US2236421A

US2236421A - Automatic fabric stitcher

Info

Publication number: US2236421A
Application number: US189239A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gustav A Boettcher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-02-07
Filing date: 1938-02-07
Publication date: 1941-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 1958-03-25

Description

Max-d1 25, 1941.'4 l G. A. Box-:T'rcHER l 2,236,421

AUTOMATIC FABRIC STITCHER ATTORN EY.

mmh 25, y1941.

G. A. BOETTCHER AUTOMATIC FABRIC sTI-TcHER Filed Feb. 7, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY. r

March 25, 194i. lca A. BOETTCHER AUTOMATIC FABRIC STITCHER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 7, 1938 INVENTORI ATTORNEY.

arch'Z, 1941. G. A. BOETTCHER 2,236,421

AUTOMATIC FABRIC STITCHER i Filed Feb. '7, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic textile stitcher or stitching machine with particular Areference to that type which are suitable for stitching quilted mattress tops and the like,

The main object of my invention is to provide a machine of the character indicated which is capable of stitching a great variety of designs upon mattress tops and repeating such designs on any number of such tops without the necessity of an operator vmanually controlling the movements of the machine in producing the details o the designs involved.

Another object is to provide such a machine with a special design board which carries the design desired to be stitched upon the mattress top which is mounted upon the machine, and which is capable of completely determining the movements of the stitching mechanism of the machine as well as the mattress top which will complete 2o the design.

A further object is to provide such a design board and corresponding mechanism operating upon the machine which will positively move and guide the operating parts through-out the stitching of the design so that the mattress top will be provided with the stitched design in an automatic manner after the machine has been started.

It isA also .an object of my invention to provide a completely automatic machine of this type having a frame carrying the mattress ltop and movable horizontally in any direction in complete obedience to the configuration of the design board while on the other hand it is also intended that the invention shall also include such convenient y, arrangement of parts and related operating members as well as electric starting and stopping a-s to greatly facilitate the production of quilted mattress tops in a manner not heretofore possible.

Other objects and the Various advantages inherent in the invention and the forms in which it may be carried out will appear more fully as this speeication proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part hereof:

y Fig. l is a perspective View of a practical `embodiment of -my invention for stitchingl designs upon quilted mattress tops.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same machine with 5f.) certain sections removed to reduce the size of the View.

Fig. 3 is an end plan View of the machine as seen from the right in Fig. 1 or 2. J-

Fig, 4 is a View from the other end of the machine partly in section taken on line 4 4 Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section of controlling mechanism of the machine taken on line 5-5 Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a. viewof the same mechanism as seen from lbelow* with certain parts taken in section on line 6 6 Fig. 5. 5

Fig. 7 is another section of the same mechanism taken on line 1-1 Fig. 6.

' Fig. 8 is a perspective View of an operating member shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary View of one form of a 10 frame which may be suitable for holding the mattress top'in position upon the machine, fragmentary of such a Itop also being shown.

Fig. 10 is a limited sectional View of certain of the operating parts shown in section as taken on linel Iii-l0 Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan View of the design board of the machine.

Fig. 12 illustrates an operating sprocket and part of the drive shaft for the same, the sprocket 20 cooperating with the design board so as to guide themachine in its operation.

Fig. 13. is a section of the sprocket and part of the drive shaft as well as part of the design board as taken on line l3-l 3 in Fig. 11. 25

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary section of the design board including a portion encompassed between the arrows in l4-I 4 Fig. 11.

Fig. 15 is a modification of .the parts shown in 30 Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is .another modification which in some respects more closely resembles the mechanism of Fig. 13.

Fig. 1'7 is a further modification. 35

Fig. 18 is. a horizontal section of the parts shown inFig. 17 on line I8I8.

Fig. 19 illustrates a modification of the frame particularly shown in Fig. 9.

Throughout the views the reference numerals 40 indicate the same or like parts.

In the textile art it has long been desirable to be able tostitch quil-.ted mattress tops and similar textiles according to predetermined designs and particularly to do 'this in a convenient and 45 automatic manner so that the fallible human `element could be eliminated as far as possible and the production of such mattress tops facilitated to such an extent as to lower the 'cost of production 4to reasonable figures. It has also been 50 highly desirable to be in a position to repeat an. acceptable design upon a series of mattress tops s and itis quite evident that it is most desirable to have this automatically done upon a machine whichcanbe automatically controlled both asto 55 operation and as to the actual configuration and details or" the design which is to be stitched.

