US3443539A - Sewing machine - Google Patents

Description

May '13, 1969 SEWING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1967 Sheet FIG. 4b

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ATTOMJVS y 3, 1969 E. H. S-CHARMER. JR -3,443,539

SEWING MACHINE Sheeii Filed July 20, 1967 INVENTOR. 504/420 A! .scm-ve/mseaz May 13, 1969 E. H. SCHARMER. JR 3,443,539 I SEWING'MACHINE Filed July 20. 1967 Sheet 3 of 4 [hhlllll 1 INVENTOR; l 041,420 A. .SrflAt/lfie at.

BY WM,%6M

May 13,- 1969 v 4 a. H. SCHARMER. JR 3,443,539

' SEWING MACHINE 1 Filed July 20, 1-967 7 Sheet 4 of 4 47"raelvsrs United States Patent 3,443,539 SEWING MACHINE Edward H. Scharmer, Jr., Pine City, Minn., assignor to Doughboy Industries, Inc., New Richmond, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed July 20, 1967, Ser. No. 654,873 Int. Cl. Db 1/00, 13/00, 1/06 U.S. Cl. 112169 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable sewing machine with a reciprocating needle and oscillating looper driven in prefixed phase relationship from a single powered eccentric by sensing and applying linear motion produced by the cam in one direction to the reciprocation of the needle and looper, and by sensing and applying linear motion produced by the cam in a transverse direction to the rocking of the looper; and a ring and handle over the center of gravity, the handle having an alternate position in front of the sewing machine.

This invention relates to a sewing machine and, more particularly, relates to a sewing machine of the type having a cooperating needle and looper as for sewing bags.

An object of my invention is to provide a new and improved sewing machine of relative simple and inexpensive operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a sewing machine with a novel and improved operating mechanism constructed to minimize servicing and replacement of parts.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved sewing machine with the drive mechanisms for the sewing needle and looper being related so as to eliminate the problems of timing.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel, portable sewing machine which may be alternately handearried or suspended during the stitching of a bag and swung to the work during the sewing operation.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sewing machine and a bag, the top of which is to be immediately stitched;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation view of the operating mechanism of the sewing machine with the housing shown in section and partly broken away, substantially as indicated at 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view taken approximately at 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4a is a diagrammatic view illustrating the needle and looper at numerous places in the operational cycle, the needle and looper being viewed from a position substantially identical to that seen in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4b is a diagrammatic view of the needle and looper at various locations in the operational cycle, as viewed at 4b-4b in FIG. 4a.

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view taken approximately at 5-5 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view taken approximately at 6-6 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view taken aproximately at 7--7 in FIG. 2.

One form of the invention is shown in the drawings and is described herein. In all of the views, excepting FIGS. 4a and 4b, the mechanism is illustrated in full lines in a position representing the start of an operational cycle, and it will be noted that, in this position, the

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needle is withdrawn to the maximum extent from the bag being stitched.

The sewing machine is indicated in general by numeral 10, and is seen to have a housing 11 with a bag-receiving throughway 12 in the lower portion thereof. The throughway 12 is open to the front and rear and is open at the bottom so as to receive the top edge portion of a bag B. As seen in FIG. 1 the needle 13 and presser foot 14 are disposed in the throughway 12 to act on the bag as it is stitched and guided in the stitching station in the throughway.

The housing may carry a pair of spools of thread 15 for supplying the thread to the sewing mechanism. Thread guide 16 and tension discs 17 are suitably arranged on the housing for properly guiding the thread.

At the top of the housing a boss 18 has a ring-shaped fastener 19 threaded therein for suspending the sewing machine 10 from a suitable overhead rod 20 which may be mounted in any suitable manner from the ceiling or other overhead frame structure.

The housing 11 also mounts a swingable handle 21 on a stud 22 which also carries a spring 23 bearing inwardly against the handle, but permitting the handle to be tilted slightly on the stud so that an aperture 24 in the handle may receive or be loosened from one of the lugs 25 afiixed on the housing 11 for the purpose of retaining the handle 21 forwardly of the housing 11 or in the upright position illustrated in dotted line in FIG. 1. Both the handle 21 and the ring 19 are positionedto support the sewing machine 10 from a position directly above the center of gravity thereof so that, when suspended, the sewing machine will hang straight.

With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the needle 13 is removably attached by a fitting 26 to the reciprocable needle bar 27. The needle bar 27 is mounted in bearings 28 which are affixed by cap screws 28a to the frame plate 11a which is rigid with the housing 11. The needle bar 27 is connected to and driven by a swingably oscillating driving arm 29, by means of a clamp block 30 on the needle bar and a rigid slide rod 31 on the clamp bar. A swiveling ball and socket bearing 32 connects the rod 31 with the arm 29, and the rod slides in the ball as the arm 29 is swung and the needle bar 27 is reciprocated.

