Abstract: An automated flanging machine is provided. More specifically, a machine for automatically sewing a flange onto a work panel having a consistent corner radius and a straight edge is provided. The machine has a table adapted to support a work panel, a sewing head mounted directly adjacent to the table for performing a sewing operation on the work panel, a turning arm mounted adjacent to the table, and a rear conveyor for selectively moving the work panel on the table. The table may include a corner pivot mechanism for stabilizing the panel while the turning arm turns the panel 90 degree relative to an initial position, and for maintaining a consistent corner radius for sewing. The machine may also include a rear material guide and encoding arm for measuring the progression of the work panel as it is sewn along a side by the sewing head.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sewing machine that can perform zigzag sewing a cylindrical sewn article. A sewing machine 1 includes an approximately cylindrical guide member 11 that guides a sewn article A, a sewing needle 99 that sews the cylindrical sewn article A, a holding member 71 that holds the sewing needle 99 approximately vertically, a vertical hook 21 provided in the guide member 11 so that the direction of rotation is approximately perpendicular to the axial direction C of the guide member 11 and that catches the upper thread loop of the sewing needle 99, a rotary shaft 22 that rotates the vertical hook 21, and an operating means 50 that moves the holding member 71 and the rotary shaft 22 reciprocatingly at approximately the same time.

Abstract: An automatic flange applying machine for sewing the raw edges of a mattress panel and attaching a flange strip. A multi-speed sewing machine sews at high speed along straight sides and a straight top end and bottom end and forms rounded corners at a slower speed as the mattress panel is incrementally rotated about a pivot point. Photodetectors align the edges of the panel with the sewing needles while other detectors determine the location of the panel so that suitable operations begin. The panel is moved by pressure rollers through the sewing machine and the corners are formed by reversing certain of the rollers.

Abstract: A hemstitching apparatus for single-fabric products such as towels, handkerchiefs, luncheon mats, pillow cases and scarves. The apparatus (100) is simple in structure and safeguarded, which can provide a quick hem treatment. A hemstitching apparatus (100) of the present invention includes: a press plate (30) which presses a fabric piece (W) on a work table (20) held by a machine frame (10); a guide beam (60) which moves a vertical shaft (40) mounting the press plate (30); a drive device (70) which moves the guide beam (60); a turn device (80) provided on the shaft (40); a guide rail (90) which guides guide rollers (81) provided on the turn device (80); and a sewing device (200), the press plate (30) and the turn device (80) being synchronously shifted and turned solely by means of reciprocation of the guide beam (60) as activated by the drive device (70). The hemstitching apparatus (100) can provide both a square corner treatment and a round corner treatment.

Abstract: Sewing apparatus for joining a first panel and a second panel and having an arm that is rotated about an axis normal to the surface of the first panel to rotate the first panel, a shoe biased to follow an edge of the first panel as the first panel is fed to the sewing machine, a detector to monitor the shoe and provide a signal indicative of a longitudinal orientation of the edge of the first panel, and means for adjusting the longitudinal orientation of the first panel with respect to a true feed direction in response to the longitudinal orientation signal. An edge flattener including a generally cylindrical component is provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for sewing has a sewing head with a stitching station at which stitching occurs on material fed therethrough. A turntable holds material to be stitched in its position adjacent to the sewing head. The turntable has an outer perimeter with a portion of the outer perimeter extending through the stitching station. Fabric material is held along the perimeter and stitched as the turntable rotates so that during stitching the turntable rotates and feeds material into the stitching station of the sewing head. In a preferred embodiment, the turntable includes upper and lower platens and magnets positioned on the upper platen for locking upper and lower platens together and holding fabric material therebetween.

