Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining and regulating the amount of advance of a plurality of workpiece plies at a sewing machine which is affected by scanning the individual plies while recording the stitches being formed between two separate feed points and actuating top and bottom feed devices to achieve a desirable feed of each ply. Signs present or to be applied at any desired point of the workpiece plies are scanned at two successive points, and pulses generated by a pulse generator connected with the main shaft of the machine are summed during this period of time. The pulse sum is compared with a number of pulses which depends on the mutual spacing of the scanning points and on the adjusted stitch length. For two work plies the pulse sums formed between the recognition of the signs are compared directly. As signs to be scanned are used either imprinted marks, the jags of a pinked workpiece edge, or the bright, dark structure of a surface section of the workpiece.

Abstract: An electronic sewing machine has an input selector for the adjustment of input data to the machine. As a complement to the pattern selecting buttons, a cloth meter is provided and positioned at or on the machine. The button and meter provide data of a specific seam selection to the electronic systems on the machine. The cloth meter is used for making a selection of a seam from a series of seams which can be selected by the buttons. When the operator pushes a button, signals are composed to a seam selection code which is fed to a start address memory.

Abstract: An automatic rib cuff machine which allows a single operator to attach sleeves to cuffs and wherein the machine automatically sews a sleeve to a cuff when the operator places the sleeve blanket into the machine and actuates an electric eye which initiates the sewing machine to sew the sleeve to the cuff and wherein a second electric eye operates a cutter to cut the cuff web between adjacent units and wherein a first conveyor conveys the completed cuff sleeve to a stacker which is actuated by a third electric eye to stack the cuffs on a second conveyor. The operator can control the second conveyor to return the stacked cuffs to her and the machine allows a single operator wherein the machine of the prior required two operators to operate it and cut the sleeves apart.

Abstract: A device for the finishing of at least one lengthwise edge of a sheet of material, which at least on the one lengthwise edge has a lengthwise strip which is thinner than the remainder of the sheet of material, in that the finished lengthwise edge runs parallel to the lengthwise edge of the sheet to the side bordering the different material thicknesses, and at least two scanning devices are provided, responsive to the variations of thickness of the sheet. One scanning device is arranged to scan the lengthwise strips of the sheet which are thinner and the other scanning device is arranged to scan the sheet in its area of greater thickness. The two scanning devices are positioned transverse to the direction of movement of the sheet and are spaced so that they normally scan the sheet close to the lengthwise edge thereof, on the side bordering the different material thicknesses.

Abstract: Successive fly strips are continuously sewn to a continuous slide fastener chain by a continuously operating sewing machine as the fly strips are supplied one after another to the sewing machine. During this supplying, a succeeding fly strip is superimposed over a preceding fly strip in a feed station while the preceding fly strip is supplied to the sewing machine and is sewn to the fastener chain. The succeeding fly strip is kept waiting by a stop in its superimposed position for supply to the sewing machine. When the trailing end of the preceding fly strip is advanced by the sewing machine from the leading end of the succeeding fly strip as the sewing of the preceding fly strip progresses, the succeeding fly strip is then supplied to the sewing station at a speed higher than the rate at which the sewing of the preceding fly strip progresses.

Abstract: A drive and control device for sewing machines, automatic sewing installations, and the like, with a recognition unit which responds for the purpose of end recognition when the sewing tools have approached a predetermined spacing from the desired seam end. The drive and control device also includes a preselection stitch counting unit, which can be triggered by means of the recognition unit, for the presetting of a predetermined number of remaining stitches still to be executed subsequently to the end recognition, and a correction unit for the performance of a stitch correction in dependence on the respective needle position at the instant of end recognition. The correction unit serves for automatically varying the length of at least one of the remaining stitches.

Abstract: Cloth stitching apparatus and method for forming a rectangular cloth having stitched rounded corners, such as a wash cloth. Blank pieces of rectangular cloth material are aligned with an overlock sewing machine on the table of the apparatus. The sewing machine trims the cloth edges, folds over the trimmed edge and sews or stitches along one side of the cloth. Each piece of cloth is moved along X and Y axes. Thus, as the cloth is moving along an X axis at a predetermined surface speed, the sewing machine trims, folds and sews along one side of the cloth. When the cloth is moved along its X axis to a point where the sewing machine is adjacent a corner of the cloth, a switch is activated which starts turning the sewing machine. The cloth stops while the sewing machine turns at the same surface speed of the cloth on the actual radius of the corner of the cloth. The cloth then starts and goes in the opposite perpendicular direction Y while the sewing machine continues at the same surface speed.