A thread guide bar 29a is affixed on the driving arm 29 and projects outwardly through the front of the housing 11 and slot 11b. The rod 29a has a thread-receiving aperture 29b therein for guiding the thread toward the needle 13.

The driving arm 29 is mounted on a stationary pivot 33 which is affixed to the frame plate 11a and also carries the tension discs 16. The opposite end of the driving arm 29 has a thread connector stud 34 extending therethru and has swiveling ball and socket bearings 35 and 36 affixed thereon. The bearing 35 is affixed to a drive link 37 which reciprocates at the bearing 35 substantially in the direction of arrow A for oscillating the drive arm between the full line and dotted line positions thereof and for reciprocating the needle bar 27 and needle 13 between the full line and dotted line positions illustrated in FIG. 2.

The other end of link 37 is affixed to a bearing 38 which surrounds and oscillates with the single needle and looper operating eccentric 39 on the drive shaft 40. The bearing 38 and the adjacent inner end 37a of the drive link 37 oscillate in a generally circular orbit as the eccentric 39 revolves in a direction of arrow C about the center of shaft 40.

The shaft 40 is mounted in bearings 41 which are affixed to the frame plate 11a; and the shaft 40 is driven by meshed gears 42 from electric motor 43, also carried on the frame plate.

The reciprocating of drive link 37 in the direction of arrow A is also utilized in producing reciprocation of the looper 44 and looper shaft 45 in the direction of arrow D. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4b, it should be noted that the looper 45 also has a transverse rocking motion so that the overall movement of the looper is in an oblong orbit as particularly seen in FIG. 4b (as hereintofore more fully described).

The reciprocation of the looper and shaft is produced by a driving link 46 connected to the swiveling ball and socket bearing 36. The opposite end of link 46 is connected by a swiveling ball and socket bearing 47 to a stud 48 on a crank arm 49. The crank arm 49 is on a stationary pivot 50 comprising a portion of a mounting post and spacer 50a, affixed to the frame plate 11a. The crank arm 49 has a slide rod 51 aflixed on the other end thereon and slideable through the ball of a swiveling ball and socket bearing 52 on the end of looper shaft 45. Reciprocation of driving link 37 in the direction of arrow A results in reciprocation of link 46, swinging oscillation of crank arm 49 and reciprocation of the shaft 45 and looper 44.

A rocker arm 53 projects outwardly from the looper shaft 45, and lies substantially in juxtaposition with the drive link 37. The rocker arm 53 is affixed to a clamp block 54 affixed by a set screw on the looper shaft 45 in a predetermined orientation. Rocking of the looper shaft 45 causes rotary oscillation thereof in the ball and socket bearings 55 which mount the looper shaft and are attached to the frame plate 110. The ball and socket bearings 55 also accommodate longitudinal reciprocation of the looper shaft between the full line and dotted line positions illustrated in FIG. 2.

The looper 44 has a typical axial bore 44a carrying a thread which is guided thereto through an aperture 56 in the frame plate 11a. The looper thread is supplied to the guide aperture 56 from a thread guide 57 and tension discs 58 on the rear side of frame plate 11a.

The looper 44 lies parallel to but spaced from the axis of looper shaft 45 and extends through a mounting block 59 in which the looper is affixed by a set screw, to facilitate receiving of the looper thread through the bore 44a from the guide aperture 56. The mounting block is affixed on the end of the looper shaft in a predetermined position.

The rocking motion of the looper shaft 45 is supplied through a swiveling ball and socket bearing 60 which connects the rocker arm 53 with an extensible link 61 oscillated by a swinging arm or block 62 which is mounted on a stationary pivot 62a in the frame plate 11 and lying generally parallel to the drive shaft 40. The frame plate 11a has an enlarged opening 11c with a notch 11d to accommodate the swinging arm 62.

The arm 62 has a rigid cross bar 63 aflixed on the end thereof and connected by a swiveling ball and socket bearing 64 to the extensible link 61.

The cross bar 63 is also connected by a swiveling ball and socket bearing 65 to an extensible link 66, the other end of which is connected by a swiveling ball and socket bearing 67 to the inner end 37a of drive link 37. It will be noted that the swinging arm 62 and extensible link 66 are sensitive to oscillation of the eccentric 39 in the direction of arrow F as seen in FIG. 5, which is transverse to the reciprocation of arrow A of drive link 37. The swinging arm 62 oscillates about the pivot 62a as indicated in FIG. by dotted lines, and the looper shaft 45 is accordingly rotatably oscillated to rock the looper in its transverse direction as indicated by the arrow G in FIGS. 4a and 4b.

