US3352263A - Automatic apparatus for sewing machines and the like - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 14; 1967 K. D. ADAMS ET AL 3,352,263

AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Fig.l

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INVENTORS KENNETH D. ADAMS, BY 0nd EDWARD H. KAY

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K. D. ADAMS ET AL 3,352,263

Nov. 14,1967

AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 20, 1965 INVENTORS. H D. ADAMS KENNET 0nd EDWARD H KAY BY GI-buy 2? Y TORNEY Nov. 14, 1967 K. D. ADAMS ET AL 3,352,263

AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 20, 1965 WITNESS.- wuad' JCAMA 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 m E I E INVENTORS. KENNETH D. ADAMS, and EDWARD H. KAY

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AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 20, 1965 INVENTORS KENNETH 0. ADAMS BY and EDWARD H. KAY

WITNESS: WuhT United States Patent 3,352,263 AUTOMATIC APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Kenneth D. Adams, Long Valley, and Edward H. Kay, Stockholm, N.J., assignors to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 481,314 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-2) ABSTRACT OFv THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates in general to sewing machines and like apparatus, and in particular the invention provides an improved form of the apparatus shown and described in United States Patent No. 3,224,393, filed Sept. 11, 1963, and assigned to the instant assignee.

Generally, the function of the apparatus of United States Patent No. 3,224,393 is to sew automatically a figure or seam into a work fabric or similar material. To serve as a reference for the figure or seam to be sewn, a line sketch thereof is first made, whereby a servo-cooperating sensor may be employed to scan continuously the sketch and thereby produce an output error signal for positioning the work with respect to the sewing point, and hence, cause the desired figure or seam to be sewn into the work. So long as the sketch presents no ambiguities to the scanning sensor, the prior system functions quite satisfactorily. However, when the sketch to be scanned presents the situation wherein two different sketch lines, or different parts of the same line, may be seen by the sensor, positioning of the workbecomes erratio, with attendantly the figure or seam being sewn losing all semblance to the reference sketch.

To overcome this deficiency of the prior system, the invention provides for the disabling of the sensor, and/ or 7 its cooperating servo, when scanning in a sketch area of ambiguity, and provides instead (and at that time) for programmed angular commands to the drive that positions the work into which the figure or seam is being sewn. At the completion of the turn command of the drive, the apparatus of the invention resumes operation by means of the sensor-servo combination, using to full advantage the inherent lag of the servo to get the scanning sensor out of the sketch area of ambiguity, whereby the sewing machine can continue to sew the figure or seam in question.

Apart from the above, apparatus embodying the inven tion also includes means for preventing erratic position ing of the work material when, in the course of scanning one line, the sensor sees a crossing line. To assure that the sensor under such circumstance continue scanning only along the line it is following, and not along the crossing line, the present invention provides in effect, for the blinding of the sensor in the direction of the line along which scanning is undesired, and this blinding is done during the time when the sensor is traversing the intersection of the two crossing lines.

A principal object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for sewing figures and intricate seams into work material.

Another object of the invention is to provide sewing machine apparatus for sewing figures and the like into work material, which apparatus may be programmed to avoid erratic sewing of said figure or seam.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus having means for scanning a reference figure, and in response thereto for varying the relative position between a work support and a sewing machine, which apparatus includes means for preventing an erroneous relative positioning of said sewing machine and the work support when the reference figure is seen at more than one place during a given sweep of said scanning means.

Another object of the invention is to provide sewing machine apparatus that automatically sews a figure or seam into work material, which figure or seam has therefor a reference sketch scannable by means of a sensor of said apparatus for relatively positioning the work material and the sewing machine, and which apparatus also includes means for programming angular changes to the direction of relatively positioning said work material and said sewing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide sewing machine apparatus that automatically sews a figure or seam into work material, which figure or seam has therefor a reference sketch scannable by means of a sensor of said apparatus for relatively positioning the work and the sewing machine, and which apparatus also includes means for substantially preventing changes to the direction of relatively positioning said work material and said sewing machine when said scanning sensor locates in the vicinity of the intersection of two crossing lines of said sketch.