Abstract: A sewing machine for automatically making edge-parallel seams comprises a scanning device for recognizing the geometric form of the workpiece edge and a pressure piston lowerable laterally of the stitch formation point. For straight workpiece edges extending at an angle to each other, the pressure piston, having been lowered onto the workpiece with the sewing machine stopped, is rotated around the needle which is inserted in the workpiece, the workpiece being taken along accordingly. For a convexly arcuate edge pattern, first the lateral distance of the pressure piston from the needle is readjusted in such a way that it corresponds to the radius of the edge arc (e.g. scallop). Thereafter, with the sewing machine continuing to run, the pressure piston is lowered, whereupon the feed dog of the sewing machine rotates the workpiece around the pressure piston.

Abstract: In a sewing machine, particularly an industrial sewing machine, with a needle which can be driven up and down by means of a needle bar, a feed dog for the forward transfer of the workpiece in co-ordination with the needle movement, an actual feed rate sensing device which supplies a corresponding electric signal and at least one sensor for detecting a workpiece edge, for the purpose of increasing the accuracy of the positioning of the corner stitch of a seam portion with acceptable constructional expenditure, a device is provided for displacing the longitudinal axis of the needle parallel to the sewing direction as a function of the actual feed rate sensing device on the one hand and the detection of a workpiece edge by the sensor on the other.

Abstract: An automatic sewing machine installed with a sewing head and a feeding device is disclosed for successively sewing workpieces which are flexibly connnected to one another by a thread chain. The feeding device is arranged with a workpiece holder for receiving the workpiece and guiding the latter according to the extension of a seam situated in the workpiece.In order to simplify automatic sewing processes in front of the sewing head, there is arranged a reel carrying workpieces still to be provided with the seam. Behind the sewing head there is arranged a reel for receiving the sewn workpieces. The reel installed in front of the sewing head is stationarily arranged in a position relative to the workpiece holder. Between the sewing head and the reel arranged behind the sewing head there is installed a further feeding device.

Abstract: A workpiece fed to a stitching point of a sewing machine, consisting of one or more layers of fabric, is transluminated by a source of visible or infrared radiation which is intercepted by two photoelectric sensors following each other in the direction of motion. The sensors work into respective radiation/frequency converters whose output voltages, after rectification, are compared in a window discriminator to provide an indication of the passage of a leading or trailing edge of a fabric layer manifesting itself in a jump in one of the voltages. The jump is intensified by a threshold circuit in each converter, comprising a Zener diode which for highly light-transmissive fabric layers can be short-circuited by an optocoupler.

Abstract: A device for guiding a concealed slide fastener to a sewing machine includes a pair of spaced track bodies mounted on a slanted guide plate and each comprising a block fixedly mounted on the guide plate and a cover member movably mounted on said block. The block and the cover member jointly define a guide channel for guiding an element assembly of the slide fastener therethrough while the slide fastener is fed down the guide plate toward a sewing position on the sewing machine. The guide channel includes a recess for accommodating coupling heads of the element assembly at an inlet end thereof, the recess being shaped for automatically erecting the element assembly from a horizontal position to a vertical position as the element assembly is moved progressively through the guide channel. The guide plate supports a means for sensing an end of the concealed slide fastener.

Abstract: An adaptive semi-automatic sewing system (10) comprises a sewing machine (12), a drive unit (42) including a variable speed motor and encoder for counting stitches sewn and for sensing the rotation of the motor, at least one material edge sensor (40a) mounted ahead of the needle (22) of the sewing machine, and a microprocessor controller (51) coupled to the sewing machine controls. Accurate control of seam lengths and end points is achieved by initiating countdown of a variable number of final stitches responsive to detection of the material edge by the sensors (40a). The system includes controls (98) coupled to microprocessor controller (51) for dynamically adjusting the sensitivity of the sensors (40a) for variances in the materials being sewn.

