|Veröffentlichungsdatum||30. Sept. 2008|
|Eingetragen||22. März 2007|
|Prioritätsdatum||22. März 2006|
|Auch veröffentlicht unter||CN101041927A, CN101041927B, DE502007000490D1, EP1837430A1, US20070221110|
|Veröffentlichungsnummer||11723825, 723825, US 7428876 B2, US 7428876B2, US-B2-7428876, US7428876 B2, US7428876B2|
|Erfinder||Bernd Hillenbrand, Bernd Binder|
|Ursprünglich Bevollmächtigter||Groz-Beckert Kg|
|Zitat exportieren||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patentzitate (18), Nichtpatentzitate (1), Klassifizierungen (7), Juristische Ereignisse (3)|
|Externe Links: USPTO, USPTO-Zuordnung, Espacenet|
This application claims the priority of European Patent No. 06 005 802.1, filed on Mar. 22, 2006, the subject matter of which, in its entirety, is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a needle holder for a sewing machine, in particular an industrial sewing machine. Referring to sewing machines, the needle holder, the stitch plate, the gripper and the needle guard must be positioned precisely relative to each other, in order to ensure reliable stitching, especially when sewing occurs at a high sewing speed and with a high number of stitches. If the adjustment of the position of the gripper relative to the needle is inadequate, faulty stitching, needle and thread breakage, as well as damage to the gripper and the needle guard may occur.
Referring in particular to the thickness of sewing needles, they are selected in view of the material that is to be sewn. Accordingly, there is the necessity for the use of sewing needles having different thicknesses on one and the same sewing machine.
In the vicinity of its eye, the sewing machine needle has a furrow, into which sinks the gripper while the stitch is being produced in order to pick up a thread that has been pushed through the sewing material. Needles of different thicknesses have a furrow with different depths. The base or bottom of the furrow thus has a different position depending on the respectively different sewing needle that is used.
This is obvious from document DE 103 34 023 A1 that discloses systems for the manufacture of needles having different thicknesses. When using these sewing needles, the gripper position need not be adapted to the respectively used needle thickness. Referring to needles having a large needle diameter in the region of the furrow, the use of the teaching of DE 103 34 023 leads to a small needle cross-section, compared with the needle cross-section in the region of the needle shaft. This increases the susceptibility to breakage, in particular in the case of needles having a large needle diameter (Nm).
Referring to home sewing machines, needles have a shank with a flat area to avoid a gripper adjustment. Referring to sewing machine needles having different gauges (needles with different nominal diameters), this flat area has a respectively different size in order to ensure that a gripper adjustment is not required when needles of different thicknesses are to be used. Referring to industrial sewing machines, however, as a rule, needles having a cylindrical shank are required. Consequently, the needle holder uniformly defines the central axis of all the sewing needles.
The adjustment of a gripper to adapt it to sewing needles of different gauges, as a rule, involves a significant amount of work and, in addition, requires a skilled operator. In particular, referring to lockstitch machines having a vertically arranged gripper axis, the subsequent adjustment of the gripper and the needle guard is particularly complex, thus resulting in down times and a significant setup effort.
DE Patent 872 147 discloses a sewing machine with a needle bar that can be shifted vertically in slide bearings. At its lower end, the needle bar supports a needle holder with a clamp screw for attaching a sewing needle. The slide bearings for the shiftable support of the needle bar are provided on a guide element which can be brought into the desired spatial position by means of adjusting screws, thus allowing an adjustment of the needle. Any subsequent adjustment of the needle, however, requires skilled knowledge and access to the interior of the sewing machine housing.
Referring to DE Patent 856 828 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,407, each discloses a sewing machine comprising a needle bar being provided on its lower end with a pocket bore that receives the shank of a sewing needle. Transversely to the pocket bore is a threaded bore for the accommodation of a clamp screw. Thus, the position of the sewing needle relative to the needle bar is defined.
GB Patent 1050003 discloses a sewing machine comprising a needle bar supported in an adjustable guide. The connection between the needle bar and the sewing needle is achieved simply by a conventional clamp screw. The adjustment of the needle bar guide requires access to the interior of the sewing machine and skilled knowledge.
