Accessory for sewing machines with interchangeable guide and method of use thereof

Abstract

An exemplary embroidery accessory for a sewing machine includes a fixed support attached to the sewing machine and a rotating support rotatably attached to the fixed support. A drive mechanism rotates the rotating support relative to the fixed support, and a spool supported by the rotating support receives and dispenses a length of embroidery material. A removable guide is removably attached to the rotating support and includes a sewing guide with a needle aperture for receiving a needle of the sewing machine and at least one guide for guiding the length of embroidery material from the spool to the sewing guide.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates generally to sewing machines, and in particular to accessories therefor. BACKGROUND

[0002] Sewing machines are capable of sewing embroidery patterns on a workpiece mounted in an embroidery frame. The embroidery frame is moved relative to a sewing head to sew the embroidery pattern onto a fabric workpiece using a needle and thread.

[0003] Such sewing machines can include a spool of material, such as a ribbon or cord, that is dispensed in front of the needle as the needle follows the embroidery pattern so that the stitches attach the ribbon or cord to the fabric workpiece. SUMMARY

[0004] Disclosed are example embodiments of sewing machine accessories, sewing machines for performing embroidery, and methods of using the same.

[0005] An example embroidery accessory for a sewing machine includes a fixed support attached to the sewing machine, and a rotating support rotatably attached to the fixed support. A drive mechanism rotates the rotating support relative to the fixed support, and a spool supported by the rotating support receives and dispenses a length of embroidery material. A removable guide is removably attached to the rotating support, and includes a sewing guide with a needle hole for receiving a needle of the sewing machine, and at least one guide for guiding the length of embroidery material from the spool to the sewing guide.

[0006] An example sewing machine includes a bed, an embroidery frame for holding a workpiece, an actuator movably attaching the embroidery frame to the bed, an arm portion disposed above the bed, a needle bar for holding a needle, and an accessory. The arm portion is disposed above the bed, and a bottom surface of the arm portion is spaced apart from a top surface of the bed by an arm portion height. The needle bar and an accessory base extend below the arm portion toward the bed. An example embroidery accessory for a sewing machine includes a fixed support attached to the sewing machine, and a rotating support rotatably attached to the fixed support. A drive mechanism rotates the rotating support relative to the fixed support, and a spool supported by the rotating support receives and dispenses a length of embroidery material. A removable guide is removably attached to the rotating support, and includes a sewing guide with a needle hole for receiving a needle of the sewing machine, and at least one guide for guiding the length of embroidery material from the spool to the sewing guide.

[0007] An exemplary method of operating an accessory for a sewing machine to attach a length of embroidery material to a workpiece includes the following steps: providing the sewing machine and the accessory to receive and dispense the length of embroidery material; selecting a removable guide for the accessory based on the type of embroidery material; removably attaching the removable guide to the accessory; moving the workpiece such that the needle of the sewing machine follows a predetermined sewing path; rotating the rotary support such that an embroidery material hole guides the needle along the predetermined sewing path; dispensing at least a portion of the length of embroidery material through the embroidery material hole of the guide; and sewing at least a portion of the length of embroidery material to the workpiece by means of the needle. The accessory includes a fixed support attached to the sewing machine and a rotary support rotatably attached to the fixed support. A drive mechanism rotates the rotary support relative to the fixed support, and a spool supported by the rotary support receives and dispenses a length of embroidery material. The removable guide is removably attached to the rotating support and includes a sewing guide with a needle hole (for receiving a needle from a sewing machine) and at least one guide for guiding embroidery material of that length from the spool to the sewing guide.

[0008] Please refer to the following description and claims, and especially to the accompanying drawings, in which similar parts are referred to by similar reference numerals. Attached Figure Description

[0009] To further clarify various aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure, certain embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to various aspects of the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this disclosure and are therefore not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, while the drawings may be drawn to scale for some embodiments, they are not necessarily drawn to scale for all embodiments. Embodiments of this disclosure, as well as other features and advantages, will be illustrated and explained using the accompanying drawings, with the aid of additional features and details, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the accessories and sewing machine;

[0011] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A front view of an embodiment;

[0012] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A close-up perspective view of an embodiment;

[0013] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Top view of the accessories;

[0014] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A front view of the accessories;

[0015] Figure 6 is a top perspective view of an exemplary accessory for a sewing machine;

[0016] Figure 7 is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary accessory for a sewing machine;

[0017] Figure 8 is a perspective exploded view showing an exemplary accessory for a sewing machine;

[0018] Figure 9 and Figure 10 shows a step of winding a tape onto a spool of an exemplary accessory for a sewing machine;

[0019] Figures 11-13 shows a step of threading a tape through a guide of an exemplary accessory for a sewing machine;

[0020] Figure 14 shows a magnified perspective view of a sewing guide of an exemplary accessory for a sewing machine, with a portion of an adjustment knob cut away;

[0021] Figure 15 shows a top perspective exploded view of the sewing guide in Figure 14 ;

[0022] Figures 16-17 shows a bottom perspective exploded view of the sewing guide in Figure 15 ;

[0023] Figure 18 shows a side sectional view of an exemplary accessory for a sewing machine in a tilted state;

[0024] Figure 19 shows a side sectional view of an exemplary accessory for a sewing machine in a tilted and removed state;

[0025] Figure 20 shows a front perspective view of an attachment mechanism for attaching an exemplary accessory to a sewing machine;

[0026] Figure 21 shows a rear perspective view of the attachment mechanism in Figure 20 ;

[0027] Figure 22 shows a top view of the attachment mechanism in Figure 20 ;

[0028] Figure 23 shows a sectional view of the attachment mechanism in Figure 20 , taken along line 23-23 in Figure 22 ;

[0029] Figure 24 shows a sectional view of the attachment mechanism in Figure 20An exploded three-dimensional view of the attachment mechanism in the diagram;

[0030] Figures 25-34 This illustrates the process from the latch being articulated to tilting and to the release condition. Figure 20 A view of the attachment mechanism in the image; and

[0031] Figure 35 and Figure 36 A three-dimensional view showing the strips sewn onto straight and curved paths.

[0032] Figure 37 This is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an accessory for a sewing machine;

[0033] Figure 38 yes Figure 37 A bottom-view perspective of the components;

[0034] Figure 39 yes Figure 37 A front view of the accessories;

[0035] Figure 40 yes Figure 37 Left side view of the accessory;

[0036] Figure 41 yes Figure 37 The right-side view of the accessory;

[0037] Figure 42 yes Figure 37 Top view of the components;

[0038] Figure 43 yes Figure 37 A bottom view of the components;

[0039] Figure 44 This is a top perspective view of an accessory for a sewing machine, showing an exemplary embodiment.

[0040] Figure 45 yes Figure 44 A bottom-view perspective of the components;

[0041] Figure 46 From Figure 44 A top-view perspective view of the disassembled parts with guide components.

[0042] Figure 47 yes Figure 46 A bottom-view stereoscopic view with guide elements;

[0043] Figure 48-50 Shown from a top-down perspective Figure 48 With guide and Figure 44 Components of the accessories;

[0044] Figure 51 Is with Figure 44 Top-view perspective view of the assembled components, including guides and reels;

[0045] Figure 52 Is with Figure 51 A bottom-view perspective view of the assembled components, including guides and a reel;

[0046] Figure 53 From Figure 44 A top-view perspective view of the wire guide components that have been disassembled from the accessories.

[0047] Figure 54 yes Figure 53 A bottom-view perspective view of the wire guide component in the diagram;

[0048] Figures 55-57 Shown from a top-down perspective Figure 55 The wire guide in Figure 44 Components of the accessories;

[0049] Figure 58 Showing from Figure 44 A top-down perspective view of the spools of silk threads that have been disassembled from the accessories.

[0050] Figure 59 Show Figure 58 Top-view perspective view of the thread spool assembly after the spool has been removed;

[0051] Figure 60 and Figure 61 Shown from a top-down perspective Figure 58 The silk thread spool and Figure 44 Components of the accessories;

[0052] Figure 62 Is with Figure 44 Top-view perspective view of the wire guide and spool assembled from the components;

[0053] Figure 63 Is with Figure 62 The image shows a bottom-view perspective view of the assembled wire guide and spool.

[0054] Figure 64 and Figure 65 An enlarged top view of a sewing guide with a thread guide carrying a string of embroidery material during sewing;

[0055] Figure 66 This is a top perspective view of an accessory for a sewing machine, showing an exemplary embodiment.

[0056] Figure 67 yes Figure 66 A bottom-view perspective of the components;

[0057] Figure 68 is a top perspective view of the assembly in Figure 66 with the reel exploded from the reel holder;

[0058] Figure 69 is a top perspective view of the reel in Figure 66

[0059] Figure 70 is a top view of the reel in Figure 68

[0060] Figure 71 is a side view of the reel in Figure 68

[0061] Figure 72 is a top perspective view of the tape guide assembled with the assembly in Figure 66

[0062] Figure 73 is a top perspective view of the assembly in Figure 72

[0063] Figure 74 is a top perspective view of the thread guide assembled with the assembly in Figure 66

[0064] Figure 75 is a top perspective view of the assembly in Figure 74 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The following description refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments have different structures and operations than those described and illustrated herein.

[0066] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a sewing machine for sewing an embroidery pattern and an assembly for use therewith. It should be noted that various embodiments of the sewing machine and assembly are disclosed herein and any combination of these options can be made unless specifically excluded. In other words, various components or portions of the disclosed apparatus can be combined unless mutually exclusive or otherwise physically impossible.

