US2295255A - Gathering attachment for sewing machines - Google Patents

Description

GATHERING ATTACHMENT FOR smwme MACHINES Filed April 15, 1959 INVENTOR.

rgcwdsu ATTORNEY.

G. BRAF 5 2,295,255

Patented Sept. 8, 1942 GATHERING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Gerhard Braf, Glendale, N. Y.

Application April 15, 1939, Serial No. 268,097

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in attachments for sewing machines, but more specifically to an attachment adapted to be secured to a conventional sewing machine and to be operated thereby for stitching together by a single line of stitching the edges of two pieces of goods, the edge of one piece of goods, during the stitching operation, being gatherable or plain at the option of the operator. The attachment is so constructed that where the two pieces of goods are fed through the machine at the same rate, the resultant work is plain and not gathered. However, in many instances, it is desired to have portions of the second piece of goods (where it is stitched to a plain or hemmed piece) gathered, and other portions stitched plain.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the invention to provide an attachment preferably having the conventional hemming device thereon, the said attachment having a lever conveniently located so that the operator may quickly flip the same from one position to a second position or vice versa. When the lever is in one position, one piece of goods is hemmed and plain stitched to a second piece, and when the lever is in the second position, the second piece of goods is gathered as the hemmed piece is stitched thereto.

n machines equipped with th new and improved attachment herein shown and described, it is no longer necessary to transfer work from a machine doing plain stitching to a second machine to take care of gathering operations. This expedites the work, saves time, and eliminates extra handling.

Other objects and advantages will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates'one embodiment of the invention, by way of example:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the attachment and its relation to the work (the machine being omitted for clarity) Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device at-,

tached to the presser bar of a sewing machine;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the device and its relation to the sewing machine needle; and

Figure 4 is a rear view of the device showing the lever in one position in solid lines and its other position indicated in dot-dash lines.

The numeral Ill indicates the conventional head of a commercial sewing machine having the presser foot shaft or bar II and the needle bar l2 carrying a needle I3. The base plate l4 carries the usual throat plate H: which has the usual hole for the needle to pass through and has the usual slots, one of which is designated by the numeral l6, through which the feeder I! may project, the feeder being provided with teeth for feeding the fabric through the machine.

A bar [8, secured to the base 14, has a notch 2| formed therein, and the bobbin case l9 has a finger 20 which is positioned in said notch when said case is positioned on the stud 22 of the shuttle shaft, and it is retained thereon by a finger 23. The shuttle 24 operates in the usual well known manner.

The feeder I1 is reciprocated horizontally (from right to left and back as viewed in Figure 2) giving two of the four motions, and moved up and down in the vertical plane by a cam on the shuttle shaft. A tail 25 extends from the feeder l1, and a spring 26 between the end thereof and the base plate It urges the back of the feeder against said cam.

The new and improved hammer, generally designated by the numeral 21 consists of a body portion 28 having a slotted lug 29 adapted to be secured to the bar II by the usual screw Ha. The body 28 extends downwardly and has a portion 30 spaced apart from the feeding area and a portion 3| which is maintained in the feeding area and acts as a presser foot. Attention is directed to the fact that the presser foot 3| cooperates with the feeder I! to act upon fabrics before they reach the needle l3.

Formed integral with the presser foot 3| and extending forwardly thereof (to the right as viewed in Figure 2) is a hem scroll 32 for folding the hem into the fabric 33, and secured to the lower edge of the scroll and extending into the interior thereof is an apron 35 over which the fabric 33 may be fed.

An arm 36 extends downwardly and rearwardly from the body 28, and a spring 31 having one end secured to the upper surface of the scroll 32 is conformed to clear the portion 30 and has a flat portion 38 which is normally spaced apart from the feeding area, and the free end portion of this spring, designated by the numeral 39 presses against a cam member 40 pivotally mounted on .the end of the arm 33 by a screw 4|. The cam 43 has formed integrally therewith a lever 42. When the lever 42 is in the position shown in solid lines, the surface 43 is in contact with the end 39 ,of the spring 31, and since the surface 43 is a short distance from the pivot 41, the fiat portion 38 which may be termed an auxiliary presser foot, is out of the range of the feeding zone.

When the lever 42 is thrown to the position shown in dot-dashlines, the surface 44 is brought into engagement with the end 39 of the spring 31 causing the auxiliary presser foot 38 to descend to a position in line with the bottom of the presser foot 3| (into the feeding zone) with the result that the fabric is fed to the needle by the presser foot 3| and is fed away from the needle at the same rate by the auxiliary presser foot 33.

When both presser feet are in the feeding zone as just described, the fabric 33 has a hem turned in and it is plainly stitched to the fabric 34. When the plain stitching has advanced to a point where it is desired that the fabric 34 be gathered as it is stitched to the hemmed fabric 33, the lever is turned to a position permitting the auxiliary presser foot 38 to raise out of the feeding zone (the position shown in solid lines). This allows the presser foot 3| to deliver fabric 34 to the needle with the result that folds form in the fabric and these folds or gathers are stitched together as the hem in the fabric 33 is stitched.

A hole 45 is formed at the rear of the scroll 32 through which the. needle I3 may pass. A thumb screw 46 is threaded into .the arm 35 and carries on its shank a spring 4.! for retaining the screw at any setting. The screw may act upon the spring 31 independently of the cam where it is desired to retain a certain adjustment over. a long period of time. The screw is retracted to allow the spring to assume its normal position if the lever 42 is used, or it may be used to vary the normal position.

While a simple embodiment of the invention is shown, the invention should not be. limited to such showing except insofar as set forth in the appended claims.

I wish it understood that the construction described is equally applicable to a machine having more than one needle. It is to bev observed that where a single piece of fabric is-used, a plain line of stitching is effected when the auxiliary presser foot is in engaging position with the feeding area and when the auxiliary presser foot is out of engagement with the feeding area, the plain line of stitching is converted into a gathering along the line of stitching.

The device described operates regardless of the nature of stitch made whether it be a chain or look stitch.

I claim:

1. In an attachment for sewing machines having a needle and feeding means, a presser foot engaging said feeding means ahead of said needle, a spring member secured at the front end of the presser foot and having an intermediate depressed portion normally out of engagement with the feeding means and being behind said needle, lever operated cam means engageable with the rear end of said spring member to lower the intermediate depressed portion into engagement with said feeding means for plain stitching, the intermediate depressed portion when normally out of engagement with the feeding means effecting a gathering along the line of stitching.

2. In an attachment for sewing machines having a needle and feeding means, hemming means,

a presser foot engaging said feeding means ahead of said needle, a spring member secured atthe front end of the presser foot and having a de, pressed portion behind said needle, the said depressed portion being normally out of engagement with the feeding means, and lever operated cam means operative to move said depressed pore .tion into engagement with the feeding means.

GERHARD BRAE.

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