Gathering sewing machine and method
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorCho Se-Je
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sewing machine and a method of operating a sewing machine able to gather one or more materials through a variable speed transfer disc or transfer cup. The gathering operation can assist in joining materials of different lengths without causing a warp or other unintended variation in the sewn article. The gathering operation may be used in connection with sewing of an article of footwear upper with an insole portion to form a foot-receiving cavity. During a sewing operation, a tension on the thread may be adjusted and confirmed with a display output. Similarly, an indication of pressure applied to decrease a rotational speed of the transfer disc or the transfer cup may be presented on a display output to achieve repeatability across operators and articles.
Claims18
A sewing machine comprising:
- a thread tensioner, the thread tensioner comprising a tightening plate and a pressing part, the pressing part is adjustably positioned relative to the tightening plate to allow adjustment of a tension experienced by a thread extending between the pressing part and the tightening plate;
- a gathering assembly, the gathering assembly comprised of a transfer cup and a transfer disc between which an intended article to be sewn is able to pass;
- and a brake assembly, the brake assembly mechanically engaged with the transfer disc to variably adjust rotational speed of the transfer disc through frictional interaction,
- wherein the transfer cup has a faster transfer speed than the transfer disc as the brake assembly applies frictional interaction to the transfer disc.
A sewing machine comprising:
- a gathering assembly, the gathering assembly comprising a transfer cup and a transfer disc between which an intended article to be sewn is able to pass, wherein the transfer disc has a smaller diameter than the transfer cup;
- a brake assembly, the brake assembly mechanically engaged with the transfer disc to variably adjust rotational speed of the transfer disc through frictional interaction;
- and a speed adjusting assembly mechanically engaged with the transfer cup to variably adjust rotational speed of the transfer cup,
- wherein the transfer cup has a faster transfer speed than the transfer disc as the brake assembly applies frictional interaction to the transfer disc.
A method of operating a sewing machine, the method comprising:
- transferring a first material and a second material through a gathering assembly, the gathering assembly comprised of a transfer cup and a transfer disc;
- applying a brake to the transfer disc, the brake applying friction interaction to reduce a transfer speed of the second material relative to a transfer speed of the first material;
- stitching the first material with the second material while applying the brake;
- reducing an application of the brake to the transfer disc, the first material and the second material having a same transfer speed;
- and stitching the first material with the second material while reducing an application of the brake.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.