Cloth cutting devices for use with sewing machines

Abstract

A cloth-cutting device is attached to a sewing machine for cutting a cloth along a feeding direction of the cloth during a sewing operation. The cloth-cutting device includes a mount member mounted to the sewing machine on the side of the sewing head, an extendable member linearly vertically extendable from the mount member, and a cutter disposed at a lower end of the extendable member. The cutter is movable between a storage position on the side of a sewing head of the sewing machine and an operational position on the side of a table of the sewing machine as the extendable member moves between an upper position and a lower position.

1 . A cloth-cutting device attached to a sewing machine, which has a sewing head, a needle bar, and a table positioned below the sewing head, for cutting a cloth along a feeding direction of the cloth during a sewing operation, comprising: 
 a mount member mounted to the sewing machine on the side of the sewing head; and    an extendable member linearly vertically extendable from the mount member;    a cutter disposed at a lower end of the extendable member;    wherein the cutter is movable between a storage position on the side of the sewing head of the sewing machine and an operational position on the side of the table of the sewing machine as the extendable member moves between an upper position and a lower position.    
   
   
       2 . The cloth-cutting device as in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a lock device arranged and constructed to lock the extendable member in the upper position and the lower position; and    a lock releasing device arranged and constructed to release the lock device; and    two grip portions disposed on the lower front side of the extendable member;    wherein the lock device is released by the lock releasing member when the grip portions are grasped by an operator, and    wherein the extendable member is vertically moved by the operator while the grip portions are grasped by the operator; and    wherein the lock device is operable to lock the extendable member when the operator releases the grip portions and the extendable member is positioned at one of the upper position and the lower position.    
   
   
       3 . The cloth-cutting device as in  claim 1 , 
 wherein the extendable member comprises a fixed member and a movable member; and    wherein the fixed member has a positioning portion disposed at a lower portion of the fixed member; and    wherein the positioning member is positioned relative to the table of the sewing machine when the extendable member is positioned at the lower position.    
   
   
       4 . The cloth-cutting device as in  claim 3 , further comprising a driven device arranged and constructed to be driven by the needle bar, and 
 wherein the movable member has a connecting portion arranged and constructed to be connected to the driven device when the extendable member is positioned at the lower position, and    wherein the connecting portion is disposed at an upper portion of the movable member.    
   
   
       5 . The cloth-cutting device as in  claim 4 , wherein the cutter comprises a fixed knife mounted to the lower end of the fixed member and a movable knife mounted to the lower end of the movable member.  
   
   
       6 . The cloth-cutting device as in  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 a lock device arranged and constructed to lock the extendable member at the upper position and the lower position; and    a lock releasing device arranged and constructed to release the lock device and to connect and disconnect the connecting portion of the movable member and the driven device.    
   
   
       7 . The cloth-cutting device as in  claim 6 , 
 wherein the lock releasing device comprises a lock operation member pivotally mounted to the fixed member about a pivotal axis; and    wherein the lock operation member has a first grip portion disposed on the lower side of the pivotal axis of the lock operation member; and    wherein the fixed member has a second grip portion; and    wherein the lock operation member is pivoted about the pivotal axis to release the lock device when the first grip portion and the second grip are grasped by an operator.    
   
   
       8 . The cloth-cutting device as in  claim 7 , 
 wherein the lock operation member further includes a contact portion in a position on the upper side of the pivotal axis; and    wherein the contact portion is arranged and constructed to contact with the movable member; and    wherein the contact portion urges the movable member to pivot so as to disconnect the connecting portion from the driven device when the lock operation member is pivoted to release the lock device.