GB2138274A

GB2138274A - Multiple pronged pin for use in sewing

Info

Publication number: GB2138274A
Application number: GB08324773A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Loretta Lorraine Paracsi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-04-15
Filing date: 1983-09-15
Publication date: 1984-10-24
Also published as: JPS59192704A; AU1915283A; GB8324773D0

Abstract

A multiple pronged pin 20 arranged to secure aligned fabric members together while the fabric members are sewed together, is "U" shaped with a pair of pointed leg members 21 extending from a curved connecting head portion 22. The legs 21 are preferably equal in length, and spaced apart from one another in a parallel orientation. As shown in Figure 4, the connecting portion 43 may be offset with respect to the legs 41 to enhance grasping the pin and putting it to use. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Multiple pronged pin for use in sewing This invention relates to a multiple pronged pin adapted to temporarily secure several pieces of fabric together to accommodate a sewing operation.

In sewing two or more pieces of fabric together as for example when making clothing or the like, a preliminary step requires that the fabrics be accurately positioned relative to one another and thereafter temporarily secured as with pins. A seam can then be stiched along a predetermined course to permanently interconnect the pieces of fabric.

Straight pins have long been utilized to temporarily secure fabrics together for sewing. The straight pins are inserted through two face to face abutting fabrics along a seam line at spacing which permits substantially no relative movement between the fabric pieces to be sewn together. After sewing the fabrics together the pins must, of course, be removed.

In sewing with a sewing machine a presser-foot exerts a downward force against a top fabric layer while a bottom fabric layer is advanced horizontally through the sewing machine by a feed dog arrangement. Herein, only the bottom fabric directly receives an intermittent advancing impetus while the upper layer is subject to some frictional resistance stemming from the presser-foot. Thus there is a tendency for the fabric pieces to pucker or develop creases during the sewing operation. Accordingly, the care with which the fabric layers are pinned together is extremely important to obtain a satisfactory seam line free of puckers or creases. Spacing pins very close together, expecially in critical areas helps to diminish relative displacement between the fabric layers; however, the tendency is to space pins sparcely due to time considerations.Obviously, some fabrics are far more subject to relative shifting displacement than others. Looseness of the weave, smoothness of texture, weight and composition of the fabrics and even pressure adjustments of the presser-foot are all influencing factors. Thus under more adverse conditions the pinning procedure is even more crucial. Also when machine sewing a seam along a curved path there is much more tendency for the straight pins to slip or twist, allowing an undersirable displacement or shifting to occur between the fabric layers being sewn together.

Further,in cutting desired fabric shapes from a length of yard goods, as for example when making clothing or the like, a pattern and several layers of fabric will all be inerconnected with straight pins to minimize any relative movements between the layers while cutting out the desired shapes. Here too it is important that a secure interconnection be provided since the cutting operation inherently tends to displace the layers relative to one another.

Accordingly, it would be a decided advance in the state of the art to provide a pin member which overcomes or lessens the aforementioned difficulties.

A multiple pronged pin having a pair of parallel spaced legs or shafts of equal length and each being pointed at one end and interconnected at their other end by a curved bail portion. The pin is preferrably formed from a thin wire generally "U" shaped with the pointed ends being suitably tapered to facilitate penetrating the weave of a fabric. The bail portion serves as an elongated head which makes it easy to grasp the pin and to push the pointed ends through several layers of material. The bail portion may be bent upward which still further enhances holding the pin, and pinning fabric layers together especially on a flat cutting board or table surface.

Since the multi-pronged pin is provided with two legs, twice as many pinning interconnections will be achieved with the same effort and since the pin shafts or legs are interconnected by the rigid bail portion, each leg serves to stabilize the other in the fabric, thereby lessening the shifting displacement of one fabric layer relative to another. Also there is less likelihood that a pin will drop out of light-weight material during sewing. Further, the relatively large size head (bail portion) makes the pins much easier to remove from the material after they have served their purpose. The large head is also much more gentle with the fingertips, especially when pinning several layers of heavy material together.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a multiple pronged pin for temporarily securing several layers of cloth together to accomodate a sewing operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a multiple pronged pin which substantially eliminates relative movement between two aligned fabric layers while sewing the fabric layers together.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a compound pin which will secure and accurately retain the desired adjustment of several fabric thicknesses during a sewing operation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a multiple pronged pin which is easy to grasp and insert through several layers of material supported on a flat surface.

Other objects features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.

Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a multiple pronged pin of the present invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the pins of Figure 1 interconnecting several fabric layers along a seam line in a sewing operation; Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken generally along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 3 of an alternative embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the line V-V of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view showing the multiple pronged pin of Figures 4 and 5 tilted in a fabric penetrating position; and Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view showing the multiple pronged pin of Figures 4 and 5 in a position of further use.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the compound pin 20 of this invention comprises a "U" shaped slender rod or wire and includes a pair of spaced shaft legs 21 of equal length. The legs 21 extend outward from an interconnecting curved bail portion 22 with each leg 21 terminating in a tapered, fabric penetrating point 23. The overall length of the pin indicated as a in Figure 1, is preferably in the range of 20mm to 40mm with an ideal length of about 27mm. The spacing between the legs 21 indicated as ss in Figure 1, is preferably in the range of 4mm to 15mm with an ideal spacing of about 7mm and the diameter of the leg 21, indicated as w in the drawing is in the range of 0.5mm to 1 mm with an ideal diameter of about .7mm. These dimensions have been found to provide ideal proportions for use in a sewing operation.

