US3020864A

US3020864A - Quilter gauge

Info

Publication number: US3020864A
Application number: US834512A
Authority: US
Inventors: Katz Sam
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-08-18
Filing date: 1959-08-18
Publication date: 1962-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 1979-02-13

Description

Feb. 13, 1962 s. KA-rz 3,020,864

QUILTER GAUGE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l sway 9 INVENTOR.

501m Kc: tz

"5 "0 38 a l 5' ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 13, 1962 s, KATz 3,020,864

QUILTER GAUGE Filed Aug. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3am Korlz.

ATTORNEYS.

United Stes Patent 3,926,854 Fatented Feb. 13, 1962 ice 3,020,864 QUIL'EER GAUGE Sam Katz, Fashionbilt Garment Co., 815 Washington, Kansas City 5, Mo. Fied Aug. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 834,512 3 Claims. (Cl. 112153) This -vinvention relates to a quilter gauge, and more particularly to a guide attachment adapted to be secured to a sewing machine head and having guide members adapted to be extended on to the material being stitched to guide the same and insure a straight line stitching.

Heretofore, various devices have been devised for guiding the material along a sewing machine lbed for forming hems or the like, but none of such devices havebeen entirely successful. Such apparatus have failed because the guide member would move upwardly or downwardly according to the thickness of the material being sewed, and would prevent a straight line stitch.

It is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a quilter gauge having guide members wherein the guide members will rest against the bed of the machine during operation except when it is desired to be raised and thus will efficiently guide the material regardless of the thickness thereof.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a head or block to which the guide arms are adjustably attached having sockets oppositely facing each other for receiving a hollow bearing member which, in turn, receives the Shanks of the guide members; to provide the sockets -with an offset portion forming a shoulder having spaced longitudinal openings and the hollow bearings with spaced longitudinal openings on a shoulder thereof; to provide coil springs having their free ends turned laterally for engaging in the respective openings in the block and in the sleeved bearing for exerting tension on the guide members and whereby the adjustment of the coil wire springs in the openings will vary the tension on the guide members; to provide spring means on one face of the block members cooperating with the sleeved bearings for the guide members for holding the guide members out of position when not in use and which will retain the guide members in lowered position against the spring action upon a plane surface of the sleeve bearing which retains the guide arm.

Still further objects of the present invention are to provide the guide arms for adjustment to variuos widths of hems on the garment material worked upon and one of which guide arms may be moved out of the way for a different sized hem without adjustment other than raising the arm; and to provide a device of this character simple and economical to manufacture.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective view of my quilter guide shown attached to a sewing machine head and the guide members in lowered position as in use.

FIG. 2 is `a top plan view of the guide.

FIG. 3 is -a View similar to FIG. 2 but taken from the opposite side of the device.

FIG. 4 is a side view particularly illustrating the guide members when in use.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the guide members partly in fragmentary and showing one of the arms in raised position in dotted lines.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional View taken on a line 6-6, FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line 7-7, FIG. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a quilter gauge embodying the features of my invention shown attached to a presser foot bar 2 of a sewing machine head 3 having a needle bar 5 and needle 6. A foot 7 is attached to the foot bar 2 and is bifurcated as indicated at 8 forming a slot through which the needle 6 passes when in use as is the usual practice.

The quilting guide includes a block or head 9 having side faces 10 and 1'1 and a front edge 12. The block is provided with an opening 13 for receiving the presser foot bar 2 and is provided with a laterally threaded opening (not shown) for receiving a set screw 14 for retaining the block on the foot 2.

Extending inwardly from each side face 10 and 11 of the block 9 are sockets or

openings

15 and 16. Adapted to engage in the

openings

15 and 16 are sleeved bearing

members

17 and 18 each having a sleeve portion 19 and an enlarged portion 20 forming an annular shoulder 21 provided with spaced longitudinal openings .22. The block 9 is offset in the

openings

15 and 16 forming shoulders 23 `and are also provided with spaced longitudinal openings 24. The

openings

22 and 24 are adapted to receive the

respective ends

25 and 25 of a coil spring 26 which surrounds the sleeve portion 19 of the

bearing members

17 and 18. The sleeved portion 19 of each of the

bearing members

17 and 18 extends through the

openings

15 and 16 in the block and are provided with annular grooves 27 for receiving 'a keeper member or key 28 for retaining the sleeved bearing members in the block.

