US3752098A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for translating an article and a tool relative to one another
Assignee: Gerber Systems Corp
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Filing: 1971-04-05
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Granted: 1973-08-14
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Expires: 1991-04-05
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus are disclosed for moving relative to one another an article or workpiece and a tool which performs a cyclic operation on the workpiece so that the cyclic operation can be repeatedly carried out at different points on the workpiece. The apparatus and the method which comprehends the operation of the apparatus are particularly addressed to a numerically controlled sewing machine in which an article to be sewn and a reciprocating sewing needle are translated relative to one another according to a plurality of vector commands which individually define the direction and length of each sewing stitch and together define a desired path or seam along which the sewing stitches are formed. The article is supported on a translatable carriage and the movements of the carriage relative to the sewing needle are controlled by a pre-programmed memory tape. The memory tape is programmed with coded digital information defining the vector commands and other machine function commands and has the information defining the vector command for each stitch contained entirely within a single tape frame. The movements of the article and translatable carriage are executed in response to and in synchronism with the cyclic operation of the sewing needle and may occur during the phase of the cyclic operation in which the needle is withdrawn from the article being sewn.
Inventors
- 👤 D Logan
- 👤 H Gerber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:59
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/188; D; D05; D05B; D05B21/00; D05B65/00; D05D; D05D2203/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
224 words
The method of translating an article and a tool relative to one another in a given plane defined by two coordinate axes comprising storing in a data memory coded information defining the desired movements of the object and tool relative to one another in terms of a finite number of vectorial displacements, the displacements being unique among themselves only in any given quadrant defined by the coordinate directions, said movements are desired; reading the coded information in the data memory; resolving a portion of said coded information defining one of the vectorial displacements simultaneously into first and second sets of signals representing respectively the magnitudes of the components of the one of the vectorial displacements in each of the coordinate directions without regard to the quadrant in which a movement is desired; decoding another portion of said coded information defining the quadrant in which the movement is desired into a third set of signals identified with the quadrant; combining said first and second set of signals with said third set of signals to produce a fourth set of signals for controlling the desired movement of the article and tool relative to one another in each of the coordinate directions; and translating the article and tool relative to one another simultaneously in each of the coordinate directions in accordance with the fourth seT of signals.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
224 words
The method of translating an article and a tool relative to one another in a given plane defined by two coordinate axes comprising storing in a data memory coded information defining the desired movements of the object and tool relative to one another in terms of a finite number of vectorial displacements, the displacements being unique among themselves only in any given quadrant defined by the coordinate directions, said movements are desired; reading the coded information in the data memory; resolving a portion of said coded information defining one of the vectorial displacements simultaneously into first and second sets of signals representing respectively the magnitudes of the components of the one of the vectorial displacements in each of the coordinate directions without regard to the quadrant in which a movement is desired; decoding another portion of said coded information defining the quadrant in which the movement is desired into a third set of signals identified with the quadrant; combining said first and second set of signals with said third set of signals to produce a fourth set of signals for controlling the desired movement of the article and tool relative to one another in each of the coordinate directions; and translating the article and tool relative to one another simultaneously in each of the coordinate directions in accordance with the fourth seT of signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method of translating as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of resolving comprises producing trains of pulses, each train containing a number of pulses proportional to the magnitude of a component of a desired movement of the article and tool in one coordinate direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method of translating as defined in claim 2 wherein the step of decoding comprises producing in said third set, signals relating said trains of pulses with corresponding coordinate directions and senses along said corresponding coordinate directions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of translating as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of storing comprises programming a multitrack memory tape with the coded information, the information identifying a vectorial displacement and an associated quadrant being positioned in a single tape frame.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
252 words