[0067] ​​​​​​​As described herein, when one or more components are described as connected, joined, affixed, coupled, attached, or otherwise interconnected, such interconnection can be direct as between the components or can be indirect such as through the use of one or more intermediate components. Also as described herein, reference to a "member," "component," or "part" shall not be limited to a single structural member, component, or element, but can include a collection of components, members, or elements. Also as described herein, the terms "substantially" and "approximately" are defined as at least close or approximately (and including within) a given value or state (preferably within 10% thereof, more preferably within 1% thereof, and most preferably within 0.1% thereof).

[0068] Referring now to Figures 1-3 , an example accessory 200 is shown attached to an example sewing machine 100. The sewing machine 100 includes a base 102, a sewing bed 104, and an arm portion 110 that extends horizontally above the base 102 and the sewing bed 104. A touchscreen and display 124 is disposed on a tower 126 that supports the arm portion 110 above the base 102. The touchscreen 124 provides an interface for a computer (not shown) that controls the sewing machine 100 and the attached accessory 200 to produce an embroidery pattern on a fabric workpiece (not shown). During operation, the fabric workpiece is attached to an embroidery frame (not shown) that is attached to an embroidery frame mount 108. The embroidery frame mount 108 is attached to the sewing machine base 102 by at least one actuator that can move the embroidery frame mount 108 left and right and forward and back to provide two-axis control of the embroidery frame position.

[0069] A sewing head 112 of the machine is disposed at a distal end of the arm portion 110. The sewing head 112 is spaced apart from the sewing bed 104 by a minimum arm portion height 114. A needle bar 116 Figure 3 that holds a needle (not shown) extends downward from the sewing head 112 toward a needle plate 106 in the sewing bed 104. Thread is provided to the needle from a spool (not shown) supported by the arm portion 110 and a bobbin (not shown) below the needle plate 106 so that stitches can be formed in the workpiece.

[0070] Referring now to Figure 3 , the accessory 200 includes an attachment portion 238 that engages an attachment holder 240 to attach the accessory 200 to the sewing machine 100. The accessory 200 is mounted within the minimum arm portion height 114, which can range from about 3 inches to about 6 inches. The accessory 200 provides sufficient space around the needle bar 116 and the needle so that normal sewing functions of the sewing machine 100 are not disrupted by the accessory 200. For example, sufficient space is provided for a threader 120 to thread a needle attached to the needle bar 116 without removing the accessory 200.

[0071] The attachment retainer 240 is attached to an accessory base 122 extending below the sewing head 112. In some embodiments, the accessory base 122 is a pressure bar typically used for a sewing machine presser foot (not shown), which is removed and replaced by the attachment retainer 240 to provide a mounting point for the accessory 200. The attachment release member 266 can be pressed down to disengage the attachment portion 238 from the attachment retainer 240, so that the accessory 200 can be attached to or removed from the sewing machine 100. The interaction between the attachment portion and the retainers 238, 240... Figures 20-34 It is shown in the figure and described in more detail below.

[0072] Now for reference Figures 3-8 Accessory 200 includes a scroll 230 for receiving and dispensing embroidery material 202 of a certain length. Figures 9-13 Embroidery materials, such as ribbons, threads, beads, or pearls, can be held and dispensed. The spool 230 is supported by the support 210, allowing the spool 230 to rotate about a first axis of rotation 204. The spool 230 and accessory 200 can hold and dispense a wide variety of embroidery materials, such as ribbons, threads, beads, or pearls. The spool 230 can have any suitable inner diameter to hold the embroidery material. In the illustrated embodiment, the spool 230 has an inner diameter of at least 6.5 inches and can hold more than 20 feet of embroidery material. Embroidery material can be loaded onto the spool 230 when it is attached to the support 210, or when it is removed from the support 210. The loading of the spool 230 and the path of the embroidery material through the accessory 200 are... Figures 9-13 It is shown in the figure and described in more detail below.

[0073] The support member 210 is rotatably attached to the attachment portion 238 and, as described above, to the reel 230. The support member 210 has a generally tapered shape extending from a wider top or first end to a narrower bottom or second end. The reel 230 rests in a circular channel within the support member 210, near or at the top of the tapered shape. A reel retainer 232 for retaining the reel 230 within the circular channel of the support member 210 is provided at the outer diameter of the support member 210. The reel retainer 232 moves vertically to allow the reel 230 to be removed from the channel for loading the embroidery material 202. The reel 230 can be retained within the channel in a variety of ways, for example, by having a protrusion that allows the reel to engage with the channel while preventing the reel 230 from popping out from the open top of the channel. A cover attached to the support member 210 and covering the open channel may also be provided to completely enclose the reel 230.

[0074] Support 210 includes sewing guide 216 and dispensing guide 212 for guiding embroidery material 202 from spool 230 along dispensing path 236 and into the path of needle 118.Figure 18 and Figure 19 ) to the workpiece. The sewing guide 216 has a needle hole 222 that receives the needle 118 of the sewing machine 100 and an embroidery material hole 218 that receives a length of embroidery material from the spool 230 Figure 16 ). The sewing guide 216 includes an adjustment knob 224 that adjusts the position of the two guide members 228 to accommodate embroidery material having different widths. Alternatively, the sewing guide 216 can be removed from the support 210 so that other sewing guides having different sized embroidery material holes for different sized embroidery material can be installed. The mechanism for adjusting the path width between the guide members 228 is shown in Figures 14-17 and is described in more detail below.

[0075] The dispensing guide 212 is located near the spool 230 and guides the length of embroidery material from the spool 230 along a dispensing path 236 Figure 6 and Figure 7 to the embroidery material hole 218 in the sewing guide 216. As the embroidery material is dispensed through the dispensing guide 212 and the sewing guide 216, at least a portion of the embroidery material extends along the outer surface of the support 210. The guide surface of the dispensing guide is arranged at an angle of about 45 degrees to the axis of rotation of the spool 230. The angled guide surface twists the embroidery material as it is dispensed down the outer surface of the support 210 so that the outer surface of the embroidery material on the spool becomes the top surface of the embroidery material as it is stitched to the workpiece.

[0076] The support 210 can also include an additional or secondary guide 214 Figure 4 and Figure 7 located between the dispensing and sewing guides 212, 216 to support the embroidery material as it is dispensed from the spool 230 so that any slack in the embroidery material does not interfere with the workpiece.

[0077] The mechanism 280 rotates the support 210 relative to the fixed attachment 238 about a second axis of rotation 206 that is aligned (i.e., parallel) with the first axis of rotation 204. The second axis of rotation 206 is collinear with the longitudinal axis of the needle bar 116 and needle 118 Figure 18 and Figure 19 of the sewing machine. In some embodiments, the first axis of rotation 206 is collinear with the second axis of rotation 204. The mechanism 280 can include a motor and transmission and is capable of rotating the support 210 clockwise and counterclockwise. To conserve vertical space, the mechanism 280 is arranged inside the support 210 and the spool 230 so that at least a portion of the mechanism is arranged between the top surface and the bottom surface of the spool 230.

[0078] The transmission can include one or more gears, belts, etc. that are arranged to transmit rotational motion from the motor to the support 210. For example, the transmission can include a ring gear that is attached to the inside diameter of a portion of the support 210 Figure 6 and Figures 18-19 .

[0079] The motor of the mechanism 280 receives power and control signals from the sewing machine through an electrical connection. This connection can be provided by an electrical cord 282 that is attached between the accessory 200 and another portion of the sewing machine 100, such as the sewing arm portion 110. In some embodiments, the power and data connection can be integrated into the attachment portion 238, the attachment holder 240, and the accessory base 122, such that attaching the accessory 200 to the sewing machine 100 also provides a pathway for transmitting power and control signals from the sewing machine 100 to the accessory 200.

[0080] Referring now to Figure 9 and Figure 10 , the steps of loading the embroidery material 202 (e.g., the shown tape) onto the spool 230 are shown. First, an end of the embroidery material 202 is inserted into the retaining clip or tape clip 234, which is closed to securely attach the embroidery material 202 to the spool 230. The embroidery material 202 is then wound around the spool 230. Once the spool 230 has been filled with material 202, the spool holder 232 (e.g., Figure 8 ) is raised, the spool 230 is inserted into the support 210, and the spool holder 232 is lowered into the retaining position.

[0081] As shown in Figures 11-13 , once the full spool 230 has been installed in the accessory 200, the embroidery material 202 can be threaded or strung through the dispensing, auxiliary, and sewing guides 212, 214, 216 to prepare the accessory 200 for use. The embroidery material 202 is first fed through the dispensing guide 212, then through any additional or auxiliary guides 214, and then through the sewing guide 216. In embodiments having an adjustable sewing guide, the sewing guide 216 is also adjusted to match the width of the embroidery material 202.

