 222 so as to pull off a length of slack top tluead from the top-thiead supply 401 Alternatively, the needle 132 can be caused to move a shoit distance of ioughly a few inches lelative to the material 12 to pull the length of slack m the top thiead to pull thiough the needle 132 to add a length of tluead tail between the needle 132 and the mateiial 12 This lelative movement can be biought about by advancing the web 12 oi by moving bridges 21,22 oi both

[0155] Aftei the top tluead 222 has been pulled off as desciibed above, the thieads 222 and 224 aie cut and the loopei tluead is clamped as desciibed above in connection with Fig. 5C In this embodiment, the wipei mechanism 890, howevei, need not be piesent Instead, a wiping motion may be employed At this point in the pioceduie, the top-thiead tail extends fiom the needle 132 down thiough the mateiial 12 to below the mateiial to the position at which it was cut, as illustiated in Fig. 5F, and thiead tension has been reapplied to the top tluead Then, the needle 132 is advanced to a new starting position 410 lelative to the mateiial 12, that is, either the budges oi the material oi both can be moved, biingmg the thiead to the top of the mateiial foi the iesumption of sewing as illustiated m Fig. 5G

[0156] Then, whether oi not wipei 890 has been employed pnor to this pomt, a top-thiead. tuck cycle is executed in which the sewing heads aie opeiated through one stitch cycle, which pokes the top-thiead tail thiough the mateiial 12 to below the mateiial 12, wheie it is caught by the loopei 216, as illustiated in Fig. 5H Then, with the tension of the top tluead 222 having been pieviously applied by actuation of the tensionei 402, the needle 132 is moved in a thiead wipe motion lelative to the mateiial 12, away fiom and back to the staiting position 410 wheie the tluead penehated the mateiial 12 as illustiated m Fig. 51 Foi this motion, the contiollei 19 selects the duection by interpietmg the pattern to be sewn This motion is enough to pull the iemaining top-tluead tail to the bottom oi loopei side of the mateiial 12 without pulling the tail again out of the matei ial The length of this motion may be diffei ent foi diffeient applications

[0157] The motion path may be, foi example, a line, an aie, a tiiangle a combination of a lme and an aie oi some othei motion oi combination that takes the needle about two inches moie oi less fiom the position 410 A different path length may be used depending on the length of the thiead tail that the machine is designed or piogrammed to cut The path is piefeiably onented so that any slack in the top thiead pioduced at the needle 132 lies on a side of the pattern path that avoids the thread being caught m the sewing pattern oi being struck by the needle 132 With the machme 10, this motion is pieferably implemented by holduig the material 12 stationaiy and moving the bridges 21,22 in the path paiallel to the plane of the matenal 12 At the end of the tuck cycle, the machine is in the position shown in Fig. 5J

[0158] The stait of a pattern leqmies that the sewmg elements, the needle 132 and the loopei 216, cooperate such that the needle thiead 222 and loopei thread 224 alternately pick up loops foimedby the othei thiead to staitthe foimation of stitches of the chain When a stitch cycle is executed in the middle of a sewmg sequence, that is, once the chain has begun, the needle 132 descends thiough the matenal 12 to pick up a loop 412 sometimes iefened to as the triangle, foimed between the loopei 216, the top thiead 222 and the loopei thiead 224, the foimation of which loop is facilitated by the action of the ietamer oi spieadei 234, as illustiated in Fig.5K (See figui e 5F of United States Patent No 5,154,130 foi a moi e complete explanation Figuies 5A-5G of that patent aie sequential illustiations of a noimal cham-stitch forming cycle ) Howevei, with the thieads not yet set in the matenal 12, the loopei thiead 224 teiminates below the needle plate 38 and below the retainei 234 Specifically, the loopei thiead 224 is clamped between the cutting knife 852 and the spring clamp 856 (Fig. 5J) Theiefoie, the tiiangle 412 does not yet exist in its noimal foim and the catching of this loop by the needle 132 is not necessaiily completely piedictable As a lesult, theie is an mcieased likelihood that the fϊist stitch will be missed Moie importantly, theie is an unacceptable probability that each subsequent stitch will be missed until some indeterminate numbei of stitch cycles latei when the fiist stitch is formed This can iesult in a flawed pioduct oi wasted pioduct and can lequne repaπ oi a snapping of the pioduct

[0159] It has been found that stitch-foiming iehabihty when staitmg to sew a pattern is gieatly impioved by manipulating the thieads so that the looper picks up the loop of the top thiead befoie the needle picks up the loop of the bottom thiead This can be achieved by iedirectmg the tail of the loopei thiead Moie reliably, this can also be achieved by alteimg the timing of the stitching elements lelative to each othei, that is, the timing of the needles lelative to the timing of the loopers, so that the fust loop taken is the loop of the top thiead, which is taken by the advancmg loopei This, in turn, can be earned out by so manipulating the thieads oi tuning the stitching elements so that the needle misses the bottom thiead loop on the fust descent of the needle One way that this can be caused to happen is by msuimg that the needle passes on the "wiong" side of the bottom thread on the fust descent of the needle The bottom thiead is on the "wiong" side of the needle when the loopei thiead tail extends fiom the tip of the loopei back along the loopei side of the needle

[0160] Befoie the stait of sewmg, aftei the needle 132 is moved to a newposition lelative to the matenal 12, the needle 132 is above the material 12 with the top thiead 222 extending thiough the eye of the needle 132 fiom the thiead spool to the thiead tail In a noimal stitch cycle, the needle 132 would stait above the matenal, as shown in Fig.5L, with the loopei 216 advanced as shown The tail of the loopei thiead 224 is below the needle plate 38 and below the ietamei 234 In conventional stait up, the loopei 216 would ietiact as the needle 132 descended, piobably, but not necessaiily, passing between the bottom thiead 224 and the loopei 216, as illustiated m Fig.5M, taking the bottom thiead loop, as illustiated in Fig.5N This iesults in the loopei thiead 224 wiappmg the needle thiead 222 close to the loopei 216 below the ietamer 234, as illustrated m Fig. 50, iesultmg m a distoited tπangle that increases the likelihood that the needle 132 will miss the loop on its next descent

[0161] Each sewing head, including each needle head and each looper head, may be linked to a common rotaiy diive thiough an mdependeiitly contiollable clutch that can be opeiated by a machine contiollei to turn the heads on or off, theieby pioviding pattern flexibility The heads may be confϊguied in sewing-element pans, each needle head being modular with a couespondmg similaily modulai loopei head While the heads of each parr can be individually ruined on or off, they aie typically tinned on and off togethei, eithei simultaneously oi at diffeient phases in then cycles, as may be most desiiable Alternatively, only the needle heads may be piovided with selective dπve linkages, while the loopei heads may be linked to the output of a needle dnve motoi so as to run continuously, since they do notpenetiate the mateπal and do not form stitches when the needles aie not opeiatmg The looper linkage may be diiect and peimanent, oi may be adjustable, switchable oi capable of being phased m ielation to the needle dnve Foi example, the loopei diive maybe coupled to the needle diive by pioviding a diffeiential dnve mechanism in the loopei dnve ham When diiect dnve is employed, the loopei head dnve may be linked to an input dnve shaft thiough a geai box iathei than a clutch Each of the loopei heads may be furthei piovided with an alignment disk on the looper dnve shaft to allow piecise phase setting of each loopei head lelative to the othei loopei heads oi the needle dnve when the loopei head is installed in the machine Furthei, each loopei head housmg may be piovided with adjustments in two dimensions m a plane perpendiculai to the needle to facilitate alignment of the loopei head with a conespondmg needle head upon loopei head installation

[0162] In ordei to ieduce the likelihood of missed stitches, paiticularly at staitup of a pattern following the cutting of the loopei thiead, a spht-stait contiol method is piovided foi avoiding missed stitches at startup A split stait method is one use of the featuie that allows the needle and loopei dnves to be decoupled and moved separately With the split stait featuie, the initial motion of the needle and loopei pioceed sepaiately upon staitup so as to iendei the pickup of the stitches piedictable This is achieved by msuimg that the loopei picks up the top-thiead loop befoie the needle picks up the bottom thiead loop tuangle

[0163] With the split stait method, with the mechanism stopped so that the needle near its top dead centei position m its cycle and the needles and loopeis locked and in phase, the elements aie then unlocked so the loopei can be moved independently of the needle, for example, to be advanced in its cycle, foi example, by 180 degiees Then the needle can be advanced 1 SO degiees lelative to the loopei position to bung the needle m phase with the looper, msuimg that the needle will miss the loopei thiead tnangle oi loop m the loopei tlnead at the beginning of the initial cycle Then the elements can he ielocked m phase Upon furthei advancing of the elements, the loopei will theieiipoiipickiip the needle thiead loop befoie a loopei thiead loop is picked up by the needle, pioducmg a piedictable start to the stitch sequence [0164] Accoiding to one embodiment of the invention, the needle and loopei dnves aie decoupled when at the staitmg position of Fig.5P, which is similai to that of Fig.5L, and the needle is held m its top dead center position The loopei dnve is then advanced one-half cycle, to move the loopei 216 to the position illustiated in Fig. 5Q, theieby ietiactmg the loopei 216 out of the path of the needle 132 Then the loopei dnve is held in its half cycle position while the needle dnve is activated to lower the needle 132 to its half cycle position, which leaves the needle 132 cleai of the bottom thiead 224, as illustiated in Fig. 5R Then the needle and looper drives aie again coupled togethei and advanced togethei in syncliiomzation, wheieupon the looper 216 begins to take up the needle loop m appioximately the three-quarter position of the stitch cycle, as illustrated in Fig.5S, and pioceeds fiom theie to the full cycle position as illustiated in Fig.5T Then the elements continue to move through the next cycle, wheie the foimation of stitches can be seen, as illustiated m Figs. 5U thiough 5X Appioximately by the position m Fig. SX, the loopei thiead tail will have pulled itself fiom the clamping action of the thiead tπmmei

[0165] The splitting of the needle and loopei drive upon staitiip, as descnbed, avoids the missing of stitches upon staitup The splitting of the needle and loopei dnve cycles has othei uses, such as in facilitating thread tiimming [01661 As an alternative to the use of the split stait method desciibed above, the likelihood of missed stitches at staitup can be ieduced by ieduectmg oi guiding the thiead tail of the looper thiead so as to pi event the bottom thiead loop fiom being picked up by the needle befoie the top-thiead loop is picked up by the loopei Such ieduectionmay be achieved by a shifting oi othei positioning of the thiead tπmmei and clamp 850 (Fig. 5J) to move the tail of the loopei thiead 224 away fiom the needle side of the loopei 216 The use of a thiead-pushei mechanism or othei looper thieadieduectmg technique canbe used to cause the looper to pick up the top-thiead loop befoie the needle picks up the bottom thread loop [0167] Anothei phenomenon that incieases the piobabihty for missed stitches on staitup is the fact that the spieadei or ietamei 234 is not able to form the tiiangle with the looper thiead 224 until the loopei thiead 224 is diawn toward the needle plate 34 and the matenal 12 The loopei thiead 234 being clamped by the thiead trimmei 850 is held out of reach of the ietamei 234 Befoie sewing staits, it is possible that consideiable loopei thiead slack develops in the loopei tlnead tail between the loopei 216 and the clamp position at the thiead tiimmei 850 Such slack can form a laige loop that swings to the opposite side of the loopei fiom the needle, ieducing the likelihood of a stitch being picked up m any given cycle, even aftei the fust descent of the needle, theieby delaying unpiedictably the start of a stitch chain Such delay can iesult in an unacceptably long gap m the sewnpattein, lequiimg iepau oi sciappmg of a panel The likelihood of suchpioblems iesultmg fiom this looper thiead slack can be ieduced by confining the loopei thiead This confinement can be achieved by piovidmg a loopei thiead deflectoi 430 below the needle plate 38, as illustiated m Fig. 5Y Stractuie such as a thiead deflectoi 430 can be placed to contiol the diiection of the tail of loopei tlnead 224 leaving the looper 216 upon stait-up and to affect the spacing the loopei thiead tail and the loopei in such a way that the needle 132 does not miss the loopei tlnead loop aftei the looper has taken the needle thiead loop Such stractuie as the looper thiead deflectoi 430 improve the ieliabihty of stitch foimation whethei or not split stait techniques aie employed In some cases, the impioved ieliabihty is enough to allow the split stait feature to be omitted

