US3354850A

US3354850A - Feed control mechanism for quilting machine arrangement

Info

Publication number: US3354850A
Application number: US482496A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wayne G Story
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-08-25
Filing date: 1965-08-25
Publication date: 1967-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1984-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1967 w. G. STORY FEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR QUILTING MACHINE ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1965 INVENTOR. Wayne G. Story Mi/25W Attorney W. G. STORY Nov. 28, 1967 FEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR QUILTING MACHINE- ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1965 INVENTOR. Woyne 6. Story Atro rney W. G. STORY Nov. 28, 1967 FEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR QUILTING MACHINE ARRANGEMENT- Filed Aug. 25, 1965 3 SheetsSheet 5 Ff'aa INVENTOR. Wayne Story BY M/MM Attorney 3,354,850 FEED CONTROL MECHANISM FOR QUILTING MACHINE ARRANGEMENT Wayne G. Story, 7 Hickory Lane, Algonquin, Ill. 60102 Filed Aug. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 482,496 Claims. (Cl. 112118) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a quilting machine having means for driving the sewing and workpiece feed mechanisms from a common power source and including a guide mechanism with a differential gearing arrangement to compensate for the relative movement between the feed drive and the feed control mechanisms to provide a uniform rate of speed for the feed drive mechanism relative to the speed of the sewing mechanism to insure uniformity in the length of stitches of the sewing machine.

This invention relates to quilting machines, and more particularly to an arrangement for feeding a workpiece under a sewing mechanism and for controlling the direction of feed.

The invention comprehends an improvement in a quilting machine of the type wherein a workpiece is secured to a frame on a carriage mounted under a stationary sewing mechanism for universal movement in a horizontal plane to permit an operator to control the direction of feed of the workpiece and thereby stitch in a predetermined pattern.

It is an object of the invention to provide, in an arrangement of the type described, means for driving the sewing and workpiece feed mechanisms from a common power source in synchronization with each other.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in an arrangement of the type described, of a guide mechanism for controlling the direction of feed of the workpiece to stitch in a predetermined pattern.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide, in an arrangement of the type described, a differential gearing arrangement to compensate for the relative movement between the feed drive and the feed control mechanisms to provide a uniform rate of speed for the feed drive mechanism relative to the speed of the sewing mechanism to insure uniformity in the length of stitches of the sewing mechanism.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from an examination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a quilting machine embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the feed mechanism illustrated in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a reduced, fragmentary, side elevational view, similar to the view of FIGURE 2, but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Turning now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, it will be seen that the novel quilting machine of the invention includes supporting framework or structure, indicated generally at SS, which may be positioned on and secured to the floor F of a building.

The supporting structure includes a preferably rectangular, flat, horizontally disposed base which comprises a pair of longitudinally extending side members 12 nited States Patent 50 3,354,850 Fate'nted Nov. 28, 1967 EET interconnected at their ends by a pair of integral, transversely extending end members 14.

Secured to and extending upwardly from medial portions of end members 14 is a pair of vertical posts or columns 16 which are interconnected at their upper extremities by an integral, longitudinal, upper, horizontal member or bridge 18. Spaced vertically below bridge 18 is a second integral, longitudinal, lower, horizontal member or shelf 20 which also interconnects columns 16.

Mounted on the upper surfaces of side members 14 is a first pair of roller tracks 22 which receive the rollers 24 of a lower carriage 26 to permit the movement of the lower carriage longitudinally of the base.

Lower carriage 26 is preferably a rectangular framelike structure including opposed pairs of elongated side and

end members

28 and 30, respectively, which are interconnected at their ends to provide a rigid rectangular frame.

Mounted on the upper surfaces of lower carriage end members 30 is a second pair of roller tracks 32 which receive the rollers 34 of an upper carriage 36 to permit the movement of the upper carriage transversely of the base. Thus, it will be apparent that with this double carriage arrangement the upper carriage can be moved in any direction in a horizontal plane relative to the supporting structure.

Upper carriage 36 preferably includes a pair of generally rectangular top and bottom

horizontal frames

38 and 40, respectively, which are spaced vertically from each other in overlying relation and which are interconnected at their corners by opposed pairs of front and rear (as seen in FIGURE 1)

corner posts

42 and 44, respectively.

