Sewing machine tape braking device

摘要

A braking device for strip material particularly for a sewing machine which sews a garment requiring ruffling comprises a fixed guide over which the strip material such as tape is fed. A resilient member overlies the fixed guide and it is engaged by a multi-step cam plate mounted for rotation about an axis so that a plurality of flat sides thereof may be selectively engaged against the resilient member to force it against the material passing on the guide so as to apply a selected braking force thereto. The resilient member advantageously comprises a leaf spring and the multi-step cam plate includes a plurality of engagements surfaces arranged at different distances from the central axis of its rotation which may be positioned by a hand knob control to bear against the resilient member and effect the varying braking of the tape being fed. The sewing machine advantageously is provided with a table having a slot through which the tape is fed onto the material being sewn and the sewing machine feeding device advances the tape off its reel supply and the braking of the tape to slow its feed is used for example, to effect the sewing of ruffles or similar arrangements on the material being fed as it is joined to the tape.