Abstract: A sewing machine for automatically hemming garments includes an arm shaft for driving a sewing needle up and down, upper and lower feed rollers disposed by the sewing needle for moving a hem of a garment under pressure, and first and second drive motors for driving the upper and lower feed rollers, respectively, independently of the arm shaft.

Abstract: A sewing machine has a tape feeder for feeding a piece of tape thereto. The tape feeder includes a triple cylinder unit having first, second and third cylinders connected in series with one another. One end of the triple cylinder unit is pivotally connected to a feeder carrier. The tape feeder further includes a movable bracket connected to the other end of the triple cylinder unit, two tape folding shafts rotatably carded by the movable bracket for folding opposite ends of the piece of tape, and a controller for controlling the triple cylinder unit and the tape folding shafts. Actuation of the first cylinder moves the tape folding shafts towards a first position, at which the piece of tape is placed, so that distal ends of the tape folding shafts are located at the first position. Then, the two tape folding shafts are rotated in opposite directions to thereby fold the opposite ends of the piece of tape.

Abstract: A tape waste collector assembly is suited for use with a belt loop sewing machine having a tape cutter for cutting a length of tape placed on a tape receiving plate into pieces of a predetermined length so that each of the pieces of tape may be sewn on a garment to form a belt loop. The tape waste collector assembly includes an air source, one or more air pipes pneumatically connected to the air source for blowing compressed air supplied from the air source towards the length of tape placed on the tape receiving plate, and a plurality of tape waste collecting elements such as, for example, a hose, a waste box and the like for collecting tape wastes produced when the length of tape is cut by the tape cutter. A controller controls a plurality of solenoid valves to operate the air pipes and the plurality of tape waste collecting elements so that the tape wastes blown off by the air pipes are appropriately collected by the plurality of tape waste collecting elements.

Abstract: When a piece of tape is sewn as a belt loop on a garment such as, for example, pants, jeans or the like, opposite ends thereof is generally folded about 180.degree.. Folding of the piece of tape is accomplished by a tape end folding apparatus, which includes two tape folding shafts extending parallel to each other in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction of travel of the piece of tape, a center pin extending from one end of each of the tape folding shafts in a direction longitudinally thereof, a side pin extending from the one end of each of the tape folding shafts in parallel to the center pin, and at least one biasing member disposed above and pressed against the center pin. Each of the opposite ends of the piece of tape is folded by the center and side pins by rotating the tape folding shafts in opposite directions with each of the opposite ends of the piece of tape sandwiched between the center pin and the biasing member.

Abstract: An automatic fabric guide mechanism in a sewing machine includes at least one edge displacement detecting device including a common light source and a pair of light sensors juxtaposed to each other so as to receive rays of light from the common light source. The light source and the light sensors cooperate with each other to define a generally U-shaped channel for accommodating a free lateral edge of a fabric during the feed of the fabric past the stitching position. This detecting device is so designed and so operated as to detect the occurrence of a lateral swing of the fabric being sewed depending on whether both of the light sensors fail to receive the rays of light from the common light source or whether both of the light sensors receive the rays of the light from the common light source.

Abstract: A sewing machine for making a threefold hem in each of the legs of a pair of trousers has a folding guide member for turning a bottom edge of the trouser leg inwardly of the trouser leg, a revolving roller positioned below the folding guide member for rocking motion in a direction rightwards and leftwards, and a detecting plate positioned above the folding guide member for the detection of the passage of at least one seam in the trouser legs over the folding guide member and movable up and down.