The Singer Company

Jack Brown

John A Herr

Wesley R Peterson

Wolfgang Jaffe

John W Wurst

Donald J Coughenour

Charles R Odermann

Boleslaw Kornatowski

Albert N Cook

Russell J Pepe

Nicholas A Tarquinio

A speed controlling arrangement for an electric motor is provided with a pneumatic foot controller which includes a bulb that is opened to the atmosphere between operative periods to equalize pressure in both the bulb and a transducer, but is closed when foot pressure is applied to the bulb to actuate the transducer.

Vented pneumatic foot controller

A full wave motor control circuit is provided which utilizes a phase fired SCR to control the flow of current through the motor windings. Just before the end of each cycle, the charging capacitor which is connected across the gate and cathode of the SCR is discharged and the effective holding current level of the SCR is raised to insure SCR turn off.

Full wave motor control circuit

An SCR motor speed control system having a capacitor for triggering the SCR into conduction is provided with circuitry for limiting the top speed of the motor by sensing the armature back EMF generated during the non-conducting period of the SCR to determine the motor speed. When the speed is above a predetermined threshold value, a transistor is turned on to short circuit the charging path of the capacitor.

Motor control system incorporating top speed limiting arrangement

In an electronically controlled sewing machine having an arm shaft position sensor signalling release of feed data and of needle position data at opposite extremes of endwise reciprocation of a needle bar, depression of a needle up or needle down position button will implement a slow speed drive circuit, and a fast stop brake circuit will stop the needle bar immediately upon the occurrence of a signal from the arm shaft position sensor corresponding to the selected needle position button.

Sewing machine needle positioning

An auxiliary fast stop braking circuit is provided for an electronically controlled sewing machine having the capability to implement a single pattern of a repetitive stitch pattern by implementing needle bar release from its drive means and zero feed motion at the completion of the last stitch of the pattern. The auxiliary fast stop braking circuit is responsive to selection of a single pattern and to activation of the needle bar release solenoid to implement dynamic braking of the sewing machine motor.

Auxiliary sewing machine motor braking

An SCR motor speed control system is provided with circuitry for fast braking of the motor. The circuitry senses when it is desired to stop the motor and simultaneously short circuits the motor armature and applies half-wave rectified line voltage to the motor field windings.

Motor braking arrangement

An SCR motor speed control system having a capacitor for triggering the SCR into conduction is provided with circuitry for limiting the top speed of the motor by sensing the time of a predetermined proportion of a motor revolution to determine the motor speed. When the time is below a predetermined time interval, indicative of motor speed above a desired top speed limit, a path is closed to bypass the charging path of the capacitor.

Motor control system incorporating digital top speed limiting arrangement

A pump is disclosed having a housing with a recess therein, an elastomeric diaphragm stretched across said recess forming a pump cavity in which the medium being pumped is circulated, and inlet and outlet valves. An electronically controlled linear actuator is attached to the diaphragm within the pump cavity thereby allowing compactness in the construction of the pump and improved heat dissipation from the linear actuator. The pump fits within the frame of a sewing machine and creates an air vacuum for assisting in needle threading.

Diaphragm pump for needle threading

A fixed speed sewing machine is disclosed having only start and stop control capability for the actual running of the machine. An arrangement is provided for controlling the acceleration of the sewing machine drive motor so that it is gradual, rather than abrupt.

Ramp speed integrated motor controller for sewing machines

A pump for needle threading is disclosed having a housing with a recess therein, an elastomeric diaphragm stretched across said recess forming a pump cavity in which the medium being pumped is circulated, and inlet and outlet valves. An electronically controlled linear actuator is attached to the diaphragm within the pump cavity thereby allowing compactness in the construction of the pump and improved heat dissipation from the linear actuator.

An electronically controlled sewing machine having the capability for lateral feeding in addition to longitudinal feeding is provided with an arrangement for effecting closed path pattern stitching. Selector switches having indicia thereon representative of the direction of sewing effected by operation of the respective switches are positioned so that the indicia visually simulates the closed path pattern.

Electronically controlled household sewing machine having patch sewing

A circuit which limits the maximum permissible speed of a sewing machine motor when specific stitch patterns are selected. Electronic signals from a means for sensing the selected stitch pattern are analyzed by the circuit to control the operation of a relay which connects a resistance in series with the sewing machine motor to reduce the maximum speed at which the drive motor may be operated.

Sewing machine motor speed limiting by pattern selection

A mechanism for detecting the depletion of bobbin thread in a sewing machine. A bobbin is formed with a polygonal core having a plurality of light reflecting surfaces contained thereon. A light source transmits a beam of light toward the polygonal core of the bobbin and the light reflected therefrom is intercepted by a photodetector. The polygonal reflecting surfaces contained on the bobbin core do not begin to reflect light until a sufficient quantity of bobbin thread has been consumed in the sewing process to expose a part of the reflective surface portion of the bobbin core. The rotation of the bobbin thereafter results in flashes of light being received by the photodetector. An electronic circuit analyzes the output of the photodetector and distinguishes between the flashes and steady ambient light to signal the impending depletion of bobbin thread.

Sewing machine bobbin thread run-out alarm using reflected light

An electronically controlled sewing machine having buttonhole capability and a reverse stitch actuating switch wherein actuation of the reverse switch during a buttonholing operation will initiate the second step of the buttonhole. Signals characteristic of selection of a buttonhole mode of operation are used in a logic combination to enable reverse selecting means to be used to initiate the second step of the buttonhole while inhibiting its use to implement reverse stitching. Absence of these characteristic signals will permit the reverse selecting means to be used to implement reverse stitching.

Simplified actuation of two step buttonhole in electronically controlled

An operator manipulating means for a programable electronically controlled sewing machine. The operator manipulating means provides an array of switch points, each related in a row, to discrete needle positions attainable by the electronically controlled sewing machine; and in a column, to the least feed increment attainable thereby. The switch array is fabricated using a pair of printed circuits, one of which must be flexible and each having spaced, parallel conductors, and arranged with respect to each other so that the conductors of one are substantially perpendicular to the conductors of the other and are in facing relationship. The printed circuits are separated in a first embodiment by a pair of insulating sheets, each having an array of apertures in spaced registry with each other and aligned in rows and columns with the conductors on the printed circuits. The pair of insulating sheets are separated by a flexible conducting sheets which may be used as a common conductor. Depression of a conductor on the flexible printed circuit through an aperture of an insulating sheet will establish a connection to the flexible conducting sheet, which conducting sheet will be deflected through the aperture in spaced registry to establish a connection with a conductor of the other printed circuit.

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Union, NJ, United States of America

Jack Brown