Automatic sewing machine

Claim 2

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations, said storage locations having a plurality of information bits defining a plurality of separate data banks with said storage locations sharing bits in separate banks; address means for selecting said storage locations; means for separately selecting any of said data banks of the selected storage locations and excluding at least one unselected bank at the start of a sewing sequence; means for reading information from the selected data bank of the selected storage locations and for generating signals representing the read information; and means responsive to said signals corresponding to the selected bank for forming a stitch pattern in a work piece.

Claim 3

The sewing machine of claim 1 including means for initializing the address means at a predetermined storage location to initiate a sewing sequence.

Claim 4

The sewing machine of claim 2 including means responsive to a predetermined set of said signals for initializing the address means at said predetermined storage location.

Claim 5

The sewing machine of claim 1 including switch means, and in which the bank selecting means is responsive to said switch means.

Claim 6

The sewing machine of claim 4 in which the bank selecting means selects different banks responsive to different condigurations of said switch means.

Claim 7

The sewing machine of claim 1 including means for automatically changing the bank selecting means to select a different bank at a predetermined storage location in a selected bank.

Claim 8

The sewing machine of claim 6 wherein the bank changing means includes means for establishing the address means at a predetermined storage location.

Claim 9

The sewing machine of claim 7 including means for initializing the address means at a predetermined storage location to initiate a sewing sequence, and wherein the predetermined storage locations of the selected and changed banks are the same.

Claim 10

The sewing machine of claim 6 wherein the bank changing means comprises means responsive to a high order address in said address means for selecting banks.

Claim 11

The sewing machine of claim 4 including second switch means effective at a configuration of the first switch means, said bank selecting means successively changing data banks responsive to successive operations of the second switch means.

Claim 12

The sewing machine of claim 1 including means for indicating the selected data bank.

Claim 13

The sewing machine of claim 1 including means for generating a clock signal asynchronous relative the operation of the sewing machine, and in which the address means selects sequential storage locations responsive to successive pulses of the clock signal.

Claim 14

The sewing machine of claim 1 including means for changing the address means for sequential selections a plurality of times during a sewing cycle of the machine.

Claim 15

The sewing machine of claim 1 wherein the memory means forms output signals responsive to selection of each of said storage locations by the address means, and in which the bank selecting means comprises means for enabling said output signals from the selected bank and for inhibiting the output signals from any unselected bank.

Claim 16

The sewing machine of claim 1 wherein the bank selecting means includes means for separately forming information from the plural data banks into a common set of data signals.

Claim 17

The sewing machine of claim 15 wherein the forming means includes means for inverting said information during formation of said data signals.

Claim 18

An automatic sewing machine of the type having a sewing needle defining a timing cycle of the machine between consecutive reciprocations of the needle, comprising: memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for generating a clock signal asynchronous relative the timing of said machine; address means responsive to applied pulse of said clock signal for sequentially selecting said storage locations; means for applying the clock signal to the address means and for removing the signal from the address means subsequent to application of a plurality of pulses less than the total number of said storage locations for selecting a plurality of storage locations during a timing cycle of the machine; means for sequentially reading information from the plurality of selected storage locations and for generating signals responsive to the read information during the timing cycle; and means responsive to said signals for forming a stitch pattern in a work piece.

Claim 19

An automatic sewing machine of the type having a sewing needle defining a timing cycle of the machine between consecutive reciprocations of the needle, comprising: memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for generating a clock signal asynchronous relative the timing of said machine; address means responsive to applied pulse of said clock signal for sequentially selecting said storage locations; means for applying the clock signal to the address means and for removing the signal from the address means subsequent to application of a plurality of pulses less than the total number of said storage locations for selecting a plurality of storage locations during a timing cycle of the machine; means for sequentially reading information from the plurality of selected storage locations and for generating signals responsive to the read information during the timing cycle; and means responsive to said signals for forming a stitch pattern in a work piece.

Claim 20

The sewing machine of claim 17 wherein the reading means includes means responsive to said clock signal for decoding said read information.

Claim 21

The sewing machine of claim 17 including means for generating a pulse in timed relation with the machine, and including means for initiating the forming means responsive to said pulse.

