There are a great many manufacturers of sewing equipment. Modern cars differ from each other in functionality, equipment and power. Household appliances are usually compact and easy to use, which can not be said about the massive industrial versions of sewing machines. However, whatever the model, the structure of the sewing machine is almost always the same.
Today we will look at what the aggregates intended for the creation of textile products consist of and how. We will study samples of modern technology, and also recall the device of the sewing machine "The Seagull" (Podolsk). Many craftswomen still use such devices.
Significant difference
We begin our review by pointing out one fundamental difference in different sewing machines. It consists in the fact that there are models with different types of control. They are divided into the following types:
- electric equipment;
- manual sewing machines;
- machines with mechanical foot drive.
The first are most convenient for operation. The device of an electric sewing machine is elementary. The wizard just needs to press the pedal to power the machine engine. The greater the force applied to this by the seamstress, the higher the torque at start-up and the faster the motor runs.
You can also control the sewing mechanism without using amperage. In this case, it is necessary to turn the flywheel with one hand and to direct the fabric with the other. Such machines are rarely used now, but masters are in no hurry to get rid of obsolete equipment, and then we will explain why. Often this is a technique of Soviet or European production ("The Seagull", "Singer"). The structure of a manual sewing machine will be presented in a separate section.
Foot machines are more practical and convenient than manual ones, mainly due to the fact that both hands are free. This greatly facilitates the workflow. However, sewing with their help obliges the tailor to be able to correctly use the machine mechanism and constantly monitor its speed.
The basic principle
So what is a sewing machine? An inexperienced tailor may be confused by the abundance of levers, keys and buttons on the device, but what can we say about its internal content? The external structure of the sewing machine is usually quite simple, and after one or two uses, the novice master understands this.
The device consists of an engine and an axis that coordinates the movement of three shafts. They ensure the operation of the entire mechanism. All these processes are a specificity of technology; it is usually enough for a seamstress to know how to manage these processes from the outside.
So, the internal mechanism of the machine is always dressed in a case. In modern models, this is most often white plastic, an obsolete technique can be made of metal. The body of the sewing machine is collapsible. In any instruction to it, there is information on how to remove the front panel, so that it is possible to solve basic problems:
- bulb replacement;
- thread tensioner debugging;
- needle holder repair, etc.
The seamstress can independently adjust other parameters, such as thread tension and stitch length. There are standard factory settings designed for the use of medium-thickness fabrics and ordinary threads No. 20 or No. 40. However, very often you have to work with other materials. In order for the lines to pass along them without flaws, you need to manually change the tension of the threads and select the threads that are suitable for the thickness.
Shuttle operation
At the bottom of the typewriter there is a removable table, behind which is hidden her "heart" - a shuttle. The coordinated work of the upper and lower mechanisms ensures the sewing process itself. The flywheel, located on the right side of the device and on the case, looks like a big wheel, drives the axles, thanks to which three interconnected processes occur simultaneously:
- The movement of the needle while pulling the thread from the spool.
- Automatic tissue promotion.
- The work of the connecting rod, providing the movement of the needle and the capture of the lower thread of the upper.
If the action described in the last paragraph is not debugged, the machine fails. The device of the sewing machine involves its adjustment with an accuracy of up to a millimeter. The distance between the tip of the needle and the nose of the shuttle, rotating with a crank mechanism, at the point of their maximum convergence should be minimal. That is, the needle approaches the shuttle so close that it can grab the bobbin thread, but their contact is not allowed.
Machine structure
Standard household sewing machines are arranged elementarily. The first picture shows a schematic representation of a model of a typewriter with the simplest parameters and a minimal set of functions. The structure of a sewing machine of this kind is:
- flywheel;
- winder;
- holder for the coil;
- thread guide;
- thread tightener;
- presser foot;
- needle;
- engine plate for fabric;
- extendable table;
- reverse key;
- thread tension regulators, stitch lengths, stitch shift lever.
Also, most sewing machines are equipped with a second thread holder, additional removable tabs and a set of the most used needles. A pedal that drives the device’s motor is standard.
