Sewing-machine guide for edge-parallel seaming of a workpiece

In combination with a sewing machine adapted to stitch an edge-parallel seam in a workpiece comprising a stack of a plurality of fabric layers and having a stitching location and means for advancing the workpiece past said stitching location, the improvement which comprises:

• a workpiece guide device disposed immediately ahead of said stitching location with respect to the direction of advance of the workpiece therepast, said workpiece guide device comprising:
• a plurality of plates interleavable with the layers of the workpiece, and
• an edge guide engageable with the edges of said layers for positioning same to be fed past said location;
• a drag-clamp device comprising:
• a guide track extending toward said location and formed by a guide rail mounted on a worktable extending laterally from said sewing machine,
• a drag-clamp displaceable on said guide track and engageable with said workpiece at a location therealong distal from the stitching location upon inception of the seam, and
• means cooperating with said drag clamp for applying traction to the workpiece along the edge to be seamed;
• a retracting means connected to said workpiece guide means and actuatable for drawing same out of the path of said drag clamp;
• control means along said track operably by the passage of the drag clamp therealong for actuating said retracting means to withdraw said guide workpiece device out of the path of said drag clamp and enable said drag clamp to approach said stitching location.