As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 3, bottom frame includes a pair of horizontal cross-members or struts 46 on which may be resiliently mounted a table 48.

Table 48 may be supported at its corners on springs 50 which are carried on spring guides 52 received within spring housings 54 secured to cross struts 46. To limit vertical movement of table 48 the spring guides may be provided with spring guide pins 56 which ride in related grooves or slots 58 in the related spring housings.

The upper surface of table 48 may be recessed to receive a relatively thin, flat plate 59, preferably formed of a soft material such as soft metal or plastic. The purpose of plate 59 will be described later in the specification.

A conventional sewing machine S of the type used in commercial quilting operations is supported by the base 10, with the head portion H, housing the vertically reciprocating needle mechanism, being secured to the underside of the base bridge 18, and with the separate table or base portion T, housing the bobbin mechanism, being secured to the upper side of the base shelf 20, directly below and in alignment with the head portion of the sewing machine.

Inasmuch as this invention is not concerned with the actual needle and bobbin mechanisms of the sewing machine (which may be of any conventional type) they are not illustrated in detail in the drawings. Although the needle and bobbin mechanisms are not shown in detail, the drive shafts for these mechanisms are shown in FIG- URE 2 of the drawings and will be described later in the specification.

Again referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that a pair of material carrying front and rear rolls 60 and 62, respectively, are rotatably mounted on and supported by the front and rear pairs of

corner posts

42 and 44, respectively, of upper carriage 36. Thus, as the material which forms the workpiece is advanced from front roll 60 to rear roll 62 it passes in a horizontal plane between the needle and bobbin mechanisms of the sewing machine. Also, because of the dual frame arrangement, the workpiece may be moved horizontally in any desired direction relative to the sewing machine which is in a fixed position.

The portion of the workpiece may be retained in a taut or stretched condition between the rolls 60 and 62 by means of a clamping mechanism 64 which includes a pair of generally thin, fiat, elongated clamping bars 66, spaced above upper carriage top frame 38 a distance suificient to permit the marginal side edges of the workpiece to be received therebetween, and which are urged toward and away from frame 38 by a plurality of pneumatically or electrically actuated pistons 68.

The direction of movement of the upper carriage, which holds the workpiece, can be controlled manually, as illustrated in FIGURES l and 2 and hereinafter described, or it can be controlled automatically by a programming arrangement, as illustrated in the modified form of the invention shown in FIGURE 4 and described later in the specification.

In the manual guiding arrangement the operator can either guide the carriage by means of the pointer mechanism indicated generally at 70, or he can merely move the carriage in a manner such that printed lines on the workpiece itself are brought in line with the needle of the sewing machine.

Pointer mechanism 70 includes a horizontally disposed arm 72 having its inner end affixed to the upper carriage, as at 74, and having at its outer end a vertical pointer or finger 76 which is disposed to move over a printed pattern P disposed on a shelf 78 affixed to one of the columns 16 of the base 10.

The feed control mechanism, indicated generally at 80, includes a handle 82 fixed to one end of a handle shaft 84 which is rotatably mounted on a base column of the supporting structure and which has fixed to its opposite end a bevel gear 86 engageable with a bevel gear 88 on the outboard end of a horizontal control shaft 90 which is also rotatably carried by the supporting structure.

A bevel gear 92 is fixed to the inboard end of horizontal control shaft 90 for engagement with a bevel gear 94 fixed to the upper end of a vertical control shaft 96, also rotatably carried by the supporting structure, and having fixed to its lower end a belt pulley 98 connected by a belt 100 to a belt pulley 102 fixed to a lower portion of a hollow, vertical, feed control main shaft 104 which is rotatably supported, as at 106, by a bracket 108 mounted on the underside of supporting structure shelf 20.

At its lower end main shaft 104 has afi'ixed thereto or formed integrally therewith, a feed drive mechanism housing or support 110 having a pair of upper and

lower shafts

112 and 114 mounted therein for rotation about parallel horizontal axes.

Fixed to a medial portion of lower shaft 114 is a feed wheel 116 which, when rotated with shaft 114, is engagea-ble with soft plate 59 carried by table 48 on the bottom frame 40 of upper carriage 36 in a manner previously described. Preferably, feed wheel 116 is provided with gear type teeth 118 which can bite into the soft material -of plate 59 and, when rotated, move the plate and thereby move the entire upper carriage and workpiece, in the desired direction as controlled by the operator.

