US2918026A - Plait forming attachments for sewing machines - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, 1959 l P. cs. THUMLERY BUSCHER 2,918,026

PLAIT FORMING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July 1, 1957 IN VEN TOR. Paul Guillermo Thum/er y Buscher WITNESS 26 2,91 ,026 iLAIT FORMING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES Signor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 1, 1957, Serial No. 669,078

2 Claims. Cl. 112-435) I This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to a plaiting or tucking'device which serves to form a plait or tuck in a fabric, which plait or tuck is subsequently permanently stitched.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved plaiting device constructed and ar- -ranged in a manner to facilitate the insertion and re-.

moval of the fabric from the plait forming members,

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings. which iliustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and advantages attained thereby will be readily-understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

l atented Dec. 22, 195.9

in a laterally projecting lip 29 spaced above and parallel with the throat plate 15. To facilitate the insertion Paul Guillermo Thumler y Buscher, Havana, Cuba, as- I is disposed transversely of the normal line of feed .and terminates at its outer end in a plaiting edge "43 substantially parallel with the line of feed.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a.v

sewing machine, partly in section, embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a left side elevational view similar to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of'the sewing machine throat plate and showing the relationship of the feeding device and the folding guide carried by the throat plate.

Fig. 5 is a view taken substantially alongthe line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the folding guide.

Referring to the drawings, the present invention is embodied in a sewing machine comprising a head 10 carrying a bearing sleeve 11 in which there is journaled a reciprocating needle bar 12 having secured on its lower end an eye-pointed needle 13. The needle 13 recipro cates through a needle opening 14 formed in a throat plate 15 seated within a bed 16 in which there is located the usual four motion feed mechanism including a feed dog 17 secured to a feed bar 18.

The feed dog 17 is formed with three spaced parallel rows of serrated feed teeth 19, 20, 21 which are adapted, during the feed advance movement thereof, to project through feed slots 22, 23, 24, respectively, formed in the throat plate 15. The rows of feed teeth 19, 20, and 21 are arranged such that the leading or forward tooth on each of the rows of teeth does not project substantially forward of the needle opening 14 thereby not to interfere with the plait forming structure as hereinafter described. 7

Located in an offset cut-out portion 22a formed in the throat plate 15 in front of the needle opening 14 is a fold guide 25. The fold guide 25 is formed from sheet metal or the like and is attached at its tail end 26 to the underside of the throat plate 15 by a screw 27. v The forward end of the fold guide 25 projects upwardly through the cutout portion 22a in front of the needle opening 14 and is "provided with a vertical flat face 28 parallel with the line of feed which terminates of fabric in the fold guide 25 the edge of the lip 29 is curved outwardly in a direction away from the needle opening 14.

Secured to the exposed end of the bearing sleeve 11 by a clamping screw 30 is a horizontally disposed split collar 31 of a bracket 32 which includes a limb 33 extending inwardly of and normal to the line of feed. Ex-

tending downwardly from the front face of the split collar 31 is a flange 34 which receives a stud 34a pivotally securing an upwardly extending arm 35 of a carrier-bar 36. Integral with the arm 35 is one end of a laterally extending arm 37 which is slightly inclined away from a vertical plane with the lower edge 38'of the arm 37 spaced rearwardly from the top edge. De-

pending downwardly and integral with the other end of the lateral arm 37 is an arm 39 which detachably receives, by screws 40 0r the like, an upstanding slotted shank 41 of a plaiting blade 42. The plaiting blade 42 The plaiting edge 43 is formed with a rounded corner cooperating with the curved edge of the lip 29 to form therewith a substantially V-shaped notch which serves -to guide the fabric between the fold guide 25 and plaitblade 42 in the normal operative plait forming position there is secured, to the upper end of the arm 35 by a screw 44, one end ofa tension spring 45 which is secured at its other end to Prong 46 formed on the free end of the limb 33. In this manner the carrier bar 36, including the plaiting blade 42 mounted thereon, is normally urged clockwise about the pivot stud 34a. Projecting outwardly from the flange 34 of the split collar 31 is a lug 47 which receives an adjusting screw 48 held selectively positioned by a lock nut 49. The adjusting screw 48 is engageable with the arm 35 to limit the clockwise movement of the carrier bar 36. By adjusting the screw 48 the desired spacing between the plaiting edge 43 and the vertical face 28 of the fold guide 25 may be obtained to accommodate various thicknesses of material. Furthermore, when the screws 40 securing the plaiting blade 42 to the arm 39 are loosened, the vertical position or level of the plaiting edge between the lip 29 and the throat plate 15 may also be adjusted.

