US2421348A - Method and apparatus for tagging garments - Google Patents

Description

E. F. MEYER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TAGGING GARMENTS May 27, 1947.

Filed March 27, 1944 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Invert-to Ewalol F Me Attorney.

y 7, 1947. E. F. MEYER 2,421,348

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TAGGING GARMENTS Filed March 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ln /er-vtof: Ewald. F Me er- Patented May 27, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TAGGING GARMENTS 11 Claims.

My invention relates to a method and apparatus for tagging articles of clothing, such for example as deposited in laundries by numerous owners for the purpose of having them laundered and returned to the owners, and the purpose served by the invention is to provide a simple and effective arrangement by which such articles can conveniently, quickly, and safely have applied thereto a tag bearing the name, initials or other identifying insignia of the owners.

Within recent years the laundry business has developed and expanded to enormous proportions. The general practice of doing laundry work at home has now been quite generally superceded by having such work done by centrally located laundries. Enormous numbers of garments from a very large number of owners are therefore brought almost daily to these laundries. A serious problem has developed in so marking the various articles that after they have been laundered they can be properly sorted and the articles belonging to the different customers be certainly put together for return to those customers. A very considerable expense in such laundries is incurred because the wrong articles are forwarded and articles are lost which the laundries are called upon to replace.

The prior methods of tagging garments usually employ metal members. In some laundries the tags are secured to the garments by pins such as safety pins, in others the tags are stapled to the garments. These metal members are undesirable in the laundering operations and when they are left on the garment, as frequently happens, a wearer of the garment may be rendered uncomfortable or even injured from this form of attachment of tags. Moreover, frequently they come off, so, in sorting, the garment cannot be identified.

From a very extensive experience in the laundry business and first-hand contact with the above noted problem and the financial losses resulting from it, I have discovered a very simple and effective means of tagging articles in laundries, which is of relatively low cost and can be used easily and safely and, more important, which makes sorting not only accurate in a manner to greatly reduce the time consumed and the expense incurred in the sorting operation, but eliminates the liability of discomfort to wearers if for any reason the tag has not been removed.

It is an important feature of my invention to provide a stand having therein a compartment for holding a spool of thread, and supporting in a vertical position a, stout needle which has its point 2 protected by a swinging guard so that articles to be tagged and the appropriate tag may be forced down over the needle to cause the same to be thrust through a portion or portions of one or a group of garments, whereby said tag, with a subsequent simple and easy operation of withdrawing and cutting a section of thread extending through the garment or garments may be securely attached thereto. Such a tag so applied will certainly go through the various laundering operations and be in convenient position for inspection When the garments are sorted after those operations are completed.

It is a principal object of my invention, therefore, to provide a stand and easing having removably mounted therein a vertically extended needle with a guard above the point thereof, and to provide the needle with a thread extending through the eye thereof so that part or parts of a garment or garments may be forced down over the needle to project the same and a section of the thread through the garment or garments and a tag associated therewith.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a compartment for a spool of thread in the lower part of said stand and casing and to provide a guide for said thread to carry the same adjacent the butt shank of the needle where the thread passes upward alongside of the needle and through the eye thereof.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a spool chamber having its walls so positioned relatively to the needle that when thread is drawn from the spool an end of the spool will engage the front wall of the chamber and the edges of the two spool flanges will engage a side wall of the chamber and such engagement will effectively tension the thread as it is drawn through the needle.

It is a further object of my invention to mount a very stout, strong needle in the stand with a shank of sufiicient length-so that after the portion or portions of a garment or garments has been forced down over the needle the thread of the needle coming from the spool may be gripped by a finger against the needle and the portion or portions of a garment or garments then may be drawn from the spool and through the needle and which has passed through the garment or garments may be easily out, leaving the portion of the thread connected with the spool still threaded through the eye of the needle.

It is a further object of my invention to provide, in conjunction with the means for getting a, section of thread through a garment or garments and a tag, a very simple knotting device whereby the ends of the threads may readily be knotted to tie the tag on the garment or garments.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof which will now be given in the appended specification, and the novel features of the invention which bring about the above indicated advantageous results will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating an application of my invention in one form:

l is a side elevation. view of the casing and stand which comprise my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation view taken on line 4 .-;4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus showing a garment or garments and a tag applied to the needle.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view through the stand taken in the plane of the needle.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showin how sliding a garment or garments up the needle, when the thread from the spool is restrained, will produce a loop of the thread outside the needle.