Abstract: Corner controller (62) (FIG. 5) includes a conically shaped corner control wheel (90) that is rotated so as to apply a sweeping motion against the facing surface of the textile segment (12). This results in removing any folds or wrinkles from the textile segment as it moves to the sewing station (64). The corner control wheel is up the sewing path, ahead of the turning axis (111) of the textile segment. Therefore, when the textile segment is turned by the turning plate (45) through 90.degree. to form a curved corner about the textile segment (FIG. 6), the corner control wheel (90) urges the corner to move through its turning motion, so as to avoid nonuniform turning of the corner and any wrinkling of the corner material, and therefore avoiding the doubling up or bunching of the stitches formed about the rounded corner of the final textile segment.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for processing peripheral selvedges of fabric. The apparatus includes a sewing machine unit for sewing up fabrics; an air table mechanism incorporating a number of jet apertures through which air is jetted onto an upper surface of the table in an obliquely upward direction towards a product guide member; a supplementary roller unit which vertically ascends and descends to shift a processable fabric synchronously with feeding of the sewing machine unit; a rotating unit having a fabric holding unit which descends only when sewing of a fabric corner is executed in order to hold and rotate the objective fabric by a predetermined angle and then ascends after rotating the fabric by a predetermined angle; a flange strip supply unit for supplying a flange strip to the sewing machine unit; and a controller unit for integrally controlling operation of the above component units.

Abstract: A sewing machine serves to form stitches on a curved work fabric by an upper and a lower thread through cooperation of a shuttle and a needle vertically reciprocally driven. The sewing machine includes a holder device for retaining the work fabric to be sewn. The holder device is supported by a support device and is rotatably within a plane in parallel to X axis. The support device is movable in a direction of Y axis. The X axis and the Y axis are perpendicular to each other within a plane extending substantially perpendicular to the driving direction of the needle. The holder device is rotated by an X axis drive mechanism within the plane in parallel to the X axis. The support device is moved by a Y axis drive mechanism in the direction of the Y axis. The holder device serves to retain the work fabric so as to provide a sewable area for substantially the entire circumferential surface of the work fabric.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maniuplating and sewing first and second panels together is disclosed including a rotatable arm for rotating a first panel and control means for reducing the stitching speed in response to detection of a comer of the first panel.

Abstract: A sewing machine adapted to sew an edge of a workpiece such as a floor mat which is mounted on a sewing table includes a sensor means adapted to monitor a contour of the workpiece and transmit monitored information, a feeding means adapted to turn the workpiece in accordance with the contour of the workpiece so as to successively feed the workpiece into a sewing area, and a control mechanism adapted to control the feeding means in accordance with the monitored information transmitted from the sensor means.

Abstract: A method for handling and sewing the perimeter of upholstered articles, in which the upholstered article is fed through the sewing machine on a table with a sliding surface in one of whose sides the said sewing machine is fixed, which is characterized by having some pusher elements which protrude from the plane of the table through some longitudinal and circumference arch shaped grooves, which are driven from the lower part of said table. The longitudinal pushers assist the linear feed of the upholstered article until its corner reaches the height of the sewing machine, when they withdraw to their initial position, at the same time as the turning pushers start to work. These turning pushers make the upholstered article turn, describing a circumference arch path of ninety degrees, while the head of said sewing machine sews the corner of said upholstered article in a synchronized manner.

Abstract: Apparatus and a concomitant method for sewing seams in upholstered furniture such as mattresses. The apparatus contains a sewing machine located adjacent a conveyor belt which moves the mattress in a linear direction beneath the sewing machine, a presser arm for turning the mattress, and a fastening cylinder for temporarily attaching the mattress to the presser arm during the turning process. A single motor drives the sewing machine, the conveyor belt and the presser arm. As the mattress is moved by the conveyor belt at a first speed, the sewing machine sews a linear portion of a seam in the mattress. A sensor indicates when a corner of the mattress approaches the sewing machine. When the sensor indicates the approach of the corner, the conveyor belt is halted and the motor changes to a slower speed such that the sewing speed is slowed. Simultaneously, the fastening cylinder temporarily attaches a presser arm to the mattress.

Abstract: An embroidery machine includes a sewing head, a rotary ring rotatable around an axis and movable relative to the sewing head, and a work support frame for supporting a work to be embroidered. A lever is pivotaly supported by the rotary ring. An engaging member is mounted on one end of the lever for engagement with an engaging hole formed on the work support frame so as to fix the work support frame in position relative to the rotary ring. A biasing member biases the lever in a direction in which the engaging member engages with the engaging hole.

