Abstract: A knitting machine is disclosed in which measurements are made reflecting the output characteristics such as the forces incident to the operation of the knitting needles relatively to operating cam means therefor, and a system is provided for influencing one or more of the operating characteristics of the knitting machine such as speed of operation, rate of lubrication, or the like, in response to such measurements.

Abstract: A wire matrix print head comprised of a plurality of impact print wires or styli, each having an input end for receiving an impact and an output end for delivering an impact to a record medium through an inking ribbon. The impact end of said wires or styli are arranged in a specialized elliptical format while the output end of the wire styli are formed into a planar straight line configuration, thus providing for a minimal amount of bending arc along the length of the styli. This configuration permits direct transmission of the impact forces to the output end and permits each stylus to be of equal length to the other styli. Efficacious provision is made for adjusting the stroke length of each stylus even though a uniform electromagnet for each stylus is used to provide the activating or impact impulse.

Abstract: A bobbin thread depletion signal for lock stitch sewing machines or the like. The bobbin, which is constructed so that one of the end flanges is free to slide axially along the hub, is horizontally mounted in the machine bobbin carrier. When thread is wound on the bobbin, the slideable flange is forced outward against a stop and is positioned in the field of an electronic sensor, such as an oscillator coil, the inductance of which is altered by a proximity of the slideable flange.When the thread is removed from the hub, the slideable end flange will drop from the environment of the sensor toward the stationary flange thereby producing an inductance change that is detected by electronic sensor circuitry that signals the sewing machine operator.

Abstract: A backplane motherboard which mounts a plurality of printed circuit boards and which provides microstrip transmission lines to interconnect the components of an inserted PC board with any of the other inserted PC boards. All transmission lines are terminated at both ends with the characteristic impedance, and the plane of the motherboard is made of a sandwich construction having a ground plane, a Mylar insulating plane, a voltage plane, and outer epoxy surface insulators. The plane sandwich also carries terminal pins for holding additional printed circuit boards.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to spool holders for supporting a spool of thread on a sewing machine and particularly relates to a detachable spool holder having spaced depending leg-like portions formed of resilient material for insertion into associated spaced apertures in the cover of the sewing machine so that the spool holder may be readily assembled onto the sewing machine frame and held in relatively tight fitting relationship therein while giving the appearance of a unitary structure.

Abstract: In a sewing machine in which any one of a variety of stitch patterns, each of which may have a different number of successive needle penetrations, may be produced repetitively, an operator influenced control is disclosed capable of limiting the operation of the sewing machine to the stitching of a single execution of any selected stitch pattern. After the stitching of the single pattern has been completed, further operation of the sewing machine is inhibited by suspension of needle reciprocation, needle jogging and work feed motion.

Abstract: A method of sewing a blindstitch hem is disclosed in which the plain hem fold in a garment is introduced wrong side up to a sewing machine of the type having a loop taker moving on a vertical axis located in front of the stitching point and with a thread carrying needle and a latch needle arranged side-by-side laterally of the line of feed of the sewing machine. Sewing machine fittings are disclosed which serve particularly advantageously in producing the blindstitch hem of this invention, including a throat plate fitted with a thread manipulating device for assisting in the concatenation of thread from the thread carrying needle of the latch needle on each stitch, and a latch needle which is easily manufacturable and serves with particular effectiveness in carrying out the method of this invention.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to means for preventing the reciprocating needle of a sewing machine from operating in a zig-zag mode when a straight stitch throat plate means is positioned on the work bed surface. A latching means is provided for selective interconnection between the zig-zag jogging mechanism and the needle mechanism with said latching means being responsive to movement of the presser mechanism for unlatching the latching means. A locking mechanism is also provided to lock the latching mechanism in an unlatched position.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for a sewing machine in which preselected stitch patterns may be formed automatically. Information related to the positional coordination of the needle penetration for each stitch of each pattern is stored in the sewing machine. Logic means are used to select and release said stitch information in timed relation with the operation of the sewing machine. The selected information is converted to positional analog signals which control closed-loop servo means including a moving-coil linear actuator which directly controls the position of conventional stitch-forming instrumentalities of the sewing machine to reproduce a pattern of stitches corresponding to the selected stitch information.