[0082] Referring now to Figures 14-17 , the mechanism for adjusting the width of the path between the tape guides or guide members 228 of the sewing guide 216 is shown. The sewing guide 216 includes a pair of guide members 228 that are attached to the support 210 and are arranged to guide the embroidery material 202 as it is fed through the sewing guide 216. The guide members 228 are connected to one another by a pair of arms 226 that are attached to the support 210. The arms 226 are connected to one another by a pivot 224 that is attached to the support 210. The pivot 224 is arranged to allow the arms 226 to pivot relative to one another, and thus the guide members 228, to adjust the width of the path between the guide members 228. Figures 14-17The adjustment knob 224 is shown without a top to expose a guide groove 226 that engages a protrusion extending from a guide member 228. The guide member 228 is inserted into a groove in the support 210 that extends transverse to the path of the embroidery material. The guide groove 226 is helical such that rotating the adjustment knob 224 causes the protrusion of the guide member 228 to move the guide member 228 transversely within the transverse groove, thereby increasing or decreasing the distance between the guide members 228 to accommodate different sizes of embroidery material. Each guide member 228 includes a semicircular cutout that together form a needle hole 222. The needle hole 222 provides clearance for the needle such that the sewing guide 216 does not interfere with the sewing needle when the sewing guide 216 is in the fully closed state. Embroidery material enters the sewing guide 216 from an entry 218 on one side and exits the sewing guide from an exit 220 on the other side. The exit 220 of the sewing guide 216 is open at the bottom such that the sewing guide 216 does not interfere with the embroidery material attached to the workpiece after sewing.

[0083] Referring now to Figure 18 and Figure 19 partial cross-sectional views of the accessory 200 are shown in tilted and removed states, respectively. The accessory 200 is moved to the tilted state to enable the user to remove and replace the needle 118 of the sewing machine 100 without having to remove the accessory 200 completely from the sewing machine 100. To tilt the accessory 200, the release 266 of the attachment portion 238 is pressed and the accessory 200 is moved rearward until the tilt alignment marks 252 on the attachment portion 238 and the tilt alignment marks 242 on the attachment holder 240 are aligned. The accessory 200 can then be tilted forward to provide access to the needle bar 116 and the needle 118. To return the accessory 200 to the installed position, the user tilts the accessory 200 rearward until the accessory 200 is level and then pulls the accessory 200 forward until the attachment portion 238 snaps back into place.

[0084] Removing the accessory 200 from the sewing machine 100 is similar. The release 266 is pressed to disengage the latches 256 of the attachment portion 238 and the accessory 200 is moved rearward until the attachment portion 238 is completely separated from the attachment holder 240 that is attached to the accessory base 122 of the sewing machine 100. The accessory 200 is then tilted forward so that the front edges of the support 210 and the spool 230 can pass under the needle 118.

[0085] Referring now to Figures 20-34FIG. 6 shows the mechanism for attaching the accessory 200 to the sewing machine 100 and also for tilting and removing the accessory 200. The attachment portion 238 is attached to the attachment holder 240 and includes a latch 256 and a release 266. The attachment holder 240 includes first and second posts 246, 248 that are received in an attachment interface slot 254 of the attachment portion 238. The latch 256 includes first and second latch recesses 260, 262 for receiving the first and second posts 246, 248. In the fully installed state, both the first and second posts 246, 248 are secured within the attachment interface slot 254 by the latch 256. In the tilted position, only the second post 248 is secured within the attachment interface slot 254 by the latch 256. A tilt portion of the latch 256 leads to the first recess 260 and between the first and second recesses 260, 262, so that when the first and second posts 246, 248 are inserted into the attachment interface slot 254, the first and second posts 246, 248 can push the latch 256 out of the way so that the release 266 does not need to be pressed to attach the accessory 200 to the attachment holder 240.

[0086] The latch 256 moves vertically within the groove of the attachment portion 238 and is biased toward the closed position by a latch spring 258 that lifts the latch 258 upward toward the attachment interface slot 254. The release 266 moves horizontally within the groove of the attachment portion 238 and is biased outward to the disengaged position by a release spring 268. Figure 23 The cross-sectional view of the attachment portion 238 shown reveals that the release 266 includes a ramp 270 that engages a ramp 264 of the latch 256 to facilitate opening of the latch 256. As shown in FIG. 6, pressing the release 266 inward moves the release ramp 270 horizontally against the latch ramp 264, which moves the latch 256 vertically away from the attachment interface slot 254 and the first and second posts 246, 248 of the attachment holder 240 to release the attachment portion 238 from the attachment holder 240. Figure 27 and Figure 28 As shown, pressing the release 266 inward moves the release ramp 270 horizontally against the latch ramp 264, which moves the latch 256 vertically away from the attachment interface slot 254 and the first and second posts 246, 248 of the attachment holder 240 to release the attachment portion 238 from the attachment holder 240. The accessory 200 can then be moved back and tilted into the tilted position (FIG. 6) by pivoting the accessory about the second post 248, or removed completely (FIG. 7) by maintaining the latch 256 in the open position and moving the accessory 200 back. Figures 31-32 Figures 33-34

[0087] ​​The compact size of the accessory 200 is achieved by arranging the spool 230, the support 210, and the mechanism 280 for rotating the support 210 in a vertically overlapping manner. For example, the first axis of rotation 204 is parallel to the second axis of rotation 206, and the top surface of the spool 230 is lower than the top surface of the support 210, and the bottom surface of the spool 230 is higher than the bottom surface of the support 210. Similarly, the mechanism 280 can be arranged entirely between the top and bottom surfaces of the support 210, or can be positioned such that a majority or almost all of the motor of the mechanism 280 is located between the top and bottom surfaces of the support 210. Thus, the accessory 200 can be used with a home sewing machine having an arm height 114 that can be as low as 3 to 6 inches above the sewing bed 104.

[0088] During operation of the accessory 200, embroidery material is supplied from the spool 230 supported by the support 210. The spool 230 is not fixed to the rotating support 210, such that the spool 230 can freely rotate relative to the support 210. As embroidery material is dispensed and sewn onto a sewing article (not shown), the tension between the embroidery material attached to the fabric workpiece and the embroidery material remaining in the spool 230 causes the spool 230 to rotate in the dispensing direction 231 Figure 3 and Figures 6-7 ) to dispense more embroidery material for sewing. Because the spool 230 is supported by the support 210, tension along the embroidery material does not transfer to the attachment 238 and thus does not impede or facilitate rotation of the support 210, nor does it push the sewing guide 216 out of alignment with the needle 118.

[0089] The sewing machine 100 includes a controller (not shown) that sends signals to one or more actuators to move the embroidery frame, and also sends signals to the mechanism 280 to control rotation of the support 210 of the accessory 200 to rotate the support 210 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction such that the embroidery material hole 218 of the sewing guide 216 guides the needle hole 222 along a sewing path of an embroidery pattern being sewn by the sewing machine 100. That is, the embroidery frame moves the workpiece relative to the needle 118 such that the needle 118 and the accessory 200 move relative to the workpiece when the needle 118 and the accessory 200 are stationary relative to the sewing machine 100. Thus, the needle 118 traces a sewing path relative to the workpiece, and the sewing guide 216 is rotated to be in front of the needle 118 along the path traced by the needle 118 relative to the workpiece. In other words, the support 210 and the sewing guide 216 guide the embroidery material under the workpiece and the needle or needles 118, while the embroidery frame base is moved by the sewing machine 100 to ensure proper adherence to the embroidery design. While the support 210 can be rotated in either direction, as indicated by the double-ended arrow 211, the spool 230 is rotated only in the dispensing direction 231 when dispensing embroidery material.

[0090] An exemplary method of operating the accessory 200 for a sewing machine to attach a length of embroidery material to a workpiece includes the steps of providing the sewing machine and the accessory, moving the workpiece so that the needle of the sewing machine follows a predetermined sewing path, rotating the support so that the embroidery material hole guides the needle along the predetermined sewing path, dispensing at least a portion of the length of embroidery through the embroidery material hole of the guide, and sewing at least a portion of the length of embroidery to the workpiece with the needle. The accessory includes a support rotatably attached to the sewing machine, a guide attached to the support, a spool rotatably attached to the support and rotatable about a first axis of rotation, and a mechanism that rotates the support about a second axis of rotation. The mechanism is controllable by the sewing machine. The second axis of rotation is parallel to the first axis of rotation. The guide includes a needle hole for the needle of the sewing machine to pass through and an embroidery material hole spaced apart from the needle hole.

[0091] Reference is now made to Figure 35 and Figure 36 Embroidery material, in this case a ribbon, is shown attached to a cloth workpiece along straight and curved paths. When sewn on a straight path, the embroidery material tends to lie flat on the cloth, while embroidery material sewn along a curved path tends to kink or wrinkle so that the edges of the embroidery material pivot away from the cloth and impart a three-dimensional visual effect to the embroidery material. By varying the radius of the curved path and the width of the embroidery material, the degree of this pivoting can be controlled to produce a wide variety of visual effects. To accommodate curved embroidery material of different heights, the accessory 200 is spaced apart from the cloth workpiece. In particular, the accessory 200 is spaced apart from the cloth by a pivot height that is greater for wider embroidery material. The pivot height is set by lowering the accessory 200 to contact the cloth to establish a zero position, and then raising the accessory 200 to a desired position. The zero position calibration operation is performed only when the sewing machine is not sewing so that the accessory 200 does not interfere with the movement of the workpiece and the embroidery material.

