US3806217A

US3806217A - Sewing machine cabinet

Info

Publication number: US3806217A
Application number: US00298104A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Current
Original assignee: Singer Co
Current assignee: SSMC Inc
Priority date: 1972-10-16
Filing date: 1972-10-16
Publication date: 1974-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 1991-04-23

Abstract

A sewing machine cabinet for providing single level sewing for a machine having the capability of conversion from a flatbed to a tubular bed mode is disclosed in two embodiments. The first embodiment hinges two leaf extensions to one side of the cabinet and a third leaf extension to the other side of the cabinet. One of the two extensions on the first side is hinged such that it may horizontally extend as a work surface extension in the tubular bed mode or be pivoted 180* to encapsulate all but the top surface of the sewing machine bed in the flatbed mode. The second leaf extension is hinged on the upper portion of the tubular bed work surface extension leaf so as to freely hang downwardly during the tubular bed mode or to provide a horizontal work surface and bed extension during the flatbed mode. The third leaf extension is hingedly mounted to provide a bed extension during both modes. The second embodiment hinges two extensions on each side of the cabinet top. In the flatbed mode a first extension of each side is pivoted away from the top to a horizontally disposed position while the second two extensions, which have complimentary work surface openings, meet at substantially the center of the top to circumscribe the bed of the machine. For the tubular bed mode the second set of bed extensions is pivoted into the horizontal position and the first pair of bed extensions is pivoted into a free hanging vertical position.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Current [54] SEWING MACHINE CABINET Wayne A. Current, Cranford, NJ.

[73] Assignee: The Singer Company, New York,

[22] Filed: Oct. 16, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 298,104

[75] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Marshall J. Breen; Chester A. Williams, Jr.;'Alan Ruderman 5 7 ABSTRACT A sewing machine cabinet for providing single level sewing for a machine having the capability of conver- [451' Apr. 23, 1974 sion from a flatbed to a tubular bed mode is disclosed in two embodiments. The first embodiment hinges two leaf extensions to one side of the cabinet and a third leaf extension to the other side of the cabinet. One of the two extensions on the first side is hinged such that it may horizontally extend as a work surface extension in the tubular bed mode or be pivoted 180 to encapsulate all but the top surface of the sewing machine bed in the flatbed mode. The second leaf extension is hinged on the upper portion of the tubular bed work surface extension leaf so as to freely hang downwardly during the tubular bed mode or totprovide a horizontal work surface and bed extension during the flatbed mode. The third leaf extension is hingedly mounted to provide a bed extension during both modes. The second embodiment hinges two extensions on each side of the cabinet top. In the flatbed mode a first extension' of each side is pivoted away from the top to a horizontallydisposed position while the second two extensions, which'have complimentary work surface openings, meet at substantially the center of the top to circumscribe the bed of the machine. For the tubular 1 bed mode the second set of bed extensions is pivoted into the horizontal position and the first pair of bed extensions is pivoted into a free hanging vertical position.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 34 62 50 54 44 Mk I -1 l. 2 2e as as 11 i4 ill -il I I 12 16 SEWING MACHINE CABINET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to sewing machine cabinets and more particularly to a cabinet capable of providing one-level sewing in conjunction with a sewing machine convertible from a flatbed to a tubular or cylinder bed mode of operation.

Sewing machines convertible between a flatbed mode, adapted to support flat work panels, and a cylinder bed mode, adapted to accomodate tubular work pieces, have the obvious advantage of flexibility not found in a machine capable of sewing in only one of these modes. This type of sewing machine has generally been used by supporting it on a table, but the work support surface is then limited to the work surface of the sewing machine itself, and since this is of necessity a limited area, it is inconvenient when so used. The problem with prior art cabinets for mounting sewing machines convertible between the flatbed and the cylinder bed modes is that in order to convert to cylinder bed mode from flatbed inode when the-top surface of the cabinet is coextensive with the sewing machine work surface, it is necessary to raise the sewing machine to the cylinder bed mode so that a tubular work piece may freely pass about the cylinder bed. The problem with moving the sewing machine is that the sewing level during cylinder bed differs from the sewing level during flatbed. Surveys have shown that a sewer is most comfortable when the bed of the machine is located at a certain distance above the floor or above the level of the chair in which she sits. In the prior art designs, a cabinet in which the machine was supported at this most convenient position during one of the modes comprised the convenience in the other mode. Thus, the

