GB2099865A - Embroidery frame for embroidering machines - Google Patents

Abstract

An embroidery frame includes a supporting plate (1) having an embroidering opening (2) into which a tubular frame upper part (6) is adapted to fit to tension and clamp a piece of material to be embroidered across the opening (2). The embroidery frame is particularly suitable for tubular articles that are stretched over the supporting plate (1), which is preferably rectangular and has a width slightly greater than half the circumference of the article to be embroidered. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Embroidery frame for embroidering machines The invention relates to an embroidery frame for an embroidering machine, particularly for embroidering tubular articles. The frame is of the type which has a frame lower part fixed on the pantograph and a frame upper part which can be placed from above onto the frame lower part in order to clamp the material to be embroidered.

Embroidery frames for embroidering machines, particularly for multi-head automatic embroidering machines may have a diversity of constructions. In most constructions they consist of an annular frame lower part and a corresponding frame upper part. The upper part is brought into position from above and clamps the stretched material to be embroidered on the frame lower part so that the material to be embroidered is on the level of the stitching feed plate.

While such embroidering frame constructions are sutiable for tensioning flat material to be embroidered, without difficulties arising, considerable difficulties do arise when tubular articles are to be embroidered, such as socks, stockings, T-shirts and pullovers. These articles, already made in tubular form on special sewing or knitting machines, need to be held by an embroidering frame in such a manner that the underside of the place to be embroidered is freely accessible for tying the embroidery thread with the bottom thread. Therefore it is necessary to turn over the tubular object to be embroidered at least in the area of the place to be embroidered.

Care must then be taken to ensure the part turned over onto the upper side of the frame does not enter the area of the material pressing arrangement and of the needle.

With the abovementioned type of annular embroidery frame this method of gripping a tubular object requires considerable attention on the part of the operator without any guarantee, however, that defective embroidering or damage to the material to be embroidered will be avoided.

According to the invention there is provided an embroidery frame for an embroidering machine, particularly for embroidering tubular articles, with a frame lower part fixed on a pantograph and a frame upper part which can be placed from above onto the frame lower part in order to clamp the material to be embroidered, wherein the frame lower part is designed as a supporting plate provided with an embroidering opening into which embroidering opening the tubular frame upper part can be inserted.

The present invention also provides an embroidery frame for an embroidering machine comprising a material supporting plate having an embroidering opening defined therein, means for mounting said plate to a pantograph of an embroidering machine and a tubular frame upper part adapted to be inserted from above into the opening to clamp the material to be embroidered.

Preferably the supporting plate is substantially rectangular with a width corresponding to the dimensions of a piece of material to be embroidered. By means of this matching of the supporting plate with the dimensions of the material to be embroidered the handTing and the quality of fixing are further improved. It is desirable that the supporting plate should have rounded-off front corners to prevent damage to the material to be embroidered. In order to be able to adapt an embroidery frame to tubular articles having different dimensions, particularly the diameter of the tubular form, the width of the supporting plate may also be adjustable.

It is furthermore preferable to provide the frame upper part on its upper side with a projecting edge. This projecting edge prevents too much turning over of the part of the tubular article that is away from the embroidering area, and thus ensures that these parts of the tubular articles are not inadvertently allowed to reach the embroidering area.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the embroidering opening in the supporting plate is surrounded by an upwardly-projecting rim into which the frame upper part can be inserted. The upwardly-projecting rim of the supporting plate and the frame upper part with its projecting edge define a channel which is used to receive the turned over part of the material and therefore keeps not only the upper part of the embroidering opening, but also the upper side of the frame upper part free from the turned over part of the material. The embroidering opening itself can be given any shape, though, preferably, it is made oval or circular. The projecting edge of the frame upper part is preferably rectangular or square.

So that the material to be embroidered may be clamped securely at the edge of the embroidering opening without the danger of damage to the material, a clamping surface of the embroidering opening is preferably provided with a coating which increases its frictional properties.

Preferably, the coating further compensates for different thicknesses of material to be embroidered and comprises a plush fabric secured on the clamping surface of the embroidering opening. It has been found in practice that the barbs of the plush insert -- preferably glued in place - are better suited for the holding of the materials to be embroidered than foam materials, for example, which, after some time, not only lose their elasticity but also adapt themselves less well to the different widths of the material to be embroidered.

To improve the ease of use of the embroidery frame it is further desirable to provide the supporting plate with a hinge having an axis adapted to extend parallel with a bar of the pantograph of an embroidering machine. By using such a hinge the supporting plate can be folded up for the application of tubular articles, so that the articles can be drawn up without hindrance through the table of the embroidering machine and set up relative to the embroidering opening before the supporting plate is folded back onto the table of the embroidering machine and the material to be embroidered is secured by means of the frame upper part.

Preferably the means for mounting the plate to a pantograph of an embroidering machine comprises a clamping strip by means of which the free hinge half can be secured to the bar of the pantograph, thus the embroidering frame can be, in a simple manner, mounted to the bar of the pantograph, or removed therefrom. The supporting plate and/or the frame upper part are made preferably of wood, plastic or light metal.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top view of an embroidery frame, with the frame upper part removed; Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top view of the embroidery frame upper part, and Figure 4 is a side view of the embroidery frame upper part of Figure 3.

As Figures 1 and 2 show, an embroidery frame lower part is constructed as a substantially rectangular supporting plate 1 which is provided with a circular embroidering opening 2. This embroidering opening 2 is surrounded by an upwardly-projecting rim 3 which constitutes together with the edge surface of the embroidering opening 2 a clamping surface of the embroidery frame which may be seen in dashed outline in Figure 2.