The direction of movement is accomplished by the feed control mechanism, indicated generally at 80, and previously described.

As feed control handle 82 is rotated in either direction, by means of the gear train including shaft 84,

gears

86 and 88, shaft 90,

gears

92 and 94, shaft 96, pulley 98. belt 100, and pulley 102, main shaft 104 and housing 110 are thereby rotated and, in turn rotate shaft 114 in a horizontal plane to change the rotative plane of feed wheel 116 to control the direction of feed of the workpiece carried by the upper carriage.

In addition to feed wheel 116, lower shaft 114 also has fixed thereto a spur gear 120 which is engageable with a spur gear 122 fixed to one end of upper shaft 112. Fixed to the other end of upper shaft 112 is a bevel gear 124 which is engageable with a bevel gear 126 fixed to the lower end of solid vertical feed drive shaft 128 which is mounted within hollow main shaft 104 for rotative movement relative thereto.

Fixed to the upper end of shaft 128 is a bevel gear 130 engageable with a bevel gear 132 fixed to one end of a hollow, horizontal, feed drive shaft 134 which is rotatably carried by mounting bracket 108 and which has fixed to its other end a driven bevel side gear 136. Gear 136 is rotated by a driving bevel side gear 138 fixed to one end of feed drive power shaft 140, through pinion gear 142 of a differential gear arrangement 170 the purpose and operation of which is described later in the specification.

For the present, it will be understood that as feed drive power shaft is rotated, in a manner hereinafter described, feed wheel 116 will likewise be rotated through the gear train which includes pinion gear 142, driven bevel side gear 136, hollow, horizontal, feed drive shaft 134,

bevel gears

132 and 130, solid, vertical, feed drive shaft 128,

bevel gears

126 and 124, shaft 112,

spur gears

122 and 120, and shaft 114.

Feed drive power shaft 140 is rotatably carried by the supporting structure, as at 144, in parallel relation with sewing machine needle mechanism and bobbin mechanism

horizontal power shafts

146 and 148, respectively, which are also rotatably carried by the supporting structure, as at 150 and 152, respectively.

At its outer end feed drive power shaft 140 has fixed thereto a pair of inboard and

outboard belt pulleys

154 and 156, respectively.

Inboard pulley 154 is connected by belt 158 to a belt pulley 160 carried on the outer end of a shaft 162 of an electric motor M mounted on the base of the supporting structure.

Bobbin mechanism power shaft 148 also has fixed to its outer end a pair of inboard and

outboard belt pulleys

164 and 166, respectively. Outboard pulley 166 is connected by belt 168 to outboard pulley 156 of shaft 140, while inboard pulley 164 is connected by a belt 171 to belt pulley 173 fixed to the outer end of needle mechanism power shaft 146.

Thus, it will be understood that all three power shafts of the needle, bobbin, and feed drive mechanisms may be driven by a single motor by the belt and pulley arrangement previously described; although in utilizing this invention it is not essential that both the sewing mechanism and feed drive mechanism be driven from the same power source.

So far in the specification the feed drive and feed control mechanisms have been described, and at this point will commence a description of the differential gearing arrangement that makes it possible to power the feed drive mechanism from the same motor that powers the needle and bobbin mechanisms of the sewing machine if desired and, at the same time, control the direction of the feed drive mechanism while maintaining a uniform rate of speed for the feed wheel.

It will be understood that, in the absence of a differential gearing arrangement, hereinafter described, if the feed wheel housing were to be rotated in one direction, relative to the feed drive power shaft rotation, the speed of the feed wheel would be increased; whereas, if it were to be rotated in the opposite direction the speed of the feed wheel would be decreased. Inasmuch as the rate of speed of the needle and bobbin mechanisms remains constant when all three are power driven from the same motor, any variance in the rate of the feed wheel would result in a lack of uniformity in the length of stitch in the workpiece.