Abstract: A method of automatically adjusting thread tension in a sewing machine including detecting changes of load subjected on the needle bar caused when the needle penetrates the fabric to be sewn and adjusting the electric driving part of the thread tension device in accordance with the values of the changing components of the load.

Abstract: In a sewing machine for performing twin overedging and seaming in one high-speed operation, specially designed top and bottom variable feed dogs pull the two plies through a three needle stitching area with improved, simplified elements for diverting one ply edge while the other is being overcast. The upright overcast edge of the top ply passes through a tunnel formed through the top feed dog. A guide wall attached to the throat plate guides the top edge away from the bottom overedging station. A guard wall can be attached to the presser foot to keep the turned-up top edge away from the seaming needle. A fiber optic/pneumatic system controls automatic stop, presser foot/top feed retraction and between-work thread cutter functions. Alternative front edge guides facilitate feeding the two plies in registration.

Abstract: An adaptive semi-automatic sewing system (10) comprises a sewing machine (12), a drive unit (42) including a variable speed direct drive motor and encoder for counting stitches sewn and for sensing the rotation of the motor, at least one material edge sensor (40) mounted ahead of the needle (22) of the sewing machine, and a microprocessor controller (51) coupled to the sewing machine controls. Accurate control of seam lengths and end points is achieved by initiating countdown of a variable number of final stitches responsive to detection of the material edge by the sensors (40). The amount of stitch completion at the time of detection of the material edge is monitored and a stitch length variance mechanism (17) is actuated at a selected angle of motor rotation taking into account the time delay of the stitch length variance mechanism and the feed characteristics of sewing machine (12) to precisely control the length of the last stitch sewn to improve the accuracy of the seam end point.

Abstract: A method for controlling a tufting machine in which a supply length of a ground fabric and a yarn feed length each for a unit stitch number are selected as control measures. Since the motion of a stitch shaft is steady and stable compared to that of a spiked roller, control in accordance with the present invention results in a stable operation of the tufted machine relative to the conventional method, in which the control measures are based on a unit supply length of the ground fabric. A yarn weight per square meter is also measured and indicated during the tufting operation.

Abstract: A sewing machine for sewing shaped seams comprises equipment for exactly positioning an end stitch. By means of two edge sensing sensors provided one after the other in the feed direction, a pulse generator coupled to the main shaft, and a microprocessor, the difference between the desired feed length of the workpiece and the actual feed length thereof is determined. A microprocessor controls a step motor for adjusting a stitch setting device, the adjustment being a function of the difference between the desired and actual feed lengths of the workpiece and of the angular position of the main shaft at the instant of response of the second sensor. In this way, the length in excess of the last stitch which, without a correction, would extend beyond the predetermined end point, is uniformly distributed among the last stitches of the seam, while at the same time taking into account slippage between the feed dog and the workpiece.

Abstract: A device for feeding a strip of material into a sewing machine so that it can be sewed onto a cut fabric which is fed over a base plate includes a stop which is positionable in the feed path of the strip of material and which control the operation of the sewing machine so that the strip will not be fed unless it is aligned with the associated workpiece and guided past a reciprocating needle.

Abstract: A combination stitching system including a pneumatic sensing apparatus which operates to assure the presence of a material to be stitched is in a proper location before machine operation is possible is disclosed. The combination system comprises a machine (10) for stitching or sewing a material (30) with thread (26). At least one reciprocating needle (12) receives thread (26) through an aperture (28) for stitching the material (30). A power source (20) is connected by a drive linkage (18) which includes a clutch (21) and which provides reciprocating motion to needle (12). The clutch (21) operates to selectively connect and disconnect the power source from the reciprocating needle (12) by means of an activating means (22). To assure that the reciprocating needle operates only when a work piece (30) is in a position to be stitched, there is also included a pneumatic sensing apparatus (32).