Guide members

29 and 30 having shank portions 31 are adapted to engage and be adjustably mounted in the bore 32 of the sleeved bearing

members

17 and 18. The bearing

members

17 and 18 have

collars

33 and 34 which engage against the respective sides 10 and 11 of the block and are counterbored and threaded as indicated at 35 (FIG. 7) for receiving a set screw 36 for adjustably mounting the Shanks 31 of the guide members in the blocks.

The bottom 37 of the block is provided with

spaced grooves

38 and 39 for receiving at springs 40 and 41', the ends of which are tapered as indicated at y42 and 43 (FIG. 3) and extend over the sides 10 and '11 of the block. The

collars

33 and 34 of the sleeved bearings are provided with plane surfaces 44 and 45 (FIG. 5) and the surface 45 terminates in a shoulder 46. The plane surfaces meet as indicated at 47 (FIG. 4). The ends 42 and 43 of the flat springs y40 and 41 engage the plane surfaces when the guide members are in position in the block.

In operation of the device constructed and assembled as described, the material 49 is placed on the bed 50 of the sewing machine and by loosening the screws 36 the shanks 31 may he positioned to the desired place so that a ycertain width hem 51 may be made in the cloth 49. The shanks of the guide members are turned at an angle downwardly as indicated at 52 (FIG. l) and then laterally outwardly or forwardly of the machine as indicated at 53, and are provided with

elongated feet

54 and 55 which are curved on their bottom sides as indicated at 56 and then upwardly as indicated at 57. Guide member 29 is adjusted outwardly from the member 30 so that the foot 54 will be spaced from the foot 55 on the guide member 30. The rounded surfaces 56 of the

feet

54 and 55 are adapted to engage the bed 50 of the machine and guide the hem therealong when the machine is operated. The spacing of the feet on the guide members may be adjusted so that different size hems may be made in the 3 garments without stopping to adjust the shanks of the guide members in the blocks merely by raising one of the guide members to out of use position as shown in dotted lines 58 (FIG. 5).

When a certain width hem is desired, the foot 54 of the guide member 29 is adjusted so that the hem will engage against the inner side thereof as best illustrated in FIG. 1, and the foot 55 of the guide member 30' may be engaged along the top of the hem or it may be moved upwardly as indicated in FIG. 5. Also, if the foot 55 of the guide member 30 is in use and engages the edge of the hem, the guide member 29 may be elevated and held out of position.

It will be obvious that the guide will stay on the bed of the sewing machine regardless of thickness of the material being worked upon due to the tension of the coil spring 26. Adjustment of tension on the feet of the guide members is accomplished by the coil spring 26 by adjustment of the

ends

25 and 25 thereof in the

openings

22 and 24 in the blocks and in the sleeved bearings respectively.

When the feet of the

guide members

29 and 30 are in lowered position, one edge of the ends 42 and 43 of the at

springs

40 and 41 will engage the shoulder 46 on the plane surfaces 45 of the

collars

17 and 18 as shown in FIG. 5. The shoulder limits downward movement of the feet on the guide members, but the coil springs will allow them to move upwardly should the material increase in thickness or the bed of the machine be irregular. When it is desired to raise the feet of either of the

guide members

29 and 30, manual upward movement of the feet will cause the at

springs

40 and 41 to move over the corner 47 and the ends of the flat springs will then engage the plane surface 44 and hold the guide member in elevated position. The

guide arms

29 and 30 will thus be easily elevated from their down positions and will be automatically retained in their out of the way positions by the same springs which hold them in their use positions. Either guide arm may be used and the other arm raised out of position when not in use.

