Workpiece folding device for a sewing machine

Abstract

A workpiece folding device for a sewing machine which can fold the peripheral edge of a fabric such as pocket cloth, comprising a gage plate on which the pocket cloth is placed, a press plate superimposed on the gage plate for folding down the edge of the cloth along the contour of the gage plate, a folding-pieces support member surrounding the periphery of the gage plate, a plurality of folding pieces provided on the folding-pieces support member and shifted between two positions: an operational position under the gage plate for folding down the peripheral edge of the cloth and a preparatory position apart from the gage plate, and a plurality of pinching pieces for pinching the gage plate, the cloth and the press plate in cooperation with the corresponding folding pieces in the operational position. In this workpiece folding device, the distance between the folding pieces and the gage plate is appropriately kept and thus the pocket cloth is neatly folded even if the positions of the folding pieces are roughly adjusted. Consequently, the workpiece folding device for the sewing machine saves the operator the tedious task of minutely regulating the positions of the folding pieces.