Bi-directional feed dog mechanism for sewing machine

Abstract

An adaptor for sewing machines permits a fabric to be fed past the stitch forming area in a choice of two perpendicular directions. The adaptor includes feed dog means and a support plate for said feed dog means. A first connector assembly produces horizontal backward and forward reciprocating movements of the feed dog and support plate and a second connector arm assembly produces a horizontal sideways reciprocating movements of the feed dog and support plate. A rocker rod assembly mounted below the feed dog and support plate includes a pair of axially aligned rocker rods, one of the rocker rods being a powered rod and the other being a driven rod. The driven rod is operatively connected to the first connector arm assembly and the powered rod is operatively connected to the second connector arm assembly by way of a freely rotatable sleeve mounted on the powered rod. A clutch mechanism includes a slideable member adapted in one position to operatively connect the two rocker rods thereby producing backward and forward reciprocating movements of the feed dog and in a second position to disconnect the two rocker rods and to operatively connect the freely rotatable sleeve to the powered rod thereby producing sideways reciprocating movements of the feed dog.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.