Abstract: A slam-shut valve provides overpressure protection in a pipeline in the event of regulator failure. The slam-shut valve is normally held latched in the open position. Overpressure or failure of the regulator will automatically trigger operation of the slam-shut valve to close the same and prevent further passage of the gas through the pipeline. The slam-shut valve is manually reset to the open position once it has been triggered closed.The invention includes mounting the closing spring upon the lever in loaded position. The latch lever forms a subassembly, which in turn, is installed in the housing of the slam-shut valve to operatively interconnect the latch and release mechanisms and the reset mechanism. Subsequent to installing the lever, on end of the loaded closing spring is released from the lever to snap into position against the adjacent housing wall to bias the lever to the closed position. However, closing is normally prevented by the latch which releasably holds the lever in the open position.

Abstract: A platform for mounting a sewing machine in a cabinet is disclosed which is pivotally mounted to the cabinet thereby allowing the sewing machine to be stored within the cabinet without being removed from the platform. This platform is intended for cylinder bed or convertible bed sewing machines in that it is also capable of raising and lowering the sewing machine, between a position where the work supporting surface of the sewing machine is coplanar with the cabinet top and a position where the work supporting surface is spaced above the cabinet top, without an accompanying horizontal shifting component. This enables the cabinet to be formed with a smaller sewing machine opening minimizing any gaps between the cabinet and the sewing machine and eliminating additional inserts needed to close these gaps.

Abstract: A felting needle with a barb having a fiber deflecting section and a fiber gripping section. The barb is within a triangular blade needle and has a fiber gripping section disposed in the bottom portion of the trailing edge of the barb and disposed at approximately a 70 degree undercut angle relative to the needle axis and the fiber deflecting section extends upwardly and rearwardly from the fiber gripping section at approximately 30 degrees to the needle axis. The effective depth of the gripping section is less than approximately 75% of the total barb depth. With this arrangement, owing to the barb fiber gripping edge positioned within the triangular blade and with no kick-up, the backing material fibers are protected and fiber distortion is reduced.

Abstract: A sewing machine is provided with a stitch regulator and mechanism operably connecting such stitch regulator with feed advancing and feed lifting mechanism enabling an operator when adjusting the stitch regulator to simultaneously alter the timing of the operation of both the feed advancing and feed lifting mechanisms and so maintain a desired phase relationship between them.

Abstract: A sewing machine is disclosed wherein positioning of the work feeding mechanism and/or needle is controlled by a respective actuator responsive to stitch pattern signals applied thereto. To enable the actuator to complete its positioning for the next stitch prior to repenetration of the needle, the power supplied to the main drive motor of the sewing machine is interrupted until the actuator has completed its task.

Abstract: A hinge for the lid contained on the arm top cover of a sewing machine which comprises a pair of cam shaped pivot pins molded into the arm top cover and a pair of saddles molded into the lid and adapted to receive the pivot pins. A plastic spring havng a pivot pin embracing tab at each end is removably fastened to the lid. The plastic spring imparts a "snapping" action to restrain the lid in an open or closed position.

Abstract: A sewing machine needle is disclosed in which the needle blade including the long groove and the eye portion with a thin eye-accommodating web is cold formed in one finless flow pressing operation. Regardless of the diameter of the needle blade a uniform relation thereof with the needle orienting flat on the needle butt is achieved by lateral displacement of the needle blade axis relatively to the axis of the needle butt. In addition, the side flanges of the long groove, particularly in the eye portion are flared to facilitate threading.

Abstract: A sewing machine needle bar frame is pivotally supported at a lower end portion on a leaf spring which can bend to permit zigzagging, and the frame is made to follow a curved path, when zigzagging, through the use of a plastic coupling disposed between the upper portion of the needle bar frame and a fixed member in the machine head.

Abstract: A zig-zag sewing machine is disclosed which can be controlled by various special cam units for producing special patterns of zig-zag stitches, zig-zag stitch patterns combined with patterned work feed control, or closed stitch groups such as buttonholes. A cam unit for buttonholing is also disclosed in which a clutch is used for selective engagement of the cam unit. This clutch uses axially shiftable ball bearings for selectively engaging notches in a driving plate, coupling the driving plate to the rest of the buttonhole cam unit.

