US1523397A

US1523397A - Stretcher for embroidering

Info

Publication number: US1523397A
Application number: US592960A
Authority: US
Inventors: Cane Pietro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-10-07
Filing date: 1922-10-07
Publication date: 1925-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 1942-01-20

Description

Jan, 20, 1925.

. f P. CANE STRETCHER FOR EMBROIDERING Filed Oct. '7, 1922 Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

PIETRO CANE, OF: BROOKLYN, NEVI YORK.

srRE'rorInR ron. EMBROIDERING.

Application led ctober 7, 1922. Serial No. 592,960.

To all 1072021@ t may concern:

Be it known that I, PIETRO CANE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Stretchers for Embroidering, of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to improvements in implements for needlework, and especially it applies to frames used for stretching woven'fabric to be embroidered.

To judge by the present state ofthe art, as itappears from common usage, there Vhas been ver little improvement attained from the common singleembroidering fra-me, consisting of aquadrangular nonadjustable wooden border or annular hoop on which the fabric is stretched `and fastened by :pins or nailsor any primitive manner to the more modern double chase or tambour frame, either one of which consists of a pair of concentric frames, the iirst kind of rectangular or square shape, the other of annular form. In either case these tWo frames closely fit one into the other, so that, when Va piece of cloth is spread over the inner or narrower frame, the outer frame can `be 'pressed over it until it lies Cflush with the inner one, stretching the cloth,- -whilebeing forced over, so that it presents a tightly drawn, drum-like surface on which'then the embroidering may proceed. The main drawbacks of this class of frames consist in the distortion to which in practise design the fabric is subjected, and which is beyond the control of the operator, not to mention the facility with which these frames separate, even before such parting is intended or desirable, and the consequent impossibility to remount the fabric on the frame with exactly the same strain in every direction as before,

`It is alsol known to the inventor that the principle of the adjustable stretcher frame7 consisting in the application of four sticks with slotted or perforated ends joined together by yremovable clamps or pegs into a rectangle,- on whose sides the fabric is fastened by pins or nails, is old, and is, for example, utilized in the stretchers on which washed curtains are dried, but its unmodified application for the purpose of'embroidering is also subject to similar criticism and that of uneven straining of the fabric.

The first. object of this invention is to devise an apparatus for stretching fabric for embroidering purposes`I which is entirely controllable bv the hand of the operator. Another purpose is to distribute the strain evenly upon the warp and woof of the fabric without any distortion in a diagonal direction, in which the so-called bias runs.

A third purpose is to avoid such distortion of the fabric as results from joining the fabric and stretching it at the same time, by a device which separates these two operations.

A fourth object is to provide a` stretching frame which permits the even and complete mountino and stretching of irregular or odd pieces, irrespective of their size.

A fifth object, collateral with the last mentioned, is to devise an embroidery frame in which the fabric to be operated upon does not have to be fastened to the rigid border of the frame.

Other and minor objects will become evi-- dent from the description.

These various objectsare attained by the mechanism and arrangement of parts shown inthe accompanying drawing, in which--` Fig. l shows a rear view of the en1- broideringframe, before the work piece is attached to it;

Fig. 2 shows the front or working side of the frame, with the workpiece attached to it, in an expanded condition;

Fig. 3 is asectional view through one of the press buttons by which the segments of the back canvas are held together;V

Fig. L is an enlarged sectional view taken on line Ll, l of Fig. 2 and illustrating the details of one ofthe corner clamp.

The same numerals refer to identical parts throughout the different views.

The rigid part of the frame consists of' two pairs of beams or sticks of rectangular section, preferably made of wood, one pair La A laid across the other pair, in such way that the ends of one pair are superimposed upon those of the other pair, the ends at each corner overlapping the other beam, so that the combination form a rectangular fra-me, as the beams l, 3 and 2, l in Fig. 1 show. Whether these beams should all be of equal length and thus be best adapted to form a square, as in the case illustrated, or whether they should be of two different lengths, thus forming an oblong rectangle, depends upon the special requirements of the work to be done. ln the majority of cases, an equilateral frame will be found most advantageous.

