Patent ID: 6170414
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: D05B

Abstract:
A quilting apparatus comprising:a needle plate for supporting a fabric to be quilted;a presser plate parallel to the needle plate and moveably mounted to reciprocate during each of a plurality of stitching cycles, between a material clamping position spaced from and relatively proximate to the needle plate and a material releasing position spaced from and relatively remote from the needle plate;a ganged needle array located opposite the presser plate from the needle plate having thereon a plurality of needles each positioned to pass through aligned arrays of holes in the pressure plate and needle plate to stitch material clamped between the needle plate and the pressure plate when the pressure plate is in its clamping position;a needle rocker shaft linked to the needle array and mounted to oscillate through angular displacements to impart reciprocating motion to the needles of the array;a presser plate rocker shaft linked to the presser plate and mounted to oscillate through angular displacements to impart reciprocating motion to the presser plate in response to the angular displacements of the needle rocker shaft;a drive motor having an output connected to the needle rocker shaft to drive the needles of the array in their reciprocating motion and to thereby drive the presser plate in its reciprocating motion;an adjustable element connected in series with the presser plate rocker shaft between the needle rocker shaft and the presser plate whereby the range of the reciprocating motion of the presser plate can be adjusted;an adjustment motor having an output connected to the adjustable element; anda controller having a control signal output connected to the adjustment motor to control the motor to move the adjustable element to thereby adjust the range of the reciprocating motion of the presser plate.