Abstract: An edge finishing system for heavily piled, relatively stiff materials has a robot member which engages a piece of the material and forces it to bear against a fence along one edge. The robot moves the piece through a sewing station where tape is applied and sewn to the edge as it is pulled through the station by a splined wheel. A rotating mechanism rotates the piece ninety degrees and the second edge is finished. Where all four edges have been finished, a cutter removes any trailing tape. An automatic hopper moves pieces into position to be gripped and lifted by a gripper mechanism and placed on the work table for the robot to engage the piece.

Abstract: An airbag stitching device includes a sewing machine having a stitching head and a rotatable disc shaped support member adjacent to the stitching head. The rotatable disc shaped support member and a rotatable clamp are adapted to receive and hold a pair of superimposed circular sheets of fabric on a plane which is inclined with respect to the sewing plane and feed a peripheral portion of the superimposed fabric into the stitching head for sewing around the circumference of the circular sheets of fabric.

Abstract: Transport plate (28) is moved downwardly into engagement with work product (25) and the plate (28) moves the work product to the edge finisher, such as sewing head (12) (FIG. 3). When the first edge (68) covers the first sensor (61), the transport plate (28) begins its movement from right to left (FIG. 4) so as to move the first edge (28) through the edge finisher, and the edge is finished as with an overedge stitch. When the second edge (69) uncovers the second sensor (62), the transport plate (28) rotates around an axis of rotation (75) (FIG. 5), causing the work product (25) to be rotated about the same axis of rotation (75) and the edge finisher forms the overedge stitch about the curved path until the second edge (69) covers first sensor (61), whereupon the linear right to left movement is resumed (FIG. 7).

Abstract: A sewing system for substantially automatically producing a stitched textile articles by employing a plurality of sewing machines arranged at every manufacturing step.

Abstract: Sewing apparatus is provided having a plurality of connected sewing stations, each of which includes a sweing head with needles for stitching, and a cylinder arm which is raised from the sewing table. The raised posture of the cylinder arm makes for an efficient operation in stitching or sewing large garments such as sweat shirts, jackets or the like within framing hoops since the excess material of the garment can be maintained beneath the cylinder arm and out of the way. The sewing table may extend laterally for use by two (2) or more such sewing stations and a device is provided to drive the framing hoops simultaneously and to control the sewing machines to duplicate the sewing operations from station to station. The framing hoops are configured to easily mount in receivers at the sewing stations.

Abstract: In an automatic sewing device the sewing head has, for producing a tangential path of the needle relative to the seam to be produced, a rotary housing which receives the needle bar and a likewise rotatable hook bearing which receives the hook and which can be tilt driven by an adjusting shaft at the same angle of rotation as the rotary housing. A drive shaft is provided for driving the needle bar and the hook. To enable even pivoting movements of the rotary housing in a simple embodiment without a change in the height of the needle bar occurring, there are provided a device for the drive-like connection of the adjusting shaft and the drive shaft and a device for the disengagement of the drive motor from the drive shaft.

Abstract: The automatic apparatus for the manufacture of mattress-sacks includes: a base plane supporting the sack to be manufactured and having a work side, a sewing machine overhanging by said side and adapted to operate along a border of the sack parallel to said side, an auxiliary work plane rotatable on said base plane about a vertical axis, and presser elements rotatably supported about the same vertical axis and adapted to secure on said rotatable plane the border of the sack being sewn so as to allow its rotation for the sewing of a following border perpendicular to the preceding one.

Abstract: At an automatic sewing device the sewing head for generating a tangential movement of the needle feed movement relative to the seam to be produced is provided with a rotary housing for receiving a needle bar, a needle jogging mechanism and a thread take-up lever drive, and a rotatable hook bearing for receiving a hook. In order to achieve constant stitch lengths even when the rotary housing and hook bearing are swivelled, the main drive shaft for the stitch forming instruments and the adjusting shaft for the rotary housing and the hook bearing are coupled via a differential gear in such a manner that at rotations of the adjusting shaft a swivelling motion is imparted to the main drive shaft, which acts against changes of the position of the needle bar, the needle jogging mechanism, the thread take-up lever drive and the hook.