[0092] Reference is now made to Figures 37-43FIG. 3 shows an exemplary accessory 300 for use with a sewing machine 100. The accessory 300 is similar in function to the accessory 200 described above, and is capable of dispensing and attaching embroidery material to a fabric workpiece during a sewing or embroidery operation. The accessory 300 includes a support 308 that is rotatably attached to a sewing machine (not shown) via an attachment 302. The support 308 has a tubular central portion that fits around the needle bar 116 of the sewing machine, such that the support 308 rotates around the needle bar 116 during operation. The support 308 is rotated by a rotation mechanism 304, which includes a drive belt or gears or other suitable means for rotating the support 308 relative to the sewing machine. A spool 306 is disposed on and rotates relative to the support 308. In some embodiments, the rotation mechanism 304 is attached to and rotates with the support, and can be disposed above, below, or inside the central hole of the spool 306. Embroidery material is pulled from the spool 306, through a dispensing guide 310 and a sewing guide 312, which are both attached to the support 308. The sewing guide 312 includes a needle hole 314, such that the needle 118 can attach the embroidery material to the workpiece.

[0093] Referring now to Figures 44-65 FIG. 4 shows an exemplary accessory 400 having interchangeable guides for use with a sewing machine, such as the sewing machine 100. The accessory 400 differs from the accessories 200, 300 described above in that various guides can be removed from the rotating support to facilitate embroidery of various materials, such as, for example, tape, thread, yarn, or a string of beads, pearls, etc. Two guides are described in detail below: a tape guide for dispensing wider and / or flatter materials; and a thread guide for dispensing narrower and / or thicker materials (e.g., a string of beads, pearls, etc.) or cylindrical materials (e.g., yarn). While a tape guide and a thread guide are shown here, the accessory 400 can receive a wide variety of guides and / or spools to dispense a length of material for embroidery onto a workpiece. In addition, a wide variety of other devices can be attached to the accessory via an embroidery frame or other holder that moves through the embroidery frame base 108 to facilitate rotation of the attached device in conjunction with translation of the workpiece. Holders for pens, markers, brushes, or other marking tools can be attached to the accessory to enable drawing or sketching on paper or fabric.

[0094] Referring now to Figure 44 and Figure 45Fig. 4 shows a kit 400 that can receive various interchangeable guides. The kit 400 includes a fixed support 410 and a rotating support 420. The fixed support 410 attaches the kit 400 to the kit base 122 of the sewing machine 100. The rotating support 420 includes an interface 430 for receiving and attaching to interchangeable guides, such as a tape guide 440 and a thread guide 460. The rotating support 420 can also receive a tape spool 450 and a thread spool 470 to hold and dispense lengths of tape and thread, respectively.

[0095] The fixed support 410 includes an attachment portion 412 that engages with the attachment holder 402 attached to the kit base 122 of the sewing machine 100, similar to the attachment portion 238 and the attachment holder 240 described above. The attachment portion 412 and the attachment holder 402 are similar to the attachment portion 238 and the attachment holder 240 described above and function in the same manner to attach the kit 400 to the sewing machine 100, respectively. For example, the attachment holder 402 can also include a latch and release mechanism that enables the kit 400 to be tilted without releasing the kit 400. Thus, the interaction of the attachment portion 238 and the holder 240 shown in Figs. 2A-2D and described in more detail above applies to the attachment portion 412 and the holder 402, respectively. Figures 20-34 The interaction of the attachment portion 238 and the holder 240 shown in Figs. 2A-2D and described in more detail above applies to the attachment portion 412 and the holder 402, respectively.

[0096] Similar to the kit 200, the kit 400 fits within the minimum arm height 114, which can be in the range of about 3 inches to about 6 inches. The kit 400 provides sufficient space around the needle bar 116 and the needle so that the normal sewing functions of the sewing machine 100 are not disturbed by the kit 400. For example, sufficient space is provided for the needle threader 120 to thread a needle attached to the needle bar 116 without removing the kit 400.

[0097] The fixed support 410 also includes a perimeter portion 414 and a drive mechanism 416. The rotating support 420 is attached to the fixed support 410 at the perimeter portion 414, and the drive mechanism 416 rotates the rotating support 420 about the guide rotation axis 404. The drive mechanism 416 can include a motor and a transmission, and is capable of rotating the rotating support 420 clockwise and counterclockwise. The transmission can include one or more gears, belts, etc. arranged to transmit rotational motion from the motor to the rotating support 420. For example, the transmission can include a gear that engages with a drive portion of the rotating support 420, such as a ring gear 422 attached to the rotating support 420 (see, e.g., Figs. 4A-4B). The ring gear 422 can be engaged with a pinion gear 424 that is driven by the motor. The pinion gear 424 can be attached to a shaft of the motor, and the motor can be configured to rotate the pinion gear 424 clockwise and counterclockwise to rotate the ring gear 422 and the rotating support 420 clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively. Figure 44 and Figure 48To conserve vertical space, the drive mechanism 416 is disposed inside the fixed support 410 (and the tape spool 450, if installed) such that at least a portion of the mechanism is disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface of the fixed support 410 (and the tape spool 450, if installed).

[0098] The motor of the drive mechanism 416 receives power and control signals from the sewing machine via an electrical connection. This connection can be provided by an electrical cord (not shown) similar to the electrical cord 282 described above, which is attached between the accessory 400 and another portion of the sewing machine 100, such as the sewing arm portion 110. In some embodiments, the power and data connections can be integrated into the accessory attachment portion 402, the accessory holder 412, and the accessory base 122, such that attachment of the accessory 400 to the sewing machine 100 also provides a pathway for the transmission of power and control signals from the sewing machine 100 to the accessory 400.

[0099] The rotating support 420 includes a ring gear 422, a tape spool holder 424, a tape dispensing guide 426, a thread spool attachment portion 428, and a guide interface portion 430. The ring gear 422 is rotatably attached to the fixed support 410 and is configured to engage with the transmission of the drive mechanism 416, thereby enabling the drive mechanism to cause the rotating support 420 to rotate. In particular, the rotating support 420 is cantilevered from the fixed support 410 by the engagement between the ring gear 422 and the fixed support 410.

[0100] The guide interface portion 430 is formed on the bottom surface of the rotating support 420 and is configured to receive the tape guide 440 and the thread guide 460, which are cantilevered from the rotating support 420 and positioned above the workpiece when assembled to the rotating support 420. The guide interface portion 430 surrounds the central hole of the rotating support 420, that is, the components of the interface portion 430 are disposed around the outer periphery of the central hole of the rotating support 420. The guide interface portion 430 can incorporate any suitable means for removably attaching the tape guide 440 and the thread guide 460 to the rotating support 420, such as using threaded fasteners, right angle swivel fasteners, magnets, reusable adhesive, snaps, hook-and-loop fasteners, and the like.

[0101] The guide interface portion 430 includes an alignment portion 432, a plurality of retention slots 434, a latch 436, and an alignment indicator 438. The alignment portion 432 is formed by a lip extending downward from and around the periphery of the central aperture of the rotating guide 420. A hole 431 is provided in the alignment portion 432 to allow the tape dispensed from the tape spool 450 and the filament dispensed from the filament spool 470 to pass through the interface portion 430 forming the connection between the rotating support 420 and the tape and filament guides 440, 460. The retention slots 434 receive the respective tabs 442, 462 of the tape guide 440 and the filament guide 460, respectively, and the latch 436 captures the locking tabs 444, 464 of the tape guide 440 and the filament guide 460, respectively, against one of the retention slots 434 to prevent the tape guide 440 or the filament guide 460 from rotating relative to the rotating support 420. The alignment indicator 438 has an arrow shape and identifies the initial assembly orientation of the tape guide 440 and the filament guide 460 relative to the rotating support 420. The steps of attaching the tape guide 440 or the filament guide 460 to the rotating support 420 will be described in more detail below.

[0102] Referring now to Figure 46 and Figure 47 , the tape guide 440 is shown detached from the fitting 400. Like the support 210 of the fitting 200 described above, the tape guide 440 has a generally conical shape extending from a wider top or first end to a narrower bottom or second end. The tape guide 440 is attached to the interface portion 430 of the rotating support 420 via a plurality of retention tabs 442 and is secured in the assembled state by locking tabs 444 that engage the latch 436.

[0103] The retention tabs 442 extend radially from the periphery of the wider top end of the tape guide 440 to engage the retention slots 434 of the interface portion 430 of the rotating support 420, as shown in Figures 48-50 The locking tabs 444 also extend from the periphery of the top end. The locking tabs 444 extend radially beyond the retention tabs 442 and can be disposed adjacent to or at the end of one of the retention tabs 442 or can be spaced apart from the adjacent retention tabs 442.

[0104] The bottom end of the tape guide 440 includes a sewing guide 446 for guiding the tape into the path of the needle 118 to be sewn onto the workpiece. The sewing guide 446 has a needle aperture 447 that receives the needle 118 of the sewing machine 100 and an embroidery material aperture 445 for receiving a length of embroidery material from the tape spool 450. The sewing guide 446 includes adjustment knobs for adjusting the position of the two guide members to accommodate embroidery material having different widths. Alternatively, the sewing guide 446 can be removed from the support 410 so that other sewing guides having different sized embroidery material apertures for different sized embroidery material can be installed. Figures 46-49 The illustrated sewing guide 446 is similar to the sewing guide 216 described above and functions in the same manner to accommodate tape embroidery material having different widths. Thus, the operation of the sewing guide 216 as illustrated in Figures 14-17 and described in greater detail above applies equally to the sewing guide 446 of the tape guide 440.

