Automatic work guidance mechanism

In a machine having an operating tool and a work supporting surface, a light-responsive edge guidance system for incrementally moving a workpiece on the surface and relative to the operating locality of the tool, said system comprising a work engageable orbital ring surrounding the tool, control means for causing the ring to impart, during each work engagement, substantially concurrent increments of feeding and steering to the work, and means for operating the tool to engage the workpiece alternately with the ring.

A sewing machine having a head and a work supporting surface spaced therefrom, stitching means carried by the head and including a needle reciprocable relative to a portion of the work supporting surface, and a unitary feeding-steering element movably mounted on the opposite side of the work from said portion of the work supporting surface for guiding a workpiece thereon, said feeding-steering element being responsive to a predetermined pattern control means thus to apply a turning moment to the work and about the axis of the needle incrementally to guide the work automatically during each increment the work is fed.

In a machine having a reciprocable operating tool and a work support upon which a flexible workpiece is slidable to determine the path of operation of the tool thereon, a curvature-controlled servo system comprising a rotary member movable toward and from said support and engageable with the work only on the side thereof opposite from said work support for predetermining said path of operation, mechanism for orbitally driving the member to cause it frictionally to impart increments of work feed, and guidance mechanism responsive to the servo system for causing the member while contacting the work to rotate according to sensed curvature to effect torque for work guidance during each feed increment.

In a sewing machine having a work support and stitch forming means including a needle reciprocable relative to an operating locality of the support, a combination work feeding and work guidance mechanism for controlling movement of a workpiece on the work support with respect to the needle, the combination mechanism comprising means for orbitally driving a ring heightwise into and out of incremental feeding engagement with the work, and curvature-controlled means for causing the ring to rotate during each of its feeding engagements about an axis substantially normal to said operating locality to orient the workpiece thereat, the ring being effectively operative in intervals when the needle is disengaged from the work.

In a sewing machine having a frame, a rotary main shaft journalled therein, a reciprocable needle operatively connected to the main shaft, and a work support for slidably holding a workpiece, compound edge guidance and feeding mechanism for moving the work on the support and relative to the operating locality of the needle in the intervals when the needle is disengaged from the work, said compound mechanism comprising an orbital ring rotatable about an axis substantially parallel and adjacent to that of the needle, means interconnecting the main shaft and the ring for imparting orbital work feeding motion to the ring, and a servo system for automatically controlling work guidance rotation of the ring concurrently with its successive feeding engagements with the work, said system including a servo controlled motor fixedly mounted on the frame and a beam-responsive edge sensor for signaling to the servo motor change in curvature of a work edge approaching the operating locality of the needle.