Claims
- 1. A clamp system for use on a programmable sewing machine comprising:
- a first clamp for clamping a first workpiece;
- a second clamp for clamping a second workpiece; and
- a coupler for coupling said first and second clamps to said programmable sewing machine such that the programmable sewing machine may sew an endless stitch pattern which encloses at least one of said first clamp or said second clamp.
- 2. The clamp system as recited in claim 1 wherein said coupler further comprises at least one 360.degree. mechanism.
- 3. The clamp system as recited in claim 1 wherein said coupler comprises a first 360.degree. mechanism coupled to said first clamp and a second 360.degree. mechanism coupled to said second clamp.
- 4. The clamp system as recited in claim 2 wherein said at least one 360.degree. mechanism comprises a U-shaped crank.
- 5. The clamp system as recited in claim 1 wherein said clamp system further comprises a peripheral clamp for clamping a periphery area of at least one of said first workpiece or said second workpiece.
- 6. The clamp system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second workpieces each comprise a peripheral clamp area; said clamp system further comprising a peripheral clamp for clamping the peripheral clamp areas of each of said first and second workpieces.
- 7. The clamp system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second workpieces comprise different shapes.
- 8. A clamp for use in a sewing machine for sewing a plurality of stitch patterns; said clamp comprising:
- a clamp member defining a plurality of endless sewing apertures, each of said plurality of endless sewing apertures being capable of receiving at least one inner clamp, said at least one inner clamp cooperating with said clamp member to define at least one endless sewing area capable of receiving a sewing needle; and
- a coupling coupled to said clamp member to permit the sewing needle to sew entirely throughout said at least one endless sewing area.
- 9. The clamp as recited in claim 8 wherein said coupling further comprises a plurality of 360.degree. mechanisms for enabling said sewing needle to sew throughout each of said plurality of sewing apertures.
- 10. The clamp as recited in claim 8 wherein said coupling comprises at least one 360.degree. mechanism.
- 11. The clamp as recited in claim 8 wherein said clamp member further comprises:
- a first inner clamp; and
- a second inner clamp.
- 12. The clamp as recited in claim 8 wherein said clamp member further comprises:
- a peripheral clamp and at least one inner clamp.
- 13. The clamp as recited in claim 8 wherein said clamp member further comprises:
- a peripheral clamp; and
- a plurality of inner clamps.
- 14. The clamp as recited in claim 8 wherein said sewing machine comprises a master controller, said coupling further comprising:
- a first inner clamp;
- a second inner clamp;
- a first 360.degree. mechanism coupled to said first inner clamp;
- a second 360.degree. mechanism coupled to said second clamp.
- 15. The clamp as recited in claim 14 further comprising:
- at least one solenoid coupled to at least one of said first or second 360.degree. mechanisms.
- 16. The clamp as recited in claim 14 further comprising:
- a plurality of solenoids coupled to said first and second inner clamps.
- 17. A sewing machine for sewing a first predetermined stitch pattern on a first workpiece and a second predetermined stitch pattern on a second workpiece, said sewing machine comprising:
- a master controller for controlling the operation of the sewing machine;
- a first clamp for clamping an inner portion of the first workpiece against a sewing surface of the sewing machine;
- a second clamp for clamping an inner portion of the second workpiece against the sewing surface of the sewing machine;
- said first and second clamps being capable of clamping the inner portions of said first and second workpieces, respectively, so that said first predetermined stitch pattern and a second predetermined stitch pattern may be sewn around said inner portions;
- at least one of said first or second predetermined stitch patterns being 360.degree. degrees; and
- a driver coupled to said master controller for driving the first and second clamps towards and away from the sewing surface to cause said first clamp to clamp an inner portion of the first workpiece against the sewing surface and the second clamp to clamp an inner portion of the second workpiece against the sewing surface;
- wherein said sewing machine further comprises:
- a peripheral clamp which cooperates with at least one of said first clamp and said second clamp to claim either a peripheral edge of said first workpiece or a second peripheral edge of said second workpiece.
- 18. The sewing machine as recited in claim 17 wherein said peripheral clamp and said first and second clamps cooperate to define a first sewing aperture and a second sewing aperture, each of said first and second sewing apertures being capable of receiving a sewing needle on the sewing machine.
- 19. The sewing machine as recited in claim 18 wherein said first and second sewing apertures are both endless.
- 20. A method for sewing an endless stitch pattern on at least one of a plurality of workpieces, said method comprising the steps of:
- clamping a first workpiece under a first clamp;
- clamping a second workpiece under a second clamp;
- sewing completely around an entire perimeter of either said first clamp or said second clamp to sew an endless stitch pattern on said first or second workpieces, respectively.
- 21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- situating said first and second workpieces on a third workpiece.
- 22. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- clamping a peripheral edge of either said first or said second workpiece using a peripheral clamp.
- 23. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- clamping a peripheral edge of both said first and second workpieces using a peripheral clamp.
- 24. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- driving said first and second clamps against said first and second workpieces substantially simultaneously.