Considering this, it is the object of the invention to provide an option that allows the use of needles of different gauges on sewing machines, in particular industrial sewing machines, without requiring a subsequent adjustment of the gripper.
The above object is achieved with the needle holder in accordance with Claim 1:
The needle holder comprises a holding device for the accommodation of a sewing needle in order to hold said needle in a holding position. The holding device has an adjustment device that can be adjusted in a direction transverse to the sewing needle and thus also transverse to the needle bar. In so doing, it can be ensured that needles of different thicknesses are respectively positioned in such a manner that the bottom of the needle furrow is located in one and the same relative position with respect to the gripper that interacts with the sewing needle. As a rule, the adjustment of the needle position is significantly easier than the adjustment of the gripper position. The needle is positioned, readily accessible, above the sewing machine table. Therefore, the adjustment of the needle position is easily achieved, for example, when the needle is changed.
As a result of the transverse adjustment of the needles, this adjustment does not have a defined zero position. Therefore, it is potentially possible to use stitch plates having different stitch hole positions. However, a stitch plate change is easily accomplished even by less skilled operators.
Also, sewing machines are known, in which case the needle sinks into a bore that is contained in the means that ensure the transport of the sewing material. These sewing machines do not comprise a stitch hole plate. The bore has a configuration that makes an adaptation of the position due to a needle change unnecessary.
Referring to the inventive needle holder, the sewing machine needle may be arranged in a shiftable manner relative to the actual needle bar, on which the sewing needle is held and which is moved vertically up and down during the sewing operation, so that the needle can be moved toward the gripper or away from the gripper. In so doing, the gripper position can remain unchanged.
Referring to a first embodiment, the adjustment device may comprise a clamping device, with which the shank of the sewing needle is tensioned relative to an abutment means with adjustable positions. A positional adjustment of the abutment means can be achieved, for example, in steps or continuously, in order to clamp the sewing needle in place in its respectively desired position. The adjustment device comprises an adjustable element, whereby the sewing needle abuts against said element (in which case the element represents an abutment means) or whereby said element holds the sewing needle (in which case the element represents a holding means). Also, the element may be designed as an interchangeable shim. All of the mentioned alternatives are suitable to implement the present invention.
Considering the ideal situation, a continuous positional adjustment is possible in order to adjust the optimal needle-to-gripper distance for any needle gauge. However, in many cases needles having a pre-specified gauge are used anyhow. In those cases, it is sufficient when the needle holder permits adjustment positions for needles having the corresponding needle gauge. Furthermore, it is possible to restrict the adjustment options to steps of, for example, 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. For example, a mechanical adjustment device having an engagement dimension that has a pre-specified size of 0.2 mm, for example, may be provided. The needles may be divided into several groups, for example, four groups. Group 1 may include needles having a diameter Nm of 80,90,100. Group 2 includes needles having a diameter Nm of 110, 120, 130. Group 3 includes needles of Nm 140, 150, 160. Group 4 includes needles of Nm 180, 190, 200, for example. A mechanical adjustment in four positions can cover each essential needle gauge of groups 1 through 4, whereby each adjustment position is assigned to respectively one of the groups. Consequently, this takes into account any accuracy requirements that occur in the majority of practical applications.
Referring to a currently preferred embodiment, the adjustment device is an eccentric adjustment device. This device comprises, e.g., two cams which are supported so as to be rotatable about rotary axes extending longitudinally to the needle bar. In addition, the eccentric adjustment device is preferably combined with a linear guide device that pre-specifies a guide direction extending transversely to the needle bar. As a result of the interaction of the eccentric adjustment device and the linear guide device, a slim adjustment device is created, said device having an exterior contour that does not project beyond the exterior contour of the needle holder. Consequently, collisions between the adjustment device and other elements of the sewing machine are largely prevented. It is easily possible to integrate the adjustment device in existing machine designs.