Claim 22

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a work holder for retaining a work piece; a sewing needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for forming a first signal at a first time during a cycle of the machine; address means responsive to the first signal for selecting said storage locations; means for reading information from said storage locations and for generating signals responsive to the read information; means for generating a timing pulse at a second preselected time in a cycle of the machine after reading said storage locations; and means responsive to said signals and pulse for simultaneously moving the work holder relative the needle along different coordinate directions to perform a sewing operation.

Claim 23

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a work holder for retaining a work piece; a sewing needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for forming a first signal at a first time during a cycle of the machine; address means responsive to the first signal for selecting said storage locations; means for reading information from said storage locations and for generating signals responsive to the read information; means for generating a timing pulse at a second preselected time in a cycle of the machine after reading said storage locations; and means responsive to said signals and pulse for simultaneously moving the work holder relative the needle along different coordinate directions to perform a sewing operation.

Claim 24

The sewing machine of claim 20 wherein the generating means generates said pulse at approximately the time said needle leaves the work piece during the machine cycle.

Claim 25

The sewing machine of claim 21 wherein the generating means generates said pulse slightly prior to the time said needle leaves the work piece.

Claim 26

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a work holder for retaining a work piece; a sewing needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for sequentially reading information from said storage locations and for generating signals responsive to the read information; means for generating a timing pulse at a preselected time in a cycle of the machine, said generating means including means for forming a first pulse at a first time in the machine cycle, means for forming a second pulse at a different second time in the machine cycle, and means for selecting said first and second pulses from the pulse generating means for formation of said timing pulse at different times in the machine cycle; and means responsive to said signals and pulse for simultaneously moving the work holder relative the needle along different coordinate directions to perform a sewing operation.

Claim 27

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a work holder for retaining a work piece; a sewing needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for sequentially reading information from said storage locations and for generating signals responsive to the read information; means for generating a timing pulse at a preselected time in a cycle of the machine, said generating means including means for forming a first pulse at a first time in the machine cycle, means for forming a second pulse at a different second time in the machine cycle, and means for selecting said first and second pulses from the pulse generating means for formation of said timing pulse at different times in the machine cycle; and means responsive to said signals and pulse for simultaneously moving the work holder relative the needle along different coordinate directions to perform a sewing operation.

Claim 28

The sewing machine of claim 23 in which said selecting means comprises switch means.

Claim 29

The sewing machine of claim 23 wherein the pulse generating means generates said second pulse at a time after the needle leaves the work piece and before the needle subsequently enters the work piece.

Claim 30

The sewing machine of claim 23 including means for reciprocating the needle at fast and slow speeds, and including means for initiating operation of the reciprocating means at said slow speed while the selecting means selects the second pulse from the pulse generating means.

Claim 31

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for generating a clock signal asynchronous relative timing of the sewing machine; address means for selecting a plurality of different storage locations responsive to pulses in said clock signal during a timing cycle of the machine between successive reciprocations of of the needle; means responsive to pulses in said clock signal for reading and decoding information in the selected storage locations, said decoding means being initiated by said pulses between selection of subsequent addresses by the address means during the timing cycle; and means responsive to the reading and decoding means for performing a sewing operation on a work piece.

Claim 32

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for generating a clock signal asynchronous relative timing of the sewing machine; address means for selecting a plurality of different storage locations responsive to pulses in said clock signal during a timing cycle of the machine between successive reciprocations of of the needle; means responsive to pulses in said clock signal for reading and decoding information in the selected storage locations, said decoding means being initiated by said pulses between selection of subsequent addresses by the address means during the timing cycle; and means responsive to the reading and decoding means for performing a sewing operation on a work piece.

Claim 33

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; means for retaining a work piece during sewing; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for reading said storage locations and generating signals representing information in the storage locations; means responsive to said signals for driving the retaining means relative the needle; means for determining the temperature associated with said driving means and for forming an out of temperature signal; and means responsive to said out of temperature signal for deenergizing the driving means to prevent damage to the driving means resulting from an out of temperature condition, and for interrupting operation of the retaining means at a selected time after receipt of the out of temperature signal.

Claim 34

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; means for retaining a work piece during sewing; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; means for reading said storage locations and generating signals representing information in the storage locations; means responsive to said signals for driving the retaining means relative the needle; means for determining the temperature associated with said driving means and for forming an out of temperature signal; and means responsive to said out of temperature signal for deenergizing the driving means to prevent damage to the driving means resulting from an out of temperature condition, and for interrupting operation of the retaining means at a selected time after receipt of the out of temperature signal.