In the area of this clamping surface 4 the supporting plate 1 and the rim 3 are provided with a coating 5 which increases their frictional properties. Preferably, a plush strip is used for the coating 5 and is glued at the back on to the clamping surface 4.

It is possible to insert from above an annular frame upper part 6 into the embroidering opening 2 of the supporting plate 1. This part 6 is shown in Figures 3 and 4. The frame upper part 6 consists of a circular ring which, allowing for the thickness of the coating 5, fits into the embroidering opening 2. On its upper side the frame upper part 6 is provided with a projecting edge 7 which is substantially square in plan. Both the four corners of the projecting edge 7 and the front corners of the supporting plate 1 are rounded in order to avoid any danger of damage to the material to be embroidered.

The supporting plate 1'is at its rear end fixed to a hinge 8 the axis of which is parallel with a pantograph bar (not shown) of an embroidering machine. To fix the hinge 8 and thereby the supporting plate 1 to such a pantograph bar provision is made for a clamping strip 9 which is of angular construction and is fixed on the hinge 8. A mobile part 9a of the clamping strip 9 is transversely-movably mounted in longitudinal holes and may be tightly secured by means of clamping screws 1 0. By loosening these screws 10 and moving the mobile part 9a it is possible to disengage the clamping strip 9 from the pantograph bar. Reversing this sequence of operations, the supporting plate 1 described above can be fixed very quickly with the hinge 9 on the bar of the pantograph.

To use the described embroidery frame a tubular article to be embroidered is pushed over the supporting plate 1 from the front. In order to obtain a certain degree of tension in the material to be embroidered at this stage the width of the supporting plate 1 is matched to the dimensions of the material. Preferably, the supporting plate 1 is slightly wider than half the circumference of the tubular article.

After pushing on, the material forms a flat tube on the supporting plate 1, with the part of the material that is to be embroidered lying centrally in the embroidering opening 2. If now the frame upper part 6, is positioned from above onto the supporting plate 1, then the part of the material to be embroidered is simultaneously further tightened and clamped firmly in the area of the clamping surface 4. The sliding of the material onto the supporting plate 1 is simplified if the supporting plate 1 is folded up from the table of the embroidering machine by means of the hinge 8 during the sliding-on process. So as to be able to place the frame upper part 6 on the supporting plate 1 it is appropriate to fold the supporting plate 1 back onto the table of the embroidering machine.

So that the under side of the part of the material that is to be embroidered may be accessible for tying the upper thread with the lower thread, it is necessary to remove the part of the material lying on the underside of the supporting plate 1. This is effected by turning over upwards this part of the material.

This turned over material enters three sides of the channel, which is U-shaped in cross-section and is defined by the upper side of the supporting plate 1, the outside of the rim 3 and the underside of the projecting edge 7. This channel ensures that the turned over parts of the material do not reach the area of the embroidering opening 2 and impede here the movements of the needle and of the material pressing device.

It will be appreciated that by using a supporting plate as a frame bottom part the tubular article to be embroidered can be pulled into position on the plate in a simple manner. This article, and particulary the area of it to be embroidered, is held taut over the embroidering opening, and is further tensioned in the area to be embroidered by the positioning of the frame upper part. After this tensioning operation the part of the material which lies under the supporting plate is turned over to face upwards. The frame upper part positioned on the supporting plate ensures that the turned over part of the material does not enter the embroidering area formed by the embroidering opening. The described embroidery frame thus not only facilitates the holding of tubular articles for the embroidering process, but also and at the same time it improves said holding.

Claims (14)

1. An embroidery frame for an embroidering machine, particularly for embroidering tubular articles, with a frame lower part fixed on a pantograph and a frame upper part which can be placed from above onto the frame lower part in order to clamp the material to be embroidered, wherein the frame lower part is designed as a supporting plate provided with an embroidering opening into which embroidering opening the tubular frame upper part can be inserted.

2. An embroidery frame for an embroidering machine comprising a material supporting plate having an embroidering opening defined therein, means for mounting said plate to a pantograph of an embroidering machine and a tubular frame upper part adapted to be inserted from above into the opening to clamp the material to be embroidered.

3. An embroidery frame according to claim 2, wherein the supporting plate is substantially rectangular with a width corresponding to the dimensions of a piece of material to be embroidered.

4. An embroidery frame according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the width of the supporting plate is adjustable.

5. An embroidery frame according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the frame upper part is provided on its upper side with a projecting edge.

6. An embroidery frame according to claim 5, wherein the projecting edge of the frame upper part is rectangular or square.

7. An embroidery frame according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the embroidering opening in the supporting plate is surrounded by an upwardly-projecting rim into which the frame upper part can be inserted.

8. An embroidery frame according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the embroidery opening is oval or circular.

9. An embroidery frame according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein a clamping surface of the embroidering opening is provided with a coating which increases its frictional properties.

10. An embroidery frame according to claim 9, wherein said coating further compensates for difference thicknesses of material to be embroidered and comprises a plush fabric secured on the clamping surface of the embroidering opening.

11. An embroidery frame according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the supporting plate is provided with a hinge having an axis adapted to extend parallel with a bar of the pantograph of an embroidering machine.

12. An embroidery frame according to claim 11 , wherein the mounting means comprises a clamping strip by means of which the free hinge half can be secured to the bar of the pantograph.

13. An embroidery frame according to any one of claims 2 to 12, wherein the supporting plate and/or the frame upper part are made of wood, plastic or light metal.

14. An embroidery frame substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 5. An embroidering machine provided with an embroidery frame as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.