US2983238A - Attachment for sewing machines - Google Patents

Description

y 9, 1961 I. BRAGER 2,983,238

ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W" "H l 4 a l| I Z0 fl 2/ i Q I 1 6/ a} Z? ill I 1 4 p Mix. a 5/ 4/ 519 as T "I 42 .36 49 53 INVENTOR.

fierze Brazie y 9, 1961 l. BRAGER 2,983,238

ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR. frezza 23/4114 4 BY @L MW r-M AM m Patented May 9, 1961 ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Irene Brar'rer, M. Gladbach, Germany, assignor to Fremaco International, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 6, 1956, Ser. No. 620,604 Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 19, 1955 Claims. (Cl. 112-77) This invention relates as indicated to an attachment for sewing machines, and more particularly to attachments for making decorative stitches or buttonholes.

In the past, if it were desired to'produce decorative stitches or buttonholes, by means of attachments attached to the fabric presser foot post of asimple sewing machine, the layer of stitches had to be additionally positioned sidewards. In the case of buttonholes, the positioning was done by leaving the needle with its top in the fabric after having sewn the first buttonhole hem, lifting the fabric presser post together with the attachment (attached to the fabric presser post) and turning the fabric by 180 around the top of the needle in the fabric, getting the needle out of the fabric, and then positioning the fabric sidewards. After putting down the fabric presser post, then, beside the first buttonhole hem the next one could be made. In other words, the positioning of the stitch field was made by moving a suitable mechanism guided by hand, after having sewn a certain number of zig-Zag stitches, which shifts the sewing foot with the fabric underneath it sidewards in sewing direction. The thus newly created stitch is again sewn upon with a number of zig-zag stitches, whereupon the process of shifting the sewing foot, as mentioned above, is repeated. Here also the positioning of the stitch field is controlled by hand. The thus produced decorative seams, although produced by tedious and long work, were not exact and even, since the necessary counting of the individual stitches demanded unusual attention. Naturally, the positioning of the stitch field might be effected by hand during the sewing process, but it Was practically impossible, even with trained operators with the greatest attention to produce continuously clean, and even, decorative seams. i

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an attachment for sewing machines for producing zigzag stitches.

It is a further object of the invention to provide anattachment which effects automatically the positioning of the stitch field, so that without any special knowledge or training, decorative stitches can be achieved easily and conveniently, no matter how long, and with precise symmetry- I It is a still further object of the invention to provide an attachment that is conveniently and inexpensively manufactured.

7 Further objects and advantages of this invention will become evident as the description proceeds and from an examination of the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment-of the invention and in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure lis a view in elevation of the device embodyingvthe invention. 7 i I V Figure 2is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view'in section taken along lines 3-- 3 of Figure 2. l i

Figure 4 is a view in section taken substantially along line 4-4 of Figure 2 with the fork lever broken away.

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates generally the attachment embodying the invention for making decorative stitches or for sewing buttonholes.

A supporting member 11 is adapted to be securely fastened to the presser foot post of a sewing machine. Journalled in' the supporting member is a shaft 12. Mounted on the shaft 12 on opposite sides of the supporting member 11 are a pair of plates 14, 15, having on the inner face thereof cams 16, 17. The shaft and the cams are advanced step by step bya stepping mechanism. The stepping mechanism includes a fork lever 20 adapted to be reciprocated by the moving needle post on the sewing machine in a well known manner. shaft is advanced by a pawl mounted on the fork lever that engages a ratchet 22 mounted on shaft 12.

The presser foot 30 swings back and forth to move the material under the needle in a predetermined man- The presser foot is. suspended on an arm 31. At-

ner. the rearward portion of the arm 31 is mounted a cam follower 32 which is swung back and forth by the rises and dwells on cams 16, 17. In the presser foot arm 31, between the cam follower 32 and the presser foot 30, is an elongated slot 33.

A slider bar 36 has an upwardly bent end 37 that projects through the slot 33 and serves as a pivot for the presser foot arm 31. Thus, as the cam follower 32 is swung back and forth by cams 16, 17, the presser foot arm 31 swings about pivot 37 on the slider bar 36. The slider bar has a handle portion 38 so that it may be manually adjusted to position the pivot 37 at a selected location. In this way the amount of swinging motion of the presser foot 30 may be adjusted or varied; An elongated slot 39 is formed in slider bar 36.

Depending from supporting member 11 through slot 33 of presser foot arm 31, and slot 39 of slider bar 36, is post 40. A supporting plate is mounted on the bottom of the post for holding a slider bar and presser foot arm in position. The plate 41 is retained on the post 40 by a pin 42.

Cam 5 0 is mounted on shaft 12 opposite the fork lever 20. A Cam 50 has laterally displaced marginal edge portions 51. A cam follower member 53 has a forked portion 54 for actuation by cam 50. The cam follower member 53 is pivoted about the pin 55 mounted in the supporting member 11. 'A slot 56, formed in the cam follower member 53, receives the upper end of pivot 37 of slider bar 36. As cam 50 is rotated, the cam follower 53 is laterally displaced by the contour on the marginal edges of cam 50. As the cam follower is displaced, it

also displaces thepivot 37 of slider bar 36. Thus, the

presser foot arm31 as it swings about pivot 37 is displaced sideways during the sewing operation, according to design of cam 50.

