Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
11~719~3
The present invention relates to an arrangement
for making a seam choice, especially related to a built-in
sewing guide in an electronic sewing machine with an
electronic seam memory for the supply of stitch data to the
needle positioning and cloth feeding mechanisms.
Electronic fancy seam data systems for sewing
machines have, in general, among other things an input
selector, e.g. a set of push button switches with a row of
symbols showing the seam the machine wiil sew, when a push
button referred to a certain symbol is actuated. The choice
of one of the several symbols and eventually other controls
m~st, however, be made by the operator which can be a
difficult problem with regard to the cloth quality and the
appropciateness of the several seams. Most sewing machines
have a manual which provides advice on the adjustment of the
machine. For an extensive programme of fancy seams such a
manual will be big and inconvenient and may ca~se confusion
to the one which operates the several controls.
The present invention seeks to provide a sewing
machine of which the operation is simplified. According to
one aspect of the present invention there is provided a
sewing guide for a zigzag sewing machine provided with at
least two seam pattern selectors, a first one including a
schedule of text, symbols or the like provided with
indicating means connected to and controlled by an
adjustable control of the second sëam pattern selector,
wherein said indicating means is associated with adjustable
controls by which the respective seam operation is selected
and as a start address supplied to an electronic ~nit for
supplying stitch data in the machine.
Preferably a schedule of the second sea~ pattern
selectoc is related to thew texture and/or thickness of the
stuff to be sewn.
1 17 ~ ~ 3
However, the art here referred to permits a
pluralicy oi different seam patterns for one and the same
function (or operation~. Modern sewing machines have, for
instance for the operation "Sew together" at least three
differenc seams i.e. straight seam, zigza~ seam and reLn-
forced straight seam. The plurality of alternative seams
for every operation could make the sewi.n~ complicated, if
there was not an effective instruction accessible at or on
the machine. The present invention i.s reLated eo a system
for making che information on the several alternatives for
every operation accessible which is introduced and stored
in the memory of the machine. The seams whi.ch are less
suitable in a certain comblnation of texture and operatlon
are not shown on thls lnformation. At the symbols for the
shown suitable seams there are switch means on which someone
o these seams can be selected. t~hen such a seam is
s~lected, the input selector supplies a start address to
the counter, and feeding of ideal data ft)r cloth and opera-
tion in question is effected from the sti.tc~ memory. The
advantage of such a system is Eound in the face that the
operator directly after the adjustment of the cloth control
ob~ains information for the next ad~ustment referred to the
operation. This advantage can be realized, when the system
is carried out in accordance with this invention.
` An embodiment of a sewing guide Dccording to the
invention is described in the following with the assistance
of the attached drawlngs in whlch:
~ 2-
'~
1~71~}43
FIG. 1 shows a control panel on the front surface
of a sewing machine.
FIG. 2 shows the same panel but a certain adjust-
ment of a rotary control thereon.
FIG. 3 shows a wiring diagram of the indicating
means in the panel, and
FIG. 4 shows a wiring diagram of the input selector
in the panel.
On a sewing machine provided with a post 10 and
an over-arm 11 there is mounted a control panel 12 with
indica~ing means 13, buttons 14 and a rotary control 15,
which are used for informing the electronic system 16 of
the machine of a certain seam selection. The rotary control
is used for making a preadjustment on a series of seam
patterns,e.g. utility seams, of which at least one can be
selected on the buttons 14. Such a rotary control is suit-
ably constituted of a binary converter with for instance
four output lines 17 on which an output four bit code
represents a certain adjustment on the rotary control. The
several positions are marked by text on the panel stating,
in the shown embodiment, the texture of the stuff to be sewn.
The rotary control can, for instance, be designed as shown
in FIG. 3 which also shows the connection of a number of
lamps 18 (light emitting diodes) to a memory uni.t 19
constituted of four partial memories which are generally
denoted 74S 278 in so called TTL-technics. The wires 17
are branched to every one of the partial memories which have
8 outputs 20-23 each. The memory unit is programmed for
supplying current on a special combination of wires in the
groups 20-23 corresponding to the input code on the wires
--3--
~71943
17. First said wires supply current to light the correspond-
ing lamps, and these ones thereby inform the operator about
the seam patterns which for the priorly made preadjustment
of the control 15 and a couple of rows of illuminated text
24 are shown indicating the several operations that may be
effected on the stuff pointed out by the control 15. The
text in every square 25 made of transparent material, is
illuminated from behind by the corresponding lamp. When
light is out the text is vanished. Below the text squares
another row of squares 26 is positioned showing a symbol
of the seam described by the text in the square above.
Besides a description of the operation the text may include
practical hints on extra measures for the accomplishment
of the seam, for instance, changing the presser foot and
the like. After any adjustment of the buttons 14 the zigzag
width and the stitch length can be adjusted individually
on a couple of controls 27, 28.
The information by the illuminated text squares
is used for the completion of a seam selection, which is
made so that the operator pushes a button 14, whereby a so
called seam selection code (or start address) is created
and conducted to a start address memory in the electronic
unit. This unit is composed of many parts in the form of
circuit cards and components, which are not here separately
stated or described, as a plurality of embodiments are
priorly known and the invention does not refer to a special
embodiment of the electronic unit for controlling the needle
and feeder. However, an example of such a unit is described
in the Swedish patent specification No. 7910201-8, which
may be referred to for the sake of completeness.
~7i~43
The embodiment now described is an example how
to realize the invention. As a variation of the "cloth
control" it may be mentioned that the handle 15 may be
replaced by buttons or a slide control. Even if the applica-
tion of the invention in an electronic sewing machine is
described in the foregoing, the invention is not restricted
to such application but can advantageously also be applied
to sewing machines with mechanical zigzag stitch control,
for instance cam discs.
