US2894468A

US2894468A - Copying device for sewing-machine

Info

Publication number: US2894468A
Application number: US651959A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nohl Walter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-04-10
Filing date: 1957-04-10
Publication date: 1959-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1976-07-14
Also published as: FR1173572A; CH357614A

Description

July 14, 1959 w. N HL 2,894,468

COPYING DEVICE FOR SEWINGMAGHINE Filed April 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 14, 1959 1 V w, NOHL I 2,894,468

v COPYING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINE Filed April 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United This invention relates to a copying device for a sewingmachine adapted for embroidering, which device enables the operator to embroider a pattern, given in form of a drawing, a stencil or the like, on fabric or other suitable material without having firstly to transfer the pattern from the drawing or the like onto the material in order to embroider thereafter along the lines of the pattern transferred onto the material.

It is an object of the invention to provide a copying device for a sewing-machine adapted for embroidering, comprising a base plate, said base plate having an aperture adapted to form a passage for the sewing-machine needle, a holder for the material to be embroidered, said material holder being arranged for slidable movement on said base plate, a guiding device adapted to impart translatory movement to said material holder, said guiding device enclosing two sets of lever guides arranged for movement rectangular to each other in a plane parallel to the base plate, one of said sets of lever guides being linked to the base plate and guiding an intermediate member, the other set of lever guides being linked to said intermediate member and to said material holder, a tracing member connected with said material holder and adapted for manual tracing along lines of a pattern to be copied, a holder for a pattern to be copied, said holderincluding a frame provided with slip preventing means on its underside and being adapted for elastically pressing said pattern against said base plate, said base plate being provided with a graduated guide-rule for guiding said pattern.

Another object of the invention is to provide a copyingdevice for a sewing-machine adapted for embroidering, comprising a base plate, said base plate having an aperture adapted to form a passage for the sewing-machine needle, a holder for the material to be embroidered, said material holder being arranged for slidable movement on said base plate, a guiding device adapted for moving said material holder parallel to itself, said guiding device including two sets of lever guides arranged for movement rectangular to each other in a plane parallel to the base plate, one of said sets of lever guides being linked to fixed points and guiding an intermediate member, the other set of lever guides being linked to said intermediate member and'to said material holder, a tracing member connected with said material holder and adapted for manual tracing along lines of a pattern to be copied, a supporting board adapted to support a pattern to be copied, said supporting board being spaced from said base plate and said guiding device being at least partially arranged between said base plate and said supporting board, a holder for said pattern to be copied, said holder including a frame provided with slip preventing means on its underside and being adapted and arranged for elastically pressing said pattern against said supporting board, said supporting board being provided with a graduated guide-rule arranged forguiding said pattern.

A further object of the invention is to provide a copying device of the kind referred to wherein said material holder is formed as an embroidery frame and stop means :ttes Patet are provided for limiting themovement of said material holder so as to prevent the rim of said material holder from passing over the circumference of said aperture of said base plate, said stop means being formed by said tracing member and said frame, said tracing member being arranged for movement of its point within said frame, in each direction the interior diameter of said embroidery frame being at least equal to the interior diameter of said frame which is arranged for being elastically pressed against said pattern, and said aperture in said base plate is situated at least nearly in the centre of said embroidery frame when the point of the tracing member is put in the centre of said frame.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention the lever guides are at least partially arranged in a space between the base plate and a cover plate spaced from this base plate. In this manner, the lever guides are at least partially covered by said cover-plate and the material to be embroidered is prevented from being caught'by the levers of said lever guides. This cover plate performs also a supporting board for the drawing or the like to be copied, and the tracing member is connected with the material holder by an arm which is inclined in its operational position relatively to the plane of the material holder in an obtuse angle. With this arrangement the material protruding from the material holder can rest on the arm of the tracing member which keeps the material from interference with the parts of the lever guides that are not covered by the cover plate. Thereby the movement of the guiding device in this region is prevented from being disturbed by the material and the operator can easily observe the point of the material where the embroidery is being made.

