Feed control mechanism for quilting machine arrangement

Claim 1

IN A QUILTING MACHINE ARRANGEMENT, THE COMBINATION OF: (A) SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; (B) A POWER DRIVEN SEWING MECHANISM MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; (C) A WORKPIECE HOLDING CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE ADJACENT SAID SEWING MECHANISM; (D) A POWER DRIVEN FEED DRIVE MECHANISM MOUNTED ON THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE CARRIAGE TO MOVE IT IN SAID HORIZONTAL PLANE AND INCLUDING: (I) A FEED WHEEL SUPPORT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS; (II) A FEED WHEEL MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS; (E) A FEED CONTROL MECHANISM CONNECTTED TO THE FEED DRIVE MECHANISM AND OPERABLE TO ROTATE THE FEED WHEEL SUPPORT ABOUT ITS VERTICAL AXIS TO GUIDE THE DIRECTION OF FEED OF THE WORKPIECE CARRIAGE; (F) A SINGLE POWER SOURCE; (G) POWER TRANSFER MEANS OPERABLE TO TRANSFER POWER TO THE SEWING AND FEED DRIVE MECHANISMS; (H) DIFFERENTIAL GEARING MEANS CONNECTING THE POWER TRANSFER MEANS WITH BOTH THE FEED DRIVE AND FEED CONTROL MECHANISMS TO COMPENSATE FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN AND THEREBY MAINTAIN A FIXED RELATION BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF THE SEWING AND FEED DRIVE MECHANISMS TO INSURE UNIFORMITY OF STITCHES OF THE SEWING MECHANISM.