The invention will be described to the figures wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2A, 2B are diagrams useful in describing a first feature of the invention,

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a presently preferred form of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a diagram useful in ture of the invention,

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the apparatus schematically shown in the diagram of FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 5, which view is taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is a view showing details of the sensor section of the apparatus of FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view taken along line 88 of FIG. 6,

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a programmer that may be employed with the apparatus of FIG. 4,

FIGS. 10 and 11 are sectional views taken respectively along lines 1010 and 1111 of FIG. 9, and

FIG. 12 is a view, partially in section, of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 1, trace A is a smooth curve representing a reference sketch that would present no problem to the above mentioned and briefly described prior apparatus, such trace being here shown solely for the purpose of indicating that the line B of sensor scanning with such apparatus is effective to control figure or seam sewing so long as the degree of curvature of the reference sketch (trace A) is relatively slight. Consider, however, what happens with the above described prior apparatus when describing a second feascanning (trace B) a reference sketch as depicted by FIG. 2A, i.e. a sketch consisting for example of separate lines A and A that meet at a V-intersection. Here (see FIG. 2B for an enlargement of the area depicted within the circle C of FIG. 2A) the sensor during one scanning sweep, e.g. between locations D and D sees both lines A and A", and hence does not know which of the two lines it is to follow, with attendantly the sensor erroneously following a course depicted by the dashed line E as it hunts for the reference sketch, thereby causing the seam or figure sewing to become meaningless. To overcome this deficiency, the apparatus of the present invention employs the prior art program sensor (element 256 of United States Patent No. 3,224,393) to determine when the reference sketch has been so driven in response to output signals from the scanning sensor that its region (C, FIG. 2A) of ambiguity lies in the view of the scanning sensor. Then, as briefly described earlier and as will now be more elaborately discussed, programmed commands are made to the system to get its scanning sensor away from the troublesome area of the sketch.

Referring to FIG. 3, the apparatus of the invention provides a: surface onto which a reference sketch 12 (end view being shown) is inscribed, a friction plate 14, and a pair of clamps 16 for holding work material 18. The elements 10,14 and 16 are all linked, by a bridge 20, for their simultaneous positioning, which positioning is preferably in the plane of the friction plate 14. A sewing machine 22 is fixedly located with respect to the positiona'ble work 18. Cooperating with the reference sketch 12 is an electro-optical sensor 24 that continuously scans (see dashed lines 26) the sketch to produce a displacement error signal having a sense dependent on whether its axis 27 is left or right of the sketch line 12. One such sensor useful in. this regard is the sensor shown employed in the apparatus of United States Patent No. 3,224,393 (element 230.). The sensor 24 output signal is applied to a servo amplifier 28, and thence through a normally closed switch 30a to a servo 32, which servo may employ a tachometer or other means for damping purposes. In response to an input signal, the servo 32 accordingly orients the plane of rotation of a pair of drive wheels 34, 36, which wheels are adapted to bear against the friction plate 14, and are each rotatably supported in its own yoke member, respectively 38, 40. The wheel 34 is power driven by a motor 42 adapted to be energized from a source E through a normally closed switch 300. Therefore, under normal operation, the motor 42 works to move continuously the friction plate in the plane thereof, and in so doing, it positions continuously the work 18 with respect to the sewing machine 22, and the reference sketch 12 with respect to the scanning sensor 24, all this occurring of course while the sensor 24 keeps the direction of the wheels 34, 36 so oriented that the sensor itself follows the sketch line 12. For programming the operation of the apparatus of the invention, a non-scanning electro-optical sensor 44, e.g. the sensor 256 of United States Patent No. 3,224,393, cooperates with selectively located programming dots 46 on the surface 10 to step an incremental drive 48 each time a dot 46 is traversed by the sensor 44. This operation will be described more fully later. The incremental drive 48 mechanically couples to and physically transports a lamp 50 in step-wise fashion across the face of a program card 52. Thus, so long as no programming dots 46 are sensed as the sensor 44 traverses the surface 10 in response to the servo-drive provided by the sensor 24, the lamp 50 sits at one location with respect to the face of the card 52.

