Feeding device for an automatic sewing arrangement

An automatic sewing arrangement for producing a stitch contour according to a predetermined program, comprising:

• a stand;
• a sewing head received on said stand, comprising stitch forming means including a needle and a plate supporting a workpiece;
• propelling means including
• a drive motor and
• a clutch for driving said sewing head, and
• a feeding device for feeding said workpiece with respect to said needle, comprising
• drive elements drivingly connected to said drive motor, including a shaft pivoted in said stand,
• a control disc received on said shaft and having two control cams formed correspondingly to said program,
• control means cooperating with said drive motor of said clutch and including trigger means arranged at said control disc, and detecting means for controlling the angular relation of said control disc with respect to said stand,
• linkage means pivoted at said stand including two drive levers, each provided with a cam follower cooperating with said control cams,
• holder means cooperating with said plate for holding said workpiece, and
• a drive-off lever operably connected to said drive levers and having a receiving means for receiving said holder means,
• said receiving means comprising:
• bearing means arranged between said drive-off-lever and said holder means for displaceably and lockably in at least two positions receiving said holder means,
• said bearing means having a guide bar and a bearing slidably received on said guide bar;
• at least one of said control means being associated to each of said positions for interrupting the sewing process at least during a phase of said holder displacement;
• and
• a linear drive motor operably connected to said holder means or to said drive-off-lever,
• said drive motor comprising a piston-cylinder-means driven by a medium, valves controlling said medium and controllably connected to said control means, and limit switch means associated to each of said holder positions.