Abstract: Two blade members are counter-rotated from a rest position to a cutting position in which radially directed cutting surfaces cooperate to snip a strip of material by a shearing action as the strip of material flows from a sewing machine or other processing machine. The blade members are reversible and are biased against each other to ensure positive cutting. A hinge-like linkage permits an offset between the blade members and power means to increase versatility. The cutting apparatus can include sensing means to permit automatic cutting of a completed workpiece from an excess of a strip of material which is sewn to the workpiece during the manufacture of a garment.

Abstract: A stop control for a sewing machine having an attachment for the making of spaghetti-like tubes, without visible stitching, and with or without a core filler, from a supplied bias binding material, the binding material being comprised of elongate strips joined in end-to-end relation by end connecting seams in which the connected free ends of the strips are disposed on the same side. The strip is fed to the attachment through a switching device in an electric control circuit which is energizable by contacts of the switching device and operable to terminate the operation of the sewing machine upon the occurance of a predetermined condition with respect to the binding strip material, such as: (1) a binding strip connecting end seam is too thick, (2) the binding strip becomes knotted or twisted, and, (3) the supplied binding strip material breaks or runs out.

Abstract: The arrangement comprises a sewing apparatus which is partially supported below a material-supporting table and which partially extends through an opening above the table surface. Control means are provided to control the operation of the sewing apparatus as well as to feed the material to be sewn along each direction in which a seam is to be formed. Sensing means are provided to sense the fact that a seam has been completed. Also, means are provided which clamp the material to the table after each seam is sewn. The control means further include means to rotate the sewing apparatus and align it in such a way that when the material is again fed to the sewing apparatus, the latter sews a successive seam along a different selected direction.

Abstract: In a sewing machine having an upper presser (6), a work feed (8) disposed below and aligned with the upper presser (6), and a work support (9) about the feed mechanism (8), the feed mechanism (8) and the work support (9) are movable in unison to a raised position adjacent the upper presser and into a lowered position in which the feed mechanism is spaced further from the upper presser, the feed mechanism and the work support being resiliently loaded upwardly. In another aspect, a drive for a thread take-up element includes a rotary axially-acting cam (15,23), and a cam follower (24) coupled to the thread take-up element (25,29).

Abstract: A device for monitoring the passage of workpiece ends through a sewing machine. The device includes a photosensitive receiver connected to one end of a fiber optic cable. The other end of the cable being arranged opposite a reflecting surface and carried by the sewing machine presser foot in a manner preventing the exposed end face thereof from being defiled.

Abstract: An adaptive semiautomatic sewing system (10) comprises a sewing machine (12), a drive unit (42) including a variable speed motor and encoder for counting stitches sewn and for sensing the rotation of the motor, at least one material edge sensor (40) mounted ahead of the needle (22) of the sewing machine, and a microprocessor controller (51) coupled to the sewing machine controls. The system (10) has manual, teach and auto modes of operation. In the teach mode, control parameters for each seam are stored as the operator sews the initial piece. Accurate control of seam lengths and end points is achieved by initiating countdown of a variable number of final stitches responsive to detection of the material edges by the sensors (40). In dependence upon the amount of the stitch which has been sewn upon edge detection, the reverse lever (17) is moved against stop member (13) in order to reduce the length of the last stitch sewn in order to improve the accuracy of the seam end point.

Abstract: An adaptive semiautomatic sewing system (10) comprises a sewing machine (12), a drive unit (42) including a variable speed motor and encoder for counting stitches sewn, at least one material edge sensor (40) mounted ahead of the needle (22) of the sewing machine, and a microprocessor controller (51) coupled to the sewing machine controls. The system (10) has manual, teach and auto modes of operation. In the teach mode, control parameters for each seam are stored as the operator sews the initial piece. Accurate control of seam lengths and end points is achieved by initiating countdown of a variable number of final stitches responsive to detection of the material edges by the sensors (40). In one embodiment, a window is set up around the stitch count at which terminal countdown initiates to avoid spurious signals. In another embodiment, momentary toggles of the sensors (40) are ignored so that an even wider range of sizes can be sewn with the same taught program.

