The invention is applied in the textile field and refers to the automatic application, when stitches are made which achieve a desired design or ornamental pattern, of paillettes or strass of any type, shape, size and pitch, on simple, multi-layer or padded fabrics, fed continuously from rolls.

The invention is preferentially, though not exclusively, applied on multi-needle quilting machines, both of the type which make knotted point and chain point stitches.

The present invention is characterized in that it has at least one support element on which are mounted, at regular intervals, a plurality of devices to feed and cut the paillettes, each of which devices is substantially arranged opposite a relative needle of the sewing machine.

These devices to feed and cut the paillettes are able to present, under each needle, in the points of the ornamental pattern wherein they are required to be applied, a paillette of any type, shape, size and pitch ; the paillette is attached to the fabric with suitable sewing stitches, in a line or star or at three points at 120°, and then the devices are able to cut it from the strip on which it is fed. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the field of embroidering machines, both the Shiffli

type and the multi-head type, the state of the art includes the use of devices to automatically apply paillettes or strass on single pieces or on fabrics.

Such devices work on individual garments or on pieces of fabric of a limited length, drummed on suitable frames with a discontinuous working pattern and limited productivity.

The ornamental patterns made by such devices are isolated, very distant from each other and discontinuous; the maximum speed at which they are made is in the order of 150/200 stitches a minute.

Conventional devices of this type, as are used at present, are therefore not suitable to be used on machines which continuously work fabrics fed from rolls, with speeds which can reach 600-700 stitches a minute.

US-A-4, 848, 253 shows an example of such known machines; in fact it discloses an embroidery machine equipped with plural sets of needles and comprising a device for cutting off spangles from a suitable strip of blanks and sewing the same on fabrics. However, this machine is able to work only on segments of fabrics drummed onto working tables or frames movable in at least two directions to make the requested stitches and not on fabrics fed continuously from rolls mounted on movable carriages.

The present Applicant has devised and embodied this invention to overcome this shortcoming of the state of the art, and to obtain further advantages as will be explained hereafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized in the respective main claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the main embodiment.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a device, and the relative method, to apply on fabrics paillettes or

strass of any type, shape, size or pitch, suitable to be applied on a sewing machine, particularly on a multi-needle sewing machine, with the purpose of working fabrics fed continuously with speeds in the range of 600-700 stitches a minute.

A further purpose is to achieve a sewing machine with the device mentioned above, suitable to work continuously simple and padded fabrics, obtaining any ornamental pattern consisting of stitches and applique works of paillettes, strass or similar, by means of an electronic control.

The following description will describe only paillettes, but every time this will refer also to strass or other similar ornamental element.

A sewing machine on which the device according to the invention is applied comprises at least a needle-bearing bar, on which a plurality of needles are mounted aligned and at suitable intervals. The needle-bearing bar is equipped with alternating ascending-descending movements to take every needle to cooperate with a mating lower sewing element, consisting of a shuttle, a rotary crochet or a mobile hook, also equipped with alternating movement mating with the movement of the needle-bearing bar.

The cooperation between the needles, each of which is fed with its own thread called the needle thread, and the lower sewing elements, each one also fed with its own thread, determines the sewing of stitches on the fabrics, fed continuously from rolls and interposed between said sewing members.

The sewing machine according to the invention also comprises at least a fixed cross-piece which supports the command members of the needle-bearing bars. According to the invention, on the cross-piece there is a bar which supports, in correspondence with specific, selected needles, a mating

plurality of devices able to make an application of paillettes on the fabric according to a desired ornamental pattern, managed by the command computer of the sewing machine.

Each of said devices consists at least of an assembly to feed the paillettes and an assembly to advance and cut the paillettes.

The assembly to advance and cut the paillettes comprises an element to draw the strip feeding the paillettes consisting, in a preferential embodiment, of a wheel comprising on the outside means to advance the strip, for example spikes or similar.

In a preferential embodiment of the invention, next to the drawing wheel there is a pressure element, and below the wheel there is a guide element.

In a preferential embodiment the pressure element is of the oscillating lever type.

