JP7142472B2 - Clamp jig and clamp auxiliary device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a clamping jig and a clamping assisting device for assisting the work of holding a workpiece.

In order to sew an annular sewing object along a curved surface, sewing is performed by setting a clamping jig having a lower clamping member and an upper clamping member along the curved surface in a sewing machine.
In this clamping jig, a lower clamp member is inserted into the inside of an annular workpiece, the upper clamp member clamps the workpiece from the outside to hold the workpiece, and the upper and lower clamp members clamp the workpiece along the curved surface. The state was maintained (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-148179 A

By the way, when the sewing material is slack, the above-mentioned clamping jig cannot keep the annular sewing material along the curved surface, so that it is difficult to properly perform sewing in a shape along the curved surface. Can not.
For this reason, it is required that the lower clamp member that is inserted inside the annular object to be sewn should be of a size large enough to keep the object to be sewn in a stretched state.
However, if the lower clamp member is made larger than the material to be sewn, it becomes difficult to mount the material to be sewn on the clamping jig, resulting in poor workability.

An object of the present invention is to improve workability.

The invention according to claim 1 is a clamp jig,
At least two clamping units each having a first clamping member switchable between a clamping position and a release position for a sewing material and a second clamping member for clamping the sewing material by cooperating with the first clamping member. ,
The two clamp units are arranged side by side, and an auxiliary clamp member is provided outside the second clamp member in the direction in which the two clamp units are arranged,
Each of the auxiliary clamp members can be switched between a state in which its clamping surface extends outward in the row direction along the clamp surface of the second clamp member and a state in which it moves inward in the row direction. It is characterized by being supported by

Furthermore, the invention according to claim 1,
Each auxiliary clamping member is rotatably supported so that the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member moves away from the opposing portion toward the inside in the arrangement direction and toward the inside of the annular material to be sewn. It is characterized by

The invention according to claim 2 is the clamp jig according to claim 1 ,
The clamping surfaces of the first clamping members of the two clamping units have a portion facing the clamping surfaces of the auxiliary clamping members.

Furthermore, the invention according to claim 1,
The sewn object is annular,
The first clamping member clamps the outer side of the annular material to be sewn, and the second clamping member clamps the inner side of the annular material to be sewn.

The invention according to claim 3 is the clamp jig according to claim 1 or claim 2 ,
The auxiliary clamping member can be brought into at least one of a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is aligned next to the clamping surface of the second clamping member and a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is moved inward in the alignment direction by the input of an external force. It is characterized by having an input section for switching.

The invention according to claim 4 is the clamp jig according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The auxiliary clamping member has an elastic body that maintains either a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is aligned next to the clamping surface of the second clamping member or a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is moved inward in the alignment direction. characterized by having

The invention according to claim 5,
A clamp assisting device for assisting a clamping operation of a workpiece by the clamping jig according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
An actuator is provided for switching between at least one of a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is along the clamping surface of the second clamping member and a state in which the clamping surface is moved inward in the alignment direction.

The invention according to claim 6 is the clamp auxiliary device according to claim 5 ,
The actuator switches the clamp jig of the clamp unit between a released position and a clamp position with respect to the first clamp member, a state in which the auxiliary clamp member moves inward in the arrangement direction with respect to the clamp surface, and a state in which the auxiliary clamp member moves inward in the arrangement direction with respect to the clamp surface. The switching operation to the state along the clamping surface of the two clamping members is interlocked.

In the clamping jig of the present invention, the auxiliary clamping member arranged outside the inner clamping member of the two clamp units in the alignment direction has its clamping surface aligned next to the clamping surface of the inner clamping member. It is supported so as to be switchable between a state of being moved inward in the arranging direction.
For this reason, when the workpiece is attached to the clamping jig, the distance between the auxiliary clamps on both sides can be shortened by switching to a state in which the clamping surfaces of the auxiliary clamp members on both sides are moved inward in the alignment direction. This facilitates the work of attaching the sewing material to the clamping jig.
After the workpiece is attached, the clamping surfaces of the auxiliary clamping members on both sides are switched to a state in which the clamping surfaces of the auxiliary clamping members are aligned next to the clamping surface of the inner clamping member. can be widened, and the sewing material can be put in a stretched state.
Thus, by setting the outer clamp member to the clamping position, it is possible to follow the shape of the clamping surfaces of the outer clamp member and the inner clamp member without slack.
As a result, it is possible to improve the workability of the sewing work and the clamping work of the material to be sewn with respect to the clamp jig.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a clamping jig attached to the auxiliary clamping device; It is a perspective view of a clamp jig. It is a right side view of a clamp jig. It is a left side view of the clamped state of the clamp jig. It is a left view of the release state of a clamp jig. It is a front view of the clamped state of the clamp unit. It is a front view of the released state of the clamp unit. It is a perspective view of the clamped state of the clamp unit. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an auxiliary clamp member at a retracted position; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the frame at the mounting position of the left and right clamp units; It is a front view of a state where the front side support plate of the clamp auxiliary device is removed. It is a front view of the state where the clamp jig of the clamp auxiliary device is attached. FIG. 10 is a front view of the drive unit after position adjustment, with the clamping jig of the auxiliary clamping device attached. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a state in which a clamping jig of the auxiliary clamping device is attached; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the central drive unit; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the left drive unit; FIG. 4 is a rear view showing a state in which the left drive unit and the left clamp unit are connected and the auxiliary clamp is in the clamping position; FIG. 10 is a rear view showing a state in which the left drive unit and the left clamp unit are connected and the auxiliary clamp is in the retracted position; It is a perspective view of the front side of the sewing machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of the sewing machine;

[Overview of Embodiments of the Invention]
A sewing machine 100, a clamp jig 30, and a clamp auxiliary device 50 according to embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The sewing machine 100 described above is an automatic sewing machine that uses a clamp jig 30 as a clamp holder suitable for holding a sewing object C having a curved surface, and performs needle entry at an arbitrary position according to a predetermined sewing pattern. The auxiliary device 50 is a device that assists the work of attaching the sewing material C to the clamp jig 30 .

[Clamp Jig: Overview]
FIG. 1 is a front view of the clamp jig 30, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view. 1 shows a state in which the sewing material is released, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the sewing material is clamped.
The clamp jig 30 is arranged side by side along the Y-axis direction, which will be described later, and includes three clamp units 40A, 40B, and 40B for clamping the sewing material C, and a frame 31 for supporting each of the clamp units 40A, 40B, and 40B. and

The clamp units 40B, 40B arranged on both sides of the central clamp unit 40A have a symmetrical structure in the left-right direction.
Also, since the clamp unit 40A in the center and the clamp units 40B and 40B on both sides have the same basic structure, the basic structure will be explained with reference to the clamp unit 40A, and only the differences of the clamp unit 40B from the clamp unit 40A will be explained. .

It should be noted that the numerals followed by the letter "A" are used for the configurations unique to the clamp unit 40A, and the numerals followed by the alphabet "B" are used for the configurations unique to the clamp unit 40B. , and the structures common to the clamp unit 40A and the clamp unit 40B will be described below using numerals without alphabetic characters "A" and "B".
The frame 31 of the clamping jig 30 is a flat plate having a predetermined shape. One of them is called “left” and the other is called “right”, one of them in the Z-axis direction is called “up” and the other is called “down”. Also, the direction perpendicular to the flat plate surface of the frame 31 is defined as the X-axis direction, one of which (the front side of the page of FIG. 1) is the "front" and the other (the back of the page of FIG. 1) is the "rear".

[Clamp jig: Central clamp unit]
Each of the clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B is mounted on the front side of the frame 31. As shown in FIG.
The clamp unit 40A includes an upper clamp member 41A arranged above the sewing object C, a pair of left and right lower clamp members 42A arranged below the sewing object C, and an upper clamp member 41A. and a support mechanism 43A that supports the lower clamp member 42A switchably between the clamp position and the release position, and a support block 44A that supports the support mechanism 43A.

When the clamp jig 30 holds an annular object C to be sewn, the upper clamp member 41A of the clamp unit 40A is outside the object C, and the lower clamp members 42A, 42A are inside.
The upper clamping member 41A functions as "a first clamping member that can be switched between a clamping position and a release position for the sewing object", and the lower clamping members 42A, 42A "cooperate with the first clamping member to clamp the sewing object." It functions as a "second clamping member" that clamps an object.
A clamp unit 40B, which will be described later, also has an upper clamp member 41B and a lower clamp member 42B. ” function.

The left and right lower clamp members 42A, 42A have symmetrical shapes in the left-right direction, and both are long plate-like members extending along the X-axis direction, and extend forward from the support block 44A. there is Furthermore, the front end portions of the lower clamp members 42A, 42A each have a shape projecting outward in the left-right direction.