- 25. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- driving said first and second clamps against said first and second workpieces substantially independently.
- 26. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- sewing completely around said first and second clamps.
- 27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said first and second clamps are inner clamps, said method further comprises the step of:
- clamping an inner portion of said first workpiece and an inner portion of said second workpiece with said first clamp and second clamp, respectively.
- 28. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- positioning a first workpiece under said first clamp and a second workpiece under said second clamp;
- forcing said first and second clamps against said first and second workpieces, respectively, substantially simultaneously.
- 29. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- sewing an endless predetermined stitch pattern on said first and second workpieces.
- 30. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- coupling said first and second clamps to the sewing machine using at least one 360.degree. mechanism.
- 31. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- coupling said first and second clamps to the sewing machine using a plurality of 360.degree. mechanisms.
- 32. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said first and second workpieces comprise different shapes.
- 33. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- coupling said first and second clamps to said sewing machine so that said sewing machine can sew an endless stitch pattern around said first and second clamps.
- 34. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- using at least one 360.degree. mechanism to couple either said first clamp or said second clamp to said sewing machine.
- 35. The method as recited in claim 34 wherein said method further comprises the step of:
- using a first 360.degree. mechanism to couple said first clamp to said sewing machine and a second 360.degree. mechanism to couple said second clamp to said sewing machine.
- 36. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said at least one 360.degree. mechanism is coupled to a solenoid, said method further comprising the step of:
- energizing said solenoid to actuate said 360.degree. mechanism.
- 37. The method as recited in claim 34 wherein said first 360.degree. mechanism is coupled a first solenoid and said second 360.degree. mechanism is coupled to a second solenoid, said method further comprises the step of:
- energizing said first and second solenoids to actuate said first and second 360.degree. mechanisms, respectively.
- 38. A sewing machine having a sewing surface, said sewing machine comprising:
- a master controller for controlling the operation of a sewing machine;
- a first clamp;
- a second clamp;
- a peripheral clamp defining a set of apertures of different shapes or sizes for receiving corresponding workpieces;
- a drive assembly coupled to said master controller for driving said first clamp, said second clamp and said peripheral clamp towards and away from the sewing surface; and
- a coupler for coupling at least one of said first clamp, said second clamp or said peripheral clamp such that an endless stitch pattern may be sewn about the entire periphery of said clamp.
- 39. The sewing machine as recited in claim 38 wherein said coupler further comprises at least one 360.degree. mechanism.
- 40. The sewing machine as recited in claim 38 wherein said coupler comprises a plurality of 360.degree. mechanisms.
- 41. The sewing machine as recited in claim 38 wherein said at least one 360.degree. mechanism comprises a generally U-shaped crank.
- 42. The sewing machine as recited in claim 38 wherein said first and second clamps are coupled to a first bracket and said peripheral clamp is coupled to a second bracket.
- 43. The sewing machine as recited in claim 42 wherein said sewing machine further comprises:
- a first driver associated with said first bracket;
- a second driver associated with said second bracket;
- said master controller being coupled to said first and second drivers to independently or simultaneously energize said first and second drivers to drive said first bracket and said second bracket such that said first and second clamps or said peripheral clamp, respectively, are driven towards or away from said sewing surface of said sewing machine.
- 44. A clamp system for use on a sewing machine having a sewing surface for supporting a workpiece for quickly and successively attaching a set of labels of different sizes or shapes to the workpiece, said clamp system comprising:
- a peripheral clamp defining a set of openings of different shapes or sizes for receiving the corresponding labels;
- a set of corresponding inner clamps disposed within said openings and adapted to hold the labels against the workpiece on the surface, each of said inner clamps cooperating with the corresponding said opening to define therebetween a stitching aperture extending around each of said inner clamps;
- a plurality of couplers extending across said stitching apertures for supporting said inner clamps so that an endless stitch pattern may be sewn on said labels.
- 45. The clamp system as recited in claim 44 wherein each of said plurality of couplers comprises:
- a 360.degree. mechanism.
- 46. The clamp as recited in claim 45 wherein said 360.degree. mechanism comprises:
- a generally U-shaped crank.
- 47. The clamp system as recited in claim 44 wherein said clamp system further comprises:
- a drive for supporting said plurality of couplers and said inner clamps for generally vertical movement as a unit relatively to said peripheral clamp.
- 48. The clamp system as recited in claim 44 wherein said sewing machine comprises a master controller coupled to said plurality of couplers,
- each of said plurality of couplers comprising at least one solenoid coupled to said master controller being capable of energizing said coupler to cause said 360.degree. mechanisms to rotate substantially simultaneously.
- 49. The clamp system as recited in claim 44 wherein each of said plurality of couplers comprises at least one adjuster for adjustably positioning said first and second clamps on a bracket coupled to the sewing machine.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 08/273,785 filed Jul. 12, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,337 which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/913,135 filed Jul. 14, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,605 issued Jan. 3, 1995.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
273785 |
Jul 1994 |
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Parent |
913135 |
Jul 1992 |
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