The pressure element has a seating in which the drawing wheel can slide, and can alternately assume two positions, a working position when one free end is thrust upwards and its sliding seating adheres to the outer circumference of the wheel, and a position of non-interference wherein it detaches from the wheel and allows to change, or insert, the strip which feeds the paillettes.

The guide element has one end contiguous to the lower part of the pressure element and the other end very near the corresponding needle and a few millimeters above the fabric being worked.

In cooperation with the periphery of the drawing wheel there is also a positioning assembly mounted, comprising at least a pressure element associated with elastic means to selectively act in cooperation with said wheel and to determine a controlled step-wise unwinding of the strip of

paillettes.

According to the invention, under the drawing wheel there is also a cutting assembly which can be selectively activated to cut the paillettes with respect to the feed strip.

In a preferential embodiment, the cutting assembly consists of a shears comprising a pair of blades which can be selectively activated.

The assembly to feed the paillettes comprises at least a feed strip associated with unwinding means.

In order to apply a paillette on a fabric, the feed strip is unwound and is engaged by the advance means of the drawing wheel, which draw the strip with advance impulses controlled by the positioning assembly. The strip slides on the guide element and passes inside the cutting assembly, arriving in proximity with the corresponding needle.

By means of impulses transmitted by the command computer of the sewing machine, at the moment when a paillette is required to be applied at a particular point of an ornamental pattern, the speed of descent of the needles is temporarily reduced and the positioning assembly is driven to make the feed strip advance by a pre-established value, corresponding to the diameter of the paillettes being used.

As a consequence, the first paillette on the strip is presented with its hole exactly under the corresponding needle which, as it descends, enters into said hole.

At this point, the cutting assembly is driven, causing the paillette to be cut, which is attached by the needle on the fabric according to the orders given by the computer.

When the application is ended, the needle begins its normal sewing again, following the ornamental pattern.

According to the invention, the application of the paillettes can be programmed independently needle by needle,

thus considerably extending the possibilities of making very particular ornamental patterns which would be impossible on conventional machines.

With this invention it is therefore possible to apply paillettes, on a fabric fed continuously, according to the ornamental pattern made by the machine, at a much higher speed and with much thicker and continuous designs than those which can be obtained on any other conventional machine, with obvious advantages in terms of productivity and variety of application.

The sewing machine which has the device according to the invention can be used as a normal sewing machine, for example a multi-needle quilting machine, excluding the function of said device; or as an embroidery machine to apply paillettes on simple or padded fabrics fed continuously; or again as a machine which simultaneously makes both quilting and the application of paillettes or similar, thus obtaining mixed ornamental patterns with innovative and previously unseen characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other characteristics of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of some preferential forms of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example, with reference to the attached drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an electronically commanded multi-needle quilting machine of the type able to comprise a device to apply paillettes according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic lateral prospective view of the device to apply paillettes according to the invention; Figs. 3a-3d show some examples of ornamental patterns which can be obtained with the machine according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL EMBODIMENT Fig. 1 shows an electronically commanded multi-needle quilting machine 10 the general type of which is in itself substantially conventional. The quilting machine 10 comprises, as essential parts, an inlet assembly 10a, a sewing assembly 10b and an outlet assembly 10c.

The inlet assembly 10a is used to feed the textile material 11 which is to be worked. The inlet assembly 10a is managed and controlled by a command software and is therefore able to move the textile material 11 fed in any direction whatsoever, backwards-forwards or left-right, in order to make any pattern, even the most complex.

The sewing assembly 10b comprises upper sewing members 12 and lower sewing members 15 of a conventional type.

The upper sewing members 12 consist, in this case, of two needle-bearing bars 13, respectively 13a and 13b, parallel to each other and on which respective needles 14 are mounted, aligned with each other, each one cooperating with a respective thread 16, called the needle thread, fed from respective cones 116 arranged in the upper part of the machine 10 or in front of it.

The needle-bearing bars 13 have seatings 17 to position the needles associated with means 18 to clamp the needles 14 in position. In this case, that is, for the application of paillettes, only the front needle-bearing bar 13a is used, whereas the rear needle-bearing bar 13b is used for normal quilting.