The clamp surfaces 421A, 421A at the upper front ends of the left and right lower clamp members 42A, 42A are all along the same cylindrical outer peripheral surface whose center axis is parallel to the X-axis direction. The lower clamp members 42B and 42B of the two clamp units 40B and 40B located at both ends in the Y-axis direction also have clamp surfaces 421B and 421B along the same cylindrical outer peripheral surface as described above. ing.
That is, the clamp surfaces 421A, 421A, 421B, 421B of the lower clamp members 42A, 42A, 42B, 42B of these clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B are all arranged along the same outer peripheral surface. there is

The left and right lower clamp members 42A, 42A of the clamp unit 40A are screwed to the support block 44A with the upper surfaces of their rear end portions in contact with the lower surface of the support block 44A.
Further, the shape of the front ends of the lower clamp members 42A, 42A approximates the shape of the front edge of the sewing material C when viewed in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, the vicinity of the needle drop position along the front edge of the sewing material C can be maintained during sewing.

The upper clamp member 41A is an elongated plate-shaped member along the X-axis direction and extends forward from the movable block 45A of the support mechanism 43A. Furthermore, the front end portion of the upper clamp member 41A has a shape projecting outward in the left-right direction. As a result, the front end of the upper clamp member 41A can overlap the front ends of the two lower clamp members 42A, 42A when viewed from above.

The upper clamping member 41A is supported so that it can be switched between a clamping position in which its lower clamping surface approaches or contacts the upper clamping surfaces of the lower clamping members 42A, 42A, and a release position in which it is spaced upward. It is supported by a support block 44A via a mechanism 43A.
A clamp surface 411A on the lower surface of the upper clamp member 41A extends along the inner peripheral surface of a cylinder whose central axis is parallel to the X-axis direction. The upper clamp members 41B, 41B of the two clamp units 40B, 40B located at both ends in the Y-axis direction also have clamp surfaces 411B, 411B along the cylindrical inner peripheral surface. .
That is, the clamp surfaces 411A, 411B, 411B of the upper clamp members 41A, 41B, 41B of these clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B are all arranged along the same inner peripheral surface.

Furthermore, the inner peripheral surfaces of the clamping surfaces 411A, 411B, 411B of the upper clamping members 41A, 41B, 41B of the clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B and the clamping surfaces 421A, 421A of the opposing lower clamping members 42A, 42A, 42B, 42B The outer peripheral surfaces of 421A, 421B, and 421B have the same diameter, are individually opposed to each other, and are parallel to each other. The clamped material C to be sewn can be held in a state along the circumferential surface along the inner and outer peripheral surfaces described above.

The upper clamp member 41A of the clamp unit 40A is screwed to the movable block 45A with its upper surface in contact with the lower surface of the movable block 45A of the support mechanism 43A.
Further, the shape of the front end of the upper clamp member 41A as viewed in the Z-axis direction approximates the shape of the front edge of the sewing material C. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the vicinity of the needle drop position along the front edge of the sewing material C can be maintained during sewing.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the support mechanism.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support mechanism 43A includes a movable block 45A that holds the upper clamp member 41A, a base portion 432 that is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the support block 44A, and a rotating operation to move the upper clamp member 41A. An operation lever 433 for switching between a clamping position facing the lower clamping member 42A and a release position spaced apart from the lower clamping member 42A, and a rotating arm supporting the upper clamping member 41A via the movable block 45A and struts 431, 431. 434, a link member 435 connecting the base portion 432 and the operation lever 433, and a transmission body 46 as an operation member for inputting a switching operation thrust to the operation lever 433 from the clamp auxiliary device 50.
The above-mentioned "clamping position" refers to a state in which the upper clamping member 41A is close enough to the lower clamping member 42A to clamp the sewing material C, or a state in which the clamping surfaces 411A and 421A are in contact with each other. "Position" refers to a state in which the upper clamp member 41A is separated from the lower clamp member 42A so that the sewing material C can be released (in this embodiment, the upper clamp member 41A is open to nearly 90°).

The base portion 432 supports the lower portion of the rear end of the rotating arm 434 at its front end so as to be rotatable around the Y axis, and the rear end portion of the base portion 432 is capable of rotating one end of the link member 435 around the Y axis. supported by
The front end of the operating lever 433 is connected to the upper portion of the rear end of the rotating arm 434 so as to be rotatable around the Y-axis, and the rear end serves as an input portion for switching between the clamp position and the release position. ing. Specifically, a long hole 433a is formed in the rear end of the operation lever 433 so as to penetrate in the Y-axis direction and extend along the X-axis direction.
Further, at a position slightly behind the front end of the operating lever 433, it is connected to the other end of the link member 435 so as to be rotatable around the Y axis.

Thus, the base portion 432, the operating lever 433, the rotating arm 434, and the link member 435 constitute a four-bar link mechanism.
In this configuration, when the input portion of the operating lever 433 is rotated downward, the operating force is greater than the straight line connecting the connecting point a between the operating lever 433 and the rotating arm 434 and the connecting point b between the link member 435 and the base portion 432 . A connection point c between the lever 433 and the link member 435 is on the lower side. Even if the material to be sewn C is clamped between the upper clamp member 41A and the lower clamp member 42A in this state and the operating lever 433 is pushed back by the restoring force, the connection point c is moved further downward. is applied, the operation lever 433 and the base 432 are brought into contact with each other to prevent the upper clamp member 41A and the lower clamp member 42A from opening, thereby maintaining the clamped state.
That is, by downwardly rotating the input portion of the operating lever 433, the upper clamping member 41A and the lower clamping member 42A can be switched to the clamping position where the sewing material C is sandwiched and held.

When the input portion of the operating lever 433 is rotated upward from the clamp position, a straight line connecting the connecting point a between the operating lever 433 and the rotating arm 434 and the connecting point b between the link member 435 and the base portion 432 is drawn. The connection point c between the operating lever 433 and the link member 435, which has been positioned below the straight line, moves above the straight line. As a result, the opening of the upper clamp member 41A and the lower clamp member 42A is no longer blocked, and when the input portion of the operating lever 433 is further rotated upward, the connecting point a between the operating lever 433 and the rotating arm 434 is linked. The upper clamp member 41A is pulled toward the connection point b between the member 435 and the base portion 432, and rotates upward to reach the release position.
That is, the upper clamp member 41A can be switched to the sewing material C release position by upwardly rotating the input portion of the operating lever 433 .
With these, the support mechanism 43A constitutes a so-called toggle mechanism.

The transmission body 46 is supported by a flat support block 44A so as to be able to move up and down. It has a connecting shaft 463 provided inside the portion 461 and a coil-shaped spring 464 as an elastic body that presses the frame portion 461 downward through the linear motion shaft 462 .

A connecting shaft 463 parallel to the Y-axis direction is fixed inside the frame portion 461 . A connecting shaft 463 is inserted into the elongated hole 433a of the input portion of the operation lever 433 of the support mechanism 43A.
The direct-acting shaft 462 is movably supported along its longitudinal direction by a slide bearing (not shown) provided through a position slightly behind the center of the flat plate surface of the support block 44A.
The flat plate surface of the support block 44A is parallel to the XY plane, and the linear motion shaft 462 can move forward along the Z-axis direction.

One end (upper end) of the linear motion shaft 462 is fixedly connected to the frame portion 461, and the other end (lower end) is connected to a connecting member 73A of the clamp auxiliary device 50, which will be described later, below the support block 44A. It is connectable. That is, on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the direct-acting shaft 462, there is formed a locked portion 462a that is constricted by a groove that goes around the outer peripheral surface.
The connecting member 73A has a locking portion 734A formed of a recessed notch with one end open. Connection is possible (see FIG. 15). In this connected state, it is possible to input an upward movement operation of the direct-acting shaft 462 from the clamp auxiliary device 50 side.

A coil-shaped spring 464 is a spring in which the direct-acting shaft 462 passes inside, and presses the direct-acting shaft 462 downward on the lower side of the support block 44A. As a result, the input portion of the operation lever 433 is drawn downward via the direct-acting shaft 462 and the frame portion 461, and the upper clamp member 41A is constantly urged toward the clamp position.

That is, by applying an external force to move the direct-acting shaft 462 upward against the coil-shaped spring 464, the connecting shaft 463 of the frame portion 461 pushes the operating lever 433 upward, and the external force is stopped to move the coil-shaped shaft 462 upward. By moving the direct-acting shaft 462 downward according to the spring pressure of the spring 464 , the connecting shaft 463 of the frame portion 461 can push down the input portion of the operating lever 433 .
As a result, switching operation between the clamping position and the release position of the upper clamping member 41A and the lower clamping member 42A from the side of the auxiliary clamping device 50 can be performed via the transmission body 46 .