The ends of the beams are slotted for a convenient length, as indicated by the slots m, 1P; 2P, 2t; St 3 and ll Llm, so that threaded'bolts m, a, 29 and t can be inserted through the superimposed slots and, when a thumb nut is applied to their threaded end and drawn tight they will clamp the two beam ends securely together. Fig. 4 shows one of these corner clamps in more detailed form. Underneath the head of the bolt, in this case bolt m, which connects the beams l and 4l, respectively their slotted portions 1m and 4km, as well as under the thumb nut m washers fm are inserted for distributing thepressure exerted over a larger area of the' beams.

It is evident that this arrangement, which is that of the adjustable stretcher frame, spoken of, allows to form rectangular frames of varying lateral sizes, according to the available length of the slots.

On this border frame a canvas backing or cloth of suitable fabric is fastened, which is cut up into a plurality of segments along the middle lines and rectangle formed by the frame. This division, it will be seen from the illustration, results in four equal symmetrical pairs of triangular pieces all of the same area and size, each adjoining pair symmetrical on its dividing line and congruent when folded over this line. See la, 1b; 2a, 2b; 3a, 3b; and 4ta, t". The sides of each triangle are formed respectively by half of one frame beam, half a diagonal and half of one middle line. The side adjoining the frame is permanently fastened by nails, tacks or otherwise upon that side of the framebeam which rests upon or faces the cross beams. See 1d, 3d in Fig. l and 2d, 4d in Fig. 2.

The diagonal sides which in each case are marked by the addition of symbols f or f, as well as the sides adjoining the middle lines, characterized by the symbols e and e, added to the respective numerals designating the sides, are hemmed and, when the frame is in its original or unstretched condition, just butt against each other, or leave no substantial clearance between them. They all converge towards the center 6 of the diagonals of the the frame and at this-.point a small lap which may be square or round, is provided which covers the pointed loose ends of allV the segments. Arranged in annular series between the lap and the segment ends around the common center is a row of snap or press buttons le, 2G,V 3 and le fastened with their sockets c and button members c (Fig. 3) to the segments and the lap respectively, so that when the lap is spread fittingly over the loose corners, by a gentle pressure all the loose ends can be tied together with the lap into a continuous sheet.

Only one segment7 for example la, is permanently fastened to the lap, as indicated by the seams 5a, and in this caseV the press button is dispensed with. This prevents the accidental lossrof the lap and at the same time insures the proper placement of the lap over the other segments, so that the fitting and buttoning is facilitated. Moreover, the

slots

1m, 4m; 1P, 2p; 2t, St and 3, il are ,of just such depth, that when the four beams are shoved together, so that the bolts m, p, t and a are pushed inward, as far as they will go, the segments are drawn to such a close that the press buttons are just in a position for ready snapping.

The operation and proper use of this frame is presently explained. Y

After all the segments are buttoned tiglul to the center lap, as just described, the frame is turned over so that the lap is on the under side, and the piece to be embroidered, indi cated by 7, is laid out flat and unstretched upon the canvas 0r back cloth, taking care that the warp and the woofV of the fabric runs parallel to the frame beams. The bias tlreads, if there are any, will run diagona y.

In this position the working piece is either pinned to the backing or Vhemstitehed or basted to it, as indicated by seams 8.

Then the lap on the back is unbuttoned, so that the loose ends of the dierent segments can flap downwards, as far as the basting does not hold them in the planeet the frame, if the latter is lifted from the table or other support. This is indicated by dotted lines 9, and the piece to be embroid ered is thereby laid bare and free on both sides. Now, with all four corner clamp bolts loosened, the frame is spread apart in the direction of the middle lines, as far as the fabric, basted to the loose segments, will permit without overstraining, tightening and loosening the corner bolts alternately, until the working piece lies evenly taut and without showingany crease or slack in either direction. Then the bolts are clamped per* manently tight in vtheir slots, and the working piece is ready to be embroidered.

As Fig. 2 indicates, the segments, in stretching, separate in diagonal directions,

nii

that is, the hen-1s 2f, 3f; 3F, 4f, 4f, 1f and;

l Qf spread apart, parallel tov each. other., while the lie-ms o-n the middle lines, markedA with the symbols. e and e, onlyV slightly spread toward Lthecenter. Thisv peculiar action is due to the permanent fastening of' the segments to the side beams in combina.- tion with the intentional splitting o-f lthe back cloth on the` lines indicated and has a peculiar effect on the stretching of the fabric.

