Patents Represented by Attorney Robert E. Smith

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  • Reinforcing for molded sewing machine frame
    Patent number: 4452159
    Abstract: A sewing machine bed which, because an open channel is required to accommodate a preassembled operating mechanism module, is reinforced to minimize objectionable deflection by reinforcing ribs formed on a cover plate and rigidly connected to reinforcing bosses on the sewing machine bed when the cover plate is secured thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Leo E. McGann, Kenneth D. Adams
  • Sewing machine control
    Patent number: 4453152
    Abstract: A control for a sewing machine is provided with a turnable outer knob for operating a potentiometer, and a slidable inner knob within the outer knob for moving a contact member to connect conductive paths on a printed circuit board which supports both the potentiometer and contact members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Allan M. Dob, Richard Mead, Terry L. Wilson
  • Basting stitch mechanism
    Patent number: 4452157
    Abstract: A basting stitch mechanism in which a latch is carried on the side of the needle bar carrier and is fashioned with a front portion extending in front of the needle bar terminating in a wedge, which wedge fits into a notch in a driving stud hinge pin extending about the needle bar and slidable thereon. The latch wedge connection to the driving stud eliminates the requirement for establishing a clearance between the needle bar carrier and the driving stud carrying the driving stud hinge pin. An extension spring connected between the sewing machine frame and a rear portion of the latch operates to increase the latching force as the needle bar is moved downwardly. By proper design of the wedge on the latch and the notch on the driving stud hinge pin, separation of the driving stud hinge pin from the latch may take place at some force designed to avoid breakage of the sewing needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Edilberto Cantada, Anthony D. Spasiano
  • Electrical cutout for under voltage or power loss conditions
    Patent number: 4451865
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for providing in a tool, appliance, or other electrically operated device the safety feature of requiring that the trigger or ON-OFF switch be in or returned to the OFF position before the tool will respond to placing the trigger or ON-OFF switch in the ON position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Richard C. Warner, Thomas C. Laughon
  • Power head unit for carpet cleaning
    Patent number: 4447930
    Abstract: A power head unit for use with an external source of vacuum, which unit includes an outer housing defining a brush chamber, a vacuum chamber and a dry chemical carpet cleaning powder retaining chamber. The powder retaining chamber is fashioned with at least one slot extending adjacent the brush chamber which slot is closed off by a covering device such as a sliding door. The sliding door is fashioned with apertures the size of the at least one slot so that correspondence thereof will permit the dry chemical carpet cleaning material to escape from the slot. A powder dispensing roll is provided internally of the powder retaining chamber to convey the dry chemical carpet cleaning material to the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: William K. Glenn, III, John E. Jones, Gordon E. Laing, William R. Sumerau
  • Sewing machine cam controlled feed engaging and disengaging mechanism
    Patent number: 4448141
    Abstract: A sewing machine work feed regulating arrangement is disclosed including a manual control dial for setting the magnitude and direction of work feed and a pattern cam for automatically influencing feed magnitude and direction. Control cam means associated with the manual control dial and effective during a small angular dwell segment thereof influences separate follower means positively to effect either engagement or disengagement of the pattern cam control of the work feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Jan Szostak, Henry Schaeflern, Walter H. W. Marsh
  • Fabric repairing tool with cylindrical sheet metal cutter
    Patent number: 4446621
    Abstract: A fabric repairing tool is provided with a cylindrical sheet metal cutter having a helically extending sharp cutting edge. The cutter is affixed to an arbor which moves the cutter into a die mounted within a stationary sleeve wherein the arbor is slidably supported to cut out a piece from fabric held in the path of the cutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Wesley R. Peterson
  • Sewing machine needle clamp
    Patent number: 4444137
    Abstract: A sewing machine needle clamp is disclosed which will accommodate a sewing machine needle with a flatted butt in only one predetermined orientation by virtue of overlapping recesses formed by mold inserts which define a composite needle accommodating channel with filleted corners permitting needle insertion in only one predetermined orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Gary W. Ponte
  • Arrangement for securing in a slide plate hold-down spring in a sewing machine bed
    Patent number: 4444139
    Abstract: A slide plate hold-down spring is provided with a depending portion which is received in a well in a sewing machine bed. The depending portion includes a window in which a protuberance on the bed engages the spring, and a curved length which engages a wall of the well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Walter H. W. Marsh, John Patricia, Alfred Mack
  • Starting position indicator for industrial sewing machine
    Patent number: 4444141
