Claims
- 1. A workpiece pallet for use with a sewing machine having a sewing station, said workpiece pallet comprising:
- a frame member;
- a locator associated with said frame member for locating a workpiece in said frame member; and
- pivot means for detachably and pivotally securing either one of a plurality of sets a plurality of plates to said frame member to secure the workpiece in said frame member so that said sewing machine can sew the workpiece when the workpiece pallet is positioned at the sewing station;
- said plurality of sets of plates being comprised of at least a first set of plates and a second set of plates;
- the first and second sets of plates being comprised of one and two plates, respectively.
- 2. A workpiece pallet for use with a sewing machine having a sewing station, said workpiece pallet comprising:
- a frame member;
- a locator associated with said frame member for locating a workpiece in said frame member; and
- pivot means for detachably and pivotally securing a plurality of plates to said frame member so that said plurality of plates can cooperate with said locator to secure the workpiece in said frame member so that said sewing machine can sew the workpiece when the workpiece pallet is positioned at the sewing station;
- said pivot means comprising a first connecting member located on said frame member and a second connecting member located on each of said plates, said second connecting member pivotally and detachably mating with said first connecting member to permit each of said plurality of plates to be pivotally and detachably secured to said frame member;
- said frame member lying in a plane, said first connecting member comprising at least one pin and said second connecting member having detent means for engaging said at least one pin to enable said second connecting member to be pivotally and detachably secured to the first connecting member such that said plurality of plates may pivot about the axis of said pins; and
- said detent means comprising a spring-loaded detent.
- 3. A workpiece pallet for use with a sewing machine having a sewing station, said workpiece pallet comprising:
- a frame member;
- a locator associated with said frame member for locating a workpiece in said frame member; and
- pivot means for detachably and pivotally securing a plurality of plates to said frame member to secure the workpiece in said frame member so that said sewing machine can sew the workpiece when the workpiece pallet is positioned at the sewing station;
- said workpiece pallet further comprising locking means for retaining said plurality of plates in a locked position on said frame member;
- said locator comprising a base plate which is removably secured to said frame;
- said workpiece pallet further comprising second locking means for locking said base plate to said frame member.
- 4. The workpiece pallet as recited in claim 3 wherein said second locking means comprises at least one slidable latch.
- 5. A method for interchangeably and pivotally coupling a plurality of sets of plates to a frame member of a workpiece pallet, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) selecting one of said sets of said plurality of sets of plates to mount on said frame member;
- (b) pivotally and detachably mounting said one of said sets of said plurality of plates to said frame member with a universal coupler;
- (c) removing said one of said sets of said plurality of plates selected in step (a); and
- (d) repeating steps (a) and (b) for another set of said plurality of plates.
- 6. A workpiece pallet which is capable of detachably and interchangeably receiving at least one of a plurality of sets of plates, said workpiece pallet comprising:
- a frame member, said frame member having receiving means for receiving a locator plate for registering a workpiece in a predetermined position in said frame member; and
- a universal coupler for permitting said frame member to pivotally and interchangeably receive at least one of said plurality of sets of plates;
- said receiving means comprising a plurality of flange members, said workpiece pallet further comprising locking means for locking said locator plate in said workpiece pallet.
- 7. The workpiece pallet as recited in claim 6 wherein said second locking means comprises a plurality of sliding latches.
- 8. A workpiece pallet which is capable of detachably and interchangeably receiving a plurality of sets of plates, said workpiece pallet comprising:
- a frame member, said frame member having receiving means for receiving a locator plate for registering a workpiece in a predetermined position in said frame member; and
- a universal coupling for permitting said frame member to pivotally and interchangeably receive a plurality of preselected sets of said plurality of plates;
- said universal coupling comprising a first connecting member for mounting on said frame member and a second connecting member for mounting on each of said plurality sets of plates, said first and second connecting members cooperating to permit at least one of said plurality of sets of plates to be pivotally and interchangeably mounted on said frame member such that said at least one of said plurality of sets of plates becomes operatively aligned with said locator plate so that said workpiece can be clamped in said workpiece pallet;
- said frame member lying in a plane and said first connecting member comprises at least one pin having an axis which is generally parallel to said plane; and
- said second connecting member comprising at least one bracket member having detent means for engaging said at least one pin in order to interchangeably and pivotally secure said at least one of said plurality of sets of plates to said frame member;
- said at least one bracket member comprising a slot and said detent means comprising a spring loaded detent which is operatively associated with said slot.