Journaled in the head 10 in a suitable bearing is the usual vertically movable presser bar 51 carrying on the reduced lower end a shank 52 of a presser foot 53 which is biased into feed engaging position in the conventional manner by spring means (not shown) in engagement with the presser bar 51. Extending forwardly from the shank 52 is a sole plate 54 provided with a needle opening 55 in register with the throat plate needle opening 14. The sole plate terminates at its forward end in a single tine 56. The tine 56 and the terminal edge of the sole plate 54 define a clearance opening which, when the presser foot 53 is in its fabric engaging position, receives the fold guide 25 therein.

Clamped to the presser bar 51 is a lifting bracket 57, the lower end of which is formed with a horizontal for! wardly projecting finger 58 arranged to underlie the lower edge 38 of the horizontal arm 37 of the plaiting blade carrier bar 36. In the fabric engaging position of the presser'foot 53 the finger 58 is located such that the arm 37is"free"to turn about the pivot stud 34a until it abuts against the adjustable stop 48. Upon raising the presser simultaneously movable away from and toward the fabric :th'e'reby to'facilitate the removable and'insertion of the fabric 'in the fold guide. carrier arm 35' and the plaiting blade 42 carried thereon Furthermore, as shown, the

are 'arranged'in a manner such that an operator can {readily grasp the downwardly extending 'arm '39 and swing 'the blade out of its operative plaitingposition independently of any movement of the presser foot 53. 'jHaving thus described the nature of the invention,

What I claim herein is:

.1. In a sewing'r'nachine" having a frame including a bed, a throat plate mounted in said bed, a needleopening in said throat plate, a fabric feeding element extending through said throat plate, a head spaced above said "throat plate, a presser bar supported in said head for j'movement toward and away from said throat plate, a presserfoot carried by said presser bar and having a sole platedisposed in cooperative relation with said feed- "ing element, a needle opening formed in-said presser' foot "and'aligned with-said throat plate needle opening, a cutou't in said throat plate in advance ofsaid resser-foot sole plate, a bearing sleeve in said head, a reciprocatory -needle bar journaled in said bearing sleeve, a fold guide attached to said throat plate and projecting through'said 'cut-out and above the upper surface of said-throat plate in advance of said feeding element, a plaiting blade arranged to cooperate withsaid fold guide to form a plait in fabric, a carrier bar supporting saidplaiting blade, means on said bearing sleeve pivotally mounting said carrier bar for movement in a plane normal-to said 'fold guide for swinging said plaiting blade toward or away from the fold guide, said carrier bar including an edge disposed below and to one side of said pivotal mounting means, a lifting finger secured to said presser bar engageable with said carrier bar edge upon raising said presser bar thereby to swing said plaiting blade away from said fold guide, and adjustable means engageable with said carrier bar for stopping movement of said plaiting blade toward said fold-guide.

2. In a sewing machine having a frame including a bed, a throat plate in said bed, a needle opening in said throat plate, a feeding element adapted to project through said throat platerearwardly of said needle-opening,-a presser bar supported for movement toward and away from said' throat plate, a presserfoot. carried by said presser bar and having a sole plate disposed in cooperative relation with said feeding element, said sole plate having a needle opening in-register with said throat plate needle opening, a cut-out in said throat plate in advance of said presser foot sole plate, a fold guide projecting through said cut-out above the top surface of said throat plate surface, a plaiting blade arranged to cooperatewith said fold guide to forma plait in fabric, a'car'rier bar, means securing said plaiting blade on said carrier bar for adjustment toward and away from said throat plate,

means pivotally mounting said carrier bar on said frame and providing for the swinging of said plaiting blade toward or away from said fold guide, said carrier bar .including an edge disposed below and extending to oneside of said pivotal mounting means, a lifting finger secured to said presserbar engageable with said carrier bar edge upon-raising said presser bar thereby to swing said plaiting blade away from said fold guide, and adjustable means engageable with said carrier bar for stopping movement of 'said plaiting blade towardsaid'fold guide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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