The program card 52 is punched with appropriately coded arrangements of holes 54 which serve as conduits for light from the lamp 50 and in effect present various timed commands to the sewing machine and the control system that positions the work 18. The holes 54 relate to particular channels 56 (a, b, 0, etc.) on the card 52 which, in turn, have respective cooperating photosensitive circuits 58 that are adapted to receive the light from the lamp 50.

The photosensitive circuit 58a associated with the card channel 56a applies its output signal to a relay energizing circuit 60, which then activates a self-holding relay 62. When actuated, the relay 62 opens the normally-closed switches 30a and 30c (thereby disabling both the directiondetermining servo 32 and the power drive of the motor 42), and also closes a normally-open switch 30b. On being closed, the switch 30b energizes a normally-disengaged electric slip clutch 66 and applies power to a motor 64.. The rnotor 64 is preferably of a type that abruptly brakes on interruption of its power input, and is capable of being selectively driven in counterdirections. The input section of the clutch 66 is driven by the motor 64, and the clutch output sect-ion is connected to orient the plane of rotation of the drive wheels 34, 36.

A pair of rheostats 68 and 70' (respectively for counterclockwise and clockwise angle commands) have counterrotatable wipers, respectively 72- and 73, which are driven by the motor 64 and cooperate with a bank of selectable resistors 74 through a switch 76. Under normal operation, i.e. without the circuit 60' being energized to activate the relay 62, the wipers 72 and 73 of the rheostats are each respectively positioned for maximum resistance being serially connected into the resistance bank 74. The resistors of the bank 74 have respective magnitudes which are arranged according to a binary code, e.g. 2509, 50062, 10009, 2,0009, etc., whereby the range of resistance selection may be essentially continuous.

As aforesaid, apparatus embodying the invention works to disable the servo drive initiated by the sensor 24 when such sensor is in an area of sketch ambiguity, and in place thereof such apparatus programs angular commands to the drive wheels 34, 36. Hence, when the sketch 12 has been so traversed that the program sensor 44 sees a dot 46- in the area of ambiguity, the incremental drive 48 is stepped to shine light, for example, through all holes in a. row R of the card 52. When this happens, the photo sensitive circuit 58a gets enabled to cancel the servo and power drives of elements 32 and 42; also, the photosensitive circuit 580 gets enabled to signal the sewing machine to cease sewing; and further, the photo-sensitive circuit 58d is enabled to apply a signal to a turn-directionselector (which may for example be a relay) that signals the motor 64 to turn from its normal counterclockwise rotation to one that is clockwise, and in addition removes the normally connected counterclockwise rheostat 68' from connection with the resistance bank 74, replacing same with the clockwise rheostat 70. Now, depending on which resistor-selection channels (560: through 56w) of row R are energized, certain of the resistors 740: through 74w are serially connected into a circuit with, in this case, the rheostat 70. In FIG. 3, by means of bold and dashed lines, it is shown that, under the circumstance described, only resistors 740a and 74s are serially connected with the rheostat 70.

A trigger circuit 82 adapted to fire and thereby produce a pulseoutput signal When the combined resistance at itsinput falls below a reference amount, i.e. an amount which is the maximum resistance that may be had by one of the rheostats, applies such out-put pulse to the relay 62 toreturn the switches 30a, b and c to their normal positions. Therefore, with a particular combination of resistors 74 connected serially with the rheostat 70, the wiper 73 thereof must rotate clockwise through a particular angle before the input resistance to the trigger circuit 82 lowers to the reference amount to cause the trigger circuit to apply a pulse to the relay 62. Hence, by suitably punching holes (channels 560:. through 56w) in the card, the plane of rotation of the drive wheels 34, 36 may be rotated through any partciular amount and in either direction before power is removed from the clutch 66 by opening the switch 30b.

