Abstract: A welt forming device comprises: base fabric holding means which is able to hold a base fabric flat at all times; and welt fabric holding means for fixedly holding a welt fabric on the base fabric. Those means are moved in a sewing direction in synchronization with the vertical movement of the sewing needle of seam forming means, to form a first seam to sew the welt fabric to the base fabric. The device further comprises: first welt fabric folding means for folding one side portion of the welt fabric along the first seam over the other side portion; second welt fabric holding means for folding the other side portion of the welt fabric over the one side portion which has been folded by the first welt fabric holding means; and auxiliary moving means for moving the relative position of the base fabric holding means and the sewing needle in a direction which is across the sewing direction.

Abstract: A quilting-aid device and method for use in making "two-color" squares for use in quilts, in which the quilter makes four of such squares from each larger square of two superimposed sheets of different material. The quilting-aid device, which saves the quilter from having to perform difficult calculations in the measuring and stitching and cutting of such squares, has two scales inscribed on a ruler-type base; a first scale on which to locate the desired size of two-color square and a second scale on which the corresponding position gives the size of the larger square with which to begin.

Abstract: A jaw joint protective device is provided for protecting teeth, lips, jaw, and other delicate structures of the vital cranial triad (VCT) from injury and/or for supporting the condyle of the temporomamdibular joint (TMJ) in a relatively fixed (stable) position thereby stabilizing the jaw and the VCT during head contact activity and or permit the components of a VCT disorder to be realigned for proper healing. This device is an over-the counter purchased, boil and bite jaw-joint protector providing maxillary and mandibular teeth seats for protection of the mouth and/or healing of the VCT. This invention provides for customized over-the counter availability that adds speech and airway capabilities to the device to facilitate sports participation.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a vest constructed using woven tubing which generally forms a mesh throughout the vest. The tubing is connected with a reservoir, wherein the tubing and reservoir are filled with electrically conductive fluid. The fluid communicates with a pair of leads to maintain a constant, low-level electrical contact therebetween. The woven tubing is covered with cloth-like material and a hardening substance, such as epoxy. Hence, the tubing will break when the vest receives a significant impact. When the tubing is broken, the fluid escapes from the tubing and breaks the electrical contact between the leads, whereby a transmitter is activated to send a recorded message. In addition, a position sensor is attached to the transmitter for activating the transmitter to send the recorded message if the apparatus is maintained in a non-vertical position for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A presser bar 11 is provided at its lower end with a fabric presser foot 13 and a nut 16. The fabric presser foot 13 is individually moved on the presser bar 11 independent of a reciprocating motion of the presser bar 11. Due to an action of a spring 14 the presser foot 13 is resiliently pressed against a fabric 40 to be sewn to reduce a noise while a needle is associated with a hook or shuttle 26.

Abstract: A cloth cutter attachment (11) is mounted to a conventional double needle sewing machine (10) for shifting a cutter assembly mount (27) fore and aft past the needle mount assembly (26) of the sewing machine (10) so that its cutting blade (76) shifts between cutting positions ahead of and behind the double needles (17) of the sewing machine (10). The cloth cutter attachment (11) allows a cut (161) to be made in a cloth material between the two rows of stitches (158,159) sewn by the double needles (17) for forming a set-in pocket.

Abstract: A pad assembly for use as a protective device to protect from certain types of injury includes an outer shell including an upper and lower shell member. The upper shell is configured to fit over a specified portion of a person's body, such as the knee or elbow, and the lower shell is configured to fit over another portion of a person's body, such as the leg or forearm. The shells are joined together for relative hinged movement whereby the lower shell may be flexed while the upper shell remains in place. Foam padding is received on the side of said shell member facing the person's body and includes a peripheral portion extending beyond the shell member. A cloth member overlies the foam padding on the surface thereof spaced from the shell member and facing the person's body. The cloth member includes an elastic portion adapted to fit over the foam padding and the peripheral portion thereof which extends beyond the shell member.

Abstract: A garment for use by a wearer when seated comprises a waist band with a rectangular pad depending downwardly from the rear of the waist band having a width to extend around the rear of the wearer and a depth to extend downwardly beyond the crotch of the wearer. On an inner or front surface of the pad is provided a utility pocket with a bottom edge of the pocket at the bottom edge of the pad and a pocket arranged centrally with a top edge of the pocket below the crotch of the wearer so that the pocket is presented forwardly between the legs of the wearer when the wearer is seated. On the outside of the pad is provided a transparent plastic cover defining a pocket for receiving printed information such as a sports logo with the upper edge of the pocket at the waist band so that the pocket is closed by pulling the waist band around the waist of the wearer.

Abstract: A shin protector designed to be worn for extended periods of time without discomfort, for protecting the shin area against minor impacts. The shin protector protects its user from abrasions and wounds that may result from everyday activity and is especially useful for the elderly.

Abstract: A yarn feed mechanism for a tufting machine includes yarn feed rolls disposed along parallel axes transversely adjacent to the parallel paths of travel of yarns from yarn sources to the needles. A yarn control assembly surrounds each roll, each yarn control assembly having a pair of opposed, concentrically mounted, indexing plates at opposite ends of each roll. Each pair of indexing plates carries a plurality of individually removable cimcumferentially spaced, yarn control rods, the plates being manually rotatable about the axis of the roll, independently of the rotation of the roll. By collecting intermediate increments of selected yarns on one of the rods, then rotating the indexing plates, with the rod installed to selected positions, the rod is moved in an orbital path for applying the yarn increments to portions of the periphery of the roll, such that the roll feeds controlled successive amounts of applied yarns toward the needles.

