Apparatus and method of manufacturing multi-piece closed-back isolation garments

Abstract

An apparatus for executing a method of manufacturing multi-piece closed-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 ) having neck openings ( 444 ) therein, 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for manufacturing multi-piece closed-back isolation garments, the apparatus comprising:
 a die unit configured to cut neck openings in a continuous shoulder web having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge;   a first adhesive applicator configured to apply a plurality of first adhesive strips on the continuous shoulder web adjacent to the first edge of the continuous shoulder web;   a transfer unit configured to transfer torso web pieces having a substantially tubular shape onto each first adhesive strip such that a first edge of the torso web piece is overlapping the first edge of the continuous shoulder web;   a second adhesive applicator configured to apply a plurality of second adhesive strips on each torso web piece adjacent to the first edge of each torso web piece;   a first folding unit configured to fold the continuous shoulder web such that the second edge of the continuous shoulder web overlaps each second adhesive strip to form first shoulder web panels and second shoulder web panels overlapping each other in the continuous shoulder web; and   a bonding unit configured to create underarm seams between first shoulder web panels and second shoulder web panels overlapping each other in the continuous shoulder web to form shoulder web pieces.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second folding unit configured to fold a continuous torso web having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge such that the first and second edges of the continuous torso web overlap each other; and 
 a cutting unit configured to cut the torso web pieces from the folded continuous torso web. 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising a perforation unit configured to create at least one perforation line in the continuous torso web to define at least one integrated continuous tie strap before the folding unit folds the continuous torso web such that, after the cutting unit cuts the torso web pieces from the folded continuous torso web, each torso web piece comprises an integrated tie strap. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a stretch patch unit comprising:
 at least one adhesive applicator configured to apply an adhesive to at least one continuous stretch patch web; 
 at least one slip cut unit comprising a vacuum anvil and a knife roll, the at least one slip cut unit configured to: 
 receive the continuous stretch patch web with adhesive applied on the vacuum anvil; 
 cut the continuous stretch patch web into discrete stretch patches on the vacuum anvil with the knife roll; and 
 apply the discrete stretch patches over the neck openings on the continuous shoulder web with the vacuum anvil; and 
 at least one die unit configured to cut openings in the discrete stretch patches within the neck openings on the continuous shoulder web. 
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the transfer unit is configured to re-pitch the torso web pieces, rotate the torso web pieces, or re-pitch and rotate the torso web pieces while transferring the torso web pieces. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a cutting unit configured to cut discrete multi-piece closed-back isolation garments from the continuous isolation garment web. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a second folding unit configured to bi-fold, tri-fold, or quad-fold each torso web piece before it reaches the transfer unit. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the die unit is further configured to cut perforation lines in the continuous shoulder web, each perforation line extending from one of the neck openings to the second edge of the second continuous shoulder web. 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing multi-piece closed-back isolation garments, the method comprising:
 cutting neck openings in a continuous shoulder web having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge with a first die unit;   applying a plurality of first adhesive strips on the continuous shoulder web adjacent to the first edge of the continuous shoulder web with an adhesive applicator;   transferring, with a transfer unit, a torso web piece having a substantially tubular shape onto each first adhesive strip such that a first edge of the torso web piece is overlapping the first edge of the continuous shoulder web;   applying a plurality of second adhesive strips on each torso web piece adjacent to the first edge of each torso web piece;   folding the continuous shoulder web with a folding unit such that the second edge of the continuous shoulder web overlaps each second adhesive strip to form first shoulder web panels and second shoulder web panels overlapping each other in the continuous shoulder web; and   creating underarm seams between the first and second shoulder web panels using a first bonding unit to form shoulder web pieces.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising cutting the continuous shoulder web into discrete shoulder web pieces with a cutting unit to form multi-piece closed-back isolation garments each comprising one of the shoulder web pieces and one of the torso web pieces. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising forming each torso web piece by:
 folding, with a folding unit, a continuous torso web having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge such that the first and second edges of the continuous torso web overlap each other; and 
 cutting, with a cutting unit, the torso web pieces from the folded continuous torso web. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein forming each torso web piece further comprises cutting at least one perforation line in the continuous torso web to define at least one integrated continuous tie strap with a perforation unit before folding the continuous torso web; and
 wherein, upon cutting the discrete torso web pieces from the folded continuous torso web, each discrete torso web piece includes at least one integrated tie strap. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein forming each torso web piece further comprises:
 slitting at least one continuous tie strap from the continuous torso web with a slitting unit before folding the continuous torso web; and 
 after folding the continuous torso web, reattaching the continuous tie strap to the continuous torso web with adhesive; 
 wherein, upon cutting the discrete torso web pieces from the folded continuous torso web, each discrete torso web piece includes at least one tie strap. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 applying a neck stretch patch over each neck opening in the continuous shoulder web with a first slip cut unit; and 
 cutting an opening in each neck stretch patch with a second die unit. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising:
 cutting wrist openings in the continuous shoulder web using the first die unit; 
 applying a wrist stretch patch over each wrist opening in the continuous shoulder web using the first slip cut unit or a second slip cut unit; and 
 cutting an opening in each wrist stretch patch using a third die unit.