[0168] The loopei tlnead deflectoi 430 illustiated m Fig.5Y is in the shape of a wedge and is seemed to the bottom of the needle plate 38 The wedge of the deflectoi 430 has a tapeied suiface 431 that is positioned close to the path of the tip of the loopei 216 when the loopei advances to its foiwaid position neai the zeio degiee oi needle up position as illustiated in Fig. 5P In this position, upon staitmg a pattern, the loopei tlnead tail is clamped at the thiead cut off 850 at the opposite side of the needle path The suiface 431 of the deflectoi 430 is positioned lelative to the path of the loopei to guide the loopei thiead tail away fiom the needle plate enough so that, once the loopei has picked up the needle thread loop, the loopei tlnead 224 is highly likely to be on the needle side of the loopei 216 so that the descending needle 132 picks up a loopei thiead loop on its next descent The loopei thread deflectoi 430 contπbutes to ieducing the missed stitches on startup when the split stait method descubed above is not used or not available

[0169] Fig.5Y also ilhisttates a conventional needle guaid 460, mounted to the base portion 805 of the loopei 216, as bettei illusti ated m Fig.4D This needle guai d can be adjusted by pivoting it on the loopei 216, where it can be locked in position by a set sciew (not shown) m hole 461 in Fig.4D This needle guaid 460 keeps the descending needle 132 fiom deflecting to the light of the advancing looper 216, keeping it to the left of the looper, as illustiated in Figs.5R and 5S, so that the loopei 216 picks up the loop and does not skip the stitch

[0170] An impioved alternative embodiment is illustiated in Fig. 4G, in which a double needle guard assembly 470 is piovided The assembly 470 includes a fiist needle guaid 471 and a second needle guaid 472 The fiist needle guaid 471 peifoims a function similar to that of needle guaid 460, and is also pivotally adjustably mounted to the base 805 of the looper 216 The second needle guard 472 is a iod of ciiculai cioss-section, and is rotatably adjustably mounted m a hole in a mounting block 473 iigidly fixed to the looper side of the needle plate 38 In the embodmient of Fig.4G, the thiead deflector 430 is also mounted to the mounting block 473 The needle guaid 472 keeps the descending needle 132 fiom deflecting fuithei to the left of the advancing loopei 216 so that the loopei 216 does not pass to the right of the needle thiead 222 and theieby miss the top thiead loop and thus skip the stitch, but iathei passes between the needle thiead 222 and the needle 132 (Fig 5S) The cnculai cioss-section of the second needle guaid 472 is centeied on an axis 474 that is paiallel to the plane of the loopei motion and of the needle plate, that is, in hoiizontal, tiansveise oiientation in the descubed machines The needle guaid 472 has an eccentiic base 475 having an axis 476 that is spaced fiom, but parallel to, the axis 474 and that mounts in a hole m the block 473 As such, the needle guaid 472 is iotatably adjustable in its mounting hole in block 473 so as to move it and its axis 474 toward oi away fiom the needle 132, wheie it can be locked m position by tightening of an alien head sciew 477 on the block 473

[0171] The technique used in sewmg tack-stitch sequences is also impioved to ieduce the likelihood of missed stitches, paiticulaily dm nig the stait-up tack-stitch sequence Piefeiably, a stait-up tack stitch sequence is staited by sewmg a shoit distance of approxmiately one inch in the dnection of the intended pattern, then sewmg back ovei the initial stitches to the staitmg position befoie pioceeding foiwaid ovei the same line of stitches At the beginning, a few long stitches aie sewn, followed by noimal length stitches A typical noimal stitch iate might be seven stitches pei inch To stait the tack sequence, the tin ead would fϊi st be set at the oiigm of the pattern cm ve, which can be by using the wipe and tuck cycle descubed above Then two triple-length stitches may be sewn, followed by a single noimal length stitch in a dnection away fiom the origin along the pattern cm ve line Then seven noimal-length stitches may be sewn back to the oiigin Then the sewmg dnection can leveise again and sew ovei the initial stitches along the pattern cuive

[0172] In the noimal sewmg of a pattern, the feed of the budges oi the matenal oi the combination theieof piefeiably iesults m a continuous feed motion of the stitching elements lelative to the mateπal In the tack sequence, howevei, and paiticulaily in those poitions of the tack sequences wheie longer than noimal stitches aie used, the iesultant feed is intermittent The mteimittent feed is piefeiably not abiupt, howevei, and is iathei made by smooth tiansitions between iapid lelative motion between the stitching elements and the material when the needle is clear of the material and lelatively little or no such motion when the needle is engaged with the matenal Dm ing the sewing of noimal length stitches, whether befoie 01 aftei the sewing of the long stitches, the feed is piefeiably continuous and smooth

[0173] Geneially, high speed sewmg m the qiulting of patterns is peiformed with continuous stitching, with a needle motion that is sinusoidal as a function of time oi at least of the distance stitched During the so-called inteimittent feed iefeired to above, the needle motion may be consideied non-sinusoidal as a function of distance, with the recipio cation of the needle being fastei than sinusoidal when the needle penetiates the matenal and slower when the needle is withdiawn fiom the matenal The needle speed tiansition may be smooth This type of needle speed variation is useful whenever a leveisal is employed in the sewmg of a pattern Cases involving the staitmg of sewing with needles moving fiom a stopped condition lelative to the matenal aie cases wheie such needle dnve motion is beneficial Tack sewmg is a common example of both situations, and wheie such needle speed vanation is desiiable

[0174] Foi example, needle speed may be started fiom a stop and run at a continuous cycle speed with motion that is sinusoidal as a function of time, but with feed of the matenal and needle lelative to each other being fastei when the needle is withdiawn fiom the matenal and slowei when the needle is peneuatmg the matenal, piesentmg needle motion as a non sinusoidal motion lelative to the distance moved lelative to the matenal With such motion, a few laigei than aveiage stitches may be sewn, then the material feed between needle penetiations of the matenal can be giadually reduced to noimal stitch spacing at which continuous stitching can continue Then, in peifoimmg a tack, the needle direction lelative to the matenal is leveised, and a similai sequence of a few longei than noimal stitches, with the non-smusoidal needle motion, aie earned out followed by a tiansition to noimal size stitches A similar scheme can be employed whenevei duection reveisal occuis, not just at the beginning and ending of a pattern This ieduces malfoimed stitches, missed stitches and thiead bieakage The movement of the needle lelative to the material can be earned out (1) by moving the budges lelative to the fiame of the machine while holding the matenal stationary, (2) by holding the budges stationaiy lelative to the machine while moving the matenal, oi (3) by a combination of lelative movements of both the budges and matenal lelative to the fiame of the machine [0175] The movement iefened to above can be earned out in such a way that takes into account the inertia of machine components and the matenal as well as matenal defoimation and othei effects of acceleiation, deceleiation, needle deflection and othei factois to optimize oi minimize these effects Foi example, m normal sewmg within the body of a pattern, the needles might iecipiocate sinusoidally thiough the seπes of stitch cycles with the relative movement between the matenal and the needles, that is movement paiallel to the plane of the matenal, being continuous, m at a constant speed In tins example, the needles might iecipiocate at 1400 cycles pei minute with the needle movement lelative to the material being 200 inches pei minute Then, when a tack sequence is to be sewn, this paiallel movement as well as the speed of the iecipiocatmg needle motion can be piopoitionately slowed to, say, 100 inches pei minute and 700 cycles pei minute, lespectively Then, foi a tack stitch, the iecipiocatmg needle motion speed can be vaned and moved non-smusoidally by, foi example, moving at a 2100 cycle pei second iate foi the portion of a cycle when the needle is penetiatmg the matenal and then slowing to a few hundied cycles pei second oi less between penetiations of the material to sew a noimal length stitch oi a longei-than-noimal length stitch, as the contiollei may command, with minimal needle deflection and minimal matenal distoition As such, the iecipiocating needle motion is acceleiated to a gieatei cycle speed when peneuatmg the mateiial and deceleiated to a slowei cycle speed between stitch penetiations Tiansition stitches can be sewnbefoie 01 aftei the tack stitch to tiansition to 01 fiom a noimal stitch Such a sequence can be used foi tack stitch sewmg 01 whenevei a dπection leveisal is sewn in a pattern

[0176] The machine 10 has a motion system 20 that is diagiammatically illustiated in Fig.6 Each of the budges 21,22 aie sepaiately and independently movable veitically on the flame 11 thiough a budge veitical motion mechanism 30 of the motion system 20 The budge veitical motion mechanism 30 includes two elevator or lift assemblies 31, mounted on the fiame 11, one on the light side and one on the left side of the name 11 (see Fig. IA) Each of the lift assemblies 31 includes two pans of stationaiy veitical iails 40, one pan on each side of the fiame 11, on each ofwhich iide two veitically movable platfoims 41, one foi each of two of veitical budge elevators, mcluding a lower budge elevatoi 33 and an upper budge elevatoi 34 Each of the elevatois 33,34 includes two of the vertically movable platfoims 41, one on each side of the fiame 11, which is equipped with beaimg blocks_42 that iide on the iails 40 The platfoims 41 of each of the elevatois 33,34 are mounted on the iails 40 so as to support the opposite sides of the lespective bridge to geneially remain longitudinally level, that is, level fiont-to-back

[0177] The uppei budge 22 is supported at its opposite left and light ends oniespective light and left ones of the platforms 41 of the uppei elevatois 34, while the lower bridge 21 is suppoited at its opposite left and light ends oniespective right and left platfoims 41 of the lowei elevatois 33 While all of the elevatoi platfoims 41 aie mechanically capable of moving independently, the opposite platfoims of each of the elevatois 33,34 aie controlled by the contiollei 19 to move up or down in unison Furthei, the elevatois 33,34 aie each contiolled by the contiollei 19 move the platfoims 41 on the opposite sides each budge 21 ,22 m synchronism to keep the budges 21 ,22 tiansveisely level, that is, fiom side-to-side [0178] Mounted on each side of the fiame 11 and extending vertically, paiallel to the veitical iails 40, is a lineai servo motoi statoi 39 On each platfoim 41 of the lowei and uppei elevatois 33,34 is fixed the armatme of a lmeai seivo motoi 35,36, lespectively The conti oiler 19 contiols the lowei seivos 35 to move the lower budge 21 up and down on the statois 39 while maintaining the opposite ends of the budge 21 level, and contiols the upper servos 36 to move the upper budge 22 up and down on the same statois 39, while maintaining the opposite ends of the budge 22 level The veitical motion mechanism 30 includes digital encodeis oi lesolveis 50, one earned by each elevatoi, to piecisely measme its position of the platform 41 on the iails 40 to feed back mfoimation to the contiollei 19 to assist in accuiately positioning and leveling the budges 21,22 While linear motois such as the lmeai seivos aie piefeiable, alternative dnves such as ball-sciews and iotaiy seivos, oi other dnve devices, may be employed The encodeis 50 aie piefeiably absolute encoders that output actual position signals [0179] The motion system 20 mcludes a tiansveise-hoπzontal motion mechanism 85 foi each of the budges 21,22 Each of the budges 21 ,22 has a pan of tongues 49 πgidly extending fiom its opposite ends on the light and left sides theieof, which support the budges 21 ,22 on the platfoims 41 of the elevatois 33,34 The tongues 49 are moved tiansveisely on the elevatoi platfoims 41 in the opeiation of the tiansveise-honzontal budge motion mechanism 85 The tongues 49 on each of the budges 21,22 cany tiansveisely extending guide stmctuie 44 in the foim of rails that iide mbeaiings 43 on the platfoims 41 of the lespective elevatois 33,34 (Fig. 6A) Fixed to the tongue 49 on one side of each of the budges 21,22, extending paiallel to the iails oi guide stractiue 44, is a lineal seivo statoi bar 60 Fixed to one of the platforms 41 of each lespective budge 21,22 is an armatuie of a lmeai seivo 45,46 positioned to coopeiate with and tiansveisely move the statoi bai 60 in iesponse to signals fiom the contioller 19 The tiansveise-hoπzontal motion mechanism includes decodeis 63 foi each of the budges 21,22 that aie piovided adjacent the aimatuies of seivos 45,46 on the lespective elevatois 41 to feed back tiansveise budge position information to the controllei 19 to aid in piecise contiol of the tiansveise budge position The budges 21,22 are independently contiollable to move veitically, up and down, and tiansversely, left and light, and opeiated in a cooidmated manner to stitch a quilted pattern on the mateπal 12 In the embodiment lllusnated, each budge can move tiansveisely 1 S niches (+/ 9 inches fiom its centei position), and each bridge can move up oi down 36 inches (+/- 18 inches fiom its centei position The iange of veitical motion of the lower and uppei budges 21,22 can oveilap [0180] The dπve iolleis 18 at the top of the fiame 11, which aie also part of the oveiall motion system 20, aie dπven by a feed seivo motoi 64 at the top of the fiame 11, as lllustiated m Fig. 6, on the iight side (facing downstieam) of the fiame 11 When activated, the seivo 64 diives the iolleis 18 to feed the web of matenal 12 downstieam, pulling ltupwaid along the plane 16 thiough the quilting station and between the membeis 23 and 24 of both of the budges 21 and 22 The i oilers 18 fuitliei dnve a tuning belt 65 located m the name 11 at the left side of the machine 10, as illustiated in Fig. 6A The budges 21,22 may also each be piovided with a pan ofpmch iollers 66, in place of idlei roller 15, that aiejoumalled to the lespective elevatoi platforms 41 on which the lespective budges 21,22 aie suppoited These iolleis 66 giip the material 12 at the levels of the budges 21,22 to munmize the tiansveise shifting of the matenal at the level of the sewmg heads 25,26 The pinch iolleis 66 aie synchiomzed by the belt 65 so that the tangential motion of then suifaces at the nips of the pans of iollei 66 move with the mateπal 12

