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US 4,181,085 AGranted
Automatic sewing apparatus
AssigneeStahl-Urban Company
InventorWilliam R. Conner, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for automatically sewing workpieces along edges of each workpiece extending in different directions, in which a workpiece is automatically turned when it has been stitched along one edge for stitching it along the next edge, by blowing air on the workpiece to swing it around, using the needle of the sewing machine as a pivot, and in which workpieces are automatically entered in the sewing machine for being stitched and automatically removed after they have been stitched.
Claims29
Apparatus for automatically sewing workpieces along edges of each workpiece extending in different directions comprising:
- a sewing machine having means for feeding a workpiece therethrough for being stitched and a needle for stitching a seam along an edge of the workpiece as it is fed through the sewing machine;
- means for controlling the sewing machine operable to start it and operable to stop it with the needle down in a workpiece for utilization of the needle as a pivot for turning the workpiece;
- means for guiding a workpiece through the sewing machine for stitching a seam along an edge of the workpiece;
- means operable with the needle down in a workpiece for blowing air on the workpiece in such direction as to turn the workpiece by blowing it around the needle as a pivot;
- means operable as a workpiece is being fed through the sewing machine and stitched along one edge thereof for sensing when the workpiece reaches a seam-ending position for terminating the stitching along said one edge;
- means controlled by said sensing means operable when said sensing means senses the workpiece reaching said seam-ending position for operating said sewing machine control means to stop the sewing machine with the workpiece in said seam-ending position and with the needle down in the workpiece, and then operating the blowing means to blow air on the workpiece for blowing it around;
- stop means engageable by an edge of the workpiece as the workpiece is being blown around to stop the workpiece in a seam-starting position for stitching a seam along the next edge;
- and
- means operable by the workpiece as it reaches said seam-starting position for controlling said sewing machine control means to start the sewing machine for stitching along said next edge.
6 more elements
Apparatus for automatically sewing workpieces along edges of each workpiece extending in different directions comprising:
- a sewing machine having means for feeding a workpiece therethrough for being stitched and a needle for stitching a seam along an edge of the workpiece as it is fed through the sewing machine;
- means for controlling the sewing machine operable to start it, operable to stop it with the needle down in a workpiece for utilization of the needle as a pivot for turning the workpiece, and operable to stop it with the needle up;
- means for guiding a workpiece through the sewing machine for stitching a seam along an edge of the workpiece;
- means operable with the needle down in a workpiece for turning the workpiece around the needle as a pivot;
- said turning means further comprising means for blowing air on the workpiece from above the table to turn the workpiece by blowing it around on the table and around the needle as a pivot;
- means operable as a workpiece is being fed through the sewing machine and stitched along one edge thereof for sensing when the workpiece reaches a seam-ending position for terminating the stitching along said one edge;
- means controlled by said sensing means operable when said sensing means senses the workpiece reaching said seam-ending position for each seam before the last seam for operating said sewing machine control means to stop the sewing machine with the workpiece in said seam-ending position and with the needle down in the workpiece, and then operating said turning means for turning the workpiece to a seam-starting position for stitching a seam along the next edge and operable when the sensing means senses the workpiece reaching the seam-ending position for the last seam for stopping the sewing machine with the needle up;
- means operable by the workpiece as it reaches said seam-starting position for controlling said sewing machine control means to start the sewing machine for stitching along said next edge;
- a table over which a workpiece may slide and wherein the loading means comprises means for sliding a workpiece over the table toward the sewing machine and entering it in the sewing machine in a position for starting the sewing of a first seam, and the unloading means comprises means for sliding a completed workpiece away from the sewing machine over the table after the sewing of the last seam;
- means for trimming the thread when the sewing machine stops with the needle up after having sewn the last seam of a workpiece, enabling the unloading of the completed workpiece, and the loading of the next workpiece to be sewn into the sewing machine;
- means for unloading the completed workpiece;
- and
- means for loading the next workpiece to be sewn into the sewing machine.
10 more elements
Apparatus for automatically sewing workpieces along edges of each workpiece extending in different directions comprising:
- a sewing machine having means for feeding a workpiece therethrough for being stitched and a needle for stitching a seam along an edge of the workpiece as it is fed through the sewing machine;
- loading means for sliding a workpiece over the table and entering it in the sewing machine for starting the sewing of a seam;
- means for controlling the sewing machine operable to start and stop it;
- means for guiding a workpiece through the sewing machine for stitching a seam along an edge of the workpiece;
- means for turning the workpiece in the sewing machine for sewing additional seams;
- means operable as a workpiece is being fed through the sewing machine and stitched along one edge thereof for sensing when the workpiece reaches a seam-ending position for terminating the stitching along said one edge;
- means controlled by said sensing means operable when said sensing means senses the workpiece reaching said seam-ending position for each seam before the last seam for operating said sewing machine control means to stop the sewing machine with the workpiece in said seam-ending position and then operating said turning means for turning the workpiece to a seam-starting position for stitching a seam along the next edge and operable when the sensing means senses the workpiece reaching the seam-ending position for the last seam for stopping the sewing machine;
- and
- means operable by the workpiece as it reaches said seam-starting position for controlling said sewing machine control means to start the sewing machine for stitching along said next edge;
- said guiding means comprising a guide engageable by the edge of the workpiece being stitched and guide extension means having a straight edge movable between an operative position wherein said edge is aligned with the guide for engagement by a straight edge of the workpiece being stitched, to guide the workpiece through the sewing machine for stitching a seam along said straight edge of the workpiece, and a retracted position for stitching along a curved edge of the workpiece;
- and
- means for retracting said extension means for stitching along a curved edge of a workpiece and/or allowing turning of a workpiece.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.