Claims
- 1. Work piece holding means for an automatic sewing machine, comprising:
- an elongated first arm pivotally connected adjacent one end to the sewing machine;
- an elongated second arm carried on said first arm and being movable longitudinally with respect to the first arm, said second arm having a work holder adjacent one end for holding the work piece during sewing, said first and second arms having co-operating longitudinally extending flange means and a plurality of rollers said flange means defining a pair of opposed tracks adjacent opposed lateral sides of the arms, said rollers being received in said tracks with a first pair of rollers engaging against longitudinally spaced portions of one of said tracks while being spaced from the other of said tracks, and with a second pair of rollers engaging against longitudinally spaced portions of said other track while being spaced from said one track to provide stability and prevent binding of said arms during movement thereof; and
- means for commonly biasing said rollers against opposite tracks.
- 2. The holding means of claim 1 wherein each of said pair of rollers is rotatably mounted adjacent opposed lateral sides of the first arm, and said flange means extends from opposed lateral sides of the second arm.
- 3. The holding means of claim 1 wherein said second arm is slidably mounted on said first arm.
- 4. The holding means of claim 1 wherein said first arm is located beneath said second arm.
- 5. The holding means of claim 1 wherein the biasing means comprises spring-loaded means urging said first pair of rollers against said one track.
- 6. The holding means of claim 1 including a pair of pulleys rotatably mounted on the first arm adjacent its other end, cable means separately passing around said pair of pulleys, and means for driving said cable means to move said first arm.
- 7. The holding means of claim 1 including a pair of pulleys rotatably mounted on the first arm, with each of said pulleys being located adjacent opposed lateral sides of the first arm, cable means separately passing around said pair of pulleys, and means for driving said cable means to move said first arm.
- 8. A work holder for an automatic sewing machine, comprising:
- a sewing needle;
- an elongated arm having a first clamp member;
- a second clamp member;
- means for pivotally mounting the second clamp member for movement toward and away from the first clap member;
- means for selectively moving the second clamp member toward and away from the first clamp member to selectively retain a work piece between the first and second clamp members during sewing and to release the work piece;
- driving means for moving said arm;
- means for initiating the moving means to close the second clamp member against the first clamp member;
- sensor means for determining whether said second clamp member is closed against the first clamp member; and
- electrical means responsive to said sensor means for controlling said driving means and preventing movement of said arm by the driving means when said sensor means determines that the second clamp member is not closed against the first clamp member after the initiating means initiates the moving means to move the second clamp member against the first clamp member.
- 9. The work holder of claim 5 wherein said first and second clamp members include opening means for sewing the work piece through the opening means.
- 10. The work holder of claim 9 wherein said first and second clamp members include portions completely surrounding the opening means.
- 11. The work holder of claim 8 wherein the arm has the first clamp member extending from the arm adjacent one of its ends, and in which the second clamp member is pivotally connected to the arm remote the first clamp member.
Parent Case Info
This is a division, of application Ser. No. 496,749 filed Aug. 12, 1974 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,016.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
496749 |
Aug 1974 |
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