Hem folding attachment

A sewing machine attachment for folding an edge of material, comprising:

• a) a support plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface and lower surface merging along an elongated front edge;
• b) a vacuum chamber mounted beneath the lower surface and having a guiding surface having at least one air intake orifice therethrough such that the guiding surface provides an abutment preventing the raw edge of the material from being drawn into the vacuum chamber, the guiding surface defines a wall of the vacuum chamber, the guiding surface extends along only a portion of the piece of material, and the vacuum chamber induces the edge of the material into alignment and abutment with the guiding surface;
• c) at least one air nozzle disposed in spaced apart relation to the air intake orifice such that a stream of air is directed from the nozzle toward the orifice such that the stream of air induces the edge of the material into alignment and abutment with the guiding surface;
• and
• d) an underlay surface extending beneath at least a portion of the lower surface.

A sewing machine attachment for folding an edge of material, comprising:

• a) a support plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface and lower surface merging along an elongated front edge;
• b) a vacuum chamber mounted beneath the lower surface and having a guiding surface having at least one air intake orifice therethrough, the vacuum chamber having a first end adjacent to the guiding surface and a second end opposite the first end, the vacuum chamber having a curved section between the first and second end;
• c) at least one air nozzle disposed in spaced apart relation to the air intake orifice such that a stream of air is directed from the nozzle toward the orifice;
• and
• d) an underlay surface extending beneath at least a portion of the lower surface.

An apparatus for folding an edge of a piece of material underneath the material to form a hem, comprising:

• a) a support plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface and lower surface merging along an elongated front edge;
• b) a vacuum chamber mounted beneath the lower surface and having a guiding surface with at least one air intake orifice therethrough such that the guiding surface provides an abutment preventing the raw edge of the material from being drawn into the vacuum chamber, the guiding surface defines a wall of the vacuum chamber, the guiding surface extends along only a portion of the piece of material, and the vacuum chamber induces the edge of the material to the guiding surface;
• c) at least one air nozzle disposed in spaced apart relation to the air intake orifice such that a stream of air is directed from the nozzle toward the orifice such that the stream of air induces the edge of the material into alignment and abutment with the guiding surface;
• and
• d) an underlay surface extending beneath at least a portion of the lower surface such that the edge of the material is guided toward the vacuum chamber after it is folded over the front edge.

An apparatus for folding an edge of a piece of material underneath the material to form a hem, comprising:

• a) a support plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface and lower surface merging along an elongated front edge;
• b) a vacuum chamber mounted beneath the lower surface and having a guiding surface with at least one air intake orifice therethrough such that the vacuum chamber induces the edge of the material to the guiding surface, the vacuum chamber having a first end adjacent to the guiding surface and a second end opposite the first end, the vacuum chamber having a curved section between the first and second end;
• c) at least one air nozzle disposed in spaced apart relation to the air intake orifice such that a stream of air is directed from the nozzle toward the orifice;
• and
• d) an underlay surface extending beneath at least a portion of the lower surface such that the edge of the material is guided toward the vacuum chamber after it is folded over the front edge.

A sewing machine attachment for folding the edge of a piece of material, comprising:

• a) a support plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface and lower surface merging along an elongated front edge;
• b) a vacuum chamber mounted beneath the lower surface and having a guiding surface for aligning, abutting and guiding the edge of the piece of material, the guiding surface having at least one air intake orifice therethrough such that the guiding surface defines a wall of the vacuum chamber, and the guiding surface provides an abutment preventing the raw edge of the material from being drawn into the vacuum chamber;
• c) means for guiding a stream of air toward the at least one air intake orifice;
• and
• d) an underlay surface extending beneath the lower surface and juxtaposed with the guiding surface such that the edge of the material is guided toward the vacuum chamber after it is folded over the front edge.

A sewing machine attachment for folding the edge of a piece of material, comprising:

• a) a support plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface and lower surface merging along an elongated front edge;
• b) a vacuum chamber mounted beneath the lower surface and having a guiding surface for aligning and guiding the edge of the piece of material, the guiding surface having at least one air intake orifice, the vacuum chamber having a first end adjacent to the guiding surface and a second end opposite the first end, the vacuum chamber having a curved section between the first and second end;
• c) means for guiding a stream of air toward the at least one air intake orifice;
• and
• d) an underlay surface extending beneath the lower surface and juxtaposed with the guiding surface such that the edge of the material is guided toward the vacuum chamber after it is folded over the front edge.

An apparatus for folding an edge of a piece of material underneath the material to form a hem for sewing, comprising:

• a) a support plate having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface and lower surface merging along an elongated front edge;
• b) a vacuum chamber mounted beneath the lower surface and having a guiding surface with four intake orifices therethrough such that the vacuum chamber induces the edge of the material to the guiding surface such that the guiding surface provides an abutment preventing the raw edge of the material from being drawn into the vacuum chamber, the guiding surface defines a wall of the vacuum chamber, the guiding surface extends along only a portion of the piece of material, and the vacuum chamber induces the edge of the material into alignment and abutment with the guiding surface;
• c) four air nozzles disposed in spaced apart relation to the air intake orifices such that streams of air are directed from the nozzles toward the orifices such that the streams of air induce the edge of the material into alignment and abutment with the guiding surface;
• and
• d) an underlay surface extending beneath and substantially parallel to the lower surface and disposed in spaced apart relation with the guiding surface.