Abstract: A sewing machine with a presettable counter for sewing a predetermined number of stitches to the end of a stitch seam. According to the invention the counter is provided with a correction unit responsive to at least two sectors of a rotary machine member, each revolution of which corresponds to the sewing of a stitch of normal length. A sensor is responsive to the different sectors and, upon detection of one of these sectors, produces a signal which an evaluating unit can pass to a count resetting unit to set back the stitch counter by one stitch unit. As a consequence, the overrun or underrun of the stitch seam is at most one half of the normal length of a stitch.

Abstract: An attachment for a sewing machine comprises a looper bar positionable for horizontal oscillation underneath a vertically reciprocating needle, at a level determined by a workpiece feeler engaging the upper surface of a fabric being sewn, which is swingably carried on the stem of a presser foot resting on the workpiece while the latter is intermittently advanced by a bottom feeder periodically rising from a slot in a stitch plate and a reciprocable gripper foot synchronized therewith to act as a top feeder. A first sensor detects a rise in the presser foot, to an extent indicating the presence of resilient padding between an upper and a lower fabric layer, to activate the looper bar; a second sensor temporarily deactivates the first sensor whenever the bottom feeder projects above the stitch plate.

Abstract: A device for monitoring the passage of workpiece ends through a sewing machine. The device includes a photosensitive apparatus adapted to produce a signal in response to the passage of the workpiece ends past the end of a fiber optic light source.

Abstract: An invisible stitch hemming device for sewing tubular workpieces having first and second vertical walls interconnected and angularly disposed one to the other. A feeler element disposed in close proximity with the walls detects areas of the workpiece having increased thickness and is operatively connected to an actuating means which is effective when such areas are detected in displacing the first wall to permit unrestricted advance of the workpiece and simultaneously the second wall moves to a position for maintaining the workpiece in alignment with the sewing axis.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for electro-pneumatic control of a stitching machine, operable either in the automatic or semiautomatic mode. Following initiation of a stitching operation through actuation of the present control system, the system internally of itself develops a plurality of interlocks that require the existence of selected conditions for continuation of normal machine operations and which respond to abnormal conditions by precluding machine operation past preselected termination points. Thread conservation is a principal benefit.

Abstract: A method of controlling a tufting machine including preestablishing a selected stitch number and a selected yarn feed length for a predetermined unit feed length of ground fabric, determining stitch number and yarn feed length for the unit feed length of ground fabric by means of measured values respectively obtained from a ground fabric feed detector, a yarn feed detector and a stitch number detector, comparing the measured values with the preestablished stitch number and the preestablished yarn feed length, and automatically controlling the rotation speeds of a spiked roller and a yarn roller respectively to correct the ground fabric feed and the yarn feed to the preestablished values whenever the measured values depart from a predetermined tolerance from the selected values.

Abstract: Trouser-fly pieces are sewn to a continuous slide fastener chain and at the same time are surged along a curved edge. Variable spacing between the surged curved edge and the line or lines of stitches sewing the fly pieces to the fastener chain is made by selective puckering of each fly piece between two sewing mechanisms. The trailing end of each fly piece is lifted during the sewing to permit the positioning of the next fly piece against a stop.

Abstract: An automatic sewing machine includes a sewing machine mechanism having a seam forming mechanism and a fabric feed mechanism. A detector member senses the position of each free side edge of two layers of fabric to be fed to the seam forming mechanism and generates signals. A pair of manipulators capable of engaging each layer of fabric individually move such each layer of fabric to a predetermined position in response to signals from the detector members. The free side edges of layers of fabric are automatically stitched together by a predetermined distance along the free side edges with the edges maintained in alignment with each other.

Abstract: An automatic buttonholing device which uses a specially modified presser foot into which electrical contacts are inserted for actuating an electromechanical buttonholing assembly. The operator places small conductive markers on the fabric at the top and bottom of the desired buttonhole location. When the contacts on the presser foot ride over the markers, a circuit is completed and proper steps in the buttonholing sequence are initiated.

Abstract: Sensor including a non-contact proximity sensor, proportional change detector system and a sample gate. The machine logic program of the Automatic Sewing System generates a signal which enables the sample gate, at given times during the work cycle. The sample gate also receives a signal indicating fabric discontinuities which is generated by the sensor element. When such input signals are present, at the sample gate, an output is generated thereby to overcome the fabric discontinuities problem.