[0181] Omittmg the iollei 66 in favoi of only the idlei iollei 15 has also been found to be an acceptable alternative This alternative may be desiiable to avoid matenal bunching duiing ceitain matenal and budge motion sequences [0182] As illustiated m Fig 6A, with the elevatoi platfoims 41 suppoitmg the budges 21,22 stationaiy, activation of the motoi 64 dnves the iolleis 18 to advance the web 12 downstieam and upward between the pmch iolleis 66 of the budges 21 ,22 The iolleis 18, in ruin, turn a belt dnve cog wheel 600 on the left side of the fiame 11 which dnves the belt

65 The iolleis 66 on both of the budges 21,22 aie dnven by the motion of the belt 65 so that they have the same tangential velocity, when the budges 21,22 are veitically Fixed, to ioll with the matenal 12 as the matenal 12 is moved up by the motion of the iolleis 18 On the othei hand, when the feed i oils 18 and matenal 12 aie stationaiy, the belt 65 iemams stationaiy, as illustiated in Fig.6B With the belt 65 stationaiy, movement up oi down of eithei budge 21,22 foices the iollers 66 to move lelative to the web 12 and also lelative to the belt 65 The movement of the iolleis 66 lelative to the belt 65 causes the iolleis

66 to iotate at a iate that keeps the iollei suifaces at the nip between them stationary at the web 12 so that the iolleis 66 ioll along the suiface of the stationaiy web of matenal 12 Fiuthermoie, combinations of motion of the web 12 and of a budge 21,22 aie accompanied with combined motion being impaited to the iolleis 66 that effectively subtiacts the upward motion of a budge 21,22 fiom the upwaid motion of the web 12, so that the suifaces of the iolleis 66 at the nips of the sets of iolleis 66 always move with the matenal 12 This synchionized motion between the web 12 and the pmch iolleis 66 of eacli of the budges 21,22 maintains longitudinal tension on the matenal 12 and clamps the mateual 12 at each of the bridges 21,22, iesistmg tiansveise mateual distoition of the web 12

[0183] The stmctuie that enables the belt 65 to synchionize the motion of the pinch iolleis 66 with the motions of the budges 21,22 and the web 12 is illustiated also mFigs. 6C and όD as well as Figs.6A and 6B as explamed above The belt 65 extends aiound the cog duve iollei 600, which is diiven thiough a gear assembly 601 by the feed iolleis 18 (Fig. 6D) The belt 65 fuithei extends around foui idlei pulleys 602-605 iotatably mounted to the stationaiy fiame 11 The belt 65 also extends aiound a diiven pulley 606 and an idler pulley 607, both rotatably mounted to the elevatoi platform 41 foi the lowei budge 21 , and aiound idlei pulley 608 and driven pulley 609, both iotatably mounted to the elevatoi platfoim41 foi the uppei budge 22, all on the left side of the name 11 The dπven pulley 606 is diiven by the motion of the belt 65 and, m ruin, thiough a geai mechanism 610 (Fig. 6D), duves the pinch iolleis 66 of the lower budge 21, while duven pulley 609, is also dπven by the motion of belt 65 and, thiough geai mechanism 611, drives the pinch iolleis 66 of the upper budge 22 The geai mechanisms 610 and 611 have dπve iatios ielated to that of duve geai mechanism 601 such that the tangential velocity of the iolleis 66 and iolleis 18 is zeio relative to that of the web 12 It should be noted that the path of the belt 65 remains the same regaidless of the positions of the budges 21 and 22

[0184] Additionally, mlet iolleis 15 aie shown at the bottom of Fig. 6D and in Figs. 6E and 6F as a pan of iolleis similai to iolleis 18 If such iolleis 15 aie so piovided and aie to be duven, which might be desu able or undesn able, depending on the feed system foi the web 12 upstieam of the machine 10, such iolleis 15 should be also driven by the belt 65, as thiough a geai mechanism 612 duven by the iollei 605 that is dπven by the belt 65 In such a case, the rolleis 15 should be maintained at the same tangential velocity as the feed iolleis 18 thiough pioperly matched geai ratios between mechanisms 601 and 612 It might, however, be piefeπed to allow the iolleis 15 to iotate fieely as idlei rolleis, and to piovide only a single iollei 15 above and on the upstieam side of the matenal 12, around which the matenal 12 would extend Each of the gear mechanisms 601, 610 and 611 may be substantially as illustiated and described foi geai mechanism 612 [0185] The veitical motion of the bridges 21,22 is cooidiπated with the downstieam motion of the web of mateual 12 by the contiollei 19 The motion is cooidmated in such a way that the bridges 21,22 can efficiently remain within their 36 inch veitical iange oftiavel Fuithei, the two budges 21,22 can be moving so as to stitch diffeient patterns oi diffeient poitions of a pattern As such, then sepai ate motions aie also cooidmated so that both budges 21,22 iemamm their lespective ianges oftiavel, which may i eqiui e that they opei ate at diffei ent stitch speeds This may be achieved by the conti ollei 19 conti ollmg one budge independently while the motion of the otliei budge is dependent on oi slaved to that of the othei budge, though othei combinations of motion may be bettei suited to vauous patterns and ciicumstances

[0186] The stitching of patterns by the sewing heads 25,26 on the budges 21,22 is earned out by a combination of veitical and tiansveise motions of the budges 21,22 and thus, the sewing heads 25,26 that are on the budges, lelative to the matenal 12 The contiollei 19 cooidmates these motions in most cases so as to maintain a constant stitch size, foi example, seven stitches to the inch, which is typical Such cooidmatioii often lequnes a vaiymg of the speed of motion of the budges oi the web oi both or a vaiymg of the speed of sewing heads 25,26 [0187] The speed of the needle heads 25 is controlled by the controller 19 controlling the operation of two needle diive servos 67 that respectively drive the common needle drive shafts 32 on each of the budges 21,22. Similarly, the speed of the loopei heads 26 is controlled by the contioller 19 controlling the operation of two looper diive seivos 69, one on each hiidge 21,22, that drive the common looper belt drive systems 37 on each of the bridges 21 ,22. The sewing heads 25,26 on different bridges 21 ,22 can be driven at different rates by different operation of the two servos 67 and the two servos 69. The needle heads 25 and loopei heads 26 on the same bridges 21,22, however, are run at the same speed and in synchronism to cooperate in the formation of stitches, although these maybe phased slightly with respect to each other for pioper loop take- up, needle deflection compensation, or other purposes.

[0188] Further, the horizontal motion of the bridges is controlled in some circumstances such that they move in opposite directions, thereby tending to cancel the tiansveise distoition of the material 12 by the sewing opeiations being performed by either of the bridges 21 ,22. For example, when the two bridges 21 ,22 are sewing the same patterns, they can be controlled to circle in opposite directions. Different patterns can also be controlled such that transveise forces exerted on the web 12 cancel as much as piactical.

[0189] Embodiments above are provided with separate drive servos for the needle head assemblies 25 and the looper head assemblies 26 for each bridge 21 ,22. In particular, each bridge 21 ,22 includes a needle drive servo 67, sepaiately controllable by a signal from the controller 19, which drives a shaft 32, which, in turn, drives all of the needle head assemblies 25 on the respective bridge, with each needle head assembly 25 being selectively engageable through a clutch 100, also operated by signals from the controllei 19. Also, each bridge 21,22 further includes a looper drive servo 69, also sepaiately controllable by a signal from the controller 19, which drives a belt 37, which, in turn, drives all of the looper head assemblies 26 on the respective bridge, with each looper head assembly 26 being selectively engageable through a similar clutch 210, also opeiated by signals from the controller 19. The separate drives 67 and 69 facilitate the split-stait feature, described above, as well as needle deflection compensation, plus is useful for other control refinements.

[0190] A number of alternatives to the bridge design, the needle head assemblies, and the needle and looper drives and the control thereof are also illustrated in and described. In Fig.6H, an end portion or tongue 49 of a bridge 21 or 22 is illustrated m which the needle drive motor 67 is linked to drive both the needle head assemblies 25 and looper head assemblies 26 of the same bridge. The servo 67 directly drives the output shaft 32, which is the needle drive input shaft foi that biidge. The shaft 32, in turn, drives a cog belt 32a that drives a looper drive input shaft 37a, which takes the place of the looper drive belt 37 m previously described embodiments. With this embodiment, needles 132 and loopers 216 aie driven together, and are not separately controlled or phased. Because the stitching elements are mechanically linked, power failures and other malfunctions aie less likely to result in mechanical damage to the machine. Nonetheless, the ability to separately control needle and looper heads can be reinstated by retaining the looper drive servo 69 while linking its output to the shaft 37a through a diffeiential drive 69a, which can be added between the belt drive 32a and the looper drive shaft 37a [0191] The looper drive shaft 37a is linked through a belt 37b to a segmented shaft 37c that is formed of an alternating series of torque tubes 37d and gear boxes 210a. The gear boxes 210a take the place of the looper drive clutches 210, but drive the looper and retainer drives 212 of the looper head assemblies 26 continuously rather than allowing each to be driven selectively as with the embodiments desciibed above Activation and deactivation of the needle alone determines whether the set of stitching elements participates m the sewmg of the pattern Since the loopeis 216 do not penetrate the matenal being sewn, they can be run continuously whethei the conesponding needle drive assemblies 25 aie being dnven oi not, although clutches 210 could be piovided mstead of geai boxes 210a

[0192] The looper head assemblies 26 of this embodiment, illustiated as assemblies 26a m Fig. 2C, include a looper and retamei dnve 212 essentially as desciibed above They also each include the needle plate 38, illustiated as a iectangulai plate 38a, which is fixed lelative to the loopei dnve housing 238, which contains the needle hole Sl Each geai box 210a has an output shaft that is locked to the input shaft of the loopei and ietamei dπve 212 by a collai 440 such that these shafts aie adjustable only axially with iespect to each othei Each geai box.210a is suppoited by two beanngs 441, one on each side of the geai box 210a, that suπound the shaft 37c, which is the input dπve shaft of the gear boxes 210a The beatings 441 aie each locked in a clamp member 442 that is bolted to the budge As such, the geai boxes 21 Oa aie adjustable only axially lelative to the shaft 37c