The method of translating an article and a tool relative to one another in a plane defined by X and Y coordinate axes, said method comprising the steps of establishing a set of vector displacements greater than eight by which said object and tool may move relative to one another from any starting point, each of said vector displacements being defined by a whole number of unit displacements along the X axis and a whole number of unit displacements along the Y axis; assigning to each of said vector displacements a unique binary coded word; resolving a desired path of travel of said tool relative to said object into a number of consecutive vector displacements each selected from said established set of vector displacements; recording said consecutive vector displacements on a memory element in consecutive order in a form of the binary coded words assigned to said vector displacements; retrieving said binary coded words from said memory element in consecutive order and decoding each one into two signals representing respectively the whole number of unit displacements along the X axis and the whole number of unit displacements along the Y axis defining the vector displacements represented by such binary coded work; and consecutively applying each set of the latter two signals so produced to motive means responsive thereto to simultaneously move said tool relative to said article along said X and Y axes respectively by displacements directly related to the number of unit displacements represented by each of said latter two signals.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
252 words
The method of translating an article and a tool relative to one another in a plane defined by X and Y coordinate axes, said method comprising the steps of establishing a set of vector displacements greater than eight by which said object and tool may move relative to one another from any starting point, each of said vector displacements being defined by a whole number of unit displacements along the X axis and a whole number of unit displacements along the Y axis; assigning to each of said vector displacements a unique binary coded word; resolving a desired path of travel of said tool relative to said object into a number of consecutive vector displacements each selected from said established set of vector displacements; recording said consecutive vector displacements on a memory element in consecutive order in a form of the binary coded words assigned to said vector displacements; retrieving said binary coded words from said memory element in consecutive order and decoding each one into two signals representing respectively the whole number of unit displacements along the X axis and the whole number of unit displacements along the Y axis defining the vector displacements represented by such binary coded work; and consecutively applying each set of the latter two signals so produced to motive means responsive thereto to simultaneously move said tool relative to said article along said X and Y axes respectively by displacements directly related to the number of unit displacements represented by each of said latter two signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
223 words
An automated sewing machine comprising a machine frame; stitching means including a reciprocating sewing needle for generating sewing stitches in an article to be sewn; holding means for holding the article to be sewn during a stitching operation; an electromagnetic chuck having mounting surfaces mating with the holding means at a preselected mounting position of the holding means on the chuck; movable carriage means mounted to the machine frame and interposed between the stitching means and the chuck for moving the stitching means and the chuck relative to one another to produce relative movement between the sewing needle and the holding means mounted in the preselected mounting position on the chuck; controlled motor means connected to the carriage means to move the carriage means and produce a prescribed relative movement between the holding means and the reciprocating sewing needle, the prescribed relative movement causing the reciprocating sewing needle to traverse a given stitching path over an article held in the holding means in the preselected mounting position on the chuck; and a switch mounted on the electromagnetic chuck and actuated by the holding means in the preselected mounting position on the chuck, the switch being electrically connected with the controlled motor means to prevent starting of the motor means before the switch is actuated by the holding means in the preselected mounting position.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
223 words
An automated sewing machine comprising a machine frame; stitching means including a reciprocating sewing needle for generating sewing stitches in an article to be sewn; holding means for holding the article to be sewn during a stitching operation; an electromagnetic chuck having mounting surfaces mating with the holding means at a preselected mounting position of the holding means on the chuck; movable carriage means mounted to the machine frame and interposed between the stitching means and the chuck for moving the stitching means and the chuck relative to one another to produce relative movement between the sewing needle and the holding means mounted in the preselected mounting position on the chuck; controlled motor means connected to the carriage means to move the carriage means and produce a prescribed relative movement between the holding means and the reciprocating sewing needle, the prescribed relative movement causing the reciprocating sewing needle to traverse a given stitching path over an article held in the holding means in the preselected mounting position on the chuck; and a switch mounted on the electromagnetic chuck and actuated by the holding means in the preselected mounting position on the chuck, the switch being electrically connected with the controlled motor means to prevent starting of the motor means before the switch is actuated by the holding means in the preselected mounting position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
An automated sewing machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the holding means in the preselected mounting position has an electromagnetically permeable portion seized by and overlying the electromagnetic chuck And a holding portion for articles to be sewn projecting in cantilever fashion from the chuck.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
An automated sewing machine as defined in claim 7 wherein the holding portion includes a hinged clamp having a peripheral contour along at least one side exposing the articles to be sewn.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
An automated sewing machine as defined in claim 7 wherein the holding portion is adjustable to receive articles to be sewn along different stitch paths.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
