US1186518A - Lock-stitch seam and method and means of producing same. - Google Patents

Description

F. A. REECE. I LOCK STITCH SEAM AND METHOD AND MEANS OF PRODUCING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. 19l3- I 1 1 86,5 1 8. Patented June 6, 1916.

afieece,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN A. REECE, OF MANCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCK-STITCH SEAM AND METHOD AND MEANS OF PRODUCING SAME.

Application filed October 7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN A. REEoE, citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Look- Stitch Seams and Methods and Means of Producing Same, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a novel lock stitch seam and method and means of producing it, and more particularly to a lock stitch seam produced from a single thread instead of the usual two threads.

The object of the present improvement is to enable a lock stitch seam to be produced in a novel, simple and efficient manner.

A more specific object is to enable such a seam to be produced from a single thread.

Other objects will appear in the hereinafter following description.

To the attainment of such objects the present invention consists in the novel lock stitch seam and the method of producing it and the means of producing it, hereinafter described and illustrated.

Generally speaking, the principle of the present improvement is the manipulation of a single thread in such manner as to engage it in the work at what may be termed the start-point of theseam in such a mannerras to afford two integral strands of thread both commencing at such start-point and both of which extend in the direction of the seam, being interlocked at intervals in a suitable manner into successive stitches. At the beginning the thread end is pulled through the work, forming what may be termed the under or free strand of thread, the other strand being that extending between the needle and the work and which may be termed the upper or needle strand; although throughout this application the Words upper and under and similar words are employed only in a relative sense.

It will be convenient to describe the present invention in its several branches by remay be carried, out, and two instances of lock stitch seams which may be produced thereby.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof Figures 1 to 8, in successive Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Serial No. 793,798.

stages, show diagrammatically in perspective one convenient means and mode of procedure for producing the seam of Fig. 8.

' Fig. 9 isa diagrammatic plan view of the instruments or means illustrated in the other figures and in the relative position which they occupy in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 shows in perspective a difierent form of lock stitch seam which may be produced according to the present invention.

In the several figures of the drawings the same reference numerals designate corresponding parts and members.

The margin of the work 20 is illustrated in the several figures, the same being cut in cross section but at advancing points so that the illustration of the work follows up the formation of the stitch.

Of the instruments illustrated, the principal one is the needle 21, having an eye point to which the thread passes from athread supply. The needle is for the purpose of piercing the work and carrying the thread through the work to form loops at proper times and at the start-point of the seam for affording the upper and under strands as already referred to.

In combination with the needle '21 are suitable thread manipulating instruments whose main function is to work, the free or under strand back and forth. for engaging it at the proper times in the loopsof upper or needle strand. These instruments, which collectably may be termed the under mechanism, may, for example, comprise a thread grip 22 shown at the left, a thread grip 23 at the right, a thread hook 24 at the left, and two thread hooks 25 and 26 at the right. The relative location of these instruments may be as indicated in Figs. 1 and 9. The thread grip may consist of a device having fingers or jaws which may be closed upon the thread for gripping it and opened-for releasing it, although no specific means for opening and closing is illustrated herein as that would be easily provided inan obvious manner by one skilled in the art.

- The successive motions and manipulations may now be conveniently described in their ferring to illustrations showing one modein which or a means by which-the invention order with the aid of the successive figures, during which reference will be made to the portions of the instruments 21 to 26 and the movements and formation of the different thread portions.

First: The thread 30 from the supply being engaged in the eye of the needle 21 is carried downward by the needle piercing the work. The needle descends a predetermined amount and then rises slightly, giving a loop 31.

Second: The thread grip grips the loop 31 and the hook engages the loop. 111 this stage of the operations the parts are indicated in Fig. l.

. preventing entanglement.

Third: The needle ascends to its initial position and the grip 23 and hook 25 withdraw so as to pull out the thread portions 31 into a' free or under strand of proper length to take part in the subsequent formation of a number of stitches. Fig. 2 illustrates this stage of the operations, and also shows what is termed the upper strand 23, which, of course lengthens during the progress or the seam.

Fourth: The needle 21 jogs to a point beyond the edge of the work and advances relatively to the work (the jogging and feed movements may be either of the work or the needle), and the needle then descends full distance and rises slightly, forming a loop 32; while the grip 23 has rotated on its own axis or inverted so as to lay the under strand 31 in a more convenient direction, the hook 265 engaging the free end of the strand to prevent its fouling or entangling. This stage of the operations is illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fifth: The grip advances through the loop 32 formed on the second descent of the needle.