- 9. A sewing machine having a sewing surface and a sewing station at which a predetermined stitch pattern may be sewn on a workpiece, said sewing machine comprising:
- a workpiece pallet for receiving a workpiece;
- a shuttle for moving the workpiece pallet about the sewing surface at the sewing station so that a predetermined stitch pattern may be sewn on the workpiece; and
- a master controller for energizing the shuttle;
- said workpiece pallet comprising:
- mounting means for mounting the workpiece pallet to said shuttle;
- a frame member, said frame member having receiving means for receiving a locator plate for registering a workpiece in a fixed position in said frame member; and
- a universal coupler for permitting said frame member to be capable of pivotally and interchangeably receiving a plurality of preselected sets of said plurality of plates;
- said receiving means, comprising a plurality of flange members, said workpiece pallet further comprising a plurality of sliding latches for locking said locator plate in said-workpiece pallet.
- 10. A sewing machine having a sewing surface and a sewing station at which a predetermined stitch pattern may be sewn on a workpiece, said sewing machine comprising:
- a workpiece pallet for receiving a workpiece;
- a shuttle for moving the workpiece pallet about the sewing surface at the sewing station so that a predetermined stitch pattern may be sewn on the workpiece; and
- a master controller for energizing the shuttle;
- said workpiece pallet comprising:
- mounting means for mounting the workpiece to said shuttle;
- a frame member, said frame member having receiving means for receiving a locator plate for registering a workpiece in a fixed position in said frame member; and
- a universal coupler for permitting said frame member to be capable of pivotally and interchangeable receiving a plurality of preselected sets of said plurality of plates;
- said universal coupler comprising a first connecting member for mounting on said frame member and a second connecting member for mounting on each of said plates, said first and second connecting members cooperating to permit at least one of said plurality of sets of plates to be pivotally and interchangeably mounted on said frame member such that said at least one of said plurality of set of plates becomes operatively aligned with said locator plate so that said workpiece can be clamped in said workpiece pallet;
- said frame member lying in a plane and said first connecting member comprising at least one pin having an axis which is generally parallel to said plane,
- said second connecting member comprising at least one bracket member having detent means for engaging said at least one pin in order to interchangeably and pivotally secure at least one of said plurality of sets of plates to said frame member; and
- said at least one bracket member comprising a slot and said detent means comprising a spring loaded detent which is operatively associated with said slot.
- 11. A workpiece pallet for use with a sewing machine having a sewing station, said workpiece pallet comprising:
- a frame member;
- a locator associated with said frame member for locating a workpiece in said frame member; and
- pivot means for detachably and pivotally securing a plurality of plates to said frame member to secure the workpiece in said frame member so that said sewing machine can sew the workpiece when the workpiece pallet is positioned at the sewing station;
- said locator comprising a base plate which is removably secured to said frame and said workpiece pallet further comprising locking means for locking said base plate to said frame.
- 12. A workpiece pallet for use with a sewing machine having a sewing station, said workpiece pallet comprising:
- a frame member;
- a locator associated with said frame member for locating a workpiece in said frame member; and
- pivot means for detachably and pivotally securing either one of a plurality of sets of plates to said frame member to secure the workpiece in said frame member so that said sewing machine can sew the workpiece when the workpiece pallet is positioned at the sewing station;
- said plurality of sets of plates being comprised of at least a first set of plates and a second set of plates;
- one or both of said first and second sets of plates comprising at least two plates.
- 13. A workpiece pallet which is capable of detachably and interchangeably receiving at least one of a plurality of sets of plates, said workpiece pallet comprising:
- a frame member, said frame member having receiving means for receiving a locator plate for registering a workpiece in a predetermined position in said frame member; and
- a universal coupler for permitting said frame member to pivotally and interchangeably receive at least one of said plurality of sets of said plurality of plates;
- at least one of said plurality of preselected sets of plates comprising at least two plates.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/676,798, filed on Mar. 28, 1991.
US Referenced Citations (49)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
888574 |
|
GBX |
991161 |
|
GBX |
2017769 |
|
GBX |
2143550 |
|
GBX |
2167456 |
|
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
"The Technologies of MIM Industries, Inc.", published approximately Jan. 1, 1990. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
676798 |
Mar 1991 |
|