Abstract: A device for tensioning material to be sewn includes a driven pull roller, a connecting plate for shifting the pull roller upwardly when the presser foot of a sewing machine is raised, and a cammed guide track and follower support for the pull roller that causes the pull roller to retract outwardly with respect to the presser foot when the pull roller is shifted upwardly. Also provided is a handle for retracting the pull roller assembly independent of the motion of the presser foot.

Abstract: A sewing machine is provided with a upper and a lower feed device with which a workpiece consisting of several plies can, when making arched and/or corner type seams, be transported in always constant position of orientation without mutual displacement of the plies. For this purpose the feed direction of both feed devices can be varied either by changing their direction of action or by geometric addition of at least two motion components.

Abstract: The device herein described comprises a feed roller 12 rotated by a motor 16 and disposed before the presser foot 9 at right angles to the feed advance direction of the workpiece. Individually and selectively acting against the feed roller 12 are two pressure backing rollers 19, 20 each of which engages a respective piece of ribbon-like trimmings to push it against the feed roller which carries out the pulling thereof. The pressure backing rollers 19, 20 are supported by a swinging plate which is caused to oscillate upon the action of a fluid-operated cylinder 30 in order to make the backing rollers selectively engage with the feed roller 12 and therefore selectively feed said ribbon-like trimmings under the pressure foot 9.

Abstract: An alignment device for the automatic adjustment of the edge of a tubular workpiece to be sewn on a sewing machine having, a presser foot, a feed dog operating on the presser foot, a sensing device for detecting the edge of the workpiece, and a guide member disposed on a side of the feed dog. The alignment device has a device for rotatably driving the guide member, and a device responsive to the sensing device for controlling the equatorial or peripheral speed of the guide member relative to the sewing speed of the sewing machine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for clamping and manipulating clothing components with respect to a double needle sewing machine so as to automatically attach and finish stitch a left fly to a front panel of a jeans style garment. The apparatus includes a work holding carriage which translates along a path generally perpendicular to a plane containing dual sewing machine needles. A pair of rotatable discs which are mounted on the carriage in nested fashion and rotate about spaced apart centers of rotation. The axes for the centers of rotation extend substantially perpendicular to the carriage and generally parallel to the dual sewing machine needles. The invention not only encompasses a method for carrying out the sewing operations, but also an apparatus including a drive mechanism for the traversing carriage, a rotating mechanism for each of the nested rotating discs and a clamping apparatus for holding and positioning the assembled fly with respect to the jeans panel.

Abstract: The start and end timing of fabric feed in a sewing machine greatly affects the tightening of needle thread, that is, the sewing quality. Among the electronically controlled zigzag sewing machines, those equipped with feed means directly driven by a pulse motor supplied with command pulses, it has become possible to control freely the start and end timing of fabric feed.

Abstract: The surgical suturing machine comprises a housing (10) on whose head piece (14) a needle holder (16) holding a needle (30), a thread catcher (18), a rotatable cylindrical body (20), a fixed foot with a plate (70) and a stretcher (22) are releasably mounted. The projecting tissue edges to be sutured together are clamped between plates (70) and cylindrical body (20). When the surgical suturing machine advances, the shaped circumferential surface (78) of cylindrical body (20) rolls along the outside of one edge of the tissue. The circumferential surface (78) of the rotating cylindrical body "grips" the outer surface of one tissue edge and guides the two tissue edges into a clamping zone which is located in the vicinity of the shortest distance between plate (70) and circumference (78) of the cylindrical body (20). The projecting tissue edges are pierced by needle (30) in the clamping zone and sutured together with the aid of thread catcher (18) and needle (30 ).

Abstract: A lower wheel fabric feeding device in a column sewing machine where the oscillatory motion of the feeding shaft is transmitted to a free release wheel which acts on a first gear coupled with two gears, one gear transmitting the motion to the wheel and the other gear preventing reverse rotation of the first gear.

Abstract: A guide device for the workpieces on a sewing machine comprises driven guide wheels arranged one above and one below the workpiece, and revolving in a plane extending crosswise to a sewing direction for the workpieces. The guide wheels are each mounted on a low-mass rocker which are, in turn, mounted on a support. Due to the low-mass construction of the rockers, they form together with the respective guide wheels, vibratory systems uncoupled from the respective supports, whereby a uniform frictional contact between the guide wheels and the workpieces is achieved.

