Abstract: Two workpiece plies, placed on one another, of which the lower one is larger in width than the upper one, are to be sewn together with their edge contours aligned with each other. The device used for this purpose comprises a cutting mechanism provided ahead of the sewing machine in a workpiece feed direction, and following the contour of the upper work ply by means of guide unit for sensing this contour, so that the projecting portion of the work ply is cut off. To prevent the work plies from mutual displacement during their feeding toward the sewing machine, they are secured to each other by spot sealing at some locations wherefor a sealing tape is introduced between the plies.

Abstract: A thread changer for an embroidering machine, having a plurality of needles for different threads, comprises, a driving shaft, a plurality of thread levers loosely mounted on the driving shaft, a coupling element for each thread lever connected to the driving shaft and rotatable therewith, and a clutch member connected between the drive shaft and the thread levers for coupling a selected one of the thread levers to the drive shaft to move the selected thread lever into association with a selected one of the needles.

Abstract: An industrial robot for gripping workpieces of diverse shape comprises at least one finger preferably two arranged for pivotal movement on respective sides of the workpiece. Each finger has at least one workpiece engagement member or joint which is movable thereon. Fluid pressure operated means are connected to the workpiece engagement member or joint so that it is moved outwardly from the associated finger to engage the workpiece and to be locked in the engaged position so that it will reengage in the same position after the finger is shifted relative to the workpiece to reengage it.

Abstract: A table top for an embroidering machine having a plurality of embroidering units with stitch plates which are arranged in a plane on an associated embroidering frame, comprises a step bearing adapted to be secured in position adjacent the frame. A bearing strap is pivotally mounted in the step bearing for rotation about a horizontal axis and it carries a table top which may be pivoted therewith between a horizontal position aligned adjacent the plane of the stitch plates to a substantially vertical position below the stitch plates. The pivot for the strap is located in a horizontal plane below the assemblies of the embroidering units. The position of the table may be finally adjusted by means of an adjusting screw. Construction includes a control shaft for actuating the embroidering units which are located beneath the units and extend over the entire length of the table top and is displaceable for controlling the embroidering machines.

Abstract: A looper lubricating device for a sewing machine includes an oil line having an inlet submerged within an oil supply and a capillary member within the oil line at a spaced location from the inlet and the oil supply. An outlet of the oil line is in fluid communication with an injection nozzle and the capillary member protrudes through the outlet of the oil line into a mixing chamber within the injection nozzle. A gas conduit communicating with the mixing chamber is operative to intermittently produce a pressure gradient between the inlet and the outlet of the oil line to pass oil to the mixing chamber.

Abstract: A sewing machine for sewing workpieces, comprises a stationary bottom part with an arm which has one end pivotally mounted on the bottom part and an opposite end overlying the bottom part. The arm is movable from a fixed sewing position to an inoperable position away from the point of stitch formation. A revolving looper is mounted on the end of the opposite arm and it has a thread exit opening and a needle is mounted for upward and downward movement in the bottom part for cooperation with the looper. The workpiece is clamped between the base part and the arm and the needle traverses the workpiece upwardly. The construction includes a looper thread guide member mounted on the opposite arm adjacent the looper and has a thread deflector located between the needle path and the thread exit opening of the looper and extending above the point of stitch formation directly laterally of the needle path crosswise to the axis of the looper.

Abstract: A work guiding device for a sewing machine having a sewing needle for joining two overlapping work plies at border areas thereof and folding back at least one border of one work ply comprises first and second U-shaped edge guides which face in opposite direction, a movable support carrying the edge guides and first and second guide rules movable into the vicinity of the needle. A drive is connected through the support and drives are connected to the guide rules to move one of the guide rules and one of the edge guides into the vicinity of the needle to form a channel therebetween for the work plies. The drives comprise double acting cylinders which are controlled by a circuit to selectively use the first edge guide with the first guide rule in a first channel and the second edge guide with the second guide rule in a second channel.

