US2341037A

US2341037A - Bodkin fabricating machine

Info

Publication number: US2341037A
Application number: US371539A
Authority: US
Inventors: Halper Louis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-12-24
Filing date: 1940-12-24
Publication date: 1944-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1961-02-08

Description

F eb. 8, 1944.

L. HALPER 2,341,037

BODKIN FABRICATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Luu/s Hm. FE'R BY W, 1 Liz HTTUR'NEH Feb. 8, 1944. HALPER 2,341,037

BODKIN 'FABRICATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' I11, 76 Illm BY MM} M INV ENT OR.

Patented Feb. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nonKIN FABRICATING MACHINE Louis Ha'lper, Brooklyn, N. Application December 24, 1940, Serial $10,371,539

' ZJClaims. ,(01. 153-1) This invention relates to machines .for capping wire ends and especially to machines for fabricating bodkins.

In various types of clothing, especially uniforms and the like, in which decorative buttons are used, it has been the practice not to sew the buttons directly upon the uniform, but rather to detachably engage the buttons to the garment. This has been done in various ways. One of the ways is that of slidably mounting the button eye upon a bodkin having an elongated eye.

One of the best methods of making such bodkins is the forming thereof from wire and then capping the'two free wire ends. Since the point of the bodkin must bepassed through all different kinds of fabric, it is desirable that the'point be relatively smooth, that is to- -say, that the point have no undesirable roughness or protuberances which would interfere with the passing of the bodkin point through the fabric- Normally, in order to facilitate the passage of the bodkin point through the fabric and to properly position thebuttons with relation to the garment, the garment is provided with a series of eyelets which are reenforced at the edges thereof by embroidery or other stitching,

The present invention is concerned principally with a machine for the quick andeasy application of the bodkin cap to the free ends of the wires forming the bodkin, so that a smooth and otherwise desirable bodkin pointis produced.

Among the objects of the invention lies the provision of bodkin capping structure which is relatively low in cost and highly efficient in use.

Another object herein lies ,in the provision of a machine of the class described which will accurately anduniformlycap bodkin ends.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a machine having the above described characteristics, yet which, is simple and. economical in operation, and which may be either driven by hand or foot operating mechanism.

die-pliers with a button and bodkin in plac These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings constituting a material part hereof, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views in which:

Figure l is an enlarged elevationalview showing a completed bodkin assembly including the button, bodkin, and cap.

Figure 2 is a view taken similarly to Figure 1, showing the. parts in position vjust prior to assembly.

Figure .3 is a view taken similarly to Figure 2 with the exception that the bodkin has been rotatedthrough about a vertical axis. j Figure. 4. is anenlarged fragmentary view partly: in section showing the manner in which the bodkin cap is maintained upon the wire en'dsof the bodkin.

Figure 5 isa view in perspective showing the just prior to the capping operation.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 66 on Figure 5, most of the parts being shown in elevation. Figure 7 is'an enlarged side elevational view partly in section, showing the bodkin machine in position just prior to the capping operation; Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional .view as seen from the plane 8 -8 on Figure '7.

- Figure 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional View as mightbe seen from the plane '99 showing the'parts' in a posiiton which they occupy atthe beginning of the actual capping operation.

In accordance with the invention, therbodkin assembly It comprises generally a button I I, hav-- ing aiface 12, a back 13, and abutton eye l4. For

most purposes, more satisfactory operation is obtained when. the eye I4 is adapted to swivel slightly with relation to the back 13. Also included in the bodkin assembly H3 is a bodkin l5 and the bodkin cap It. The bodkin itself is preferably a U-shaped wire form and includes the arms l1. and I8 which have the straight ends i9 and 20, the button eye centering portions 2 l and H t-he inwardly curved portions 23' and 24, and the outwardly

curved portions

25 and 26, respectively. The portions 2'! to 26, inclusive, form'a slot or bodkin eye, generally indicated by num'eral 21. The straight ends 19- and 20 on the outwardly disposed surfaces thereof are provided with notches 29 and 30'.