Abstract: Fabric parts are fed to a sewing operation through a lap seam folder and the overlapped edges of the parts are maintained in proper relationship by a pair of rollers engageable with the respective parts and mounted for rotation in respective planes of rotation which intersect the feedline of the parts approaching the sewing needle. The rollers are mounted on pivotally supported arms which are operably connected to respective pneumatic cylinder type actuators for moving the arms between operative and retracted positions and for adjusting the biasing force on the arms in accordance with the type of fabric being fed through the seam folder device. The biasing forces on the rollers may be adjusted by adjusting the plane of rotation with respect to the feed direction as well as by the biasing force provided by the respective actuators.

Abstract: A panel of fabric is guided from a spool to a gathering device. The gathering device includes a spindle located above and across the width of the panel of fabric and having a plurality of spaced apart wheels attached thereto. Extending radially from the wheels are a plurality of flexible mechanical fingers, or alternately, flexible bristles. As the wheels rotate the flexible projections gather the fabric into folds. A panel of backing material is guided to underlay the gathered fabric. The gathered fabric is then adhered to the backing material. A means for conveying the fabric and backing material is also provided.

Abstract: Successive fly strips are continuously sewn to a continuous slide fastener chain by a continuously operating sewing machine as the fly strips are supplied one after another to the sewing machine. During this supplying, a succeeding fly strip is superimposed over a preceding fly strip in a feed station while the preceding fly strip is supplied to the sewing machine and is sewn to the fastener chain. The succeeding fly strip is kept waiting by a stop in its superimposed position for supply to the sewing machine. When the trailing end of the preceding fly strip is advanced by the sewing machine from the leading end of the succeeding fly strip as the sewing of the preceding fly strip progresses, the succeeding fly strip is then supplied to the sewing station at a speed higher than the rate at which the sewing of the preceding fly strip progresses.

Abstract: An overhand sewing machine for the sewing of innersoles to the shanks of shoes comprises two driven conveying disks, an inner conveying disk in contact with the shank material, and an outer conveying disk in contact with the innersole material, the outer disk being displaceable with respect to the inner disk in order to be pressured by spring-loading against the inner disk, and to be capable of moving away against the spring-loading from the inner disk, as required for the insertion of the material to be sewn into the overhand sewing machine.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with the technical field of machines for attaching knit or woven fabric hems to generally knit wearing apparel, and in particular, relates to a machine designed to perform such operations by precision-stitch sewing. To retain a constant match of the loops forming a lower flap in a folded hem with the loops in the upper flap while sewing the hem onto wearing apparel, the machine comprises a sewing assembly with which a hem entraining assembly and feeding assembly for a garment to be sewn are arranged to cooperate, and is characterized in that said entraining assembly includes a pair of entraining members defining a hem passageway therebetween and being kinematically connected to attain substantially equal and oppositely directed peripheral velocities.

Abstract: A feed device for feeding a material pattern cut to a sewing machine for the forming of stitch groups such as a row of button holes by a reciprocating needle operating on the material pattern which is advanced through the needle path and moved in a draw-off path, comprising a draw-off roll arranged alongside the needle in a position to engage the material. The draw-off roll is arranged on a shaft which is coupled through a sleeve to another shaft containing a transport roller forming part of a material transport. Drive means are connected to drive the shafts of the draw-off roller and a laterally arranged transport roller and a drive belt is interconnected between the transport roller and a second transport roller which extends rearwardly thereof and is located at the turning point of the material draw-off.

Abstract: A sewing machine presser foot attachment including a driven feed wheel proximately arranged relative to the reciprocal path of a needle. The feed wheel is powered by a drive shaft arranged to the rear of the feed wheel in the direction of sewing. A constant velocity universal joint arranged between the drive shaft and feed wheel permits vertical and horizontal pivotal movement of the feed wheel relative to the work supporting surface of the machine.

Abstract: An automatic sewing apparatus capable of blind stitching an S-shaped hem in the marginal edge of a tubular workpiece. The sewing apparatus is provided with a tensioning device including a pair of roller supports which arrange an open end of the workpiece in a closed loop formation. The roller support, arranged on the downstream side of the sewing machine, is provided with a guiding portion adapted to receive and controllably guide the sewn and hemmed edge of the tubular workpiece.

