GB1050115A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,050,115. Sewing machines. MACE RAINBOW & STONE Ltd. Aug. 12, 1963 [Aug. 13, 1962], No. 30980/63. Heading D1G. Automatic sewing apparatus comprises a sewing machine movable in a single plane in two directions at right angles to one another, a clamp for holding a workpiece to project beyond an edge thereof, a cam shaped to the desired sitching path, a cam follower movable with the sewing machine to engage said cam, and means for moving the sewing machine with the cam follower engaged with the cam to perform a stitching operation in that part of the workpiece projecting beyond the clamp. A stand comprises end frames 2 interconnected by rods 3 and a bar 4. A pair of rails 5 are joined at their ends by bars 6 carrying rollers 7 engaging runners 8 on the end frames 2. The base 11 of a sewing machine 9 carries at its front a depending support 12 and at its rear two similar supports 13. Rollers 14 carried by said supports engage the rails 5. Bars 16 depending from said supports holdplate 16 supporting a motor 16 coupled to the sewing machine by a belt 18. A reversible, variable speed motor 21 depending from base 11 drives a sprocket 22 engaged with a chain 23 stretched between the bars 6. A pair of heated, seam-opening rollers 25,26 are mounted one on each side of the needle and are carried by slidable rods for movement into and out of the operative position. A table 33 is carried by trunnions 34,35 engaged in slots 72 formed in the end frames 2. Said trunnions are engaged by the forked upper ends of levers 38,39 pivoted at 41,42 in bearings 42 provided in the end frames 2. The lower ends 43,44 of the levers are connected to linkages adapted to pivot the levers in one or the other direction. Pivot 41 is rotatable by external means, and is coupled by a chain 48 to trunnion 34 for turning the table 33 in one or the other direction through 180 degrees as determined by a limit switch 54 carried by an end frame 2. The table comprises two similar parts 55,56 each having a surface 57 supporting respective workpieces 60,61 held thereon by pivoted work clamps 58,59 actuated by fluid pressure jacks 66,67. The edges 55a, 56a of the parts 55,56, and the corresponding edges 70,71 of the clamps 58,59 are shaped in the form of the desired stitching path. A needle-passing plate, carried by the sewing machine, is adapted to engage either the edge 70 or the edge 71, and is biased thereagainst by either spring or deadweight means applied to the rails 5. On operation of the motors 19 and 21 the sewing machine traverses the edge of the engaged clamp to sew a seam in the projecting edge of the workpiece held therein. In use, the part initially positioned away from the sewing machine is loaded, and the table is turned through 180 degrees to present the newly-loaded workpiece to the sewing machine and to return the sewn workpiece for unloading.