US2887969A - Presser foot for sewing machines - Google Patents

Description

May 26, 1959 M. T. VOIGT PRE ISSEIR FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed April 27, 1956 4 INVENTOR.

11 TTORNEY United States Patent PRESSER FOOT FOR SEWING MACHINES This invention relates generally to presser foot devices for sewing machines and more particularly to improvements in compensating presser foot devices.

This type of presser foot commonly is provided with a pair of. main presser shoes that are mounted side by side and independently biased toward the work, being provided respectively with a pair of opposed work guiding edges. Such a presser foot permits the use of a sewing machine to form a line of stitches in a portion of cloth of varying thickness, as at a seam or edge, and maybe used on either right hand or left hand edges of a cloth, obviating the necessity for reversing the cloth for running a line of stitches. Known compensating foot devices have not proved to be entirely satisfactory because after the work has been completely stitched and advanced beyond the presser foot, the stitch forming thread is not chained off as is customary with a solid presser foot. Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a compensating presser foot with means for positively feeding the thread past the compensating presser foot after the work has been completely stitched and advanced beyond the presser foot, so that the thread is chained off as is customary with a solid presser foot.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will 'appear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that the invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as described in the accompanying drawings and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

-Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through one form of a compensating presser foot constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention, as indicated by line 11 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the compensating presser foot shown in Figure l, as indicated by line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the intermediate presser shoe of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 4 and 6 through 8;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section showing a garment being passed under the intermediate and right hand presser shoes while being guided by the left hand presser shoe;

Figure 7 is the same as Figure 6, but shows the garment being passed under the intermediate and left hand Figure 9 is similar to Figure 1, but shows a modified form of the invention;

Figure 10 is similar to Figure 4, but relates to the modification shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the intermediate presser shoe of the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10;

Figure 12 is similar to Figures 1 and 9, but shows a second modified form of the invention;

Figure 13 is similar to Figure 2, but relates to the modification shown in Figure 12;

Figure 14 is a plan view of the modification shown in Figure 12;

Figure 15 is similar to Figures 4 and 10, but relates to the modification shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14; and

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the intermediate presser shoes of the' embodiment shown in Figures 12 through 15.

Referring to the drawing, each form of the compensating presser foot constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention comprises a shank 10 made to interfit with the supporting parts of any one of the numerous types of sewing machines now on the market. At the lower end, shank 10 carries a yoke 11 of inverted U-shape in vertical cross section having the side walls 1212, which are pierced by holes through which passes a pivot 13.

Mounted on pivot 13 are a pair of substantially duplicate presser shoes 14 and 14a positioned side by side between the side walls 1212 of the yoke 11. Each of these shoes has a body 15 provided with a vertical slot 16 so as to support the presser shoe on the pivot 13. The presser shoe is provided with a fiat sole 17 or 17a and with an upturned toe 18 or 18a. The opposed sides of the shoes 14 and 14a are undercut so as to form a horizontally longitudinally extending groove 19 having opposite side walls 20 and 20a. In its upper surface, the presser shoe is recessed to receive two springs 21-21 shown as coil springs, although they may be of any convenient type which serve to urge the presser shoe to the limit of'its movement away from the yoke 11, and which also serve to oppose pivotal movement of the presser shoe about the pivot 13.

Now referring to the embodiments of the present invention shown in Figures 1 through 8, and particularly to Figure 5, the presser foot is provided with an auxiliary presser member, designated generally by the numeral 22', disposed centrally between the presser shoes 14 and 14a and funtioning in effect as a third presser shoe. The third presser shoe consists of a length of flat spring metal bent to a generally rectangular shape, the opposite end portions 23-23 thereof being brought together to form presser shoes while being guided by the right hand presser shoe; I

Figure 8 is the same as Figure 6, but shows the garment just starting under the presser foot, and the thread in advance of the garment positively fed beyond the presser foot;

the upper side of the rectangle, and being inclined upwardly toward one another.

The member 22 extends about the opposed side portions of the presser shoes 14 and 14a with the lower side thereof freely received in the groove 19 and its opposite ends 2525 respectively disposed in vertically extending relation at the front and rear of the bodies 15-15 of the shoes 14 and 14a. The upper portions of the auxiliary shoe, i.e., the opposite end portions 23-23, are freely received between the tops of the bodies 15-15 of the shoes 14 and 14a and the base or under surface 26 of the yoke 11, as shown. The lower side 24 of the shoe 22 is the effective working part thereof and is operatively disposed between the shoe soles 17 and 17a, which are the effective working parts respectively of the shoes 14' and 14a.

It will be observed that the opposite side presser shoes 14 and 14a and the intermediate presser shoe 22 may be raised simultaneously against the influence of the sev-,

1 eral coil springs 21 and the inherent bias of the presser shoe 22. Furthermore, the intermediate presser shoe and either of the opposite side presser shoes may be raised simultaneously independently of the other opposite side presser shoe.

