Abstract: The present invention pertains to a device for bending over a fabric, especially pockets to be sewn onto a fabric layer, with plates that are arranged in essentially parallel planes and cooperate with one another, a fabric support plate and bending plates, and with a pressing member that can be placed over the fabric, as well as with guide surfaces for the bending area of the fabric. It accomplishes the task of designing the device such that reliable and accurate bending of the fabric is made possible in a relatively simple manner, with only minor effort for adjustment. To achieve this, it has a pressing member (4), whose outer contour extends beyond the outer contour of the fabric support plate (1) in the area of the bending edges of the fabric support plate (1), and which has, at least in its edge zone, an elastically deformable holding member (15) for the fabric (2), which forms a guide surface for the fabric (2) in its bending area after the pressing member (4) has been placed over the fabric (2).

Abstract: A sewing machine is provided with a device for stopping the drive in the case of a thread disturbance. The device has a light source, a first light guide device for transmitting the light beams to the monitoring point, a second light guide device, via which a signal can be sent to a receiver in the absence of thread at the monitoring point, and a control unit for signal evaluation and to report a thread disturbance, even in the case of maximum deflection of the thread at right angles to the pull-off direction, only when a thread disturbance does really exist. To achieve this, the first light guide device is designed, on its side facing the thread, in a plane perpendicular to the thread pull-off direction, with a radiation outlet which extends preferably in the horizontal direction. The first light guide device causes light beams to be sent over the maximum range of movement of the thread at equal radiation intensity over an entire radiation cross section.

Abstract: Sewing machine with an upper feed mechanism is provided with a stroke-adjusting system in which the drive connection between the upper feed foot and the presser foot has a three-position control device for automatic adjustment of the height position of the upper feed system. This is preferably a hydraulic control device, whose hydraulic cylinder is subdivided by its adjusting piston into two chambers. A hydraulic difference measuring unit is provided wherein the two chambers 82a, 82b of the hydraulic cylinder 59 are connected via two antiparallel-connected pressure relief valves 71, 71'. Each pressure relief valve 71, 71' preferably consists of a spring-tensioned check valve R and a pressure-limiting valve D arranged downstream of it.

Abstract: A material top feeding device for sewing machines includes an arrangement to reduce the movement component of the top feed foot during its phase of touch-down. For this purpose, the connecting rod drive mechanism includes of a pair of connecting rods, whose connecting joint is fastened rotatably on a rocker arm mounted on the support element. The mounting of the rocker arm is arranged so that in the area of touch-down of the top feed foot, the rocker arm extends essentially in parallel to the connecting rod arranged between it and the top feed foot.

Abstract: A device for sewing together two fabric parts includes two pattern sensors and correcting means for determining and correcting misalignment of patterns on the fabric parts. Also, an additional image sensor (18) is provided, which scans the surface of the fabric (16) to be sewn at the site of an intermediate storage location (15) before this fabric is fed into the sewing machine. An image-processing device connected to this additional image sensor generates data on certain basic characteristics of the fabric pattern, such as color, contrast, lightness, register length, and angular orientation of the pattern components. From these characteristic data, a decision logic circuit determines setting data for the operating parameters of the devices used in the sewing machine for detecting and correcting a possible pattern misalignment during sewing.

Abstract: To recognize missed stitches during the operation of a sewing machine, a function, which represents the tensile force of a thread fed into a stitch-forming device depending on the angle of rotation of the main shaft, is scanned in its entirety during each revolution period of the main shaft for selected characteristics without regard to the location of this characteristic within the revolution period. The characteristics found are measured in order to obtain for each characteristic an analytical value that is compared with the corresponding analytical value from at least the last preceding revolution period to form the difference of the two analytical values. If this difference exceeds a predeterminable value, a decision corresponding to a missed stitch is made.

Abstract: A workbench is constructed, with which the individual parts of a two-dimensional compound workpiece, for example, a shoe upper, can be assembled accurately without any need for subsequent adjustment operations. The workbench comprises a central, e.g. stationary, bench plate and at least one folding plate hinged onto it, which can be folded over onto the bench plate. At least the folding plate contains holding devices, e.g., in the form of a suction device, with which the individual part located on it can be held in position before and during folding over. The individual parts are adjusted preferably with templates in a mutually adjusted manner before the folding plate is folded over. The workbench can be used in cooperation with an adhesive applying machine.

Abstract: A thread-cutting device for zigzag sewing machines for forming uniformly short thread ends regardless of the top stitch position of the last stitch. The thread cutter 28 is movable in a plane that is parallel to the thread catcher 33 and is connected by a drive unit 45 through 58 having stop sections 54, 55 to the drive of the thread catcher 33 such that the thread catcher can be moved, together with the cutter, into the cutting position located below the center of the stitch hole. While the thread cutter 28 stops in the cutting position, the thread catcher completes the thread separation process. The thread cutter 28 is moved back during the return movement of the thread catcher 33 only after the threads have been cut. The drive unit 45 through 58 for the thread cutter 28 is of positive-locking design, as a result of which even thick threads are cut reliably. The thread cutting device is particularly suitabloe for installation (even subsequent installation) in stitch group zigzag sewing machines.

Abstract: In a sewing machine with a needle bar executing transverse motions and with a pressing arrangement whose foot can be lowered onto the work piece laterally with regard to its central position when the needle bar executes lateral movements, the presser arrangement and its drive connection to the needle bar is executed so that a minimal moment of inertia is exerted on the needle bar when driving the pressure arrangement and so that the pressure foot always generates a load evenly spread over the pressed surface, independent of the width of its lateral movements. For this purpose the presser foot is movable in transverse direction relative to the other parts of the pressing arrangement and it is guided parallel to the work piece surface by a guiding arrangement. The transverse movement of the presser arrangement is taken from the transverse movement of the needle bar by a driving connection.

Abstract: A lighting device for a sewing machine which has a housing with a base and an upright portion mounted on the base and an arm carried by the upright portion which overlies the base in which there is positioned a movable thread needle which operates below the arm to sew materials and which comprises a light source carried in the housing and a flexible sheath supported in the arm of the housing and extends outwardly of the arm in the vicinity of the needle. The sheath carries at least two light guides which have first ends exposed to the light source mounted on the sewing machine housing and an opposite second ends which extend out of the sheath in the vicinity of the needle. The sheath and the light guides are bendable so as to arrange the second ends of the light guide in a selected manner for illuminating selective areas in the vicinity of the needle.

Abstract: The surgical suturing machine comprises a housing (10) on whose head piece (14) a needle holder (16) holding a needle (30), a thread catcher (18), a rotatable cylindrical body (20), a fixed foot with a plate (70) and a stretcher (22) are releasably mounted. The projecting tissue edges to be sutured together are clamped between plates (70) and cylindrical body (20). When the surgical suturing machine advances, the shaped circumferential surface (78) of cylindrical body (20) rolls along the outside of one edge of the tissue. The circumferential surface (78) of the rotating cylindrical body "grips" the outer surface of one tissue edge and guides the two tissue edges into a clamping zone which is located in the vicinity of the shortest distance between plate (70) and circumference (78) of the cylindrical body (20). The projecting tissue edges are pierced by needle (30) in the clamping zone and sutured together with the aid of thread catcher (18) and needle (30 ).

Abstract: The needle bar drive of a counterbalanced sewing machine comprises, in addition to a counterbalance weight connected to the driving crank, a second counterbalance weight which is driven in opposition thereto through a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism comprises an intermediate shaft which rotates at a double speed relative to the armshaft and carries and drives a third counterbalance weight.