[0105] Reference is now made to Figures 48-50 which illustrates the steps of assembling the tape guide 440 to the interface portion 430 of the rotating support 420. Reference is first made to Figure 48 The tape guide 440 is arranged below the rotating support 420 and oriented such that the dot-shaped alignment indicator 443 of the tape guide 440 is aligned with the arrow-shaped alignment indicator 438 of the rotating support 420. Next reference is made to Figure 49 The tape guide 440 is lifted until the top of the tape guide 440 engages the bottom of the rotating support 420. Maintaining the alignment between the alignment indicators 438, 443 of the rotating support 420 and the tape guide 440 ensures that the retaining tabs 442 of the tape guide 440 are disposed between the adjacent retaining slots 434 of the interface portion 430 so that the tape guide 440 can be fully engaged with the interface portion 430 without interference between the retaining tabs 442 and the retaining slots 434. Proper alignment of the alignment indicators 438, 443 also ensures that the locking tabs 444 are properly positioned to engage with the latches 436. In Figure 49 the initial assembly position of the tape guide 440 is held against the rotating support 420 and rotated counterclockwise to the position illustrated in Figure 50 to complete the assembly of the tape guide 440 to the rotating support 420.

[0106] In the event that the tape guide 440 is rotated from the initial assembly position illustrated in Figure 49 to the position illustrated in Figure 50During the final assembly position shown, the retaining tab 442 with guide 440 slides into the retaining groove 434 of interface 430. Locking tab 444 also engages with the inclined surface of latch 436, causing latch 436 to be pushed upward by locking tab 444. As guide 440 rotates further counterclockwise, locking tab 444 eventually moves beyond latch 436, and latch 436 springs back to the intermediate or rest position, trapping locking tab 444 between latch 436 and the adjacent retaining groove 434. Latch 436 is shown as a flexible material tab integrally formed with rotary support 420. This causes the elasticity of the material forming rotary support 420 to bias latch 436 toward the closed position. However, other latching mechanisms or other fastening devices can be used, such as, for example, one or more locating screws, ball stops, clamps, cable ties, pins, etc.

[0107] To separate the tape guide 440 from the rotating support 420, as the tape guide 440 rotates clockwise, the latch 436 is pressed down until the locking tab 444 freely passes through the latch 436. Once the tape guide 440 has rotated fully clockwise, the retaining tab 442 is released from the retaining groove 434, and the tape guide 440 can be removed. After the tape embroidery material is removed from the tape guide 440, the tape reel 450 can also be removed from the rotating support 420, making the accessory 400 ready for use with different embroidery material guides.

[0108] Now for reference Figures 51-52 The diagram shows the belt guide 440 and belt reel 450 assembled with the fitting 400. When the belt guide 440 is assembled onto the swivel support 420, the fitting 400 has a... Figures 1-19 The accessory 200 shown and described in detail above has similar features and operates in a similar manner. That is, embroidery material (such as tape) can be loaded into tape reel 450 for dispensing when the tape is attached to the workpiece via needle-operated stitching. Tape reel 450 is rotatably mounted in rotating support 420 and held in place by tape reel holder 424 so that tape reel 450 can rotate about tape reel rotation axis 406.

[0109] The belt loaded from the belt reel 450 and through the belt guide 440 is also similar. Figures 8-13The loading and routing of the spool 230 is shown and described in detail above. That is, once the full bobbin spool 450 is installed in the accessory 400, the embroidery material or tape can be routed or threaded through the dispensing guide 426, the apertures 431 and 441, the auxiliary guide 448, and the sewing guide 446 to prepare the accessory 400 for use. The embroidery material or tape is first fed through the dispensing guide 426, then through the aligned apertures 431 in the guide interface 430 and 441 in the tape guide 440, respectively, through any additional or auxiliary guides 448, and then through the sewing guide 446. In embodiments having an adjustable sewing guide, the sewing guide 446 is also adjusted to match the width of the embroidery material or tape.

[0110] As the embroidery material is dispensed through the dispensing guide 426 and the sewing guide 446, at least a portion of the embroidery material or tape extends along the outer surface of the tape guide 440. As described above, the guide surface of the dispensing guide 426 is arranged at about 45 degrees to the axis of rotation of the spool 450. As the embroidery material is dispensed along the outer surface of the tape guide 440, the angled guide surface twists the embroidery material so that the outer surface of the embroidery material on the spool will become the top surface of the embroidery material as it is sewn onto the workpiece.

[0111] Referring now to Figure 53 and Figure 54 , the thread guide 460 is shown detached from the accessory 400. Like the support 210 and tape guide 440 of the accessory 200 described above, the thread guide 460 has a generally conical shape extending from a wider top or first end to a narrower bottom or second end. The thread guide 460 is attached to the interface 430 of the rotating support 420 via a plurality of retention tabs 462 and is secured in the assembled condition by a locking tab 464 that engages the latch 436.

[0112] The retention tabs 462 extend radially from the perimeter of the wider top end of the thread guide 460 to engage the retention slots 434 of the interface 430 of the rotating support 420, as shown in Figures 55-57 The locking tab 464 also extends from the perimeter of the top end. The locking tab 464 extends radially beyond the retention tabs 462 and can be disposed adjacent to or at the end of one of the retention tabs 462 or can be spaced apart from the adjacent retention tabs 462.

[0113] A guide channel 468 extends from the guide hole 461 at the top end of the thread guide 460 to the sewing guide 466 leading to the needle hole 467 at the bottom of the thread guide 460. The sewing guide 466 at the bottom end of the thread guide 460 guides the thread of the embroidery material 401 (see Figures 64-65 ) to the needle 403 (see Figures 64-65the path of the needle 118 as it sews onto the workpiece. The start holder 465 Figure 54 disposed opposite the sewing guide 466 around the needle hole 467 for holding the thread of the embroidery material 401 to start sewing the thread of the embroidery material 401 onto the workpiece.

[0114] Reference is now made to Figures 55-57 , which shows the steps of assembling the thread guide 460 to the interface portion 430 of the rotating support 420. Reference is first made to Figure 55 , the thread guide 460 is disposed underneath the rotating support 420 and oriented such that the dot-shaped alignment indicator 463 of the thread guide 460 is aligned with the arrow-shaped alignment indicator 438 of the rotating support 420. Next reference is made to Figure 56 , the thread guide 460 is lifted until the top of the thread guide 460 engages the bottom of the rotating support 420. Maintaining the alignment between the alignment indicators 438, 463 of the rotating support 420 and the thread guide 460 ensures that the retention tabs 462 of the thread guide 460 are disposed between the adjacent retention slots 434 of the interface portion 430 such that the thread guide 460 can be fully engaged with the interface portion 430 without interference between the retention tabs 462 or the guide channels 468 and the retention slots 434. Proper alignment of the alignment indicators 438, 463 also ensures that the locking tabs 464 are properly positioned to engage with the latches 436. In Figure 56 the initial assembly position, the thread guide 460 is held against the rotating support 420 and is rotated counterclockwise to the position shown in Figure 57 to complete the assembly of the thread guide 460 with the rotating support 420.

[0115] During the rotation of the thread guide 460 from the initial assembly position shown in Figure 56 to the final assembly position shown in Figure 57 , the retention tabs 462 of the thread guide 460 slide into the retention slots 434 of the interface portion 430. The locking tabs 464 also engage with the sloped surfaces of the latches 436 such that the latches 436 are pushed upward by the locking tabs 464. As the thread guide 460 is further rotated counterclockwise, the locking tabs 464 eventually move past the latches 436 and the latches 436 snap back to a neutral or rest position such that the locking tabs 464 are captured between the latches 436 and the adjacent retention slots 434. The latches 436 are shown as flexible material tabs that are integrally formed with the rotating support 420. The elasticity of the material that forms the rotating support 420 thereby biases the latches 436 toward the closed position. However, other latch mechanisms or other fastening devices can be used, such as one or more set screws, a ball detent, a clamp, a zip tie, a pin, etc.

[0116] To detach the thread guide 460 from the rotating support 420, the latches 436 are depressed as the thread guide 460 is rotated clockwise until the locking tabs 464 are free to pass the latches 436. Once the thread guide 460 is sufficiently rotated in the clockwise direction, the retaining tabs 462 are released from the retaining slots 434 and the thread guide 460 can be removed. After the thread from the embroidery material 401 is removed from the thread guide 460, the thread spool 470 can also be removed from the rotating support 420 (as shown in Figure 60 and Figure 61 ), so that the accessory 400 is ready for use with a different embroidery material guide.

[0117] Referring now to Figure 58 and Figure 59 , the thread spool 470 is shown detached from the accessory 400. The thread spool 470 includes a thread hole 471, a cradle or frame 472, an attachment portion 473, a spool 474, a spool retaining portion 475, a tension knob 476, and a tension spring 478. When the thread spool 470 is assembled to the rotating support 420, the thread hole 471 is aligned with the hole 431 of the guide interface portion 430 and the guide hole 461 of the thread guide 460 so that the thread of the embroidery material 401 dispensed from the spool 474 of the thread spool 470 has an unobstructed path from the thread spool 470 through the thread guide channel 468 to the sewing guide 466.

[0118] To load the thread of the embroidery material 401 to the thread spool 470, the spool 474 is removed from the spool retaining portion 475 of the frame 472 (as shown in Figure 59 ). The embroidery material is inserted into one of the holes in the center of the spool 474 and then wound onto the spool 474. The full spool 474 is then installed on the thread spool 470 so that the embroidery material is available to be threaded through the thread hole 471 of the thread spool 470, the holes 431 and 461, the guide channel 468, and the sewing guide 466, in preparation for the accessory 400 for use. The embroidery material or tape is first fed from the spool 474, through the thread hole 471, and then through the aligned holes 431 in the guide interface portion 430 and 461 in the thread guide 460, through the guide channel 468, and then through the sewing guide 466, respectively.