[0193] When a loopei head assembly 26a is installed on the ieai poition 24 of a budge 21 ,22, four adjustments can be made Two hoiizontal adjustments aie available to adjust the assembly 26a on the bridge Befoie tightening the clamp members 442, the gear box 21 Oa can be positioned tiansversely on the shaft 37c to align the needle hole 81 tiansveisely with needle 132 Then the collar 440 can be loosened and the assembly 26a moved towaid or away from the needle drive assembly 25 to adjust the needle plate 38a lelative to the fabiic plane 16 Angulai adjustment of the loopei and ietamei dnve 212 is made by aligning a disc (not shown) on the input shaft of the dπve 212 inside the housing 238 with an alignment hole 444 in the housing 238 This is done by mseitmg a cylmdπcal pm (not shown) thiough the hole 444 and iotating the shaft of the dnve 212 until the pm fits into the hole in the alignment disc When the adjustments aie made, the collax 440 is tightened Veitical adjustment of the loopei 216 is made by the loopei adjustment desciibed above in connection with Fig. 4E [0194] A needle head assembly 25 that pioduces a simple sinusoidal needle motion is illustiated, as the needle head assembly embodiment 25a also m Fig. 2C Each needle head assembly 25a includes a clutch 100 that selectively transmits powei fiom the needle dnve shaft 32 to a needle dnve 102a andpiessei foot dnve 104a The needle dnve 102a, the piessei foot dnve 104a and the clutch 100 as well as the shaft 32, aie supported on a needle dnve housing 418 The needle dnve 102a includes the ciank 106 that is dπven thiough a dnve belt 164 by the output pulley 166 of the clutch 100 The ciank 106 is mechanically coupled to the needle holdei 108 by a diiect needle drive link HOa The aim oi eccentiic 112 of ciank 106 is rotatably connected to one end of the link 110a The othei end of the link 110a is iotatably connected to pm 123 extending fiom block 122 of the iecipiocating shaft 124, which is an extension of the needle holdei 108 The shaft 124 is mounted foi iecipiocating linear motion as m the assembly 25 desciibed m connection with Fig. 2 above The piessei foot dnve 104a is geneially similai to the piessei foot dπve 104 desciibed in connection with Fig. 2A above The components of the needle head assemblies 25a aie made of materials that allow the heads to be opeiated without lequumg lubπcation [0195] The housing 418 is a stiuctuial membei having tluee mounting flanges 451 , 452 and 453 mat suppoit the assembly 25a and its i elated components on the fiontpoition 23 of the budge 21,22 The fiont poitions 23 of the budges 21,22 of the embodiment 23a illustiated in Fig. 61, use the housings 418 of the head assemblies 25a to stiffen the bπdge poition, which is foimed of an open tiough 455 The flanges 451 aie bolted to the veitical face of the trough 455, while the flanges 452 and 453 aie bolted to tiansveisely extending channels along the base of the hough 455, theieby adding stiffening structure that iemfoices the tiough 455 so as to iesist the mam stiesses and dynamic loads encounteied dming sewmg The diive shaft 32, which is formed of sections of toique tubes 32a and solid shaft sections 32b (Fig. 2C), is also m part suppoited by the housings 218 thiough the clutches 100 that aie mounted to the housings 218, theieby confinmg some of the diive forces to these housings 218 This aiiangement makes it pi actical to eliminate additional structuial featuies such as the ribs 89 (Fig.1) [01961 In a typical configuiation, the quiltei lO quilts a web 12 that may be fed downstieam to apanel cuttei and tπmmei, oi that may be iolled and tiansfeiied to an off-line cutting and tiimmmg device Motion of the web 12 and the budges 21 ,22 can also be cooidmated with panel cutting opeiations peifoimedby a panel cutting assembly 71 located at the top of the fiame

11 The panel cuttei 71 has a cut-off head 72 that tiaveises the web 12 just downstieam of the drive iolleis 18, and a pan of tiimming oi shttmg heads 73 on opposite sides of the fiame 11, immediately downstream of the cut-off head 72, to trim selvage fiom the sides of the web 12

[0197] The cut-off head 72 is mounted on a iail 74 to tiavel tiansversely acioss the frame 11 from a rest position at the left side of the fiame 11 The head is dnven acioss the rail 74 by an AC motor 75 that is fixed to the fiame 11 with an output linked to the head 72 by a cog belt 76 The cut-off head 72 uicludes a pair of cutter wheels 77 that ioll along opposite sides of the mateiial 12 with the matenal 12 between them so as to tiansveisely cut quilted panels fiom the leading edge of the web

12 The wheels 77 aie geaied to the head 72 such that the speed of the cutting edges of the wheels 77 aie piopoitional to the speed of the head 72 acioss the iail 74

[0198] The contiollei 19 synchiomzes the opeiationof the cut-off head 72, activating the motoi 75 when the edge of a panel is couectly positioned at a cut-off position defined by the path of the tiavel of the cutting wheels 77 The contioUer 19 stops the motion of the matenal 12 at this position as the cut-off action is earned out During the cut-off opeiation, the contiollei 19 may stop the sewmg performed by the sewmg heads 25,26, oi may continue the sewmg by moving the budges 21,22 to impait any longitudinal motion of the sewmg heads 25,26 lelative to the matenal 12 when the matenal 12 is stopped foi cutting [0199] The tiimmnig oi slitting by the shttmg heads 73 takes place as the web of matenal 12 oi panels cut theiefiom aie moved downstieam fiom the cutting head 72 The shttmg heads 73 each have a set of opposed feed belts 78 theieon that aie dnven in cooidmation with a pan of slitting wheels 79 The stmetme and opeiation of these shttmg heads 73 aie explained m detail in U S Patent No 6,736,078, filed Maich 1 , 2002, by Kaetteihemy et al and entitled "Soft Goods Shttei and Feed System for Quilting ', heieby expiessly mcoipoiated by iefeience heiem

[0200] The feed belts 78 and wheels 79 aie geaied to opeiate togethei and driven by the dnve system of feed iolleis 18 as the web 12 is advanced thiough the slitteis 73 The belts 78 aie opeiated sepaiate fiom the feed iolls 18 aftei a panel has been cut fiom the web by the cutting head 72 to cleai the panels fiom the belts 78 The slitting heads 73 aie tiansveisely adjustable on a tiansveisely extending tiack 80 acioss the width of the fiame 11 so as to accommodate webs 12 of diffeimg widths, as explained in U S PatentNo 6,736,078 The adjustment is made undei the contiol of the contiollei 19 aftei a panel has been seveied and cleaied fiom the tiimming belts 78 The shttmg heads 73 and the adjustment of then tiansveise position on the name 11 to coincide with the edges of the matenal 12 aie earned out undei the contiol of contiollei 19 in a mannei set foith m U S Patent No 6,736,078 and as explained heiem

[0201] With the stractiue desciibed above, tlie contiollei 19 moves the web m theforwaid diiection, moves the uppei bridge up, down, light and left, moves the lowei budge up, down, nght and left, switches individual needle and looper dnves selectively on and off, and contiols the speed of the needle and loopei drive paus, all in vanous combinations and sequences of combinations, to piovide an extended vauety of patterns and highly efficient opeiation Foi example, simple lines aie sewn fastei and in a vaπety of combinations Continuous 180 degiee patterns (those that can be sewn with side to side and foi waid motion only) and 360 degiee patterns (those that lequire sewing in leveise) aie sewn in gieatei vaπeties and with gieatei speed than with pievious quilteis Disci ete patterns thatieqiuie completion of one pattern component, sewing of tack stitches, cutting the thieads and jumping to the beginning of a new pattern component can be sewn in gieater vaneties and with gieatei efficiency Diffeient patterns can be linked Diffeient patterns can be sewn simultaneously Patterns can be sewn with the matenal moving oi stationary Sewmg can pioceed in synchronization with panel cutting Panels can be sewn at vanable needle speeds and with different parts of the pattern sewn simultaneously at diffeient speeds Needle settings, spacmgs and positions can be changed automatically

[0202] Foi example, simple straight lines can be sewn paiallel to the length of the web 12 by fixing the budges m selected positions and then only advancing the web 12 thiough the machine by opeiation of the diive iolleis 18 The sewmg heads 25,26 are dnven so as to form stitches at a iate synchiomzed to the speed of the web to maintain a desired stitch density [0203] Continuous straight lines can be sewn tiansveise the web 12 by fixing the web 12 and moving a budge hoirzontally while similaily opeiatmg the sewing heads Multiple sewmg heads can be operated simultaneously on the moving budge to sew the same tiansveise lme in segments so that the motion of the budge need only equal the hoiizontal spacing between the needles As a lesult, the tiansveise lines aie sewn fastei

[0204] Continuous patterns aie those that aie foimed by iepeatmg the same pattern shape iepeatedly as the machine sews Continuous patterns that can be pioduced by only uniduectional motion of the web lelative to the sewmg heads, coupled with tiansveise motion, canbe iefened to as standaid continuous patterns These aie sometimes refened to as 180 degiee patterns They aie sewn on the machine 10 by fixing the veitical positions of the budges and advancing the feed iolls 18 to move the web 12, moving the budges 21,22 hoiizontally only On the machine 10, the web 12 does not move tiansveisely lelative to the name 11

[0205] Fig. 7A is an example of a standaid continuous pattern With a traditional multi-needle sewmg machine in winch all of the needles sew the same patterns simultaneously, the illustiated pattern 900 can be sewn piovided that theie aie two lows of needles spaced by the distance D The distance D is a fixed paiametei of the machine and cannot be varied fiom pattern to pattern This is because the needle low spacing is fixed and all of the needles must move together With the machine 10, desciibed above, the distance D can be any value, because alternate stitches can be sewn with needles on one budge while the othei stitches aie sewn with needles on the othei budge The two budges canbe moved in any ielationslup to each othei Fuitheimoie, if the two budges aie spaced at a veitical distance of 2Z), with a needle of each budge starting at points 901 and 902, foi example, they can move in the opposite tiansveise directions as the web feeds upwaid, theieby sewing the alternate lows 903 and 904 as imiioi images of the same pattern In this way, the transveise foices exerted on the material by budge motion will cancel, theieby minimizing mateπal distortion

[0206] Continuous patterns that lequne bidiiectional web motion lelative to the sewing heads aie refened to herein as 360 degiee patterns These 360 degiee patterns can be sewn in vanous ways The web 12 can be held stationaiy with a pattern iepeat length sewn entiiely with budge motion, then the web 12 can be advanced one repeat length, stopped, and the next iepeat length can then also be sewn with only bridge motion A moie efficient and highei throughput method of sewmg such 360 degiee continuous patterns mvolves advancing the web 12 to impait the lequued veitical component of web veisus head motion of the pattern, with the budges sewing only by hoiizontal motion lelative to the web 12 and the fiame 11 When a pomt in the pattern is ieached wheie leveise veitical sewmg dnection is lequued, the web 12 is stopped by stoppmg feed iolls 18 and the budge oi budges doing the sewmg aie moved upwaid When the veitical direction must be leveised again, the budge moves do wnwai d with the web i emammg stationary until the bridge i eaches the initial position fi om which its vertical motion staited and the web's motion stopped Then web motion takes ovei to impait the veitical component of the pattern until the pattern needs to be leversed again This combination of budge and web vertical motion prevents the budge fiom walking out of iange

[0207] An example of a 360 degiee continuous pattern 910 is illustiated m Fig.7B The sewmg of this pattern staits, foi example, at pomt 911 and vertical line 912 is sewn only with upwaid veitical web motion Then, at point 913, the web stops and the hoiizontal line 914 is sewn with tiansveise budge motion only to point 915, then with upwaid budge motion only to sew line 916, then tiansveise budge motion only to sew line 917, then with downwaid vertical budge motion only to sew line 918, then tiansveise budge motion only to sew line 919, then downwaid vertical budge motion only to sew line 920 Then line 921 is sewn with transveise budge motion only then line 922 is sewn with upwaid budge motion only, then line 923 is sewn with tiansveise budge motion only to point 924 At this point and along the line 923, the budge is at the farthest distance below its initial position than at any point m the pattern Then, the budge moves downwaid to sew line 925 as fai as point 926, which is adjacent pomt 915 wheie the vertical budge motion staited, at which point 926, the budge is back to its initial vertical position, whereupon its veitical motion stops and the web moves upwaid to sew the line fuithei to pomt 927 Then tiansveise budge motion only sews line 928 to point 929, which is back to the beginning pomt of the pattern [0208] Discontinuous patterns that aie formed of disci ete pattern components, which aie iefeired to by the tiademark as TACK & JUMP patterns by applicant's assignee, aie sewn in the same manner as the continuous patterns, with tack stitches made at the beginning and end of each pattern component, thiead tiimming aftei the completion of each pattern component and the advancing of the matenal lelative to the needles to the beginning of the next pattern 180 degiee and 360 degiee patterns aie piocessed as aie continuous patterns An example of such a 360 degiee pattern 930 is illustiated in Fig.7C One simple way to sew these patterns is to sew the patterns with budge motion, tack the patterns and cut the tlneads, then jump to the next iepeat with web motion only Howevei, adding web motion as in Fig. 7B to the pattern sewmg portion can increase throughput