Sixth: The grip 22 takes hold of the thread 31 and the grip 23 releases the same;

Seventh: The grip 22 pulls left-wise, drawing the entire under thread strand through the loop 32 while the hook 24 assists by taking charge of the thread end and This stage of the operations is illustrated in Fig. 4:.

Eighth: The needle ascends, and in doing so pulls the lower strand to the work, or, as shown, to the top side of the work, forming a loop 33 of under strand.

Ninth: The needle again relatively jogs and advances.

Tenth: The needle makes its third descent, piercing the work and slightly ascends, forming a loop of the upper thread strand. This stage of the operations is illustrated in Fig. 5.

Eleventh: The grip 23 again advances, forcing the under strand 31 through the loop 3% and setting it to the grip 23 while the hook 26 assists the latter by taking charge of the thread end. This stage of the operations is illustrated in Fig. 6.

Twelfth: The grip 22 releases the thread and withdraws to initial position.

Thirteenth: The needle ascends, pulling the under strand to the work or through the work to a point above its top side.

Fourteenth: The needle again relatively jogs and feeds and descends full distance from eight to fifteen are repeated for each complete cycle of operation, forming,- as shown in Fig. 8, a continuous seam in which the under strand is formed alternately into loops 3?, 39, etc, engaging with the upper strand 32 at the upper side of the works edge, the upper strand becoming substantially straightened and the loops of under strand giving the effect of a purl edge.

It will be understood of course that dimensions and arrangements are exaggerg.

ated, and that whereas successive loops and points of penetration are shown separated they will, in fact, lie as closely together asdesired. 1

From the above description. it will be seen that, generally speaking, the method followed for the engagement of the thread in the work at the start-point is to proceed by forming the upper strand into successive loops through the work and over the edge of the work, and passing the under strand completely through each successive loop and then taking up such loops to remove the slack, and to set the line of interlocking thread points where desired.

By differently taking up the upper strand through the action of the needle and any cooperating devices, the line of interlocking points of the upper and under strands may be altered, and indeed the stitch form may itself be altered in various ways, for example as indicated in Fig. 10, where the under strand 31 is permitted to remain substantially straight while all of the interlocking loops are formed of upper strand.

The three thread hooks below the work serve the purpose of guards, guarding the thread end against catching or entangling in the mechanism or thread loops.

In a sense the present invention is peculiarly useful for stitching the edges of buttonholes, and the work illustrated in the drawings may be considered as a portion of a buttonhole. The formation of a given seam may be continued until the free thread strand is consumed, and if it be then desired to continue the seam farther, another section. of seam may be at once begun by a new start-point located near the termination point of the preceding section of scam. In the case of a buttonhole no such restarting would be necessary if one seam section is of sufiicient length to attend to the entire buttonhole or to one side of it.

It is obvious that from a broad aspect either or both of the thread strands may penetrate the work, and either or both of them may pass around the works edge. This invention does not negative the presence of a second thread, since a second thread might be employed as a means of securing the interlocking of the upper and under strands of the present invention; or a second thread might be worked in along the edge of the work for the purpose of producing a purl effect or for other purposes.

It will thus be seen that there has been described a lock stitch seam embodying the present improvement and also a complete method of producing the same, and convenient instruments therefor, by which the described objects and advantages are attained, besides which other advantages will be obtained by those skilled in the art. Since many matters of arrangement, operation, stitch form and other details may be varied Without departing from the principles hereof, it is not intended to limit the invention to such details excepting in so far as specified in the appended claims.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. The method of producing a one-thread lock stitch buttonhole seam comprising engaging the thread in the Work and pulling its end through sufliciently to leave a free thread strand of suitable length, and then carrying the two integral strands in the direction of the seam and interlocking them with each other at intervals into successive stitches passing alternately through the work and through the buttonhole slit there-V in to form a seam extending around the buttonhole. V

2. The method of producing a one-thread lock stitch overseam comprising engaging the thread in the work and pulling its end below the work sufiiciently to leave a free thread strand of suitable length, and then carrying the integral upper and free strands in the direction of the seam, forming the upper strand into successive loops through and over the edge of the work, passing the free strand completely through each such loop and taking up each such loop.

3. A look stitch buttonhole seam consisting of a single thread, a middle portion of which is engaged through the work at a point at the end of the seam, the two integral thread strands which extend from such engaging point, both being of substantial length, and both extending from such point generally in the direction of the seam, and the two being mutually interlocked at intervals into successive stitches extending al- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

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