The die-pliers are generally indicated by nu-' meral 35: and the construction thereof is best seen in Figures 5 to 9, inclusive, of the accompanying drawings. The die-pliers 35 comprise generally a pair of pivotally interconnected levers 36 and 31. The levers 36 and 31 include

jaw portions

38 and 39, pivotal portions 40 and 41', handle

portions

42 and 43, and a rivet 44, The levers are pivotally interconnected at the pivotal portions 40 and 4| by means of the rivet 4-4. The

jaw portions

38 and 39 have the outer

vertical walls

46 and 41 thereof preferably planar and parallel, While the

ends

43 and 49 of the jaws are preferably in the same plane, fiat, and disposed at right angles to the

walls

46 and 41. The top walls 58 and 5| are preferably flat and parallel to the

bottom walls

52 and 53. The inner opposed faces of the

jaw portions

38 and 39 have working faces 54 and 55. The working faces 54 and 55 are provided with semi-cylindrical cap lower

flange retaining portions

56 and 51,

rim crimping portions

58 and 59, bodkin straight end engaging portions 68 and 6I, bodkinubutton eye centering

portion engaging recesses

62 and 63, respectively. As seen in Figure 9, the cap I6 includes a rounded head 64, and a cylindrical downy; g wardly extending flange 65. The internal diameter of the flange 65 is preferably slightly greater than the greatest distance between the outer sur-. I

faces of the straight ends I9 and 28' when the inner opposed surfaces of said ends are in contact.

The

flange retaining portions

56 and 51 are each semi-cylindrical in shape so that when the

jaw portions

38 and 39 are brought together. the outer surface of the flange 65 makes a sliding fit therebetween. The straight end engaging portions 68 and BI are each provided 'withaU-shaped vertical groove adapted to engage the end portions I9'and 28. The depth of said U-shaped groove is such that when the working: faces 54 and 55 are in their closed position, thestraight ends I9 and 28 are tightly clamped therebetween. The

rim crimping portions

58 and 59 are of curved configuration and converge from the

flange retaining portions

56 and 51 to the straight end engaging portions 68 and 6|. The'recesses 62 and 63 are adapted to engage the outer surfaces of the button eye centering portions 2| and 22. The total'vertical thickness of thejaw portions 38 and'39 is suchthat when the button eye centering portions 2I and 22 are' fully upwardly seated within the

recesses

62 and 63, the upper terminals of the straight ends I9 and 28 will be disposed slightly above the top walls 58 and 5|, and the

notches

29 and 38 will be positioned adjacent'the lower edges of the

rim crimping portions

58 and 59, as best seen in Figure 9 of the accompanying drawings. The convenient operation of thedie-pliers 35 may be facilitated by the incorporation of a small expansive spring 66 shown in Figures 6 and'8, the ends of the spring 66 are suitably anchored within the

handle portions

42 and 43.

The press generally indicated by numeral '18 includes an operating lever H, a frame 12, a base 13, a ram 14, and a bolster 15. The ram 14 is provided at the lower end thereof with a bore within which is seated the punch 16. The punch- 16 is maintained in place in any suitable manner, as for example, by means of the set screw 11. The upper end of the ram 14 has integrally extending therefrom a concentrically disposed drive rod 18. The upper end of the drive rod 18 acts as a follower for the cam 19 on the operating lever H. The lower inner end of the operating lever 1I.is pivotally connected to the frame 12 by the pin 88.. The drive rod 18 and the ram 14 are maintained in the normalupper or retracted position thereof (see Figure 9) by the action of an expansive coil spring 8I, which is seated in a suitable bore in the frame 12, The upper end of the spring 8| is articulately associated with the drive rod 18 by means of the washer and pin structure 82.

The operating lever 1I may b maintained in its upper position thereof (as shown in Figure '1) by means of a counter-weight disposed to the left of "the pin 88, as seen in said Figure, said counter weight being well known in press construction, and therefore not shown in the drawings.

The frame 12 is provided with an outward extension 83 in the upper surface of which is mounted a bolt 84, having a. lock-nut 85. Adjustment of the bolt" 84 and lock-nut 85 serves to regulate the downward travel of the operating lever 1|, which strikes thereagainst.

The punch 16 has the lower terminal thereof shaped to conform to the upper andouter surface of'the rounded head 64, as seen in Figure 9. The bolster 15 is of irregular configuration, best seen in Figures 7, 8, and 9. The working surface 86 of the bolster is provided with an open ended slot 81,-and with a U-shaped guide portion 88. The'inner. opposed surfaces of the arms of the U-shaped guide portion 88 are parallel and are spaced from "each other a distance substantially equal to or only slightly greater than the distance between the outer

vertical walls

46 and 41 ofithe die-pliers 35. The cross piece 89 of the guide portion 88 is provided with a;screw;98 and a lock-nut 9|. By adjusting the screw 98 and the lock-nut 9I, the position of the jdie-pliers 35 with relation to the bolster and hence with relation to the punch 16 and the ram thereby regulated.