It is possible to manually perform the adjustment. Appropriate manual adjustment devices preferably are stepped adjustment devices. Thus, erroneous adjustments are easily prevented. The operator only needs to select the correct engagement step or adjustment step. The adjustment may be achieved by means of a selector shaft, an incremental advance, a series connection or even with the use of appropriate shims. Likewise, it is possible to adjust the distance between the sewing needle and the gripper by electronic means, namely, by employing piezo technology, i.e., piezo drives or a servo motor. Electronic enabling or control is particularly advantageous because the desired machine settings can be maintained in a reproducible manner.
In the ideal case, each needle gauge is assigned to exactly one position of the sewing needle or of the adjustment device, which accomplishes that an optimal gripper distance is maintained. If an electronic control is used, a continuous adjustment option is advantageous.
Additional details of advantageous embodiments of the invention are obvious from the drawings, the description or the Claims.
The drawings show exemplary embodiments of the invention.
The foot has a slit 60 that can be penetrated by the sewing needle 4. The material transporting means below the foot 5 are not shown. Furthermore, a stitch hole plate 9 is located under the foot 5, said plate having an opening 10 that is penetrated by the sewing needle 4. Located below the stitch hole plate 9 are the movable gripper 6 with a tip 6 a and a needle guard 11, against which may abut the flank of the needle tip when the needle 4 moves in the region of its lower point of return. This results in a stabilization of the transverse movement of the sewing needle 4. The transverse movement of the sewing needle 4, which is actually undesirable, is a function of the sewing conditions, i.e., the sewing process. If the sewing needle does not perform any transverse movements or if such movements are equalized by the needle guard 11, it is easier for the gripper 6 to grip the thread. In so doing, the gripper 6 enters into the furrow 12 provided on the sewing needle 4 in order to grip a thread moving through the needle's eye 13.
The needle holder 7 permits the attachment of sewing needles having different thicknesses and a uniform cylindrical shank, and permits their positioning on the needle bar 2, so that, despite the different needle thicknesses, the bottoms of the furrows 12 of needles having different gauges are in a uniform position relative to the gripper 6.
The needle holder 7 encloses an interior space 17, in which a sliding element 18 is supported in such a manner that it can be adjusted in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the needle bar 2, as well as in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the sewing needle 4. In
The sliding element 18 is pre-tensioned in an adjustment device by means of a tensioning means, for example having the configuration of a spring means, in particular having the configuration of a compression spring 24, and is pressed against an abutment means 25. In this embodiment, this abutment means is a selector shaft 26 which has two or more, e.g., four, engagement positions that are appropriately defined by flat lateral surfaces. The distances of these lateral surfaces from an axis of rotation 27 are different. The selector shaft 26 is arranged transversely to the needle bar 2 and the sewing needle 4, and one end of said shaft projects from the needle holder 7. As shown by
The compression spring 24, or any other suitable tensioning means, and the abutment means 25 form an adjustment device 30 for the adjustment of the transverse position of the sliding element 18 relative to the longitudinal axis of the needle bar 2 and, in so doing an adjustment for the sewing needle 4. The operation of the adjustment device 30 is as follows:
For example, it is assumed that the four essentially flat lateral surfaces of the selector shaft 26 having approximately the shape of a parallel epiped are arranged at distances from the axis of rotation 27, said distances respectively differing from each other by 0.2 mm. As shown by
A rotatably supported receiving prism 31 is supported inside the interior space 17 of the needle holder 7. On its circumference, said prism has three, four, or more cutouts that are bordered by preferably flat abutment surfaces 32, 33, against which abuts one end of the sewing needle 4, said end extending through a bore into the interior space 17. The abutment surfaces 32, 33 are oriented at a right angle with respect to each other, for example. Opposite the abutment surfaces 32, 33, the housing of the needle holder 7 has a threaded bore 34, in which a clamp screw 35 is seated. This screw is disposed to clamp the shaft or shank of the sewing needle 4 against the abutment means, i.e., the prism 31.
