Apparatus for guiding a workpiece under the needle of a sewing machine

Claim 1

IN A SEWING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING AN ENDWISE RECIPROCABLE NEEDLE AND HAVING A WORKPIECE SUPPORTING CARRIAGE MOUNTED FOR MOTION IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO THE NEEDLE: (A) A FIRST POWER SHAFT ROTATABLY DRIVEN AT LOW SPEED; (B) A SECOND POWER SHAFT ROTATABLY DRIVEN AT HIGHER SPEED; (C) A ROTATABLE DRIVEN SHAFT; (D) MEANS COMPRISING A CLUTCH DEVICE FOR ALTERNATIVELY AND SELECTIVELY COUPLING THE DRIVEN SHAFT WITH EITHER THE FIRST OR THE SECOND POWER SHAFT; (E) CARRIAGE ACTUATING MEANS, DRIVINGLY CONNECTED WITH THE DRIVEN SHAFT, FOR MOVING THE CARRIAGE; (F) NEEDLE RECIPROCATING MEANS DRIVINGLY CONNECTED WITH THE DRIVEN SHAFT; (G) MEANS COMPRISING A MANUALLY OPERABLE ACTUATOR FOR CAUSING THE CLUTCH DEVICE TO COUPLE THE DRIVEN SHAFT WITH THE FIRST POWER SHAFT TO INITIATE CARRIAGE MOVEMENT AND NEEDLE RECIPROCATION AT LOW SPEED; AND (H) A CLUTCH CONTROL COMPRISING MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE DRIVEN SHAFT TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT THEREOF AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLUTCH DEVICE FOR CAUSING THE CLUTCH DEVICE TO COUPLE THE DRIVEN SHAFT WITH THE SECOND POWER SHAFT FOR HIGH SPEED OPERATION OF THE CARRIAGE AND NEEDLE IN CONSEQUENCE OF A PREDETERMINED ROTATIONAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE DRIVEN SHAFT AT LOW SPEED.