In order to make it possible to conveniently and automatically apply any type of desirable design to a quilted mattress top and particularly with the foregoing object in view the present invention is designed and also includes special facilities for conveniently starting and stopping the machine and otherwise controlling the same. Hence, in the practice of my invention a pair of rails I and 2 which may be channel irons and the like, are preferably secured to the floor of the shop or work-room in which the machine is located and upon these rails which are secured in parallelism a plurality of rollers similar to 3, 3, etc. are adapted to travel, these rollers support? ing a frame generally indicated at 4. The frame 4 consists of a pair of longitudinal elements 5, 6 secured in space parallelism by means of a pair. of spacers 1, 8 while a plurality of braces similar to 9 and I 6 serve to reinforce the frame so that it will retain its shape. The

rollers

3, 3 are preferably located between the space bars 1, 8 and are pivoted thereto so that the entire frame will ride upon the rails I and 2 longitudinally of the latter, while additional side rollers II, II pivoted upon verticle axis upon frame 4 engage the sides of rail II in at least two spaced positions upon said rail in order to retain

rollers

3, 3 under the spacing bars upon the rails.

From the foregoing it is evident that frame 4 is capable of rolling along the rails I and 2 without danger of being derailed.

Surmounting the longitudinal elements 5, 6 a hollow rectangular frame generally indicated at I2 is provided with rollers I3, I3, etc., which travel upon said elements 5, 6 lso that the latter serve as transverse rails upon which said frame I2 is adapted to travel transversely in respect to floor rails I and 2. 'I'he frame I2 is'provided with guide rollers similar to I4 etc. at two or more points along one side which engage against both sides of element or rail 5 in order to maintain rollers I3, I3 upon rails 5, 6 which in turn retains the frame I2 in supported engagement with said rails and allows a rolling movement of said frame in either direction along said rails or upon frame 4.

The mentioned frame I2 mainly consists of a lower frame portion indicated at I5 which in turn is built up of individual frame members I6; I1, I8 and I9 secured together at the corners as well as intermediate frame members and 2I which serve to support a design board indicated at 22. At the corners of the frame I5 are secured upright posts similar to 23, 24, and 26 which are surmounted by an upper frame portion generally indicated at 21 and consisting of the frame '29, 29, 3D and 3| secured 4together at the corners and provided with depending portions similar to 32, 33 which may be directly secured to the

corner posts

23, 24, etc., of frame I2 or may be clamped or adjustably screwed to the posts so that the lever of frame 21 may be adjusted to various heights with respect to the lower frame I5.

Nevertheless `whenever the machine is set up for operation the upper frame is to be considered a unit with the lower framel5 for the purposes of operation and may be adjustable merely to compensate for the different thicknesses of fabric. The upper frame 21 serves to support a detachable frame or carrier 34 to which a mattress top 35 may be attached by means of clamps 36 provided with clamping jaws 31 as shown best in Fig. 9. These clamps may be secured to straps similar to 36 which are caught in buckles 39 which may be directly fastened to the frame or carrier 34. This latter carrier may be clamped upon the upper frame 21 in any known or desired manner and the details of such detachment need not be dwelt upon as they form no essential part of the invention.

'I'hus far the similar organization supporting a mattress top in moving manner and also supporting the design board in parallelism beneath the mattress top has been disclosed, but we will now proceed with the description of the sewing instrumentalities as well as the design guide, operating and control mechanism.

. Thus a pair of upright supporting end frames 40, 4I are secured to the floor to which rails I and 2 are attached and these end frames support a pair of paravertically spaced horizontal frame members or

longitudinal elements

42, 43, said elements being either solid shafts, rails or pipes as maybe found most suitable. The end frames 40 and 4I and the two

