Field of the invention
[0001] The invention relates to a cam for sewing machines, in particular for chainstitch
buttonhole sewing machines, intended to control the transverse motion of the bed and
comprising a cam holder.
Background art
[0002] The transverse motion of the bed of a buttonhole sewing machine is presently controlled
by interchangeable cams with various rigidly predetermined path shapes, the control
cam actually in use being mounted on a cam holder while the other cams are stored
outside the machine. To change the parameters of the buttonhole to be sewn, the control
cam is replaced by the adequate one from those stored. As a rule, each buttonhole
sewing machine is supplied with a set of sixteen interchangeable cams for basic shapes
and sizes of buttonholes.
[0003] In another well-known solution, the interchangeable cams are replaced by interchangeable
disks which are not so complicated in the production and therefore cheaper.
[0004] The drawback of the two above mentioned solutions consists in a considerably high
number of interchangeable cams or disks needed with the correspondingly high requirements
placed upon the production and storage of interchangeable cams or disks, on the time-consuming
and in technical respect exacting adjustment of the machines in current factory use,
and especially in the impossibility of setting the buttonhole parameters, in particular
the lengths of the buttonhole, to other values than predetermined by the set of interchangeable
cams or disks available.
Principle of the invention
[0005] The above drawbacks of the background art have been eliminated by the cam for sewing
machines according to the invention whose principle consists in that the cam holder
carries at least three cam disks, with a part of the cam path of the bed transverse
motion provided on the periphery of each of them, and that the angular positions of
at least two of said cam disks are adjustable.
[0006] In addition to permitting to dispense with the large number of cams or disks and
with carrying out the exchange operations, the chief advantage of the invention consists
in the possibility of stepless adjustment of the sizes (lengths) of the buttonhole
to be sewn.
[0007] In one variant of the solution, each of the disk cam whose angular position is adjustable
is coupled with adjustment means of its own.
[0008] The adjustment procedure is simplified if the adjustment means is common to the adjustable
disk cams. Unless stated otherwise, the term

adjustable cam disk" as hereinafter used is intended to mean

cam disk with adjustable angular position".
[0009] Preferably, the adjustable cam disks are at least on a part of their inner periphery
fitted with an inner gearing, each adjustable cam disk meshing with a gear wheel related
thereto. Besides, the gear wheels mesh with each other and one of them is coupled
with an adjustment means. In case of two cam disks, this arrangement provides for
the opposite sense of rotation of the cam disks.
[0010] The adjustable cam disks are seated on one side of a non-adjustable cam disk which
simplifies the cam design and permits to make the non-adjustable cam disk of full
material.
[0011] To increase the range of sewn buttonholes, the non-adjustable cam disk is fitted
with an interchangeable segment having provided thereon at least a part of the cam
path of the non-adjustable cam disk used for stitching the buttonhole eye.
[0012] A further increase in the length range of sewn buttonholes can be achieved by inserting
between the non-adjustable cam disk and its adjoining adjustable cam disk at least
one rotatably mounted auxiliary overlapping disk coupled with the non-adjustable cam
disk and coupled in motion with one of the adjustable cam disks.
[0013] To achieve a simple and reliable in function coupling of the auxiliary overlapping
disk with the non-adjustable cam disk and with the adjustable cam disk, the auxiliary
overlapping disk is fitted with two grooves into the second of which there is inserted
a limiting pin fixed in the non-adjustable cam disk while into the first of them there
is introduced a drive pin fixed in one of the adjustable cam disks.
Description of drawings
[0014] Examples of embodiment of the cam for sewing machines according to the invention
are schematically shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings in which show
Fig. 1 view on the cam in exploded state, Fig. 2 view on the cam with auxiliary overlapping
disk in exploded state, Fig. 3a axonometric view on the cam shown in Fig. 2, Fig 3b
view from below on the cam shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 4a axonometric view on the cam shown
in Fig. 1, Fig. 4b view on the interchangeable segments and Fig. 5 axonometric view
on the cam shown in Fig. 1 in partial section.
Specific description
[0015] The cam for sewing machines, in particular for chainstitch buttonhole sewing machines,
is in a well-known manner coupled with the bed of the sewing machine and serves to
control the bed transverse path. The cam comprises a non-adjustable cam disk
1 with a part of the cam path
11 provided on its periphery. A part of the non-adjustable cam disk
1 is made as a cylindrical support
12 having provided therein recesses
13,
14 for gear wheels. A part of the cam path
11 of the non-adjustable cam disk
1 is made on an interchangeable segment
15 which is fixed to the non-adjustable cam disk
1. The cam path
11 on the interchangeable segment
15 serves to produce the buttonhole eye.
[0016] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, 4a, 5 the cylindrical support
12 and the ring-shaped section
16 of the non-adjustable cam disk
1 carry respectively a first adjustable cam disk
2 and a second adjustable cam disk
3 fitted with the parts
21,
31 of the cam path on their outer peripheries and with inner gearings
22,
32 on a part of their inner peripheries. Gear wheels
4,
5 are rotatably mounted in the recesses
13,
14 of the cylindrical support
12 of the non-adjustable cam disk
1, and each of them meshes with the inner gearing of one of the adjustable cam disks
2,
3. At the same time, the gear wheels
4,
5 mesh with each other.