[0119] Spool 474 is free to rotate in spool holder 475 so that thread of embroidery material 401 can be dispensed for stitching. Tension is maintained between thread that has been stitched onto the workpiece and thread that is held on spool 474 by tension knob 476, which resists rotation of spool 474 to reduce unwanted slack in the thread that can cause thread jamming or other malfunctions. Tension knob 476 includes a resilient tension member 478 that presses against and flexes against the side of spool 474. Rotating tension knob 476 causes the force exerted by tension member 478 onto spool 474 to increase and decrease. Tension knob 476 can be rotated in a counterclockwise direction (indicated by an arrow and a plus sign on the side of tension knob 476) to increase the resistance exerted onto spool 474, and can be rotated in a clockwise direction (indicated by an arrow and a minus sign on the side of tension knob 476) to decrease the resistance exerted onto spool 474. The desired tension varies depending on the embroidery material being used. That is, a material that experiences a greater amount of friction during dispensing through the guide channel requires less tension, and vice versa.

[0120] Referring now to Figure 60 and Figure 61 , it is shown that thread spool 470 is assembled onto rotating support 420. To attach thread spool 470, attachment portion 473 of the frame is aligned with and inserted into thread spool attachment portion or slot 428, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 60 . Spool 474 can be removed from thread spool 470 while thread spool 470 remains attached to rotating support 420 to allow for easy loading of spool 474 or use of multiple spools pre-loaded with various materials.

[0121] Referring now to Figure 62 and Figure 63 , it is shown that thread guide 460 and thread spool 470 are assembled to accessory 400. During operation of accessory 400, thread of embroidery material 401 is supplied from thread spool 470, which is supported by rotating support 420. As described above, spool 474 is free to rotate relative to thread spool 470 to facilitate dispensing of embroidery material thread. As thread of embroidery material is dispensed and stitched onto a sewing article (see Figures 64-65 and discussion below), tension between embroidery material attached to the cloth workpiece and embroidery material held in thread spool 470 causes spool 474 to rotate about thread spool rotation axis 408 in the dispensing direction, thereby dispensing more embroidery material for stitching. Since thread spool 470 is supported by rotating support 420, tension forces along the embroidery material are not transmitted to fixed support 410, and thus do not adversely or beneficially affect rotation of rotating support 420, nor do these forces urge stitching guide 466 out of alignment with needle 118.

[0122] As noted above, a wide variety of embroidery materials can be dispensed from the thread spool 470 to be sewn to the workpiece via the thread guide 460. For example, ribbon or ribbon-like material can be sewn using the ribbon guide 440 as described above, and can also be sewn using the thread guide 460. When a length of ribbon is used with the thread guide 460, the accessory operates as described above with respect to the accessory 200 and the accessory 400 having the ribbon guide 440. That is, when a length of ribbon is dispensed, the stitches can be generally placed along the center of the ribbon material. However, some materials cannot be attached in this manner.

[0123] Thread, roving, strings, twisted ribbon, and the like can be too thick for the needle to penetrate, requiring a different sewing technique. Similarly, a string of beads or pearls can not be sewn like a ribbon of material, as the needle can damage the beads or pearls, or both, from the impact between the needle and the beads or pearls. More importantly, the stitches can completely miss the string of beads or pearls unless the string of beads or pearls is moved across the sewing path.

[0124] Referring now to Figure 64 and Figures 66-75 , a technique for attaching embroidery material thread or embroidery material string to a workpiece using the thread guide 460 is shown. A string of beads or pearls is shown as the embroidery material 401 being dispensed from the sewing guide 466 along a sewing path indicated by the right-to-left arrow. As the embroidery material 401 is dispensed, the thread guide 460 is rotated back and forth over the sewing path, such that the thread 403 sewn by the needle (not shown) to the workpiece passes on one side of the embroidery material 401 and then on the other side. This back-and-forth motion of the thread guide 460 moves the embroidery material 401 out of the path of the needle and forms a pattern that can have a zigzag appearance after sewing. The thicker the embroidery material, the more pronounced the zigzag appearance. The thread guide 460 is rotated back and forth relative to the sewing path so that when the sewing path is curved, the thread guide 460 can be rotated more in one direction than in the other, facilitating the sewing of the embroidery material 401 to the workpiece along the curved path. It should be noted that the stitch spacing or stitch length can also be adjusted to accommodate different embroidery materials having different thicknesses.

[0125] The sewing machine 100 includes a controller (not shown) that sends signals to one or more actuators to move the embroidery frame attached to the embroidery frame base 108 and also sends signals to the drive mechanism 416 to control rotation of the rotating support 420 of the accessory 400 to cause the rotating support 420 (and, thus, the attached tape guide 440 or thread guide 460) to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to cause the embroidery material apertures 445 of the tape guide 440 and the embroidery material apertures 466 of the thread guide 460 to guide the needle apertures 447, 467, respectively, along the stitching path of the embroidery pattern being stitched by the sewing machine 100. That is, the embroidery frame moves the workpiece relative to the needle 118 so that the needle 118 and the accessory 400 move relative to the workpiece when the needle 118 and the accessory 400 are stationary relative to the sewing machine 100. Thus, the needle 118 traces a stitching path along the workpiece relative to the workpiece, and the stitching guide 416 rotates into the path traced by the needle 118 ahead of the needle 118. In other words, the rotating support 420 and the tape guide 440 or thread guide 460 guide the embroidery material to the workpiece and below the needle 118 while the sewing machine 100 moves the embroidery frame base to ensure proper adherence to the embroidery design. It should be noted that when using the tape spool 450 and the tape guide 440, the rotating support 420 can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, but the tape spool 450 rotates only in the dispensing direction when dispensing the embroidery material.

[0126] Referring now to Figures 66-68 , an example accessory 500 is shown having interchangeable guides for use with a sewing machine, such as the sewing machine 100. The accessory 500 is similar in many respects to the accessory 400 described above. That is, the accessory 500 also includes interchangeable guides that can be removed from the rotating support to facilitate embroidery of various materials, such as tape, thread, yarn, or a string of beads, pearls, etc. The two guides described above (the tape guide 440 and the thread guide 460) can be assembled to the accessory 500 in the same manner as the tape guide 440 and the thread guide 460 are assembled to the accessory 400, respectively. As with the accessory 400, although a tape guide and a thread guide are shown here, the accessory 500 is capable of receiving a wide variety of guides and / or spools to dispense a length of material for embroidery onto a workpiece. In addition, a wide variety of other devices can be attached to the accessory via an embroidery frame or other holder that moves through the embroidery frame base 108 to facilitate rotation of the attached device in conjunction with translation of the workpiece. A holder for a pen, marker, brush, or other marking tool can be attached to the accessory to enable drawing or sketching on paper or fabric.

[0127] Referring now to Figures 20-34Fig. 5 shows a kit 500 that can receive various interchangeable guides. The kit 500 includes a fixed support 510 and a rotating support 520. The fixed support 510 attaches the kit 500 to the kit base 122 of the sewing machine 100. The rotating support 520 includes an interface 530 for receiving and attaching to interchangeable guides, such as the tape guide 440 and the thread guide 460 described above. The rotating support 520 also includes a spool or bobbin holder 526 for holding a spool or bobbin 540 to dispense a length of tape and thread.

[0128] The fixed support 510 includes an attachment portion 512 that engages with an attachment holder 502 that is attached to the kit base 122 of the sewing machine 100, similar to the attachment portions 238, 412 and the attachment holders 240, 402 described above. The attachment portion 512 and the attachment holder 502 are similar to the attachment portions 238, 412 and the attachment holders 240, 402 described above, and function in the same manner, respectively, to attach the kit 500 to the sewing machine 100. For example, the attachment holder 502 can also include a latch and release mechanism that enables the kit 500 to be tilted without releasing the kit 500. Thus, the interaction of the attachment portion 238 and the holder 240 shown in Fig. 2 and described in more detail above applies equally to the attachment portion 512 and the holder 502, respectively. Figure 66

[0129] Similar to the kits 200, 400, the kit 500 fits within the minimum arm height 114, which can be in the range of about 3 inches to about 6 inches. The kit 500 provides sufficient space around the needle bar 116 and the needle so that the normal sewing functions of the sewing machine 100 are not disturbed by the kit 500. For example, sufficient space is provided for the needle threader 120 to thread a needle attached to the needle bar 116 without removing the kit 500.

[0130] The fixed support 510 also includes a perimeter portion 514 and a drive mechanism 516. The rotating support 520 is attached to the fixed support 510 at the perimeter portion 514 and is rotated about the guide rotation axis 504 by the drive mechanism 516. The drive mechanism 516 can include a motor and a transmission, and is capable of rotating the rotating support 520 clockwise and counterclockwise. The transmission can include one or more gears, a drive belt, etc., arranged to transmit rotational motion from the motor to the rotating support 520. For example, the transmission can include a gear that engages with a drive portion of the rotating support 520, such as the ring gear 522 attached to the rotating support 520 (see, e.g., Fig. 6). The motor and the transmission can be housed in the fixed support 510, and the ring gear 522 can be attached to the rotating support 520 so that the rotating support 520 rotates about the guide rotation axis 504 when the motor is activated. Figure 72 、 Figure 74 and Figures 48-50 ​To conserve vertical space, the drive mechanism 516 is disposed inside the fixed support 510 such that at least a portion of the mechanism is disposed between the top surface and the bottom surface of the fixed support 510.