    Abstract: A position indictor for an industrial sewing machine, particularly a programmable industrial sewing machine, in which an elongate slender member may be selectively extended through a tubular conduit to have an end of the member adjacent the work supporting bed so as to indicate to an operator the starting position for a work material from which stitching may initiate. The elongate slender member, which is best implemented by a wire, may also be used as an edge guide or a pivot point. Extension of the member through the flexible conduit may be initiated by an air cylinder or solenoid, and may be initiated by program control to take place when the sewing needle and the sewing machine presser foot are elevated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: David Forrest
  • Sewing machine bobbin for a vertical axis hook
    Patent number: 4442785
    Abstract: A sewing machine bobbin for a vertical axis hook is provided with a top and a bottom flanged section, and a fastener which both holds the sections together and is the driven member of a clutch through which the bobbin may be driven for bobbin winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: Charles R. Odermann, Thaddeus J. Zylbert
  • Vertically stacked components in a control module for a sewing machine
    Patent number: 4442784
    Abstract: A control module for a sewing machine is provided with spaced apart plates, each to support a set of push-buttons arranged in multiple rows. The push-buttons include extensions which are contiguously stacked vertically for slidable movement and operate against aligned posts in actuated position of the push-buttons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: William Weisz, Raymond S. Tyburcy
  • Push-button control module for a sewing machine
    Patent number: 4441440
    Abstract: A control module for a sewing machine includes a rectangular array of push-buttons which are slidably mounted for linear motion in a frame and include rearwardly extending portions in a single line engageable with cam followers slidably movable thereby into engagement with cams rotatable in the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: William Weisz
  • Buttonhole sewing repair
    Patent number: 4438715
    Abstract: For a family sewing machine having the capabilities to complete a buttonhole in a single step, an arrangement is provided to permit an operator to reinitiate the buttonhole operation in the event of a thread breakage in the middle of the buttonhole, however, without necessitating stitching during that part of the buttonhole in which stitching has already been implemented. If a thread breakage takes place and after repair thereof the buttonhole may be repositioned to the initiating position and the buttonhole pattern may be reselected together with, for example, a selection of reverse feeding or any other input which is not normally selected during buttonholing. This dual selection is effective to signal the needle bar release logic to suspend endwise reciprocation of the needle bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventors: William H. Dunn, William J. Edwards, Philip F. Minalga
  • Variable pull off for bobbin thread
    Patent number: 4437421
    Abstract: A variable under thread pull off device in a sewing machine for providing the proper amount of slack in the bobbin thread to effect uniform stitch formation. The device will pull off a varying amount of bobbin thread to correspond to that which is required for each particular bight position of the stitch being set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Ralph E. Johnson
  • Drive roll monogrammer
    Patent number: 4437420
    Abstract: A continuous monogrammer utilizing a peripheral frame to support therein a pair of rollers and drive mechanism therefor to transport a continuous strip of material laterally beneath the sewing machine needle. A bridge straddles the rollers and is slidingly supported on a pair of shafts on opposite sides of the peripheral frame. The bridge is affixed to the sewing machine presser bar so as to elevate the frame and rollers thereby. A second drive mechanism is carried by the bridge and provides an operative connection between the bridge and the peripheral frame so as to move the peripheral frame and the work fabric upon which it rests in the longitudinal direction beneath the sewing needle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Kenneth M. Johnson
  • Gate bracketing cushioning spring arrangement for a sewing machine
    Patent number: 4436043
    Abstract: Skip stitch mechanism for a sewing machine is provided with a coiled cushioning spring which mounts on the upper arm of a movable gate, and limits upward movement of a needle bar when disconnected from needle bar reciprocating mechanism to provide for a skipped stitch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Edilberto Cantada
  • Continuous monogrammer
    Patent number: 4434729
    Abstract: A work manipulating mechanism for a sewing machine attachable to the presser bar thereof which utilizes a pair of spaced apart endless belts on a first drive plate to feed an endless quantity of work material through a sewing machine in the formation of an ornamental pattern or monogramming, the first drive plate being shiftable in an orthogonal direction by a second drive plate attachable to the presser bar of a sewing machine. The first drive plate may be shifted by a rack and pinion connection to a stepper motor supported on the second drive plate, and the work material may be shifted by a stepper motor connected to one of a pair of shafts carrying sprockets encircled by the endless belts in contact with the work material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 6, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Donald R. Davidson
  • Vacuum cleaner access plate
    Patent number: D273623
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Don W. Vermillion
  • Design for an upright vacuum cleaner
    Patent number: D274149
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: The Singer Company
    Inventor: Robert R. Gibson