Abstract: A mechanism for the precisional turning of a threaded shaft or leadscrew wherein the turning of a hand knob is used to precisionally regulate the amount of turning of the shaft. By the hand turning of a drive knob, a pair of ring drive keys are made to move along the upper surface of a cam unit having two lobes and two recesses. A castellated counter ring, which is placed around the cam unit has equally spaced cogs which normally will not be engaged by the ring drive keys. However, when the ring drive keys fall into the recesses of the cam surface, they engage against two cogs on the counter ring causing them to shift a fixed amount, after which the rise of the lobe of the cam raises the ring drive keys out of engagement with the cogs of the counter ring. The effect of this is to turn the shaft, for example, 1/10 of a shaft revolution.

Abstract: A sewing machine is disclosed in which the pattern of successive needle penetrations during stitching is influenced in accordance with pattern information stored within the machine in a static memory. This pattern information is retrieved and utilized electronically to control, among other factors, the magnitude and direction of feed of the work fabric being stitched. Manually operable electric feed reversing switch means is provided which is effective, while it remains closed, to interrupt utilization of this pattern information to the stitch forming instrumentalities both as to needle bight and work feed motion and to substitute in its place information from auxiliary static memory for use electronically to influence uniform work feed in a reverse direction with the needle maintained in one predetermined lateral position.

Abstract: A sewing machine is disclosed having electromechanical actuators for controlling the stitch forming instrumentalities in the formation of stitch patterns with a non-contact position sensing device associated with each electromechanical actuator comprising spaced coils and a metallic shunt plate arranged adjacent and shiftable relatively to the coils in response to movement of the actuator to produce a measureable variation in the inductance of the coils which bears an advantageous linear relationship to the electromechanical actuator position.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to threading apparatus for sewing machines and in particular to a movable thread engaging means disposed in proximity to a disc-type tension device which thread engaging means is operative during movement of the tension discs towards one another for guiding the thread between and in operative relationship with the tension discs so as to ensure that the thread will be properly threaded through the tension device.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed in which the main driving mechanism of a sewing machine is harnessed simultaneously to actuate a thread wiper and a tension release mechanism for the sewing machine. Operation of the mechanism may be initiated by a solenoid which may be advantageously small in size and power since the solenoid does not supply any of the driving force incident to the operation of the thread wiper or tension release mechanisms.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to needle guards for rotary loop takers in sewing machines and has for its purpose prevention of interference between the needle and the loop seizing beak of the rotary loop taker during the sewing operation. A needle guard is provided which is substantially annular and open ended and is resiliently supported within the body of the loop taker. One leg of the needle guard is disposed in the region of the loop seizing beak of the loop taker and in the region of the needle path so that the needle if proceeding toward the loop seizing beak upon penetration of the fabric, will be deflected away from the loop seizing beak and toward the center of the loop taker body. An adjustable anchoring means is provided for the one leg of the needle guard for adjusting the relative position of said one leg relative to the loop seizing beak.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to the combination of a sewing machine and a work table wherein the sewing machine is supported in the work table for movement between a sewing position and a tilted position, a drive motor supported remote from the driven mechanism of the machine and an idler pulley supported intermediate the drive motor and the machine with the idler pulley drivingly connecting the machine with the drive motor by means of drive belts, and the idler pulley being supported for movement with the sewing machine during tilting thereof in a manner whereby the tension in the drive belts is relieved during tilting of the sewing machine and tension is restored during return movement of the sewing machine to the sewing position.

Abstract: A sewing machine loop taker mounting on a drive shaft formed with a loop taker lubricating conduit in which oil leakage out of the mounting is eliminated. The drive shaft is formed with a socket accommodating a hub on the loop taker so that the hub may be formed with a tapered bore into which the head of a lubricant metering screw on the shaft projects.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to means for providing adjustment of the needle to hook point relationship in a sewing machine without disturbing the proper mesh and timing of the gears used in the drive mechanism for the hook. The hook includes a shaft supported in a bushing which has a bore having an axis eccentric to the axis of the bushing body. An interposer member is operatively connected to the drive mechanism and is disposed coaxially with the hook shaft for transmitting driving motion to the hook shaft. The hook point is adjustable relative to the needle by means of rotation of the hook bushing about its axis which thereby changes the relative position of the hook and its shaft without causing any change in the relative driving relationship of the interposer and the drive mechanism thereby unaffecting the timing of the hook drive mechanism.