[0209] Diffeientpatteins canbe linlcedtogethei accoiding to the conceptdescπbedmU S Patent No 6,026,756 Fig.7D is an example of linked patterns that can be sewn on the machine 10 without vertical motion of a budge, with the two budges shaimg the sewing of the clovei -leaf patterns 941 by sewing the opposite sides as minor images Alternatively, one budge can sew the patterns 941 as 360 degiee discontinuous patterns while the othei bridge sews the stiaight line patterns [0210] Fig. 7E illushates a continuous 360 degiee pattern 950 sewn with one bridge sewmg alternative patterns 951 with the othei budge sewmg a nuiioi image 952 of the same pattern This pattern 950 is sewn using similai web and budge vertical motion logic as pattern 910 of Fig.7B In deteiminmg the apportionment of vertical motion between the budges and the web, the contiollei 19 analyzes the pattern befoie sewmg begins In such a determination, at the stait of each pattern repeat, the tiansveise position at the end of the iepeat must be the same as it was when the pattern started and the veitical web position must be the same oi further downstream (up) The pattern 950 may be sewn with the lowei budge fust sewmg tack stitches at points 953 and sewmg patterns 951 The sewmg will use budge honzontal motion and only web veitical motion until points 954 aie ieached Then, the web stops and the budge sews veitically, down then up, to point 955, at which the budge is at the same longitudinal position on the web and the same vertical position as it was at point 954 Then the web feed takes ovei for the sole vertical motion and the sequence is iepeated foi the second half of the pattern 956 [0211] When point 957 is leached, the second bridge begins patterns 952 with a tack stitch at point 953, winch it sews m the same maπnei as the fust bridge sewed pattern 951 , except with the honzontal oi tiansveise duection being leveised The sewmg continues with the budges and web movmg vertically the same and simultaneously foi bothpatteins 951 and 952, with tiansveise motion of one budge being equal and opposite to the tiansveise motion of the othei budge The sewmg continues until the lowei bridge reaches pomt 958, wheie tack stitches aie sewn and the thieads are cut After one moie pattern iepeat, the second budge comes to the same pomt, and it sews tack stitches and its thieads aie cut

[0212] Two diffeient patterns can be sewn simultaneously by moving one budge to form one pattern and the othei budge to foim another pattern The opeiation of both budges and the sewmg heads theieon aie contiolled m ielation to a common vntual axis This viitual axis can be increased m speed until one budge ieaches its maximum speed, with the othei budge being opeiated at a lower speed at a iatio deteimmed by the pattern lequuements Pattern 960 of Fig. 7F illustiates this With one bridge sewmg the vertical lines of pattern 961 and the othei budge simultaneously sewmg the zig-zag lines of pattern 962, the stitching iates of the two budges must be diffeient Since the stitched senes foi pattern 962 is longei than that foi pattern 961, pattern 962 is diiven at a one to one iatio to a virtual axis oi ieference which is set at the maximum stitching speed If the lines of pattern 962 aie at a 45 degiee angle, foi example, the stitch iate foi pattern 961 will be set at 0 707 times the rate of that of pattern 962

[0213] Patterns can be sewn by combinations of veitical and honzontal motion of the budges while the matenal is being advanced, theieby making possible the optimizing of the piocess Fig. 7G, for example, shows a pattern 970 made up of a straight line bolder pattern 971 m combination with diamond patterns 972 and ciicle patterns 973 If the oveiall panel is laigei than the 36 inch veitical budge tiavel, for example if dimension L is 70 inches, stitching can pioceed as follows the diamonds and cucles of the uppei half 974 of the panel aie sewn fiist, with one budge sewmg the diamonds and the othei sewmg the cucles, oi some othei combination, using 360 degiee logic, with the web stationary Then the boidei pattern 971 is sewn with the web moving 35 inches upwaid duiing the piocess, sewmg veitical and honzontal lines as desciibed above Then the diamonds and ciicles of the bottom half 975 of the panel being sewn Alternatively, the uppei half of the panel can be sewn with the upper cncle and diamond patterns being sewαby the top budge and the lowei ciicle and diamond (two lows) being sewn with the bottom budge Then after the boidei lines aie sewn, the circle and diamond patterns of the lowei panel half can be similaily appoitioned between the budges

[0214] With the quilting machine 10 desciibed heiein, othei patterns can be sewn that have eithei not been possible oi piactical with machines of the pnor ait For example, Fig. 9 shows a section 500 of the quilted web 12 on which two pattern sections 501 and 502 have been quilted Both of these patterns aie selected as continuous, uniduectional patterns foi simplicity, but the pimciples discussed in connection with the sewing of these patterns can be combined with the pimciples discussed above in connection with many of the patterns of Figs. 7A-7G to pioduce othei, more complex patterns and combinations of patterns to piovide advantages of additional featuies and sewing techniques The patterns 501 and 502 on the web section 500 have some common chaiacteiistics as well as some distinctive pioperties Both aie continuous uniduectional patterns of types that have been each sepaiately produced on fixed-needle, multi needle quilting machines wheie the same pattern extends fiomone of a panel to the othei The pattern 501, foi example, is iefened to as an "onion" pattern, which is foimed of alternating, geneially-sinusoidal cm ves 503 and 504 These curves 503,504 may be considered as identical but 180 degiees out of phase, so that they conveige and diverge to pioduce the illustiated onion pattern 501 The pattern 502 is iefened to as a "diamond" pattern, and is foimed of alternating, zig-zag lines 505 and 506 These lines oi cmves 505 and 506 may be also consideied as identical but 180 degrees out of phase, so that they too conveige and diveige to pioduce the illustiated diamond pattern 502 The two curves 503, 504 of the pattern 501 aie made up of pattern iepeat cycles 507, while the two cuives 505, 506 of the pattern 502 aie made up of iepeat cycles 508 The two patterns 501 and 502 aie sepaiated by a small length 510 of the web 12

[0215] Each of the patterns 501 and 502 may be consideied as being made up of (1) a starting length 511 and 512, lespectively, that is spanned by 180 degiees, oi half, of a pattern iepeat cycle, (2) an intermediate length 513 and 514, lespectively, that is spanned by one oi moie 360 degiee OL full, pattern iepeat cycles, and (3) an ending length 515 and 516, lespectively, that is also spanned by 180 degiees of a pattern iepeat cycle These lengths 511-516 aie described foi a web 12 that moves upward m Fig. 9 thiough the machine 10 and is quilted from top to bottom m the figuie Each curve of the patterns 501 and 502 begins with a tack stitch sequence 517 and ends with a tack stitch sequence 518 The tacked beginnings and ends of these cuives and the longitudinal pioximity of the end tacks 518 of one pattern and the beginning tacks 517 of the next pattern aie paiticulaily advantageous featuies of this aspect of the piesent invention The length 210 of web 12 between the patterns 501 and 502 may be less than the length of 180 degiees of the pattern, even substantially less, foi example, 90 degiees, 15 degiees oi zeio degiees This intei -pattern length 210 may be piesent on a panel wheie the panel is made of two of the same oi diffeient patterns, such as both of the patterns 501 and 502 as illustiated, oi may be piesent at the boundaiy between two panels Wheie the intei -pattern length 210 lies on the boundary between two patterns, the panels may be cut in this legion, theieby minimizing oi eliminating waste of the material of the web 12 between the panels In Fig.9, each of the patterns 501 and 502 is shown as two pattern cycles long, with each lespectively made up of one half-cycle long staiting length 511 oi 512, one full cycle long inteimediate length 513 or 514, and one half-cycle long ending length 515 oi 516 [0216] While each of the patterns 501 and 502 can be sewn onpiioi ait multi-needle quilting machines such as described in U S Patent No 5, 154, 130, theie aie limitations, as can be appreciated by refeience to Fig. 9A. This is in pait because, with the conventional multi-needle quilting machines, multiple lows of needles are mounted on a common iigid sewing head sti uctui e on which the needles ai e fixed and the rows ai e constrained to a fixed distance apart, with all of the needles of all of the lows stitching simultaneously and maintaining the fixed ielationship determined by then anangement on the sewing head structure The simultaneous stitches aie formed by the needles of a first low, at positions 521, spaced a tiansveise distance 522 fi oni each other, and needles of a second iow, at positions 523, spaced a tiansveise distance 524 fiom each othei, with the lows being spaced a longitudinal distance 525 apait This needle anangement defines the lelative dimensions of the components, paiticulaily m the longitudinal duection, of the onion designs of the pattern 501 in Fig. 9A Similai dimensional limitations ai e the i esult of the needle positions 526 ti ansvei sely spaced a distance 527 on the fust bai and needle positions 528 spaced a distance 529 on the second bai The tiansveise spacings 527 and 529 need not be, and in Fig.9A aie not, the same foi pattern 502 as the spacings 522 and 524 foi pattern 502 m Fig. 9A The longitudinal spacing 525 of the lows is the same for patterns 501 and 502 due to stiuctuial limitations of the equipment These distances 525, 527 and 529 define the dimensions of the components of the diamond designs of the pattern 502 m Fig. 9A

[0217] The tiansition fiom stitching the pattern 501, which, as shown in Fig. 9A, uses four needles pei bai foi each of two needle bais, to stitching the pattern 502, which, as shown uses seven needles pei bar for each of the two needle bais, lequues a change of needle settings With at least most machines of the pπoi art, needle setting change is typically a manual opeiation Alternatively, pattern 502 could be ieplaced with a pattern limited to those that use the same fom needles as pattern 501, such as a pattern having fom iathei than seven lows of diamonds, so that no needle change would be required to change fiom pattern 501 to pattern 502 Furthei, since all of the needles of a fixed needle machine start and stop sewing at the same time, iegaidless of which row on the sewmg head they occupy, the stait and stop positions of pattern cm ves 503 and 504, which aie sewn by needles on diffeient lows and located at positions 521 and 523, lespectively, aie necessaiily longitudinally spaced a distance 525 apait, leaving a half-length poition of one of the only cut ves 503 oi 504 occupying a length of the web equal to the distance 525 at both the beginning and end of each of the patterns 501 and 502 This iesults m a production of a length 530 of sciap mateπal oi waste equal to two lengths 525 between adjacent patterns on the web 12, which must be cut off and discarded This, m turn, lequnes that the pattern extend to the cut upstieam and downstieam ends of the panel This eliminates the ability of pioducmg a panel having a pattern spaced fiom the ends of the panel with the cm ves of the pattern that aie sewn by diffeient needle bais starting and stopping at the same point Furthei, tiansverse alignment of tack stitches sewn by needles of diffeient needle bais has not been known In addition, the combination of equipment and techniques of the pπoi ait have not been piovided foi the quilting of panels having two patterns with cm ves that stait and stop in alignment and that aie closely spaced to each othei on the same panel, as illustiated m Fig. 9 [0218] Accoidmg to one embodiment of the invention, a pattern as illustiated m Fig.9 is pioduced on a modified multiple- needle quilting machine Such a pattern has the limitation that the iepeat length 507 foi pattern 501 is geneially the same as the iepeat length 508 foi the pattern 502 In this embodiment, a multi-needle quilting machine such as that of U S Patent No 5,154,130 is piovided with automatically ietiactable oi selectable needles, so that one bar of needles may be disabled while anothei bai of needles is sewmg In addition, such a multi-needle quilting machine has the ability to leveise the lelative motion of the web 12 lelative to the bais or bridges that cany the sewmg heads While the method is explained heiem foi a machine m which the sewmg heads aie longitudinally fixed lelative to a machine frame thiough which the web 12 moves longitudinally foiwaid and, at least foi shoit distances backwaid, the explanation applies to machines in which the sewing heads ai e fixed in an anay on a budge with which they can move longitudinally together lelative to the matenal The method is illustiated by iefeience to Figs. 9B-9I

[0219] Refenmg to Fig. 9B, a web 12 is advanced in the duection of the arrow 531 through a quiltmg station having a needle bar army 532 that includes an upstieam needle bai 533 and a downsueam needle bar 534 The needle bars 533 and 534 aie at a fixed distance 525 apait The needles of the upstieam needle bai 533 begin sewmg pattern curves 503 by sewing tack stitch sequences 517 at needle positions 523 Aftei the web 12 has advanced a distance 525, as illustiated in Fig. 9C, the needles of the downstieam bai 534 aie activated and begin sewmg the pattern curves 504 by sewmg tack stitch sequences 517 at needle positions 521 to begin sewmg cuives 504 at stait positions that align at the same longitudinal position as the beginnings of curves 503 Then the web 12 is advanced fuithei as bothbais 533 and 534 of needles stitch cuives 503 and 504 simultaneously until the position of Fig.9D is leached, at whichpomts tack stitch sequences 518 aie sewn, the thiead is cut and the needles at positions 523 on bai 533 aie disabled Sewing then continues with the needles at positions 521 on bai 534 until the web is at the position illustiated in Fig. 9E At this position of the web 12, the needles of bai 534 sew tack stitch sequences 518, then the thieads aie cut and the needles of bai 534 are disabled, wheieupon the pattern 501 is completed

