GB2230026A - Bow tying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In a bow tying apparatus in which two extensible ribbon holders or hook arms 12, 42 are extended along intersecting paths so as to form a bow in a length of ribbon 70, the angle of intersection of the arms 12, 42 being related to the angles of loops or ears in the resultant bows, means are provided to change the position of one or other of the arms so as to vary the included angle of intersection and hence the shape of the resultant bow. Such means may be locating pegs on the arms engaging with corresponding arcuately disposed holes 26, 28, 56, 58 or by slideably mounting the arms on an arcuate track. <IMAGE>

Description

BOW TYING APPARATUS This invention concerns apparatus for bow tying, especially the tying of bows in lengths of ribbon or similar material.

Bows tied in a length of ribbon or similar thin strip material are commonly used for decoration of articles of clothing etc. Consequently the production of a large number of bows is important to the clothing industry.

Whilst it is important that bows should be all of a similar size, it is often required to have bows which are formed with their loops or "ears" at different angles with respect to each other.

Hitherto the production of such bows has been accomplished either by a human operator assisted by manually operated mechanical means, for example arms, or by using an automatic bow tying apparatus such as that described in our previous British Patent No. 2176507.

It will be appreciated, however, that with the apparatus described in our previous British patent there is no possibility of altering the angle between the "ears" of the finished bow. Furthermore, a similar problem applies to the known methods of forming such bows by hand as the mechanically operated arms which assist in the actual formation of the bows are operated using rack and pinion means controlled by a foot pedal. Thus the arms themselves are at fixed angles relative to one another and thus form bows of an identical shape.

Previously such a problem has been overcome by providing separate machines, each machine having a different pre-set angle between its operating arms to form a bow having a predetermined angle between its "ears". This, of course, requires much extra capital outlay. Furthermore, there is a certain element of redundancy as not all machines will be operating at any given time.

It is an object of the present invention to provide bow tying apparatus which will assist the formation of bows in a length of ribbon or similar material, such bows being formed with a predetermined angle between their respective loops or "ears", which angle is variable for the formation of successive bows.

One aspect of the present invention provides ribbon holders, moveable along intersecting paths, whose angles of intersection are related to angles of loops or ears of resulting bows, and means for changing one or more of the paths so as to vary included angles of intersection, say involving displacement of one of the ribbon holders.

A further aspect of the invention provides a method of forming bows in a length of ribbon or similar material including the step of causing relative movement of ribbon holders with respect to each other so as to vary their included angle of intersection and hence angles of loops of resulting bows.

In one embodiment of the present invention, for example based on our previous bow tying apparatus comprising first and second extensible arms having first and second ribbon hooks disposed at respective ends of said hook arms, the hook arms being disposed relative to one another so as to define an operating angle therebetween and at least one hook arm being mounted such that it is displaceable with respect to said other hook arm such as to increase or decrease the operating angle therebetween.

Preferably the extension and/or retraction of the first and second hook arms is effected by way of a cable and tube arrangement controlled by a user operated switch.

Advantageously both the first and second hook arms are independently displaceable with respect to each other.

Preferably one or each of the hook arms is slideably displaceable along an arcuate track and each hook arm so moveable is preferably provided with means for securing said hook arm at any predetermined point along said track.

Alternatively, the or each hook arm may be provided with one or more pegs which are locatable in one or more of a series of holes provided in a baseboard, said holes being arranged arcuately with respect to the operating angle between said hook arms.

Each of said first and second ribbon hooks is preferably provided with respective latch means operable to trap the ribbon so that it cannot escape from the hook during formation of the bow. Such latch means is advantageously in the form of a sleeve surrounding the hook arm and which is slideably displaceable therealong permitting it to engage with the first and second ribbon hook respectively, thereby trapping the material in the hook.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompany drawing in which the single figure is a plan view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention.

In the drawing a preferred embodiment of bow tying apparatus comprises a first hook arm 12 which includes a telescopically extensible arm 14 having at its free end a first ribbon hook 16. The arm 12 is further provided with a latch sleeve 18 which is slideably displaceable along the arm 12 between the ribbon hook 16 and stop means 20. Frictional retaining means 22 are attached via a support member 24 to the hook arm 12. The telesopically extensible arm 14 is provided with two pegs (not shown) which locate in one pair of a series of holes 26, 28 arranged arcuately on a baseboard 30.