Modern option
Sewing machines of a new sample are multifunctional. Manufacturers make their technique so that it performs not only a minimal set of lines, but also has some features. It can be a knife for trimming fabric, working on the principle of an overlock, then the structure of the sewing machine is slightly different from standard models. She can have a shortened pull-out table, and the device also has a different appearance when the standard presser foot changes to a knife attachment.
Also, models of sewing machines in which an electronic chip is mounted are arranged slightly differently. They are controlled using a miniature panel. It consists of a small panel on which information is displayed about which mode the device is currently operating in, as well as from the control buttons. With their help, the seamstress selects the optimal machine settings parameter for her:
- type of line;
- stitch length;
- speed of work.
Models with narrow functionality are also often equipped with electronics: embroidery and knitting machines, overlocks, carpet covers.
How does an industrial sewing machine work?
This type of technology is intended for the production of textiles on a large scale. They are more powerful and durable in comparison with household models. Therefore, the structure of an industrial design sewing machine has significant differences.
First of all, such a device is not mobile. Cars are installed on a special table, and the whole structure is monolithic and indivisible. The wizard debugs the technique very accurately and sets up its work to perform one function. Because of this, such sewing machines are rarely used in everyday life. Craftswomen who sew products from different materials need a more versatile technique.
The difference between vertical and horizontal spools
Recently, sewing machines equipped with a horizontal shuttle device are gaining more and more popularity. Usually the shuttle is located vertically. To remove it from the machine, you need to open a special panel and, pulling the tail, get the device into which the bobbin is inserted. This process sometimes greatly slows down the work, because the master does not see how many threads remain on the small spool, and you can check this only by stopping sewing.
A bobbin placed in a horizontal shuttle is always in sight. It is located directly under the work table and is closed by a plate made of shockproof plastic. Through it, you can visually assess the number of threads on the bobbin.
Manual sewing machine
In our country, this is most often the "Seagull", model 2M. It is sometimes called the Podolka (by the name of the Podolsk plant, which produced this technique). The structure of a manual sewing machine is outwardly very simple, but in fact it is not for everyone to repair this device on their own, and therefore it has been preserved and disassembled or broken to this day in very many houses.
Sewing is necessary, setting the mechanism in motion with the right hand. To do this, first a few revolutions were made clockwise with a smaller flywheel, and then it was necessary to twist a large one equipped with a handle, but already in the opposite direction.
The machines allowed making elementary stitches, and their length could be changed. The sewing mode was changed using a metal presser foot located on the sleeve of the device.
The main reasons that such sewing machines are not only preserved, but are still functioning, are their reliability and quality of work. With their help, you can grind even very coarse fabrics, the lines are strong and neat. Modern household cars, especially from the category of inexpensive ones, do not give such a result.
Mini option
Our review would not be complete if we did not talk about hand-held mini-devices for sewing. The structure of this unit is very simple. Outwardly, it resembles an office stapler. The lower part is equipped with a plate along which the fabric slides; in the same place, the lower thread fed from the bobbin is captured. The spool itself, which is located in a shuttle mechanism in an ordinary sewing machine, is attached to the side, a bobbin is installed next to a special pin, feeding the thread to the needle. In order for the coils to not fall off, they must be fixed with caps. This type of small household appliances runs on batteries.
Domestic "swallows"
Now we will analyze the device of the Podolsk sewing machine. There are several models of equipment from this manufacturer. These are foot machines and electric devices. A little higher, we already described the structure of the sewing machine "The Seagull" (manual), which was also produced at this factory.
Another popular option for “Podolki” was model No. 132. This is an electric sewing machine on which you can sew with a zigzag stitch and straight stitches of different lengths. In addition, darn and embroidery are included in its functionality. The structure of the machine is not very different from modern counterparts. Modes are changed with the help of the lever, the fastening can be done with the reverse key.
Sewing machine "Podolka-142" is almost identical to its predecessor. The main difference was the presence of a mechanism for winding threads on a bobbin on the latter. Also, the 142nd model has an ergonomic design and a body made of reinforced steel.