US1287422A - Foot-ball. - Google Patents

Description

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G. L. PIERCE.

FQOT BALL.

APPuc/Tlon FILED Aua.6. 191s.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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j- TD STATES PAE T FFIQ.

GEORGE L. PIERCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. G. SPALDING 8c BROS.,

0F JERSEY CITY., NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

FOOT-BALL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application led August 6, 1,918. Serial N o. 248,604.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a seam construction for foot balls and consists in the features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings;

Figure l is an inside view of a portion of two panels joined together and showing how the panels are grooved near the edge to receive the stitching.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the seam.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the grooved panels on the line 33 of F ig. 2 with the stitches omitted.

In these drawings portions of two panels are shown at A, B. Each of these is grooved as at a, Z1 near the edge of the inner face. These grooved margins, as shown in Fig. 2, are inturned withthe outer finished faces in contact and they are united by stitching lying in the grooves of the inner faces to form the seam. By this construction the outside of the seam at C is made flatter than heretofore has been the case where the stitches have not been embedded in the grooves but passed through the ungrooved margins. Furthermore with my improved construction the liability of the leather to crack at the bend c is avoided, particularly in high-grade foot balls made up of thick leather. 'Ihe grooving in effect provides what may be termed a hinge construction at the seam allowing the leather to bend more freelyT at the point where the grooves are formed, and thus the bend of the leather may be made on an arc of shorter radius than if the stitches passed through ungrooved margins of the panels and it follows therefore that a flatter seam can be made with my improvement than heretofore has been possible.

Another advantage of the grooving is that it will act as an additional guide to the workman in sewing the marginal portions of the panels together.

The depth of the groove can be made to follow slight irregularities in the thickness of the edge portion of the leather, and thus the workman who does the sewing has only to follow the groove to get the best results.

For instance the edge of the leather for the best effect in forming a seam should be of equal thickness throughout especially along the line of the seam and should be cut perpendicular to the face of the panel, but it sometimes happens that there are thin portions of the leather near the edge and the' edge portion may be slightly beveled, and thus when held up against the gage the stitching will pass through thick parts of the leather at some points and through thin portions at other points and a seam will be produced of unequal strength at different points along the same, but with the use of the groove this can be cut to varying depths from the exposed or inner faces of the panels, according to the varying thickness of the leather, so that the thickness of the leather at the bottom of the groove or between said groove bottom and the opposite face of the leather will be of equal thickness throughout and thus the seam will be of equal strength throughout and stresses will be more uniformly distributed to and borne by the different parts of the seam than with a groove of equal depth at all points of varying thicknesses of leather. Fig. 3 illustrates the feature just mentioned.

The grooves also virtually form a guide for the needle.

I am aware that it is not new to sink stitches in a previously formed groove in the manufacture'of articles, such as shoes but the grooving of the exposed faces of two pieces which are placed face to face and stitched together through the grooves to form an inturned seam presents advantages in the art of foot ball construction that distinguish this invention from the prior art.

Y By the terms exposed face as used herein I mean that face of the panel which is not in contact with the face 0f the adjoining face and having grooves in their exposed uniform throughout the length of the seam faces near the edge, said grooves being of and stitches passing through the uniform unequal depth measured from the inner eX- thicknesses and located in the grooves, sub- 10 posed faces of the panels and leaving a stantially as described.

5 thickness of leather between the bottom of In testimony Whereof,1 aifixniy signature.

the groove and the contacting faces of the inturned marginal portions substantially GEORGE L. PIERCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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