Abstract: An apparatus for use with a sewing machine to automatically hem the free ends of tubular portions of garments. The apparatus has a guide cylinder with a stop and a tension cylinder capable of being retracted, both of which are mounted on the sewing machine with a folding guide which is moveable between a retracted position and an operative position. A tube connected to a source of compressed air assists in removing the sewn garment from the apparatus.

Abstract: A shirring attachment includes a rotatable feed wheel 51 positioned over a stripper blade 60 and normally positioned in spaced relationship above the work surface of and in front of the sewing needle 45 of a sewing machine. A first ply of material 78 is extended over the work surface and beneath the stripper blade to the feed dogs 68 of the sewing machine, and a second ply of material 80 is extended over the stripper blade to the sewing needle. The rotatable feed wheel is driven with a peripheral velocity that corresponds to the speed of the sewing machine motor, usually at a higher velocity that the feed dogs, and the feed wheel is moved by an air-actuated cylinder 54 at the command of the machine operator down toward the stripper blade into engagement with the upper ply of material so as to feed the upper ply of material to the sewing needle at a faster rate than the movement of the lower ply of material.

Abstract: The present invention teaches a high-speed indexing system for use with any number of fabric-moving apparatus, a novel braking system for use within the indexing system, and a novel puller accessory. The high-speed adjustable indexing system is illustrated in connection with a sewing machine, as an example. In sewing machine applications, a synchronized intermittent advancement of fabric in unison with the movement of an associated feed dog is provided. Undesirable inertia-caused roller overshooting, heretofore treated with anti-reverse clutches and other approaches, is eliminated, thereby enabling high speed indexing at machine operating speeds conventionally unattainable in the art. An adjustable spring-biased braking arrangement is provided which may be preset for known machine operating speeds.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a continuous slide fastener stringer chain including space portions devoid of coupling elements at longitudinal intervals. The apparatus comprises feed rollers for continuously feeding a pair of continuous stringer tapes, in synchronism with a sewing machine, to a sewing area in the sewing machine, a stationary guide member having a longitudinal channel for the passage of a pair of interengaged rows of coupling elements, and a toothed wheel projecting into the guide channel and rotatable for intermittently feeding the coupling elements in synchronism with the sewing machine to the sewing area. A cutter assembly is disposed between the sewing area and the toothed wheel for cutting off a length of coupling elements then being sewn from the interengaged rows of continuous coupling elements each time the latter stops moving.

Abstract: An apparatus for advancing limp material such as cloth for overedge stitching. The apparatus has a generally L-shaped arm which is designed to be pivotable in the lateral and upward directions relative to a surface of a working table of a sewing machine. The L-shaped arm has at least a single rotary element for advancing the cloth, the rotary element being driven through a driving pulley and an endless belt. The apparatus has devices for locking the lateral and upward movement against a resilient force of the endless belt.

Abstract: A cloth feed apparatus to be equipped with a sewing machine, the cloth feed apparatus including a roller driven by means of a stepping motor which is actuated in accordance with electric pulses generated by a detector detecting rotation of a main shaft of the sewing machine, the detector generating electric pulses by detecting slits of disc firmly mounted on a main shaft of the sewing machine.

Abstract: An auxiliary transport device for sewing machines utilized to attach bands to the edge of a workpiece having a pair of spaced roller members disposed in frictional engagement with a band attached to the workpiece and simultaneously rotated incrementally for advancing the workpiece away from the sewing zone. A compensating roller is mounted co-axial with one of the pair of spaced roller members and incrementally rotated therewith in a location to frictionally engage and advance that portion of the workpiece extending from the band. The compensating roller is capable of yielding in a vertical direction without effecting the position of the roller with which it is operatively associated and provides a means for effectively accommodating portions of the workpiece varying in thickness as a result of attachments such as loops, pockets and the like.

Abstract: A regulating device for the upper wheel type workpiece transport mechanism in sewing machines. The transport wheel is rotatably driven and carried by a tubular support pivotably mounted on the machine. An eccentric roller having an indicating arm extending therefrom is in operative contact with the tubular support and with one end of the indicating arm disposed in operative association with a graduated scale defined by a plurality of stops for selectively locating the indicating arm. By moving the latter to any one of the stops, the eccentric roller is effective in changing the operating position of the transport wheel so that it can accommodate workpieces which vary in thickness and with generally the same amount of pressure being applied to each workpiece.