Abstract: A sewing machine includes a material engaging part such as a dog which is engageable with a material workpiece to selectively feed it in a forward and a reverse direction. In addition, the sewing machine includes the usual mechanism for raising and lowering the dog so as to complete an advancing or reverse movement of the material. The dog is driven preferably by a mechanism which includes an eccentric which may be adjusted so as to vary the length of horizontal feeding movement of the dog while the elevational changes of the dog remain constant by a separate feeding control mechanism. The magnitude of movement of the dog is controlled in accordance with a stitch length to be sewed by a stitch setting device which includes a movable contacting member which is connected to the eccentric mechanism and is movable between two end positions in order to adjust by a selected amount the movement of the eccentric in driving the dog by a selected amount.

Abstract: A sewing machine for wrapping button shanks comprises a holder for a workpiece to which a button is attached by means of shank loops. To adjust the work holder to the length of the shank loops, two spaced apart holding elements are provided by which the work is separated from the button and which can be positioned at the desired distance from each other. To cut the sewing thread, a cutting blade is displaceable in one of the holding elements and the cutting edge of the blade is movable transversely to the needle path, between the inserted shank loops and a rotary hook.

Abstract: A device for the automatic guiding of a workpiece on a sewing machine to produce a curved edge parallel seam operates in conjunction with a sewing machine having a reciprocating needle and a presser foot engageable with the workpiece and a feed member engageable with the workpiece to move it relative to the needle. The sewing machine also includes a guide roll disposed in spaced relationship to the needle for guiding the edge of the workpiece and a scanner for scanning the workpiece edge for sensing its position. In accordance with the position sensed, a plunger is mounted above the workpiece and is movable into the engagement with the workpiece to hold the workpiece at a selected point so as to turn the workpiece during the feeding movement of the workpiece by this feed member.

Abstract: A needle bar coupling in an embroidering machine which has a plurality of needle bars driven by separate cranks operated by a drive shaft, comprises a crank which is connected to the needle bar and to the drive shaft to move the needle bar upon rotation of the shaft. For this purpose a coupling or collar is engaged on the shaft and it carries the crank. A pawl is pivoted on the crank and it includes a tooth portion which engages in a groove of the coupling so that the coupling drives the crank when the shaft is rotated. In order to disengage the crank and the needle bar drive a contact member is provided adjacent the pawl which is shifted to engage the pawl and dislodge the tooth of the pawl from the coupling.

Abstract: An embroidering machine comprises a plurality of embroidering head each equipped with a plurality of needles formed into a group each with its thread. A needle bar is engageable with one needle at a time in the group to bring the needle from a rest position thereof into an operating position. A presser foot mechanism with a presser foot attached cyclically moves the presser foot upwardly and downwardly from an upper dead center position to a lower dead center position. The presser foot is provided with a hole for the passage of the one needle. Thread cutting and holding devices are provided for cutting the thread of the one needle to form a thread end portion and hold the thread end portion. Upon the termination of an embroidering operation with the one needle, the presser foot mechanism is operable to move the presser foot substantially transversely to a longitudinal axis of the needles and, after the thread is cut, to lift the presser foot upwardly beyond its upper dead center position.

Abstract: A guide device for a sewing machine, having a needle for sewing a stitch line in a sewing direction and a presser bar, for sewing together fabric plies of unequal thickness, comprises, a main sole part, with a stitch hole for the passage of the needle, connected to the presser bar, an auxiliary sole part connected to the presser bar having a first fold plate positioned upstream of the stitch hole in the sewing direction, and a second fold plate connected to the sewing machine and spaced at least one fabric thickness above the first fold plate. The first fold plate includes a guide edge extending laterally beyond the stitch line on one side thereof and the second fold plate has a guide edge extending laterally beyond the stitch line on an opposite side thereof, whereby, the first and second fold plates define a guide channel therebetween for forming and guiding an S-shape fold in the fabric.

Abstract: In a machine for embroidering a workpiece of the type having a needle magazine, a plurality of needles movably mounted to the needle magazine to define a needle groove, each needle of the needle group equipped with a different thread, and a mechanism for selectively imparting axial reciprocatory movement to the needles of the needle group to perform a thread change, an improved arrangement is disclosed in which the reciprocating mechanism includes a single elongated needle bar associated with the group. The needle magazine is movable relative to the needle bar to selectively align each needle with the needle bar. A disengaging coupling permits a selected needle of the needle group to be coupled to the needle bar. A locking mechanism is provided for detachably locking each of the needles to the needle magazine.