Now referring to Figures 6, 7 and 8, and particularly to Figures 6 and 8, when it is desired to sew along the left hand edge of the garment or other work, the latter, designated W, is passed under the intermediate presser shoe 22 and the presser shoe on the right thereof, i.e., the presser shoe 14. During this operation, the side wall 20a of the shoe 14a serves to guide the work and assure spacing of the line of stitches 27 a uniform distance from the edge 28 of the work. It will be understood that the work W passing under the presser shoes 14 and 22 raises these presser shoes relative to the presser shoe 14a a distance equal to the thickness of the work W. As the stitching is formed, the line thereof passes under the intermediate presser shoe, which overlies the feed dog (not shown) which projects upwardly through the throat plate of the sewing machine.

Now referring particularly to Figure 7, when it is desired to sew along the right hand edge of the garment or other work W, the latter is passed under the intermediate presser shoe 22 and the presser shoe on the left thereof, i.e., the presser shoe 14a. During this operation, the side wall 20 of the shoe 14 serves to guide the work and assure spacing of the line of stitches 29 a uniform distance from the edge 30 of the work. It will be understood that the work W passing under the presser shoes 14a and 22 raises these presser shoes relative to the presser shoe 14 a distance equal to the thickness of the work W, and that the formed stitching passes under the intermediate presser shoe, which, as already pointed out, overlies the feed dog of the sewing machine.

While the work W is passing under the presser foot, the intermediate presser shoe 22, in association with that one of the shoes 14-1411 which overlies the work, coacts with the underlying feed dog to positively feed the work through the machine for the required stitching thereof. After the stitched work has passed from under the presser foot, the intermediate presser shoe 22 is returned to its normal position under the influence of its inherent bias and continues without interruption to coact with the underlying feed dog to positively feed the stitch-forming threads from their respective bobbins. Since the thread is positively fed past the presser foot whether or not the Work W is actually passing under the presser foot, it is unnecessary to manually draw thread from the machine after the work has passed under the presser foot, in consequence of which the operator does not risk breaking, with all its attending inconvenience and loss of time.

Now referring to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 9, l0 and 11, and particularly to Figure 11, the intermediate presser foot, designated generally by the numeral 31, consists of a length of fiat spring metal bent to generally U-shape, having opposite side portions 32 and 33 connected together by a portion 34, the portions 33 and 34 being of reduced width. The portion 32 extends horizontally from rear to front through the yoke 11, close under the base surface 26 of the latter, the portion 34 extends downwardly from the portion 32 along the front of the bodies 3515 of the presser shoes 14 and 14a, and the portion 33 extends from front to rear freely through the groove 19 between the presser shoes 14 and 14a, sloping downwardly to a curved terminal portion 35. The sloping lower portion 33 of the intermediate presser shoe 31 is the elfective working part there of, the curved terminal portion 35 being forced upwardly when the Work W passes thereunder.

Now referring to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 12 through 16, the intermediate p'resser foot, designated generally by the numeral 36, consists of a length of flat spring metal, having an intermediate portion 37 extending freely through the groove 19 between the presser shoes 14 and 14a, a front end portion 38 extending upwardly in front of the bodies 1515 of the presser shoes 14 and 14a, and a rear end portion 39 laterally offset from the intermediate portion 37. This intermediate portion 37 is the effective working part of the intermediate presser shoe 36, which latter is yieldably biased downwardly by a pressure rod including a member 40 that is secured to the rear end portion 39 of the presser shoe 36, a guide 41 slidably mounting the member 40, and a coil spring 42 wrapped around the member 40.

In view of the description of the operation of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 8, it is believed that a detailed description of the operation of the modified forms of the invention is unnecessary for a full understanding of the present invention.

It will be noted that in all forms of the construction as illustrated, the Work-guiding edges of the outer presser shoes 14-1411 are equidistantly spaced from the line of stitching, thereby insuring that the stitch line as formed along any guided edge of the work is spaced a uniform distance within said edge. Obviously, by changing the transverse width of the intermediate auxiliary presser member or shoe 22, the distance between the stitch line and the guided edge of work may be correspondingly changed.

Also, it will be evident that by employing an intermediate member 22 which is laterally olfset relatively to the vertical plane of the sewing machine needle, i.e., to the stitch line, in association with outer presser shoes 14-l4a having guide edges approximately coincident with the opposite parallel edges of the member 22, the spacing of the stitch line adjoining one guided edge of the work will be different from that adjoining the opposite guided edge of the work. Thus, the three presser shoes 14, 14a and 22 may be so relatively arrangedasto provide a stitch line which is spaced say A; of an inch from a guided edge of the Work when one of the outer shoes is employed as a guide and to provide a stitch line spacing of say of an inch when the other outer shoe is employed as a guide.