The support block 44A is a rectangular flat plate along the XY plane as described above, and supports the upper clamp member 41A on its upper surface side via the support mechanism 43A, and supports the lower clamp member 42A on its lower surface side. is doing.
Further, the support block 44A has an end surface at its rear end that abuts on the front surface of the frame 31, and is supported by the frame 31 by screws while keeping the end surface in close contact.

[Clamp jig: left and right clamp units]
The left and right clamp units 40B, 40B will be described. As described above, since the left and right clamp units 40B, 40B have a symmetrical structure in the left-right direction, only the left clamp unit 40B will be described here, and the description of the right clamp unit 40B will be omitted. Also, regarding the clamp unit 40B, only differences from the already described central clamp unit 40A will be described.

The support blocks 44A, 44B, 44B of the respective clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B are mounted on the peripheral surfaces following the clamping surfaces of the upper clamp members 41A, 41B, 41B and the lower clamp members 42A, 42A, 42B, 42B. It is supported by the frame 31 in a circumscribing direction. Therefore, the support block 44A located in the center in the Y-axis direction is oriented parallel to the XY plane, and the support blocks 44B, 44B located on both left and right sides are all rotated around the X-axis with respect to the XY plane. It is slanted to
Therefore, the left and right clamp units 40B, 40B are all arranged in an inclined orientation in the same manner as the support blocks 44B, 44B.

The clamp unit 40B also includes an upper clamp member 41B, a lower clamp member 42B, an auxiliary clamp member 49B, and a support mechanism 43B.
Also, the support block 44B of the clamp unit 40B supports the lower clamp member 42B and the auxiliary clamp member 49B.
The support mechanism 43B of the clamp unit 40B has substantially the same configuration as the above-described support mechanism 43A. is different from

Further, since the front ends of the upper clamp member 41B and the lower clamp member 42B have a shape that follows the shape of the material to be sewn C, they have a shape different from that of the upper clamp member 41A and the lower clamp member 42A. ing.

[Clamp jig: Auxiliary clamp member]
4 is a side view of the clamp unit 40B when the upper clamp member 41B is in the clamping position, FIG. 5 is a side view when it is in the release position, FIG. 6 is a front view when the upper clamp member 41B is in the clamping position, FIG. 7 is a front view when in the release position, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view when the upper clamp member 41B is in the clamp position. Furthermore, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing only the auxiliary clamp member 49B when the upper clamp member 41B is in the released position.
4 to 9 show the state in which the clamp unit 40B is not tilted (state in which the direct-acting shaft 462 of the transmission body 46 is parallel to the Z-axis direction). Actually, the clamp unit 40B is attached to the frame 31 in a state of being tilted about the X axis, but only the description of the auxiliary clamping member 49B based on FIGS. Orientation is explained.

The auxiliary clamp member 49B is arranged outside the lower clamp member 42B in the direction in which the two clamp units 40B and 40B are arranged. That is, in the case of the right clamp unit 40B, the auxiliary clamp member 49B is arranged to the right of the lower clamp member 42B, and in the case of the left clamp unit 40B, the auxiliary clamp member 49B is arranged to the left of the lower clamp member 42B. placed in
The auxiliary clamp member 49B is elongated in the X-axis direction, and has an upwardly extending clamp surface 491B formed in the front half portion thereof, and an upwardly extending clamp surface 491B formed in the rear half portion thereof. A support structure is provided which mounts the whole to support block 44B.

The support structure of the auxiliary clamp member 49B includes a support shaft 492B along the X-axis direction, a torsion coil spring 493B as an elastic body that imparts a rotational force around the support shaft 492B to the auxiliary clamp member 49B, and a rotational force of the torsion coil spring 493B. A stopper 494B for stopping the auxiliary clamp member 49B in a predetermined direction against the force, an arm portion 495B extending radially outward about the support shaft 492B, and an extending end portion of the arm portion 495B. and a roller 496B.

The support shaft 492B is supported by the support block 44B, and the entire auxiliary clamp member 49B is rotatable about the X axis with respect to the support block 44B.
A clamp surface 491B of the auxiliary clamp member 49B is provided at a position eccentric with respect to the rotation center line of the support shaft 492B.
The auxiliary clamp member 49B rotates around the support shaft 492B so that the clamp surface 491B is aligned along the same outer peripheral surface as the clamp surfaces 421A and 421B of the lower clamp members 42A and 42B of the clamp units 40A and 40B described above. The two clamp units 40</b>B, 40</b>B are switched between a clamp position in which the two clamp units 40</b>B, 40</b>B are aligned side by side, and a retracted position in which the two clamp units 40</b>B, 40</b>B are moved inward from the clamp position.
In addition, the clamp surface 491B of the auxiliary clamp member 49B of the left clamp unit 40B moves from the clamp position toward the lower right to the retracted position due to the rotation.
Also, the clamp surface 491B of the auxiliary clamp member 49B of the right clamp unit 40B is rotated to move from the clamp position to the retracted position in the lower left direction.

The torsion coil spring 493B is supported by a support shaft 492B, and applies a turning force around the support shaft 492B in the direction from the retracted position to the clamped position to the clamp surface 491B of the auxiliary clamp member 49B.
The stopper 494B is disposed so as to contact the support block 44B and stop it at the clamping position when the auxiliary clamping member 49B is rotated in the direction from the retracted position to the clamping position by the torsion coil spring 493B. there is In other words, when no external force is applied to the auxiliary clamp member 49B, the clamp surface 491B of the auxiliary clamp member 49B is maintained at the clamp position by the cooperation of the torsion coil spring 493B and the stopper 494B.

The arm portion 495B extends to the opposite side of the clamp surface 491B centering on the support shaft 492B.
When the roller 496B provided on the arm portion 495B is pushed up from below, the clamp surface 491B can rotate the auxiliary clamp member 49B in the direction from the clamp position to the retracted position against the torsion coil spring 493B. can.
The auxiliary clamping device 50, which will be described later, has an abutting shaft 75B that pushes up the rollers 496B against the auxiliary clamping members 49B of the left and right clamp units 40B, 40B, and the clamp surface 491B moves from the clamping position to the retracted position. The auxiliary clamp member 49B can be rotated in the direction.

At the clamp position, the clamp surface 491B of the auxiliary clamp member 49B is arranged slightly outside the lower clamp member 42B in the direction in which the two clamp units 40B and 40B are arranged.
Correspondingly, the upper clamp member 41B is provided with a facing portion 412B that comes close to or abuts against the clamp surface 491B.
Both the clamping surface 491B and the opposing portion 412B have a plurality of saw-tooth grooves aligned in the X-axis direction on their surfaces, and these grooves mesh with each other to clamp the sewing material C. do.

The auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B of the left and right clamp units 40B, 40B are pushed up by the abutment shaft 75B of the auxiliary clamp device 50 by pushing up the rollers 496B, so that the clamp surfaces 491B, 491B of the left and right clamp units 40B, 49B, respectively, as shown in FIG. It becomes a retreat position that is inside in the left-right direction. Therefore, in this state, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the annular sewing material C can be easily attached to the clamping jig 30 without being spread out in the left-right direction, thereby improving workability. can be made
After the material to be sewn C is attached, when the abutment shaft 75B descends, the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B rotate to move the clamp surfaces 491B, 491B to the retracted positions. As a result, as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the sewing material C can be stretched outward in the left-right direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of slackness in the sewing material C, to perform proper sewing, and to improve the sewing quality.

[Clamp Jig: Frame]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame 31 includes a rectangular main body portion 32 elongated in the Y-axis direction and extending obliquely downward to the left and obliquely downward right from both ends of the main body portion 32 in the Y-axis direction. It has two protruding arms 33, 33 which form an integral flat plate along the YZ plane.

A positioning hole (not shown) is formed in the center of the upper portion of the body portion 32 in the Y-axis direction. When the clamp jig 30 is attached to the sewing machine 100 or the clamp auxiliary device 50, which will be described later, the positioning projection 641 provided on the sewing machine 100 and the clamp auxiliary device 50 is inserted into the positioning hole, thereby clamping the clamp jig. 30 is properly positioned.

