Back to results
US 12,546,040 B2Granted
Feed dog cover
AssigneeGracewood Management, Inc.
InventorCraig Fraser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sewing machine assembly includes a sewing machine frame, a presser bar mounted to a frame head of the sewing machine frame, and a feed dog assembly. The feed dog assembly includes a feed dog mounted to the frame base to reciprocate vertically and horizontally relative to the frame base to pull fabric between the pressure bar and the frame base through the sewing machine frame, a feed dog drive system coupled to the feed dog to drive reciprocation of the feed dog relative to the frame base, and a feed dog cover selectively coupled to a frame base of the sewing machine frame to extend over the feed dog to shield the fabric from the feed dog.
Claims20
A sewing machine assembly comprising:
- a sewing machine frame including a frame base, a frame body that extends from the frame base, a frame head coupled to the frame body that extends from the frame body toward the frame base to define a throat of the sewing machine frame;
- a presser bar mounted to the frame head that extends from the frame head toward the frame base;
- a feed dog assembly including:
- a feed dog mounted to the frame base to reciprocate vertically and horizontally relative to the frame base to pull fabric between the pressure bar and the frame base through the sewing machine frame,
- a feed dog drive system coupled to the feed dog and configured to drive reciprocation of the feed dog relative to the frame base, and
- a feed dog cover configured to selectively change between a disengaged position in which the feed dog cover is spaced apart from the frame base to expose the feed dog to the fabric and an engaged position in which the feed dog cover is coupled to a surface of the frame base that faces the fabric so that the feed dog cover extends over the feed dog to shield the fabric from the feed dog;
- and
- a control unit coupled to the feed dog drive system and configured to direct the feed dog drive system to decrease a speed of the reciprocation of the feed dog when the feed dog cover is changed from the disengaged position to the engaged position so that the sewing machine assembly changes from a fixed motion mode to a free motion mode to allow a user to freely maneuver one of the sewing machine assembly and the fabric relative to the other.
5 more elements
A sewing machine assembly comprising:
- a sewing machine frame;
- a feed dog assembly including:
- a feed dog mounted to the sewing machine frame to reciprocate vertically and horizontally relative to the sewing machine frame;
- a feed dog drive system coupled to the feed dog and configured to drive reciprocation of the feed dog relative to the frame base, and
- a feed dog cover configured to selectively change between a disengaged position in which the feed dog cover is spaced apart from the sewing machine frame to expose the feed dog to fabric being sewn and an engaged position in which the feed dog cover is coupled to a surface of the frame base that faces the fabric so that the feed dog cover extends over the feed dog to shield the fabric from the feed dog, and
- a control unit coupled to the feed dog drive system and configured to direct the feed dog drive system to decrease a speed of the reciprocation of the feed dog and to lower a peak vertical position of the feed dog when the feed dog cover is changed from the disengaged position to the engaged position so that the sewing machine assembly changes from a fixed motion mode to a free motion mode to allow a user to freely maneuver one of the sewing machine assembly and the fabric relative to the other.
3 more elements
A method comprising
- providing a sewing machine assembly comprising:
- a sewing machine frame;
- a presser bar mounted to the sewing machine frame;
- a feed dog assembly including:
- a feed dog mounted to the sewing machine frame to reciprocate horizontally relative to the sewing machine frame,
- a feed dog drive system configured to drive reciprocation of the feed dog relative to the frame base, and
- a feed dog cover configured to selectively change between a disengaged position in which the feed dog cover is spaced apart from the sewing machine frame to expose the feed dog to fabric being sewn and an engaged position in which the feed dog cover is coupled to a surface of the frame base that faces the fabric so that the feed dog cover extends over the feed dog to shield the fabric from the feed dog
- providing a pressure foot;
- attaching the presser foot to the presser bar;
- locating the feed dog cover in the disengaged position to cause the sewing machine assembly to be in the fixed motion mode so that the feed dog pulls the fabric between the presser foot and the feed dog through the sewing machine while a user sews the fabric;
- removing the presser foot from the presser bar;
- coupling a hopping foot to the presser bar;
- and
- locating the feed dog cover in the engaged position to cause the sewing machine assembly to be in the free motion mode so that the fabric between the presser foot and the feed dog is shielded from the feed dog while the user sews the fabric.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.