spacing elements

42 and 43 together constitute a xed frame for supporting the sewing instrumentalities which primarily involve a sewing head generally indicated at 44 and provided with a presser foot 45 adapted to be lowered into more or less actual contact with the fabric or mattress top 35. The sewing head is provided with a movable take-up 46 and needle bar 41 carrying needle 48 and driven by a shaft 49 supported in a plurality of bearings 5U mounted upon the frame element or pipe 43, which shaft in turn is driven by a motor 5I associated with the upright frame member 4I and provided with a pulley 52 driving a belt 53 rotating a pulley 54 which is fixed upon a shaft 55 upon which is` mounted a sprocket 56 driving a chain 51, engaging and driving a sprocket 58 upon a shaft 49. passed down through the needle is furnished by a spool or a thread package 59 the thread 60 being passed up through an eyelet or guide 6I in the upper right thread guide 62 whence the thread passes to the sewing head. Upon the sewing head the thread passes down past the tension device 63 to a lower guide 64 then up to the movable tension device 46 and then from this, down to the needle 48. The presser foot 45 is preferably cup-shaped so that it will not offer any resistance to the passage of the fabric in various directions beneath the same, the sewing or stitching being naturally performed in the usual manner.

Beneath the presser foot there is located a needle plate- 65 supported upon one or more brackets 66 which is fixed to the lower horizontal frame elements or pipe 42 by means of a. clamp 61 or by any other means which will serve this purpose or said brackets may be fused or welded to member 42 if so desired. As indicated in Fig. 4 a shuttle case 68 is located between the brackets 66 and is of course adapted to contain a shuttle with a bobbin loaded with thread and operated by shaft so as to cooperate with the y needle in wellknown manner so that further details in lthis respect would appear to be superuous. Suffice it to state that in order to lower and raise the needle by hand a manual operating wheel 69 is fixed upon the drive shaft 49 so that slow partial movements of the needle bar and needle 'are possible while setting up work in the machine. l

The motor 5I which is provided with the pulley 52 from which the sewing instrumentalities pre- The thread for the sewing intended to be viously described are driven, is also provided at the other end of its shaft with a pulley 10fwhich is one of an interchangeable series of different sizesof pulleys serving to drive the design board mechanism, the size of the pulley determining the size of the stitches by virtue of the actual speed of travel imparted to the one frame I2 and the carrier frame and mattress top attached thereto during operation, as will immediately appear. The pulley 10 is connected by a belt 1| to a larger pulley 12 fixed upon a driving shaft 13 supported in bearings '14, 15 secured to and supported upon the lower frame element 42 of the stationary frame. The mentioned pulley is lov cated near the upright frame 4| upon one end of shaft 43 while upon the other end of the same shaft is fixed, a worm 14, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 but best in Fig. 10, said worm driving a worm gear 15 mounted upon a vertical shaft 16 which rotates in the

bearings

11, 18 fixed to a design driving bracket 19 which is secured lto frame element or pipe 42 so as to remain in fixed position. The lowerl end of the vertical shaft 16 terminates in a reduced portion and is provided with a tarnsverse key 8| so that this shaft may seat in a concave or cup portion 82 in a sprocket body 83, the lower end passing down into a circular hole 84 in the sprocket body while the key 8| engages in slot 85. This sprocket body 83 is povided with a sprocket proper 86 and a lower guiding end 81 adapted to engage in a groove or channel 88 in the design board 22, these features being best shown in Figs. 11, 12, A13 also shown in a more general way in Figs. 1 and 2. The teeth of the sprocket 86 are adapted to engage in the holes 89 in the design rail 90, the channel 88 serving to maintain these teeth in engagement with said rail throughout the various portions of the design as found upon the design board. The purpose of the cup portion in the upper part of the sprocket body is to guide the lower end 80 of the shaft 16 into position in said body, because it is intended that the sprocket when once engaged with the holes or slots in the design vrail 90 Vshould thereafter remain engaged or captive to vthe board while shaft 16 is capable of being released from engagement with said sprocket body, and it is evident that when the lower guide end 81 is simultaneously engaged in the channel 88' in the design board with the engagement of the sprocket 86 the sprocket body can not readily be removed from such two-fold engagement with the board and its appurtenances. Obviously the holes 89 can be vertically arranged to be slots and can be drilled or punched in the rail as may seem best but they are nevertheless equally spaced so that the sprocket will in all cases engage holes or said slots, as with the teeth or a rack. By virtue of such continuous engagement with the design rail and the engagement of the guiding end 81 in the channel which runs in corresponding parallelism to the design rail, the parallelism will naturally follow the rail and channel no matter what shape the rail may take and it is therefore clear that the sprocket if rotating in a singular position with a fixed axis, the design board will be compelled to move past the sprocket and will be shifted in various directions according to the various convolutions of the design rail and its accompanying channel.

