Material stitching and guiding apparatus

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR STITCHING MATERIAL ALONG A PRESCRIBED STITCH LINE COEXTENSIVE WITH AND SPACED INWARDLY FROM AN EDGE THEREOF COMPRISING A SUPPORT, SEWING MECHANISMS ON SAID SUPPORT INCLUDING A RECIPROCATING NEEDLE OPERABLE AT A STITCHING LOCATION FOR SUCCESSIVELY STITCHING SAID MATERIAL ALONG SAID PRESCRIBED STITCH LINE, SAID MATERIAL BEING ARRANGED FORWARDLY OF SAID STITCHING LOCATION AND ADVANCED TOWARD AND THROUGH SAID STITCHING LOCATION ALONG A NORMAL FEED PATH RELATIVE TO SAID NEEDLE, GUIDE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MATERIAL AND OPERABLE TO IMPART ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MATERIAL AS THE SAME IS ADVANCED TOWARD SAID STITICHING LOCATION FOR DISPLACING SAID MATERIAL FROM SIDE TO SIDE RELATIVE TO SAID NORMAL FEED PATH SUCH THAT SAID MATERIAL WILL BE STITCHED SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG SAID STITCH LINE, SAID GUIDE MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGGATED GUIDE RAIL PROJECTING FORWARDLY OF SAID NEEDLE AND A CLAMP MOVABLY MOUNTED ON AND GUIDED BY SAID RAIL, MEANS MOUNTING SAID GUIDE RAIL ON SAID SUPPORT OR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID NORMAL FEED PATH, SAID CLAMP BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID MATERIAL CONTIGUOUS TO THE TRAILING END OF SAID EDGE WHEN THE LEADING END OF SAID EDGE IS INITIALLY POSITIONED AT SAID STITCHING LOCATIN, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO DEVIATIONS OF SAID EDGE RELATIVE TO SAID NORMAL FEED PATH FOR MOVING SAID GUIDE RAIL IN A DIRECTION TO RESTORE SAID EDGE, SAID GUIDE RAIL BEING EFFECTIVE IN RESPONSE TO ITS MOVEMENT TO IMPART STEERING MOTION TO SAID CLAMP AS THE LATTER IS MOVED THEREALONG AND TOWARD SAID STITCHING LOCATION TO CONTINUOUSLY ORIENT AND PRESENT SUCCESSIVE EDGEADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID MATERIAL IN RELATION TO SAID SEWING MECHANISMS AT SAID STITCHING LOCATION FOR STITCHING ALONG SAID PRESCRIBED STITCH LINE.