Patents Assigned to Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
  • Patent number: 6776112
    Abstract: A sewing machine has a device for steering towards a predetermined end (E) of a seam (B1). An alternating movement of the feed elements of the sewing machine, which occurs when the stitch adjusting device is set, is taken into consideration in the calculation of the target stitch length (Sb) of the final optionally shortened end stitch (Nre) of the seam, in such a way that the setting value that deviates from the target stitch length is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2004
    Assignee: G.M. PFAFF Aktiengesellschaft in Insolvenz
    Inventors: Lothar Bruehl, Edgar Butzen, Karl-Ludwig Manuel
  • Patent number: 6530335
    Abstract: A sewing device (1) is provided with a programmable electronic control system (4) for sewing folds and tucks. Such that format-dependent parts (guide tongue, pressure pad) can be eliminated at the time of a change of the seam program the use of a guide tongue is eliminated that depends on the form of the seam and of a format-dependent pressure pad. The feed of the fabric is performed only with a folding tool (5) with straight folding edge and the holding and guiding of the fabric during the sewing operation using a straight pressure pad (7). The electronic control system (4) can be programmed such that the desired seam course is obtained exclusively by the superimposition of longitudinal and transverse movements of the pressure pad (7). Parameters (1′-7IV) that determine the seam course are preferably entered in a graphics-supported manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft in Insolvenz
    Inventors: Wilfried Halfmann, Andreas Rübel, Bernd Maue
  • Patent number: 6450110
    Abstract: In a sewing machine, the speed-dependent change in the stitch length is compensated by a speed-dependent correction of the setting of the stitch regulating device. A linear stitch length desired value curve Ss is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Lother Brühl, Edgar Butzen, Karl-Ludwig Manuel
  • Patent number: 6422164
    Abstract: A sewing machine has a thread pull-away mechanism (24), which prevents the needle thread end from being jammed under the presser foot (9) at the beginning of a sewing operation. The thread pull-away mechanism (24) has a pin (22) with a thread eye (23), which extends at right angles to the path of the needle thread (27) extending between two thread guides (25, 26) and can be moved through at right angles to the path of the needle thread (27) between an inoperative position and a functional position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2002
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft In Insolvenz
    Inventors: Franz Gries, Hermann Rutz
  • Patent number: 6401642
    Abstract: A process for folding or folding over pockets with round edge sections is provided along with a device for carrying out the process. Round folding slides (9; 53), provided with concave folding edges (49; 54), are either moved or designed such that their ends (50, 51; 55), either one after another or simultaneously, lead in relation to the middle area of the concave folding edges (49; 54). An especially intense folding effect is thus exerted on the transition areas between the round and straight pocket edge sections and a pocked folded edge that is uniform on all sides is thus obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft In Insolvenz
    Inventors: Werner Handte, Herbert Pfleger, Axel Zinssmeister
  • Patent number: 6382118
    Abstract: A sewing machine is provided with a presser foot mechanism having a pressure bar and a presser foot, and with a linear motor (20) as an adjusting element. The linear motor (20) is arranged at least partially in the arm (2) of the machine housing and the drive bar (19) of the linear motor (20) is connected via an angle lever (14) to a spring bracket (7) holding a spring (9). The spring bracket (7) is also connected to the pressure bar (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft In Insolvenz
    Inventor: Johann Wolf
  • Patent number: 6354233
    Abstract: A sewing or embroidery machine, comprising a needle, a gripper and a workpiece advancing device with at least one driven advancing element. Said advancing device has a linear drive for driving the advancing element. The linear drive has two armatures which can be driven in different directions. A control device with a control circuit for the horizontal movements and a control circuit for the vertical movements of the advancing element is allocated to the advancing device and both control circuits are subordinate to a main control device comprising a data processing device. Said main control device receives synchronization impulses from an encoder according to the current position of the needle or the gripper. The actual values of the horizontal and/or vertical movements of the advancing element can be supplied to the main control device at option.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft In Insolvenz
    Inventor: Hartmut Hulshoff
  • Patent number: 6178904
    Abstract: A sewing unit for working in extra width in a single fabric layer, wherein a necessary gathering value is calculated by a computer of the sewing unit after the entry of the initial length of the fabric layer and the desired length to be obtained after gathering and sewing. Furthermore, the real number of stitches is calculated to control the end point of an extra width section. The particular current real stitch length value, in which the gathering values dependent on slip of the feeders of the sewing machine is taken into account, is read for this purpose from a memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eduard Bastian, Bernd Maue
  • Patent number: 6138593
    Abstract: A sewing machine with a balance wheel (1), which is detachably fastened on the arm shaft (15). The balance wheel (1) is secured against rotation by the cooperation of a carrier pin (17) transversely protruding from the arm shaft (15) with two axially extending recesses (7) in the balance wheel hub (1), which said recesses are open at one end. The wheel is secured axially by the cooperation of an elastic finger (9), which is fastened to the balance wheel (1) and has a mounting hole (12), with the carrier pin (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Jurgen Schwarz, Gerhard Ruf
  • Patent number: 6129809
    Abstract: The most important heat-sealing parameters must be able to be adapted to different conditions of use in a simple and accurate manner. This is accomplished by the hot air temperature, on the one hand, and the amount of hot air, the speed of rotation of the pressing rollers (8, 9) and/or the pressing pressure of the pressing rollers (8, 9), on the other hand, being able to be controlled via controllers (41, 37, 24, 29), wherein a basic setting of the set points of these controlled variables is performed as a function of material- and/or application-specific characteristics, and by the position of the hot air nozzle (16) in terms of height (H), distance (A) and/or of the oncoming flow angle (.alpha.) with respect to the roller gap being able to be set by motor operators (18, 19, 21) as a function of the intended use and/or the thickness of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bernd Ellenberger, Klaus Kutscher, Karl Herzer, Manfred Neurohr
  • Patent number: 5970896