Claim 35

The sewing machine of claim 28 wherein the deenergizing means deenergizes the driving means after completion of a sewing sequence through movement of the retaining means responsive to a plurality of sequentially read storage instructions.

Claim 36

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; a work holder for holding a work piece during sewing; driving means for moving the work holder relative the needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; address means for selecting said storage locations during a timing cycle of the machine between successive reciprocations of the needle; means for generating a clock signal for forming a pulse train at a first frequency for sequencing said address means; and means responsive to said clock signal for forming a second pulse train at a second lower frequency for energizing the driving means.

Claim 37

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; a work holder for holding a work piece during sewing; driving means for moving the work holder relative the needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations; address means for selecting said storage locations during a timing cycle of the machine between successive reciprocations of the needle; means for generating a clock signal for forming a pulse train at a first frequency for sequencing said address means; and means responsive to said clock signal for forming a second pulse train at a second lower frequency for energizing the driving means.

Claim 38

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; a work holder for retaining a work piece during sewing; driving means for moving the work holder relative the needle; means for generating a clock signal asynchronous relative the timing of the sewing machine; means responsive to the clock signal for forming a first pulse train at a first frequency for energizing the driving means; means responsive to the clock signal for forming a second pulse train at a second lower frequency for energizing the driving means; and means for selectively connecting one of said first and second pulse trains to the driving means.

Claim 39

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; a work holder for retaining a work piece during sewing; driving means for moving the work holder relative the needle; means for generating a clock signal asynchronous relative the timing of the sewing machine; means responsive to the clock signal for forming a first pulse train at a first frequency for energizing the driving means; means responsive to the clock signal for forming a second pulse train at a second lower frequency for energizing the driving means; and means for selectively connecting one of said first and second pulse trains to the driving means.

Claim 40

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; means for reciprocating the sewing needle; a work holder for retaining a work piece during sewing; means for driving the work holder relative the needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations, said storage locations being capable of including data words commanding movement of the work holder without reciprocation of the needle; address means for electrically selecting said data words; electrical means for reading the data words and for forming signals representing the selected data words; and electrical means responsive to said signals representing selected command data words for controlling the reciprocating means and preventing reciprocation of the needle.

Claim 41

An automatic sewing machine, comprising: a sewing needle; means for reciprocating the sewing needle; a work holder for retaining a work piece during sewing; means for driving the work holder relative the needle; memory means having a plurality of randomly addressable storage locations, said storage locations being capable of including data words commanding movement of the work holder without reciprocation of the needle; address means for electrically selecting said data words; electrical means for reading the data words and for forming signals representing the selected data words; and electrical means responsive to said signals representing selected command data words for controlling the reciprocating means and preventing reciprocation of the needle.

Claim 42

The sewing machine of claim 32 in which the controlling means effectively stops reciprocation of the needle if said selected command data word is selected while the needle is being reciprocated by the reciprocating means.

Claim 43

The sewing machine of claim 33 wherein the controlling means prevents the reciprocating means from reciprocating the needle upon selection of consecutive command data words after the first command data word.

Claim 44

The sewing machine of claim 32 wherein said reciprocating means automatically stops reciprocation of the needle in the absence of a signal from the controlling means, and in which the controlling means permits the reciprocating means to stop reciprocation of the needle in response to one of said command data words.

Claim 45

The sewing machine of claim 32 wherein said storage locations are capable of including data words representing positional information associated with said command data words, and including means responsive to selected positional data words for moving the work holder relative the needle.

Claim 46

The sewing machine of claim 36 including means responsive to the controlling means for cutting a thread on said machine, means for indicating when said thread has been cut, and means responsive to the indicating means for initiating the moving means when the thread has been cut.

Claim 47

The sewing machine of claim 36 including means for generating a pulse of initiating operation of said machine while reciprocation of the needle has been stopped by the reciprocating means.

Claim 48

The sewing machine of claim 38 wherein the controlling means includes means for decoding said selected data words, and in which the generating means is responsive to said decoding means.

Claim 49

The sewing machine of claim 38 wherein the moving means is responsive to the generating means.

Claim 50

The sewing machine of claim 39 wherein the moving means is responsive to the generating means, including means for indicating when the moving means has completed movement of the work holder, and in which the decoding means is responsive to the indicating means.