. operation First a bodkin' I5 is manually grasped, the same appearing as seenin Figure 2. A button II. is grasped and the eye I4 slipped over the terminals of one of the straight ends I9 or 20, as for ex ample, as shown by the dot-dash lines-on Figure 2 on which the button eye has been slipped over the terminal'of the end I9. The button is then pushed downwardly so that the same takes the position of thebutton II in Figure. 1, where the eye I4 lies between the outwardly curved portions 25and26.

At this-point,- in one method, the straightends I9 and 28 are'placed between. the working faces 54,and 55 of the die-pliers v35 with the button eye centering portions disposed -withinthe'. recesses 62 and 63. The handle portions 42 and43 ar'e manually'moved toward each other and-the; j aw

portions

38 and 39 are inserted betweenithe arms of. the U-shaped guide portion 88. cap I6 is placed upon the terminals of the straight ends I 9 and 28 so that the lower rim of the flange 65 engages the

rim crimping portions

56 and 59.

, An alternate. method is to squeeze the ends I9 and 28 tward each other, place a cap I6 thereon, and then grasp the assembly betweenthediepliers. I

The screw 98 and-lock-nut 9I are adjusteduntil the center of the rounded head lice directly below the center of the corresponding female depression in the punch 16. The bolt 84 and the lock-nut 85 are adjusted so that the ram when. moved to its lowermost position will press the punch 16 against the head 64 and force the lower the working faces thereof are separated and the completed button and capped bodkinwill drop therefrom.

In use, the button and bodkin are inserted through the garment opening in a position shown in Figure 1, and after the bodkin has completely passed through the garment, the bodkin is slid along the button eye l4, until the button takes a position shown by the dot-dash lines on Figure 2,

the button being disposed on one face of the garment and the bodkin on the other.

It may thus be seen that there has been provided a novel bodkin capping machine which may be constructed at relatively low cost and is efficient in operation so that capped bodkins may be produced in large numbers at high speed and low cost. The machine is most efliciently operated when the die-pliers are manipulated with the left hand and the operating lever H as well as the insertion and the removal of the bodkins from the pliers is acomplished with the right hand. The operation would then face the machine as shown in Figure 7.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. For use with a bodkin assembly including a bodkin and a cap, a bodkin capping machine comprising: die pliers including a pair of pivotally interconnected levers each having a jaw portion and a handle portion, each jaw portion having a working face provided with a cap lower flange retaining portion which is semi cylindrical in horizontal section, a rim crimping portion which is generally concave having the configuration of a portion of a sphere and the walls of which are downwardly converging, a bodkin straight end engaging portion disposed below and continuing downwardly from the narrowest part of said rim crimping portion, said bodkin straight end engaging portion being U-shaped in horizontal section,

and a bodkin button eye centering portion engaging recess which extends deeper into said jaw portion than said bodkin straight end engaging 5 portion, said working faces being oppositely disposed and adapted to support the bodkin and cap during the capping operation; and means to support the die pliers; and means to force the bodkin cap longitudinally of the bodkin ends.

2. For use with a bodkin assembly including a bodkin and a cap, a bodkin capping machine comprising a press with a bolster and a ram reciprocable with relation to said bolster; said bolster having a guide portion; die pliers including a pair of pivotally interconnected levers each having a jaw portion and a handle portion, each jaw portion having a working face provided with a cap lower flange retaining portion which is semicylindrical in horizontal section, a rim crimping portion which is generally concave having the configuration of a portion of a sphere and the walls of which are downwardly converging, a bodkin straight end engaging portion disposed below and continuing downwardly from the narrowest part of said rim crimping portion, said bodkin straight end engaging portion being U-shaped in horizontal section, and a bodkin button eye centering portion engaging recess which extends deeper into said jaw portion than said bodkin straight end engaging portion, said working faces being oppositely disposed and. adapted to support the bodkin and cap during the capping operation; said die pliers having the jaw portions thereof insertable in the guide portion of the bolster; said ram in a lowered position thereof being adapted to force the bodkin cap longitudinally of the bodkin straight ends.

LOUIS HALPER.