Referring again to FIG. 2b, consider relative movement of the scanning sensor 24 along the line A, and that the program sensor 44 has just traversed the program dot 46. This causes, among other things, the stepping of' the incremental drive 48 and the disabling of the servo 32 as the bridge 20 is brought to a halt with the sensor axis 27' aligned with the apex point P of the reference sketch. Now the motor 64 orients the Wheels 34, 36 through an angle t (as determined by holes selectively punched in the card 52.). At the instant the angle 0 is.

reached, the wheels are properly oriented to drive the bridge 20, for relative motion of the sensor 24 and the sketch 12, in the direction of line A". Were it not for the fact that the wheels 34 and 36 begin driving the sketch 12 with respect to the scanning sensor 24 at the instant normal operation is resumed, i.e. at the instant the trigger circuit 82 applies its output signal to the relay 62, and before the sensor-servo combination can realize that it is still in an area of ambiguity, the aforementioned problem would remain; however, by the time the servo 32 can respond to ambiguous signals from the sensor 24, the motor 42 has so moved the sketch 12 that only unambiguous signals are received by the sensor 24. Hence, the sensor 24 traverses the line A" without problem.

So that each of the wipers 72 and 73 of the rheostats 68 and 70 will always be at a respective neutral position prior to a programmed turn, means is provided with the apparatus embodying the instant invention for returning the wipers to such positions, and this during the time after normal operation is resumed. A disc 84, having a detent 86, has a follower lever 90 that is pivotally supported at an intermediate point thereof; the lever is spring loaded so that its end 92 is normally urged to reside in the detent 86. A relay or similar mechanism 94 is actuated at the time the relay 62 is energized, whereby the lever 90 is rotated about its pivot point to close a normally open switch 96. When closed, the switch 96 applies power to the motor 64 whether or not the clutch 66 is engaged. Therefore, once an angular orientation is started, the motor 64 remains energized until the rheostat wipers are properly repositioned to their neutral positions, at which time the motor 64 is deactivated as the lever end 92 falls into the detent 86. Thus it may be said that the clutch 66 serves a dual purpose, viz to prevent the motor 64 from working against the servo once normal operation has resumed and also to keep movement of the drive wheels 34 and 36 from being reflected into the rheostats.

Stated earlier is the fact that apparatus embodying the invention may be arranged so that its sensor is effectively blinded when approaching a sketch area in which there are crossing lines. For this purpose, a programming dot 46A (see FIG. 4) is suitably situated on the sketch surface 16, whereby the lamp 50 may get incrementally stepped to energize a photo-sensitive circuit 58:2; in turn the circuit 582 energizes a solenoid 100 that drives its armature 102 against the output member of the clutch 66 to prevent a change in the plane of rotation of the drive wheels 34, 36. This seizure of the clutch 66 output member is then held until the next programming dot 46B is traversed by the sensor 44. Hence, line following in FIG. 4 can only be along line xx, and not along its crossing line y-y.

To assure easy understanding of the invention, the diagram of FIG. 3 has been deliberately kept as simple as possible, but consistent with completeness. That is, while not shown it would be well within the purview of the invention to command fast, intermediate and slow sewing; also, to command needle down or needle up, respectively for turn and stop situations; also, to provide automatic resumption of sewing upon completion of a turn, etc.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-12, the physical arrangement of the elements of FIG. 3 will be discussed. The scanning sensor 24 is oriented to scan perpendicular to the sketch 12 by means of the servo 32, which orientation is transferred, by means of pulley wheels 112 and a belt 114, to the drive wheels 34 and 36 for proper positioning of the bridge 20 with its elements 10, 14 and 18. A manually operable knob 110 having a cooperating pulley wheel 116 is also coupled to the drive wheels 34, 36 by means of a belt 118. The knob 110', as described in Patent No. 3,224,393 is useful for initially setting up the machine for operation. The motor 64 couples to orient the drive wheels 34, 36 through the clutch 66 and the pulley 112- belt 114 combination. In addition, the motor 64 couples to the wipers of the rheostats 68, 70 (housed together) through gearing 120. The disc 84 having the detent 86 is supported coaxially with the clutch 66 input member, and the lever 90 is shown pivotable by means of a push rod 122 that is itself movable by means of a spring loaded solenoid-type element 94. The switch 96 is directly actuated as the push rod 122 moves up and down.