Ther design board proper may consist of a wooden board 9| into which the channel 88 is cut or it may consist of some composition of metal or of paper or any other material which will serve the purpose while the design rail is preferably made of astrip of metal bent to the desired form and secured to the board by means of a plurality of angular cleats similar to 92, the cleats being riveted, fused, or welded to the rail.

It is obvious if the sprocket and its operating 5 mechanism especially the vertical operating shaft 16 were at all times mutually engaged in an inseparable manner that it would be exceedingly diflicult to remove a design board from the ma-` chine in order to replace the same by a board 10 having a different design and in addition it would also be difficult to adjust the machine and start the design at any-point desired. It is therefore a feature of the invention that means are included for raising the shaft 16 out of engagement with 15 the sprocket body so that the design board 22 can be removed from the lower level frame I5 of the hollow rectangular floating frame I2 upon the top of which fabric 35 is supported. In order to fulfill this purpose a anged member 93 is fixed 20 upon shaft 16 normally resting upon cam 94 fixed upon a horizontal shaft 95 while a coil spring 96 is located between the flanged member 93 and the bearings 91 upon shaft 16, in order to resiliently urge the shaft downwardly into normal 25 engagement with the sprocket body 83. When the cam 94 which may simply be an eccentric is 1ocated in its lowest position as particularly disclosed in Fig. 2 shaft 16 is of course also in its lowest engaged position and positively rotating the 30 sprocket 86, but when shaft 95 is rotated by half a revolution then the cam or eccentric 94 will rotate to its highest position in which it will lift shaft 16 by raising flanged member 93 compressing spring 96.

\ However, in order to raise shaft 'I6 out of engagement and perform this by rotating shaft 95, certain means are included which are best disclosed in Figs. 4 to 8. For this purpose the shaft 95 is provided within a casing 96 with a sprocket 40 91 driven by a chain 98 which in turn is driven by `a smaller sprocket 99 which bears a relation of one to two with respect to the sprocket 91 so that one revolution of sprocket 99 will result in a onehalf revolution of sprocket 91 and shaft 95. In 45 order to control the revolution of sprocket 99 and limit the same to a single revolution whenever it is to be operated said sprocket is fixed upon a clutch body |00, rotatable upon a fixed shaft |0| secured in frame member. 40 of the machinev (Fig. 50 v'1).

Upon the same shaft is a loosely mounted pulley |02 driven by a belt |03 which in turn is driven by a pulley |04 of a speed reducing mechanism indicated at |05 and driven by a m-otor |06 also mounted in a frame 40 (Fig. 4). If the cur- 55 m2 is provided with a clutch stud los while the 65 clutch body |00 has a swingable clutch member |09 pivoted thereto at I I0 so that a projection I Y thereof is upon occasion capable of swinging into the path of stud |08 which obviously will force the clutch body and sprocket 99 to rotate with 70 pulley |02 as long as projection of ||I of clutch member |09 remains in the path of stud |08. Normally the clutch member is urged into the mentioned type of engagement with the stud by 'means of a spring ||2 partly embedded in the 75 said clutch member and in the clutch body as shown in Fig. 7. In order to control the position of the clutch member a clutch releasing and locking lever H3 is pivoted at one end to the machine frame 40 (Fig. 4) as at I4, said lever being urged upwardly by a spring I|5 while being intermediate the ends thereby connected by a link H6 to the core I1 of a solenoid or electromagnet device II 8. The mentioned clutch releasing and lock lever is guided in its movements in a slot |I9 in a bracket I 20 fixed to the machine frame while upon its free end it is provided with a camming` portion |2| capable of guiding the end |22 of the swingable clutch member I 09 into inactive position within the general outline of the clutch body as in Fig. 7. In this position the clutch member abuts a stop |23 which holds the clutch body |00 and sprocket 99 positively against rotation which is of course desirable as this assures a positive stationary position for shaft 95 and eccentric 94.