Abstract: A cover construction for a sewing machine work support column which is adapted to contain a looper and a thread-cutting device comprises an upright support member or column upon which a substantially L-shaped cover member is pivotal. The cover member includes a cover plate portion which extends horizontally in a closed position and covers the top of the device and a side portion which extends vertically in a closed position. The cover plate member is openable to a position opened outwardly from the support member in which position the cover is located in a vertical position and the side portion in a horizontal position. The side portion includes two bearing faces which are defined on the back and the bottom faces thereof, respectively, and which will abut against a top bearing surface of a locking member which is displaceable along the height of the upright support member.

Abstract: A thread-cutting device for sewing machines including a housing mounting a reciprocating thread guiding needle which cooperates with a revolving looper comprises a thread catcher adjacent the looper which is movable to engage the thread and to advance the thread past a fixed knife. The catcher is mounted so that it may move relative to the looper and the fixed knife to urge thread held by the catcher into cutting engagement with the knife. Double action fluid pressure operated piston and cylinder is connected to the catcher so as to move it relative to the knife and to the looper. A member is connected to the mechanism between the fluid pressure cylinder operator and the thread catcher and a spring has one end connected to the member and an opposite end mounted on the housing in such a manner that the force of the spring may be adjusted. A fluid pressure operated control has a movable control piston rod which is engageable with the member in an engagement portion thereof such as an opening therethrough.

Abstract: A device for use with a motor driven sewing machine having a reciprocating needle which in moving from an upper position to a down position penetrates a workpiece which is fed over a support past and in contact with a guide edge disposed alongside the needle in order to form a plurality of different seam lengths at diverse angles comprises a stacking device adjacent the support which includes a mechanism for feeding the workpieces into a stack. A turning device is associated with the sewing machine and is disposed alongside the support and includes a member which moves through a path to engage the workpiece and turn it about at the axis of the needle when the needle is down so as to position it in respect to the guide edge for the sewing of the next seam length.

Abstract: A material guiding device for feeding material to a stitch-forming area of a sewing machine which has a rail guide over which the material is placed for guiding movement from a charging point to the stitch-forming area, comprises a braking weight which has a bottom recess of a size to receive the rail guide with the material thereon so as to permit engagement of the weight over the material so as to move with the material during the feeding operation and to provide a braking action thereon. The construction includes a deflector adjacent the stitch-forming area which deflects the weight into a braking weight return track in the form of a slide or chute which has an opening adjacent the stitch-forming area and is inclined downwardly to a delivery end which is remote from the stitch area at the charging point for the material so that a weight may be returned automatically to a place at which it may be applied to a material at the charging point.

Abstract: The invention relates to a feed drive for work holders of sewing assemblies, by which, during the formation of the initial stitches of a seam taking place at a low speed, the control cam plate moving the work holder is driven at a reduced speed, and, during the formation of the main part of the seam taking place at a high sewing speed, the control cam plate is driven intermittently in a manner such that at every lowermost position of the needle, the work holder is temporarily stopped. The feed drive comprises a planetary gearing having two inputs, of which the first input can receive a constant rotary motion, and the second input can receive, at the start of the seam formation, a continuous rotary motion which is subtractively superimposed upon the rotary motion at the first input, and, during the ordinary sewing operation, an oscillatory motion whose frequency is equal to the frequency of the needle bar motion.

Abstract: A device for separating a topmost workpiece from a stack of textile workpieces, comprises a table support which is guided for upward and downward movement and which is adapted to contain a stack of the workpieces and which is urged in an upward direction by weight means which are engaged with the table. In addition, a holding member is mounted for movement toward and away from the table and includes a lower end which is engageable on the top of the stack to hold the workpieces in position. A strip-off element, for example, a rotatable member having a plurality of radially extending bristles is engageable with the stack adjacent the holding member, and it is rotatable to direct at least the uppermost workpiece over the length of the holding member which is arranged in an inclined position over the stack. The holding member includes holding pins so that as the strip-off member moves upwardly over the holding member, it causes engagement of at least the uppermost workpiece with the pins.