A pair of left and right jig gripping mechanisms 35 , 35 are provided on the upper rear surface side of the body portion 32 of the frame 31 .
The clamp jig 30 is attached to a long rectangular attachment plate of the sewing machine 100 or the auxiliary clamp device 50 whose longitudinal direction is along the Z-axis direction so that the rear surface of the central portion of the main body portion 32 is in contact with the attachment plate.
A pair of left and right jig gripping mechanisms 35, 35 press the rear surface of the upper end portion of the mounting plate forward to grip between the jig gripping mechanisms 35, 35 and the rear surface of the frame 31. This is intended to fix the clamping jig 30 to the mounting plate.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the jig gripping mechanism 35 includes a gripping pad 351 made of an elastic member for gripping the mounting plate of the sewing machine 100 and the clamp auxiliary device 50, and a base portion 352 fixed to the rear surface of the frame 31. , an operation lever 353 for switching the gripping pad 351 between a gripping position gripping the mounting plate and a release position spaced apart from the mounting plate, a rotating arm 354 supporting the gripping pad 351, a base portion 352, and an operation lever. 353 is provided with a link member (not shown) that connects with .

The jig gripping mechanism 35 has substantially the same structure as the support mechanisms 43A and 43B of the clamp units 40A and 40B, and switches between a gripping state and a release state of the mounting plate by the gripping pad 351 using a toggle mechanism. .
That is, when the input operation portion of the operating lever 353 is rotated forward, the operating lever 353 and the link will be closer than the straight line connecting the connecting point between the operating lever 353 and the rotating arm 354 and the connecting point between the link member and the base portion 352 . The connection point with the member is the front side. In this state, the gripping pad 351 presses the mounting plate forward and grips it between itself and the frame 31 (gripping position).
Further, when the input operation portion of the operation lever 353 is rotated rearward from the gripping position, the line connecting the connection point between the operation lever 353 and the rotating arm 354 and the connection point between the link member and the base portion 352 is closer to the straight line. The connecting point between the operating lever 353 and the link member, which has been positioned in front, moves to the rear of the straight line. As a result, the gripping pad 351 moves rearward to release the mounting plate (release position).
Thereby, the clamping jig 30 can be attached to and detached from the mounting plate of the sewing machine 100 or the auxiliary clamping device 50 .

[Clamp jig: jig side adjustment mechanism]
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the frame 31 at the mounting position of the clamp unit 40B.
Between the frame 31 and the clamp unit 40B is provided a jig-side adjustment mechanism 47 for adjusting the arrangement of the two clamp units 40B with respect to the frame 31. As shown in FIG. Note that the central clamp unit 40A is fixedly mounted on the frame 31, and position adjustment is not performed.

As the jig-side adjustment mechanism 47, each arm 33, 33 of the frame 31 has, as shown in FIG. An upper attachment hole 471 and a lower attachment hole 472, which are long holes in the form of polygonal lines formed of a plurality of straight lines, are vertically aligned and formed through the hole.
The left and right arms 33, 33 and the upper mounting holes 471 and the lower mounting holes 472 provided in the respective arms 33, 33 are symmetrical in the left-right direction. The upper attachment hole 471 and the lower attachment hole 472 will be explained.

The upper attachment hole 471 has a polygonal shape with three straight portions, and the lower attachment hole 472 has a polygonal shape with two straight portions.
The straight portion of the upper mounting hole 471 is formed along a common circular arc whose center position is set below the frame 31 .
In addition, the straight portion of the lower attachment hole 472 is formed along a common circular arc whose center position is set below the frame 31 .
Also, the arc of the lower mounting hole 472 is concentric with the arc of the upper mounting hole 471 , and the arc of the lower mounting hole 472 is set to have a smaller diameter than the arc of the upper mounting hole 471 . Furthermore, the centers of these arcs are the clamping surfaces 411A, 411B, 411B of the upper clamping members 41A, 41B, 41B and the clamping surfaces of the lower clamping members 42A, 42A, 42B, 42B of the clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B. It is positioned on the central axis of the peripheral surface formed by 421A, 421A, 421B, and 421B (hereinafter, the central axis of the peripheral surface is referred to as "the central axis of the clamp surface").
Note that the upper mounting hole 471 and the lower mounting hole 472 may be formed in a single circular arc shape along one of the circular arcs instead of the plurality of linear portions.

As shown in FIG. 10, the jig-side adjusting mechanism 47 includes, in addition to the upper mounting hole 471 and the lower mounting hole 472, two bosses 473 projecting rearward from the rear end surface of the support block 44B of the clamp unit 40B. , 473 and a screw 474 with a hand handle for fastening the support block 44 B to the frame 31 .

The two bosses 473 , 473 are arranged side by side along the arc of the upper mounting hole 471 , and these bosses 473 , 473 are inserted into the upper mounting hole 471 .
The screw 474 is passed through the lower mounting hole 472 from the rear surface side of the frame 31 to the screw hole 476 formed on the arc line of the lower mounting hole 472 in the rear end surface of the support block 44B. 475 is screwed in.
Therefore, when adjusting the position of the clamp unit 40B, the screw 474 is loosened by turning the handle, and the screw 474 and the bosses 473, 473 move the support block 44B along the upper mounting hole 471 and the lower mounting hole 472. , the position can be arbitrarily adjusted along the two arcs described above. Then, when the position is determined, the screw 474 can be tightened by turning the manual handle again, and the clamp unit 40B can be fixed at that position.

The jig-side adjustment mechanism 47 also includes an intermittent movement mechanism 48 that adjusts the position of the clamp unit 40B in units of a constant position change amount. This intermittent movement mechanism 48 includes a plurality of positioning holes 481 (only one is shown in FIG. 10) formed on the front side of the frame 31 at regular intervals along an arc concentric with the aforementioned arc, and a support block 44B. A spherical body 483 that is retractably stored in a bottomed hole 482 formed in the rear end face, and a coiled spring 484 as an elastic body that presses the spherical body 483 in a direction to protrude from the bottomed hole 482 . .
Further, the opening of the bottomed hole 482 is crimped so that the spherical body 483 protrudes to the outside to some extent, but does not fall off.

The outer diameter of the sphere 483 is larger than the inner diameter of the positioning hole 481 , and when part of the sphere 483 protrudes from the bottomed hole 482 , it fits into the positioning hole 481 . As a result, when the support block 44B is moved along the upper mounting hole 471 and the lower mounting hole 472 when adjusting the position of the clamp unit 40B, the spherical body 483 advances and retreats, and sequentially moves to the plurality of aligned positioning holes 481. , each time supporting block 44B can be positioned.

The positioning hole 481 only needs to be open on the front side, and does not have to be penetrated in the front-rear direction as shown in FIG.
Further, the member fitted into the positioning hole 481 is not limited to the spherical body 483, and may be a projection with a rounded tip that allows the movement of the support block 44B.
Alternatively, a plurality of positioning holes 481 may be provided on the rear end surface of the support block 44B, and a bottomed hole 482 may be provided on the front side of the frame 31 to store the sphere 483 and the coiled spring 484 therein.

[Clamp auxiliary device: Overview]
11 is a front view of the auxiliary clamp device 50 with the front support plate 62 removed, FIG. 12 is a front view of the auxiliary clamp device 50 with the front support plate 62 and the clamp jig 30 attached, and FIG. FIG. 14 is a front view of the auxiliary clamping device 50 with the clamp jig 30 attached after adjustment corresponding to the sewing material C, and FIG. 14 is a front view showing the connection state of the clamp unit 40B and the drive unit 70B. .

The clamp auxiliary device 50 is provided individually corresponding to the base 60 that supports the frame 31 of the clamp jig 30 and the clamp units 40A, 40B, and 40B of the clamp jig 30, and each clamp unit 40A, 40B, and 40B. drive units 70A, 70B, 70B for applying power to switch between the clamping position and the release position of the upper clamp members 41A, 41B, 41B; Side adjustment mechanisms 80, 80 are provided.

Since the drive units 70B, 70B arranged on both sides of the central drive unit 70A have symmetrical structures, they are described using the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.
Also, since the central drive unit 70A and the drive units 70B, 70B on both sides have the same basic structure, the drive unit 70A will be mainly described, and only the differences of the drive unit 70B from the drive unit 70A will be described.

It should be noted that the number "A" is attached to the configuration unique to the drive unit 70A, the number "B" is attached to the configuration unique to the drive unit 70B, and none of the common configurations is attached. It is the same as the case of the clamp unit with
Further, the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction in each drawing of the clamp auxiliary device 50 are the X-axis direction, the Y Axial, Z-axis applies.

[Clamp auxiliary device: base]
The base 60 includes a rectangular flat bottom plate 61 along the XY plane, a front support plate 62 erected on the front end of the top surface of the bottom plate 61, and a rear end of the top surface of the bottom plate 61. and a mounting plate 64 for the clamping jig 30 fixedly mounted on the upper center of the front surface of the rear side support plate 63 .