Abstract: A work material feeder for a sewing machine includes a work material holder which is movable within the plane perpendicular to a passageway where a needle is moved up and down, a first pulse motor which reciprocates the work material holder in one direction within the plane synchronously with the vertical movement of said needle, a second pulse motor which reciprocates the work material holder in another direction perpendicular to the aforesaid direction synchronously with the vertical movement of the needle, and a rotation divisibility switching circuit which switches the divisibility of rotation of the first and second pulse motors in several steps, the first and second pulse motors being driven in accordance with the divisibility set by the rotation divisibility switching circuit in order to move the work material holder.

Abstract: In a sewing machine, a clamp-type work feeder includes an articulated, rotatable, telescoping tube carriage which can move in either direction parallel to the lower arm and rotate about the axis of the cylindrical end of the lower arm in accordance with a stored stitch program. A cylinder actuated clamp mechanism pivotally attached to the carriage allows simple work insertion and full peripheral stitching without unduly obstructing the operator's view or access to the stitching area.

Abstract: A sewing machine with a workpiece alignment device for the automatic stitching of workpieces with convex edge sections has a stepwise feed mechanism and an alignment tool operating alternately with the feed mechanism. The tool rotates the workpiece around the axis of the needle when the needle pierces the material, and holds it resting against a guide rule. The alignment tool is driven by drive mechanisms positively connected to one another, because of which the sewing machine can be operated at a relatively high speed.

Abstract: A sewing machine system adapted for joining portions of a multiple layer limp fabric workpiece includes a workpiece support surface and a sewing head assembly. The sewing head assembly houses an elongated needle adapted for reciprocating motion along a needle axis extending through an aperture in the workpiece support surface. A selectively operable feeder is adapted to transport a region of a limp fabric workpiece on the workpiece support surface in the direction of a feed axis having a fixed orientation with respect to the feeder. A coupling assembly rotatably couples the feeder to the sewing head assembly so that the feeder is selectively rotatable about the needle axis. A feed controller controls the feeder and includes an orientation controller adapted to selectively control the angular orientation of the feeder with respect to the sewing head assembly so that the feed axis may be adjustably offset with respect to a reference axis on the workpiece support surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are presented for feeding a cloth in an embroidery machine. The method comprises the steps of holding the embroidery area of the cloth in a substantially arcuate manner about a horizontal axis disposed below the needle location and parallel to the Y axis of the Cartesian coordinate system the origin of which is the needle location, and feeding the cloth in the direction of the Y axis, while at the same time, feeding the cloth along the arcuate path about the horizontal axis.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically fabricating cut and edge stitched articles, such as washcloths and the like from a continuous length of textile material includes the following mechanisms. Mechanisms successively withdraw predetermined lengths of textile fabric from a supply source along a path of travel in a longitudinal direction of the fabric. Cutting mechanisms are positioned in the path of travel of the fabric for successively transversely cutting the fabric into individual articles of predetermined dimensions. Mechanisms successively feed the cut articles from the cutting mechanisms in a generally straight-line path of travel and to mechanisms for squaring the cut articles in the path of travel. A robot successively picks up the cut articles from the squaring mechanisms and transports the cut articles to edge stitching mechanisms which complete fabrication of the article.

Abstract: A system for folding limp material segments. A system includes a support surface for the segment, a belt assembly including a matrix of elongated parallel endless belts overlying that surface. A controller for permitting rotation of the surface with respect to the belt matrix, a fold-locus-defining assembly including a sheet member having a leading edge which may be adjustably positioned with respect to a material segment between the belts and the support surface, a sensor for generating a position signal representative of the segment on the support surface. A controller is responsive to the position signal and applied signals representative of a desired fold locus on the segment to control the belt assembly, the support surface, the fold-locus-defining assembly so that the segment is folded about a desired linear folding locus.

Abstract: In an automatic pick-up sewing system for curved edges of a fabric piece such as an outer pocket on clothing such as a jacket, the clothing kept in a horizontal state with the fabric piece pressed against a sewing needle is displaced two dimensionally during pick-up sewing as programmed under computer control while the sewing needle is driven for concurrent horizontal rotation so that the point of the sewing needle should always be directed in tangential directions of a sewing line on the fabric piece. Beautiful pick-up sewing is achieved quite at high efficiency without any need for highly skilled manual operation.