Fig. 9 is a View similar to Fig. 8 showing how the thread loop of Fig. 8 has drawn out the free end of the thread and then the thread from the 129. 1 i drawn ou n a n 010 to t cut er where it is severed. leaving a strand of thread xtend t qu h t a me ready t be tie with the thread from the spool still threaded through the needle.

Fi 10 is a perspective view indicating the strand of thread through the garment and tag ready for tieing.

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing the tag tied in position on a group of garments.

Figs. 12 and 13 show the manner in which the doubled threads are wrapped around the knotting pegs and how the knot is formed.

As illustrated, I provide a bottom casing I2 which has a front member I3 swingably applied thereto, curved side walls I4 and I l, a back wall I and bottom wall I 6, all united together to form a spool chamber I'I, Figs. 3 and l. The side walls I lare curved toward each other at I8. and I9 and are provided with extensions 23 and 2! hich are secured to a needle block 22 by means of screws 23 and 24, Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 4 the plate extensions 23 and 2| are held in parallel relation and are provided with arcuately cut out parts 2-5 and 23 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The back wall I 5 has an extension 21 which may, if desired, be formed integrally with the extensions 2i) and 2| and which in any event ties them together. to. give an overhanging top standard 28.

Mounted upon a pivot 29' is a swinging guard member 3!) which comes above the point 3i of a stout needle 32 which has its heavy shank 33 seated in a bore 34 in the needle block 22 and removably held therein by a set screw 35, Figs. 3 and 7. The swinging guard 30 thus overlies the point 3! of needle 32 so close to that needle that accidental injury of the hands of the operator or any other injury from the needle is efiectively prevented. The guard 33 swings upwardly a sufficient distance to give adequate room to apply the garment or garments and tag to the needle to force the same through them. The block 22 is provided with a thread guide hole 36, Fig. 3, through which the thread 3'! from the spool 38 is carried to a point alongside the needle 32 from where it is passed through the eye 33 of the needle 32, Figs. 3 and 4.

It is, of course, necessary to tension the thread coming from the spool and also to hold the spool from rolling to unwind the thread except as the thread is used. To accomplish this result the spool 38 by its flanges 40 and II, Figs. 3 and 4, rests upon the floor I6 of chamber II between side walls I4 and I4 thereof, being free to roll on its flanges in either direction, The diameter of the spool flanges is considerably greater than half the distance across chamber IT, with the result that the part 3'! of the thread 3'! going to the spool 36 from the thread guide 35 extends at an angle outwardly from the body of the spool 38, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Hence, when the thread is drawn off of the spool it rotates the spool so as to roll flanges 40 and M against the side wall I 4 and thus brakes the spool rotation to effect very satisfactory tensioning of the thread as it is drawn from the spool. It also has the effect of causing the face of the flanged end 48 of the spool to engage the inner surface of the closure wall I3 of member I3, which further tensions the thread from the spool and prevents undesired unwinding thereof.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4 the side walls I4 and M are provided with right angled flange extensions t5 and 46 and the bottom wall I6 is made wide enough to have its edges extend to the edges of these flanges. These members are secured together in any desired way, as for example by spot welding, and, by means of screws 47, the assemblage may be fastened to a base plate such as is indicated at 48 or in practice probably would be screwed to a table or bench where the operators would be working.

The member I3 is connected with a wall part I 3 which closes the spool chamber I'I. It has parallel side walls 42 which, as shown in Fig. 2, are separated slightly more than the walls 23 and 2! and which are piVOtally secured to the block 22 by means of screw members 44, which pass through the ears 43 on the side walls 42. Rivets could be used in plaee of screw members. Whichever is used it pivots the entire member I3 and its back Wall I3 so that it can be swung outwardly as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, to give access to the spool chamber I 1 for removing empty spools and inserting filled spools therein.

The side walls 32 are cut out as indicated at 9, Figs. 1 and 3, and support a blade holder 53 wherein is a. cutting blade 53, best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This cutting blade may be an ordinary safety razor blade, and has its edge exposed for use while it is protected against accidental contacts.