[0220] At this point the machine is ieady to sew pattern 502, except that the web 12 has advanced past the upstieam bai 533 and must be backed-up a distance 525 to the position shown in Fig. 9F so that pattern 502 can be sewn in a sequence similai to that for sewmg pattern 501 described above in connection with Figs. 9B-9E Foi sewmg pattern 502, needles at positions 528 on bai 534 aie activated to sew tack stitch sequences 517 to start cuives 505 which they begin to sew as the web 12 advances a distance 525 The pattern 502 can thus be staited at a distance 510 fiom the end of pattern 501 without matenal waste Then, when at the position shown in Fig. 9G, needles at positions 526 on bai 534 aie activated to sew tack stitch sequences 517 foi the stait of cuives 506 Then the web 12 is advanced furthei as both bais 533 and 534 of needles stitch cuives 503 and 504 smiultaneously until the position of Fig. 9H is leached, at winch pomts tack stitch sequences 518 aie sewn, the thiead is cut and the needles at positions 528 on bai 533 aie disabled Sewmg then continues with the needles at positions 526 on bai 534 until the web is at the position illustiated m Fig. 91 At this position of the web 12, the needles of bai 534 sew tack stitch sequences 518, then the thieads aie cut and the needles of bai 534 aie disabled, wheieupon the pattern 502 is completed If another pattern 501 oi 502 is to be sewn close to the completed pattern 502, again the web 12 will have to be leveised a distance 525 to the stait of the next pattern

[0221] Because the needle bais 533 and 534 move togethei, when making the tack stitch sequences 517 m Figs. 9C and 9G and the tack stitch sequences 518 m Figs. 9D and 9H, the needles of the other bai will be active, and, as a lesult, tack stitch sequences will be sewn midway in the cuives being sewn with those othei needles This may be aesthetically imdesiiable As an alternative, these needles couldbe deactivated without cutting the tmeads, which cause undesiiable thiead handhng problems with possible slack in the thiead sequence 01 missed stitches iesultmg Foi these and other reasons, sewing pattern combinations having the piopeities of patterns 501 and 502 as illustrated in Fig. 9 is prefeiably peifoimed with the quiltei 10, as descπbed below m iefeience to Figs. 9J-9N

[0222] The combination of patterns 501 and 502 shown in Fig.9 can be sewn more simply and with gieatei flexibility with the quilting machine 10 described above Fig. 9 J shows the bridges 21 and 22 of the maclnne 10 m aibitiary stait positions in the middle of then tiavel langes, sufficiently high on the name to allow for some downwaid tiavel The sewing may start with the needles of the lowei budge 21 stitching tack stitch sequences 517 at the beginnings of cuives 503 of pattern 501 Then the lowei budge 21 begins to sew the cuives 503 while moving downwaidly with the web 12 stationaiy while uppei budge 22 moves downwaidly to the same staitmg position, to the positions shown in Fig. 9K This motion could be accompanied by, oi ieplaced by, upwaid motion of the web 12 When at the staitmg positions, the needles of uppei budge 22 then stitch tack stitch sequences 518 at the beginnings of curves 504 Because the sewing heads on the budges 21 and 22 can opeiate independently, the tack stitch sequences 5 IS can be sewn by uppei budge 22 while the lowei bridge 21 continues uninterruptedly to stitch noimal stitches of the cuives 503 Fmtheimore, the distance that the lowei budge 21 moves downwaidly can be any distance within its tiavel iange that allows enough cleaiance foi the upper budge 22 to be placed at the starting position By moving downwaid a full pattern cycle 513, foi example, the cuives 503 and 504 can be stitched with the bi idges 21 and 22 moving ti ansvei sely m the opposite dii ections, using the web-distortion reduction method desciibed above

[0223] Then, with the budges 21 and 22 longitudinally stationary, the web 12 moves upwaid and the curves 503 and 504 aie stitched to the end of the pattern, as illustiated in Fig. 9M On the way to this state, the web 12 passes thiough the position shown m Fig. 9L, wheie the end of the cuives 503 aie leached, and tack stitch sequences 518 aie stitched by the badge 21 This tack stitching sequence can be earned out with the web 12 moving continuously and the curves 504 being stitched without inteiiuption by the budge 22, as additional tiansveise and longitudinal movements aie being made by budge 21

[0224] Aftei pattern 501 is complete, as illustrated in Fig. 9M, the web 12 is stopped and the budges 21 and 22 move upwaid until the budge is at the same staitmg position that is shown ni Fig. 9J The needle heads aie men activated oi deactivated, as necessaiy, to prepare foi the stitching of the new pattern In this case, thiee intervening sewmg heads aie activated, one between each of the fom heads that weie activated foi the stitching of pattern 501, so that all seven heads can stitch pattern 502 Then, the stitching of pattern 502 pioceeds m the same geneial mannei as did the stitching of pattern 501 [0225] Alternatively, with the machine 10, the lowei budge 21 can pioceed immediately aftei completing cuives 503 of pattern 501 to begin stitching cuives 505 of pattern 502, even while uppei budge 22 is still stitching curves 504 of pattern 501 This is illustiated in Fig. 9N When two budges aie sewmg diffeient patterns, the contiollei 19 of the machine 10 contiols the bridge motion, the web motion and the sewmg head drives in such a way as to maintain a piogiammed stitch density, foi example seven stitches pei inch being typical, foi the curves being stitched by both budges Usually this can be done by holding one budge longitudinally stationary as the web moves at a constant feed iate oi the heads on the stationaiy bridge stitch at a constant stitching rate, while compensating movements are made by controlling the other bridge and the sewing heads on the other bridge.

[0226] While the description of Figs. 9-9M have been described in connection with continuous, unidirectional patterns, this has been done to more clearly illustrate certain features and principles. These features and principles can be used with other pattern features, such as those described in connection with Figs. 7-7G. Where such patterns might include bidirectional longitudinal motions, the principles of the methods of Figs.9-9M maybe the same net longitudinal forward or backward motions to such other patterns or pattern features.

[0227] Panel cutting can be synchronized with the quilting. When a point on the length of the web at which the panel is to be transversely cut from the web 12 reaches the cutoff knife head 72, the web feed rolls 18 stop the web 12 and the cut is made. Sewing can continue uninterrupted by replacing the upward motion of the web with downward motion of a bridge. This is anticipated by the controller 19, which will cause the web 12 to be advanced by the rollers 18 faster than the sewing is taking place to allow the bridge to move upward enough so it is enough above its lowermost position to allow it to sew downward for the duration of the cutting operation while the web is stopped.

[0228] Where different patterns are to be sewn with different needle combinations from panel to panel, or where different portions of a panel are to be sewn with different needle combinations, the controller can switch the needles on or off. These features can be used to sew pattern combinations as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,026,756, hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. With the machine 10 described herein, a wider variety of patterns can be combined and efficiently sewn. [0229] For example, embodiments of the invention produce complex patterns that combine continuous patterns, as for example the zig-zag pattern 550 shown in Fig. 9P, with a TACK AND JUMP pattern, for example, the circle array pattern 552 shown in Fig. 9Q. Such patterns 550 and 552 can be simultaneously sewn on the machine 10 to produce a combination pattern 554 as shown in Fig. 9R. In so sewing the pattern 554, the continuous pattern 550 can be sewn on a continuously advancing web with the heads of the lower bridge 21, preferably in an alternating left and right transverse motion while in a fixed horizontal position, while separate TACK AND JUMP circles of the pattern 552 are sewn with heads of the upper bridge 22 in coordination with the zig-zag pattern 550. The continuous pattern 550 can be sewn with four heads of the lower bridge 21 running continuously as the web feeds downstream at a constant speed, while 360 degree circles of pattern 552 are being sewn with three heads of the upper bridge 22 sewing intermittently, tacking and cutting threads at the end of each circle pattern. Alternatively, the circles can be sewn using six heads of the upper bridge 22, three simultaneously sewing one row of three circles alternating with three other heads sewing simultaneously an alternating row of circle patterns. Using six heads requires less transverse bridge motion and allows the circles to be more widely spaced.

[0230] The illustrated embodiments of multi-needle quilting machines set forth above provide several axes of motion that differ from those of conventional multi-needle quilting machines. Some embodiments of these quilting machines have two or more bridges that are capable of separate or independent control, each bridge being provided with a row of sewing needles that may be driven together, each separately or independently, or in various combinations. Each bridge may have an independently controllable drive for reciprocating the sewing elements, the needles and loopers. The drive is most practically a rotary input, as from a rotary shaft, that operates the reciprocating elements. Independent operation of the drives on each of the budges can allow foi independent sewing opeiation of the sewing heads or groups of sewmg heads, 01 the idling of one oi moie heads, while one or raoie otheis is sewing

[0231] It has been shown that each sewmg head, including each needle head and each loopei head, can be linked to a common iotaiy dπve thiough an independently contiollable clutch that can be opeiated by a machine contioller to turn the heads on oi off, theieby pioviding pattern flexibility The heads are typically configmed m sewmg element pans, each needle head with a coiiespondmg similaily modulai loopei head While the heads of each pan can be individually ruined on oi off, they are typically turned on and off togethei, eithei simultaneously oi at diffeient phases m their cycles, as may be most desiiable Alternatively, only the needle heads maybe piovided with selective dπve linkages, while the loopei heads may be linked to the output of a dπve motoi so as to urn continuously This linkage may be duect and peimanent, or may be adjustable, switchable oi capable of being phased in ielation to the needle drive, such as by piovidmg a differential dnve mechanism in the loopei dnve tiam When duect dnve is employed, the looper head diive may be linked to an input dπve shaft through a geai box, iathei than a clutch Each of the loopei heads may be fuither provided with an alignment disk on the loopei dnve shaft to allow precise phase setting of each loopei head lelative to the other looper heads or the needle dnve when the loopei head is installed m the machine Fuithei, each looper head housing may be piovided with adjustments m two dimensions in a plane perpendiculai to the needle to facilitate alignment of the looper head with a coiiespondmg needle head upon looper head installation

[0232] As desciibed above, m oidei to ieduce the likelihood of missed stitches, paiticulaily at staitup of a pattern following the cutting of the loopei thiead, a split-stait contiol method is piovided for avoiding missed stitches at staitup The split stait featuie is one use of a featuie that allows the needle and loopei dnves to be decoupled and moved sepaiately With the spht- stait featuie, the initial motion of the needle and loopei pioceed sepaiately upon staitup so as to iendei the pickup of the stitches predictable This is achieved by insuring that the loopei picks up, that is passes thiough, a top-thiead loop befoie the needle picks up oi passes thiough a bottom thiead loop tπangle

[0233] With a split-stait method, with the mechanism stopped with the needle m top-dead-centei position in its cycle with the loopei extended, and with the needles and loopeis locked and m phase, the elements aie unlocked and the loopei can be advanced m its cycle The advance can be, foi example, ISO degiees to the loopei's ietiacted position oi by some lessei amount that is enough to msuie that the loopei thiead tπangle is not in the path of the needle Fifteen degrees to twenty degtees, foi example 17 degiees, can be sufficient Then the needle can be advanced a like amount to bung it in phase with the loopei, insuimg that the needle will miss the loopei thiead triangle oi loop in the loopei thiead on its fiist penehation of the mateπal for a pattern Then the elements are ielocked Upon fuither advancing of the elements, the loopei will theieupon pickup the needle thiead loop befoie a loopei thiead loop is picked up by the needle

[0234] In accoi dance with ceitam pi maples of the piesent invention, a split stait maybe executed using a single dnve seivo foi the needles and loopeis A phase shifting mechanism is piovided to accomplish tins with both needles and loopeis being dπven fiom the same motoi Fuithei, m accoidance with othei pπnciples of the invention, the phase of the loopers may be advanced relative to that of the needles, then the loopeis and needles may be moved together while mamtaimng the phase diffeience between them, then the loopeis and needles may be bi ought back into phase by re acting the loopeis, foi example, oi by slowing 01 stopping the loopeis lelative to the needles while the needles catch up, fiom which point the cycle can continue with the needles and loopers in phase