FIGS. 9-12 depict the physical layout for the programming portion of the instant apparatus. Shown is a casing 129 for supporting therein a motor 130 adapted to be energized by a signal from the program sensor 44. On rotating its shaft 132, the motor drives a gear 134 that is coupled via a chain 133 to a pair of gears 136 and 138. Each gear, 136 and 138, is fixedly secured to a shaft, respectively 140 and 142, and each such shaft is provided with threads along its length. The shafts 140 and 142 are rotatably supported in journal bearings 144 and 146 respectively, and screwably supported by and worm-driven along the lengths of the shafts 140 and 142 is a carriage 148. The carriage 148 supports the lamp 50 and the plurality of photo-sensitive elements 58, one for each channel 56 on the program card 52, and the program card 52 is disposed to be inserted into the slot 150 between the lamp 50 and the underside 152 of the carriage 148. The carriage underside 152 houses the photosensitive elements 58 so that light from the lamp 50 may pass through suitably punched holes 54 to energize selectively the elements 58; these in turn electrically actuate circuit components 156 for application of appropriate signals to the pins of an output plug 158, wherefrom signals for the various required functions may be had.

To provide the incremental drive, a switch 160 cooperates with a cam 162 driven by the motor 130. The cam is provided with a pair of detents 164 and 166, and the switch 160 is electrically connected in parallel with the program sensor 44 output to apply power to the motor 130.

When a programming signal starts to drive the motor 130, the switch 160 closes as its follower rides out of a .detent, causing the motor 130 to'continue to drive, even in the absence of a program signal from the sensor 44. At the instant the motor 130 hasdriven to a point where the switch follower returns to a cam 162 detent, power gets interrupted. Hence, the drive of the programming section of theinvention is made to be incremental in nature.

While the invention has been describedin this preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects. For example, electronic switches could be easily employed in place of the mechanical switches which have been shown; or, the technique described could be used to sew plural figures by means of plural sewing machines; also, a magnetic tape, drum or core memory could be used for programming purposes in place of the photosensitive de' vice shown employed by the invention, etc.

Having thus described the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is:

1. In combination, a sewing machine having a point of stitch formation and means for supporting and moving a work piece relative to the point of stitch formation in a path defined by a pattern line conforming to a desired configuration, said means comprising a work support, means for mounting said work support for universal movement relative to and in a plane containing the point of stitch formation, a pattern member mounted for movement with said work support and having a pattern line, a tracer mechanism for generating a varying electrical control signal in response to the relative position of said tracer mechanism laterally of the pattern line, said tracer mechanism being of the type adapted to scan a line by sweeping to and fro substantially perpendicularly across said line, means for producing a program signal, and means responsive to said program signal for disabling :said tracer mechanism and for programming discrete angular variations in the direction of moving said work support, said last named means including a normally disengaged clutch means, an auxiliary motor operable for altering the direction of movement of the pattern memher through said clutch means, means for enabling said clutch means when said tracer mechanism is disabled, and means for applying signals representing discrete angles to said auxiliary motor.

2. In combination, a sewing machine having a point of stitch formation and means for supporting and moving a work piece relative to the point of stitch formation in a path defined by a pattern line conforming to a desired configuration, said means comprising a work support, means for mounting said work support for universal movement relative to and in a plane containing the point of stitch formation, a pattern member mounted for move- :ment with said work support and having a pattern line, a tracer mechanism for generating a varying electrical control signal in response to the relative position of said tracer mechanism laterally of the pattern line, said tracer mechanism being of the type adapted to scan a line by sweeping to and fro substantially perpendicularly across said line, means responsive to said control signal for moving said work support and said pattern member, means for enabling and disabling said means responsive to said control signal, means for producing a program signal, and means responsive to said program signal for angularly modifying by discrete amounts the direction that said means responsive to said control signal may move said work support when that means is disabled, said last named means. including a normally disengaged clutch means, an auxiliary motor operable to alter the direction of movement of said pattern member through said clutch means when said means responsive to said control signal, is disabled, and means for use in applying signals representing discrete directional commands to said auxiliary motor.

