Sewing – Method of sewing – Stitch forming
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-13
2001-05-08
Nerbun, Peter (Department: 3741)
Sewing
Method of sewing
Stitch forming
C112S103000, C112S470140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227129
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention relates to an adapter plate for an embroidering machine, particularly, a computer-controlled embroidering machine, which allows the machine to be used for embroidering tubular and flat goods, as well as caps, without removing the a cap driver from the machine. More specifically, the subject invention relates to an adapter plate which is detachably mounted to the drive system which comprises a portion of the embroidering machine as provided by the manufacturer and which need not be removed from the drive system during embroidery of both tubular and flat goods using the positioning plate provided on the adapter plate as well as caps using the cap driver which is mounted to the machine in conventional fashion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Computer-controlled embroidering machines are made by a number of manufacturers and marketed under several brandnames. All such machines are generally comprised of a sewing head, a clamp, frame, hoop, or sash for stretching and securing a workpiece under the sewing head, and a drive system for moving the workpiece in the X and Y axes. Such machines are provided with different systems for securing the workpiece and positioning the workpiece under the sewing head. Two commonly-used systems for securing the workpiece are those which secure flat or tubular goods (the phrase “tubular goods” is often used to refer to T-shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts, jackets, and similar articles of clothing) under the sewing head and those which secure caps and hats under the sewing head, the latter often being referred to as cap drivers.
Flat and/or tubular goods are clamped or otherwise secured under the sewing head in a manner which stretches the material comprising the workpiece tightly under the sewing head for movement along the X and Y axes of the embroidering machine under the control of a computer which has been pre-programmed with the necessary instructions for producing a desired embroidery pattern on the workpiece. Various cloth spreading frames for securing flat and tubular goods under the sewing head are disclosed in, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,006, 5,249,537, 5,291,843, and 5,884,571. A cap driver accomplishes the same function of securing, stretching the material, and positioning under the sewing head but is used with hats, caps, and similar articles. Cap drivers are disclosed in more detail in, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,167,194 and 5,598,797.
Certain embroidering machines allow the user to switch from a cloth spreading frame to a cap driver so that the same machine can be used for embroidering both caps and flat/tubular workpieces. The ability to switch from one type of workpiece to the other allows the use of such a machine to embroider nearly every type of workpiece likely to be encountered in the normal use of the machine. One such machine is available under the brandname TAJIMA™.
Although the ability to switch from the spreading frame used for flat and tubular goods to the cap driver increases the utility of the machine, so far as is known, the construction of such machines is such that the frame used for flat and tubular goods must be removed from the machine to operate the machine with the cap driver on the X-Y drive system. The frame used for flat and tubular goods must therefore be removed from the X-Y drive system when the cap driver is mounted to the X-Y drive system (and likewise, the cap driver must be removed to use the frame for tubular and flat goods) because the two devices physically interfere with each other.
It is not always convenient to replace the frame for flat and tubular goods with the cap driver (or vice-versa) and the machine must be out of service during the switch. In many shops, the operator may not be able to determine the order in which workpieces are to be embroidered such that the operator may be required to switch back and forth between cap driver and the frame for flat and tubular goods several times over a relatively short time.
Embroidering machine manufacturers have provided a variety of designs for shortening the time required for this switch. For instance, the frame for flat and tubular goods which is provided with the above-mentioned TAJIMA™ machine can be detached from the carriage of the X-Y drive system by removing two pairs of screws from a so-called joint plate which comprises a portion of the carriage of the drive system. Attaching the cap driver to the drive system is equally simple. However, even these operations take time, and in a busy embroidery shop, every minute the machine is out of service is a minute in which the machine is not turning out product, and when the cap driver and the frame for flat and tubular goods must be switched back and forth multiple times each day, for instance, productivity suffers.
The patent literature discloses a number of hoops and spreading frames for holding a workpiece under a sewing head, some of which are listed above. At least one patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,753, appears to disclose a different approach to this problem of time that is lost during the switch by providing an embroidery frame which can be used to clamp a hat so that no cap driver is necessary. However, so far as is known, the device disclosed in that patent is not in common use. The industry therefore needs a better solution to the problem of time lost during the switching of a cloth spreading frame for a cap driver, and vice versa.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a solution to this loss of production caused by the time required to switch between a frame for flat and tubular goods and a cap driver.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapter plate for the X-Y drive system of an embroidering machine which is used for mounting a cloth spreading frame for positioning and securing flat and tubular goods under the sewing head of the embroidering machine which also allows operation of the machine with a cap driver mounted to the X-Y drive system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of embroidering a cap with such a machine with the spreading frame for use with tubular and flat goods (mounted on the adapter plate) in place under the sewing head of the machine, e.g., without removing the adapter plate from the machine.
Other objects, and the advantages, of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects are achieved by providing an adapter plate for a machine for embroidering a workpiece, the embroidering machine comprising a drive system for moving a carriage to which a workpiece is mounted along an X axis and a Y axis for embroidering thereon, comprising a base plate, a mount integral with the base plate for attaching the base plate to the carriage of the embroidering machine, a cloth spreading frame mounted to the base plate for holding a workpiece thereto, and a cut out in said base plate, the workpiece being held over the cut out by the cloth spreading frame. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the base plate comprises front and back edges, the mount for attaching the base plate to the carriage of the embroidering machine being located near the back edge of the base plate and the cut-out being formed in the front edge of the adapter plate. In this preferred embodiment, the cloth spreading frame is mounted adjacent the front edge.
In another aspect, the present invention comprises a method of embroidering a workpiece with an embroidering machine comprising an X-axis drive system having a cap driver mounted thereto without removing the cloth spreading frame for tubular and flat goods therefrom comprising the steps of attaching an adapter plate to the embroidering machine with the cap driver mounted thereto, securing a workpiece to the cloth spreading frame, and embroidering the workpiece on the cloth spreading frame without contact between the cap driver and the adapter plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5291843 (1994-03
Nerbun Peter
Wisner Mark R.
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