[0235] Wheie, as lllustiated, a multi-needle qmltmg machine 10 includes two moveable and independently opeiable budges 21 and 22, each having theieon a pluiahty of sepaiately controllable needle heads 25 and a conespondmg pluiahty of loopei heads 26, the speed of the needle heads 25 may be contiolled by a contiollei contt oiling the operation of a needle dnve sei vo 67 that dnves a common needle dπve shaft 32 on the budge 21 Similarly, the speed of the loopei heads 26 maybe contiolled by the contiollei contiollmg the opeiation of a loopei dπve seivo 69 on the budge 21 , that dnves the common loopei belt dπve systems 37 on one of the bridges The sewing heads 25,26 on diffeient bridges 21,22 can be dnven at diffeient iates by diffeient opeiation of the two servos 67 and the two seivos 69 on the respective budges The needle heads 25 and looper heads 26 on the same budges 21,22, howevei, aie usually iun at the same speed and in synchronism to coopeiate in the foimation of stitches, although these may be phased slightly with iespect to each othei for piopei loop take up, needle deflection compensation, oi other purposes

[0236] Ceitam embodiments aie provided with sepaiate dnve seivos foi the needle head assemblies 25 and the loopei head assemblies 26 foi each lespective budge Inpaiticulai, each budge includes a needle drive servo 67, separately controllable by a signal fiom the contioller 19 which diives shaft 32, winch, in turn, dnves all of the needle head assemblies 25 on the lespective bndge, with each needle head assembly 25 being selectively engageable thiough a clutch 100, also opeiated by signals fiom the contiollei 19 Also, each bndge fuithei includes a looper dnve seivo 69, also sepaiately contiollable by a signal fiom the contiollei 19, which dnves a belt 37, which, m turn, drives all of the loopei head assemblies 26 on the lespective budge with each loopei head assembly 26 being selectively engageable thiough a similai clutch 210, also operated by signals fiom the contiollei 19 The sepaiate drives 67 and 69 can be controlled sepaiately to facilitate the spht-stait featuie, as well as needle deflection compensation, oi foi othei control iefmements With the spht-stait featuie using the sepaiate dπves 67 and 69, at startup when staitmg a pattern aftei a tlnead cut, the loopers can be advanced with the needles held at top dead centei, then the needles opeiated thiough a similai poition of a cycle, wherein the needle will miss the tiiangle oi loop in the loopei tlnead upon its descent Then the needle and looper aie lesynchionized and dnven togethei, wheieupon the loopei will pick up the needle tlnead in the next cycle

[0237] Accoidmg to one embodiment, the needle and loopei dπves can be decoupled when at the staitmg position of Fig. 5P, which is similai to that of Fig. 5L, and the needle can be held m its top dead centei position The loopei dπve is then advanced one-half cycle, to move the looper 216 to the position lllustiated m Fig. 5Q, theieby ietiactmg the loopei 216 out of the path of the needle 132 Then the loopei dnve is held in its half cycle position while the needle dπve is activated to lowei the needle 132 to its half cycle position, which leaves the needle 132 cleai of the bottom thiead 224, as lllustiated m Fig.5R Then the needle and loopei dnves aie again coupled togethei and advanced togethei in synchiomzation, wheieupon the loopei 216 begins to take up the needle loop m appioximately the thiee-quartei position of the stitch cycle, as lllustiated in Fig. 5S₁ and pioceeds fiom theie to the full cycle position as lllustiated m Fig. 5T Then the elements continue to move thiough the next cycle, wheie the foimation of stitches can be seen, as lllustiated m Figs. 5TJ thiough 5X [0238] In Fig. 6H, an end poition oi tongue 49 of a budge 21 oi 22 is illustrated in which the needle drive motor 67 is linked to dnve both the needle head assemblies 25 and loopei head assemblies 26 of the same bridge The seivo 67 directly drives the output shaft 32, which is the needle dπve input shaft foi that bridge The shaft 32, in turn, drives a cog belt 32a that dnves a loopei dπve input shaft 37a, winch takes the place of the loopei dnve belt 37 m pieviously desciibed embodiments With this embodiment, needles 132 and loopeis 216 aie dnven togethei, and aie not sepaiately contiolled oi phased Because the stitching elements aie mechanically linked, powei failuies and othei malfunctions aie less likely to iesult in mechanical damage to the machine Nonetheless, the ability to sepaiately contiol needle and loopei heads can be iemstated by ietaming the loopei dnve seivo 69 while linking its output to the shaft 37a thiough a diffeiential drive or phase shiftei 69a, which can be added between the belt dnve 32a and the loopei dnve shaft 37a

[0239] In Figs. 6J-6M, m which Fig. 6J is a top view of a budge 21 with the differential dnve 69a included, seivo motor 67 directly dnves the shaft 32 to opeiate the needle heads 25 The differential dnve 69a includes a tiansfer dπve belt 32a connected between the needle drive shaft 32 and the input shaft 37a of the loopei dnve belt assembly 37 which dnves the looper heads 26 Fig.6K , which is a cioss-sectional view thiough the phase shiftei 69a, shows the shiftei 69a in its default condition m which the shafts 32 and 37a aie synchiomzed to dπve the needle heads 25 and loopei heads 26 m phase The phase shiftei 69a is shown in detail in Fig. 6M

[0240] A pan of idlei pulleys 301 and 302 aie mounted between a pan of idlei plates 303 and 304 to spread the loop of the belt 32a, to locate less slack in the belt 32a on the highei tension side 305 of a dπve pulley 37c on the loopei dnve shaft 37a than on the low tension side 306 A pneumatic linear actuatoi 310 is linked between the housing of the phase shiftei 69a and the idlei plates 303,304 to pivot the plates when actuated to the position shown in Fig.6L, which moves the slack m the belt 32a to the high tension side 305 of the pulley 37c, which iotates the loopei dnve shaft 32a foiwaid, advancing the phase of the loopei heads 26 m ielation to the needle heads 25 Tins is coniϊguied to advance the loopei appioximately 25 degiees ni its cycle At the stait of a pattern aftei thieads have been cut, with the needles in top dead centei, the actuatoi 310 is actuated to advance the loopeis 25 degrees, then the needle and loopei aie opeiated through 180 degiees while maintaining the phase shift, then the loopeis aie lesyncluonized with the needles by deactivating the actuatoi 310 and reveismg the loopeis 25 degiees, wheieupon the needles will have descended without picking up the tπangle or loopei tlnead loop Then the needles and loopeis aie advanced m synch, wheieupon the loopeis pick up the needle tlnead loops m the next half cycle [0241] A numbei of otliei motions will achieve the same iesult For example, if the actuatoi 310 is a seivo motoi, the loopeis can be stopped at the advanced phase angle 180 degiees, foi example, as the needles aie advancing fiom 155 degiees to 180 degiees, theieby lesynchionizmg the needles and loopeis without leversmg the dnection of the loopeis 26 While a 25 degiee phase shift is suitable foi some designs of quilting machines, othei shifts might be moie appropπate foi othei machine designs The splitting of the needle and loopei dπve upon startup, as descπbed, avoids the missing of stitches upon staitup The splitting of the needle and loopei dnve cycles has othei uses, such as in facilitating tlnead trimming The use of the spht-stait featuie can eliminate the need foi the thiead deflectois 430 shown m Fig.5Y The illustiated phase shifting actuatoi piovides a simple and ieliable device, winch opeiates to switch the phase ielationship of the loopeis between an in- phase setting and a setting at which the loopeis aie a fixed poition of a cycle ahead of the needles Use of a vaπable diffeiential dnve 01 sepaiate servo motois forneedles and loopeis would provide incieasrng degrees of flexibility in phasing the loopers lelative to the needles, and would allow moving both elements simultaneously at diffeient speeds thiough then cycles

[0242] The split-stait featuie may be combined in diffeient ways with other featuies when startmg to sew a pattern The wipe cycle, desciibed in connection with Figs. 5H-S J is one of them After jumping to the startmg pomt of a new pattern oi pattern element, the needle thiead tails aie lying on the face of the material, extending fiom the needles thiough the holes in the pi essme foot plates along the fabiic The wipe cycle is a way to lemove these tails by pulling them to the backside of the mateπal The machine can be made to opeiate in alternative modes that eithei employ oi omit such a wipe cycle Wheie product quality is piefeired, the wipe cycle is used to totally i emove the needle thread tails from the face of the pioduct This can mciease the quilting time of fiom 2 to 20 peicent, depending on the pattern and the configuiation of the machine Alternatively, a high speed, lowei quality mode can be piovided foi customeis oi products that can toleiate some thiead tails To ieduce quiltmg time, split start motions can be earned in pait while the bridges oi web aie advancing between patterns [0243] With the wipe cycle used in combination with a split-start, a split stait should be earned out aftei the wipe cycle Howevei, an execution of a split-stait cycle befoie a wipe cycle can mciease the reliability and predictability of the wipe cycle, but such a wipe cycle should still be followed by a fuithei split-start cycle, since the effect of the fiist split-stait cycle on the thiead positions at the beginning the stitch sequence is undone by the wipe cycle The iesult of the combination of split-start and wipe cycles is that two cycles of the stitching elements iehably form the fiist stitch of a sequence without a visible top-tin ead tail

[0244] The fust stitch is usually the fust stitch of a beginning tack stitch sequence, which may be an mteimitteπt stitch sequence as desciibed above Such inteimittent tack stitches include stimgs of stitches usually beginning with one oi moie long stitches then ttansitionmg thiough pi ogiessively shoitei stitches into a series of continuous stitches sewn with a standard sinusoidal needle motion The piefeued tack stitch sequence may diffei foi diffeient quilted pioducts The diffeience may be m the numbei of stitches in the tack sequence as well as in the combination of diffeient stitches that make up a particulai tack stitch sequence Foi example, stiffei oi thickei quilted pioducts may call foi a diffeient tack stitch sequence than moie flexible oi thinnei quilted pioducts The type of tack stitch to be applied to a paiticulai pioduct may be applied by the contiollei in iesponse to information stoied in the pioduct database Data in the pioduct database may duectly specify the tack stitch needed oi the conti oiler may apply a lookup scheme oi algoπthm to derive oi othei wise determine the tack stitch sequence foi which the paiticulai pioduct calls

[0245] The pioduct database may also contain othei pioduct-basedpaiameteis In addition to the tack stitch sequence, foi example, the desned wipe cycle path oi distance may diffei fiom pioduct to pioduct, and the contiollei may base the wipe cycle to be executed on data iead fiom oi denved fiom the pioduct iecoid The pioduct iecoids in the product database typically include the identification of the pattern to be quilted, the matenal combination that will make up the mateπal web, and the size of the panels To tins infoimation may be added, oi fiom this iiifoimation may be denved, the pioduct-based featuies set forth above and below [0246] Another pioduct-based paiametei may include the positioning of the thiead foi thiead tπmnung at the end of a pattern For example, to make it easiei to contact the threads with the thread cutter blade and to clamp the loopei thiead at the end of a pattern, a budge movement may be executed that moves the bridges in a particular diiection lelative to the stitching elements Such a movement may, foi example, move the bridges up a piedeteimined distance This movement would pull the stitch hole down lelative to the needle plate and position the thieads against a particular spot on the lowei edge of the needle hole in the needle plate These thieads would extend duectly fiom this spot to the looper, making then location piedictable and making the propel contact of the thieads with the cutting element ieliable The amount of budge motion desued to accomplish this may depend on the pioduct being quilted Foi example, a budge movement of a gieatei distance is lequn ed with thicker matei ial than with thinner material to position the thi ead in the best position foi cutting Such distance can be lead oi denved fiom data in the pioduct database

[0247] Anothei pioduct-based feature is one that modifies thiead pull-off so as to prevent the needle thiead fiom being pulled from the needle undei ceitain conditions With some materials, foi example thin mateiials, the matenal does not piovide enough faction on the thiead tail to insure that needle thiead is pulled fiom the needle tlnead supply spool upon staitup Theiefoie, for pioducts foimed of such matenal, extia budge motion is added to the thiead pull-off This leaves additional needle thiead slack at the needle, i educing the diag caused by the needle thiead spool on the needle thiead The addition of this extia bridge movement is added based on data lead ήom oi denved from the pioduct database [0248] The sewing of extia stitch lines to piovide matenal stability is also a pioduct-based featuie that can be read fiom oi denved from the pioduct database Foi example, a senes of stitches, iefened to heiem as a "stabilization line", may be helpful on ceitam types of tack-and-jump pioducts that might cany one of the sewing head pans off one side of the matenal Such a stabilization lme would be sewn along an edge of the matenal foi patterns in which the sewing heads might move off that edge The stitch line would guaid against head catching oi snagging the edge of one oi moie material layeis as the head moves back onto the matenal

