GB2286761A - Making a strip of material for a neck tie - Google Patents

Abstract

In making a strip of material 8 for a neck tie, a length of spacer material 20 is placed on a first piece of material 10 and the two longitudinal edges of the first piece of material are folded to provide two wings 16 folded over the spacer material 20. The edges of the wings 16 are spaced from one another to provide a gap 19 therebetween. A first bonding means 22 or 34 is provided on the spacer material 12 at least along the gap. Thereafter, a second piece of material and the first piece of material 10 are placed adjacent to each other, whereby the second material 12 lies against at least part of the wings 16 and the spacer material 20, and the second material 12 is bonded to at least to the spacer material 20. The invention also includes apparatus for making the strip of material in this way and incorporates a folder (46, Figs 3 to 7). The strip is cheaper to produce and aesthetically improved <IMAGE>

Description

A XETUOD FOR MAKING A STRIP OF MATERIAL FOR A NECK TIE Field of the Invention The present invention relates to methods for making strips of material suitable for neck ties and in particular, though not exclusively, for bow ties.

Backqround to the Invention Bow ties can, briefly, be said to comprise the bow and a neck band. A typical way of manufacturing a neck band is to sew together a first piece of material to a second piece of buttonholed material. The buttonholed material includes a plurality of "button holes" along its length in to which can be secured the bow tie fixing means as is well known in the art. The first and second pieces of material are sewn together along opposite longitudinal edges and then the sewn strip of material is turned inside out to hide the stitching. The strip of material is attached to the bow and the usual fixing devices are provided. Such a strip of material has the disadvantage that it is untidy to look at, in particular the edges of the strip are uneven and, because the material has been turned inside out after sewing the edges, the strip is considerably fatter than two pieces of material.

Furthermore, when the fixing means (a metal 'T'-piece) is inserted into the buttonholes as part of the procedure for adjusting the band for the correct length, the 'T'-piece can pick-up strands from the first piece of material which, when the 'T'-piece is removed can be pulled out to add to the untidiness of the appearance of the band.

From a manufacturers point of view, this procedure is also disadvantageous because it is relatively labour intensive and involves several separate manufacturing steps which need to be undertaken on different machines, or at least at separate stages of the machine, just to produce the strip of material for the band.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or overcome some or all of the disadvantages of the prior art.

Summarv of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for making a strip of material for a neck tie, the method comprising providing a first length of material and a second length of material, providing a length of spacer material, placing the spacer material and the first piece of material adjacent to each other, folding the first piece of material along its two longitudinal edges to provide two wings folded over the spacer material whereby the edges of the wings are spaced from one another to provide a gap therebetween, providing a first bonding means on the spacer material at least along the gap, placing the second material and the first material adjacent to each other whereby the second material lies against at least part of the wings and the spacer material, and bonding the second material at least to the spacer material, whereby the first and second materials are secured together.

Such a method of manufacturing a strip for a neck tie has many advantages. In particular, since the edges of the strip are determined by a folding procedure, they can be kept substantially parallel to the naked eye and very neat when compared with the structure of the prior art referred to above. The strip is consistent and accurate along its length. There need be no sewing involved which adds to the neatness. Furthermore, the method lends itself towards automated production and does not involve as many or as intensive manufacturing steps.

Preferably the method includes the step of bonding the wings to the first spacer material.

Suitably, the method additionally includes the step of providing a second spacer material, and bonding the second spacer material to the first spacer material with the bonding means. Preferably the first and second materials are secured together by the second spacer material being bonded to the second material and to the first spacer material.

Advantageously the method includes the step of bonding the first material directly to the second material.

Preferably, the bonding means comprises a glue which may be a hot-melt glue.

Suitably the method includes the step of folding the second material along its two longitudinal edges to provide wings on the side towards the first material, and bonding the wings of the second material directly to the first material. Advantageously the second material is folded to a thinner width than the first material and does not overlap the first material which gives a visually pleasing and accurate mitre.

