Accessory for sewing machine and methods of using the same
AssigneeSinger Sourcing Limited LLC
InventorsMaria Strahl, Matylda Florén, Petter Madlycke, Roberth Eriksson, Stina Petersson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary embroidery accessory for a sewing machine includes a spool that is rotatable around a first vertical axis, a support rotatably attached to the sewing machine and to the spool, a sewing guide, and a mechanism for rotating the support around a second vertical axis of rotation. The spool receives and dispenses a length of embroidery material and is supported above a sewing bed of the sewing machine by the support. The sewing guide has a needle opening configured to receive a needle of the sewing machine and to guide the embroidery material toward the needle.
Claims22
An accessory for a sewing machine, the accessory comprising:
- a spool that is rotatable about a first vertical axis of rotation, wherein the spool receives and dispenses a length of embroidery material;
- a support rotatably attached to the sewing machine and to the spool, wherein a plurality of locations on a downward-facing surface of the spool are supported above a sewing bed of the sewing machine by the support;
- a sewing guide having a needle opening configured to receive a needle of the sewing machine and to guide the embroidery material toward the needle;
- and
- a mechanism that rotates the support around a second vertical axis of rotation.
A sewing machine for attaching a length of embroidery material to a workpiece, the sewing machine comprising:
- a bed;
- an actuatable embroidery frame mount configured to receive an embroidery frame for holding the workpiece;
- an arm disposed above the bed, wherein a bottom surface of the arm is spaced apart from a top surface of the bed by an arm height;
- and
- an accessory for dispensing the length of embroidery material to be sewn to the workpiece, the accessory comprising:
- a spool that is rotatable about a first vertical axis of rotation, wherein the spool receives and dispenses the length of embroidery material;
- a support rotatably attached to the arm and to the spool, wherein the spool is supported above the bed of the sewing machine by the support;
- a sewing guide having a needle opening configured to receive a needle of the sewing machine and to guide the embroidery material toward the needle;
- an attachment portion that attaches the accessory to a presser bar of the sewing machine, wherein the support is attached to the attachment portion and the attachment portion is attached to the presser bar in place of a presser foot, and wherein the presser bar is offset from at least one of the first vertical axis of rotation and a second vertical axis of rotation;
- and
- a mechanism that rotates the support around the second vertical axis of rotation, wherein the second vertical axis of rotation is colinear with the first vertical axis of rotation.
A method of operating an accessory for a sewing machine to attach a length of embroidery material to a workpiece, the method comprising:
- providing the sewing machine and accessory, the accessory comprising:
- a spool that is rotatable around a first vertical axis of rotation, wherein the spool receives and dispenses a length of embroidery material;
- a support rotatably attached to the sewing machine and to the spool, wherein a plurality of locations on a downward-facing surface of the spool are supported above a sewing bed of the sewing machine by the support so that the spool and the support rotate independently around the first vertical axis of rotation;
- a sewing guide having a needle opening configured to receive a needle of the sewing machine and to guide the embroidery material toward the needle;
- a mechanism that rotates the support clockwise and counterclockwise around a second vertical axis of rotation and
- an attachment portion that attaches the accessory to a presser bar of the sewing machine, wherein the support is attached to the attachment portion and the attachment portion is attached to the presser bar in place of a presser foot, and wherein the presser bar is offset from at least one of the first vertical axis of rotation and the second vertical axis of rotation:
- moving the workpiece so that the needle of the sewing machine follows a predetermined sewing path;
- operating the mechanism to rotate the support clockwise or counterclockwise so that the embroidery material leads the needle along the predetermined sewing path;
- dispensing at least a portion of the length of embroidery through the sewing guide;
- and
- sewing at least a portion of the length of the embroidery material to the workpiece with the needle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.