US3005137A - Sewing machine whereby stitches forming various patterns can be produced automatically - Google Patents

Description

17, 1961 c. CARON 3,005,137

SEWING MACHINE WHEREIBY STITCHES FORMING VARIOUS PATTERNS CAN BE PRODUCED AUTOMATICALLY Filed April 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 17, 1961 c. CARON 3,005,137

sawmc MACHINE WHEREBY STITCHES FORMING VARIOUS PATTERNS CAN BE PRODUCED AUTOMATICALLY Filed April 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V VE N 70 A/farhey SEWING MACHINE United StatesPatentOfiice 3,005,137. Patented Oct. 17, 1961 The present invention relates to a control device, especially for a sewing machine, whereby stitches forming various patterns can be produced automatically, and wherein at least one of the two eifective elementsneedle bar and work feed deviceis subjected to the action of said control device which is intended to locate the exact position at which the needle penetrates the work. This control device comprises a digital programme controller furnishing electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the said signals are transmitted, a driving member which is connected mechanically to the said element -needle bar or work feed device-and which displaces it in one and the other direction, an exploring member which is displaced at the same time as the said element opposite the said studs, with eachof which it comes into contact successively, and, finally, a stopping mechanism operated electrically at the instant when the said exploring member is situated opposite the stud supplied with current by the programme, bringing about the stoppage of the driving member and consequently arresting the driven elementneedle bar or work feed devicein a position thus determined by the programme.

One form of embodiment of the subject of the invention, and a modified form of embodiment, are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE -1 is a diagrammatic general view of part of a sewingrnachine, showing only those parts which are necessary for the understanding of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a part of the mechanism which provides the programme.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are plane views of two details. FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the mechanism providing the programme.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a detail, and,

- FIGURE 7 is a View of a detail of a modified form of embodiment.

The machine illustratedcomprises a needle 1 fixed to a needle-carrying bar 2, which itself is mounted in a cradle 3. The latter is articulated on a pin 4 belonging to the frame of the machine. The needle could also be mounted in a so-called pendulum-type arrangement. An

2 by a programme controller which will be described hereinafter. The actuator acts or does not act, in accordance with the programme, thus determining the direction in which the control member 6 is displaced. Also, the grid of the thyratron 17 is supplied with current by a current source 19 through the agency of a ring 20 carried by a shaft 21, the latter being driven by the motor of the machine by means of a mechanism which is not shown in the drawings. The object of this ring is to supply current to the grid of the thyratron 17 at well-definedinstants, in such manner that the displacements of the control member 6 are eifected synchronously with the other movements of the machine.

The automatic stopping of the control member 6 in one or other of the various positions which it is adapted to occupy, is carried out in the following manner:

The said member is connected, by a conductor 22, to the current source 19. During the displacements of the said member its exploring arm 6a comes into contact successively with the various studs 10, which are connected through the intermediary of the device 23 (FIGURES) supplying the programme, and which is described hereinafter, to the grid circuit of a thyratron 24 whose output circuit supplies the locking electromagnet 15. As soon as the exploring arm 6a comes into contact with the particular stud 10 which is at that time in communication with the grid of the thyratron 24, electromagnet 15 is energised and the control member 6 is locked. It should be noted that the feed circuit of the electromagnet 15 passes through a ring 25 carried by theshaft 21, so that I after each stitch the electromagnet 15 is released, thus allowing the member 6 to move again in order to occupy the desired position for the following stitch.

The mechanism 23 providing the programme is ar ranged as follows:

A frame is formed of two insulating plates 26 and 27 fixed to a shaft 28 which is mounted rotatably in the machine. These two plates carry five metallic rods 29a to 292 which are parallel to the rotatable shaft 28 and are each situated at a diiferent distance therefrom. These rods project slightly from the plate 26 and contact concentric circular contact tracks 30a to 30e which are connected respectively to the studs 10a to 10e (FIGURE 6). The rods 29 carry several series of five contact discs 31 which are insulated from one another by intermediate discs 32 (FIGURES 3 and 4) and are each formed with holes 33 for the passage therethrough of the rods. These arm 3a of the cradle is connected by a rod 5 to a control member 6 articulated at 7 to'the frame of the machine and rockable about the said point.

The movements of the member 6 are brought about by an electromagnet 8 acting in opposite to the action of a restoring spring 9. The member 6 comprises an exploring arm 6a which is displaceable opposite a series of electrical contact studs 10:: to 10e. Also, the member 6 comprises a sector 6b in the edge of which are formed a series of notches 11 with which co-operates a finger 12 carried by a two-armedlever 13. This lever is articulated at 14 to the frame of the machine and its movements are controlled by an electromagnet 15. When the latter is energised, the pin 12 co-operates with one or other of the notches 11 and immobilises the control member 6.