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top view to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line IVIV in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a top view of the device according to Fig. 3 with part of the cover plate broken away and with the arm of the tracing member removed.

The copying device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a base plate 1 having an aperture 2. The material holder 3 is formed as an embroidery frame, arranged for sliding movement on the base plate. The guiding device consists of a first set of lever guides 4 and 5 pivotally mounted on the base plate and connected to a T-shaped intermediate member 6 which is guided by these levers, and a second set of lever guides 7 and 8 pivotally connected to the intermediate member 6 and guiding a member 9 that carries the material holder 3. The

members

6 and 9 are provided with

distance pieces

26, 27 enabling these members to sliclewith minimum friction on the base plate 1. An arm 10 is rigidly but removably connected to the embroidery frame 3 by means of a knurled head screw 11, and a plate 12 held in position by pins 13. The other end of the arm 10 is provided with a clamping sleeve 14 in which a tracing pin 15 may be inserted. For instance a pencil may serve as a tracing pin. On the base plate 1 a frame 17 is provided which is pressed onto the base plate by means of elastic wires 18, 19. The wires 18, 19 are provided with

eyes

20, 21 which eyes are attached on the base plate by means of screws so that the extending end parts 22 bear against the base plate 1. The end parts 22 as well as parts of the frame 17 are covered with rubber tubes. Below the base plate two walls 24, 25 are arranged to fix to copying device upon the table of a sewing-machine, and the aperture 2 is positioned so as to be at least nearly in the center of theembroidery frame 3 when the tracing pin is put in the center of the frame 17. It is advantageous when the diameter of frame 17 is slightly smaller in each direction than the diameter of embroidery frame 3.

The guiding pin 15 is adjustable lengthwise, e.g. slidable in a clamping sleeve as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Alternatively the arm may be arranged for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, so that due to gravity the guiding pin is pressed upon the pattern which is to be copied or especially into a groove of a guiding stencil, the pivotable arm 10 should also be fixable so that the point of the tracing pin may be spaced from the surface of the pattern if a drawing 16 is used.

It is practical when the arm' carrying the guiding pin is arched and extends to a certain distance from the base plate so as to minimize the reduction in the field of vision. In order to reduce the space required by the complete device when it is not in use the arm is mounted in such a manner that it can be removed.

The device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is used in the following manner. Thedevice is placed on the table of a sewing machine in such a position that the stitch point of the stitch plate of the sewing-machine is situated below the aperture 2. Walls 24, 25 serve as stop faces bearing on the edges of the table of the sewing-machine. The material, e.g. a piece of fabric 28, shown partially in Fig. 2, which material is to be embroidered according to a predetermined pattern is clamped in the embroidery frame 3, and the predetermined pattern, e.g. a drawing 16, or a guiding stencil or a piece of embroidered fabric, is clamped by the hoop 17 against the base plate 1. The sewing-machine is then operated and simultaneously the point of the tracing pin 15 is guided by hand along the lines of the drawing or the grooves of the stencil or along the lines of the embroidered pattern on the fabric, according to the desired embroidery to be made. The hoop 17 serves as a stop to limit the movements of the tracing pin, alternatively other movement limiting means, e.g. stops, may be provided that prevent the embroidery frame 3 and other members of the device connected to that frame from entering the field of action of the sewing machine needle.

Large patterns exceeding the area of frame 17 may be embroidered in steps. For each of these steps both the material to be embroidered and the pattern to be copied are displaced and fixed in corresponding positions in the embroidery frame 3 and below the frame 17, respectively. In order to insure said corresponding positions, the embroidery frame may be set in such a position that the sewing-machine needle is in alignment with a point on the periphery of an already embroidered part on the material and thereafter the pattern is displaced until the tracing pin is in alignment with that point of the design corresponding to said point of the already embroidered part. This procedure has to be carried out also on another point of the already embroidered part and the corresponding point of the design, thereby assuring that the pattern and the embroidered material have not been rotated relatively to each other during the displacement so that the parts to be embroidered in several steps one after the other fit exactly together.