Abstract: An apparatus for sewing a slide fastener chain to a pair of article panels separates the chain into separate stringers which are sewn to the article panels with the fastening elements facing outward. The slide fastener stringers are twisted and the inner edges of the attached article panels are folded and the stringers are reinterlocked by a turning and pull-up device through which the slide fastener stringers with attached article panels are pulled by a pulling mechanism.

Abstract: A device for supporting and guiding a folded workpiece to the stitching needle of a sewing machine by advancing the same between a pair of cylindrical members mounted on the machine for rotation in opposite directions. Each of the cylindrical members is provided with circumferential grooves on their peripheral surfaces with the grooves of each being in general alignment with those of the other. The configuration of the grooves in combination with the spacing between the cylindrical members causes the folded workpiece being advanced therebetween, to become deformed to the extent where portions thereof enter the grooves to effectively support its weight while accurately guiding it along the level of its intended path of travel.

Abstract: Circumferential stitching of a tubular workpiece is assisted by means of a moving support and feed system which includes a rotatable drum of smaller diameter than the workpiece having an upper end surface positioned adjacent to a stitching station with a conventional stitching mechanism. The workpiece is prepared for stitching by pulling it axially onto the drum like a sleeve. The portion of the workpiece to be stitched is then advanced transversely through the stitching station by a puller which engages the top of the workpiece while the drum is rotated synchronously to keep the workpiece from twisting. A portion of the drive system for the stitching mechanism runs through the interior of the rotating drum. A blind cutter next to the stitching station enables the operator to cut excess thread inside the workpiece after stitching simply by moving the workpiece in a certain manner.

Abstract: An improved feed device for sewing machines of the double feed roller type in which one of the rollers is intermittently rotated by a unidirectional clutch. A clamping unit functions in cooperation with the clutch to prevent a reverse movement of the feed roller, and a braking device operatively associated with the clutch and clamping unit is effective in a simultaneous positive locking of both of the latter each time the feed roller completes its limit of travel.

Abstract: The lengths of at least a pair of limp workpieces fed through a work station are controlled by pressing each of the workpieces into engagement with a separate toothed wheel and by controlling the rotational velocity of one of the toothed wheels as a function of the rotational velocity of the other toothed wheel. In one preferred embodiment the contorl of the rotational velocities of the two wheels is accomplished by means of a differential gear and a motor which operates under the control of rates of feed sensors which monitor the rates of feed of the two workpieces.

Abstract: An apparatus for use with a sewing machine having a frame for supporting a tubular workpiece that is movable between a workpiece loading station and the sewing area of the machine. The workpiece is supported under tension on the frame which includes a positioning element for locating it thereon and a folding element for folding one of its ends over an elastic band placed on the workpiece at a predetermined distance from the positioning element. Movement of the frame to the sewing area places the workpiece in position to receive a seam of stitches in the folded portion within which the elastic band is located.

Abstract: A mechanism is disclosed for driving a puller wheel to assist in feeding cloth material through a sewing machine. The material passes between a puller wheel and an idler wheel after having been sewn by a reciprocating needle. The driven puller wheel assists the standard feed dogs in feeding the material past the needle. The invention discloses a positive drive mechanism having a variable speed gearbox driven by the sewing machine motor and drivingly connected to the puller wheel. The distance between puller wheel and idler wheel is variable to accommodate any thickness of material and still provide a positive feed.

Abstract: A fabric puller for removing a fabric from the sewing instrumentalities through a sewing machine at a predetermined rate of travel in which fabric-engaging rollers are resiliently urged toward one another to engage the fabric or separated to release the fabric and each roller is driven through a resilient coupling member from a variable speed drive mechanism.

Abstract: The present invention teaches a high-speed indexing system for use with any number of fabric-moving apparatus, a novel braking system for use within the indexing system, and a novel puller accessory. The high-speed adjustable indexing system is illustrated in connection with a sewing machine, as an example. In sewing machine applications, a synchronized intermittent advancement of fabric in unison with the movement of an associated feed dog is provided. Undesirable inertia-caused roller overshooting, heretofore treated with anti-reverse clutches and other approaches, is eliminated, thereby enabling high speed indexing at machine operating speeds conventionally unattainable in the art. An adjustable spring-biased braking arrangement is provided which may be preset for known machine operating speeds.