US1289183A - Needle for lacing shoe-uppers. - Google Patents

Description

A. E. JERRAM.

NEEDLE FOR LACING SHOE UPPERS.

APPLICATION FILED 0504,1914.

1,289, 183,, Patented Dec. 31 1918.

ARTHUR ERNEST JERRAM, OF LEICESTER,

srn

ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

NEEDLE FOR LACING SHOE-UPPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed December 2, 1914. Serial No. 875,199.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR EJnRnAm, a subject of the King of Great Britani, residing at Leicester, in the county of Leicester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needles for Lacing Shoe-Uppers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to appliances for lacing boot and shoe uppers, and particularly to that type of lacing appliance which comprises a plurality of barbed needles for carrying through the work a number of loops of lacing material which are secured in place by threading through them a length of lacing material or other fastening device.

In this type of lacing appliance the needles are arranged parallel to one another with their axes approximately in one plane, and" in order that the lacing material may enter the thread grooves in the needles with facility, the needles are so dlsposed that the plane containing the barb and the shank of each needle is approximately at right angles to the plane containing the axes of the needles. Consequently with needles of usual form, the openings through the needles that form the thread grooves are in alinement so that the two sides of all the loops carried through the work are in the same plane, that is to say, in the plane of the axes of the needles. From this cause, difiiculty is experienced in threading the fastening material through the loops so formed unless mechanism is provided for rotating each of the needles.

It is an object of this inventlon to overcome this difliculty, and according to one feature of the invention, in a lacing appliance of the type specified the needles are so formed and disposed that While the end portion of each needle barb projects as heretofore awav from the plane in which the axes of the needles lie, the portion or bend of each needle that connects the barb to the shank is arranged to lie substantially in the general plane of the said axes. In

this way while the tip of each needle barb is in a suitable position to receive the lacing material the part of the opening forming the end of the thread groove into which the lacing material is drawn while it is being carried through the work'has such a direction that the loops are formed at a substantial angle to the plane in which the series of loops lies, so that the fastening material may be threaded through the loops without itbeing necessary, as in prior constructions, to turn each needle about its axis to twist the loop carried by it, or to cause the fastening material itself to take a sinuous course.

A further feature of the invention consists of a needle for use in lacing boot and shoe uppers comprising a barb the end portion of which projects out of. the plane containing the shank of the needle and the base portion or bend connecting the barb to the shank.

An example of a lacing appliance embodying the present invention and of the preferred form of lacing needle will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of the preferred form of needle;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section through the needle the base portion connecting the shank the barb, and v Figs. 4 and .5 are perspective views of a lacing appliance embodying the present invention in the preferred form and illustrating two steps in the lacing of an upper.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The needle shown in' the drawings may readily be constructed by forming a reduced portion A on the end of the shank A. Part of this reduced portion is bent back to form the barb B and twisted axially of the needle so that the base portion C where it is joined to the shank of the needle is approximately at right angles to the plane containing the tip of the barb and the needle shank, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

A space D is left between the barb and the shank to form the thread groove. In order at to that the loops of lacing material may be opened. as widely aspossible-to permlt easy passage of the fastening material throughv the loops, it is advantageous to widen out laterally the portion C of the needle at the bend which forms the junction of the barb and the shank, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3".

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a lacing ap pliance of the type specified which comprises a number, in the example shown three, of lacing needles constructed substantially as abovedescribed. The needles may conveniently be mounted in a supportv or block E, the distance between adjacent needles bein equal to the distance apart of adjacent eye et' holes in the boot and: shoe uppers to be laced. In the use of the appliance, the corresponding eyelet holes inthe' two sides of a shoe upper F are brought together and the eyelet holes which it isdesired to lace are passed over the needles. A length of lacing material G is next passed over or laid upon theshanks of the needles, as shown inFig. The upper isthenwith drawn from the needles, the lacing materialpassing. down the thread" grooves in the needles and being formed into three loops G as shown inFig. 5, .theformation: of the needles twisting the said loops through an angle ofsubstantia'll'y, ninety degrees into suitablepositionto receive the fastening device. A. portion. G of the same or another piece of lacing. material is. then passed throughv the loops and the free endsof the The lacing material secured together. loops are now removed from the needle barbs, the two: sides of the upper are flattened out, and the lacing of: the: upper is appliance shown, a pieceof. lacing material has been complete. Although: in the used as the fastening, device for the loops,

it. will be understood that any other suitable fastening device may be employed, as for ex-- ample-a metal pin, the particular device employed being immaterial asfar as the present invention is concerned.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and specifically described 11A straight needle adapted to pass I through the eyelet hole of an upper and draw a loop of lacing thread therethrough having, a barb the end portion of which projects out of the plane containing the shank and base portion connecting the barb to the shank. I o

2. A needle for use in lacing boot and shoe uppers, having a shank, and barb and a transversely enlarged .base connecting the shank and: barb the end of the barb projecting out of the plane of the base and shank.

3.v Anzappliancefior lacing boot and shoe uppers, comprising a plurality of needles arranged? side by. side: and. having barbs the end portions of, which project out. of; the general. plane ofv the series of needles. and; having the base portions on bends connecting; the barbsand. shanks arranged substan tially in said; plane.

4.. An appliance for. laci'ngboot and. shoe uppers comprisingga plurality ofneedlesarrangedside'by side to pass through the eyelet holes of an upper; and having their barbs inposition to receive the lacing; thread, and having the ends of their thread grooves which draw the loops. of lacing thread through the eyelet holes arranged to hold theloops in line: with each other and at a substantial angle tothe plane of the series to permit the fastening material to be threaded. through the loops.

5. An appliancefor lacingboot and shoe uppers comprising, a series of, barb needles arranged'parallel toone another with their axes approximately in one-plane, and having their barbs arranged to receive a thread extending along the series, and! havingtheir bend or base portions connecting the barbs and shanks substantially in the pl'aneof: the

axes.

ARTHUR" ERNEST JERRAM. Witnesses; FREDERICK WILLIAM WORTH, Oren. HERBERT- Gross.

Copies-ofthispatentmay be obtained; for flveccents eacm bye addressing the Commissioner ofirateuts,

Washington, D.- 0."

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