Fig. 2, for a better understanding of the invention, shows only one needle 14, it being obvious that according to the type of sewing to be done all the seatings 17 can house a relative needle 14.

The needle-bearing bars 13a and 13b are equipped with alternating ascending-descending movement, to take the

relative needles 14 to cooperate with the respective lower sewing members 15, consisting in conventional fashion of shuttles, rotary crochets or alternately mobile hooks.

The cooperation between the sewing members 14 and 15 determines the simultaneous formation on the textile material 11 of a plurality of stitches 19 which, according to the movement imparted to the textile material 11, make desired ornamental patterns to obtain a quilted or embroidered article which is collected by the outlet assembly 10c.

According to known constructive practices, the multi- needle sewing machine 10 is equipped with a cross-piece 20 which supports the command members of the needle-bearing bars 13. In this case, a transverse bar 22 is attached to said cross-piece 20 by means of supporting elements 21; a plurality of devices 50 for the automatic application of paillettes 23 on the textile material 11 are mounted on the transverse bar 22 at regular intervals corresponding to the selected needles 14.

Each of the devices 50 comprises an assembly 51 to feed the paillettes 23 and an assembly 30 to advance and cut the paillettes 23.

The feed assembly 51 comprises a substantially vertical support 24 at the upper part of which an arm 25 is attached, bearing a transverse pin 26 on which a bobbin 27 rotates which feeds the strip 28 of the paillettes.

The assembly 30 to advance and cut the paillettes 23 is attached to the lower part of said vertical support 24, and consists of a vertical support plate 29 arranged substantially perpendicular to the needle-bearing bar 13a.

On the support plate 29 are attached a rotary pneumatic actuator 31, a linear pneumatic cylinder 37 and a spring- type positioner 36, the shaft 31a of the rotary pneumatic

actuator 31 being substantially parallel to the needle- bearing bar 13a and passing through a suitable hole made in the support plate 29.

A drawing wheel 32 is mounted on the shaft 31a, on the side opposite the rotary actuator 31 with respect to the support plate 29; on its outer circumference the drawing wheel 32 has a series of equidistant spikes 33, the diameter and pitch of which correspond to the diameter of the hole and the pitch of the paillettes 23 being used, in their feed strip 28.

Behind the drawing wheel 32 there is an oscillating semi- circular pressure element 35, which has a concave semi- circular surface with a radius mating with, advantageously equal to, that of the wheel 32. Under the drawing wheel 32 there is also a conveyor guide 34 shaped like a flattened tube with an inner width substantially corresponding to the width of the strip 28 feeding the paillettes 23; the feed strip 28 slides inside the guide 34.

The semi-circular pressure element 35 has its lower end pivoted to said support plate 29 and, in its concave semi- circular surface, has a groove inside which the spikes 33 of said wheel 32 slide.

The semi-circular pressure element 35 can also assume two positions: a working position, when its free end is thrust upwards and its concave surface adheres to the outer circumference of said wheel 32, keeping the strip 28 also adherent thereto ; and a position to change, or insert, the feed strip 28 when the free end of the pressure element 35 is thrust downwards and its concave surface is detached from the outer circumference of the wheel 32, uncovering the spikes 33 and hence allowing to remove or insert the strip 28 engaged thereon.

The conveyor guide 34 is attached to the support plate 29

in such a manner that one end thereof is contiguous with the lower end, pivoted, of the pressure element 35 and the other end is very near the corresponding needle 14 and a few millimeters above the textile material 11.

Above the wheel 32 there is mounted a spring-type positioner 36, which is attached to the support plate 29 and has a roller 136 charged by a spring 236. The roller 136 rests, with a slight pressure supplied by the spring 236, on the outer circumference of the wheel 32, inserting itself exactly between two adjacent spikes 33 so as to stop said wheel 32 step-wise, inserting itself with every step between spike and spike.

Under the wheel 32 there is also a little cutter, consisting of two steel platelets 38 and 39 arranged one above the other and substantially parallel to the support plate 29.

The rear ends of the platelets 38 and 39, below the wheel 32, are attached to each other by a pin 40 so that the two platelets, being slightly open, are spread wide; their front ends, near the corresponding needle 14, are bent at an angle of 90° one towards the other and sharpened so as to form two blades 41 and 42.