[0017] The second adjustable cam disk
3 is overlapped from above by an overlapping plate
6 fixed to the front of the cylindrical support
12. One of the gear wheels
4,
5 is coupled with a turning means
7 shaped in the illustrated embodiment as a cylinder.
[0018] In a not illustrated example of embodiment, the gear wheels
4,
5 are seated separately from each other, and each of them meshes with an inner gearing
of each of the adjustable cam disks
2,
3. Each of the gear wheels
4,
5 meshes with a turning means
7 of its own.
[0019] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, 3a, 3b an auxiliary overlapping disk
8 is inserted and on the cylindrical support
12 of the non-adjustable cam disk
1 rotatably mounted between the ring-shaped periphery
16 of the non-adjustable cam disk
1 and its adjoining first adjustable cam disk
2. The auxiliary overlapping disk
8 is equipped with two grooves
81,
82 into the first one
81 of which there is inserted a drive pin
23 fixed in the first adjustable cam disk
2 and into the second one
82 of which there is inserted a limiting pin
17 fixed in the ring-shaped section
16 of the non-adjustable cam disk
1. A part of the cam path
83 is provided on the periphery of the auxiliary overlapping disk
8.
[0020] If the buttonhole length is to be changed, the operator turns the turning means.
This motion is transmitted, firstly, to the gear wheel
4 and then to the first adjustable cam disk
2, and, secondly, to the second gear wheel
5 and then to the second adjustable cam disk
3 which thus receives a turning motion in a sense opposite to that of the first adjustable
cam disk
2. The change in the mutual position of the cam paths of the non-adjustable cam disk
1 and of the two adjustable cam disks
2,
3 results in the modification of the buttonhole length.
[0021] If the shape of the buttonhole eye is to be changed, the operator exchanges the interchangeable
segment
15 situated on the non-adjustable cam disk
1.
[0022] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, 3a, 3b the rotation of the adjustable cam disk
2 moves the drive pin
23 in the first groove
81, reaches the end of the groove
81 and then begins to move the auxiliary overlapping disk
8. Simultaneously, the second groove
82 moves in relation to the limiting pin
17 which thus reaches the end of the second groove
82 and also of the adjustable cam disks
2,
3. A subsequent motion is possible only in the reverse direction. The turning movement
in one direction increases the buttonhole length, and reduces it in the reverse direction.
[0023] Other embodiments can use a greater number of adjustable cam disks and/or of auxiliary
overlapping disks, each of the auxiliary overlapping disks being coupled with the
non-adjustable cam disk and coupled in motion with one of the adjustable cam disks.
1. A cam for sewing machines, in particular for chainstitch buttonhole sewing machines,
intended to control the transverse motion of the bed and comprising a cam holder,
characterized by that the cam holder carries at least three cam disks (1,2,3), with
a part of the cam path of the bed transverse motion provided on the periphery of each
of them, and that the angular positions of at least two of said cam disks (2,3) are
adjustable.
2. A cam as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by that each of the cam discs (2,3) whose
angular positions are adjustable is coupled with an adjusting means (7).
3. A cam as claimed in Claim 2, characterized by that each cam disk is coupled with an
adjusting means (7) of its own.
4. A cam as claimed in Claim 2, characterized by that the cam discs (2,3) whose angular
positions are adjustable, have one adjusting means (7) in common.
5. A cam as claimed in Claim 4, characterized by that that the cam discs (2,3) whose
angular positions are adjustable are at least at a part of their inner periphery equipped
with an inner gearing (22, 32), that each of the cam discs (2,3) whose angular positions
are adjustable meshes with a gear wheel (4, 5) related thereto, that the gear wheels
(4, 5) mesh with each other and that one of them is coupled with the adjusting means
(7).
6. A cam as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized by that the cam disks (2,3)
whose angular positions are adjustable are mounted on the cam disk (1) whose angular
position is not adjustable, and more specifically, on one of its sides.
7. A cam as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the cam disk (1) whose
angular position is not adjustable is fitted with an interchangeable segment (15)
having provided thereon at least a part of the cam path of the the cam disk (1) whose
angular position is not adjustable serving for the production (stitching) of the buttonhole
eye.
8. A cam as claimed in one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized by that between the cam disk
(1) whose angular position is not adjustable and its adjoining cam disk (2) whose
angular position is adjustable there is inserted at least one auxiliary overlapping
disk (8) whose angular position is changeable and that is coupled both with the cam
disk (1) whose angular position is not adjustable, and with one (2) of the cam disks
whose angular position is adjustable.
9. A cam as claimed in Claim 8, characterized by that the auxiliary overlapping disk
(8) is equipped with two grooves (81, 82) and that in the second groove (82) there
is inserted a limiting pin (17) fixed in the cam disk (1) whose angular position is
not adjustable and that in the first groove (81) there is inserted a drive pin (23)
fixed in one of the cam disks (2) whose angular position is adjustable.