Sewing and material removal assembly

In an attachment for a sewing machine to remove, from a large piece of stitchable material to be stitched, a first central smaller piece of the stitchable material, and then an annular piece which originally surrounded the central piece, said attachment having a kit detachable from but connectable to the sewing machine, said kit including a base provided with a surface for supporting the stitchable material and a punch die formed through the surface, a punch tool cooperative with said punch die for removing the annular piece of material from the larger piece of material, and a drive for moving the tool relative to the punch die, the improvement in said attachment comprising:

• said punch die having a circular punch edge;
• said punch tool having a proximal end secured to said drive, said proximal end being cylindrically-shaped and having a punch edge cooperative with the punch die to remove the annular piece of material from the larger piece of material as the tool moves relative to the punch die;
• said punch tool having a cylindrically-shaped distal end connected to said proximal end, said distal end having a diameter that is insufficient to cooperate with the punch die to remove the annular piece from the large piece, said distal end having at least one cutting edge which, as the tool is first moved relative to the punch die, cuts the first central piece and removes the cut central piece from the larger piece.

An attachment for a sewing machine which operates with stitchable material, said attachment removing, from a large piece of the stitchable material which is to be stitched, a smaller piece of the stitchable material, said attachment comprising:

• a kit detachable from and connectable to said sewing machine, said kit comprising:
• a base having a surface for supporting the stitchable material,
• a punch die formed through said surface and having a punch die edge;
• a drive for movable relative to said punch die;
• and
• a punch tool having a proximal end connected to said drive for movement relative to the stitchable material and said punch die, said punch tool having a distal end adjacent to said proximal end, said distal end having at least one cutting surface movable with said tool into said punch die to cut a first central portion of said supported smaller piece of the material and remove it from the larger piece, leaving an annular portion of the smaller piece attached to the larger piece, said proximal end having a punch tool edge cooperative with said punch die edge to remove the annular piece of material from the larger piece of the material as said punch tool moves further relative to said punch die.

An attachment for a sewing machine, said attachment removing, from a large piece of stitchable material which is to be stitched by the sewing machine, a smaller piece of the stitchable material, said attachment comprising:

• a kit detachable from and connectable to said sewing machine, said kit comprising:
• a base for supporting the stitchable material and a punch die formed in said base, said punch die having a circular punch die edge;
• a drive for movement relative to said punch die;
• and
• a punch tool provided with a punching edge and having a proximal end moved by said drive to insert said punching edge through the stitchable material and said punch die to remove the small piece from the large piece, said punch tool having a distal end adjacent to said proximal end, said distal end having at least one cutting surface closer to said punch die than said punching edge and being movable into said punch die before said punching edge to cut a central portion of the smaller piece of the stitchable material prior to said punching edge removing the smaller cut piece of material from the larger piece of the material.

A method of removing, from a large piece of stitchable material which is to be stitched by a sewing machine, a smaller piece of the stitchable material, said method comprising the steps of:

• defining the smaller piece of the stitchable material as having an outer perimeter and a central section spaced inwardly from the perimeter to define a surrounding section;
• providing a tool set comprising a punch with at least one cutting edge and at least one punch edge, said tool set further comprising a die cooperative with said punch edge, said cutting edge being distal of said punch edge for engaging the stitchable material before said punch edge engages the stitchable material;
• positioning the stitchable material on the die;
• moving said punch into the smaller piece of stitchable material inside the perimeter to cause said cutting edge to form at least one cut in the stitchable material inside the perimeter and completely around the central section to leave the surrounding section attached to the large piece of material;
• and
• moving said punch further into the smaller piece of the stitchable material to cause said punch edge to engage the stitchable material substantially along the perimeter and cooperate with said die to remove the surrounding section from the large piece of the stitchable material.