Suitably the second material will include a plurality of button holes along its length, which button holes can be used in cooperation with a fixing means for the neck tie.

By use of such an arrangement, the strip has the advantage that a 'T'-piece of the fixing means will not pick-up strands from the first length of material because the spacer materials are between the first and second pieces of material.

Suitably the bonding is carried out by a combination of heat and pressure on the bonding means. Advantageously the bonding means comprises glue-cotton. Glue-cotton can be either a length of cotton on the exterior surface of which is a hot melt glue, or a hot melt glue in the form of a strand.

Advantageously the folding is carried out by a single station folder in the manufacturing process.

Suitably the first spacer comprises a bonding material on its side facing towards the wings of the first material.

Suitably the spacer materials comprise lengths of interfacing.

Conveniently, the first spacer material is bonded to the internal faces of the wings of the first material and to the second spacer material, and the wings of the second material are bonded to the wings of the first material.

The steps of the method referred to above need not be carried out in the sequence stated and, indeed, some of the steps may be carried out simultaneously.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a folder for carrying out the method referred to above, the folder comprising means for guiding a first length of material, means for guiding a second length of material and means for guiding a spacer material, means for placing the spacer material and the first piece of material adjacent to each other, means for folding the first piece of material along its two longitudinal edges to provide two wings folded over the spacer material whereby the edges of the wings are spaced from one another to provide a gap therebetween, means for providing a bonding means on the spacer material at least along the gap, and means for placing the second material and the first material adjacent to each other whereby the second material lies against at least part of the wings and the spacer material.

In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for carrying out the method referred to above, which apparatus comprises an input station for providing lengths of material, a folder for folding the material as described above, means for activating the bonding means and means to convey the lengths of material from the input to the folder through the fuser and out through an exit.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a strip of material for a neck tie produced in accordance with the method or from the apparatus described above. The strip of material may be part of a neck tie which, normally will be a bow tie.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a strip of material for a neck tie, which strip comprises a first length of material having two inwardly directed wings along its longitudinal edges, the wings being around a length of spacer material, a gap being present between the edge of the two wings, a second length of material over the gap and coving at least part of the wings of the first material, the second material being bonded tc at least the spacer material.

Further modifications may be made as set out above.

Brief Descrintion of the Drawings The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings that follow; in which: Figure 1 is a view from one side of a strip of material in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged and exaggerated schematic crosssection of the material shown in Figure 1 through the line II-II.

Figure 3 is a schematic front view of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective exploded view of the folder shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a top view of the folder shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is a side view of the folder shown in Figures 3 to 5.

Figure 7 is a front view of the folder shown in Figures 3 to 6 with the various materials running through the folder shown.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings that follow, there is shown a strip 8 for a neck tie such as a bow tie. The strip 8 comprises a first piece of material 10 and a second piece of material 12 against the first piece 10.

Referring as well to Figure 2, it should be noted that the elements in the figure have been exaggerated and are shown to illustrate the overall structure of the strip 8 rather than to show exactly how a cross-section through the strip 8 would appear. The first piece of material 10 comprises an outer side 14 and two wings 16 the outer side 14 is separated from the wings 16 by folds 18. Between the edges of the wings 16 is a gap 19.

Sandwiched between the outer side 14 and the wings 16 is a spacer material comprising interfacing 20. The interfacing 20 has a hot-melt adhesive bonding material 22 on one of its major surfaces; referred to as "iron-on interfacing".

The second piece of material 12 comprises an outer side 24 and two wings 26 separated from the outer side 24 by folds 28. Between the outer side 24 and the wings 26 is a second length of interfacing 30. In this case the interfacing 30 does not include an adhesive.

Between the first 10 and second 12 pieces of material are positioned three beads of bonding material 32, 34 and 36.

In this case, the bonding material 32, 34, 36 comprises a hot melt glue-coated cotton.

