US2856874A

US2856874A - Zigzag sewing machines

Info

Publication number: US2856874A
Application number: US515443A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles R Odermann
Original assignee: Singer Co
Current assignee: Singer Co
Priority date: 1955-06-14
Filing date: 1955-06-14
Publication date: 1958-10-21
Anticipated expiration: 1975-10-21
Also published as: CH342454A; GB788648A; DE1738451U

Description

United States Patent Q ZIGZAG SEWING MACHINES Charles R. Odermann, Milford, Conn., as signor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 14, 1955, Serial No. 515,443

7 Claims. (Cl. 112-458) This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to improved means for biasing and resiliently stopping the swinging gate of a needle-jogging zigzag sewing machine, and one of the primary objects of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination spring retainer and resilient bumper which will effectively bias the gate of a zigzag sewing machine in one direction, and which will also'resiliently terminate the movement of the gate in the other direction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combination spring retainer and resilient bumper that can easily be placed in or removed from the head of a sewing machine.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The invention will be understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational sectional view showing a portion of a sewing machine embodying the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the sewing machine is shown to comprise a bed-plate providing a work support from one end of which bed-plate rises a hollow standard (not shown) of a bracket-arm 17 overhanging the bed-plate 15 and terminating at its free end in an open-ended head 18. The bracket-arm 17 is open at its upper portion, forming a substantially trough-shaped unit having a cover-plate 19 held in place by a pair of screws, of which one is shown at 20.

Rotatably journaled in suitable bearings provided in the bracket-arm 17 is a horizontally dispose-d main-shaft 21 extending lengthwise of the bracket-arm 17. One end of the main-shaft 21 is driven by a means (not shown) whereas the other end of the main-shaft 21 carries a counterbalanced crank 23 provided with a crank-pin 24 connected by a jointed link 25 to a collar 26 suitably secured to a vertically disposed needle-bar 27.

The needle-bar 27 carries at its lower end a needle 28 and is movable endwise in bearings provided in a vibratory or swinging gate 29. The gate 29 is pivotally hung upon a horizontally disposed screw stud 30 carried by a supporting member 31 adjustably threaded into the upper wall of the bracket-arm head 18 to provide for swinging movements of the gate 29 about a pivotal axis which is substantially transverse to the axis of rotation of the main shaft 21. The open portion of the head 18, which houses ice the needle-bar 27 and the gate 29, is closed by a faceplate 32 supported and secured in place by

screws

33 and 34.

Extending horizontally from the lower end of the needle-bar gate 29 is an arm 35 of which the free end portion extends externally of the bracket-arm head 18 and at that location carries a pivot-block 36. Embracing the pivot-block 36 is a forked end of a rock-arm 37 depending from the front end of a short rock-shaft 38 disposed horizontally transversely to the main-shaft 21 and journaled at the under side of the bracket-arm head 18. The rock shaft 38 is rocked by a means, which forms no part of the present invention, but which is fully disclosed in patent application Serial No. 386,684, filed October 19, 1953, now Patent No. 2,756,703. Rocking of the shaft 38 swings the rock-arm 37 which in turn moves the arm 35 in and out of the head 18 thereby swinging the gate 29 and the needle-bar 27 in a known manner. The mechanism, shown and described in the above referred to Patent No. 2,756,703, is such that the swing of the gate 29 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) about the stud 30 is definitely limited by engagement of a cam follower with a cam. However, the mechanism shown in Patent No. 2,756,703 does not provide a definite stop which limits the swing of the gate 29 in a counterclockwise direction.

The swinging gate 29 is biased toward one terminal of its swing by a pair of compression springs, of which only one is shown, viz. helical compression spring 41. Spring 41 is housed in a cylindrical spring retainer 42 one end of which is closed as at 43. The other end of the spring retainer 42 is open and provided with an annular flange 44. An annular rubber-like resilient washer or bumper 46 is bonded or otherwise secured to the outer surface of the flange 44.