This machine operates in the following manner:

The actuator 8 which brings about the movements of the needle through the agency of the control member 6 and the rod 5, is energised by a current source 16 through discs each comprise a plurality of external noses 31 which extend over a sector covering of a revolution, and are intended to come into contactwith a brush 34. The holes 33, except for a hole designated as 33, are sufliciently large to ensure that the rods 29 do not touch them. The hole 33' is of smaller diameter, so that the rod 29 which extends through itis in electrical contact with the corresponding disc 31. Each disc carries a hole 33' corresponding to a different rod 29, so that each disc is in electrical contact with one of these rods. the rotation of the plates 26 and 27 carrying the rods 29, which rotation is produced step-by-step by a mechanism not shown in the drawings acting synchronously with the rest of the machine, the noses 31' come successively into contact with the brush 34 connected to the grid of the thyratron 24 by a conductor 25. When one nose 31' comes into contact with the brush 34, it connects the said grid to the corresponding stud 10a through the intermediary of one of the rods 29 and one of the contact tracks 30. One of the insulating discs 32 situated between the disc 31, and designated as 32, is in the form of a cam and controls the contact 18 for supplying the actuator. This disc 32' thus determines, by the shape of its profile, whether, for the following stitch, the actuator is to be energised or not, that is to say in which During 3 direction the control member 6 is to be displaced in order to reach by the shortest path of travel the stud at which it will be immobilized; this arrangement prevents idle travel of the control member and consequently of the needle. It should be noted that the rods 29 carry several series of five discs 31 and that the brush 34, and also the contact 18, may be displaced in such a manner as to be brought opposite one or other of these series of discs. Thus the machine comprises a plurality of programmes incorporated therein, which can easily be brought into operation or rendered inoperative.

The control device which is illustrated and described may also be applied to the work fee-d device instead of being connected to the needle. The work feed device, designated as 36 in FIGURE 7, will be connected to the control rod in place of the cradle 3 carrying the needle. It may be advantageous not to drive the work teed device directly but to drive an intermediate selecting member, known in the sewing machine field, for determining the amplitude of the movements of the work feed device which are produced by the motor of the machine.

In the example described andillustrated, the number of studs 10 is five. This number could also be higher, eight or sixteen for example.

What 1 claim is:

1. In a control device for controlling the position of a machine element, especially for controlling the position of the needle bar or of the work feed device of a sewing machine, a digital programme controller supplying electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the said signals are transmitted, a driving member which is connected mechanically to the said controlled element, and which displaces it in one and the other direction, an exploring member operatively connected to said element, whereby it is displaced at the same time as the said element, opposite to said studs, with each of which it comes into contact successively, and, finally, an electrically controlled mobile abutting member, electrically connected to said exploring member so as to be operated at the instant when the said exploring member comes opposite the stud supplied with current by the programme, thus arresting the said controlled element in a position determined by the programme.

2. In a control device for con-trolling the position of a machine element, especially for controlling the position of the needle bar or of the work feed device of a sewing machine, a digital programme controller supplying electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the said signals are transmitted, an electronic valve provided with an output circuit and with a grid circuit, said output circuit passing through the said programme controller, an electromagnet controlling said element, arranged in the output circuit of said valve, a contact ring driven synchronously with the machine to which belongs the said element and supplying with current the grid circuit of said valve, an exploring member operatively connected to said element, whereby it is displaced at the same time as the said element, opposite tosaid studs, with each of which it comes into contact successively, and, finally, an electrically controlled mobile abutting member, electrically connected to said exploring member so as to be operated at the instant when the said exploring member comes opposite the stud supplied with current by the programme, thus arresting 4 the said controlled element in a position determined by the programme.

3. In a control device for controlling the position of a machine element, especially for controlling the position of the needle bar or of the Work feed device of a sewing machine, a digital programme controller supplying electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the said signals are transmitted, a driving member which is connected mechanically to the said controlled element, and which displaces it in one and the other direction, an exploring member operatively connected to said element, whereby it is displaced at the same time as the said element, opposite to said studs, with each of which it comes into contact successively, and, finally, an electrically controlled mobile abutting member, electrically connected to said exploring member so as to be operated at the instant when the said exploring member comes opposite the stud supplied with current by the programme, thus arresting the controlled element in a position determined by the programme, said stopping mechanism comprising an electronic valve provided with an output circuit and with a grid circuit, and an electromagnet supplied by the output circuit of said valve, said grid circuit passing successively through the programme controller and through the contact studs of the exploring member.

4. In a control device for controlling the position of a machine element, especially for controlling the position of the needle bar or of the work feed device of a sewing machine, a digital programme controller supplying electric signals, a series of contact studs to which the said sig nals are transmitted, a driving member which is connected mechanically to the said controlled element, and which displaces it in one and the other direction, an exploring member operatively connected to said element, whereby it is displaced at the same time as the said element, opposite to said studs, with each of which it comes into contact successively, and, finally, a stopping mechanism electrically connected to said exploring member so as to be operated electrically at the instant when the said exploring member comes opposite the stud supplied with current by the programme, bringing about the stoppage of the driving member and consequently arresting the controlled element in a position thus determined by the programme, said stopping mechanism comprising an electronic valve provided with an output circuit and with a grid circuit, an electromagnet supplied by the output circuit of said valve, and a contact ring driven synchronously with the machine to which belongs the said controlled element and through which passes said output circuit, the grid circuit of said valve passing successively through the programme controller and through the contact studs of the exploring member, whereby afiter each stitch the stopping mechanism is liberated and is ready to function anew to lock the exploring member during its following movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images