Pattern control mechanism for embroidering machine

A mechanism for selectively driving pairs of cam slides of a pattern generating apparatus of the type which is used in automatic embroidering machines, for example, where cyclical movements of any of a large number of different magnitudes are generated by a gear-type analog computer whose input is mechanically derived from an advancing stroke, or from the absence of an advancing stroke, of a row of cooperating longitudinally guided cam slide pairs, as each cam slide pair produces a positive, or a negative, or zero unitary motion input, in accordance with pattern information which is fed to the device by a punched tape, the cam slide driving mechanism comprising in combination:

• an elongated slide mover pivotably attached to one end of each cam slide and extending in general alignment with the direction of cam slide movement, each slide mover being pivotable over a small angle, between a selected position for driving engagement and a non-selected position in which it is to remain non-driven;
• the slide movers of a pair of cam slides forming a slide mover pair;
• a plurality of elongated selector bars, equal in number to the number of slide movers and extending transversely to the latter in a plane which is substantially parallel to the general plane defined by the slide movers;
• pairs of selector bars being operatively associated with corresponding pairs of slide movers;
• means for guiding the selector bars for longitudinal movements between an advanced selector bar position and a retraceted selector bar position;
• selecting means carried by the selector bars for selection interaction with the slide movers, so as to determine the position of the latter, each of a pair of selector bars interacting with each one of an associated pair of slide movers, so that, when one of the two selector bars is in its advanced position and the other is in its retracted position, one of the two associated slide movers will be selected and the other will not be selected, while in all other selector bar positions neither slide mover will be selected, thereby precluding the simultaneous selection of both slide movers of a slide mover pair;
• a slide mover drive bar extending transversely to the slide movers, including means for guiding and driving said drive bars in a synchronized reciprocating motion along a path of which at least a major motion component corresponds to the direction of cam slide movement, and of which the reversal point from a return stroke to a drive stroke is so related to the slide mover positions that the drive bar, in its drive stroke, engages and advances those slide movers which are in said selected position, while missing those slide movers which are in the non-selected position;
• a punched tape, including a likewise synchronized, intermittently operating punched tape indexing drive, the punched tape having a hole track for each selector bar;
• and
• punched tape sensing means, including a feeler needle connected to each selector bar and biased towards the punched tape, in alignment with a hole track thereof, so as to move the selector bar to its advanced position in the presence of a hole in said hole track, while holding it in its retracted position in the absence of a hole in said track;
• said punched tape sensing means including a feeler needle drive bar executing a likewise synchronized reciprocating motion in which it withdraws all the needled from the punched tape, while the latter is advanced by its indexing drive.