The present invention has overcome this serious problem by a differential gearing arrangement, indicated generally at 170, which makes it possible to rotate the feed wheel housing so as to change the direction of feed witho'ut affecting the rate of speed of rotation of the feed wheel. As best seen in FIGURE 3, there is fixed to an upper portion of hollow vertical feed control main shaft 104 a spur gear 172 which is engageable with a spur gear 174 fixed to the lower end of a vertical differential shaft 176 which is rotatably carried by bracket 108 of the supporting structure. At its upper end shaft 176 has fixed thereto a bevel gear 178 which is engageable with a bevel gear 180 fixed to one end of a solid, horizontal, differential shaft 182 which is rotatably mounted within hollow, horizontal feed drive shaft 134. At its opposite end shaft 182 has fixed thereto a differential pinion block 184 which is positioned to rotate freely between differential bevel side gears 136 and 138 and which has rotatably mounted on one end thereof the previously mentioned bevel pinion gear 142 which is engageable with

side bevel gears

136 and 138.

As previously mentioned, pinion gear 142 is operable to transfer the movement from side gear 138 of feed power shaft to side gear 136 of hollow horizontal feed drive shaft 134 to drive feed wheel 116.

In order to compensate for the relative motion between the outer, vertical, feed control main shaft 104 and the inner, vertical feed drive shaft the relative movement is transferred through the differential gear train which includes shaft 104, spur gears 172 and 174, shaft 176,

bevel gears

178 and 180, shaft 182, and pinion block 184, to the differential pinion bevel gear 142 which is free to revolve in a vertical plane between the side gears 136 and 138 which are engaged and interconnected by gear 142. Thus, as gear 142 rotates on its axis it transfers movement from gear 136 to gear 138, and at the same time as gear 142 revolves with pinion block 184 in a vertical plane its movement takes up the relative movement between inner and outer shafts 128 and 104, respectively, to maintain a uniform rate of speed of the feed wheel relative to the needle and bobbin mechanisms and thereby insure uniformity in the length of stitches of the sewing machine on the workpiece. Without this arrangement it would be necessary to power the sewing and feed mechanisms by separate motors, or else it would be necessary to power the feed drive mechanism by a separate motor which was mounted on the feed drive mechanism for rotation with the feed drive mechanism.

Turning now to FIGURE 4, it will be seen that a modified form of the invention is shown. In place of one sewing machine mechanism, a plurality of sewing machines S may be utilized to operate from

common power shafts

140', 146 and 148 in order to stitch a common pattern in a plurality of locations on the workpiece W at the same time.

In a further modification in the feed control mechanism 80' it will be seen that the guide handle 82 of the earlier described embodiment may be replaced with a cam lug 192 adapted to ride in the grooved cam track 194 of a predetermined solid pattern P supported adjacent the supporting structure to effect the automatic control of the direction of travel of the feed wheel.

I claim:

1. In a quilting machine arrangement, the combination of:

(a) supporting structure;

(b) a power driven sewing mechanism mounted on the supporting structure;

(c) a workpiece holding carriage mounted on the supporting structure for universal movement in a horizontal plane adjacent said sewing mechanism;

(d) a power driven feed drive mechanism mounted on the supporting structure and engageable with the carriage to move it in said horizontal plane and includmg:

(i) a feed wheel support mounted for rotation about a vertical axis;

(ii) a feed wheel mounted on said support for rotation about a horizontal axis;

(e) a feed control mechanism connected to the feed drive mechanism and operable to rotate the feed wheel support about its vertical axis to guide the direction of feed of the workpiece carriage;

(f) a single power source;

(g) power transfer means operable to transfer power to the sewing and feed drive mechanisms;

(h) differential gearing means connecting the power transfer means with both the feed drive and feed control mechanisms to compensate for relative movement therebetween and thereby maintain a fixed relation between the speeds of the sewing and feed drive mechanisms to insure uniformity of stitches of the sewing mechanism.

2. In a quilting machine arrangement, the combination of:

(a) supporting structure;

(b) a power driven sewing mechanism mounted on the supporting structure;

(0) a workpiece holding carriage mounted for universal movement in a horizontal plane adjacent said sewing mechanism;

(d) a power driven feed drive mechanism mounted on the supporting structure and engageable with the carriage to move it in said horizontal plane and including:

(i) a feed wheel support mounted for rotation about a vertical axis;

(ii) a feed wheel mounted on said support for rotation about a horizontal axis;

(f) power means operable to drive the feed drive mechanism;

(g) differential gearing means connecting the power means with both the feed drive and feed control mechanisms to compensate for relative rotative movement therebetween and thereby maintain a fixed relation between the speeds of the sewing and feed drive mechanisms to insure uniformity of stitches of the sewing mechanism.

