Abstract: A workpiece folding device for a sewing machine which can fold the peripheral edge of a fabric such as pocket cloth, comprising a gage plate on which the pocket cloth is placed, a press plate superimposed on the gage plate for folding down the edge of the cloth along the contour of the gage plate, a folding-pieces support member surrounding the periphery of the gage plate, a plurality of folding pieces provided on the folding-pieces support member and shifted between two positions: an operational position under the gage plate for folding down the peripheral edge of the cloth and a preparatory position apart from the gage plate, and a plurality of pinching pieces for pinching the gage plate, the cloth and the press plate in cooperation with the corresponding folding pieces in the operational position.

Abstract: A workpiece fabric holding device for holding a pocket cloth onto a garment, and for feeding these on a sewing machine table for effecting a pocket sewing. Various kinds of sewing locus are required for various pocket sewings. A base pressure plate and associated movable pressure plate are provided. The base pressure plate is formed with a major needle slot, and the movable pressure plate is formed with at least two minor needle slots or holes having shapes different from each other. The combination of the major needle slot and one of the minor needle holes will provide a desired needle cut-out having a shape in conformance with a desired sewing locus. A plurality of such combinations can be provided by moving the movable pressure plate relative to the base pressure plate. For this, a holding means is provided to temporarily fix the position of the movable pressure plate.

Abstract: A work piece setting apparatus including a sensor for detecting patterns of two work pieces, two holders for holding the cloth pieces, a moving device for moving the lower holder, a rotator for rotating the lower holder, a calculator for calculating a mismatch amount for the patterns according to signals detected by the sensor and a controller for controlling the moving device and the rotator according to the mismatch amount. The lower work piece is moved and rotated with the lower holder and the patterns of two work pieces are matched. After the work pieces are matched and set, a carrying device carries the work pieces to a sewing position from a setting position on a work table.

Abstract: The automatic sewing machine includes a workpiece moving means for moving a workpiece in a predetermined direction and a sewing head moving means for moving a sewing head (at least a needle and a loop taker) in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The workpiece moving means is designed to be moved independently of the sewing head moving means, thus simplifying the general structure of these moving means.

Abstract: A workpiece holding device for a sewing machine is disclosed. When a workpiece holder is connected to a supporter, a connecting rod having a peripheral groove and extending from the workpiece holder is inserted into a horizontal hole formed in the supporter. In this case, the peripheral groove of the connecting rod is positioned to communicate with a vertical hole formed in the supporter. A piston rod slidably provided in the vertical hole is actuated by an air cylinder mechanism to be engaged with the peripheral groove of the connecting rod. In order to firmly engage the connecting rod and the piston rod, spring mechanism is also provided in addition to the air cylinder mechanism. Thus, the workpiece holder can be fixedly connected to the supporter, and easily detached from the supporter without tools and troublesome operations.