A pair of end walls 54 and 55 between side walls 42 form a vertical chamber in which is adapted to slide a plunger 5| normally held in an upright position by means of a compression spring 52; The plunger 5! carries three pegs 10, H, and 12, of which the peg 12 has at its upper end an inwardly turned hook 13, Figs. 2, 12 and 13. These pegs are adapted to be drawn down to carry them beneath a top plate 14, Fig. 3, apertures of sufficient size being provided to let the pegs and hook member 73 pass through top plate M.

The plunger 5! carrying the pegs 18, :l and 1'2 has a finger piece 15 which is secured by a screw 16 extending through a slot Tl in side wall 42. By pressing down on the finger piece 15 the spring 52 is compressed and the pegs 19, H, and 12 are drawn down through the holes in the plate 14.

The operation of my device in use is simple and easy to learn but is important. This method of use is illustrated in Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive. As shown in Fig. 6, a pair of garments as socks 56 and a tag 51 are shown applied over the needle 32. This is done by taking .a single thickness of each of the garments in conjunction with the tag and introducing them in the space 58 between the end of needle 32 and the swinging guard 36 and forcing the layers of fabric and tag down over the needle to the bottom thereof where they are caused to engage the top of needle block 22.

As shown in Fig. 7, several garments as three pair of socks have been placed in position together.

The next step of the method of operation is shown in Fig. 8, where the thread 31 is held by pressure of a finger against the shank 33 and the garments are pushed upwardly on the needle toward the point thereof, This produces a loop of thread indicated at EU.

The holding pressure of the finger on the thread 31 is continued, as indicated in Fig. 8, and with the free hand, while the garment portions and tags are maintained in their respective positions, they are pushed out to produce the loop 69. The free end of thread 31 is then drawn out, and a length of thread is drawn through the eye of the needle and from the spool 33 into an elongated loop indicated at 6| in Fig. 9. This elongated loop is brought upon the knife edge 53 at 62, Fig. 9, where it is out, leaving extending through the garments 56 and the tag 51' a length of thread indicated at 63 of Fig. 10.

This length of thread is free at its ends and, of course, extends through a portion of each of the garments and of the tag which were applied to the needle as indicated in Fig. '7. The length of thread 63 is then tied, as indicated at 64 in Fig. 11, and the operation of tagging is completed.

This tieing is effected in a very simple manner, as indicated in Figs. 12 and 13. The two ends of the thread 31 which passes through the garments and the tag are brought together so as to give a doubled strand, the ends of which are indicated at 18 and 19, in Figs. 12 and 13. These doubled strands are then wrapped around the three pegs 10, H and 12, as indicated in Fig. 12. The double strand end 19 is then carried over the double strand end I8 and under the hook 13, as indicated in Fig. 13.

It would be understood, of course, that one end of the doubled strand, as the end 18, has the threads extending in a loop through the garment and the tag, as indicated in Figs. 9 and 10. As laid about the pins 10, H and I2, Figs. 12 and 13, there is formed a loop 80 of the doubled strand and the free ends 19 of said strands are brought under the hook 1'3 on pin 12. The plunger 5| is then depressed by means of the finger piece 15.

This carries down the pins 10, H and 12 and leaves the loop 80 upon the plate 14. But the hook member 13 haspushed the free end 19 of the doubled strand through the loop 80 and when the garment and tag attached to the portion I8 of the doubled strands are pushed away from the plate 74, and particularly from the hook 13, the loop 89 is drawn up on the portion 19 of the doubled strand thus making a holding knot. An operator may become very expert in using this knotting device, in fact in using the entire device, so that the tag may have the thread inserted through it and the garment or garments to which it is attached, and the complete tag-applying operation including the knotting be quickly cornpleted.

It will be understood, of course, that this tagging may be effected with a single article and in many instances it would be, but in a great number of cases, such for example as the laundering of socks and handkerchiefs and garments of similar character, a number of said garments will have applied thereto a single tag. The result is, of course, great economy both in tagging and in sorting.

However, the most important advantage of the invention is that the tag is applied in a manner in which it cannot become disengaged, it cannot, as is true with present methods of tagging, interfere with the laundering operations and it cannot be a discomfort to a subsequent user if it has not been removed. Furthermore, the tag is of sufficient size, with the indelible markings on it of suflicient size so that in sorting after laundering has been completed the tag can be located and ready very easily, thus clearly facilitating the sorting operation.