Both the front side support plate 62 and the rear side support plate 63 are rectangular flat plates along the YZ plane as a whole except for the lower portion screwed to the bottom plate 61 . The front side support plate 62 and the rear side support plate 63 have the same size and are opposed to each other with a certain distance in the X-axis direction. Drive units 70A, 70B, and 70B are arranged in a region between the front side support plate 62 and the rear side support plate 63. As shown in FIG.

The mounting plate 64 has upper and lower positioning projections 641 inserted into the positioning holes of the frame 31 of the clamp jig 30 on its front surface.
The positioning projections 641 are provided on the front surface of the mounting plate 64 so as to protrude forward, and are individually inserted from the rear side into positioning holes formed in the frame 31 of the clamp jig 30 mounted on the front side of the mounting plate 64. .

[Auxiliary clamping device: Central drive unit]
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the drive unit 70A.
As shown in the figure, the drive unit 70A arranged in the center of the base 60 in the Y-axis direction is used to input the switching operation between the clamp position and the release position of the upper clamp member 41A of the clamp unit 40A of the clamp jig 30. an air cylinder 71A as an actuator that serves as a driving source of the air cylinder 71A; a support frame 72A that supports the plunger of the air cylinder 71A in an upward direction; there is

The support frame 72A has an inverted U shape, and the lower end portion, which serves as two legs, is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 61 of the base 60 by screwing.
An air cylinder 71A is stored and held inside the support frame 72A, and a plunger protrudes upward from an opening formed in the upper end surface of the support frame 72A.

The connecting member 73A includes a bottom surface portion 731A connected to the plunger of the air cylinder 71A, a vertical plate portion 732A erected upward from the rear end portion of the bottom surface portion 731A, and a vertical plate portion 732A extending forward from the upper end portion of the vertical plate portion 732A. It is composed of a curved upper surface portion 733A and these are integrally formed.

Two guide bars 74A, 74A are suspended from the front end of the bottom surface 731A. inserted. As a result, when the connecting member 73A moves up and down together with the plunger of the air cylinder 71A, the guide bars 74A, 74A suppress the wobbling of the connecting member 73A, enabling stable operation.

The upper surface portion 733A has a flat plate shape parallel to the XY plane, extends forward, and has an engaging portion 462a to be engaged with the linear movement shaft 462 of the clamp unit 40A. A stop portion 734A is provided. The locking portion 734A is formed of a notch that is open at the front and recessed toward the rear. Since the locking portion 734A has the structure described above, the locked portion 462a formed at the lower end portion of the linear motion shaft 462 of the clamp unit 40A is moved rearward relative to the locking portion 734A. The engaged portion 462a can be fitted inside the engaging portion 734A to easily form a connected state between the direct-acting shaft 462 and the connecting member 73A.

11 and 12, when the clamp jig 30 is attached to the mounting plate 64, the engaging portion 734A of the connecting member 73A is positioned on the axis of the direct-acting shaft 462 of the clamp jig 30. , the arrangement of the mounting plate 64 and the drive unit 70A is set.
Therefore, when the clamping jig 30 is attached to the auxiliary clamping device 50, the inside of the air cylinder 71A is opened and the plunger is in a free state (a state in which it is not restrained vertically). can be easily connected by manually raising and lowering the

[Auxiliary clamp device: left and right drive units]
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the drive unit 70B.
Since the left and right drive units 70B, 70B have a symmetrical structure, the left drive unit 70B will be explained here, and the explanation of the right drive unit 70B will be omitted.
As shown in FIGS. 11, 12, and 16, the drive unit 70B arranged on the left side of the drive unit 70A on the base 60 is positioned to clamp and release the upper clamp member 41B of the left clamp unit 40B of the clamp jig 30. and an air cylinder 71B as an actuator that serves as a drive source for inputting switching operation between and switching between the clamping position and the retracted position of the auxiliary clamping member 49B, and the plunger of the air cylinder 71B is directed obliquely downward to the right. It comprises a support frame 72B for supporting, a movable block 74B equipped to the plunger of the air cylinder 71B, a connecting member 73B supported by the movable block 74B, and an abutment shaft 75B supported by the movable block 74B. .

The support frame 72B includes a flat plate-shaped support portion 721B that supports the air cylinder 71B and is perpendicular to the advance and retreat movement direction of the plunger of the air cylinder 71B, and a flat plate-shaped front support plate that is parallel to the YZ plane. 62, a rear surface portion 723B having a plate shape parallel to the YZ plane and closely facing the front surface of the rear support plate 63, and the support portion 721B in the front surface portion 722B. and a rotating support arm 724B extending obliquely upward to the right from the side end.

The support portion 721B has an opening for loosely inserting the plunger of the air cylinder 71B in the center thereof, and the air cylinder 71B is fixedly supported by screwing when the plunger is passed through the opening and turned almost upside down. ing.
The drive unit 70B can be angularly adjusted around the X-axis by the auxiliary device side adjustment mechanism 80, and the plunger can be tilted upward by supporting the air cylinder 71B almost upside down as described above. Interference with the air cylinder 71A of the adjacent drive unit 70A can be avoided, and the drive units 70A and 70B can be arranged close to each other, which contributes to miniaturization of the entire device. .

The front surface portion 722B is supported by the front side support plate 62 via the auxiliary device side adjustment mechanism 80, and the rear surface portion 723B is supported by the rear side support plate 63 via the auxiliary device side adjustment mechanism 80.
A rotating support arm 724B extending from the lower right end of the front surface portion 722B is formed of a flat plate integral with the front surface portion 722B, and the extending end portion thereof is provided on the front support plate 62. It is supported by a support shaft portion 621 so as to be rotatable around the X axis. The support shaft portion 621 rotatably supports the entire driving unit 70B via the rotation support arm 724B, and the rotation center line thereof is aligned with the mounting plate 64 with the clamp jig 30 mounted thereon. The central axis of the peripheral surface formed by the clamping surfaces 411A, 411B, 411B of the upper clamping members 41A, 41B, 41B of the clamp jig 30 and the clamping surfaces 421A, 421A, 421B, 421B of the lower clamping members 42A, 42A, 42B, 42B It is arranged in accordance with
Further, since the auxiliary device side adjustment mechanism 80, which will be described later, also rotates the drive unit 70B around the same rotation center line to adjust the position, the rotation support arm 724B allows the drive unit 70B to rotate stably. The movement can be performed, and the position adjustment can be performed smoothly.

The movable block 74B has a projection (not shown) inserted into an elongated hole 725B provided in the rear surface portion 723B along the advancing/retreating direction of the plunger of the air cylinder 71B. When moving forward and backward, the projection suppresses the wobbling of the movable block 74B and enables stable operation.

The connecting member 73B includes a bottom surface portion 731B connected to the movable block 74B, a standing plate portion 732B standing obliquely upward left from the end of the bottom surface portion 731B, and a diagonally downward front left portion from the upper end of the standing plate portion 732B. and an upper surface portion 733B which is formed to be curved, and these are integrally formed.

The upper surface portion 733B has a flat plate shape parallel to a plane obtained by tilting the XY plane around the X-axis, and on the front side edge thereof, the engaged portion 462a of the direct-acting shaft 462 of the clamp unit 40B is provided. A locking portion 734B for locking is provided. The locking portion 734B is formed of a notch that is open in the front and recessed toward the rear. Since the locking portion 734B has the structure described above, the locked portion 462a formed at the lower end portion of the linear motion shaft 462 of the clamp unit 40B is moved rearward relative to the locking portion 734B. The engaged portion 462a is fitted inside the engaging portion 734B, so that the linear motion shaft 462 and the connecting member 73B can be easily connected.
The clamp unit 40B and the drive unit 70B can be adjusted in tilt angle about the X-axis by the jig-side adjusting mechanism 47 and the auxiliary device-side adjusting mechanism 80, respectively. are premised on the fact that the respective inclination angles are the same.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 17, the abutting shaft 75B is a round bar-shaped member erected along the forward and backward movement direction of the plunger of the air cylinder 71B on the bottom surface portion 731B of the connecting member 73B.
In a state in which the engaged portion 462a of the linear motion shaft 462 of the clamp unit 40B is engaged with the engaging portion 734B of the connecting member 73B, the roller 496B of the auxiliary clamp member 49B moves the plunger of the abutting shaft 75B forward. The abutment shaft 75B is arranged so as to be positioned on the extension line of the direction.
Therefore, when the plunger of the air cylinder 71B protrudes, as shown in FIG. 18, the upper clamp member 41B of the clamp unit 40B of the clamp jig 30 is switched to the release position, and the abutment shaft 75B is moved to the roller of the auxiliary clamp member 49B. By pressing 496B, the auxiliary clamp member 49B can be rotated so that the clamp surface 491B is at the retracted position.