As best seen in Figure 2 a sewing machine 27 is provided with a reciprocating sewing needle 28 to stitch along a desired seam line 30 to interconnect two, face to face abutting pieces of fabric 31 and 32.

A plurality of double pronged pins 20 are installed along the seam line 30 at suitable intervals to maintain the alignment or positioning of fabric layers 31 and 32 relative to one another. A row of stitching 30a is then sewn along the seam line 30 which is generally a course following a predetermined inset spacing from the edge of the material which provides a seam allowance 33.

A downward biased presser-foot 34 holds the fabrics against a feed-dog mechanism 35 which is arranged to intermittently advance the layers of fabric past the needle 28. Sewing may proceed right over the pins 20 and thereafter they may be removed when the seam is completed. In some instances, however, it may be desirable to remove the pins 20 as they are encountered immediately in front of the presser-foot. Here it will be appreciated that the pins 20 are easily and quickly removed from the fabric.

As best seen in Figures 4 through 7, an alternate form of my invention shows a multiple pronged pin 40, having spaced legs 41 with fabric penetrable pointed ends 42. The legs 41 are interconnected by a curved portion 43 remote from the ends 42 and is angled or offset relative to the legs 41 as represented by 6 in Figure 4. This angle may be in the order of 15 to 90 but is ideally set at about 30". The portion 43 may be of any desirable configuration and is not necessarily required to be curved. The proportions and dimensions as described above with regard to the Figure 1 embodiment are also applicable to the Figure 4 embodiment.It will be seen from the drawings that the angle 6 allows much better accessibility to the head or curved portion 43 of the pin 40 for the insertion and extraction of the pins.

Now with specific reference to Figure 6, the multiple pronged pin 40 is shown securing a tissue paper pattern 46 to two layers of yard goods 47.

Herein, the edge of the pattern serves as a templet to cut out a desired fabric shape from material. Since the yard goods and pattern are initially carefully layed out and positioned in a flat orientation on a cutting board or table surface 48, every effort is made during pinning to maintain the positioning by keeping the pattern and fabric together and relatively flat against the surface 48. Accordingly, the pin points 42 are first angled siightly downward to penetrate the pattern 46 and fabric layer 47 and thereafter the curved portion 43 which serves as the head of the pin 40, is forced downward and forward to rock the points 42 upward as indicated by the arrow F in figure 6, to provide a penetrating angle from the underside of the material 47. Thus the pattern 46 is temporarily secured to the fabric 47 in a fast and accurate manner and with each pin 40 having twice the hold ability as compared with a conventional straight pin.

Figure 7 shows the compound pin used to pin up a hem 50. Hereto the multiple pronged pin 40 is more effective than a conventional straight pin in maintaining the folded relationship of the material 51 to provide a straight hem iine.

Although the teachings of my invention have herein been discussed with reference to specific embodiments, it is to be undertstood that these are by way of illustration only and that others may wish to utilize my invention in different designs or applications.

Claims

1. A multiple pronged pin for temporarily securing sections of material together in a sewing operation comprising: a pair of straight, equal lengths each leg being round in cross section and having a pointed end which is adapted to penetrate layers of material; and an integral connecting portion remote from said pointed ends and being arranged to interconnect said pair of legs in a spaced and parallel orientation relative to one another.

2. The multiple pronged pin in accordance with claim 1, wherein said connecting portion comprises a curved head means.

3. The multiple pronged in in accordance with claim 2, wherein said spacing between said legs is in the order of 4mm to 15mm.

4. The multiple pronged pin in accordance with claim 2, wherein said spacing between said legs is ideally 7mm.

5. The multiple pronged pin in accordance with claim 3, wherein an overall length of said legs and said connecting portion is in the order of 20mm to 40mm.

6. The multiple pronged pin in accordance with claim 3, wherein an overal length of said legs and said connecting portion is ideally27mm.

7. The multiple pronged pin in accordance with claim 5, wherein the diameter of said legs is in the order of .5mm to 1 mum.

8. A compound pin for temporarily fastening layers of material together in connection with a sewing operation comprising a pair of straight, equal length leg members, each leg member being round in cross section and having a pointed end for penetrating several layers of material; an integral curved portion remote from said pointed ends and being arranged to interconnect said pair of leg members in a spaced, parallel orientation relative to one another; and an offset means adapted to interconnect said pair of leg members with said curved portion at a relative angle to accommodate securing the layers of material together.

9. The compound pin in accordance with claim 8, wherein said relative angle is in the order of 15 to 90".

10. The compound pin in accordance with claim 8 wherein said relative angle is ideally 30".

11. The compound pin in accordance with claim 9, wherein said spacing between said legs is in the order of 4mm to 1 5mm and wherein the overall length of said legs and said curved portion is in the order of 20mm to 40mm and the diameter of said legs is in the order of .5mm to 1 mm.

12. A multiple pronged pin for temporarily securing sections of material together in a sewing operation, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.