As a result, it will be understood that the reciprocation of needle 13 and of looper 44 is all derived from the single source of motion consisting in eccentric 39.

The relative positions of the needle and looper at various portions of the operational cycle are illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b. The positions are illustrated at 0, 90, 180 and 270 of an operational cycle. It will be observed in FIG. 4b that the looper follows an oblong orbit oriented longitudinally of the looper as the looper moves along and then across and around the path of the needle.

The presser foot is mounted on a rod 70 which is continuously urged by a spring 71 bearing against a collar 72 affixed on the rod 70, and tending to move the presser foot toward the throat plate 73 which is affixed to the frame of the machine. The rod 70 is carried in slide bearings 73 which are afiixed to the frame plate 11a with the bearings 28. Slot 74 in the frame plate 11a. guides a slide 75 which is formed integrally with a collar 76 aflixed on rod 70. The presser foot 14 is thereby maintained in the proper orientation to receive the bags B as they travel into the stitching station S in the direction of arrow T.

During stitching, motion of the bag is controlled and caused by feed-dog 77 extending through a slot 73a in the throat plate for engaging and drawing the bag beneath the presser foot. The feed-dog 77 oscillates in a conventional orbit under the influence of the feed-dog eccentric 78 on the shaft 40. A bearing 79 in the feed-dog plate 80 surrounds the eccentric 78 and produces an oscillation of the feed-dog, the motion of which is also controlled by a slide rod 81 affixed on the block 80 and sliding through the ball of a swiveling ball and socket bearing 82 which is affixed on the frame of the machine.

In the stitching operation with two threads, a lock stitch is produced. By using a slightly different looper, a single thread may be used, and the looper only holds the needle thread when making a stitch. The thread is then cast off around the needle, and a single thread chain stitch results.

It will be seen that I have provided a new and novel drive apparatus for a sewing machine wherein the needle bar, needle and looper derive their reciprocation and the rocking oscillation of the looper from a single eccentric on the powered drive shaft, sensing the motion of the eccentric in different directions and applying such motions to the reciprocation of the needle and looper in the rocking of the looper, respectively. In the present mechanism there need be no concern with breakage of parts or faulty operation caused by improper timing because the timing is pre-fixed by the construction and operation of the needle and looper drive mechanism.

It will also be seen that when the portable sewing machine is suspended on the rod, with the center of gravity disposed immediately below the rod, the machine may be readily pulled across the bag under the influence of the handle which is oriented horizontally and in front of the machine, thereby moved with respect to a bag during the stitching operation.

What I claim is:

1. A sewing machine for stitching bags, comprising:

means guiding and moving the bag through a stitching station,

a reciprocating needle bar having a thread-carrying needle moving in a predetermined path through the bag at the stitching station,

an elongate, thread-carrying looper adjacent the stitching station and extending transversely of and in close proximity to the needle when projected through the bag, said looper oscillating in an oblong orbit longitudinally of the looper and across and around the path of the needle,

a powered drive shaft having a single needle and looper operating eccentric connected to and orbiting the inner end of an elongate drive link reciprocating longitudinally, and mechanism connected to the outer end of the drive link and reciprocating the needle bar,

a rocking and reciprocable looper shaft mounting the looper eccentrically of and parallel to the looper shaft axis, motion transmitting linkage between the outer end of the drive link and the looper shaft and producing reciprocation of the looper shaft and alternate projection and retraction of the looper as the needle is respectively withdrawn and projected through the bag,

and an oscillating linkage connected between the orbiting inner end of said drive linkand said rocking looper shaft, said oscillating linkage sensing the motion of said inner end in a direction transverse to the longitudinal reciprocation and producing rocking of said looper shaft to transversely swing the looper alternately across and adjacent the path of the needle as the looper is respectively projected and retracted.

2. A sewing machine according to claim 1, and said looper shaft extending along the powered drive shaft,

and said oscillating linkage including a swinging arm mounted on a stationary pivot adjacent the eccentric, and means connecting said arm to the inner end of the drive link to sense the transverse motion of the link and apply said motion to the looper shaft and cause the transverse swinging of the looper. 3. A sewing machine according to claim 1, and said looper shaft extending along said powered drive shaft,

said drive link extending generally parallel to the needle bar,

said motion transmitting linkage including a rigid arm mounted on a stationary pivot intermediate the ends of said rigid arm, said ends being respectively connected to the drive link and needle bar,

said oscillating linkage including a swinging arm adjacent the inner end of the drive link and at one side thereof to sense the motion of said inner end in a direction transverse to the longitudinal reciprocation, said swinging arm being on a stationary pivot,

and means connecting the swinging arm to an outwardly projecting arm on the looper shaft and to the inner end of the drive link to effect rocking of the looper shaft as the looper shaft and needle bar are also reciprocated from the effect of said single eccentric.