The lower platelet 39 is attached to the lower part of the support plate 29, while there is an aperture 43 made in the upper platelet 38, through which said conveyor guide 34 passes, which has a width of less than that of the platelets 38 and 39. In this way, the conveyor guide 34, which in the rear part is higher than the upper platelet 38, passes through the aperture 43 so that its front end finds itself between the platelets 38,39 and very near the blades 41 and 42.

In the front part of each of the platelets 38,39 two corresponding holes are made, through which a vertical tie

bar 44 passes whose lower end is attached to said lower platelet 39 and on whose upper end an S-shaped lever 45 is hinged.

The rod of the tie bar 44 has a shape configured so as to allow said conveyor guide 34 to pass inside.

The hump of said S-shaped lever 45 which is lower and nearer the tie bar 44 presses on the upper part of said upper platelet 38, while the free end of the lever 45 rests on the end of the rod of the linear pneumatic cylinder 37.

In the inactive position, the rod of the linear pneumatic cylinder 37 is retracted, the free end of the lever 45 is at the top and the blades 41,42 are open. When the linear pneumatic cylinder 37 is activated, its rod extends, thrusting the free end of the lever 45 downwards; consequently, its hump near the tie bar 44 presses on said upper platelet 38, compressing the blade 41 against the blade 42 of the lower platelet 39.

The device 50 as described heretofore, applied on a multi- needle sewing machine 10, functions as follows.

The strip 28 which feeds the paillettes unwinds from the bobbin 27 which rotates on the transverse pin 26 solid with the arm 25.

The strip 28 slides downwards, passes over an intermediate guide wheel 46, is attached by the spikes 33 of the wheel 32 driven by the rotary pneumatic actuator 31. The spikes 33 slide in the groove made in the concave surface of the pressure element 35, which keeps the strip 28 adherent to the wheel 32, and draw the strip 28 with a step-wise movement controlled by the roller 136 of the positioner 36.

The strip 28 enters the rear part of the conveyor guide 34, slides inside and, passing between the blades 41 and 42, arrives in proximity with the corresponding needle 14.

By means of impulses sent by the command computer of the

sewing machine 10, at the moment when a paillette 23 is required to be applied while an ornamental pattern is being made, the speed of the needle 14 is reduced. When the needle 14 reaches its upper dead point, a suitable electro valve (not shown in the drawings) sends air to the rotary pneumatic actuator 31 which consequently makes the wheel 32 rotate by one step of an amplitude controlled by the roller 136 engaged between two contiguous spikes 33 of the wheel 32.

This step causes the strip 28 to advance by a pre-set value corresponding to the diameter of one of the paillettes being used and, consequently, the first paillette 23 of the strip 28 is presented with its hole exactly under the corresponding needle 14 which, during its descent, enters the hole of the paillette 23.

At this point a second electro valve (not shown in the drawings) sends air to the linear pneumatic cylinder 37, the rod of which, as it extends, presses the free end of the lever 45, causing the blades 41,42 to come together and therefore cut the paillette 23. The paillette 23 is thus attached by the needle 14 onto the textile material 11, for example with three stitches at 120° or with other types of stitches, linear or superimposed according to the orders given by the computer, after which the needle 14 starts its normal sewing again, following the ornamental pattern.

Some examples of the possible types of applications of paillettes 23 on the textile material 11 are shown in Figs.

3a-3d.

To adapt the device 50 to paillettes 23 of a different type, shape, size and pitch, some of the components, such as the wheel 32, the roller 136 of the positioner 36, the conveyor guide 34, etc. , can be replaced on each occasion.

Modifications and variants can be made to the present

invention, all of which shall come within the field and scope thereof as defined by the claims.

For example, the rotary pneumatic actuator 31 and the linear pneumatic cylinder 37 can be replaced by any other rotary or linear actuator which performs the same or analogous function, such as electric motors, rotary or linear electromagnetic actuators, rotary or linear hydraulic actuators, actuators which command eccentrics, etc. The cutter can also be replaced by any other cutting member such as scissors, nailcutters, blades, punches, ultrasound or laser cutting, etc.