As the motor |06 is started and pulley |02 is rotating idly an auxiliary branch circuit including solenoid H8, may be temporarily closed which immediately energizes said solenoid and causes core I I1 to enter further into the solenoid and thereby withdrawing clutch release lever I I3 downwardly toward slot H9 and out of Contact with the lower end |22 of clutch member |09 with the result that spring H2 will immediately shift or spring clutch member |09 about its pivot H0 toward pulley |02 in a plane coinciding with or parallel with the axis of shaft |0| so that its projection is directly in the path of stud |08 of pulley |02. The mentioned stud of the pulley promptly carries the clutch and sprocket 99 around with the chain until the end |22 of the clutch member engages the inclined surface of the camming portion I2| of the release lever H3, said camming portion immediately guiding and springing by its increasing side inclination the lower end |22 and the clutch member as a whole about pivot H0, back into idle position in which it is instantly disengaged from contact with stud |08, whereupon the release lever H3 is raised by return spring H5 into obstructing and locking position with respect to the locking end |22 of the clutch member simultaneously raising the core H1 from solenoid or coil |I8 said locking end blocked by stop |23 so that the revolution of the clutch body is immediately terminated. From the foregoing description of the clutch mechanism it is evident that only a momentary closing of the circuit of the solenoid H8 is necessary to cause the continuously rotated pulley |02 to impart a single revolution to the clutch body |00 and its associated sprocket 99 which in turn produces a one-half revolution of sprocket 91, shaft 95 and eccentric 94 with consequently raising or lowering the flanged member 93 and shaft 16 in order to cause engagement or disengagement of said shaft with the sprocket body 83. Naturally rwhen it is desired to shift the fabric or manually 4to guide lthe floating frame I2 it is possible to cause the shaft 16 to be disengaged from the sprocket body after having stopped the motor 5| and caused rotation of

shafts

49, 55 and 13 to stop when it is even possible to replace a design board if so desired.

The fabric may thus be quickly shifted for inspection or for repair of a broken thread by manually shifting the floating frame I2 toward the operator, and various other manipulations simultaneously becoming are possible because of the facilities just described.`

When the motor 5I is started and both

Pulleys

52 and 10 simultaneously rotate, it is obvious that the sewing shaft 49 operating the sewing head, rotates simultaneously with the shuttle operating shaft 55 while the design operating shaft 13 also rotates, vbut as already intimated the size of pulley will determine the speed of travel of the sprocket 86 along the design rail 90 and this quite obviously determines directly the length of the stitches produced by the sewing head upon the fabric or mattress top 35.

While the design board as already described and shown involves the use of a perforated rail having holes or slots 89 and the lower end of the sprocket body travels in a guiding channel in order to-maintain the proper meshing of the sprocket with the apertures or slots in the design rail throughout its entire travel, it is nevertheless possible to modify the form of the rail or of the guide by means for example shown in the modification appearing in Fig. 15. In this figure the rail90 may in all details remain unchanged and the sprocket |24 may mesh with the same as in the case of the sprocket 86, but this sprocket may be fixed upon an operating shaft |25, which serves the same purpose as previously described operating shaft 16. Above the sprocket is mounted loosely, a swingable collar |26 provided with a stud |21 upon which a double flanged pulley or wheel |28 is rotatably mounted and retained in position by a collar |29 fixed upon the stud. The mentioned pulley rides upon the rail while the flanges |30, |3| retain the pulley upon the rail and maintain a constant distance relation between the axis of operating shaft |25 and sprocket |24 on the one hand and rail 90 on the other hand. In this case it is quite evident that the design board |32 requires no channel to be cut in the same.

Another modification is illustrated in Fig. 16 wherein the design board |33 has a channel in which the lower end |34 of an operating shaft |35 travels while the sprocket or sprocket body is replaced by a pulley |36 which engages against the sides of a rubber bead |31 fixed to a design rail |38. In this case the design rail requires no apertures or slots as the meshing of the sprocket is replaced by the continuous frictional engagement of the flanges of the pulley |36 with the upperland lower sides or surfaces of the rubber bead |31.

A further modification is illustrated in Figs. 17 and 18 in which a portion of the frame of the machine at |39 supports a rotatable cup member |40 capable of being engaged by shaft 16 with the lower end 80 as just described while the key or pin 8| is adapted to engage with the slot I 4| in the upper portion of said cup member. The mentioned cup member extends downwardly through the bearings |42 and |43 and between said bearings is provided with a sprocket |44 xed thereto while rotatable bracket or collar |45 is mounted above said sprocket upon said member. The mentioned collar has a fixed stud |46 upon which a flanged wheel |41 is freely rotatable and retained in position by collar |48 while traveling upon the rail 90. A spring |49 ls connected to a portion |50 of said bracket and anchored at I5| to the bracket |39 of the machine frame so that the bracket will be urged in a counter-clockwise direction or forwardly in the direction of travel of Wheel |41 along the rail 90,. It is evident that when a curved portion, particularly any portion which has its concave portion located on the same sideof the rail as vthe sprocket will allow the wheel |41 to swing forwardly in advance of the actual travel of the sprocket along the rail and will thus cause the wheel to guide and maintain the sprocket in meshing relation with the rail while preventing any binding action from occurring.