[0131] The motor of the drive mechanism 516 receives power and control signals from the sewing machine via an electrical connection. The connection can be provided by an electrical cord (not shown) similar to the electrical cord 282 described above, which is attached between the accessory 500 and another portion of the sewing machine 100, such as the sewing arm portion 110. In some embodiments, the power and data connections can be integrated into the attachment portion 502, the attachment holder 512, and the accessory base 122, such that attachment of the accessory 500 to the sewing machine 100 also provides a pathway for the transmission of power and control signals from the sewing machine 100 to the accessory 500.

[0132] The rotating support 520 includes a ring gear 522, a perimeter portion 524, a spool or bobbin holder 526 for holding a spool or bobbin 540, and a guide interface portion 530. The ring gear 522 is rotatably attached to the fixed support 510 and is configured to engage with a transmission of the drive mechanism 516, thereby enabling the drive mechanism to cause the rotating support 520 to rotate. In particular, the rotating support 520 is suspended from the fixed support 510 by the engagement between the ring gear 522 and the fixed support 510.

[0133] The guide interface portion 530 is formed on the bottom surface of the rotating support 520 and is configured to receive the tape guide 440 and the thread guide 460, which are suspended from the rotating support 520 and above the workpiece when assembled to the rotating support 520. The guide interface portion 530 surrounds the central hole of the rotating support 520, that is, the components of the interface portion 530 are disposed around the outer periphery of the central hole of the rotating support 520. The guide interface portion 530 can incorporate any suitable means for removably attaching the tape guide 440 and the thread guide 460 to the rotating support 520, such as using threaded fasteners, right angle swivel fasteners, magnets, reusable adhesive, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, and the like.

[0134] The guide interface portion 530 includes an alignment portion 532, a plurality of retention slots 534, a latch 536, and an alignment indicator 538. The alignment portion 532 is formed by a lip extending downward from and around the outer periphery of the central aperture of the rotating guide 520. An aperture 531 is provided in the alignment portion 532 to allow passage of a length of ribbon dispensed from the spool or bobbin 540 through the interface portion 530 that forms the connection between the rotating support 520 and the ribbon and thread guides 440, 460. The retention slots 534 respectively receive the respective tabs 442, 462 of the ribbon guide 440 and the thread guide 460, and the latch 536 respectively captures the locking tabs 444, 464 of the ribbon guide 440 and the thread guide 460 against one of the retention slots 534 to prevent rotation of the ribbon guide 440 or the thread guide 460 relative to the rotating support 520. The alignment indicator 538 has an arrow shape and identifies the initial assembly direction of the ribbon guide 440 and the thread guide 460 relative to the rotating support 520. The steps of attaching the ribbon guide 440 or the thread guide 460 to the rotating support 520 are described in more detail above and shown in Figures 55-57 and Figures 69-71 .

[0135] Reference is now made to Figure 68 , which shows various views of the spool 540. The spool 540 includes a core or hub 542 that extends between two flanges 548. Portions of the core 542 extend beyond the flanges 548 to mount the spool 540 in the spool cradle 527 of the spool holder 526 Figure 68 . The core 542 also includes a ribbon mounting slot 544 and a thread mounting aperture 546 for respectively receiving a length of ribbon or thread. The ribbon mounting slot 544 is elongated for receiving a length of ribbon, which is typically flat, such as embroidery floss. The thread mounting aperture 546 is circular for receiving a length of thread, which is typically circular, such as a length of yarn or a beading or pearl string. The different shapes of the mounting apertures 544, 546 enable the same spool 540 to be used for a wide variety of embroidery materials. One end of the ribbon or thread is inserted into the ribbon mounting slot 544 or the thread mounting aperture 546 and then wound around the core 542 until the spool 540 is filled, i.e., until the embroidery material wound around the core 542 reaches the outer edge of the flanges 548.

[0136] Reference is again made to Figure 68An optional winding handle or pin 550 can be used to assist the user in winding a length of embroidery material onto the spool 540. The winding handle 550 includes a grip portion 552 that is held by the user and an engagement portion 554 that engages the spool 540 so that the user can quickly and easily rotate the spool 540 during the winding process. The engagement portion 554 can be inserted into the hole 541 in the core 542 of the spool 540 to engage a protrusion or key 543 that extends from the interior of the hole 541 so that rotating the grip portion 552 also causes the spool 540 to rotate.

[0137] As shown in Figures 72-73 , the spool holder 526 is integrally formed with and connected to the perimeter portion 524 and includes a spool cradle 527 for receiving and facilitating rotation of the spool 540. The spool 540 is free to rotate in the spool cradle 527 so that embroidery material can be dispensed for stitching. Tension is maintained between the embroidery material that has been stitched onto the workpiece and the embroidery material that is held on the spool 540 by a tension knob 528 that resists rotation of the spool 540 to reduce unwanted slack in the embroidery material that can cause thread jams or other malfunctions. The tension knob 528 includes a resilient tension member 529 that presses and flexes against the side of the spool 540. Turning the tension knob 528 causes the force exerted by the tension member 529 onto the spool 540 to increase and decrease. The tension knob 528 can be turned in a counterclockwise direction (indicated by an arrow and a plus sign on the side of the tension knob 528) to increase the resistance exerted onto the spool 540 and can be turned in a clockwise direction (indicated by an arrow and a minus sign on the side of the tension knob 528) to decrease the resistance exerted onto the spool 540. The desired tension varies depending on the embroidery material being used. That is, materials that experience a greater amount of friction during dispensing through the guide channel require less tension, and vice versa.

[0138] Referring now to Figures 1-19 , the tape guide 440 is shown assembled with the accessory 500. When the tape guide 440 is assembled to the rotating support 520, the accessory 500 has similar features to and operates in a similar manner to the accessory 200 shown in Figures 8-13 and described in detail above. That is, embroidery material, such as tape, can be loaded into the spool 540 for dispensing as the tape is attached to the workpiece via stitching performed by the needle 118. The spool 540 is rotatably mounted in the rotating support 520 and is held in place by the force of gravity and the tension exerted by the embroidery material that is stitched to the workpiece so that the spool 540 is rotatable about the spool rotation axis 506.

[0139] Loading tape from the spool 540 and through the tape guide 440 is also similar to Figures 74-75The loading and routing of the spool 230 shown and described in detail above. That is, once a full spool 540 is installed in the accessory 500, embroidery material or tape can be routed or threaded through the holes 531 and 441, the auxiliary guide 448, and the sewing guide 446, to prepare the accessory 500 for use. The embroidery material or tape is first fed through the aligned hole 531 in the guide interface 530 and the aligned hole 441 in the tape guide 440, through any additional or auxiliary guides 448, and then through the sewing guide 446. In embodiments having an adjustable sewing guide, the sewing guide 446 is also adjusted to match the width of the embroidery material or tape.

[0140] As the embroidery material is dispensed through the holes 531, 441, and the sewing guide 446, at least a portion of the embroidery material or tape extends along the outer surface of the tape guide 440. The embroidery material or tape is loaded onto the spool 540 such that the outer surface of the embroidery material on the spool will become the bottom surface of the embroidery material as it is sewn onto the workpiece.

[0141] Referring now to Figures 55-57 , the thread guide 460 is shown assembled with the accessory 500. When the thread guide 460 is assembled to the rotating support 520, the accessory 500 has similar features to and operates in a similar manner to the accessory 400 shown in Figures 62-65 and Figures 55-63 and described in detail above. That is, embroidery material, such as thread, can be loaded into the spool 540 for dispensing as stitching performed by the needle 118 is attached to the workpiece. The spool 540 is rotatably mounted in the rotating support 520 and is held in place by gravity and the tension exerted by the embroidery material being sewn onto the workpiece, such that the spool 540 is rotatable about the spool rotation axis 506.

[0142] Loading the tape from the spool 540 and through the thread guide 460 is also similar to the loading and routing of the spool 570 shown in ​ and described in detail above. That is, once a full spool 540 is installed in the accessory 500, embroidery material or thread can be routed or threaded through the holes 531 and 461, the guide channel 468, and the sewing guide 446, to prepare the accessory 500 for use. The embroidery material or thread is first fed through the aligned hole 531 in the guide interface 530 and the aligned hole 461 in the thread guide 460, through the guide channel 468, and then through the sewing guide 446.

[0143] During operation of the accessory 500, a band or thread of embroidery material is supplied from the spool 540, which is supported by the rotational support 520. As described above, the spool 540 can be free to rotate to facilitate dispensing of the band or thread of embroidery material. As the band or thread of embroidery material is dispensed and stitched onto the sewing article, the tension between the embroidery material attached to the cloth workpiece and the embroidery material held in the spool 540 can cause the spool 540 to rotate about the spool rotation axis 508 in the dispensing direction, thereby dispensing more embroidery material for sewing. Since the spool 540 is supported by the rotational support 520, the tension forces along the embroidery material are not transmitted to the fixed support 510, and thus do not adversely or beneficially affect the rotation of the rotational support 520, nor do these forces urge the sewing guides 446, 466 out of alignment with the needle 118.