The outer side 24 of the second piece of material 12 includes a plurality of spaced button holes 38 through which are visible the upper side of the second spacer material 30.

The first and second pieces of material 10, 12 and hence the strip 8 itself, are symmetrical about a longitudinal centre line defined, approximately, by the buttonholes 34 in Figure 1.

As can be seen, in particular in Figure 1, the second piece of material 12, when folded, is thinner than the first piece of material 10. Thus there are provided mitres 39 on ether side of the second piece of material 12.

The strip of material 8 described above is, in effect, the material prior to fusing of the bonding material 32.

Normally, the material 8 would be compressed and heated, during which the bonding material 32, 34, 36 is melted and distributed to increase the bonded surface area.

Thus, after heating, the wings 16 are bonded to the wings 26 by bonding material 32 and 36. The wings 16 of the first piece of material 10 are bonded to the interfacing 20 by bonding material 22. The second length of interfacing 30 is bonded by bonding material 34 and by the bonding layer on interfacing 20 to the bonding interfacing 20. The bonding material 34 is, in this case, provided to give extra security to the bond.

Referring to Figures 3-7 there is described a method and apparatus for the manufacture of the strip 8 of material described above.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown an apparatus 40, which apparatus 40 comprises an input means 42 from which material, generally indicated at 44 is provided to a folder 46. From the folder 46 the material enters a fuser 48, passes exit stage 50 and is deposited in a collection bin 52. The path of materials through the apparatus 40 is indicated by dashed lines.

The input stage 42 comprises a plurality of rolls 54 of material 44, each of which provides one of the lengths of material (first material 10, second material 12, interfacing 20 or interfacing 30) for the strip 8. Also provided on the input stage 42 are bobbins of bonding material 32, 34, 36 (only one of which is shown).

The folder 46 is described in more detail below in relation to Figures 4-7, but for the moment can be regarded as a one stage unit which both folds the various lengths of material, lays them in the correct orientation and order and puts down the bonding material 32, 34, 36 in the correct orientation and order. From the folder 46, the strip of material 8 is still a plurality of separate parts none of which are, at this stage, bonded together.

The strip 8 then enters, after a short distance, the fuser 48 which is of a conventional design. For instance the fuser can be a modified VAPORETTA (trade mark) type 6 available from Gerateban KG, D5672 Leichoingen. Within the fuser 48 are two heated pincer rollers in a platen which apply heat and pressure to the strip 8 to melt the bonding materials 32, 34, 36 and 22.

From the fuser 48, the strip 8 passes through cooling means comprising a fan 49 and enters the exit stage 50 which comprises a guide means 56, in this case a length of metal curved towards the collection bin 52 which prevents kinks developing in the material 8. The strip 8 is then deposited in a pile in the collection bin 52 from which the strip 8 may be collected for further processing.

Thus, the apparatus 40 enables substantially continuous production of very long lengths of the strip which can be cut to any desired length. Furthermore, if, say, an accumulator or similar device is used at the input stage 42, continuous production could be achieved.

Referring now to Figures 4-7 of the drawings that follow, the folder 46 will now be described in more detail.

The folder 46 comprises a base plate 60 which is attached through slots 62 to the top of the apparatus 40. The base plate 60 includes threaded holes 64. A first feeder 66 is attached to the base plate 60 by screws 68 which engage threaded holes 64 in the base plate 60. The first feeder 66 comprises a support plate 70 on which is mounted a first folding arm 72. The mounting plate 70 is welded to the folding arm 72 at weld points 74.

The first folding arm 72 comprises a tongue 76 leading to a plate 78. Part way along the plate 78 near the tongue 76 is a lip 80 on one edge of a slot 82. The sides of the plate 78 curve inwardly and taper along the longitudinal length of the plate 78 in the direction of feed which is from right to left in Figure 7. Mounted on the inwardly curving portions 84 of the plate 78 is a cotton feeder 86.