Abstract: A sewing machine cabinet is disclosed having removable legs and fold-in sides thereby minimizing the amount of storage space required. This cabinet has the added feature of a built-in, rigid, folding storage compartment. The compartment includes two panels pivotably mounted one to the other and one to the cabinet whereby the two panels, along with the cabinet top and three adjoining sides, enclose an area beneath the cabinet top in which various articles appurtenant to sewing may be stored.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner detector that indicates when the hose is clogged and bleeds in cooling air to the vacuum chamber so as to prevent overheating of the motor blower. The indicator comprises an actuator valve and a relief valve. The actuator valve includes a pressure responsive member having filter bag compartment pressure applied to one side thereof and atmospheric pressure applied to the other side. When the absolute pressure within the filter bag chamber drops, the pressure responsive member is moved toward the low pressure side moving a plunger which opens a port when the pressure drops below that desired to allow filter bag chamber pressure to vent to the low pressure side of a pressure responsive member in the relief valve.

Abstract: Thread tension discs for sewing machine thread tension devices which urge thread in toward the center of the device. Complimental indentations in the surface of the discs at the point of entry of thread into the device so change the angle of the edge of the discs at the point of entry that the thread has a tendency to work its way into as opposed to out of the device.

Abstract: An electronically controlled sewing machine which, in addition to the capability to stitch in the longitudinal direction, may selectively feed a work material in a selected right or left lateral direction. Additionally, bight pattern information may be taken from a memory means of the sewing machine and applied to the feed system thereof in order to obtain lateral patterning. In order to obtain lateral feeding, a straight stitch pattern is selected from the memory means in order to provide null or zero bight signal indicative of center needle position. Simultaneously, the signal from the arm shaft position sensor is applied to the bight actuating circuit, this arrangement providing for motion of a sewing needle in one lateral direction while in a work material, and in the other lateral direction while out of a work material.

Abstract: For a sewing machine, a needle mechanism selectively retractable to avoid penetration of a work material and to avoid faulty stitch placement. A hollow needle bar telescopically receives and supports in one end thereof a needle carrying mandrel. A flexible rod is carried internally of the needle bar; and is connected at one end to the mandrel, and at the other end to a plug slidably carried by the hollow interior of the needle bar and urged by a spring in a direction away from the mandrel. The flexible rod is formed with a first ear and a second ear, each ear extending laterally therefrom in opposite directions; and is fashioned with a bias to favor engagement of the first ear thereof with the end of a first slot in the hollow needle bar, so as to maintain the needle carried by the mandrel in a position to cooperate with a loop taker of the sewing machine in opposition to the urgings of the spring.

Abstract: A cabinet and work table for a sewing machine having a convertible work supporting bed capable of conversion from a flat work supporting bed to a free-arm bed. The cabinet work supporting surface is divided into two parts, a fixed rear work supporting surface and a laterally/vertically shiftable front work supporting surface. The sewing machine is supported in the cabinet with the work supporting bed forwardly of, contiguous with and spaced above the rear work supporting surface. The shiftable front work supporting surface may be shifted from a first position co-planar with the rear work supporting surface, wherein the sewing machine may be used in a free-arm mode, to a second position co-planar and contiguous to the work supporting bed of the sewing machine for the flat bed sewing mode, wherein the front work supporting surface augments the flat work supporting bed of the sewing machine.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to electronically controlled sewing machines having logic circuitry to provide input signals corresponding to stitch position coordinates for selected patterns and actuator means responsive to selected ones of said signals for positioning the needle means and a cam controlled feed means responsive to said signals for controlling the feed of a fabric relative to the needle means.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to hook drive mechanisms for sewing machines and in particular to a hook drive mechanism wherein the hook member is freely supported by a bearing means in a hook support plate carried by the bed portion of the frame and is driven by a likewise freely supported drive member. The support plate with the hook member is supported for relative adjustment with the needle for adjusting the hook point-to-needle relationship. The hook member is readily removable in that it is freely supported in the aforementioned bearing means and is otherwise only restrained by a movable restraining means carried by a hook member cover plate which when removed from restraining relationship permits the bobbin and the hook member to be easily lifted out from the machine. Further, means are carried on the hook support plate for adjusting and maintaining tension on a timing belt drive means for the hook mechanism.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a direct drive feed mechanism for sewing machines which is driven by an electronically controlled reversible electric motor and includes a linearly operable feed dog mechanism which is compact in structure and modular in nature. More particularly, the disclosure of this invention relates to a novel four motion feed mechanism for a sewing machine wherein reciprocating feed motion of the feed dog is initiated by a reversible electric motor which in turn is controlled by electronic logic means. Because of the novel structure of this invention, the feed of the fabric by the machine can be readily controlled so as to be capable of producing a plurality of programmed feed patterns.