In any rectangle of the sides A and B, the diagonal C equals and in a square of the side A the diagonal C equals Consequently it can easily be proven, that when a square is expanded in both a longitudinal and lateral direction, viz: in such manner that the resulting shape always stays a square, the strain or elongation in all diagonal directions must be equal to the strain exerted parallel to the sides times 1/2, that is; about 1.414 times as great.

As a corollary it follows that when a square is expanded by a force which would act from the center outwardly, with even pressure in all radial directions, the square will bulge out on the sides and tend to approximate a circular circumference.

The first condition is that which happens when a continuous loose sheet is stretched over a square frame, drawing it evenly in two directions, parallel to the. sides and normal to each other. We will furthermore assume that the woof and warp threads run also in these directions and are to be kept as nearly straight as' possible. This results in excessive strain in a diagonal direction which has to be taken upI by the bias threads: and partly also by the woof and warp threads, interwoven and coherent with them. In other words, the strain on `the cloth increases towards the corners.

The other condition would be ideal for the treatment and durability of the fabric, but would necessitate a distortion of the design to be embroidered.

It is therefore necessary in practise to compromise between the two extremes, and this is done by the p-eculiar construction of the present device. The parting of the canvas backing along the diagonals alleviates the strain on the bias and consequently distributes the total stra-in on the fabric more evenly. A further consequence is that there is very little distortion of the design, especially towards the middle and that the woof and warp threads are kept respectively almost parallel to each other. It is understood that the underlying' principles of the invention will allow various modification of execution, in practise and that, the description giiv'en, is illustrative rather than restrictive.

Having thus described my invention, what I claiin as new andE desire. to protect by Letters Patent, is:

l. In; a frame for e ngibroidering, the combination with a pair of stretcher beamsand means; to adjustablyand xedly hold them in parallel opposition; of two members, made of pliable material and fastened respectively at their outer portions to said stretcher beams and extending triangularly within the frame, said members at their inner portions extending freely within the space bounded by said beams, and means to temporarily connect the inner portions of said members to each other to permit said members to be stretched while connected at their inner portions when a piece of fabric is being attached thereto.

2. In a frame for embroidering, the combination with two pairs o-f stretcher beams, arranged normally to each other and means to adjustably connect them at their ends; of a. backing sheet supported and expanded between said stretcher beams, and comprising segment portions having outer edges located along diagonal lines within the space bounded by said beams to hold a piece of fabric ibetwee-n them; in suspension, said edges of portions diagonall f disposed within the frame coinciding, said edges being arranged to separate in directions transverse to said diagonal lines to stretch said fabric and leave said portions free at their ends opposing' the piece of fabric.

,y 3. In a fra-me for embroidering, the combination with two pairs of stretcher beams, arranged at an angle to each other and means to adjustably connect them together; of a backing sheet comprising triangular portions, a pair of triangular portions having their bases attached to each of said beams and having their apices adapted to adjoin within the space between said beams, the outer edges of said portions being disposed substantially diagonally to said frame, the diagonal edges of adjacent portions opposing one another to part in directions transverse to such diagonals when the beams are adjusted laterally.

4. A frame for einbroidering as specified in claim 3 provided with-a lap to connect the apices of said portions, and means to detachably connect said lap to some of said portions.

5. In a frame for embnoidering, the combination with two pairs of stretcher beams, arranged at an angle to each other and means to adjustably connect them at their ends; of a backing sheet comprising a, plurality of triangular portions, a pair of triangular portions having their bases attached to each of said beams, said portions having inner adjacent edges substantially normal to the corresponding beam and having outer adj aeent edges substantially dia-gonal to the frame, the diagonal edge of a portion on one beam opposing the diagonal edge of an adjacent portion on an adj ac-ent beam, the apiees of said triangular portions extending freely Within the frame toward its mid-portion, in proximity to one another, said portions being adapted to sep- 10 arate on lines normal and diagonal to said frame When the beams are adj usted laterally.

6. A frame for embroidering as specified in claim 5 provided Witli a lap to connect the apiees of portions, and means to de l5 taoliably connect said lap to some of said portions.

' PIETRO GANE.