Rotating plate workpiece orienting and point-to-point feeding apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece in a predetermined orientation and for feeding the oriented workpiece into registration with a work point for registering an initial predetermined point and other sequential points of said workpiece into registration with said work point including a work surface having a work path thereacross including a work point therein with which it is desired to register sand initial predetermined point and other sequential points of said workpiece in sequence, a rotatable sUrface substantially integrated into said work surface and substantially in the same plane as said work surface and adapted to be rotated in the said same plane, drive means coupled to said rotatable surface for rotating said rotatable surface, means for depositing said workpiece one-at-a-time onto said rotatable surface for conveying said workpiece in a curved path toward said work point, workpiece interception means positioned closely adjacent to the surface of said rotatable surface and tangential to a circumference of shortened radius of said rotatable surface for intercepting said workpiece during conveyance along said curved path for changing the orientation of said workpiece on said rotatable surface to a desired orientation with respect to a work path approaching said work point for altering the path of said workpiece from said curved path to said work path approach said work point.

Claim 3

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece as in claim 1 and in which said work surface includes a throat plate of a sewing machine and said work point is defined by a reciprocating sewing machine needle passing through said throat plate and said initial point and certain other sequential points define a stitching path across the surface of said workpiece.

Claim 4

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece as in claim 1 and in which said work surface includes a throat plate of a sewing machine and said work point is defined by a reciprocating sewing machine needle passing through said throat plate and said initial point and other sequential points individually approach said work point along said work path leading to said work point.

Claim 5

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece and feeding sequential points of such workpiece individually into registration with a work point including: a work surface including a work point therein, a rotatable surface in the same plane as said work surface and having an edge portion thereof adjacent to said workpoint, means coupled to said rotatable surface for rotating said rotatable surface at a substantially constant speed, transfer means adapted to transfer said workpiece from place to place and for depositing a workpiece on to said rotatable surface for effecting conveyance of said workpiece in a predetermined path by said rotatable surface, first stop means positioned closely adjacent to said rotatable surface and tangential to a circumference of shortened radius of said rotatable surface for intercepting said workpiece so conveyed by the rotating surface for creating vector forces acting upon said workpiece for reorienting said workpiece on said rotatable surface and for changing the path of travel of said workpiece, second stop means positioned closely adjacent to said rotatable surface and tangential to a circumference of another shortened radius of said rotatable surface, the last-mentioned tangential line being substantially in alignment with the work line approaching said work point, for intercepting said workpiece so conveyed by said rotating surface for creating other vector forces for further reorienting said workpiece on said rotatable surface and for conveying said workpiece along said second stop means toward said work point for registering a first point of said sequential points on said workpiece with said work point and for advancing said workpiece toward said work point along the work line for individually registering sequential points of said workpiece with said work point.

Claim 6

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece and feeding sequential points of such workpiece individually into registration with a work point including: a work surface including a work point therein, a rotatable surface in the same plane as said work surface and having an edge portion thereof adjacent to said workpoint, means coupled to said rotatable surface for rotating said rotatable surface at a substantially constant speed, transfer means adapted to transfer said workpiece from place to place and for depositing a workpiece on to said rotatable surface for effecting conveyance of said workpiece in a predetermined path by said rotatable surface, first stop means positioned closely adjacent to said rotatable surface and tangential to a circumference of shortened radius of said rotatable surface for intercepting said workpiece so conveyed by the rotating surface for creating vector forces acting upon said workpiece for reorienting said workpiece on said rotatable surface and for changing the path of travel of said workpiece, second stop means positioned closely adjacent to said rotatable surface and tangential to a circumference of another shortened radius of said rotatable surface, the last-mentioned tangential line being substantially in alignment with the work line approaching said work point, for intercepting said workpiece so conveyed by said rotating surface for creating other vector forces for further reorienting said workpiece on said rotatable surface and for conveying said workpiece along said second stop means toward said work point for registering a first point of said sequential points on said workpiece with said work point and for advancing said workpiece toward said work point along the work line for individually registering sequential points of said workpiece with said work point.

Claim 7

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece and feeding sequential points of said workpiece individually into registration with a work point as in claim 4 and in which said first stop means intercepts said workpiece and creates vector forces for reorienting said workpiece with respect to said second stop means and said second stop means intercepts said reoriented workpiece and creates other vector forces which continue to act upon said workpiece as said workpiece is conveyed along said second stop means toward said work point.