A second hook arm 42 is similarly formed including extensible arm 44, second ribbon hook 46, latch sleeve 48, stop means 50, retaining means 52 and support member 54. This second hook arm is similarly provided with a pair of locating pegs (not shown) for engagement with a second series of holes 56, 58 also located arcuately on the baseboard 30. An operating angle is defined between the first and second hook arms 12, 42. This operating angle is preferably between 60 and 1200 and thus each hook arm 12, 42 would normally be displaceable between plus or minus 150 of a central position on the baseboard 30.

Movement of each of the first and second hook arms 12, 42 is controlled by way of cables 60 which pass through tubes 62 secured to each hook arm 12, 42. The respective free ends of each of the cables 60 is attached to a user operated switch (not shown). Such a switch would normally be in the form of, for example, a foot pedal. Depression of this foot pedal (not shown) causes a tightening of the cable 60 within the tube 62 and hence retraction of each hook arm from the position substantially as indicated in the drawing.

In order to form a bow using the machine a length of ribbon 70 is looped about the two hook arms 12, 42 as shown in the drawing. Depression of the foot pedal as previously described causes retraction of the hook arms 12, 42 within the telescoping arms 14, 44. As they retract the frictional retaining means 22, 52 initially prevents the respective sleeve 18, 48 from moving with its hook arm. The sleeves 18, 48 therefore remain stationary whilst the respective hook arms 12, 42 retract through them until the sleeves 18, 48 engage with the ribbon 70 preventing it from escaping from the first and second ribbon hooks 16, 46 respectively. Free ends of the ribbon 70 are held by the user during this retraction and thus a bow is tied in the ribbon 70. The formed bow is then disengaged from the first and second hook arms 12, 42.The arm would then be extended for formation of a successive bow.

The apparatus according to the invention allows the formation of bows having a substantially different shape by permitting the varying of the operating angle between the first and second hook arms 12, 42. This is accomplished by movement of one or other of the hook arms 12, 42 about its arcuate guide. This is accomplished by removing one of the arms 12, 42 from its pair of locating holes 26, 28, 56, 58 and repositioning it in a second pair of locating holes as desired. Thus the form of the finished bow may be simply altered without recourse to purchasing a second machine specifically for the purpose of providing bows having a different angle between its loops or "ears".

It will be understood that alternatively to the series of holes provided in the baseboard as depicted in the preferred embodiment it would be possible to provide an arcuate, or semi-circular, guide track on which the two hook arms 12, 42 are slideably displaceable. Fastening means, for example, a screw or collar arrangement could be provided to secure the hook arms at any one point along the said arcuate track. In this way the precise angle desired in the finished bow could be set between the hook arms 12, 42. Although it is preferable that both hook arms should be moveable with respect to each other this is not necessarily so and one arm could be fixed in position with the second arm only moveable with respect thereto.

Furthermore the precise details of the hook arm mechanism may be altered in conformity with accepted practice. Thus although the latch sleeve device arrangement as described is advantageous with respect to this particular invention it is not necessary to provide such means for its correct functioning and an alternative arrangement may be provided. Other variations may also be possible.

Claims (12)

1. Bow tying apparatus including ribbon holders, moveable along intersecting paths, whose angles of intersection are related to angles of loops or ears of resulting bows, and means for changing one or more of the paths so as to vary included angles of intersection.

2. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for changing one of the parts comprises means to displace one of the ribbon holders.

3. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 comprising first and second extensible hook arms having first and second ribbon hooks disposed at respective ends of said hook arms, the hook arms being disposed relative to one another so as to define an operating angle therebetween and at least one hook arm being mounted such that it is displaceable with respect to said other hook arm such as to increase or decrease the operating angle therebetween.

4. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which one or each of the hook arms is slideably displaceable along an arcuate track.

5. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which each hook arm so moveable is preferably provided with means for securing said hook arm at any predetermined point along said track.

6. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the or each hook arm is provided with one or more pegs which are locatable in one or more of a series of holes provided in a baseboard, said holes being arranged arcuately with respect to the operating angle between said hook arms.

7. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 6 in which retraction of the first and second hook arms is effected by way of a cable and tube arrangement controlled by a user operated switch.

8. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 7 in which both the first and second hook arms are independently displaceable with respect to each other.

9. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 8 in which each of said first and second ribbon hooks is provided with respective latch means operable to trap the ribbon so that it cannot escape from the hook during formation of the bow.

10. Bow tying apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which the latch means is in the form of a sleeve surrounding the hook arm and which is slideably displaceable therealong permitting it to engage with the first and second ribbon hook respectively, thereby trapping the material in the hook.

11. A method of forming bows in a length of ribbon or similar material including the step of causing relative movement of ribbon holders with respect to each other so as to vary their included angle of intersection and hence angles of loops of resulting bows.

12. Bow tying apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.