prior art cabinets do not meet the optimum condition of sewing during both modes of operation of the machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes these deficiencies of the prior art by providing a cabinet in which the top is formed by at least one tubular bed work surface ex tension leaf which can pivot about the end of the cabinet through 180. The leaf is substantially U-shaped with the opening adapted to freely pass about the sewing machine as theextension pivots from a horizontal position circumscribing the sewing machine to a horizontal position extending away from the sewing machine. A plate is slidable within the open portion of the extension and is hidden when the-extension circumscribes the machine in the flatbed mode, and may be slidably extended to close the opening when the extension is pivoted 180 into the cylinder bed mode.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a sewing machine cabinet having at least a hinged leaf adapted to provide dual level work surfaces for flat bed and tubular bed sewing modes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cabinet having a plurality of hinged leaves arranged to provide single level sewing while providing work surface extensions for flat bed and tubular bed sewing modes and to enclose the cabinet during the machine storage condition.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l isa front elevational view of a first embodiment of a cabinet constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and illustrating the cabinet in the machine storage position;

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational view of the cabinet shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the position of theextensions during the flatbed mode of operation of a sewing machine;

FIG. 3 is a partial elevational view of the cabinet shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the position of the extensions during the cylinder bed mode of operation of, the sewing machine;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cabinet illustrated in FIG. 1 in the cylinder bed mode of FIG. 3, but with the sewing machine removed for clarity;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, showing the three positions of the leaf extensions, the extensions being illustrated by solid lines during the machine storage position, and by dotted lines during the cylinder bed and flatbed modes of operation of the sewing machine shown by dotted lines in its operative position; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the cabinet of FIG. 5 in the flatbed position of operation of the illustrated sewing machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the accompanying drawings 7 wherein like reference numerals refer to similar views, a first embodiment of a cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invention, and designated generally as 10, is disclosed in FIGS. l-4. The cabinet consists of a frame comprising a pair of

end panels

12 and 14, a rear panel 16 secured to the end panels at the rear thereof, a front rail 18 secured to the end panels at the front thereof, and a top surface 20 secured to the tops of the front rail and therear and side panels. The top 20 has an opening 22 cut therein. A pivotably mounted sewing machine support platform 24 is positioned in the front of the opening 22 and can pivot from a vertical stored position as shown in FIG. 1 to a horizontal working position as best seen in FIG. 4. The means for pivoting the platform 24 and for locking the same in the operative position is fully disclosed and described in my copending US application Ser. No. 283,027 filed Aug. 23, 1972 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,595 (Our Docket No. 71-A-349) to which reference is made for a fuller understanding thereof. v

As more fully disclosed in the said co-pending application, the upper surface of the platform 24 includes a plurality of seats 26 adapted to receive a corresponding number of feet 28 on the bottom of the bed 30 of the sewing machine 32, and the machine is secured to the platform 24 by means of a latch and wing nut member 34. The sewing machine includes a bracket arm 35 which in the stored position rests on a support surface 36 secured beneath the opening 22 on the

side walls

12 and 14 and the rear walls 16. The bracket arm 35 terminates at one end in a head 37 spaced above the bed,

and includes a handwheel 38 at its other end. The bed 30 of the sewing machine 32 may be of the type disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,344,762 which is readily convertible between a flatbed mode adapted to support planar work panels and a cylinder bed mode adapted to accommodate tubular work pieces. For a further understanding of this type of work supporting bed reference should be had to the aforesaid US. patent. It is sufficient for present purposes to understand that the sewing machine work support surface 40 is the required work supporting level for sewing during the flat bed mode while during the cylinder bed mode the lower portion of the cylinder bed 42 must be spaced above the work surface so that a tubular work piece may freely pass thereabout.