102 words
An automated sewing machine as defined in claim 6 wherein: the stitching means is mounted to the frame and the movable carriage means includes a pair of guide rails extending parallel to a direction generally perpendicular to the reciprocating needle and a carriage translatable on the pair of guide rails relative to the needle and the frame; and wherein: the electromagnetic chuck is mounted to the translatable carriage, and the holding means mounted in the preselected position on the chuck has one portion overlying the chuck and another portion projecting from the translatable carriage in a direction generally perpendicular to the needle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
An automated sewing machine as defined in claim wherein the projecting portion of the holding means comprises a clamping portion in which the articles to be sewn are held in a spread condition.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
170 words
In apparatus for controlling movements of an object and tool relative to one another between spaced work points on a path lying in a plane defined by two coordinate axes, the improvement comprising: a data memory containing coded information defining desired movements of the object and tool relative to one another between adjacent work points on the path in terms of a finite number of vectorial displacements; first decoding means connected to the data memory for identifying the vectorial displacements recorded in the coded information; argument selecting means responsive to the decoding means for resolving the identified displacements into predefined arguments representing the magnitudes of the two components of the identified vectorial displacements along the two coordinate axes without specific identification with either one of the coordinate axes; second decoding means connected to the data memory for associating the arguments respectively with the coordinate axes and with the appropriate senses in accordance with the vectorial displacements recorded in the coded information to produce motor drive signals defining the desired movements.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
170 words
In apparatus for controlling movements of an object and tool relative to one another between spaced work points on a path lying in a plane defined by two coordinate axes, the improvement comprising: a data memory containing coded information defining desired movements of the object and tool relative to one another between adjacent work points on the path in terms of a finite number of vectorial displacements; first decoding means connected to the data memory for identifying the vectorial displacements recorded in the coded information; argument selecting means responsive to the decoding means for resolving the identified displacements into predefined arguments representing the magnitudes of the two components of the identified vectorial displacements along the two coordinate axes without specific identification with either one of the coordinate axes; second decoding means connected to the data memory for associating the arguments respectively with the coordinate axes and with the appropriate senses in accordance with the vectorial displacements recorded in the coded information to produce motor drive signals defining the desired movements.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
In an apparatus for controlling, the improvement defined in claim 12 wherein the second decoding means comprises an axis selector circuit responsive to the data memory and comprising a gating circuit having two inputs connected to the argument selecting means and two outputs associated respectively with the two coordinate axes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
In an apparatus for controlling, the improvement defined in claim 13 wherein the second decoding means further comprises a sign decoder responsive to the data memory and having two outputs associated respectively with the two coordinate axes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
In an apparatus for controlling, the improvement defined in claim 13 wherein the argument selecting means comprises two digital registers associated respectively with the two components of the vectorial displacements; and wherein a binary rate multiplier is interposed between the two digital registers and the two inputs of the axis selector circuit to supply to the selector two trains of time-phased pulses.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
In an apparatus for controlling, the improvement defined in claim 13 wherein the argument selecting means comprises two registers associated respectively with the two components of the vectorial displacements; and two parallel adders are serially connected with the axis selector and the two registers.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
195 words
A method of translating an article and a tool relative to one another to cause the tool to move between work points on a given path on the article comprising; sequentially producing groups of coded signals, each group being representative of a vector defining movemeNt of the article and tool relative to one another between work points, the vectors taken sequentially in the order of the groups defining the given path; decoding portions of the groups of signals to identify the vectors represented; resolving the identified vectors into predefined arguments representing the magnitudes of the components of the identified vectors along two coordinate axes in a plane in which the path lies without associating the arguments respectively with the two coordinate axes; subsequently associating the arguments respectively with the coordinate axes and with the appropriate senses in accordance with the vectors as defined in the coded information to produce motor drive signals for each coordinate axis, and driving the article and tool relative to one another simultaneously along each coorginate axis in accordance with the motor drive signals to execute the desired relative movements of the article and tool between work points on the path.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
195 words