. Cam 50 is removably mounted on shaft 12 by a manually operable thumb screw in the form of a screw with a knurled head 59. A number of cams similar to 50 may be supplied with thesewing attachment, and substituted bythe operator by merely removing the thumb screw and placing 'on the shaft 12 the proper cam for the de- The.

- 3 vancement ofthe cams 16, 17, swingsthe presser foot arm 31 through actuation of the cam follower 32 and shifting the fabric beneath the presser foot 36 diagonally to the sewing direction in a manner such that zig-Zag stitchesare achieved. The swinging of the presser foot arm 31 is about'pivot 37 of' slider bar 36. The contour formed on cam 50 displaces laterally the pivot 37, also diagonally to the sewing direction of the machine.

presser foot arm 31 and with it the fabric beneath the presser foot 30 is additionally pushed diagonally to the sewing direction of the machine. With this, the automatic sideways adjustment stitch positions of the normal zig-z a'g stitch during a sewing operation are achieved. Depending upon the construction of cam 5%, which may bemanually exchanged without difficulty, decorative stitches can be obtained by inexperienced operators.

By action of the sideways displacement of'the pivot 37, the

, Inthe drawing and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although'specific terms are employed, these are used in fastened to the presser foot post of a sewing machine and dn'ven by the needle bar comprising asupporting member, an adjustable pivot member, a presser foot supported for movements about said pivot member, a rotatable shaft, means adapted to be associated with a needle post for advancing said shaft, first cam means mounted on and rotated by said shaft for moving said presser foot aboutsaid pivot member to produce z ig-zag stitches, second replaceable cam means removably mounted on one end of said shaft for transversely shifting said pivot member, anda manually operable thumb screw member for removably securing said second replaceable cam to said shaft, whereby the stitching patternmay be varied by manually substituting difierent cams for said second replaceable cam. I

2. An'attachment for sewing machines adapted to be fastened to the presser foot post of a sewing machine and driven by the needle bar comprising asupporting men-- ber, a pivot member, a presser foot supported for moveshaft; first cam means rotated by said shaft for moving ments aboutsaid pivot member, ashaft, means adapted to be associated with a needle post for advancing said said presser foot about said pivot member, second re- 11 .placeable cam means removably mounted on oneend of manually substituting different cams for said second re- 1" placeahle cam.

member adapted to .be fastened tothe'presser foot'of a engaging said pivot member for transversely shifting said pivot member upon rotation of said second cam means, and a manually operable thumb screw member for removably securing said second replaceable cam to said shaft, whereby the stitching pattern may be varied by manually substituting different cams for said second replaceable cam.

4. An attachment for sewing machines adapted to be fastened to the presser foot post of a sewing machine and driven by the needle bar, comprising a support member adapted to be fastened to the presser foot post of a sewing machine, a pivot member, arm means pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said pivot member,

a presser foot mounted on said arm means, a shaft, means adapted to be associated with a needle post for rotating said shaft, first cam means secured to said shaft for rotation therewith, first follower means mounted on said arm means in operative "association with'said -first by the stitching pattern maybe varied by 'manually suba stituting different cams for said second replaceable cam. '5.' An attachment for sewing machines adapted to be fastened to the presser foot post of a sewing machine and driven by the needle bar, comprising a supporting member adapted to be fastened to the presser foot post of a sewing machine, a pivot member, arm means pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said pivot membcr for oscillatory movement thereon, a. presser foot supported on said arm means, a shaft, means adapted to be associated with a needle post for rotating said shaft, first cam means secured to said shaft for rotation therewith,

first follower meaus mounted on'said arm means in operative association with said first cam means, said first follower means oscillating said arm means about 'saidpivot member upon rotation of said -shaft,;second replaceable cam means removably mounted on one end said second follower means engaging said pivot member for transversely shifting said pivot member upon rotation of said second cam means, and means for longitudinally moving ,said'pivot member with respect to the ends of said arm means, and a manually operablethumb screw 7 3.]A1'1 attachment for sewing machines adapted to'bef 1 fastened to the presser foot post of a sewing machine 'and driven by the needle'bar, comprising a supporting sewing machine, apivot member, a-presser foot supported-foif oscillatory movement about said -pivot member, ;a shaft, means adapted to be associated with a needle post for rotating said shaft,'first cam means :securedtoi said shaft; for rotationtherewith, first follower means secured' to said presser foot in operative association with said first cam means, saidtirst follower imeansfoscillat- 'ing saidpresser foot about said pivot ,upon-rotation of said 'first cam means, secondreplaceable cam'means re- A: movably'mounted on one end of said-shaftfor'rotation therewith, second followerfmeans op e iatively associated 327,l69 374,479 Johnson Dec..6,'18-87 389,573 Johnson SeptIlS, 1888 440,179 Morris Nov. 11,1 1,958,207 Scheibel'et al. ;May 8,1934 2,207,293 ,Hin'man i July 9, 1940 2,374,721 Bacon et a1. 1945' 2,405,253 Y 1946 2,762,515 7 V I p 1955 r 2,770,206 Baehr et a1. 4. Nov. 13, 1956 .member for removablysecu'ring said second replaceable 7 second replaceable cam.

References Cited inthe file of this patent Q UNITED srA'rEs PATENTS 7 Huntington Sept.' 2;9., 1885

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