Abstract: A protective garment minimizes injury to the wearer resulting from an impact to the general area of the heart. The garment is particularly adapted for use in sports participation such a little league baseball. The garment includes a shirt having a front side with a pocket on the inside of the shirt disposed in the general area of the heart. An impact resistant laminate is mounted in the pocket to shield the general area of the heart. The impact resistant laminate includes a protective flexible plate and a cushioning structure mounted in front of the plate.

Abstract: An automatic dual bobbin mechanism is provided. A housing containing two unique bobbin casings and bobbins therein oriented side-by-side with the sewing needle and thread passing between the bobbin casing pair replaces the convention single bobbin configuration. The bobbin pair acts in a tag-team operation whereby one bobbin supplies thread to be stitched into a fabric while the second bobbin is simultaneously filled with thread from an external source. When the first bobbin is emptied, the bobbin pair is rotated 180.degree. inside the housing. The second bobbin, now full, supplies thread for continued stitching while the first bobbin is refilled with thread supplied by the external source. The specially designed bobbins and bobbin casings allow for automatic rethreading of the empty bobbin and cutting of the bobbin thread from external source, thus eliminating the need to manually remove the empty bobbin and assembly, replace with a full bobbin and rethread.

Abstract: A ballistics vest of the soft body armor type comprises multiple overlying layers of a thin, flexible fabric made of woven plastic fibers secured together to form a soft, flexible front panel located on a strike side of the vest, and multiple overlying layers of a thin, flexible imperforate plastic sheet stacked behind the flexible front panel, on a body side of the vest. The flexible plastic sheets preferably comprise an array of plastic fibers embedded in a resinous matrix that forms the sheet material. The flexible front panel and the stack of flexible plastic sheets behind it have a combined areal weight not greater than about 1.20 lbs/ft.sup.2 and have an NIJ Standard maximum backface of about 44 mm with a ballistics resistance that successfully prevents projectile penetration of the combined stacks of flexible layers according to NIJ Standard 0101.03 for Threat Level IIIA.

Abstract: A needle receiving assembly for a sewing machine comprising a throat plate through which a sewing needle can pass and a needle collar for regulating a rear loop of an upper thread passing through the sewing needle. The position of the needle collar relative to the sewing needle is adjustable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an articulated limb protection system and device for use in sports events such as ice hockey, street hockey, roller hockey and the like. The system or device comprises a buffer pocket which is disposed between an outer joint guard means and an inner joint guard means. The inner joint guard means is articulately connected to an adjacent limb guard means so that the inner joint guard means pivots relative to the limb member in response to bending action of the protected limb about the covered joint.

Abstract: A sewing machine including a needle holding device which holds a sewing needle, a sheet holding device which holds one or more work sheets, and a moving device which moves the sheet holding device relative to the needle holding device, the moving device including a drive source which produces a drive force, one or more cylindrical cams which are connected to the drive source and each of which is rotatable about an axis line by being driven by the drive source, each cylindrical cam having a pair of opposite spiral cam surfaces formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and one or more cam followers which are connected to the sheet holding device and each of which is engaged with the spiral cam surfaces of a corresponding cylindrical cam such that the cam follower is movable along the cam surfaces and is substantially immovable in directions perpendicular to the cam surfaces, the cam follower being moved in a drive-force transmitting direction substantially parallel to the axis line of the cylindrical

Abstract: An improved work pants construction in which padding is provided to protect both the knees and shins of the worker. In one form of the invention, the knee protective padding and the shin protective padding comprise separate components which are independently receivable within specially configured pockets provided in the work pants. More particularly, the knee protective padding is receivable within a top opening pocket in the work pants while the shin protective padding is receivable within a bottom opening pocket provided in the work pants.

Abstract: A hosiery line closer and loader assembly comprises a line closer having a number of carriers which circulate on a carousel and a loader having a transfer mechanism by which hose can be transferred from a hose loading position, adjacent a human operator, for example, to the line closer, the transfer mechanism moving on a linear support. Also disclosed is a dual hosiery line closer and loader assembly in which two line closers can be alternately loaded from a single hose loading position.

Abstract: Obtained is a thread cutter for a sewing machine which can further readily and reliably cut a needle thread, a looper thread or a chain loop by pushing down a knob without driving the sewing machine. In this thread cutter for a sewing machine, a long groove is formed in a needle plate which is positioned behind a presser foot, and a fixed blade is so provided that its cutting edge is along an edge of the long groove. A movable blade which is pressed against the fixed blade by a plate spring is mounted on a spindle, and the spindle is rotated to vertically move the movable blade when the knob frontwardly projecting from the sewing machine is operated. The thread or the chain loop is cut by the vertical movement of the movable blade in association with the fixed blade.

Abstract: A single or multiple needle bar tufting machine provided with loop forming fingers above the substrate or base fabric is used to form variable gauge fabrics by laterally shifting the needles during tufting. In this manner rows of loop stitches are formed over the loop forming fingers on the face of the substrate and rows of pile loops are formed on the back side. A variety of novel fabrics and fabrics simulating patterns heretofore only made on looms and knitting machines can be manufactured by utilizing such a tufting machine in connection with yarn feed pattern control devices, pattern control needle bar positioners, and a controllable fabric feed. The resulting fabrics offer many advantages including lower stitch rates, better substrate coverage, less resistance to sliding traffic, increased abrasion resistance, and improved draping characteristics.