Another embodiment of the copying device according to the invention is shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. This device includes a base plate 1 having an aperture 2 adapted to lie on the stitch plate of the sewing machine. A material holder 3 formed as an embroidery frame is carried by the material clamped therein and lying slidably on the base plate. The guiding device for said material holder 3 includes a first set of lever guides 4 and 5 pivotally mounted on the base plate for movement in a plane parallel thereto and connected to an annular intermediate member 29 which is guided by these levers, and a second set of lever guides 7 and 8 pivotally connected to the intermediate member 29 guiding the material holder in a plane parallel to the base plate. The two pivot pins 30 disposed diametrically to each other on the intermediate member 29 are provided each with a mushroom distance piece 31 adapted to slide on the base plate. These distance pieces 31 may be made of plastic such as nylon.

A cover plate 32 is spaced from the base plate 1 and arranged parallel thereto. The cover plate serves as a base for the pattern to be copied. For fixing said pattern a frame 33 is pivotally mounted by means of a horizontal shaft 34. The frame 33 is pressed against the cover plate 32 by means of a spring 35 and is provided on its under side with slip preventing means (not shown in the drawings) consisting of a rubber like material of circular cross section inserted in a groove provided on frame33 and protruding therefrom to prevent an undesirable displacement of the pattern to be copied which is to be clamped between the cover plate 32 and the frame 33. Upon the cover plate 32 a graduated guiding rule 36 is provided serving as a stop for thepattern tobe copied and being helpful for carrying out definite displacements thereof in step by step manipulation of the device.

Such a rule 36 is advantageous also when monograms or complete words are to be embroidered by means of stencils having engraved letters side by side. By putting one edge of such a stencil against the ruleexact'alignment of the individual letters is ensured even after displacement or interchange of stencils. By a small parallel displacement of a stencil along the rule the letter engrayed on the stencil may be embroidered with double outlines (or more than double, if desired) whereby the rule ensures an exactly parallel movement. For thispurpose the rule may have a graduation facilitating definite displacements.

Instead of said arrangement of the frame 17 (Figs. 1 and 2) or the frame 33 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) respectively an aperture may alternatively be provided in the base plate 1 (Figs. 1 and 2) or cover plate 32 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) respectively and a clamping device can be arranged to press the pattern to be copied from below against the rim of that aperture.

An arm 38 at one end thereof carrying a tracing pin 39 is pivotally mounted at its other end 38 on the material holder by means of a horizontal shaft 37 fixed on the material holder and substantially fitting within end 38' for forming a hinge connection therewith. In the working position the arm 38 and the plane of the. material holder 3 include an obtuse angle. The illustrated hinge formed at the end 33 of the arm is formed by surrounding more than half of circumference of the shaft 37 by the sheet material from which the arm 38 is made. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the open end 3811 and 38b partially surround shaft 37 and extend thereabout through an angle greater than Fig. 4 illustrates in section the peripheral extent of end 38' about shaft 37. This end 38' of the arm may be made of resilient spring material and is bent according to a radius slightly shorter than the radius of the shaft 37 to provide a movable frictional fit between shaft 37 and end 38'. This smaller diameter of end 38 enables the arm to be removable from the shaft as well as to have sufficient gripping efliect so as to remain in any position on the shaft by friction therebetween. The tracing pin 39 is provided with a sleeve 40 made of plastic which serves as a handle to manipulate the pin and thereby guiding the material holder 3. The point of the tracing pin can be made of plastic, e.g. Teflon, and can be formed and mounted in such a way as to be interchangeable. v

The material holder 3 is also provided with a handle 41 and in alignment therewith at the underside of the holder a sliding member is attached consisting of a felt disc or a mushroom-shaped body made of nylon and adapted to slide on the base plate 1.

One lateral edge of the base plate 1 is provided with a downwardly bent rim 42 which must not necessarily be extended along the full length of the edge. This-rim a sewing-machine thereby holding the copying device in working position on the sewing-machine. Said rim 42 may be provided with a recess adapted for receiving the hinge joining the table with the bed plate of the sewingmachine.