[Clamp auxiliary device: auxiliary device side adjustment mechanism]
Between the base 60 and the drive unit 70B, an auxiliary device side adjustment mechanism 80 for adjusting the arrangement of the air cylinder 71B and the connecting member 73B with respect to the base 60 is provided. Note that the central drive unit 70A is fixedly mounted on the base 60, and position adjustment is not performed. Further, since the auxiliary device side adjusting mechanisms 80, 80 of the left and right drive units 70B, 70B are symmetrical in the left-right direction, only the left auxiliary device side adjusting mechanism 80 will be described, and the right auxiliary device side adjusting mechanism 80 will be described. Description is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the auxiliary-device-side adjusting mechanism 80 has arc-shaped guide holes 81 formed in the front support plate 62 and the rear support plate 63 of the base 60 (the rear support plate 63 side guide holes are not shown), shaft portions (not shown) respectively mounted on the front surface portion 722B and the rear surface portion 723B of the support frame 72B of the drive unit 70B, and a manual handle 83 (rear side support hole) mounted on the shaft portions. The manual handle 83 on the plate 63 side is not shown).

The guide holes 81 of the front side support plate 62 and the guide holes of the rear side support plate 63 both guide the upper clamp members 41A, 41B, and 41B of the clamp jig 30 when the clamp jig 30 is attached to the mounting plate 64. The clamping surfaces 411A, 411B, 411B and the clamping surfaces 421A, 421A, 421B, 421B of the lower clamping members 42A, 42A, 42B, 42B are arcuate around the central axis of the clamping surfaces 421A, 421B, 421B of the front support plate 62. The guide holes 81 and the guide holes of the rear side support plate 63 match in arrangement and length when viewed from the X-axis direction.

The shafts provided on the front surface portion 722B and the rear surface portion 723B of the support frame 72B of the drive unit 70B are individually inserted into the guide holes 81 of the front support plate 62 and the guide holes (not shown) of the rear support plate 63, respectively. It is inserted, and its tip protrudes to the outside of the front side support plate 62 and the rear side support plate 63 .

The manual handle 83 is rotatably connected to the distal end of the shaft on the outside of the front support plate 62 and the rear support plate 63 with the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the shaft as a rotation axis.
A cam is provided at the end of the hand-cranked handle 83 on the fulcrum side. presses the front side support plate 62 and the front surface portion 722B of the support frame 72B or the rear side support plate 63 and the rear surface portion 723B of the support frame 72B to restrict the movement of the drive unit 70B.
Further, when the manual handle 83 is erected so as to be substantially perpendicular to the flat surface of the front side support plate 62 or the rear side support plate 63, the cam will move between the front side support plate 62 and the front portion 722B of the support frame 72A or the rear side support plate. 63 and the rear surface portion 723B of the support frame 72B are released to allow the movement of the drive unit 70B.

Therefore, the auxiliary-device-side adjustment mechanism 80 can easily adjust the position of the drive unit 70B by rotating the manual handle 83 provided at the front and rear of the drive unit 70B.
For example, FIG. 12 shows a state in which the positions of the left and right clamp units 40B, 40B are adjusted so that the opening angle about the central axis of the clamping surface of the clamping jig 30 becomes large in order to clamp a large material C to be sewn. 13 shows a state in which the positions of the left and right clamp units 40B, 40B are adjusted so that the opening angle about the central axis of the clamping surface of the clamping jig 30 becomes small in order to clamp a small material C to be sewn.
In order to deal with these, the left and right drive units 70B and 70B are also adjusted using the auxiliary device side adjustment mechanism 80 so that the opening angles of the clamp surfaces around the central axis line are the same as those of the left and right clamp units 40B and 40B. As a result, the engaging portions 734B, 734B of the connecting members 73B, 73B of the drive units 70B, 70B can be arranged on the axis of the linear motion shaft 462 of the clamp units 40B, 40B. The locked portions 462a, 462a of 40B and the locking portions 734B, 734B of the drive units 70B, 70B can be easily connected.

[Operation of clamp auxiliary device]
An operation of mounting the sewing material C on the clamp jig 30 using the clamp auxiliary device 50 will be described.
First, the operator attaches the clamping jig 30 to the auxiliary clamping device 50, in which sewing is completed and the sewn material is still clamped.
That is, the mounting plate 64 of the clamp auxiliary device 50 is placed between the gripping pads 351 and 351 and the frame 31 with the gripping pads 351 and 351 of the jig gripping mechanisms 35 and 35 on the left and right sides of the clamp jig 30 in the released state. from below.
On the other hand, both the push-side air chambers and the pull-in side air chambers of the air cylinders 71A, 71B, 71B are released to the atmosphere in advance, and the connecting members 73A, 73B of the drive units 70A, 70B, 70B are manually operated. , 73B are moved up and down to connect with the direct-acting shafts 462 of the clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B.
Then, the positioning protrusion 641 is inserted into the positioning hole of the clamp jig 30, and the operation levers 353, 353 of the left and right jig gripping mechanisms 35, 35 are pushed forward. As a result, the gripping pads 351, 351 grip the mounting plate 64, and the clamp jig 30 is mounted.

Then, all the air cylinders 71A, 71B, 71B are driven with the maximum stroke in the direction in which the connecting members 73A, 73B, 73B rise.
As a result, in the clamp jig 30, the upper clamp members 41A, 41A, 41B, 41B of the clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B are rotated upward to the release position.
Also, the clamp surfaces 491B of the left and right auxiliary clamp members 49B move from the clamp position to the retracted position.
The operator removes the sewing material C that has already been sewn and places a new sewing material C on each of the lower clamp members 42A, 42A, 42B, 42B.
At this time, since the clamp surfaces 491B of the left and right auxiliary clamp members 49B are at the retracted positions, the sewing material C can be easily attached without being spread left and right as shown in FIG.

Next, both the push-side air chambers and the pull-in side air chambers of the air cylinders 71A, 71B, 71B are opened to the atmosphere.
As a result, the upper clamp members 41A, 41B, 41B of the clamp units 40A, 40B, 40B of the clamp jig 30 are biased by the springs 464 to reach the clamp position.
Further, each auxiliary clamp member 49B is biased by the torsion coil spring 493B to rotate such that the clamp surface 491B moves to the clamp position.
As a result, the material to be sewn C is widened to the left and right and clamped in a stretched state, as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
In this state, the operator operates the operation levers 353, 353 so that the gripping pads 351, 351 of the jig gripping mechanisms 35, 35 on the left and right sides of the clamp jig 30 are released, and clamps from the mounting plate 64. The jig 30 is removed to complete the work.

[Sewing Machine: Overview]
19 and 20 are perspective views of the sewing machine 100 with a part of the configuration omitted.
The sewing machine 100 includes a needle bar that holds a sewing needle at its lower end, a needle bar vertical movement mechanism that moves the needle bar up and down, a hook mechanism that catches the needle thread passed through the sewing needle and entangles the bobbin thread, an intermediate presser mechanism that moves the intermediate presser up and down; a swing mechanism 120 that holds and swings the clamp jig 30; an axis line movement mechanism 140 that moves the clamp jig 30 along its swing axis; and a sewing machine frame 110 that houses or mounts the configuration.
Note that the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction in each drawing of the sewing machine 100 are when the clamp jig 30 is attached to a mounting plate 121 (to be described later) of the sewing machine 100, and the mounting plate 121 is at a reference position. The X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction defined for the clamp jig 30 in a certain state (a state in which the mounting plate 121 is vertically set up) are applied.

The sewing machine frame 110 includes a sewing machine bed portion 111 positioned at the bottom, a vertical body portion 112 raised from the sewing machine bed portion 111 , and a sewing machine extending parallel to the sewing machine bed portion 111 from the upper end of the vertical body portion 112 . and an arm portion 113 .
19 and 20, some of the covers of the sewing machine frame 110 are omitted, and the internal configuration is also omitted.

The needle bar vertical movement mechanism includes a sewing machine motor (not shown), an upper shaft that is rotated by the sewing machine motor, and a crank mechanism that converts the rotational force of the upper shaft into a driving force for vertical movement and applies it to the needle bar. Since it is a well-known configuration provided, detailed description will be omitted.

