Thread chain severing device for sewing machines

Claim 1

IN A SEWING MACHINE, MEANS ADAPTED TO FORM A CHAIN OF THREAD BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE WORK PIECES FED THROUGH THE STITCH FORMING MECHANISM OF THE MACHINE, AN ENCLOSED TUBULAR MEMBER IN ALINEMENT WITH THE CHAIN OF THREAD AS THE LATTER IS FORMED BY SAID MEANS ADAPTED TO HAVE A SUCTION CREATED IN ITS INTERIOR AND ADAPTED TO HAVE THE CHAINS OF THREAD FORMED BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE WORK PIECES DRAWN INTO THE MEMBER BY SUCTION, CLOSURE MEANS AT THE INLET END OF SAID MEMBER PROVIDED WITH AN OBLIQUELY INCLINED SURFACE, THE INCLINED SURFACE MERGING INTO A SURFACE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MEMBER, SAID CLOSURE MEANS HAVING AN OPENING EXTENDING THERETHROUGH IN ALINEMENT WITH SAID CHAIN FORMING MEANS AND SAID CHAIN OF THREAD AS THE LATTER IS FORMED, SAID OPENING BEING OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO PERMIT THE CHAIN OF THREAD TO PASS THERETHROUGH INTO SAID MEMBER, A NARROW PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING FROM SAID OPENING IN SAID CLOSURE MEANS TO SAID SURFACE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MEMBER AND FOR A LIMITED DISTANCE ALONG SAID MEMBER, THEREBY ENABLING A PORTION OF A THREAD CHAIN ATTACHED TO A WORK PIECE TO TRAVEL ALONG SAID PASSAGEWAY, AND THREAD SEVERING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SURFACE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MEMBER AND THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID MEMBER FOR SEVERING THE THREAD CHAIN AT A POINT ADJACENT THAT AT WHICH THE THREAD CHAIN EXTENDS FROM THE WORK PIECE TOWARD THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID MEMBER AS A RESULT OF THE SUCTION WITHIN SAID MEMBER.