Garment side panel conveyor system and method

Abstract

A method for positioning side panels during manufacture of a pant includes positioning the side panels on side panel transfer devices. The side panels move perpendicular to a pant transport plane as the pant is transported in the machine direction and the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices. The side panels can include refastenable fastening components. The method and apparatus can move the fastening components closer together in the cross-machine direction or maintain the fastening components at a constant cross-machine position while the side panels reside on the side panel transfer devices.

We claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 first and second conveyors each having a generally planar pants-facing portion adapted to transport along a linear path a stream of discrete, partially assembled and folded pants sandwiched between the conveyors in a machine direction, the conveyors defining a machine center line extending in the machine direction and the pants-facing portions defining a pant transport plane; and 
 side panel transfer devices transversely outward from the machine center line, each side panel transfer device defining a linear side panel transport path which intersects the pant transport plane. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the side panel transfer devices are angled toward the pant transport plane at downstream machine direction locations. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the side panel transfer devices are angled away from the pant transport plane at downstream machine direction locations. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the side panel transfer devices and one of the first and second conveyors come together to define a nip therebetween. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising folding guides disposed transversely outward from the machine center line and in close proximity to the first conveyor, wherein the side panel transfer devices are transversely outward from the second conveyor. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising panel folding devices in close proximity to the folding guides. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the side panel transfer devices comprise vacuum conveyors. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the side panel transfer devices are aligned in the machine direction parallel to the machine center line disposed laterally adjacent one of said first and second conveyors. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the side panel transfer devices are canted inward or outward with respect to the machine center line. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising tucking guides disposed between one of the conveyors and the side panel transfer devices. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first conveyor is relatively wider than the second conveyor, and the side panel transfer devices are disposed transversely outward from the second conveyor. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the side panel transfer devices are laterally spaced from said one of said first and second conveyors. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vacuum conveyors of the side panel transfer devices are separate from the first and second conveyors. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the vacuum conveyors of the side panel transfer devices are spaced from the first and second conveyors. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the vacuum conveyors of the side panel transfer devices are laterally spaced from the first and second conveyors. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the vacuum conveyors of the side panel transfer devices are laterally spaced from the second conveyor. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first conveyor is wider than the second conveyor. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the side panel transfer devices are angled upward toward the pant transport plane. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the pant transport plane is generally horizontal. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the side panel transfer devices are angled upward toward the first conveyor. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each of the side panel transfer devices comes together with the first conveyor to define a nip. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the first conveyor is generally horizontal, the side panel transfer devices coming together with the generally horizontal portion of the first conveyor. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second conveyors is adapted to transport a pair of side panels of a pant. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first conveyor has two transport portions, each of the transport portions being adapted to transport one of the side panels of the pant. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of the transport portions of the first conveyor and a respective one of the side panel transfer devices come together to define a nip.