[0249] Foi example, the need to sew a stabilization line can ause wheie a web is iegisteied to the left side of the machine (facing downsueam.fi.om the fiont) In this case, the leftmost head of a budge will move close to, but not off of, the left edge of the matenal as the budge shifts uansveisely The iightmost head can, howevei, move off the light edge of the material when the budge shifts to the light Aftei doing so, when the budge returns to the left, the heads that moved off the matenal can snag the matenal The sewing of a stabilization line longitudinally along the right edge of the web to join the loose layeis of matenal togethei can avoid the snagging of the matenal The line of stitches along the light edge of the web holds the layeis togethei so the top layei oi layeis of material aien't fiee to be caught by the ieturning head

[0250] This featuie is only needed on ceitam types of patterns, namely tack and jump pattern ariays m which the heads move hansveisely off the edge of the web when the head is not sewmg The featuie is pioduct based, and involves sewing pattern logic that adds the longitudinal stabilization line to be sewn when the web is advancing downstieam lelative to the badges, including when the bridges are descending on the name and moving upstieam lelative to the web, and the pattern is one that takes the nghtmost head oi heads off the edge of the machine The stabilization line sewing featuie is noimally turned off, but is automatically enabled fiom the pioduct database foi pioducts needing the stabilization line [0251] When the stabilization lme featuie is on, whenevei the bottom-most or upstream budge is moving below orupstream of the leading end of the sewn stabilization line oi the sewn pattern, which is usually when the web is moving up lelative to the budge m the illustrated embodiments, a head at the light end of the bridge is caused by the contiollei to sew the stabilization line along the light edge of the web The line canbe sewn between pattern components and fiomthe end of the last pattern until the budges and matenal aie iepositioned to the next pattern zero

[0252] Those skilled in the ait will appieciate that the application of the piesent invention hei em is vaned, that the invention is descπbed in piefened embodiments, and that additions and modifications can be made without departing fiom the piinciples of the invention The following is claimed

Claims

1. A method of starting a chain stitching sequence in a quilling opeiation with a needle thread from a needle and a loopei thiead fiom a loopei, the method compiismg witli a needle thread tail extending fiom the needle to a top-thiead end on a needle side of a mateπal to be quilted, and with a loopei thiead tail extending fiom the loopei to a loopei thiead end on a loopei side of a needle plate, controlling the loopei thiead upon staitmg the chain stitching sequence such that a loop m the needle thiead is picked up by the loopei befoie the needle enteis the loopei tπangle

2. A method of staitmg a chain stitching sequence in a quilting operation with a needle thiead from a needle and a loopei thiead fiom a loopei, the method compiismg upon the staitmg of a chain stitching sequence in a multilayeied mateiial, diivmg a looper sepaiate fiom a needle ahead of the needle in a stitching cycle to a loopei position out of the path of the needle, then dnvmg the needle to a needle position through the mateiial, without picking up a loop in the loopei thiead, at which position both the needle and looper aie advanced thiough a portion of a fϊist stitching cycle, then dnvmg the needle and loopei in cooidmation through the end of the fust stitching cycle and theieby picking up a needle thiead loop with the loopei

3. The method of claim 2 fuither compiismg pnoi to said staitmg of a chain stitching sequence, shifting the needle and looper paiallel to mateπal a distance sufficient to pull, fiom the needle side of the mateπal, a needle thiead tail extending from the needle to a top-thiead end on a needle side of a mateiial

4. The method of claim 3 furthei compiismg pnoi to said shifting of the needle and loopei, dnvmg the loopei sepaiate from a needle to a loopei position out of the path of the needle, then dnvmg the needle to a needle position thiough the material without picking up a loop in the looper thiead, then driving the needle and loopei in cooidmation to pick up a needle thiead loop with the loopei

5. The method of claim 3 fuither compiismg piovidmg contiols for selectively activating oi deactivating said shifting of the needle

6. The method of claim 2 fuithei compiismg sewing a tack stitch cycle that includes said fiist stitching cycle followed by a sequence of fuithei stitches of a selected tack stitch sequence

7. The method of claim 6 fluthei compiising piovidmg apioduct database accessible by a contiollei and containing paiameteis defining each of a plmality of quilting pioducts, and the sewmg of the tack stitch cycle includes sewing a selected tack stitch sequence selected fiom a pluiahty of piedefined tack stitch sequences in iesponse to data accessed by the contiollei defining the product being quilted

8. The method of claim 7 wheiem the database includes data defining the matenal combination of which the pioduct is composed, and the selected tack stitch sequence is denved fiom the matenal composition defined by the data

9. A method of sewing a chain stitching sequence in a quilting opeiation with a needle thiead fiom a needle and a loopei thiead fiom a loopei, the method comprising diivmg one of eithei the needle oi the loopei sepaiate fiom the other to a position in a stitching cycle without dπvmg the othei to its couespondmg position in the stitching cycle theieby moving the needle and loopei away fiom a stitch forming ielationship of a stitching cycle, then diivmg the othei of the needle or loopei to said couespondmg position in the stitching cycle, then diiving the needle and loopei in cooidmation thiough at least a poition of a stitching cycle

10. A chain stitch element dnve comprising a needle drive, a loopei dnve, a motoi coupled to dnve eithei the needle dnve oi the loopei dnve, a phase sluftei coupled between the needle drive and loopei dnve, and an actuatoi opeiable to shift the phase of the loopei drive in advance of that of the needle dnve

11. The chain stitch element dnve of claim 10 fuithei compiising a contioller opeiable to contiol the needle dnve, loopei dnve and phase slnfter to advance the phase of the loopei dnve at the start of a pattern ahead of that of the needle dnve foi a portion of a cycle

12. The chain stitch element dnve of claim 10 fuithei compiising a contiollei opeiable to contiol the needle dnve, loopei dnve and phase shiftei to advance the phase of the loopei dnve at the stait of a pattern ahead of that of the needle dnve foi a poition of a cycle and to theieaftei advance the needle and loopei dnves in phase

13. The chain stitch element dπve of claim 10 fuithei compiismg a contioller opeiable to contiol the needle drive, loopei dnve and phase shiftei to advance the phase of the loopei dπve at the stait of a pattern ahead of that of the needle dπve foi a portion of a cycle without the needle picking up the loopei thiead loop, and to theieaftei advance the needle and loopei dπves in phase with the loopei picking up a needle thiead loop

14. A method of quiltmg products compiismg pioviding a pioduct database accessible by a contiollei and containing paiameters defining each of a pluiality of quiltmg pioducts, contiollmg a multi-needle quiltmg machine in accoi dance with the paiameteis defining one of the pluiality of pioducts to quilt a coiiespondmg one of the pioducts, and the contiollmg of the quiltmg machine including leading one or moie paiameters of a pioduct to be quilted and deiivmg fiom the lead paiameteis one oi moie quiltmg piocess steps to be peiformed to qiult the pioduct

15. The method of claim 14 wheiem paiameteis aie selected fiom a gioup consisting of pattern, matenal composition and pioduct size, and the quiltmg piocess steps include one oi moie of a tack stitch sequence, a thread pull off amount, a wipe cycle path, optimal thiead positioning foi thiead cut off, and a stabilization line lequuement

16. The method of claim 15 wheiem a paiametei selected is pioduct size, and the quiltmg piocess steps include a stabilization line lequiiement

17. The method of claim 15 wheiem a paiametei selected is matenal composition, and the quilting piocess steps include a tlnead pull off amount suitable for the thickness of the matenal of which the pioduct is composed

18. The method of claim 15 wheiem a paiametei selected is matenal composition, and the quiltmg piocess steps include a wipe cycle path suitable foi the thickness of the matenal of which the product is composed

19. The method of claim 15 wheiem a paiametei selected is matenal composition, and the quilting piocess steps include tluead positioning foi cut-off that is suitable foi the thickness of the mateπal of which the pioduct is composed

20. The method of claim 15 wheiem a paiametei selected is the quilted pattern, and the quilting piocess steps include a tack stitch sequence suitable foi the pattern

21. A method foi changing the supply of mateπal fed to a quilting machine that quilts matenal fiom a web supplied fiom a supply ioll suppoited in an opeiative position in fiont of the machine that enteis the quiltmg machine fiom the bottom fiont of the machine, the method compiising piovidmg at least one ciadle for suppoiting a supply toll fiom which a web of mateiial extends into the bottom fiont of the quilting machine, and foi suppoitmg a ieplacement ioll paiallel to the supply ioll, moving the ciadle to iaise the supply ioll to a mateiial change position, splicing a leading edge of mateiial fiom the ieplacement ioll to the web of mateiial while allowmg the web of mateiial to be seveied fiom the supply ioll and the supply ioll lemoved fiom the cradle, and transfenmg the replacement ioll to the opeiative position

22. The method of claim 21 fuithei compiising one oi moie of the following steps extending the web of mateiial fiom the supply ioll undei a catwalk at the fiont of the machine, pivoting the ciadle on a fiame to iaise the lolls, piovidmg one oi moie pans of notched mounting blocks to suppoit one oi both of the supply oi ieplacement rolls on the ciadle, suppoitmg the ieplacement roll in a staging position adjacent the ciadle foi uansfei to the ciadle, aftei the replacement ioll has been mounted on the ciadle, iaismg the ciadle to iaise the iolls to a splicing position, using a fluid cylmdei to lift the ciadle, clamping the web of mateiial fiom the supply ioll in a splicing position, cutting the web of mateiial fiom the supply ioll befoie splicing the mateiial, lemoving the supply toll fiom the ciadle befoie splicing the mateπal, piovidmg a smgle-lock chain stitch mechanism to splice the material, placing the ieplacement ioll on the carnage m a place wheie the supply ioll was suppoited on the caiπage and then moving the carnage to bung the ieplacement toll to the opeiative position, m the alternative oi m addition to splicing webs of mateiial together, splicmg a shoit length of mateiial to the web of mateiial fiom the supply ioll to feed one oi a few panels of mateiial into the quiltmg machine, and splicing a leading edge of ieplacement mateiial to the web of mateiial befoie cutting the web of mateiial fiom the supply toll

23. The method of claim 22 fuithei compiising pivoting the ciadle on a fiame to iaise the lolls, piovidmg one oi moie pairs of notched mounting blocks to suppoit one or both of the supply or replacement rolls on the cradle, suppoitmg the replacement ioll in a staging position adjacent the ciadle foi transfer to the ciadle, aftei the ieplacement ioll has been mounted on the ciadle, iaising the ciadle to iaise the rolls to a splicing position, using a fluid cyhndei to lift the cradle, clamping the web of material fiom the supply roll m a splicing position, cutting the web of matenal fiom the supply ioll befoie splicing the material, lemoving the supply ioll fiom the ciadle befoie splicing the matenal, piovidmg a smgle-lock chain stitch mechanism to splice the material, and placing the ieplacement ioll on the carnage m a place wheie the supply ioll was suppoited on the carnage and then moving the carnage to bnng the ieplacement ioll to the operative position

24. An apparatus compnsmg means for peifoiming the method of any of claims 21 through 23

25. A method of quilting a complex pattern compnsmg sewmg a pluiahty of continuous pattern components while simultaneously sewing a pluiality of discontinuous pattern components

26. The method of claim 25 wheiem the sewing of the continuous pattern components includes sewmg with sewmg heads on a fust one of at least two sepaiately moveable budges, and the sewmg of the discontinuous pattern components includes sewmg with sewmg heads on a second one of the at least two sepaiately moveable budges

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the sewmg of the continuous pattern components includes sewmg a pluiahty of continuous senes of stitches each with one of a pluiahty of sewmg heads on a fust one of at least two separately moveable bridges, and the sewmg of the discontinuous pattern components includes sewing a pluiahty of pattern components in a pluiahty of sequences, each with one of a pluiahty of sewmg heads on a second one of the at least two sepai ately moveable budges, each component being sewn by sewmg a continuous senes of stitches beginning at a stait position, followed by sewmg a tack sequence, followed by ramming thiead, followed by jumping to a stait position foi the next pattern component of the series

28. The method of claim 25 wheiem

\ the sewmg of the coiitmiious pattern components includes sewmg on a continuously advancing web of mateπal with sewmg heads of tiansveisely movmg budge in a fixed longitudinal position

29. A quilting method compiising pi o vidiiig an optional cycle, selectable by the usei of a quilting machine, involving i elative motion between mateπal and sewmg heads, foi i educing oi eliminating thiead tails when selected and providing highei speed opeiation without thiead tail i eduction when not selected