3. In a quilting machine arrangement, the combination of:

(a) a power driven sewing mechanism;

(b) a workpiece holding carriage mounted for universal movement in a plane adjacent said sewing mechanism;

(c) a power driven feed drive mechanism engageable with the carriage to move it in said plane and includmg:

(i) a feed wheel support mounted for rotation about a first axis;

(ii) a feed wheel mounted on said support for rotation about a second axis which is normal to said first axis;

((1) a feed control mechanism connected to the feed drive mechanism and operable to rotate the feed wheel support about its axis to guide the direction of feed of the workpiece carriage;

(e) power transfer means operable to transfer power to the feed drive mechanism;

(f) differential gearing means connecting the power transfer means with both the feed drive and feed control mechanisms to compensate for relative rotative movement therebetween and thereby maintain a fixed relation between the speeds of the sewing and feed drive mechanisms to insure uniformity of stitches of the sewing mechanism.

4. In a quilting machine arrangement, the combination of:

(a) a power driven sewing mechanism;

(c) a power driven feed drive mechanism engageable with the carriage to move it in said plane;

(d) a feed control mechanism connected to the feed drive mechanism and operable to move the feed drive mechanism to guide the direction of feed of the workpiece carriage;

(If) differential gearing means connecting the power transfer means with both the feed drive and feed control mechanisms to compensate for relative movement therebetween and thereby maintain a fixed relation between the speeds of the sewing and feed drive mechanisms to insure uniformity of stitches of the sewing mechanism.

5. A quilting machine arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said differential gearing means includes:

(a) a first outer shaft connected at one end to said feed wheel support, and connected at another location to said feed control mechanism;

(b) a first inner shaft rotatably mounted within said first outer shaft, and operatively connected at one end to said feed wheel;

(0) a second outer shaft operatively connected at one end to the other end of said first inner shaft;

(d) a second inner shaft rotatably mounted within said second outer shaft;

(e) means operatively connecting the other end of said second outer shaft to an adjacent end of a power shaft, including:

(i) a pair of bevel side gears fixed to adjacent ends of said last mentioned shafts;

(ii) a bevel pinion gear operatively connected to one end of said second inner shaft so that it can revolve between said side gears in a plane normal to the axes of said last mentioned shafts, and being rotatably engageable with said side gears to transfer motion therebetween;

(f) means connecting the other end of said second inner shaft to said first outer shaft operative to transfer the relative rotative movement between the first shafts to the pinion gear and thereby cause the pinion gear to revolve between the side gears without effecting its rotation therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A QUILTING MACHINE ARRANGEMENT, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; (B) A POWER DRIVEN SEWING MECHANISM MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; (C) A WORKPIECE HOLDING CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE ADJACENT SAID SEWING MECHANISM; (D) A POWER DRIVEN FEED DRIVE MECHANISM MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CARRIAGE TO MOVE IT IN SAID HORIZONTAL PLANE AND INCLUDING: (I) A FEED WHEEL SUPPORT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS; (II) A FEED WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS; (E) A FEED CONTROL MECHANISM CONNECTTED TO THE FEED DRIVE MECHANISM AND OPERABLE TO ROTATE THE FEED WHEEL SUPPORT ABOUT ITS VERTICAL AXIS TO GUIDE THE DIRECTION OF FEED OF THE WORKPIECE CARRIAGE; (F) A SINGLE POWER SOURCE; (G) POWER TRANSFER MEANS OPERABLE TO TRANSFER POWER TO THE SEWING AND FEED DRIVE MECHANISMS; (H) DIFFERENTIAL GEARING MEANS CONNECTING THE POWER TRANSFER MEANS WITH BOTH THE FEED DRIVE AND FEED CONTROL MECHANISMS TO COMPENSATE FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN AND THEREBY MAINTAIN A FIXED RELATION BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF THE SEWING AND FEED DRIVE MECHANISMS TO INSURE UNIFORMITY OF STITCHES OF THE SEWING MECHANISM.