A method of translating an article and a tool relative to one another to cause the tool to move between work points on a given path on the article comprising; sequentially producing groups of coded signals, each group being representative of a vector defining movemeNt of the article and tool relative to one another between work points, the vectors taken sequentially in the order of the groups defining the given path; decoding portions of the groups of signals to identify the vectors represented; resolving the identified vectors into predefined arguments representing the magnitudes of the components of the identified vectors along two coordinate axes in a plane in which the path lies without associating the arguments respectively with the two coordinate axes; subsequently associating the arguments respectively with the coordinate axes and with the appropriate senses in accordance with the vectors as defined in the coded information to produce motor drive signals for each coordinate axis, and driving the article and tool relative to one another simultaneously along each coorginate axis in accordance with the motor drive signals to execute the desired relative movements of the article and tool between work points on the path.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method of translating an article and tool as defined in claim 17 including the additional steps of generating from the arguments trains of pulses respectively proportional in number to the magnitudes of the components of the identified vectors; and the step of driving comprises driving the article and tool relative to one another along the respective coordinate axis in accordance with the pulse trains.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method of translating an article and tool relative to one another as defined in claim 17 in which method the tool is a cyclically operated tool wherein the step of decoding is synchronized with the cyclic operation of the tool and comprises decoding one group of signals for each cycle of operation of the tool.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of translating as defined in claim 19 wherein the step of producing comprises providing a memory tape containing coded information completely identifying a vector in each tape frame and reading the frames of the memory tape in synchronism with the cyclic operation of the tool, one frame being read during each cycle of operation.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
192 words
Apparatus for translating relative to one another an article and a sewing tool which performs a cyclic stitching operation on the article comprising: pattern signal generating means for producing a sequence of displacement signals defining a corresponding sequence of displacements of the article and sewing tool relative to one another, the sequence of discrete displacements describing a stitching path on the article to be followed by the tool; a digital register connected to the pattern signal generating means to sequentially receive for temporary storage the displacement signals from the pattern generating means; timing signal generating means for sensing the cyclic operation of the sewing tool and producing timing signals synchronously with the cyclic operation of the tool; control means including a binary rate multiplier connected to the digital register and the timing signal generating means for periodically releasing in synchronism with the cyclic operation of the sewing tool a train of time-phased motor pulses corresponding in number to the displacement signal in the digital register; and motor means connected to the control means for moving the article and sewing tool relative to one another in accordance with the train of time-phased pulses.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
192 words
Apparatus for translating relative to one another an article and a sewing tool which performs a cyclic stitching operation on the article comprising: pattern signal generating means for producing a sequence of displacement signals defining a corresponding sequence of displacements of the article and sewing tool relative to one another, the sequence of discrete displacements describing a stitching path on the article to be followed by the tool; a digital register connected to the pattern signal generating means to sequentially receive for temporary storage the displacement signals from the pattern generating means; timing signal generating means for sensing the cyclic operation of the sewing tool and producing timing signals synchronously with the cyclic operation of the tool; control means including a binary rate multiplier connected to the digital register and the timing signal generating means for periodically releasing in synchronism with the cyclic operation of the sewing tool a train of time-phased motor pulses corresponding in number to the displacement signal in the digital register; and motor means connected to the control means for moving the article and sewing tool relative to one another in accordance with the train of time-phased pulses.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus for translating an article and sewing tool relative to one another as defined in claim 21 wherein the binary rate multiplier includes a signal-controlled clock having a selected counting rate and connected to the timing signal generating means for actuation by the timing signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus for translating an article and tool as defined in claim 21 wherein the pattern signal generating means includes a memory tape and a signal-controlled tape reader associated with the tape and connected to the timing signal generating means for synchronous operation with the cyclically operated sewing tool.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus for translating as defined in claim 23 wherein the timing signal generating meaNs comprises a sending unit connected with the sewing tool and producing a timing pulse for each stitching cycle of the tool; and the tape reader is responsive to the timing pulse to advance the memory tape by a single frame for each timing pulse.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
An improvement as defined in claim 12 wherein said data memory includes a multitrack memory tape having the coded information completely defining a vectorial displacement contained within a single frame of said tape.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-13 | 1977-02-12 | 1977-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-13 | 1981-02-12 | 1981-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-13 | 1985-02-12 | 1985-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |