Apparatus and method of manufacturing multi-piece closed-back isolation garments
An apparatus for executing a method of manufacturing multi-piece open-back isolation garments ( 10 ) includes machinery for creating discrete torso web pieces ( 12 ) from a continuous torso web, combining the discrete torso pieces with a continuous shoulder web ( 14 ), and cutting the combined torso and shoulder web structure to form the isolation garments. The isolation garments may be used as protection from potentially hazardous or unclean materials in a variety of different environments.
1 . A method of manufacturing multi-piece open-back isolation garments, the method comprising:
forming first shoulder web panels and second shoulder web panels overlapping each other in a continuous shoulder web;
creating underarm seams between the first and second shoulder web panels;
cutting a continuous torso web into discrete torso web pieces;
applying a coupling material to at least one of the first shoulder web panels and the discrete torso web pieces;
transferring the discrete torso web pieces having an upper portion in an unfolded state onto the coupling material on the first shoulder web panels to bond the discrete torso web pieces having the upper portion in the unfolded state to the first shoulder web panels and create a continuous isolation garment web.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising cutting at least one of neck openings and wrist openings in the continuous shoulder web of the continuous isolation garment web.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein applying the coupling material comprises applying at least one of an adhesive layer, tape, and a heat-activated substance.
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising cutting the continuous shoulder web into discrete shoulder web pieces to form discrete multi-piece open-back isolation garments.
5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising folding the multi-piece open-back isolation garments in multiple stages.
6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising rewinding the continuous isolation garment web.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein forming the first and second shoulder web panels comprises folding the continuous shoulder web.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein forming the first and second shoulder web panels comprises bonding a first continuous shoulder web to a second continuous shoulder web.
9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising cutting excess torso material from the continuous torso web to create extended areas in side edges of the discrete torso web pieces.
10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising forming a plurality of perforation lines in the continuous torso web to create at least one tie strap adjacent to at least one of the side edges in each discrete torso web piece.
11 . The method of claim 1 further comprising folding a lower portion of the torso piece before transferring the discrete torso web pieces having the upper portion in the unfolded state onto the coupling material on the first shoulder web panels to bond the discrete torso web pieces having the upper portion in the unfolded state to the first shoulder web panels and create the continuous isolation garment web.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein folding the lower portion of the torso piece involves folding the lower portion of the torso piece perpendicular to a machine direction of an apparatus performing the method and in an unbonded region of the torso piece.