    Abstract: To sew presewn flaps (P) on a fabric part (W), the flap (P) is positioned in its later position of use in a movable fabric holder of a sewing unit, and it partially overlaps a pocket (T) to be sewn on the fabric part (W). After the workpiece parts (W, P, T) have been fed to the sewing machine, the flap (P) is first connected to the fabric part (W) by a seam (N1). The part of the flap (P) overlapping the pocket (T) is then folded over and the pocket (T) is then connected by a seam (N2) to the fabric part (W).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Axel Zinssmeister, Werner Schlaefer
  • Patent number: 5967070
    Abstract: The fabric-side hook thread end (GN), which was previously longer than the fabric-side needle thread end (NN) by the amount corresponding to a stitch length, is to be shortened in sewing machines with a thread-cutting device. This object is accomplished by the feed device of the sewing machine, of which there is at least one, performing a partial feed step in the reverse feed direction during the performance of the thread-cutting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: G.M. PFAFF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Franz Gries
  • Patent number: 5964170
    Abstract: The device includes cutting of the needle and hook thread while forming short fabric-side thread ends in a double-thread lockstitch sewing machine with a hook rotating in a horizontal plane under a needle plate. A thread catch device with a cutting edge is provided. A knife is provided cooperating with the cutting edge and with a thread clamp for the hook thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 12, 1999
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Franz Gries
  • Patent number: 5934213
    Abstract: A process for accurately determining the needle zero point of the sewing machine (4) of an automatic sewing unit (1) in relation to a positioning opening (12) of a fabric holder (10). The fabric holder (10) is connected to two feed parts (13, 14) displaceable along a straight guide rail (15) via at least two connecting rods (7, 8) of a coordinate transmission (9), such that the displacement of the feed parts (13, 14) brings about corresponding X/Y movements of the fabric holder (10), and wherein the displacement of the feed parts (13, 14) along the guide rail (15) is performed by means of drives (16, 17), which can be actuated by means of an electronic control device (6) containing at least one memory (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eduard Bastian, Wilfried Halfmann, Bernd Maue
  • Patent number: 5931108
    Abstract: A preparation station including a fabric support plate, a folding plate and a positioning support for a flap of a flap pocket. The fabric part to which the pocket is to be connected, is supported by the fabric support plate. The flap, and possibly the pocket cut are lined at the preparation station. The pocket cut can also be placed into its folded position by the preparation station. The fabric part, with the pocket cut, if present, and the pocket flap are then moved by a fabric holder to a sewing machine with a sewing position. There, the pocket cut can be sewn onto the fabric part if desired. The pocket flap is in a rotated position, which is angularly spaced by approximately 180.degree. from a final position of the pocket flap. The pocket flap can then be connected to the fabric part by a fastening seam. A turning strip turns over the flap, in cooperation with a folding strip, and another seam connects the flap to the fabric part in its final position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans Scholl
  • Patent number: 5881662
    Abstract: A sewing or embroidering machine with an electronic control device including a microcomputer. Access authorization for the individual modes of operation of the sewing and embroidering machine can be changed by the buyer of the machine. The assignment of access authorization to individual modes of operation of the sewing machine is stored in a first write-read memory in the form of a table, access authorization table. The first write-read memory is connected with the microprocessor and with a first input device such that after a corresponding operating function is called up or requested by a person authorized to do so, the access authorization can be correspondingly changed for the mode of operation in question by the input means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: G. M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eduard Bastian, Wilfried Halfmann, Bernd Maue
  • Patent number: 5873965
    Abstract: In a process and a device for carrying out a welding process on thermoplastic material webs, the value of the pressing force (F.sub.i) of a pair of pressure rollers is determined as a measured value representing the weld seam thickness and is used as the actual value of the controlled variable of a welding process regulating unit, and it is compared with a corresponding set value. The feed speed (V) of the welding device is used as the correcting variable of this regulating unit by increasing the speed in the case of decreasing weld seam thickness and decreasing the speed in the case of increasing weld seam thickness to compensate a possibly existing deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1999
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Peter Greller
  • Patent number: 5865133
    Abstract: To embroider combination patterns composed of partial patterns on sewing or embroidering machines with a driven embroidery frame, a common sewing stitch each, which is used as a hooking point, is located outside the contour of the pattern, and whose connection threads to the pattern proper are removed after finishing the second partial pattern, is formed at the end of the first partial pattern and at the beginning of the second partial pattern for the exact positioning of the partial patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: G.M. PFAFF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mathias Herbach, Helmar Holl, Rolf Kessler
  • Patent number: 5771828
    Abstract: A sewing or embroidering machine is provided with a thread-cutting device and a signal transmitter representing the angular position of the arm shaft. The drive of the catch thread device is acted upon as a function of the signals generated by the signal transmitter according to a movement program stored in a memory. The path data of this movement program are in a defined relation to the rotary movement or the current angular position of the hook. The drive of the catch thread device is part of a regulating device operating as a cascade control or of a control device operating as a path plan control. Due to the exact agreement in time between the movement process of the catch thread device and the course of the rotary movement of the hook, the thread-cutting process can now also be carried out during the phase of deceleration of the sewing machine, so that an inexpensive, uncontrolled motor can now be used to drive the sewing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Kurt Arnold
  • Patent number: 5730076
    Abstract: A device for adjusting a fold depth of a folding rail is provided for use on a sewing machine. The device includes a rotatable stop disk with an adjusting cam providing a continuously extending surface. An actuator is provided for driving the stop disk. The actuator is preferably a stepping motor and the adjusting cam preferably has a spiral shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: G.M. Pfaff Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Ruebel, Eduard Bastian