The present invention provides a sewing machine enabling to sew a high-quality pattern without using an embroidery frame. In a sewing machine 1, a pattern is sewn while a fabric 100 is fed in a sewing direction by a feed dog 2a. The sewing machine 1 has a fabric guide 14. The fabric guide 14 has a guide portion 16 which extends straight in a sewing direction to serve as a basis of a cloth feed in an amplitude direction of the needle. The carriage 10 makes the fabric guide 14 slide in the amplitude direction of the needle by a predetermined distance. Thus, the guide portion 16 serves as an index of the position of the fabric 100 to be located for sewing the next pattern line. Since the fabric 100 can be accurately located for sewing the next pattern line, high-quality pattern can be sewn.

An embroidery apparatus includes a main unit to be detachably mounted on a bed section of a sewing machine, a first translation mechanism that moves an embroidery frame holder with an embroidery frame mounted thereon in a first direction, a second translation mechanism that moves the first translation mechanism along an upper surface of the main unit in a second direction that orthogonally intersects the first direction, and an elevator mechanism that is supported by the second translation mechanism at opposite sides of the main unit and that raises and lowers the first translation mechanism. The embroidery apparatus is applicable to a sewing machine switchable between embroidery stitching and standard stitching. During standard stitching, the upper surface of the first translation mechanism is flush with the upper surface of the main unit, which enables both upper surfaces to be used as an auxiliary table.

An embroidery apparatus includes a main unit to be detachably mounted on a bed section of a sewing machine, a first translation mechanism that moves an embroidery frame holder with an embroidery frame mounted thereon in a first direction, a second translation mechanism that moves the first translation mechanism along an upper surface of the main unit in a second direction that orthogonally intersects the first direction, and an elevator mechanism that is supported by the second translation mechanism at opposite sides of the main unit and that raises and lowers the first translation mechanism. The embroidery apparatus is applicable to a sewing machine switchable between embroidery stitching and standard stitching. During standard stitching, the upper surface of the first translation mechanism is flush with the upper surface of the main unit, which enables both upper surfaces to be used as an auxiliary table.

An embroidery frame includes a base frame, an opposing frame disposed in a first direction with respect to the base frame, a mounting portion, and a support member. The support member includes a support portion, a first section, a second section, and a third section. The first section includes a first inclined section extending, with respect to the opening, to the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to the base frame or the mounting portion at a position further in the second direction than the support portion. The second section includes a second inclined section extending, with respect to the support portion, to the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to the support portion. The third section couples the first section and the second section at a position further in the first direction than the support portion.

An embroidery frame includes a base frame, an opposing frame disposed in a first direction with respect to the base frame, a mounting portion, and a support member. The support member includes a support portion, a first section, a second section, and a third section. The first section includes a first inclined section extending, with respect to the opening, to the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to the base frame or the mounting portion at a position further in the second direction than the support portion. The second section includes a second inclined section extending, with respect to the support portion, to the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to the support portion. The third section couples the first section and the second section at a position further in the first direction than the support portion.

A composite fabric sheet loading and unloading machine and its method of operation is described for loading and unloading a composite fabric sheet into a computer controlled stitching and laser cutting machine. The composite fabric sheet is restrained on a rectangular contour support frame of a transport platform which is displaceably and guidingly transported into the stitching and laser cutting machine where programmed pattern fabric pieces are formed in the restrained fabric sheet. The transport platform is then unloaded and transferred back to its original position where the pattern pieces and trimmings are separated and a new composite sheet is positioned and restrained on the flat top surface to repeat the operation. A transport platform is provided on opposed sides of the computer controlled stitching and die cutting machine wherein after the unloading of the transport platform another transport platform is loaded into the stitching and laser cutting machine from the opposed side.

A composite fabric sheet loading and unloading machine and its method of operation is described for loading and unloading a composite fabric sheet into a computer controlled stitching and laser cutting machine. The composite fabric sheet is restrained on a rectangular contour support frame of a transport platform which is displaceably and guidingly transported into the stitching and laser cutting machine where programmed pattern fabric pieces are formed in the restrained fabric sheet. The transport platform is then unloaded and transferred back to its original position where the pattern pieces and trimmings are separated and a new composite sheet is positioned and restrained on the flat top surface to repeat the operation. A transport platform is provided on opposed sides of the computer controlled stitching and die cutting machine wherein after the unloading of the transport platform another transport platform is loaded into the stitching and laser cutting machine from the opposed side.

The sewing system includes a device and a sewing machine including a movement mechanism to move an embroidery frame. The device identifies reference point coordinates representing a position of a reference point provided in a range prescribed by an inner frame of the embroidery frame and transmits the reference point coordinates to the sewing machine. The sewing machine notifies a notification position, using a notification portion, with respect to the range prescribed by the inner frame and acquires a relative movement amount of the embroidery frame with respect to the notification portion, for aligning the notification position and the reference point provided in the range prescribed by the inner frame. The sewing machine decides, on the basis of a relationship between the movement amount and the reference point coordinates, a deviation from a prescribed state of a positional relationship between the inner frame and the movement mechanism.

An embroidery frame includes a base frame, an opposing frame disposed in a first direction with respect to the base frame, a mounting portion, and a support member. The support member includes a support portion, a first section, a second section, and a third section. The first section includes a first inclined section extending, with respect to the opening, to the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to the base frame or the mounting portion at a position further in the second direction than the support portion. The second section includes a second inclined section extending, with respect to the support portion, to the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to the support portion. The third section couples the first section and the second section at a position further in the first direction than the support portion.

An embroidery frame includes a base frame, an opposing frame disposed in a first direction with respect to the base frame, a mounting portion, and a support member. The support member includes a support portion, a first section, a second section, and a third section. The first section includes a first inclined section extending, with respect to the opening, to the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to the base frame or the mounting portion at a position further in the second direction than the support portion. The second section includes a second inclined section extending, with respect to the support portion, to the first direction and the second direction, and is coupled to the support portion. The third section couples the first section and the second section at a position further in the first direction than the support portion.