ISIS: The Interactive Spectral Interpretation System

A material guiding device for feeding material to a stitch-forming area of a sewing machine which has a rail guide over which the material is placed for guiding movement from a charging point to the stitch-forming area, comprises a braking weight which has a bottom recess of a size to receive the rail guide with the material thereon so as to permit engagement of the weight over the material so as to move with the material during the feeding operation and to provide a braking action thereon. The construction includes a deflector adjacent the stitch-forming area which deflects the weight into a braking weight return track in the form of a slide or chute which has an opening adjacent the stitch-forming area and is inclined downwardly to a delivery end which is remote from the stitch area at the charging point for the material so that a weight may be returned automatically to a place at which it may be applied to a material at the charging point. The braking weight advantageously includes pins which extend into the recess and engage the material to secure the braking weight to the material for movement therewith during feeding. The braking force may be increased by designing the weight or the track with a magnetic attractable material so as to increase the attracting force between the brake and the guide rail.