The longitudinal edges of the base plate of the copying device also have downwardly bent rims with'steps which are adapted to fit on different sewing-machines to be used in connection with the copying device. The rim 43 laying at right hand of the operator when the device is in operational position is provided with steps and extends only along a part of the length of the base plate 1, as shown in Fig. 4, these steps preventing the device from shifting on the bed plate of the sewing-machine or on the work arm thereof, while being in intermediate contact therewith. The other lateral edge of the base plate of the copying device is provided with a downwardly bent rim 44 serving only to stiffen the baseplate.

At the underside ofthe'base plate 1 of the copying de vice opposite to base for the pattern to be copied a pair of stays 45 is pivotally mounted." These stays are adapted to be turned to lie on the base plate substantially parallel thereto when the device is out of use and to be turned in a position substantially rectangular to the base plate 1 and serving as a post of the device when the device is in working position with the part of the base plate 1 carrying the material holder 3 fixed to the free work arm of a portable sewing-machine, in which case said part of the base plate may be fixed onto the free work arm ofvthe machine by means of connecting members (e.g. a frame, a ribbon or the like, fixed on the underside of said base plate and embracing at least a part of said work arm of the sewing-machine) not shown in the drawings. The length of the stays is variable ein order to match to sewingmachines of different sizes.

The device as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is to be placed on the bed or on the free work arm respectively of a sewing-machine in such a manner that the stitch point of the stitch plate is situated on the aperture 2. This condition of placement can be accomplished easily and definitely if the bed or the free work arm of the sewing.- machine have standard or other dimensions that fit to the downwardly

bent rims

42, 43 or into one of the steps of these rims of the base plate 1 of the copying device. If the sewing-machine has a free work arm the part of the base plate 1 carrying the material holder 3 is fixed upon this work arm and the stays 45 are rotated downwardly and adjusted for the required height. During the embroidering operation the operator manipulates the device with both hands, guiding the handle 41 on the material holder 3 with its left hand and the handle 40 of the tracing pin 39 with its right hand, thereby attaining an improved certainty of guidance as has been proved by experience with the device described.

The particular formation of one of the lateral edges and one of the longitudinal edges of the base plate ensures that the line connecting the middle of the material holder 3 with the point of the guiding pin 39 includes a right angle with the longitudinal axis of the sewingmachine. It has been found that such a situation of the device relatively to the sewing-machine facilitates handling thereof and enables an exact tracing of the material holder in accordance with the pattern to be copied because in this case the line connecting the point of embroidering with the tracing pin is at least nearly in alignment with the direction of view of the operator.

The arm 38 could be rigidly connected to the material holder 3 and carry an adjustable tracing pin as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The tracing pin could be interchangeable especially in order to be substituted by a pencil. A pencil is of advantage when areas of the pattern to be embroidered given in form of a drawing are to be tightly covered with lock-stitch. The procedure is facilitated by using a pencil, as tracing pin the operator covers the correspond- 6 ing area of the drawing with pencil lines. When this area of the p-attem is completely covered with pencil lines the sewing-machine has completely covered the corresponding area of the material with lockstitch.

In order to save space when the device is out of use the arm 38 carrying the tracing pin is removable or adapted to be hinged upon a horizontal axis to reduce the overall vertical dimension of the copying device when it is not in use. a

The stencils to be used with the device can be made from a sheet of plastic having one or more grooves or slots representing a path for the tracing pin. Preferably the grooves are made by stamping. Stamped grooves enable the guiding pin to slide easily due to the smooth faces of such grooves. With these stencils a tracing pin is used comprising an interchangeable point piece fitting in the grooves and preferably made of nylon or other suitable plastic. A V-shaped groove was found to be useful since this cross section ensures an easy sliding of the point of the guiding pin even over crossings of grooves.