It was previously mentioned in section of Fig. 9 that the carrier frame for the fabric was detachably mounted upon the upper frame 21 of the oating frame l2. This frame may preferably be of wood and may be clamped and screwed into position upon the top frame but may also be replaced by an adjustable metal frame as practically illustrated in Fig. 19. This frame which is generally indicated at |52 consists of a rear frame member |53 which may be a rail or pipe of metal, a parallel front frame member |54 and a bar of transverse adjustable side members |55, |56 which are secured in pipe Ts |51, |58, |59, |50 respectively, These Ts are adjustable along the back and front frame members |53 and |54 and may be secured along any desired position along the same by means of thumb screws similar to ISI, ISI. Upon the back member and one side member of the frame are located a plurality of spacedstraps preferably of metal as of |52, |62 to which fabric clamps |63, |63 are secured while upon the other side member and the front frame member are detachably arranged, a plurality of fabric or leather straps |64, |64 carrying buckles |65,. |65 and upon one end fabric clamps |65, |66 the free ends |61, |61 of these straps being capable of being passed through the buckles after being looped over the front and side frame mem-bers and thus secured in various usable positions along the said members. In order to facilitate placing the frame on the machine or removing the same therefrom, the rear frame member |53 is provided upon its ends with freely rotatable rollers similar to |68, |68 which are spaced apart sufficiently to roll upon the rail or

frame members

23 and 30 of the upper frame 21 of floating frame I2 on the machine. The clamps just described and the manner in which they are secured or strapped to the frame for carrying the fabric as well as the adjustable features of the frame offer several advantages in that various sizes of fabrics are accommodated and the frame is readily removed from or placed upon the machine, and when in position may be clamped by hand clamps or any other known means to the upper frame upon said machine.

Manifestly, variations of the several parts of the machine other than those actually described may be resorted to without parting from the spirit of my invention and parts andv features may be used without others.

Having now fully described my invention, I

claim:

1. In an automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable-design lboard provided with a rail following the contour of the design to vbe stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consisting of a Wheel, and a drive shaft for said wheel, the features comprising a bent metal strip forming said railandA having attachment means securing said railat spaced intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperating with said design board to retain the operating member continuously .captive to the rail along the various portionsof,the`

latter, .'said drive shaft is separable from the rotary operating member by being capable of being raised axially and is provided with a flange, a rotatable eccentric supported upon a stationary portion of the machine disposed beneath said ange so as to determine the relative raised or lowered positions of said drive shaft with respect to said rotatable member and separate drive means for said eccentric including a prime mover and control means for imparting partial rotations to said eccentric in order to raise or lower the drive shaft at will.

2. In an automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable design board provided with a rail following the contour of the design to be stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consisting of a wheel, and a drive shaft for said wheel, the features comprisinga bent metal strip forming said rail and having attachment means securing said rail at spaced-intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperating with said design board to retain the operating member continuously captive to the -rail along the Various portions of the latter, the rotatable operating member being dished in its upper portion and transversely slotted and separable from the operating shaft, and the operating shaft being provided with a dependent portion adapted to descend into a hollow portion within said rotatable operating member and with a transverse key member adapted simultaneously to seat in the transversely slotted portion of said operating member, the operating member remaining captive upon the design board in engagement with the rail and the means associated therewith upon separation of the operating shaft from the rotatableoperating member, the dished portion upon thev upper part of the operating member serving to guide the dependent portion upon theoperating shaft into position for engagement in said operating member.

3. In an automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable design board provided with a rail following the contour of the design to be stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consisting of a wheel, and a drive shaft for said wheel, the features comprising a bent metal strip forming said rail and having attachment means securing ysaid rail at spaced intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperating with said design board to retain the operating member continuously captive to the rail along the various portions of the latter, the operating shaft having a flange and being completely separable from the rotary operating member and capable of being raised to effect separation, a spring mounted upon said shaft resiliently urging the same downward into engagement with the operating member, an eccentric shaft mounted upon a stationary portion of the machine and provided with an eccentric located beneath one portion of the flange upon said operating shaft so as to be capable of raising said shaft out of contact with the rotary operating member upon partial rotation of saideccentric shaft.

