Abstract: Distal end section of a heat cutter is movable among a processing position where the heating distal end section is kept pressed against a workpiece, a standby position located away from the workpiece, and a refracted position located farther away from the workpiece than the standby position. Pressing member is movable between an operating position where the pressing member presses down the workpiece and a non-operating position where the pressing member does not press down the workpiece. The distal end section is moved between the standby position and the retracted position in interlocked relation to the movement of the pressing member, and, while the pressing member is in the operating position, the distal end section is moved between the standby position and the processing position. Thus, appropriate processing can be performed even at start and end points of the processing.

Abstract: A bi-metal control flap for a wood stove is biased to close by gravity and is controlled to open an air inlet when the temperature rises which is opposite to the traditional bi-metal control systems which close when the temperature rises. The valve is a free pivoted L-shaped flap with a first portion and a second portion extending from a pivot position and supported by a casing. The first portion is positioned over an air supply inlet and retained over the inlet by gravity. A crank arm supported by the casing rotates to push against the second portion of the flap to open the flap a predetermined amount, and a bi-metal strip coil having an outer end attached to the casing and a floating inner end attached to the crank arm such that a change in temperature causes the crank to rotate to open the flap or allow the flap to close by gravity.

Abstract: A multi-needle chain stitch sewing machine with a thread thread severing system and method thereof for cutting needle threads between two isolated stitched patterns of a fabric. The multi-needle sewing machine includes a plurality of loopers and respective needles, a thread severing strip located in close proximity and transversely across each looper, and eccentric guides connected to the thread severing strip for extending the thread severing strip to cut the needle threads and for retracting the thread severing strip so that the thread severing strip does not contact the needle threads during the stitching operation.

Abstract: A double-stitch sewing machine is provided which, in a preferred embodiment, includes a throat plate and feed dog with a needle opening for supporting a material to be sewn, a reciprocating needle to penetrate the material, the needle having an eyelet for insertion of a needle thread, the needle being able to penetrate through the sewn material and carry the needle thread through the needle opening, a rotating hook for pulling on the needle thread after insertion of the needle thread through the needle opening, forming a loop in the needle thread with a first leg of the loop being joined with the sewn material and the needle and a second leg of the loop being joined only with the sewn material, a bobbin carrier mounted within the rotating hook having an adjacent clearance with the rotating hook, allowing the rotating hook to cause the needle thread to be brought underneath the bobbin carrier, the bobbin carrier dispensing bobbin thread in cooperation with the rotating hook pulling of the needle thread, a firs

Abstract: In order to prevent a loom from continuing to operate after burnout of hot wire cutters for cutting selvage, circuitry is provided to automatically stop operation of the loom upon hot wire cutter burnout. The circuitry preferably includes a conventional loom-stopping device associated with drop wires (for detecting warp end breakage) already associated with the loom. A coil is disposed in series with the hot wire cutters and operatively associated with a reed switch and an indicator light which are connected in parallel with the drop wires. The coil, reed switch, and indicator light can be readily retrofit to pre-existing loom components, and the indicator light allows the operator to determine whether loom stoppage is a result of hot wire cutter burnout, or warp end breakage.

Abstract: A hosiery toe closing machine is provided with automatic hosiery donning means for drawing successive hosiery blanks onto successive hosiery carriers as they move into position at a hosiery receiving station of the hosiery toe closing machine. A hot wire slitter is also provided at the hosiery receiving station for longitudinally slitting the leading end of the hosiery blank as it is automatically drawn onto the hosiery carrier. The hosiery donning and slitting devices permit the economical processing of hosiery blanks in preparation for forming pantyhose therefrom.

Abstract: A cutting assembly allows efficient automatic cutting of synthetic thread, and also allows manual cutting thereof. A guide block has a bottom surface past which cloth is adapted to move in a direction A, and a narrow channel is formed in the block substantially parallel to the direction A. A vacuum cut-thread removal passageway is formed in the block at the channel leading end and in operative communication with the channel, the passageway being elongated in a dimension intersecting the channel. A notch is formed in the block adjacent, but spaced from, the channel leading end and vacuum passageway. A wire of electrically conductive material is mounted so that it extends through the notch and channel and cuts thread moved into contact with it. An integral block having particular passageways formed therein provides a venturi arrangement adjacent the vacuum passageway to provide the vacuum source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for acting upon cloth in a particular manner, most particularly for automatically forming a shirt sleeve from a sleeve blank. The blank is conveyed by a conveyor in a first direction and a hem is automatically formed along a first edge thereof. The hem is ironed, and then the hemmed sleeve blank is automatically picked up off the conveyor and folded about an axis substantially transverse to the first direction. The folded hemmed blank is dropped on a second conveyor which conveys the blank in a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction. A seam is automatically formed along a second edge of the blank as it is being conveyed by the second conveyor, to form a shirt sleeve. A roller moving at a speed different than the speed of the second conveyor preferably engages the blank as it is being conveyed by the second conveyor and effects movement of it so that the seam along the second edge includes at least a portion which is arcuate.

Abstract: A hot wire cutter assembly is associated with an automatic sewing machine and includes a guide block with a ramp mounted at the rear of the sewing machine. An electric resistance wire is mounted in a cut out formed in the guide block, in operative association with the ramp. The guide block and wire are positioned with respect to each other and the sewing machine so that a piece of fabric being stitched passes over the ramp, and the synthetic thread providing the stitching is automatically cut and a nub thereof is fused so that the ultimately remaining nub is of small size.