An important advantage of the presser foot 'as constructed in accordance with the present invention. is that it eliminates completely any possibility of the stitchforming thread becoming wedged between the proximate edges of the main presser shoes, this because of the fact that the intermediate spring-pressed member or shoe 22 overlies the vertical plane of division between saidmain presser shoes.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time to time without departing from the general principles or real spirit of the invention, and accordingly, it is intended to claim the same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a compensating presser foot for sewingmachines, an upright axially fixed shank forming the support for said presser foot, a set of three separate presser shoes carried by said shank and mounted upon the lower extremity thereof in side by side relation, means for mounting the two opposite side presser shoes for rectilinear shifting movement independently of one another and of the intermediate shoe bodily axially of said shank and for pivotal movement independently of one another and of said intermediate shoe bodily about an axis extending transversely of said shank, said interme presser shoe being provided with an effective WOI pg portion shiftable bodily axially of said shank with either or both of said two opposite side presser shoes, and means operatively .interposed between said shank and presser shoes and operating to bias said two opposite side presser shoes and said working portion of the intermediate presser shoe to the limit of their downward movement, independently of one another, axially of said shank.

2. In a compensating presser foot for sewing machines, an upright axially fixed shank forming a support for said presser foot, a pair of separate presser shoes, means mounting said presser shoes in side by side relation at the lower extremity of said shank for independent reciprocating and pivotal movement in a vertical plane relative to one another and to said shank, yieldable means operatively interposed between said shank and pair of presser shoes and operating to urge the latter to the limit of their downward movement away from said shank and to yieldably oppose pivotal movement thereof, and a third presser shoe in the form of a leaf spring wrapped commonly around opposed side portions of said pair of shoes, the opposite end portions of said leaf spring being thereby positioned between said shank and pair of presser shoes, and an intermediate portion of said leaf spring being positioned flatwise between the working portions of said pair of presser shoes to thereby serve as the effective working portion of said third presser shoe.

3. In a compensating presser foot for sewing machines as defined in claim 2 wherein the opposed side portions of said pair of presser shoes are undercut to form a groove extending fore and aft of the presser foot and having side walls adapted to serve as guides for the work, and the leaf spring third presser shoe is generally rectangular in shape, one side of the leaf spring being received in said groove and the opposite side being received between said shank and the tops of said pair of presser shoes, said opposite side of the rectangular leaf spring being in the form of opposite end portions of said leaf spring converging upwardly away from said pair of presser shoes.

4. The presser foot according to claim 2 wherein said intermediate presser shoe is in the form of a leaf spring and said effective working portion is positioned between the working portions of said side presser shoes and normally slopes upwardly and forwardly from a free end portion thereof at the rear of said intermediate presser shoe.

5. In a compensating presser foot for sewing machines as defined in claim 4 wherein the opposed side portions of said side presser shoes are undercut to form a groove extending fore and aft of the presser foot and having side Walls adapted to serve as guides for the work, and the leaf spring intermediate presser shoe is generally U- shaped, the efiective working portion of said leaf spring presser shoe being one arm of said U-shaped member disposed in said groove, the opposite arm of said U- shaped member being disposed between said shank and said biasing means and the connecting portion between the arms of said U-shaped member being positioned upright in advance of the sides of said U-shaped leaf spring.

6. In a compensating presser foot for sewing machines, an upright axially fixed shank forming a support for said presser foot, a pair of separate presser shoes, means mounting said presser shoes in side by side relation at the lower extremity of said shank for independent reciproeating and pivotal movement in a vertical plane relative to one another and to said shank, yieldable means opatively interposed between said shank and pair of presser shoes and operating to urge the latter to the limit of their downward movement away from said shank and to yieldably oppose pivotal movement thereof, a third presser shoe operatively interposed between said pair of presser shoes and mounted for independent reciprocating movement in a vertical plane relative to said pair of presser shoes and to said shank, yieldable means operatively interposed between said shank and third presser shoe and operating to urge the latter to the limit of its movement downwardly away from said shank.

7. In a compensating presser foot for sewing machines as defined in claim 6 wherein the opposed side portions of said pair of presser shoes are undercut to form a groove extending fore and aft of the presser foot and having side walls adapted to serve as guides for the work, the third presser shoe extends through said groove, and the yieldable means interposed between said shank and third presser shoe is a pressure rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 955,962 Grieb Apr. 26, 1910 1,202,283 Gray Oct. 24, 1916 1,243,809 Chalman Oct. 23, 1917 2,288,051 Voigt June 30, 1942 2,384,454 Cosentino Sept. 11, 1945 2,446,852 Sailor Aug. 10, 1948

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