Patent GB-931046-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for feeding work pieces to a sewing machine
IPC: D05B33/00
Filed: 1961-10-23
Abstract: 931,046. Feeding sheets. SINGER MANUFACTURING CO. Oct. 23, 1961 [Nov. 21, 1960], No. 37840/61. Class 100 (1).  Apparatus for separating workpieces (e.g. shirt cuffs) one at a time from the top of a stack and feeding them to a sewing-machine, comprises a curved plate 80 adjacent the top of the stack over which a stream of air is directed to lift the topmost workpiece, a plate 88 adapted to be inserted between the raised workpiece and the stack, and a nozzle 100 directing a blast of air on to the plate 88 to feed the topmost workpiece across the plate to a reciprocating carriage which forwards the workpiece to a sewing- machine. Pile table and supports.-The stack is supported on a pile table 71 raised by pneumatic means 67. A leaf-spring 78 secured to the underside of a support 1, engages the top of the stack to overcome the pneumatic means and maintain the stack at a predetermined height. Upstanding posts 73, 75 are provided to hold the stack in position. Separators.-Nozzles 81 supporting a curved plate 80 are mounted in an opening 79 in the support 1 and direct streams of air across the front edge of the stack to lift the uppermost workpiece. A plate 88 is inserted between the uppermost workpiece and the stack and the air supply to the pneumatic means 67 shut-off, whereby the table falls under gravity to release the uppermost workpiece from the action of the leaf-spring 78. The air blast from nozzles 81 is discontinued, so that the separated workpiece falls on to the plate 88. The latter is attached to a cross-member 86, which is reciprocated by a piston 91 and is slidable in guides in the side edges of an opening 87 in the support 1. Feeding sheets.-A stream of air issuing from a nozzle 100 projecting through an aperture in the plate 80, feeds the separated workpiece across the plate 88. A second air blast from a nozzle 104 takes over the feeding and moves the workpiece up to a front stop. Registering.-A curved arm 32 (Fig. 5) pivoted to a plate 35 depending from the support 1, is urged upwardly by spring means to project through an opening in the support and provide the front stop 30. A spring-loaded latch 38 moves to the left, as seen in Fig. 5, on depression of the front stop by a cable 37, attached to a foot pedal, to hold the front stop in an inoperative position. The front stop is released from this position by a lug on the underside of a reciprocating carriage 4 engaging the edge 45 of the latch on movement of the carriage up to the stack. Downward movement of the arm 32 is limited by co-operating abutments on the support 1 and arm. Sheet carriers and forwarders.-The carriage 4 is slidable in guideways 3 in the support 1 and is provided with grippers 5. The latter are mounted on a common rockable bar 6 and urged toward their operative positions by springs 7 (Fig. 5). A latch 8 engaging the bar 6 holds the grippers open. An upright bar 46 secured to the arm 32 has a flange 50 overlying the latch, so that depression of the front stop releases the grippers 5. Also, a cross-bar 51 fixed to the bar 46 operates switches 52 carried from the plate 35 on depression of the front stop. One switch 52 is closed to initiate actuation of the carriage 4, which is reciprocated by a cord 10 secured at both ends to the carriage and passing around pulleys 11, to forward the workpiece to a sewing-machine. The other switch 52 is opened on depressing the front stop and closed on return movement of the carriage, to initiate another separating and feeding operation. Sheet guides.-The separated workpiece is guided over the support 1 and carriage 4, by a plate 22 flared at its outer end 23. A second workpiece is placed by hand on top of the plate 22, the latter being cut away between the grippers 5 and carriage 4, whereby the grippers act through the cut-away portion to hold the upper and lower workpieces on the carriage. The plate 22 has side flanges 25 extending above and below the plate 22 to position the workpieces laterally.