[0144] The sewing machine 100 includes a controller (not shown) that sends signals to one or more actuators to move the embroidery frame attached to the embroidery frame base 108, and also sends signals to the drive mechanism 516 to control the rotation of the rotational support 520 of the accessory 500 to cause the rotational support 520 (and, thus, the attached band guide 440 or thread guide 460) to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, thereby causing the embroidery material holes 445 of the band guide 440 and the embroidery material holes 466 of the thread guide 460 to guide the needle holes along the sewing path of the embroidery pattern being sewn by the sewing machine 100, respectively.

[0145] An example method for operating the accessories 400, 500 of the sewing machine to attach a length of embroidery material to a workpiece includes the steps of providing the sewing machine and the accessory, moving the workpiece so that a needle of the sewing machine follows a predetermined sewing path, rotating the rotational support so that the embroidery material holes guide the needle along the predetermined sewing path, dispensing at least a portion of the length of embroidery material through the embroidery material holes of the guide, and sewing at least a portion of the length of embroidery material to the workpiece with the needle. The accessory includes a rotational support that is rotatably attached to the sewing machine via a fixed support, a guide that is removably attached to a guide interface portion of the rotational support, a spool that is supported by the rotational support, and a drive mechanism that rotates the rotational support relative to the fixed support. The drive mechanism can be controlled by the sewing machine. The guide includes a needle hole for the needle of the sewing machine to pass through and an embroidery material hole that is spaced apart from the needle hole.

[0146] While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the present disclosure can be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features can be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. Still further, although the various aspects, concepts and features described herein can be described and illustrated as being associated with certain embodiments and forms it should be understood that they are not limited to use with only such embodiments and forms but are described in conjunction therewith for illustrative purposes. Other ways, structures, methods, and means of which are now known or which can be developed in the future could be used to implement the various aspects, concepts and features of the present disclosure, and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other instances or applications involving flame retardant materials, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

[0147] Additionally, even though some of the features, concepts or aspects of the present disclosure can be described and illustrated herein as being a preferred arrangement or method it is understood that such features, concepts or aspects are not limited to being a part of the patentable subject matter, and that they can be implemented in any practice, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Further, example or representative values and ranges can be included herein to assist with understanding the present disclosure, however, such values and ranges are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the claims, and are merely intended to be illustrative.

[0148] Moreover, although various aspects, features and concepts of the present disclosure can be described and illustrated herein as being ideal, it will be understood that such descriptions and illustrations are merely exemplary and are not intended to cause a departure from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Additionally, although various aspects, features and concepts of the present disclosure can be described and illustrated herein as being ideal, it will be understood that such descriptions and illustrations are merely exemplary and are not intended to cause a departure from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Furthermore, the words "comprise," "comprises," "comprising," "include," "includes," and "including" when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, components or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, components or steps.

Claims

1. An accessory for a sewing machine, the accessory comprising: a stationary support attached to a sewing machine; a rotating support rotatably attached to the stationary support; a drive mechanism for rotating the rotating support relative to the stationary support, wherein the drive mechanism is disposed inside the stationary support; a spool for receiving and dispensing a length of embroidery material, wherein the spool is supported by the rotating support; a removable guide removably attached to the rotating support, the removable guide comprising: a sewing guide having a needle aperture configured to receive a needle of the sewing machine; and at least one guide for guiding the length of embroidery material from the spool to the sewing guide.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein: the rotating support comprises a guide interface; and the removable guide comprises a retention portion for attaching the removable guide to the guide interface.

3. The accessory of claim 2, wherein: the retention portion comprises a plurality of retention tabs; and the guide interface comprises a plurality of retention slots for receiving the retention tabs of the retention portion.

4. The accessory of claim 2, wherein: the retention portion comprises a locking tab; and the guide interface comprises a latch.

5. The fitting of claim 2, wherein, the guide interface comprises an alignment portion received within a portion of an upper end of the removable guide.

6. The fitting of claim 1, wherein, the spool is rotatably attached to the rotating support.

7. The fitment of claim 1, wherein, the drive mechanism comprises: a motor mounted on the stationary support; a ring gear attached to the rotating support; and a transmission that transmits rotational motion of the motor to the ring gear of the rotating support.

8. The fitment of claim 7, wherein, at least a portion of the motor is disposed between a top surface and a bottom surface of the rotating support.

9. The accessory of claim 1, further comprising: an attachment retention attached to an accessory base of the sewing machine, wherein the stationary support of the accessory is releasably attached to the attachment retention.

10. The fitment of claim 9, wherein, the accessory base is a presser bar of the sewing machine.

11. The fitment of claim 1, wherein, the at least one guide is a guide channel extending from a top end to a bottom end of the removable guide.

12. The fitment of claim 1, wherein, the at least one guide comprises an aperture at the top end of the removable guide.

13. The fitment of claim 12, wherein, the at least one guide further comprises an aperture between the top end and the bottom end of the removable guide.

14. The fitment of claim 1, wherein, the at least one guide comprises a channel extending from a first aperture proximate the top end of the removable guide to a second aperture proximate the bottom end of the removable guide.

15. The fitment of claim 1, wherein, a spool support for supporting the spool is integrally formed with the rotating support.

16. The fitment of claim 1, wherein, the spool comprises a tape mounting slot for attaching a length of tape and a thread mounting aperture for attaching a length of thread.

17. A sewing machine for attaching a length of embroidery material to a workpiece, the sewing machine comprising: a bed; an embroidery frame for holding the workpiece; an actuator movably attaching the embroidery frame to the bed; an arm portion disposed above the bed, wherein a bottom surface of the arm portion is spaced apart from a top surface of the bed by an arm portion height; a needle bar holding a needle and extending below the arm portion; a accessory base extending below the arm portion; a accessory for dispensing embroidery material to be stitched to the length of the workpiece, the accessory comprising: a stationary support attached to the accessory base; a rotating support rotatably attached to the stationary support; a drive mechanism for rotating the rotating support relative to the stationary support, wherein the drive mechanism is disposed inside the stationary support; a spool for receiving and dispensing a length of embroidery material, wherein the spool is supported by the rotating support; a removable guide removably attached to the rotating support, the removable guide comprising: a sewing guide having a needle aperture configured to receive the needle of the sewing machine; and at least one guide for guiding the length of embroidery material from the spool to the sewing guide.

18. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein: the rotating support comprises a guide interface portion; and the removable guide comprises a retaining portion for attaching the removable guide to the guide interface portion.

19. The sewing machine of claim 18, wherein: the retaining portion comprises a plurality of retaining tabs; and the guide interface portion comprises a plurality of retaining slots for receiving the retaining tabs of the retaining portion.

20. The sewing machine of claim 18, wherein: the retaining portion comprises a locking tab; and the guide interface portion comprises a latch.

21. The sewing machine of claim 18, wherein, the guide interface portion comprises an alignment portion received within a portion of an upper end of the removable guide.

22. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein, the spool is rotatably attached to the rotating support.

23. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein, the drive mechanism comprises: a motor mounted on the stationary support; a ring gear attached to the rotating support; and a transmission that transmits rotational motion of the motor to the ring gear of the rotating support.

24. The sewing machine of claim 23, wherein, at least a portion of the motor is disposed between a top surface and a bottom surface of the rotating support.

25. The sewing machine of claim 17, further comprising: an attachment retaining member attached to the accessory base of the sewing machine, wherein the stationary support of the accessory is releasably attached to the attachment retaining member.

26. The sewing machine of claim 25, wherein, the accessory base is a presser bar of the sewing machine.

27. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein, the at least one guide is a guide channel extending from a top end to a bottom end of the removable guide.

28. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein, the at least one guide comprises an aperture at the top end of the removable guide.

29. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein, the at least one guide further comprises an aperture between the top end and the bottom end of the removable guide.

30. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein, the at least one guide comprises a channel extending from a first aperture adjacent the top end of the removable guide to a second aperture adjacent the bottom end of the removable guide.

31. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein, a spool support for supporting the spool is integrally formed with the rotating support.

32. The sewing machine of claim 17, wherein, the spool comprises a thread mounting hole for attaching a length of thread and a tape mounting slot for attaching a length of tape.

33. A method of operating an accessory for a sewing machine to attach a length of embroidery material to a workpiece, the method comprising: providing the sewing machine and an accessory comprising: a fixed support attached to the accessory base; a rotating support rotatably attached to the fixed support; a drive mechanism for rotating the rotating support relative to the fixed support, wherein the drive mechanism is disposed inside the fixed support; and a spool for receiving and dispensing the length of embroidery material, wherein the spool is supported by the rotating support; selecting a removable guide based on a type of embroidery material, wherein the removable guide is one of a thread guide and a floss guide, the removable guide comprising: a sewing guide having a needle hole configured to receive a needle of the sewing machine; and at least one guide for guiding the length of embroidery material from the spool to the sewing guide; removably attaching the selected removable guide to the rotating support; moving the workpiece so that the needle of the sewing machine follows a predetermined stitch path; rotating the rotating support so that the embroidery material hole of the sewing guide leads the needle along the predetermined stitch path; dispensing at least a portion of the length of embroidery material through the embroidery material hole of the sewing guide; and stitching at least a portion of the length of embroidery material to the workpiece with the needle.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein, Moving the workpiece causes dispensing of the length of embroidery material.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising: adjusting a tension knob of the spool based on the type of embroidery material.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein, The step of rotating the rotating support further comprises: rotating the rotating support so that the sewing guide of the removable guide traverses back and forth over the stitch path.

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