The free end 48 of spring 41 extends beyond the face of the resilient washer 46 and enters a small depression or recess 49 formed in the free end 52 of the gate 29. When the rock-shaft 38 rocks counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 1 the rock-arm 37, pivot-block 36, and arm 35 function to swing the gate 29 counterclockwise to the position shown by dash-dash lines in Fig. 1. This compresses the spring 41 and causes the free end 52 of the gate: 29 to engage the resilient washer 46 thereby cushioning the final counterclockwise directional movement of the gate 29. The spring retainer 42 is suitably held in a horizontally extending aperture or cylindrical hole 54 formed in a lower wall of the head 18, and the closed end 43 of the retainer 42 protrudes beyond the outer surface of the head 18. Replacement of the spring 41 and the resilient tipped retainer 42 can easily be accomplished by removing the faceplate 32 and by swinging up the gate 29 which carries the needle-bar 27. Then the spring 41 can be removed from the retainer 42. Also by tapping or pressing on the exposed closed end 43 of the retainer 42, the retainer 42 can conveniently be removed from the hole 54.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head, a swinging gate housed in said head, a reciprocatory needle bar supported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, spring means for biasing said gate in one direction of its swing to its extreme position, and resilient bumper means encircling said spring means and adapted to be engaged by said gate adjacent to its other extreme position of its movement, said bumper means being designed for cushioning the final movement of said gate in the other of its directions of swing, the said bumper means projecting beyond the inside surface of the head a lesser distance than the spring means projects in its extended position.

2. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head, a swinging gate housed in said head, a reciprocatory needle-bar supported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combination means for biasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and for cushioning the final movement of said gate in its other direction of swing, said combination means comprising a retainer having one end inside of said head and having the other end external thereof, a compression spring housed in said retainer, and a resilient member secured to the inside end of said retainer.

3. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head, a swinging gate housed in said head, and the free end of said gate having a depression, a reciprocatory needle-bar supported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combination means for biasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and for cushioning the final movement of said gate in its other direction of swing, said combination means comprising a tubular retainer hav ing one end inside of said head, a resilient member secured to the inside end of said retainer, and a compression spring housed in said retainer and having an end extending inside of said head beyond said resilient member and entering the depression in the free end of said gate.

4. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head, a swinging gate housed in said head, a reciprocatory needle-bar supported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combination means for biasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and for cushioning the final movement of said gate in its other direction of swing, said combination means comprising a tubular retainer, a flange on the open end of said retainer, a resilient Washer secured to the outer face of said flange,

and a compression spring housed in said retainer and having an end extending beyond the outer face of said resilient washer, and the free end of said spring engaging said gate.

5. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket'arm provided with a head having an aperture, a swinging gate housed in said head, a reciprocatory needle-bar supported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combination means for biasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and for cushioning the final movement of said gate in its other direction of swing, said combination means comprising a tubular retainer placed in said aperture in said head and one end of said retainer extending inwardly beyond the inner surface of said head, a resilient member secured to the inner end of said retainer and a compression spring housed in said r'etainer and extending inside of said head and beyond said resilient member and having a free end engaging said gate.

6. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head having an aperture, a swinging gate housed in said head, and said gate having a depression, a reciprocatory needlebar supported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combination means for biasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and for cushioning the final movement of said gate in its other direction of swing, said combination means comprising a tubular reone end and placed in the said aperture in said head and the closed end of said retainer protruding beyond the outer surface of said head, a flange on the open end of said retainer, a resilient washer secured to the outer face of said flange, and a helical compression housed in said retainer and having a free end extending beyond the outer face of said resilient washer, and the free end of said spring entering the depression in said, gate.

7. in a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with an open-ended head having a horizontally extending aperture, a face-plate closing the open end of said head, a swinging gate housed in said head, and the free end of said gate having a small depression, a reciprocatory needle-bar supported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combination means for biasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and for cushioning the final movement of said gate in its other direction of swing, said combination means comprising a cylindrical tubular retainer closed at one end and placed in the said horizontally extending aperture in said head and the closed end of said retainer protruding beyond the outer surface of said head, an annular flange on the open end of said retainer, an annular resilient washer secured to the outer face of said flange, and a helical compression spring housed in said retainer and having a free end extending beyond the outer face of said resilient washer, and the free end of said spring entering the small depression in the free end of said gate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,388,360 Merritt Aug. 23, 1921 2,644,413 Sauer July 7, 1953 2,667,133 Court Jan. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 681,873 France Feb. 4, 1930