4. In an-automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable design board provided with a rail following the contour of the design to be stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consisting of a wheel, and a drive shaft for vsaid wheel, the features comprising a bent metal strip forming said rail and having attachment .means securing said rail at spaced intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperating with said design board to retain the operating member continuously captive to the rail along the various portions of the latter, the operating shaft having a flange and being completely separable from `the rotary operating member and capable of being raised to effect separation. a spring mounted upon said shaft resiliently urging the same downward into engagement with the operating member, an eccentric shaft mounted upon a stationary portion of the machine and provided with an eccentric located beneath one portion of the flange upon said operating shaft so as to be capable of raising said shaft out of contact with said rotary operating member upon partial rotation of said eccentric shaft, and driven means for imparting half a revolution to said eccentric shaft at will.

5. In an automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable design board provided with a rail following the contour of the design to be stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consisting of a wheel, and a drive shaft for said wheel, the features comprising a bent metal strip forming said rail and having attachment means securing said rail at spaced intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperat-v ing with said design board to retain the operating member continuously captive to the rail along the various portions of the latter, the operating shaft having a flange and being completely separable from the rotary operating member and capable of being raised to effect separation, an eccentric shaft mounted upon a stationary portion of the machine and provided with an eccentric located beneath one portion of the flange upon said operating shaft so as to be capable of raising said shaft out of contact with said rotary operating member upon partial rotation of said eccentric shaft and motor driven means capable of automatically driving said eccentric shaft through half a revolution upon being actuated.

6. In an automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable design board provided with a rail following the contour of the design to be stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consisting of a wheel, and a drive shaft for said wheel, the features comprising a bent metal strip forming said rail and having attachment means securing said rail at spaced intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperating with said design board to retain the operating member continuously captive to the rail along the Various portions of the latter, the operating shaft having a flange and being completely separable from the rotary operating member and capable of being raised to effect separation, an eccentric shaft mounted upon a stationary portion of the machine and provided with an eccentric located beneath one portion of the ange upon said operating shaft so as to be capable of raising said shaft out of contact with said rotary operating member upon partial rotation of:,said eccentric shaft and motor driven means capable of automatically driving said eccentric shaft through half a revolution upon being actuated, comprising a stationary shaft fixed upon said stationary portion of the machine, a rotatable pulley upon said shaft driven by an independent motor and provided with a projection upon one side thereof, a sprocket or the equivalent independently rotatable upon said stationary shaft and associated with a swingable clutch member pivoted upon a portion rotatable with said sprocket and having an extensible part adapted to swing into the path of the projection of said pulley, there being a spring associated with said sprocket tending to swing said clutch member into engagement with said projection upon the pulley, a sprocket of relatively greater diameter than said first sprocket xed upon the eccentric shaft, a chain connecting said sprockets, and means for normally retaining said swingable clutch member in idle position out of engagement with the projection upon said pulley so that said pulley may rotate freely independently of said clutch member and associated sprocket.

7. In an automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable design board provided with a rail following the contour of the design to be stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consisting of a wheel, and a drive shaft for said Wheel, the features comprising a bent metal strip forming said rail and having attachment means securing said rail at spaced intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperating with said design board to retain the operating member continuously captive to the rail along the various portions of the latter, the operating shaft having a flange and being completely separable from the rotary operating member and capable of being raised to effect separation, an eccentric shaft mounted upon a stationary portion of themachine and provided with an eccentric located beneath one portion of the flange upon said operating shaft so as to be capable of raising said shaft out of contact with said rotary operating member upon partial rotation of said eccentric shaft and motor driven means capable of automatically driving said eccentric shaft through half a revolution upon being actuated, comprising a stationary shaft fixed upon said stationary portion of the machine, a rotatable pulley upon said-shaft driven by an independent motor and provided with a projection upon one side thereof, a sprocket or the equivalent independently rotatable upon said stationary shaft and associated with a swingable clutch member pivoted upon a portion rotatable with said sprocket and having an extensible part adapted to swing into the path of the projection of said pulley, there being a spring associated with said sprocket tending to swing said clutch member into engagement with said projection upon the pulley so that said pulley may rotate freely independently of said clutch member and associated sprocket, including a stop fixed upon the machine and a spring operated lever pivoted at one end to the machine and having one portion capable of being shifted by its spring into obstructing position with respect to one portion of the swingable clutch member so as to prevent rotation of the clutch member and associated sprocket and any swinging movement into the path of the projection upon the pulley.