It will be obvious that the coil spring arrangement of applicants bearing sleeves when the blocks in connection with the shanks of the guide members is a new arrangement for exerting tension on the guide members not heretofore known or used.

Applicant has herein described a particular form of his invention which has been developed and used successfully but he does not wish to be limited to the specific forms here described and illustrated as other forms may be used without departing from the spirit of his invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A quilter gauge for attachment to a sewing machine comprising, a block adapted to be secured to the presser foot bar of said machine, said block having openings extending therethrough, said openings facing on each side of said block and said block having an offset portion in said openings forming a shoulder therein, bearing members having a sleeve portion for engaging in said openings in the block, said bearing members having an enlarged portion forming second shoulders thereon facing the iirst named shoulders, a collar on said bearing members, a pair of guide members having feet engaging in said bearing members, means for holding the guide members in adjusted position in said block with respect to said presser bar, said collars on said bearing members having two plane surfaces angled with respect to each other, leaf spring means secured to said block and having their end portions engaging said plane surfaces of said collars and extending parallel to the sleeve bearing members whereby the leaf spring members will retain the guide arms either in use position or out of use position, means engaging the shoulders of said block and said bearing members for exerting tension on the guide members to urge the feet in a downward direction, and means for adjusting the tension on the feet of the guide members, one end of the sleeve portions of the bearing members extending through the openings in said block and having an annular groove therein, and a keeper member in said groove for retaining the bearing members in said block.

2. A quilter gauge for attachment to a sewing machine comprising, a block adapted to be secured to the presser foot bar of said machine, said block having openings extending therethrough, said openings facing on each side of said block and said block having an offset portion in said openings forming a shoulder spaced from one side of said block, spaced openings extending longitudinally of the block around said shoulder, bearing members having a sleeve portion for engaging in said openings in the block, said bearing members having an enlarged portion with spaced openings longitudinally of the sleeve portion therearound extending in the same direction as the openings in the offset portion of the block, a collar on said bearing members engaging the respective sides of the block, coil springs surrounding said sleeve portions and having the respective ends engaging in the openings in the said shoulder of said block and in said offset portion of the bearing members, a pair of guide members engaging in said bearing members, means adjusting the tension on said guide members, means for holding the guide members in adjusted position in said block with respect to said presser bar, one end of the sleeve portions of the bearing members extending through the openings in said block and having an annular groove therein, and a keeper member in said groove for retaining the bearing members in said block,

3. A quilter gauge for attachment to a sewing machine having a bed comprising, a block adapted to be secured to the presser foot bar of said machine, said block having openings extending therethrough, said openings facing on each side of said block, bearing members having a sleeve portion `for engaging in said openings in the block, said block having an offset portion forming a shoulder spaced from one Side of said block and surrounding said sleeve portions of the bearing members, said shoulder of said block having longitudinal spaced openings therein, said bearing members having an enlarged portion forming a shoulder spaced from the other side of said block and facing the first named shoulder and forming a space around said sleeve portion of the bearing member, said last named shoulder being provided with longitudinal spaced openings facing the openings in the first named shoulder, a collar on said bearing members engaging the respective sides of the block, coil springs in said spaces surrounding said sleeve portions and having their respective ends turned laterally and engaging in the longitudinally facing openings in said shoulders of said block, a pair of guide members having shanks engaging in said bearing members, feet on said guide members for engaging the bed ofthe sewing machine for guiding the material worked upon, said coil springs urging the feet on the guide members toward said bed, means for holding the guide members in adjusted position in said block with respect to said presser bar, said collars on said sleeve having two plane surfaces angled with respect to each other, leaf spring means secured to said block and having their end portions engaging said plane surfaces of said collars and extending parallel to the bearing members whereby the leaf spring members will retain the guide arms either in use position or out of use position, one end of the sleeve portions of the bearing members extending through the openings in said block and having an annular groove therein, and a keeper member in said groove for retaining the bearing members in said block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,552,133 Becker May 8, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 927,252 Germany May 2, 1955