Automatic work positioning attachment for button hole machine

Claim 1

FOR USE WITH A BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE OF THE TYPE INCLUDING A SEWING NEEDLE AND A WORK SUPPORTING PLATEN MOVABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER DURING STITCHING OF A BUTTON HOLE, A CLAMP MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE PLATEN TO CLAMP THE WORK THEREAGAINST AND HAVING A CLAMP OPERATING LEVER, A RELEASABLE CLUTCH WHICH, WHEN ENGAGED, CONNECTS THE MACHINE TO DRIVING MEANS FOR OPERATION OF THE MACHINE THROUGH A BUTTON-HOLE STITCHING CYCLE, A CLUTCH OPERATING LEVER FOR INITIATION OF THE BUTTON-HOLE STITCHING CYCLE, AND A KNIFE MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE PLATEN AT THE END OF THE CYCLE TO PIERCE THE WORK TO FORM THE BUTTON HOLE AND HAVING AN ARM OPERABLE THEREWITH, THE BUTTON HOLE STITCHING CYCLE BEING INITIATED BY OPERATION OF SAID CLUTCH LEVER TO ENGAGE SAID CLUTCH AND TERMINATED BY OPERATION OF SAID KNIFE; MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY AND SUCCESSIVELY POSITIONING SPACED AREAS OF A WORKPIECE IN OPERATIVE RELATION TO THE NEEDLE FOR FORMATION OF BUTTON HOLES AT EACH OF SAID AREAS, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING A SUPPORT ADAPTED TO BE CLAMPED TO THE PLATEN; A RELATIVELY ELONGATED SLIDE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINAL RECIPROCATION IN SAID SUPPORT RELATIVE TO THE NEEDLE AND PLATEN; WORK CLAMPING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SLIDE IN SPACED RELATION LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF AND BEYOND THE PLATEN IN EACH DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID SLIDE; ABUTMENTS ADJUSTABLY POSITIONABLE ALONG SAID SLIDE IN SPACED RELATION CONFORMING TO THE SPACING OF SAID AREAS; MEANS BIASING SAID SLIDE TO MOVE IN ONE DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE PLATEN; STOP MEANS NORMALLY ENGAGED WITH ONE OF SAID ABUTMENTS WHEN ONE OF SAID SPACED AREAS IS IN OPERATIVE RELATION TO THE NEEDLE; OPERATING MEANS EFFECTIVE, WHEN ACTUATED, TO DISENGAGE SAID STOP MEANS FROM ONE ABUTMENT AND POSITION SAID STOP MEANS TO ENGAGE THE NEXT ABUTMENT AS SAID BIASING MEANS MOVES SAID SLIDE IN SAID ONE DIRECTION; MEANS ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED, RESPONSIVE TO WORK PIERCING OPERATION OF THE KNIFE TO OPERATE THE CLUTCH OPERATING LEVER IN A DISENGAGING DIRECTION TO RETRACT THE CLAMP FROM THE WORK ON THE PLATEN, AND TO ACTUATE SAID OPERATING MEANS; AND MEANS OPERABLE, RESPONSIVE TO ENGAGEMENT OF SAID STOP MEANS WITH THE NEXT ABUTMENT, TO RE-ENGAGE SAID CLAMP WITH THE WORK ON THE PLATEN AND TO OPERATE THE CLUTCH OPERATING LEVER IN AN ENGAGING DIRECTION TO RESTART THE BUTTON HOLE FORMING CYCLE.