Claim 8

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece and for feeding an initial point and certain other sequential points in a predetermined path of point of such workpiece into registration with the work point of the reciprocating needle of a sewing machine for initiating a line of stitches commencing at a desired point including, a sewing machine including a work surface and a reciprocating needle passing through said work surface and defining a work point, a rotatable surface positioned in substantially the same plane as said work surface, said rotatable surface positioned with a portion of the periphery thereof adjacent to said work point, drive means coupled to said rotatable surface for rotating said rotatable surface on an axis fixed with respect to said work point, transfer means adapted to secure said workpiece and transfer said workpiece from a first location and deposit said workpiece on to said rotatable surface defining a second location for conveying said workpiece while on said rotatable surface toward said work point, stop means positioned closely adjacent said rotatable surface and tangential to a circumference of shortened radius of said rotatable surface for intercepting said workpiece during conveyance while on said rotatable surface for altering the position of said workpiece on said rotatable surface and for changing the path of travel of said workpiece for directing the altered-positioned workpiece along a path so that the initial point of said workpiece approaches said work point in said work surface.

Claim 9

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece and for feeding an initial point and certain other sequential points in a predetermined path of point of such workpiece into registration with the work point of the reciprocating needle of a sewing machine for initiating a line of stitches commencing at a desired point including, a sewing machine including a work surface and a reciprocating needle passing through said work surface and defining a work point, a rotatable surface positioned in substantially the same plane as said work surface, said rotatable surface positioned with a portion of the periphery thereof adjacent to said work point, drive means coupled to said rotatable surface for rotating said rotatable surface on an axis fixed with respect to said work point, transfer means adapted to secure said workpiece and transfer said workpiece from a first location and deposit said workpiece on to said rotatable surface defining a second location for conveying said workpiece while on said rotatable surface toward said work point, stop means positioned closely adjacent said rotatable surface and tangential to a circumference of shortened radius of said rotatable surface for intercepting said workpiece during conveyance while on said rotatable surface for altering the position of said workpiece on said rotatable surface and for changing the path of travel of said workpiece for directing the altered-positioned workpiece along a path so that the initial point of said workpiece approaches said work point in said work surface.

Claim 10

Apparatus for orienting a workpiece and feeding sequential points of such workpiece individually into registration with a work point as in claim 4 and further including rotatable beater means operatively associated with said second stop means for aiding in advancing said workpiece along said second stop means toward said work point.

Claim 11

Apparatus for use with a sewing machine for orienting and feeding workpiece to the work point of the sewing machine comprising a rotatable plate positioned near to the work point of the sewing machine, means for rotating said plate at substantially constant speed, means for feeding the workpieces into said rotating plate, a plurality of stationary guide stops closely adjacent to the upper surface of the rotating plate and positioned to interrupt the arcuate travel of workpieces on said rotating plate for positioning and orienting the workpiece on the rotating plate with respect to said work point.

Claim 12

Apparatus for use with a sewing machine for orienting and feeding workpiece to the work point of the sewing machine comprising a rotatable plate positioned near to the work point of the sewing machine, means for rotating said plate at substantially constant speed, means for feeding the workpieces into said rotating plate, a plurality of stationary guide stops closely adjacent to the upper surface of the rotating plate and positioned to interrupt the arcuate travel of workpieces on said rotating plate for positioning and orienting the workpiece on the rotating plate with respect to said work point.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which one of said guide stops is located near to said work point and extends toward the work point and another of said guide stops is located upstream of said one guide stop to intercept and orient the workpieces before they reach said one guide stop.

Claim 14

Apparatus for use with a sewing machine for orienting and feeding workpieces to the work point of the sewing machine and for feeding the workpieces therefrom comprising first and second rotatable plates positioned generally on opposite sides of the sewing machine, means for rotating said first and second plates, means for feeding the workpieces into said first rotating plate, means for removing the workpieces from said second rotating plate, a first plurality of stationary guide stops closely adjacent to the upper surface of said first rotating plate positioned to intercept the arcuate travel of the workpieces on said first rotating plate for positioning and orienting the workpieces on the first rotating plate with respect to said work point, and a second plurality of stationary guide stops closely adjacent to the upper surface of said second rotating plate positioned to intercept the arcuate travel of the workpieces on said second rotating plate for positioning and orienting the workpieces on the second rotating plate with respect to said removing means.

Claim 15

Apparatus for use with a sewing machine for orienting and feeding workpieces to the work point of the sewing machine and for feeding the workpieces therefrom comprising first and second rotatable plates positioned generally on opposite sides of the sewing machine, means for rotating said first and second plates, means for feeding the workpieces into said first rotating plate, means for removing the workpieces from said second rotating plate, a first plurality of stationary guide stops closely adjacent to the upper surface of said first rotating plate positioned to intercept the arcuate travel of the workpieces on said first rotating plate for positioning and orienting the workpieces on the first rotating plate with respect to said work point, and a second plurality of stationary guide stops closely adjacent to the upper surface of said second rotating plate positioned to intercept the arcuate travel of the workpieces on said second rotating plate for positioning and orienting the workpieces on the second rotating plate with respect to said removing means.