The hook mechanism is a well-known configuration comprising a so-called horizontal hook, a hook shaft that supports the horizontal hook, a lower shaft that is rotated by a sewing machine motor, and a transmission mechanism that transmits rotational force from the lower shaft to the hook shaft. Description is omitted.
The sewing machine 100 is a so-called post-bed sewing machine, in which a horizontal hook is built in the upper part of a post bed 114 which stands at a position below the sewing needle in the sewing machine bed portion 111 .

The intermediate presser mechanism has a well-known configuration including an intermediate presser bar that holds the intermediate presser at the lower end, and a crank mechanism that converts the rotational force of the upper shaft into a driving force for vertical movement and applies it to the intermediate presser bar. detailed description is omitted.
The intermediate presser has a cylindrical portion into which the sewing needle is loosely inserted, and the cylindrical portion functions to hold down the sewing material from above when the sewing needle is raised to prevent the sewing material from flapping.
The intermediate presser mechanism transmits motion such that the intermediate presser moves up and down at the same cycle as the sewing needle but behind the sewing needle. As a result, the material to be sewn that tends to rise by being pulled by the upward movement of the sewing needle is held down, and the sewing needle can be successfully pulled out from the material to be sewn.

[Sewing machine: rocking mechanism]
The swinging mechanism 120 is connected to a mounting plate 121 that detachably holds the clamping jig 30 by the jig gripping mechanism 35 of the clamping jig 30 and the lower end of the mounting plate 121 . a rotating shaft 122 for rocking the clamp jig 30; a rocking motor 123 mounted on the rear end portion of the sewing machine bed 111 and serving as a driving source for rocking the clamp jig 30 on the rotating shaft 122; and a transmission mechanism 124 that transmits the torque of the swing motor 123 to the mounting plate 121 .

The mounting plate 121 has upper and lower positioning projections 1211 and 1212 to be inserted into the positioning holes of the frame 31 of the clamp jig 30 on its front surface, and a lower end support member 1214 with which the lower end of the frame 31 abuts.

The positioning protrusions 1211 and 1212 are provided to protrude forward from the front surface of the mounting plate 121, and are individually inserted from the rear side into positioning holes formed in the frame 31 of the clamp jig 30 attached to the front side of the mounting plate 121. be done.
The lower end support member 1214 is fixed on the front surface of the mounting plate 121 along the Y-axis direction.

The mounting plate 121 has an insertion hole in the lower end thereof into which the front end of the rotating shaft 122 is inserted.
The rotating shaft 122 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and by rotating, the clamp jig 30 mounted on the upper portion of the mounting plate 121 can be swung along the Y-axis direction.
Further, the center line of the rotating shaft 122 with respect to the mounting plate 121 is aligned with the clamping surfaces 411A, 411B, 411B of the upper clamping members 41A, 41B, 41B of the clamping jig 30 attached to the mounting plate 121 and the lower clamping members 42A, The positions are set so as to be on the same line as the center axis of the peripheral surface formed by the clamping surfaces 421A, 421A, 421B, 421B of 42A, 42B, 42B. Therefore, by rotating the rotating shaft 122, the clamping jig 30 can swing along the peripheral surface of the clamping surface.

The rotating shaft 122 is arranged in a state in which it passes through the lower portion of the upright body portion 112 in the Y-axis direction at a substantially central portion in the X-axis direction. The vicinity of the front end and the vicinity of the rear end of the rotary shaft 122 are rotatable and move forward along the direction of the rotation center line by ball splines 115 (the rear surface side is not shown) provided on the front surface and the rear surface of the vertical body portion 112. supported as possible.

The transmission mechanism 124 includes a driving pulley 1241 provided on the output shaft of the swing motor 123, a driven pulley 1242 provided on the rear end of the rotating shaft 122, and timing pulleys 1241 and 1242 stretched over these pulleys 1241 and 1242. A belt 1243 is provided.
The outer diameter of the driven pulley 1242 is set equal to the diameter of the clamping surface of the clamping jig 30, thereby using the maximum permissible range for the sewing machine 100. FIG. That is, the diameter of the clamping surface of the clamping jig 30 is equal to the range of the work area during sewing, and a pulley having the same size can fit within the allowable width range of the sewing machine.
The outer diameter of the driving pulley 1241 is set to be sufficiently small for the size of the driven pulley 1242 . As a result, the rotation speed transmitted to the rotating shaft 122 is reduced, but the torque can be increased. Therefore, even when a thick or hard material C to be sewn is attached to the clamp jig 30 and the resistance to the swinging motion increases due to friction with the sewing needle during sewing, the clamp jig 30 can be used. A delay in the swing motion of the tool 30 can be suppressed.

Also, the rotating shaft 122 is formed with a spline groove from the rear end to the vicinity of the front end, and the driven pulley 1242 has a spline nut structure. As a result, torque can be transmitted to the rotating shaft 122 while allowing the rotating shaft 122 to move in the thrust direction.

The swing motor 123 is not particularly limited as long as it is a motor whose movement amount can be controlled, but for example, a stepping motor is used.
With these configurations, the swing mechanism 120 can arbitrarily control the swing angle of the sewing material C held by the clamp jig 30 .

[Sewing Machine: Axis Movement Mechanism]
The axis line moving mechanism 140 moves the clamp jig 30 along the swing axis direction (X-axis direction) of the swing operation via the rotating shaft 122 of the swing mechanism 120 and the mounting plate 121 .
For this reason, the axis line movement mechanism 140 includes an axis line movement motor 141 that serves as a drive source for movement in the swing axis direction, a driving pulley 142 provided on the output shaft of the axis line movement motor 141 on the front side of the right side surface of the vertical body 112, A driven pulley 143 provided on the rear side of the right side surface of the vertical body portion 112, a timing belt 144 stretched between these pulleys 142 and 143, and a slide member 145 fixed in the middle of the timing belt 144. , and a slide guide 146 that supports a slide member 145 slidably along the X-axis direction on the right side surface of the vertical body portion 112 .

The axis line movement motor 141 is supported on the front side of the right side surface of the vertical body portion 112 with the output shaft directed downward. The axis line movement motor 141 is not particularly limited as long as it is a motor whose movement amount can be controlled, but for example, a stepping motor is used.
Due to the arrangement of the axial movement motor 141, the driving pulley 142 is supported so as to be rotatable about the Z axis. The driven pulley 143 is also rotatably supported around the Z-axis on the rear side of the right side surface of the vertical body portion 112 .
Therefore, the driving pulley 142 and the driven pulley 143 are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction, and the timing belt 144 stretched between these pulleys 142 and 143 is conveyed along the X-axis direction.

Since the slide member 145 is connected to the timing belt 144 and supported by the slide guide 146 , it is driven by the axis movement motor 141 to move in the X-axis direction.
The slide member 145 is connected to the rotating shaft 122 of the rocking mechanism 120 via a thrust bearing inside the vertical body portion 112 .
That is, the thrust bearing allows the slide member 145 to transmit a moving force in the thrust direction (swing axis direction [X-axis direction]) to the rotation shaft 122 while allowing the rotation of the rotation shaft 122 . .
With these configurations, the axis line moving mechanism 140 can arbitrarily move the sewing material C held by the clamp jig 30 along the swing axis direction.

[Sewing operation of the sewing machine]
The flow from the preparation work to the sewing work when sewing the material C to be sewn by the sewing machine 100 will be described.
The attachment of the sewing material C to the clamping jig 30 is performed by the auxiliary clamping device 50 described above. Then, the clamp jig 30 clamping the sewing material C is mounted on the mounting plate 121 .
That is, the gripping pads 351, 351 of the left and right jig gripping mechanisms 35, 35 of the clamp jig 30 are released, and the mounting plate 121 is inserted between the gripping pads 351, 351 and the frame 31 from below.
Further, the positioning protrusions 1211 and 1212 are inserted into the positioning holes, and the operating levers 353 and 353 of the left and right jig gripping mechanisms 35 and 35 are pushed forward. As a result, the gripping pads 351, 351 grip the mounting plate 121, and the clamp jig 30 is mounted.

After the above preparatory work is completed, the controller (not shown) of sewing machine 100 reads the sewing pattern data and calculates the amount of movement of swing motor 123 and axis movement motor 141 for each stitch.
Then, the sewing machine motor starts to be driven, and in synchronization with the vertical movement of the needle bar, the swing motor 123 and the axis line movement motor 141 are driven by the calculated movement amounts for each stitch to swing the sewing material C and the axis line. The sewing machine is moved, and the needles are dropped into the needle drop positions specified in the sewing pattern data in order.

When all the needle drop positions defined in the sewing pattern data are reached, the sewing machine motor is stopped, and the sewing operation is completed.
Further, the clamping jig 30 is removed from the mounting plate 121, and the workpiece C is removed from the clamping jig 30 by the auxiliary clamping device 50, completing a series of sewing operations.