The end of the plate 78 opposite the tongue 76 ends in a inturned folded portion 88.

On the mounting plate 70 are located two additional cotton feeders 90 secured in place by screws 92 which engage threaded holes 94 in the mounting plate 70. The feeding ends 96 of the cotton feeders 90 project into the folded portion 88 of first folding arm 72 when mounted on the plate 70 as shown in Figure 5.

Also located on the mounting plate 70 is a second feeder 98, comprising a second folding arm 99 mounted by brackets 100 which are located by screws 102 engaging in threaded holes 104 in mounting plate 70. The second folding arm 99 is set at a more inclined angle relative to the base plate 60 than the first folding arm 72. The second folding arm 99 comprises an upper input tongue 106 and a lower input tongue 107. The upper input tongue 106 leads into a guide channel 108 defined by base number 110 and side flanges 112. The lower input tongue 107 is beneath the upper input tongue 106 and leads into a further guide channel 114 beneath the guide channel 108. Guide channels 108 and 114 converge at a line about two-thirds of the length along the feed direction of the second folding arm 99.

The flanges 112 include inwarding curving portions 115 depending from the second folding arm 99.

The second folding arm 99 ends in an output lip 116 which leads into the folded portion 88 of the first folding arm 72.

As can be seen from Figure 7 of the drawings that follow, the first material 10 and first interfacing 20 are fed into the first folding arm 72 via tongue 76 and slot 82 respectively, with the first piece of material 10 underneath the interfacing 20. The adhesive (22) side of the interfacing 20 is facing away from the first material 10 at this stage.

The- second piece of material 12 and second piece of interfacing 30 are fed into the second folding arm 99 via upper input tongue 106 and lower input tongue 107 respectively, with the second piece of material 12 above the second piece of interfacing 30.

In to each of the three cotton feeders 86 and 96 are fed lengths of hot melt glue coated cotton bonding material 32, 34, 36. Bonding material 34 is fed through the central feeder 86.

As the first piece of material 10 and interfacing 20 pass through the first folding arm 72, the first piece of material 10 is aligned by the sides of the plate 78 and the first piece of interfacing 20 is aligned centrally on the plate 78 between the inlet slot 82 and outlet 88 such that the interfacing 20 is centred about the longitudinal axis of the first piece of material 10 as it passes through the first folding arm 72. The inwardly curving portions 84 on the first folding arm 72 turn over the edges of the first piece of material 10 to create the folds 18 and wings 16 referred to above.

Cotton feeder 86 positions on the first piece of interfacing 20 the bonding material 34.

The second piece of material 12 and second piece of interfacing 30 are fed into the second folding arm 99 as explained above. The second piece of material 12 is centred by the side flanges. The inwardly curving portions 115 of: the second folding arm 99 turn the edges of the second piece of material 12 under the second piece of interfacing 30 to create the folds 28 and wings 26 referred to above.

Two further lengths of bonding material 32 and 36 are introduced through cotton feeders 96 between the wings 16 of the first piece of material and wings 26 of the second piece of material 12.

The output lip 116 of the second folding arm 98 and the folded portion 88 of the first folding arm 72 cooperate to bring the first 10 and second 12 materials together (including interfacing 20, 30) and to "hold" them together ready for fusing.

The folder 46 is located as near as practicable to the fuser 48 to ensure the minimum disruption of the layers in the strip 8 before they are fused in place. The remainder of the method is as described above.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (30)

1A method for making a strip of material for a neck tie, the method comprising providing a first length of material and a second length of material, providing a length of spacer material, placing the spacer material and the first piece of material adjacent to each other, folding the first piece of material along its two longitudinal edges to provide two wings folded over the spacer material whereby the edges of the wings are spaced from one another to provide a gap therebetween, providing a first bonding means on the spacer material at least along the gap, placing the second material and the first material adjacent to each other whereby the second material lies against at least part of the wings and the spacer material, and bonding the second material at least to the spacer material, whereby the first and second materials are secured together, whereby the first and second materials are secured together.

