Fabric aligning apparatus for embroidery

An apparatus for aligning a fabric relative to an embroidering needle of an embroidery machine to enable a selection of a predetermined position of an embroidery on the fabric and a selection of a predetermined orientation of the embroidery on the fabric prior to securing the fabric in a hooping frame having at least one positioning boss comprising:

• a frame having a first end and a second end;
• an upright member having a first end and a second end;
• said first end of said upright member positioned at said second end of said frame and extending vertically from said frame;
• a platform having a first end and a second end;
• said first end of said platform supportably positioned at said second end of said upright member such that said platform extends in a horizontal plane and is spaced apart from said frame to enable in use the passage of a portion of the fabric between said frame and said platform when the remaining portion of the fabric is alignedly positioned of said platform;
• said platform having an upper surface and a lower surface;
• said platform having an alignment pattern positioned in a manner to be displayed on said platform;
• a first hooping frame holding means having at least one notch for alignedly receiving each positioning boss of the hooping frame;
• said first hooping frame holding means being disposed on said platform for alignedly receiving in use the hooping frame relative to a corresponding alignment in a second hooping frame holding means of an embroidery machine having at least one notch for alignedly receiving each positioning boss of the hooping frame;
• and
• a target alignment pattern positioned in a manner to be displayed through an opening of the hooping frame when the hooping frame is positioned in said first hooping frame holding means to enable in use the fabric to be aligned when the fabic is positioned relative to at least one reference point on the fabric and with at least one point on said alignment pattern thereby enabling an ascertainment of the position of the intended embroidery as defined by the point on said target alignment pattern prealigned with the embroidery needle of the embroidery machine thereby enabling placement of an aligned embroidery on the fabric when the fabric is secured in the hooping frame and the hooping frame which secures the fabric is positioned in said correspondingly aligned second hooping frame holding means of the embroidery machine and the fabric is embroidered.

A method of providing a similarly aligned embroidery upon a plurality of similarly sized and shaped fabrics having at least one similar reference point proximate the intended embroidery from which to establish a particular location point relative to the entire fabric comprising:

• providing an apparatus for aligning a fabric comprising a platform with a first hooping frame holding means having at least one notch for alignedly receiving each positioning boss of the hooping frame and with the first hooping frame holding means being disposed on the platform for alignedly receiving the hooping frame relative to a corresponding alignment mounting in a second hooping frame holding means of an embroidery machine having at least one notch for alignedly receiving each positioning boss of the hooping frame and including a target alignment pattern having a cross hair pattern positioned in a manner to be displayed through an opening of the hooping frame when the hooping frame is positioned therein;
• and
• conducting a method of providing an aligned embroidery upon a fabric by first aligning a second hooping frame holding means positioned on an embroidery machine such that the second hooping frame holding means on the embroidery machine receives the hooping frame in the same specific orientation as the first hooping frame holding means positioned on the platform by positioning the hooping frame having the cross hair pattern positioned in the opening of the hooping frame such that the opening of the hooping frame displays a cross hair pattern in alignment with the cross hair pattern displayed on the first hooping frame holding means, by rotating the hooping frame positioned within the second hooping frame holding means until the cross hair pattern displayed within the opening of the hooping frame held within the second hooping frame holding means alignedly matches two perpendicularly intersecting straight-line axes of the embroidery machine as defined by a corner of a needle plate of the embroidery machine;
• securing the hooping frame within the second hooping frame holding means of the embroidery machine to prevent rotation of the hooping frame relative to the needle plate;
• aligning the needle of the embroidery machine relative to the origin of the cross hairs displayed within the opening of the hooping frame and securing the position of the needle relative to the origin of the cross hairs;
• and
• conducting an alignment of at least one fabric for the placement of an aligned embroidery thereon by placing a hooping frame having the same peripheral wall configuration used to align the embroidery machine into the first hooping frame holding means positioned on the platform;
• positioning a fabric over the hooping frame;
• aligning the fabric positioned on the platform relative to at least one reference point of the fabric by utilizing the fabric alignment pattern displayed on the platform to horizontally position the fabric at the intended embroidery position relative to the entire fabric while simultaneously vertically positioning the fabric at the intended embroidery position in an aligned manner relative to the origin of the cross hair pattern displayed on the first hooping frame holding means which is aligned with the needle of the embroidery machine thereby aligning the embroidered pattern in the desired orientation upon the fabric;
• securing the fabric in the hooping frame;
• and
• positioning the hooping frame securing the fabric into the second hooping frame holding means of the embroidering machine and embroidering the aligned embroidery on the fabric.