[Effects of Embodiment]
The clamp jig 30 has two clamp units 40B, 40B arranged side by side along the Y-axis direction, and auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B provided outside the lower clamp members 42B, 42B in the Y-axis direction. , the respective auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B are moved inwardly in the clamping position in which the clamping surfaces 491B, 491B are aligned next to the clamping surfaces 421B, 421B of the lower clamping members 42B, 42B. It is supported so as to be switchable between the retracted position and the retracted position.
Therefore, when the workpiece C is attached to the clamp jig 30, the clamping surfaces 491B, 491B of the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B on both sides are switched to the retracted positions, whereby the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B on both sides The distance between 49B can be shortened, and the operation of attaching the sewing material C to the clamp jig 30 is facilitated.
Further, after the sewing material C is attached, the distance between the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B on both sides can be increased by switching the clamp surfaces 491B, 491B of the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B on both sides to the clamping positions. , the material to be sewn C can be put in a stretched state.
Thus, by setting the upper clamp members 41A, 41B, 41B to the clamping position, the clamping surfaces of the upper clamp members 41A, 41B, 41B and the lower clamp members 42A, 42A, 42B, 42B can be adjusted without slack. can follow.
As a result, it is possible to improve the workability of the sewing work and the clamping work of the sewing material C with respect to the clamp jig 30 .

Further, the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B of the clamp jig 30 are rotatably supported so that the clamp surfaces 491B, 491B of the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B move inward in the Y-axis direction. It is possible to easily switch the positions of the clamp surfaces 491B and 491B by rotating the clamp surfaces.
Incidentally, the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B are not limited to the rotational movement, and may be slidably provided, for example, from the aforementioned clamping position to the retracted position below the lower clamp members 42B, 42B.

Also, the clamping surfaces 411B, 411B of the upper clamping members 41B, 41B of the two clamping units 40B, 40B of the clamping jig 30 are opposed to the clamping surfaces 491B, 491B of the auxiliary clamping members 49B, 49B. have.
Therefore, the auxiliary clamping members 49B, 49B can also clamp the sewing material C, and the holding force of the sewing material C can be improved.

The upper clamp members 41B, 41B of the two clamp units 40B, 40B of the clamp jig 30 clamp the outer side of the circular workpiece C, and the lower clamp members 42B, 42B clamp the inner side of the circular workpiece C. are clamped.
As a result, the upper clamping members 41B, 41B can be easily opened to the release position, and the workpiece can be easily attached, thereby improving workability.

Further, the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B of the two clamp units 40B, 40B of the clamp jig 30 are input such that the clamp surfaces 491B, 491B of the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B are switched to the retracted position by the input of external force. It has rollers 496B, 496B as parts.
Therefore, it is possible to easily switch the positions of the clamp surfaces 491B, 491B of the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B from the outside.

The auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B of the two clamp units 40B, 40B of the clamp jig 30 have torsion coil springs 493B, 493B for maintaining the clamping positions of the clamp surfaces 491B, 491B of the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B. there is
As a result, the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B of the two clamp units 40B, 40B of the clamp jig 30 do not require external power for switching between the clamping position and the retracted position. It is possible to simplify the configuration of the clamp auxiliary device 50 that performs external operation input for switching between.

Further, since the auxiliary clamping device 50 includes the air cylinders 71B, 71B for switching the auxiliary clamping members 49B, 49B to the retracted positions, it is not necessary to manually switch the positions of the auxiliary clamping members 49B, 49B. As a result, the workpiece C can be easily attached to the clamping jig 30, and workability can be improved.

Further, the auxiliary clamp device 50 interlocks the position switching operation of the clamp units 40B, 40B of the clamp jig 30 with respect to the upper clamp members 41B, 41B and the position switching operation with respect to the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B by the air cylinders 71B, 71B. Since two operations can be performed by one actuator, the device configuration can be simplified.

[others]
In the clamp jig 30, for example, if the sewing material C is small, the number of clamp units may be two. Also, if the size of the material to be sewn C is large, the number may be increased. The same applies to the number of drive units of the auxiliary clamping device 50 .

Further, in the clamping jig 30, the auxiliary clamping members 49B, 49B clamp the sewing material C at the clamping positions, but the auxiliary clamping members 49B, 49B do not necessarily have a clamping function.
For example, the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B are extended outward in the Y-axis direction with their clamp surfaces 491B, 491B aligned with the clamp surfaces 421B, 421B of the lower clamp members 42B, 42B. A configuration may be adopted in which the support is switchable between the state in which it is moved inward in the direction and the state in which it is moved inward, and the clamping is not performed. In that case, the portions 412B, 412B facing the clamp surfaces 491B, 491B of the upper clamp members 41B, 41B may not be provided.

Further, although the clamp jig 30 rotates the auxiliary clamp member 49B downward from the clamp position to the retracted position, it may be configured to rotate upward.
Moreover, although the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B are provided on the lower clamp members 42B, 42B side, they may be provided on the upper clamp member 41B, 41B side. In that case, it is desirable that the lower clamp members 42B, 42B are switchable between the clamped position and the released position.

The clamp jig 30 rotates the auxiliary clamp member 49B downward from the clamp position to the retracted position, and the clamp surfaces 491B and 491B of the clamp jig 30 move along the clamp surfaces 421B and 421B of the lower clamp members 42B and 42B. and a state in which it is slid inward in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis direction (for example, the lower clamp members 42B and 42B are slid upward or downward). It is good also as a structure supported switchably.

Further, although the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B of the clamp jig 30 are maintained at the clamp position by the torsion coil springs 493B, 493B, they may be maintained at the retracted position.
Alternatively, the air cylinders 71B, 71B of the auxiliary clamp device 50 may be double-acting air cylinders, and the auxiliary clamp members 49B, 49B of the clamp jig 30 may be switched between the clamping position and the retracted position. . In that case, the torsion coil springs 493B, 493B of the clamp jig 30 can be eliminated.

30 clamp jig 31 frames 40A, 40B clamp units 41A, 41B upper clamp members 411A, 411B clamp surfaces 42A, 42B lower clamp members 421A, 421B clamp surfaces 43A, 43B support mechanism 46 transmission body 462a engaged portion 49B auxiliary clamp Member 491B Clamp surface 493B Torsion coil spring 496B Roller 50 Clamp auxiliary device 70A, 70B Drive unit 71A, 71B Actuator 73A, 73B Connecting member 100 Sewing machine 120 Rocking mechanism 121 Mounting plate 140 Axis movement mechanism C Workpiece

Claims (6)

At least two clamping units each having a first clamping member switchable between a clamping position and a release position for a sewing material and a second clamping member for clamping the sewing material by cooperating with the first clamping member. ,
The two clamp units are arranged side by side, and an auxiliary clamp member is provided outside the second clamp member in the direction in which the two clamp units are arranged,
Each of the auxiliary clamp members can be switched between a state in which its clamping surface extends outward in the row direction along the clamp surface of the second clamp member and a state in which it moves inward in the row direction. is backed by
The sewn object is annular,
The first clamping member clamps the outer side of the annular workpiece, the second clamping member clamps the inner side of the annular workpiece,
Each auxiliary clamping member is rotatably supported so that the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member moves away from the opposing portion toward the inside in the arrangement direction and toward the inside of the annular material to be sewn. A clamping jig, characterized in that 2. The clamping jig according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping surface of said first clamping member of said two clamping units has a portion facing said clamping surface of said auxiliary clamping member. The auxiliary clamping member can be brought into at least one of a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is aligned next to the clamping surface of the second clamping member and a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is moved inward in the alignment direction by the input of an external force. 3. The clamping jig according to claim 1 , further comprising an input section for switching. The auxiliary clamping member has an elastic body that maintains either a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is aligned next to the clamping surface of the second clamping member or a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is moved inward in the alignment direction. 4. The clamping jig according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , characterized by comprising: A clamp assisting device for assisting a clamping operation of a workpiece by the clamping jig according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
An actuator for switching between at least one of a state in which the clamping surface of the auxiliary clamping member is along the clamping surface of the second clamping member and a state in which the clamping surface is moved inward in the alignment direction. Device. The actuator switches the clamp jig of the clamp unit between a released position and a clamp position with respect to the first clamp member, a state in which the auxiliary clamp member moves inward in the arrangement direction with respect to the clamp surface, and a state in which the auxiliary clamp member moves inward in the arrangement direction with respect to the clamp surface. 6. The auxiliary clamping device according to claim 5 , wherein the switching operation to the state along the clamping surface of the two clamping members is interlocked.

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