The prism 31 is supported, so that it can be rotated about the axis of rotation 27, by means of a shaft 36 in the needle holder 7, said axis of rotation extending transversely to the sewing needle 4, whereby the end of said needle projects from the needle holder 7 and supports the selector wheel 28. In addition, the shaft 36 can be adjusted in longitudinal direction against the force of a spring 37 or any other suitable tensioning means. The prism 31 of the shaft 36, or the selector wheel 28, can additionally be associated with an engagement device 38, which, in the simplest case—as illustrated—consists of an engagement pin 39, to which are assigned different engagement holes 62 located around the shaft 36.
Referring to the present exemplary embodiment, the prism 31 has four pairs of abutment surfaces. Referring to
If the needle gauge is to be changed, the clamp screw 35 is first released and the sewing needle 4 removed. Then, the selector wheel 28 is turned by being drawn in axial direction in order to thus move the pin 39 out of its bore. As soon as the pin has been released, the selector wheel 28 can be rotated into the desired engagement position, which now corresponds to the needle gauge to be used. If the selector wheel 28 is released, the spring 37 pushes the shaft 36 back into its home position, whereby the pin 39 moves into an appropriate different bore 62.
Considering the new engagement position, a different pair of abutment surfaces has arrived at the position facing the clamp screw 35. Now, the sewing needle 4 having the desired needle gauge is inserted in the intermediate space between the respective abutment surfaces and the clamp screw 35, and the clamp screw 35 is tightened. Now the sewing operation can be started or continued.
The interior space 17 of the needle holder 7 has an engagement insert 44, which has, on one side facing the clamp screw 35, a row of prism-like seats 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50. They are not exactly identical but are configured in such a manner that they define, for the sewing machine needle, transverse positions with respect to the needle bar 2, said positions respectively differing by a desired value. Other than that, the slide 44 has a cylindrical shape in order to fit into the likewise approximately cylindrical bore of the interior space 17.
On the side of the needle holder 7 opposite the clamp screw 35, said needle holder is provided with a window 51, which, as shown by
The support device 19 that accommodates the sewing needle is provided in or on the needle holder 7. The support device 19 can be adjusted by means of an electrically operated actuating drive 63. This drive can be, for example, an electric motor, a piezo drive or the like. It effects the desired adjustment of the support device 19 via a transmission. For example, the transmission may consist of a threaded spindle 58 and of a spindle nut 59 driven by said spindle, said spindle nut being connected to the support device 19. One or more position sensors may be provided, said sensors detecting the rotary position of the actuating drive 63 of the linear position of the spindle nut 59. This allows the remote-controlled, preferably continuous, adjustment of the position of the longitudinal axis of the sewing needle 4 relative to the longitudinal axis of the needle bar 2.
The needle bar 2 has an interior space 80 which is limited by a cylindrical wall 72. The interior space or bore 80 is arranged eccentrically (not illustrated) relative to the longitudinal axis of the needle bar 2. Thus, the wall 72 has, on its circumference a continuously changing gauge or thickness. The extension 65 extends into the interior space 80. Seated on the extension 65 is a cam 73, which has a cylindrical eccentric bore. The cam 73 is rotatably supported on the extension 65, exhibiting minimal play. The center axis of its cylindrical generated surface is aligned parallel to the center axis of the extension 65. This is obvious from
As shown by
The second cam 74 has a radial bore 75 into which an adjustment means may be inserted or, as shown by
So it cannot be lost, the eccentric adjustment device 64 is secured on the needle bar 2 in axial direction. To achieve this, a retaining means, e.g., designed as a ring 78,seated on the extension 65 can be used. The bore 80 of the needle bar 2 has, on its end 83, a step configured as an inward directed shoulder 79. Both cams the interior cam 73 and the exterior cam 74 abut rotatably against the shoulder 79. So that it may not be lost, the cam 73 is tensioned between the shoulder 79 and the retaining means 78, in that the retaining means 78 is mounted with a chucking device, e.g., a screw, to the extension 65. As a result of this, the needle receiving element 81 is held on the needle bar 2 to prevent said needle receiving element from becoming lost. Access to the chucking device occurs through the bore 80. In axial direction, the exterior cam 74 is held in place by the pin 76.
