Automatic sewing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PERFORMING STITCHING OPERATIONS ON SUCCESSIVE EDGE PORTIONS OF WORK PIECES APPLIED TO A STATIONARY WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE WHICH COMPRISES: A SEWING MACHINE HAVING WORK ADVANCING AND STITCH FORMING MEANS, MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID SEWING MACHINE, MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND GUIDING AN EDGE OF THE WORK-PIECE TO BE STITCHED AS IT IS ADVANCED BY SAID WORK ADVANCING MEANS THROUGH THE STITCH FORMING ZONE OF SAID MACHINE, SAID WORK-PIECE HAVING A PLURALITY OF EDGES TO BE STITCHED WHICH ARE AT A SHARP ANGLE IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGING AND TURNING THE WORK-PIECE RELATIVE TO THE WORK SUPPORTING SURFCE UPON COMPLETION OF THE STITCHING OF ONE OF THE EDGES THEREOF TO SUBSTANTIALLY ALINE ANOTHER EDGE OF THE WORKPIECE IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE OF THE WORK, WORK SUPPORTING MEANS PROVIDING SAID STATIONARY WORK SUPPORTING SURFACE ALONG WHICH THE WORK-PIECE IS ADVANCED AS IT IS BEING STITCHED, A PRESSER FOOT ADAPTED TO RETAIN A PORTION OF THE WORK-PIECE AGAINST SAID WORK SUPPORTING MEANS AS A LINE OF STITCHING IS BEING APPLIED THERETO, AND MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LIFTING SAID PRESSER FOOT FROM THE WORKPIECE AND RETAINING THE PRESSER FOOT OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WORK-PIECE AS THE LATTER IS BEING TURNED BY SAID TURNING MEANS INTO A NEW ANGULAR POSITION IN RELATION TO SAID DIRECTION OF ADVANCE OF THE WORK-PIECE.