In order to accomplish this and to provide single level sewing, i.e. to maintain the sewing level constant during both the flat bed and cylinder bed modes, there is provided a leaf generally designated as 44 which is pivotably mounted to the head end of the top 20 by means of one or more hinges 46. The leaf 44 comprises a top surface 48 and a bottom surface 50, the top and bottom surfaces referring to the positions theytake during the storage position of the cabinet, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The hinges 46 are of the type which allow 180 movement of the leaf 44 so that the

surfaces

48 and 50 in the cylinder bed mode of operation reverse their relative positions as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The leaf 44 may of course be of solid construction, but preferably it is of a hollow construction as illustrated in FIG. 4. For purposes which will become evident as this description proceeds the leaf 44 includes a through slot 52 extending from the top surface 48 through the bottom surface 50. The remainder of the leaf comprises front and

rear faces

54 and 56 respectively, an end face 58 which is the exterior end when the cabinet is in the storage position as shown in FIG. 1, and a pair of end faces 60 and 62 defining the open end of the slot 52. The slot 52 is also defined by

lateral walls

64 and 66 and a transverse wall 68. Thus, it should be evident that the leaf 44 is of a substantially U-shaped configuration with the cut-out slightly toward the front of the cabinet.

The hinges 46 are secured by conventional means to the top 20 of the cabinet and to the bottom surface 50 of the leaf 44 so that in the storage position of the cabinet the leaf 44 may be positioned with the surface 50 resting on the top surface 20 of the cabinet. This is also the position of the leaf 44 in the flat bed position as illustrated in FIG. 2 with the sewing machine in the operating position. It should be clear that the slot 52 is of a size and shape which conforms substantially to the top plan configuration of the bed 30 of the sewing machine. The bed of the sewing machine, of course, presents the largest planar area of the sewing machine with the bracket arm laying within the confines of the bed in top plan. Thus, the bed 30 fits within the slot 52 of the leaf 44 when the leaf is in the flat bed position as shown in FIG. 2 and does not interfere with the pivotable movement of the leaf 44 when the leaf is pivoted into the tubular bed position shown in FIG. 3. In this position the lower surface 50 is in the same horizontal plane as the surface 20 and a work surface extension is provided. It should be understood that the spacing between the top surface 48 and the bottom surface 50 of the leaf 44 is substantially equal to the height of the bed 30 from the feet 28 to the sewing machine work support surface 40 so that in the flat position the sewing machine work support surface 40 is on the same horizontal plane as the surface 48 of the leaf 44. The top surface 48 thereby provides a work support extension during flat bed sewing. On the handwheel end of the cabinet there is provided a rail 70 extending from the front to the rear of the cabinet and in conjunction with the leaf 44 encloses the entire bed except the top surface of the machine in the flat bed mode shown in FIG. 2. For aesthetic purposes the configuration of the front of the rail 70 and of the leaf 44 are the same so as to provide a smooth continuous design. Similarly the rear walls of the rail 70 and the leaf 44 are of this configuration as are the end walls.

In order to convert the cabinet from the flatbed position of FIG. 2 to the cylinder bed position of FIG. 3 the leaf 44 is pivoted about the hinges 46 by 180.This makes available to the operator the cylindrical bed 42 for sewing of tubular work pieces and also provides a work surface extension through the medium of the bottom surface 50 which is now in the upper position. F urthermore, so that the work surface extension is continuous, there is provided within the leaf 44 a closure member 72. The member 72 is slidably received within a slot 74 in the wall 64 and a slot 76 in the wall 68. Within the leaf between the top surface 48 and the bottom surface 50 there is mounted a pair of supports 78 (only one of which is shown) on the

walls

58 and 60 to support the member 72 as it slides within the

slots

74 and 76. Thus, the member 72 may be slid within the leaf 44 during the storage and flatbed positions and may slide outwardly to close the slot 52 during the cylinder bed position.

To provide a work surface and bed extension for the cabinet and sewing machine in the flatbed position and to provide a finished cover for the cabinet in the installed position a leaf 80 is pivotably mounted on the top surface of the leaf 44 by means of at least one and preferably a plurality of hinges 82. The hinges 82 are mounted such that the bottom surface of the leaf 80 rest on the top surface 48 of the leaf 44 when the machine is in the installed position and is of the type which can pivot 180. The leaf 80 has a top surface 84 and a bottom surface 86 which, of course, reverse their relative positions when the leaf is pivoted 180 into the flat bed position as illustrated in FIG. 2. In this position the surface 86 is co-extensive with the top surface 48 of the leaf 44 thereby to provide a work support extension and bed extension. When the cabinet is converted into the tubular bed mode and the leaf 44 is pivoted to the horizontally extended position the leaf 80 freely extends downwardly from the top surface 48 of the leaf 44 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Theleaf 80 may, of course, be of such length as to extend across the entire front of the'cabinet in the stored position but as shown in this embodiment the leaf is of such a size as to extend substantially midway across the front and another leaf 88 compliments it during the stored position. The leaf 88 also pivots 180 away from the machine by means of hinges 90 during both the flat bed and tubular bed position of the cabinet.

