Apparatus for stretching sewed portions of cloth in sewing operation

For a sewing machine with a sewing work station, an apparatus for stretching sewn portions of work cloth which comprises:

• a. a stretching member (40) adapted to be disposed to the rear of the sewing work station, said stretching member including an insert portion (41) which enters into the cloth in the front of the sewing work station and a pair of flat stretching portions (42a, 42b) for stretching the side edge sections of the work cloth from a seam sewn by the sewing machine, said stretching portions having upper and lower faces;
• b. a guide member (43) for guiding and shifting the stretched cloth toward the rear, which extends from the rear end of one stretching portion;
• c. upper and lower cloth feed devices (55, 66) extending over the upper and lower faces, respectively, of the stretching portions (42a, 42b) and the guide member (43) to perform stretching of side edge sections of the cloth and shifting of the stretched cloth smoothly;
• d. an ironing device disposed in the vicinity of the inner side face of the guide member to iron the stretched side edge sections of the cloth which has been shifted onto the guide member, said ironing device including a supporting member (100), means for moving said supporting member in a direction approaching the guide member (43) or away therefrom and a heating plate (105) supported on said supporting member (100) and having a heating face (105a) opposite the inner side face of the guide member (43);
• e. first spacing means for spacing the upper cloth feed device from the upper faces of the stretching portions (42a, 42b) and the guide member (43) when the cloth feed operation of the sewing machine is interrupted;
• and,
• f. second spacing means for spacing the ironing device from the inner side face of the guide member (43) when the cloth feed operation of the sewing machine is interrupted.