The operation of the eccentric adjustment device 64 described so far is as follows:
An adjustment of the needle holder 7 or the needle receiving element 81 relative to the needle bar 2 can take place only in the guide direction defined by the linear guide device 70. For adjustment, the exterior cam 74 is turned about the longitudinal axis of the needle bar 2 due to said cam's action on pin 76. The rotation of the cam 74 results in the enforced (e.g., counter-directional) rotation of the cam 73. This is because, as a result of the linear guide device 70, the axis of rotation of the cam 74 can move only on a linear path. The axis of rotation coincides with the center axis of said cam's exterior generated surface. As opposed to this, the interior cam 73 can only rotate about the extension 65. In this instance, the axis of rotation coincides with the axis of symmetry of its interior generated surface, i.e., its bore wall. Accordingly, the axis of the eccentric bore of the exterior cam 74 moves on an arcuate path. The path of the generated surface of the interior cam 73 is the same, thereby enforcing, for example, a counter-directional rotation of the two cams 73, 74. The rotation of the exterior cam 74 results in a yielding motion of the interior cam 73, said motion being a corresponding rotary motion. The superimposition of the two rotary motions of the two cams 73, 74 produces a combined movement enforced by the guide device 70.
Following the adjustment of the needle holder 7, the newly adjusted position is secured by a locking means (not illustrated). This locking means may be designed, e.g., as a known screw. To do so, the lower end 83 of the needle bar 2 or of the adapter 2 has a threaded bore. In order to fix the position of the needle holding element 71, the fixing means is installed in the screw thread, in which case the end of the screw presses against the flank 67 or 68 and thus clamps the guide section of the needle holding element 7 in place. Thus, the newly adjusted position of the needle holder 7 is fixed by a non-positive connection.
The inventive needle holder 7 is provided, in particular, for industrial sewing machines, in which sewing machine needles having different needle gauges and preferably different cylindrical shanks or shafts are supported or held in such a manner that they can be adjusted in transverse direction. This permits an adjustment of the relative position between the sewing needle 4, or the bottom of the furrow 12 of the sewing needle 4, and the gripper 6, without requiring an adjustment of the gripper position and/or the needle guard position.
It will be appreciated that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.
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|US1605385||27. Dez. 1923||2. Nov. 1926||De Long Hook & Eye Co||Adjustable presser foot and needle clamp|
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|US4667611 *||30. Apr. 1986||26. Mai 1987||Morimoto Mfg. Co., Ltd.||Sewing device for use in multi-needle sewing machine|
|US5555831 *||3. Febr. 1994||17. Sept. 1996||Maier-Unitas Gmbh||Festooning machine|
|DE856828C||18. März 1951||24. Nov. 1952||Singer Mfg Co||Nadelstangen-Antriebseinrichtung|
|DE872147C||10. Okt. 1951||30. März 1953||Mefina Sa||Naehmaschine|
|DE2732095C2||15. Juli 1977||24. März 1988||The Singer Co., Stamford, Conn., Us||Titel nicht verfügbar|
|DE10334023A1||25. Juli 2003||17. Febr. 2005||Ferd. Schmetz Gmbh||Verfahren zum Herstellen von Nadeln unterschiedlicher Dicken und Nadelsystem|
|GB129840A||Titel nicht verfügbar|
|GB888399A||Titel nicht verfügbar|
|GB981271A||Titel nicht verfügbar|
|GB1050003A||Titel nicht verfügbar|
|1||European International Communication and Search Report dated Aug. 8, 2007.|
|Internationale Klassifikation||D05B55/02, D05B55/00|
|Europäische Klassifikation||D05B55/14, D05B55/00|
|17. Mai 2007||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: GROZ-BECKERT KG, GERMANY
Free format text: DOCUMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL 019253 FRAME 0838 CONTAINED ERRORS IN PATENT APPLICATION NUMBER 11/723825. DOCUMENT RERECORDED TO CORRECT ERRORS ON STATED REEL.;ASSIGNORS:HILLENBRAND, BERND;BINDER, BERND;REEL/FRAME:019364/0681
Effective date: 20070417
|20. März 2012||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|16. März 2016||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8