Needle positioning device for sewing machines
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorJean P. Touret
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for locating the needle of a sewing machine in a preselected position upon completion of a sewing operation. The device includes a control shaft operatively connected to the needle and by driving elements, to a clutch brake type operating motor. A cylindrical member having a reference pin extending radially from its periphery is fixed on the control shaft and is operatively connected to an auxiliary actuator which when the machine is stopped is caused by a control apparatus to rotate the cylindrical member and its reference pin. The control apparatus is also effective in moving a stud into the pathway of the reference pin and when the two engage one another, the cylindrical member and control shaft are stopped which positions the needle in a preselected position.
Claims7
A needle positioning device for sewing machines of the type having a clutch brake type operating motor, a control shaft operatively connected to the needle and to the motor by transmission drive members with an operatively associated control apparatus for selectively operating and braking the control shaft through said operating motor, said needle positioning device comprising:
- (a) a selective positioning means (18) including:
- (i) a cylindrical member (22) mounted on and for rotation with the control shaft;
- (ii) a reference pin (23) fixed in and extending radially from the periphery of said cylindrical member;
- (b) an auxiliary actuator (19) operatively associated with the control shaft for effecting selective rotation thereof upon stopping the sewing machine including:
- (i) a pulley (29) operatively connected to the control shaft;
- (ii) a pneumatic cylinder (33) connected to the control apparatus;
- (iii) flexible means defining a cable (36) interconnecting the piston of said pneumatic cylinder (33) with said pulley 29;
- (iv) return means defining a spring (39) connected to said cable (36) for returning the piston and said pulley (29) to their initial positions upon completion of selective location of the needle;
- (c) release means (64) operatively connected to the control apparatus and said operating motor for temporarily disconnecting the control shaft from the motor during selective rotation of the control shaft by said auxiliary actuator;
- (d) a unidirectional clutching device (20) mounted on the control shaft intermediate said cylindrical member (22) and auxiliary actuator (19) for transmitting the motion provided to the control shaft and said cylindrical member;
- and
- (e) locating means for moving a stud into the pathway of travel of said reference pin (23) to effect stopping the needle in a preselected position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.