A cabinet constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention is disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6 wherein each of the

leaves

44 and 80 of the first embodiment consist of a respective pair of

leaves

144 and 145, and 180 and 181. The

leaves

144 and 145 and the leaves and 181 in the storage position of the cabinet meet substantially at the center of the front.

The bed encasing slot 52 of the first embodiment finds its counterpart in the

slots

152 and 153 respectively in the

leaves

144 and 145. This embodiment, of course, provides a work surface extension on both sides of the sewing machine, but in all other respects is similar to the first embodiment.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiments of the invention which are for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. For example, the sewing machine may be a cylinder bed machine rather than a convertible bed in which case the cabinet may include a flat bed insert. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what is claimed herein is:

1. A sewing machine cabinet adapted to provide single level sewing when a free arm sewing machine is mounted therein, said cabinet comprising a frame including a top surface, means defining an aperture in said surface, a support platform mounted on the frame in' said aperture on which a bed of a sewing machine is adapted to rest, at least a first leaf having top and bottom surfaces spaced one from the other by a distance substantially equal to the height of the sewing machine bed, each of said top and bottom surfaces having a collateral slot substantially of the same size and shape as the bed of the sewing machine, first hinge means mounting the first leaf to the top surface of said cabinet for pivotable movement substantially 180 from a flatbed position where the bottom surface of the first leaf rests on the top surface of the cabinet to a tubular bed position where the bottom surface of said leaf is substantially coextensive with said cabinet surface, a second leaf, second hinge means mounting the second leaf to the top surface of the first leaf for pivotable movement from the flatbed position where a first surface of the second leaf is substantially co-extensive with the top surface of the first leaf to the tubular bed position where the second leaf extends vertically down from the top surface of the first leaf.

2. A cabinet as recited in claim 1 including a closure member for closing the slot in the bottom surface of said leaf when the leaf is pivotably positioned with the bottom surface coextensive with the cabinet surface.

3. A cabinet as recited in claim 2 including means for slidably mounting the closure member in the slot in said bottom surface.

4. A cabinet as recited in claim 1 wherein said second hinge means comprises means for pivoting said second leaf into superposed abutting relationship to the first leaf when the first leaf is in the flatbed position whereby the first surface of said second leaf rests on the top surface of said first leaf to define a storage position.

5. A cabinet as recited in claim 4 wherein said first leaf comprises two sections, one end of each said sections being pivotably mounted at opposite ends of said cabinet top surface and at the other end thereof abutting each other in the flatbed position, said second leaf comprising two sections, each of said second leaf sections being pivotably mounted to the top surface of a respective first leaf section and at the other ends thereof abutting each other in the storage position.

Claims

1. A sewing machine cabinet adapted to provide single level sewing when a free arm sewing machine is mounted therein, said cabinet comprising a frame including a top surface, means defining an aperture in said surface, a support platform mounted on the frame in said aperture on which a bed of a sewing machine is adapted to rest, at least a first leaf having top and bottom surfaces spaced one from the other by a distance substantially equal to the height of the sewing machine bed, each of said top and bottom surfaces having a collateral slot substantially of the same size and shape as the bed of the sewing machine, first hinge means mounting the first leaf to the top surface of said cabinet for pivotable movement substantially 180* from a flatbed position where the bottom surface of the first leaf rests on the top surface of the cabinet to a tubular bed position where the bottom surface of said leaf is substantially coextensive with said cabinet surface, a second leaf, second hinge means mounting the second leaf to the top surface of the first leaf for pivotable movement from the flatbed position where a first surface of the second leaf is substantially co-extensive with the top surface of the first leaf to the tubular bed position where the second leaf extends vertically down from the top surface of the first leaf.