The use of stencils is advantageous since the operator can direct his full attention to the stitching procedure and need not necessarily keep the pattern to be copied in its visual field. In this Way the velocity of movement of the tracing pin can be brought in accordance with the Working speed of the sewing-machine without requiring special skill of the operator.

A stencil having a groove along the periphery of a narrow rectangle'serves for sewing button-holes. After having sewed along this periphery with the sewing-machine the fabric is slitted within said periphery thereby completing the button-hole.

Stencils for embroidering letters are provided with an index adapted to be used in relationship with the graduation of the rule allowing displacement of these stencils along definite distances. During a displacement or an exchange of a stencil or a drawing or pattern to be copied, the tracing pin must be lifted. It is practical when the pin is arranged to be fixed in a raised position or mounted in such a way as to remain in its position after having been raised.

Several individual members of the device may be made of plastic. When the members of the guiding device are made of suitable plastic, e.g. nylon, the movability free from clearance, as it is essential for the pivots of the members of the guiding device, may be obtained by a cylindrical bolt fitted in a hole of equilateral triangular cross section. The bolt may have a diameter slightly greater than-the diameter of the inscribed circle in the triangular hole.

The device may also be provided with a pantograph which may be provided additionally to or instead of, the guiding device for connecting the base plate, the material holder and the tracing pin together thereby enabling the use of drawings or stencils representing the pattern to be embroidered on the fabric or other material on a reduced scale.

I claim:

1. A copying device for a sewing-machine adapted for embroidering, comprising a base plate, said base plate having an aperture adapted to form a passage for the sewing-machine needle, a holder for the material to be embroidered, said material holder being arranged for slidable movement on said base plate, a guiding device adapted to impart translatory movement to said material holder, two sets of lever guides arranged for transverse movement with respect to each other in a plane parallel to the base plate, said guiding device enclosing the two sets, one of said sets of lever guides being linked to the base plate, an intermediate member guided by said one set, the other set of lever guides being linked to said in-- termediate member and to said material holder, a tracing member connected with said material holder and adapted for manual tracing along lines of a pattern to be copied, a holder for a pattern to be copied, said holder including a frame provided with slip preventing means on its underside and being adapted for elastically pressing said pat tern against said base plate, said base plate :being provided with a graduated guide-rule for guiding said pattern.

2. A copying device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a cover plate, said cover plate being spaced from said base plate, and said guiding device being at least partially arranged between said base plate and said cover plate.

3. A copying device for a sewing-machine adapted for embroidering, comprising a base plate, said base plate having an aperture adapted to form a passage for the sewing-machine needle, a holder for the material to be embroidered, said material holder being arranged for slidable movement on said base plate, a guiding device adapted for moving said material holder parallel to itself, said guiding device including two sets of lever guides arranged for transverse movement relative to each other in a plane parallel to the base plate, one of said sets of lever guides being linked to fixed points, an intermediate member guided by said one set, the other set of lever guides being linked to said intermediate member and to said material holder, a tracing member connected with said material holder and adapted for manual tracing along lines of a pattern to be copied, a supporting board adapted to support a pattern to be copied, said supporting board being spaced from said base plate and said guiding device being at least partially arranged between said base plate and said supporting board, a holder for said pattern to be copied, said holder including a frame provided with slip preventing means on its underside and being adapted and arranged for elastically pressing said pattern against said supporting board, said supporting board being provided with a graduated guide-rule arranged for guiding said-pattern.

4. A copying device for a sewing-machine adapted for embroidering, comprising a base plate, a holder for the material to be embroidered, a guiding .device coupling said material holder to said plate, a tracing member including a tracing pin connected with said material holder, means for displacement of said tracing pin in a substantially vertical direction, said means including an arm connecting said material holder with said tracing pin, said armbeing pivotally held on a horizontal axis mounted on said material .holder, said arm forming an obtuse angle with the plane of said material holder in working position.

5. A copying device as claimed in claim 4, comprising fixing means for fixing the position of said arm relative to said material holder in any position within at least part of its range of pivotal movement by friction.

59,693 -Holland Feb. 15, 1947