Technical Field

The present invention relates to a needle carrier device, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like. Background Art

In the textile field and, more specifically, in the embroidery field the practice is known of manually performing the cutting operations associated with embroidery and openwork decoration by means of scissors or manual cutters.

In this way, it is possible to cut holes in fabrics, the edges and hems of which are subsequently or previously embroidered and/or decorated with needle and thread according to the degree of finish desired.

More precisely, by operating manually it is possible to obtain holes of any shape and size.

Developments in automation engineering have made it possible to automate the cutting operations directly in the same sewing machines and embroidery machines that are already known.

Of the devices used for performing cutting operations automatically, carousel devices are known which carry a plurality of needles that end with a sharp edge that is oriented at a preset angle so as to be able to perform various cuts with different angles, i.e. both along the weft or warp yarns of the fabric, and also at an intermediate angle with respect to the orientation of such yarns.

In addition, in order to obtain precise cuts, from EP1021604B1 the use is known of a special cutting needle that has a cutting edge shaped like the tail of a fish, so as to provide the same action as the action provided by the blade of a pair of scissors with the sole difference that the cutting bodies of scissors operate longitudinally with respect to the fabric to be cut unlike the needle that is the subject matter of the aforementioned patent which operates perpendicularly to the fabric and the closure of which occurs preferably along the needle carrier bar of the sewing machine/embroidery machine on which it is installed.

Moreover, in order to simplify the cutting needle carrier carousel, this can be substituted by a ratchet gear which is actuated by an electromagnet and is associated with a single cutting needle so as to be able to rotate it about its longitudinal axis at preset angles.

The devices of known type are not devoid of drawbacks, including the fact that they only make it possible to perform cuts at preset angles.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a needle carrier device, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like, which makes it possible to obtain cuts along any angle with respect to the weft and warp yarns.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a needle carrier device that is provided with a cutting needle capable of performing precise and uniform cuts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a needle carrier device that is highly reliable, easy to implement and low cost.

This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a needle carrier device, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like, characterized in that it comprises a needle carrier bar that is hollow and slidlingly associated with a sewing machine or the like along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a work surface, a support bar being further provided which is rotatably accommodated within said needle carrier bar and which can be associated with a work needle for the continuous rotation of said work needle about its longitudinal axis.

Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a needle carrier device, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like, according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation view of an embodiment of a needle carrier device, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like, according to the invention, which is associated with a cutting needle;

Figure 2 is an enlarged-scale perspective view of the cutting needle shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is an enlarged-scale front elevation view of the cutting needle shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is an enlarged-scale side elevation view of the cutting needle shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a fabric during the cutting operations both parallel to the weft yarns and to the warp yarns by means of the cutting needle shown in the previous figures;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a fabric that has three cuts made in it using the cutting needle shown in the previous figures.

Ways of carrying out the invention

With reference to the figures, the needle carrier device, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like, generally designated with the reference numeral 1 , comprises a needle carrier bar 2 that is hollow and slidingly associated with a sewing machine or the like, not shown, along a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a work surface on which a fabric 3 to be cut can be placed.

Moreover, a support bar 4 is provided which is rotatably accommodated within the needle carrier bar 2 and which can be associated with a work needle 5, which as will be better described hereinafter can be a cutting needle 6, so as to obtain a continuous rotation of the work needle 5 about its longitudinal axis 5a.

More precisely, in order to obtain a continuous rotation of the work needle 5, so as to be able to angle it in any direction, the support bar 4 is functionally connected to electric drive means, which are not shown and are implemented for example by a stepped motor, by way of mechanical transmission means 7 that comprise a toothed wheel 8 that is keyed on a first end 4a of the support bar 4 and is kinematically connected to the above mentioned electric drive means, by way of, for example, a rack gear or helical toothed wheel that meshes with the toothed wheel 8 or other mechanical elements known to the person skilled in the art.

In order to enable the connection between the support bar 4 and the work needle 5, a connection collar 9 is provided which is partially keyed on a second end 4b of the support bar 4 which is opposite to the first end 4a.

Conveniently, the second end 4b protrudes from the needle carrier bar 2 and the connection collar 9 can be keyed on the body of the work needle 5 in such a way as to make it protrude with an end portion 5b thereof from the connection collar 9.

For example, as shown in Figure 1, the connection collar 9 can be fixed to the support bar 4 and to the work needle 5 by means of two grub screws 9a.

As mentioned previously, the work needle 5 can be a cutting needle 6 which advantageously comprises a cutting blade 10 that is substantially shaped like the tail of a fish so as to be able to obtain cuts 11 of a fabric 3 that is placed on the work surface of the machine on which the needle carrier device 1 is used.

Operation of the needle carrier device 1, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like, according to the invention, is clear and apparent from the foregoing description. In particular, it should be noted that it is possible to make the work needle 5 rotate about its longitudinal axis 5a so as to angle the cutting blade 10 with respect to weft and warp yarns 13 and 14 of the fabric 3, if the work needle 5 is a cutting needle 6.

Similarly, if the work needle 5 is constituted by other types of needles such as, for example, a picker needle, then the possibility to rotate the support bar 4 is very advantageous because it makes it possible to orient the hook of the picker needle according to requirements, thus enabling it to pick the yarns oriented in any manner.

In practice it has been found that the needle carrier device, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like, achieves the intended aim and objects in that it makes it possible to obtain cuts both parallel to the weft or warp yarns, and also transversally to them.

The needle carrier device, particularly for cutting needles for sewing machines, embroidery machines and the like, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Where the technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference numerals and/or signs, those reference numerals and/or signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference numerals and/or signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference numerals and/or signs.