3., In combination, a sewing machine having a point of stitch formation and means for supporting and moving a work piece relative to the point of stitch formation in a path defined by a pattern line conforming to a desired configuration, said means comprising a work support, means for mounting said work support for universal movement relative to and in aplane containing the point of stitch formation, a tracer mechanism for generating a control signal in response to the relative position of said tracer mechanism laterally of the pattern line, said tracer mechanism being of the type adapted to scan a line by sweeping to and fro substantially perpendicularly across said line, means for imparting universal movement to said work support and for simultaneously effecting relative movement between said tracer mechanism and the pattern line comprising a drive wheel in driving relation with said work support and turnable about a steering axis normal to the plane of movement of said work support, means for imparting rotation to said drive wheel, and means responsive to the control signal for turning said drive wheel about said steering axis to change the direction of the movement of the work support relative to the point of stitch formation and of the relative movement between the tracer mechanism and the pattern line, said work support having a drive plate engaged by said drive wheel, means for producing a program signal when said tracer mechanism scans in an area of ambiguity relative to said pattern line, means responsive to said program signal for disabling both said means for imparting rotation to said drive wheel and said means responsive to the control signal, and for rotating said drive wheel about said steering axis through one or more predetermined discrete angles, said last named means including a normally disengaged clutch, an auxiliary motor coupled to said steering axis through said clutch, means for engaging '3 said clutch when said means for disabling both said means is operative, and means for applying signals representing discrete angles to said auxiliary motor.

4. Automatic control apparatus for use with sewing machines and like apparatus comprising means for supporting work material at a reference point, means coupled to said last means for providing a master pattern consisting of lines thereon, servo means coupled to move said means for supporting work material and said means for providing a master pattern, means for scanning said master pattern for producing an input to said servo means, whereby said servo means in response to its input positions said means for supporting work material with respect to said reference point and said means for providing a master pattern with respect to said scanning means, said scanning means being of the type that scans to and fro across a line of said pattern to produce an alternating signal the instantaneous polarity of which is dependent on the side of said line that said scanning means is scanning, means for producing a program signal, programmed means responsive to said program signal for rendering said servo means unresponsive to the input from said scanning means and for altering by a predetermined discrete amount the direction that said servo means will move said means for supporting work material and said means for providing a master pattern at the instant said servo means again becomes responsive to said input, said means responsive to said program signal including an auxiliary motor and a normally disengaged clutch coupling said motor to alter the direction of movement of said means for supporting work material, means for engaging said clutch, and means for applying discrete angle representative signals to said auxiliary motor, and means for rendering said servo means responsive to said input after said predetermined alteration in direction has been effected.

5. Automatic control apparatus for use with sewing machines and like apparatus comprising means for supporting work material at a reference point, means coupled to said last means for providing a master pattern consisting of. lines thereon, servo means coupled to move said means for supporting work material and said means for providing a pattern, means for scanning said pattern for producing an input to said servo means, whereby said servo means in response to its input positions said means for supporting work material with respect to said reference point and said means for providing a pattern with respect to said scanning means, said scanning means being of the type that scans to and fro across a line of said pattern to produce an alternating signal the instantaneous polarity of which is dependent on the side of said line that said scanning means is scanning, means for produc ing a program signal, and programmed means responsive to said program signal for rendering said servo means unresponsive to the input from said scanning means and for angularly fixing the direction that said servo means moves said means for supporting work material and said means for providing a pattern, said means responsive to said program signal including auxiliary means, a normally disengaged clutch coupling said auxiliary means to fix the direction of movement of said means for supporting work material, and means for engaging said clutch.