Abstract: A sewing device with a sewing head and a feeding device for generating a two-axis-relative motion of a constant velocity between a workpiece to be stitched wherein the sewing head has a rotary housing pivoted about an axis of rotation at the sewing head. In the housing, a needle bar including a needle is pivoted and the needle bar essentially extends about the axis of rotation. The housing further has a common drive for a thread take-up means and a crank including a jogging gear, wherein the two latter cooperate to produce a needle feed movement. The rotary housing is rotatably controlled together with a bearing bracket including a hook, in order to render possible sewing of a stitch contour, wherein the needle feed movement is tangentially guided relative to the individual sewing direction.The drive connection between the main drive shaft and the drive elements incorporated in the rotary housing are constructed of a double timing belt pulley concentrically pivoted with respect to the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A sewing machine attachment (12) for sewing a label to a workpiece or sewing other 360 degree operations having a sliding cloth plate (22), cloth clamps (24 and 26), a backup clamp (32) and a template (30) for clamping the workpiece and label is disclosed. The template has first and second peripheral surfaces, and at least part of the contour of the first peripheral surface in a first position substantially aligns with at least part of the contour of the second peripheral surface in a second position. The template is moved between the first position and the second position during the 360 degree operation.

Abstract: A sewing machine device comprises a base, a platform elevated above the base, and a stitching head assembly suspended from the platform. The stitching head assembly includes a frame, a needle bar mounted for reciprocal movement, a clamp eye having an opening through which the needle passes and mounted for vertical reciprocal movement relative to the frame, and a thread take-up member mounted on the frame for relative movement towards and away from the needle eye. A stitching drive mechanism is mounted on a platform and imparts reciprocating motion to the needle bar, clamp eye, and thread take up. This mechanism includes a main shaft providing rotary drive motion and a drive head for transforming the rotary motion to reciprocating motion. A rotary sewing hook is mounted on a hook shaft journalled in the frame. A suspending bar is pivotally attached to the platform and journals the hook shaft a predetermined distance below the platform.

Abstract: A cycle sewing machine equipped with an improved cloth feeding mechanism which is so arranged that, through rocking control of oscillating levers by a cloth feeding cam via cam rollers, a feed table is displaced in longitudinal directions of a sewing machine bed (i.e. in X directions) or in directions intersecting at right angles with the longitudinal directions (i.e. in Y directions), and by the composite movements as described above, the garment to be sewn is moved as desired with respect to sewing positions for two sewing needles vertically moving at predetermined positions, and thus, it has been made possible to simultaneously form the same seams at two positions of the garment in an efficient manner.

Abstract: In a method of and apparatus for top stitching parallel to the edge of a garment panel in which edge is a corner, there are provided means for detecting the approach of the corner and thereupon reducing the speed of movement of the panel through the machine and means acting on the underside of the panel to impart a turning motion thereto.

Abstract: An embroidering apparatus for use with a sewing machine has a body supported on a bed and movable back and forth and laterally along guide rails extending perpendicularly to each other. A table and a support frame to which an embroidery frame is attachable are mounted on the body for movement therewith. A fixed tracing needle is oriented to the table on which an original pattern is to be placed. In operation, the table can be manipulated to permit the tracing needle to follow the original pattern on the table while the latter is being moved around. For certain pattern configurations locking or stop devices are employed for selectively locking the table and support frame against rotation or for constraining the frame to only rectilinear movement.

Abstract: An embroidering apparatus for use with a sewing machine has a body supported on a bed and movable back and forth and laterally along guide rails extending perpendicularly to each other. A table and a support frame to which an embroidery frame is attachable are mounted on the body for movement therewith. A fixed tracing needle is oriented to the table on which an original pattern is to be placed. In operation, the table can be manipulated to permit the tracing needle to follow the original pattern on the table while the latter is being moved around.

Abstract: An installation for the linear treatment, such as sewing, along a curved edge, of a flexible piece of fabric or other material comprises: a sewing machine; a device for moving the piece along an axis; a work table for supporting the piece during its treatment; and a correcting device comprising: detection means for detecting the presence of the piece 1 in a zone upstream of the point of treatment and situated on one side with respect to the axis of treatment, and re-centering means comprising one part of the work table which is movable in rotation about an axis which is offset with respect to the axis of treatment and a motor controlled by the said detection means for driving the said part in rotation. The invention finds an application with cording machines in particular.

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.