4. A sewing machine for stitching bags, comprising means guiding and moving the bag through a stitching station,

reciprocating needle bar having a thread-carrying needle moving through a predetermined path through the bag at the stitching station,

an elongate, thread-carrying looper adjacent the stitching station and extending transversely of and in close proximity to the needle in an oblong orbit longitudinally of the looper and across and around the path of the needle,

a powered drive shaft having a single needle and looper operating eccentric,

a rocking and reciprocable looper shaft mounting the looper eccentrically of and parallel to the looper shaft axis, the looper shaft having a rocker arm aflixed and projecting outwardly therefrom,

and a. pair of reciprocating drive linkages both connected to and driven by said eccentric, one of said linkages being connected with the needle bar and with the looper shaft for producing reciprocation of both the needle bar and looper shaft, and the other of said drive linkages being connected with the rocker arm on the looper shaft to effect rocking of the looper shaft and looper, said pair of drive linkages reciprocating at the eccentric in directions transversely of each other and in pre-determined phase relationship to each other.

5. A sewing machine for stitching bags, comprising means guiding and moving the bag through a stitching station,

a generally horizontal needle bar having a thread-carrying needle reciprocating horizontally to move the needle in a generally predetermined horizontal path through the bag at the stitching station,

an upright needle bar driving arm on a stationary pivot between the upper and lower ends thereof, the lower end being connected to the needle bar and swinging to horizontally reciprocate the bar and needle,

a generally horizontal and reciprocating drive link connected to the upper end of the driving arm in widely spaced and juxtaposed relationship with the needle bar for oscillating the driving arm to reciprocate the needle,

an elongate, depending thread-carrying looper adjacent the stitching station and extending transversely of Y and in close proximity to the needle when projecting through the bag,, said looper oscillating in an upright oblong orbit longitudinally of the looper and across and around the path of the needle,

an upright rocking and reciprocable looper shaft mounting the looper eccentrically of and parallel to the looper shaft axis, said looper shaft having a rocker arm thereon and projecting generally toward the driving arm,

an upright powered drive shaft adjacent and generally parallel to said looper shaft and having a single needle and looper operating eccentric revolving therewith,

an orbiting bearing on the eccentric and extending across the end of the looper shaft and being connected with the reciprocating drive link for operating the needle bar,

a swinging arm on a stationary pivot parallel to and adjacent the drive shaft, the arm extending generally toward said driving arm and having a free end adjacent the looper shaft,

a pair of juxtaposed links both connected to the free end of said swinging arm and respectively to the orbiting bearing and the rocker arm of the looper shaft to sense and transmit oscillation of the orbiting hearing in a direction transverse to the reciprocation of said drive link and effect rocking of the looper shaft and looper in prefixed phase relationship to the needle,

and a crank arm on a stationary pivot adjacent the looper shaft, one end of said crank arm being connected with the looper shaft and reciprocating the looper shaft, the other end of said crank arm having a link connected to the upper end of said driving arm and in juxtaposition with said drive link and receiving power therefrom.

6. A portable machine for stitching a bag, comprising a housing with a bag-receiving throughway opening in 'fore and aft directions and downwardly and defining a stitching station,

operating means in the housing and in said throughway for moving, guiding and stitching the bag at said stitching station, said means including a motor, and needle and looper drive mechanisms,

suspending means at the top of the housing for suspending from a position directly over the center of gravity of the housing and operating means, and including a stationary fastener afiixed to the housing and from which the housing may be suspended from above, and said suspending means also including a handle mounted on the housing to swing on a horizontal axis to positions above and forwardly of the housing for alternately manually suspending the housing over a bag for stitching the bag and drawing the housing forwardly over a bag during stitching when the housing is suspended from above on said fastener,

and releasable means retaining the handle in said alternate positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,827,594 10/1931 Lutz 1l2200 2,274,508 2/ 1942 Thompson et a1 11211 2,484,495 10/ 1949 Fischbein 11211 2,960,946 11/1960 Lutz et a1 112-11 3,034,459 5/1962 Shelley 112-169 XR 3,094,955 6/1963 Fischbein et a1. 112-169 XR JAMES R. BOLER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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