VERTICAL STITCHING MACHINE AND METHOD

摘要

A stitching machine (10) and method orients cooperating needle (54) and hook (56) components in spaced horizontal alignment, suspends and tensions flexib le sheets (57) to be stitched in a generally vertical orientation between the components for stitching interior seams through the flexible sheets. Horizontal and vertical slides (22) support the cooperating sewing machine components along a horizontal and a vertical axis parallel to the sheets. Controlled drives shift the components in unison along these axes for formin g sewn patterns on the sheets. A conveyor (68) is provided with a substantiall y vertical run, of a height in excess of that of the sheets, to pass the sheet s to be stitched between the sewing components and hold the sheets in the vertical orientation.