6. Automatic control apparatus for sewing machines comprising means for supporting work material, means having a master line figure of a pattern to be sewn, a sensor for scanning said master line figure, said sensor being adapted to have its scanning axis aimed at a point on said master line figure and being of a type that scans to and fro across the master line figure, a servo for maintaining the scanning by said sensor perpendicular to the line of said master line figure at the point of said master line figure to which said scanning axis is aimed, drive means for moving said work supporting means and said means having said master line figure respectively with respect to said sewing machine and said sensor, means cooperating with said drive means for orienting the direction of drive of that means simultaneously with the orienting of said sensor, means on said figure for producing a program signal, and programmed means responsive to said program signal for interrupting the operations of said servo and said drive means and, during said interruption, orienting said direction of drive through a predetermined angle, said means responsive to said program signal including an auxiliary motor and a normally disengaged clutch coupling said motor to alter the direction of movement of said means for supporting work material, means for engaging said clutch, and means for applying discrete angle representative signals to said auxiliary motor.

7. Automatic control apparatus for sewing machines comprising means for supporting work material, means having a master line figure of a pattern to be sewn, a sensor for scanning said master line figure, said sensor being adapted to have its scanning axis aimed at a point on said master line figure and being of a type that scans to and fro across the master line figure, a servo for main taining the scanning by said sensor perpendicular to the line of said master line figure at the point of said master line figure to which said scanning axis is aimed, drive means for moving said Work supporting means and said means having said master line figure respectively with respect to said sewing machine and said sensor, means cooperating with said drive means for orienting the direction of drive of that means simultaneously with the orienting of said sensor, means for producing a trigger output signal when its input signal is of a certain magnitude, motor means for orienting said direction of drive through one or more predetermined angles, means for producing a signal of variable magnitude representing the angle through which said drive direction has been oriented, said variable signal being applied to said means for producing a trigger output signal, means for producing a program signal, and switch means responsive to said program signal for activating for said motor means and for disabling said servo and said drive means, said switch means being also responsive to said trigger output signal to deactivate said motor means and enable said servo and said drive means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,257,673 9/1941 Cook.

2,419,641 4/1947 Hart 31820.155 X 2,499,178 2/1950 Berry.

2,971,483 2/1961 Carclier 112-2 X 3,004,166 10/1961 Greene 318-20.155 X 3,155,452 11/1964 Plankeel 250202 X 3,224,393 12/1965 Adams et a1. 1122 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. HERBERT F. ROSS, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION, A SEWING MACHINE HAVING A POINT OF STITCH FORMATION AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND MOVING A WORK PIECE RELATIVE TO THE POINT OF STITCH FORMATION IN A PATH DEFINED BY A PATTERN LINE CONFORMING TO A DESIRED CONFIGURATION, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A WORK SUPPORT MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID WORK SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO AND IN A PLANE CONTAINING THE POINT OF STITCH FORMATION, A PATTERN MEMBER MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT WITH SAID WORK SUPPORT AND HAVING A PATTERN LINE, A TRACER MECHANISM FOR GENERATING A VARYING ELECTRICAL CONTROL SIGNAL IN RESPONSE TO THE RELATIVE POSITION OF SAID TRACER MECHANISM LATERALLY OF THE PATTERN LINE, SAID TRACER MECHANISM BEING OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO SCAN A LINE BY SWEEPING TO AND FRO SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY ACROSS SAID LINE, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A PROGRAM SIGNAL, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID PROGRAM SIGNAL FOR DISABLING SAID TRACER MECHANISM AND FOR PROGRAMMING DISCRETE ANGULAR VARIATIONS IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVING SAID WORK SUPPORT, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING A NORMALLY DISENGAGED CLUTCH MEANS, AN AUXILIARY MOTOR OPERABLE FOR ALTERING THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENTS OF THE PATTERN MEMBER THROUGH SAID CLUTCH MEANS, MEANS FOR ENABLING SAID

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