Automatic control of sewing machine and accessory devices

Claim 1

AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED SEWING APPARATUS WHICH COMPRISES A WORK SUPPORTING TABLE ALONG WHICH WORK TO BE STITCHED MAY BE READILY ADVANCED, A SEWING MACHINE DISPOSED ALONG THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF WORK PIECES ALONG SAID WORK SUPPORTING TABLE, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR AND CONNECTIONS THEREFROM FOR OPERATING SAID SEWING MACHINE, A CLUTCH IN SAID CONNECTIONS, SAID CLUTCH HAVING A MEMBER DRIVEN BY SAID MOTOR WHEN SAID CLUTCH IS OPERATED, SAID CONNECTIONS ALSO INCLUDING MEANS CONSTANTLY CONNECTING SAID MEMBER IN DRIVING RELATION WITH SAID MACHINE FOR FREE RUNNING WITH SAID MACHINE WHENEVER SAID CLUTCH IS DISENGAGED, THE INERTIA OF SAID MACHINE AND SAID MEANS CAUSING OPERATION OF SAID MACHINE TO CONTINUE THROUGH A LIMITED NUMBER OF CYCLES WHEN SAID CLUTCH IS DISENGAGED, MEANS FOR PROJECTING A CONTROL MEDIUM ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH, A POWER SUPPLY SOURCE, MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE ENERGY FROM SAID SOURCE AND CONNECTED TO SAID CLUTCH FOR OPERATING THE SAME WHENEVER SAID ENERGY RECEIVING MEANS IS ENERGIZED, MEANS IN THE PATH OF SAID PROJECTED MEDIUM AND RESPONSIVE THERETO FOR CONTROLLING THE DELIVERY OF ENERGY FROM SAID POWER SOURCE TO SAID CLUTCH OPERATING MEANS, THE WORK TO BE STITCHED BEING ADAPTED TO INTERRUPT THE PROJECTION OF SAID CONTROL MEDIUM TO SAID RESPONSIVE MEANS IN THE PATH THEREOF AS THE WORK APPROACHES SAID SEWING MACHINE, AND MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID PROJECTED MEDIUM AND THE INTERRUPTION THEREOF FOR RESPECTIVELY CUTTING OFF AND BRINGING ABOUT DELIVERY OF ENERGY FROM SAID POWER SOURCE TO SAID MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID CLUTCH.