2 A method according to Claim 1, which includes the step of bonding the wings to the first spacer material.

3 A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, which additionally includes the step of providing a second spacer material, and bonding the second spacer material to the first spacer material with the bonding ~means.

4 A method according to Claim 3, in which the first and second materials are secured together by the second spacer material being bonded to the second material and to the first spacer material.

5 A method according to any preceding Claim, which includes the step of bonding the first material directly to the second material.

6 A method according to any preceding Claim, which includes the step of folding the second material along its two longitudinal edges to provide wings on the side towards the first material, and bonding the wings of the second material directly to the first material.

7 A method according to Claim 6, in which the second material is folded to a thinner width than the first material and does not overlap the first material.

8 A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the second material includes a plurality of button holes along its length.

9 A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the first spacer comprises a bonding material on its side facing towards the wings of the first material.

10 A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the spacer materials comprise lengths of interfacing.

11 A method according to any one of Claim 6 to 10, in which the first spacer material is bonded to the internal faces of the wings of the first material and to the second spacer material, and the wings of the second material are bonded to the wings of the first material.

12 A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the bonding is carried out by a combination of heat and pressure on the bonding means.

13 A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the bonding means comprises glue-cotton.

14 A method according to any preceding Claim, in which the folding is carried out by a single station folder.

15 A folder for carrying out the method of any one of Claims 1 to 14, the folder comprising means for guiding a first length of material, means for guiding a second length of material and means for guiding a spacer material, means for placing the spacer material and the first piece of material adjacent to each other, means for folding the first piece of material along its two longitudinal edges to provide two wings folded over the spacer material whereby the edges of the wings are spaced from one another to provide a gap therebetween, means for providing a bonding means on the spacer material at least along the gap, and means for placing the second material and the first material adjacent to each other whereby the second material lies against at least part of the wings and the spacer material.

16 An apparatus for carrying out the method of any one of Claims 1-14, which apparatus comprises an input station for providing lengths of material, a folder for folding the material as described above, means for activating the bonding means and means to convey the lengths of material from the input to the folder through the fuser and out through an exit.

17 A strip of material for a neck tie produced in accordance with the method or from the apparatus according to any preceding Claim.

18 A strip of material for a neck tie, which strip comprises a first length of material having two inwardly directed wings along its longitudinal edges, the wings being around a length of spacer material, a gap being present between the edges of the two wings, a second length of material over the gap and covering at least part of the wings of the first material, the second material being bonded to at least the spacer material.

19 A strip of material according to Claim 18, in which the wings are bonded to the spacer material and/or to the second material.

20 A strip of material according to Claim 18 or Claim 19, in which the strip additionally comprises a second spacer material bonded to the first spacer material.

21 A strip of material according to any one of Claims 18 to 20, in which the second material comprises wings along its longitudinal edges, whereby the wings of the second material are bonded directly to the first material.

22 A strip according to any one of Claims 20 to 24, in which the first spacer material is bonded to the internal faces of the wings of the first material and to the second spacer material, and the wings of the second material are bonded to the wings of the first material.

23 A strip according to any one of Claims 18 to 22, in which the second material is thinner than the first material and the second material does not overlap the first material.

24 A strip according to any one of Claims 18 to 23, in which there are a plurality of button holes in the second material.

25 A strip according to any one of Claims 18 to 24, in which the spacer material comprises interfacing.

26 A bow tie including a strip of material according to any one of Claims 18 to 25.

27 A method for making a strip of material for a neck tie, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

28 A folder for use in a method for making a strip of material for a neck tie, substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in Figures 4 to

7 of the accompanying drawings.

29 An apparatus for making a strip of material for a neck tie, substantially as described herein, with reference to and as shown in Figures 3 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

30 A strip of material for a neck tie, substantially as described herein, with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.