8. In an automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable design board provided with a rail following the contour of the design to be stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consisting of a wheel, and a drive shaft for said wheel, the features comprising a bent metal strip forming said rail and having attachment means securing said rail at spaced intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperating with said design board to retain the operating member continuously captive to the rail along the various portions of the latter, the operating shaft having a flange and being completely separable from th-e rotary operating member and capable of being raised to effect separation, an eccentric shaft mounted upon a stationary portion of the machine and provided with an eccentric located beneath one portion of the ange upon said operating shaft so as to be capable of raising said shaft out of contact with said rotary operating member upon partial rotation of said eccentric shaft, and motor driven means capable of automatically driving said eccentric shaft through half a revolution upon being actuated, comprising a stationary shaft fixed upon said stationary portion of the machine, a rotatable pulley upon said shaft driven by an independent motor and provided with a projection upon one side thereof, a sprocket or the equivalent independently rotatable upon said stationary shaft and associated with a swingable clutch member pivoted upon a portion rotatable with said sprocket and having an extensible part adapted to swing into the path of the projection of said pulley, there being a spring associated with said sprocket tending to swing said clutch member into engagement with said projection upon the pulley, a second sprocket fixed upon said eccentric shaft and connected by means of a chain to the rst sprocket, and means for returning said swingable clutch member into idle position and retaining the same therein out of engagement with the projection upon the pulley, comprising primarily a stop xed upon the machine preventing a rotation of the clutch member and associated sprocket in returned or idle position of said clutch member, and a lever pivoted upon said stationary portion of the machine at one end having a camming portion thereon capable of being engaged by the end of the swingable clutch member during rotation with its associated sprocket and swung into idle position by said camming portion and a locking portion upon said lever capable of being shifted into obstructing position with respect to the end of said swingable clutch member so as to prevent swinging of said member into active position in the path of the projection upon said pulley.

9. In an automatic fabric stitching machine having a movable design board provided with a rail following the contour of the design to be stitched and a rotary operating member engaging with said rail, consistimg of a wheel, and a drive shaft for said wheel, the features comprising a bent metal strip forming said rail and having attachment means securing said rail at spaced intervals to the design board, means rigidly associated with said rotary operating member cooperating with said design board to retain the operating member continuously captive to the rail along the various portions of the latter, the operating shaft having a flange and being completely separable from the rotary operating-f member and capable of being raised to effect separation, an eccentric shaft mounted upon a stationary portion of the machine and provided with an eccentric located beneath one portion of the ange upon said operating shaft so as to be capable of raising said shaft out of contact with said rotary operating member upon partial rotation of said eccentric shaft and motor driven means capable of automatically driving said eccentric. shaft through half a revolution upon being actuated, comprising a stationary shaft fixed upon said stationary portion of the machine, a rotatable pulley upon said shaft driven by an independent motor and provided with a projection upon one side thereof, a sprocket or the equivalent independently rotatable upon said stationary shaft and associated with a swingable clutch member pivoted upon a portion rotatable with said sprocket and having an extensible part adapted to swing into the path of the projection of said pulley, there being a spring associated with said sprocket tending to swing said clutch member into lengagement with said projection upon the pulley, a second sprocket fixed upon said eccentric shaft and connected by means of a chain to the first sprocket, and means for returning said swingable clutch member into idle position and retaining the same therein out of engagement with the projection upon the pulley and also for releasing said clutch member at will, comprising primarily a stop fixed upon the machine preventing a rotation of the clutch member and associated sprocket in returned or idle position of said clutch member, and a lever pivoted upon said stationary portion of the machine at one end having a camming portion, and a locking portion upon said lever capable of being shifted into obstructing position with respect to the end of said swingable clutch member so as to prevent swinging of said member into active position in the path of the projection upon said pulley, and wherein the means for releasing said clutch member includes an electromagnetic coil or solenoid and a yoke or core capable of being attracted by said coil or solenoid and connected to said shiftable lever in order to withdraw said lever in opposition to said spring.

GUSTAV A. BOETTCHER.