While this invention has been described as peculiarly applicable to the business of laundries and the tagging of goods in connection with laundering operations, it is to be understood that the term laundries and laundering includes any form of garment renovating and cleaning, as for example dry cleaning, and the invention is to be construed as covering the tagging of garments or other flexible members for any purpose or use.

I claim:

1, A method of tagging garments, which consists in holding a needle in fixed and exposed position, carrying a thread extending from a thread supply through the eye of said needle, manually holding a section of the garment and a tag together and forcing the parts so held upon said needle to carry a loop of thread through a part of the garment and the tag, drawing the ing therethrough, withdrawing the garment and tag from the needle with the thread extending through parts of said garment and tag, thereafter drawing out a suificient length of the thread through the needle eye from the supply, cutting off said length of thread to leave a free section extending through the tag and garment and to leave the thread from the supply still running through the needles eye, and tying the ends of said section.

2. A method of tagging garments, which consists in holding a needle in fixed and exposed vertical position with its point up, carryin a thread extending from a thread supply through the eye of said needle, manually holding a section of the garment and a tag together and forcing the parts so held upon said needle to carry a double strand of said thread through a part of thread from the thread supply thereof still running through the needles'eye, andtying the-lends of said section to secure the tag to the garment.

3. A method of tagging garments which-consists in holdinga needle in a fixed vertical position with the point and shank extending upwardly and exposed, carrying a thread extending from a thread supply through the eye of said needle, manually holding sections of a plurality ofg-arments and a tag together and forcing theparts so held down over said needle to carry a loop of the thread through the held parts of the garment and tag, drawing the free end of said loop from the garments'and tag to leave a single strand of th thread and the needle extending through the held parts of the garments and tag, withdrawing the garments and tag from the needle to leave the thread extending .through .parts of the garments and-tag, drawing out a sufficient length of the thread through the needle eye from thesupply, cutting off a length of said thread to leave a free section extending through the garments and the tag with the thread from the supply still extending through the needles eye, and tying the ends of said section to secure the tag onall said garments.

4. A method of tagging garments, which consists in holding a needle in fixed and exposed vertical position with itspoint up, providing a spoolof thread of ordinary construction and carrying the thread strand therefrom through the eye of said needle, manually holding asection of the garment .and a ta together and forcing the parts so held down over said needle to-cause a double strand of the thread to be projected through the heldpart of the garmentand the tag, drawing out the :freeend of saidth-read from the garment and tag to leave said end free and exposed, withdrawing the garment and tag from the needle with the thread extending through a part of the garment and the tag, drawin 'out a suflicient length of the thread through the needle eye from the spool, braking and retarding rotation of the spool as the thread is drawn out to cause the thread to be tensioned, cutting on a length of .said thread to leave a free :section extending through the tag and garment With the thread from the spool still running through the need-le s eye, and tying the ends -.of said section.

-5. A device for tagging garments comprising ;a stand, a needle *blockon said stand, 1 a stout. needle removably held in fixed vertical position on said stand, va thread-holding compartment in the stand, a spool of thread freely rotatable in said compartment, a part of said thread extending through :the eye of the needle, and a guard mounted to swing in a verticalplane and having a portion extending adjacent to and over the point of the needle.

:6. A device for taggin garments comprisin :a stand, a needle block .on said stand, a stout needle removably ihe-ld'zi-n fixed vertical posit-ion on :said

stand, :a thread-holding compartment .in the stand, :a spool of thread freely rotatable in said compartment, apart of said thread extending through the eye of the needle, a guard mounted toswing in a verticalplane and having a portion extending adjacent to and .over the point of the needle, and a protectedcutter blade carried by the block adjacent said needle.

'7. A device for tagging garments, comprising a standaneedle blockonsaid stand, a stout needle removably held in fixed vertical position on said stand, the needle having an eye in its free end, aithrea'd-holding compartment in the stand comprising opposed side walls, astandard spool having end :flanges withexposed annular edges carryinga supply of threadmounted in the compartment, the side walls of said compartment spaced apart adistance-sufiicient.to permit free rotation ofthe flanges of the thread spool therein, the thread spool having a side abutting one wall in thesaid compartment so that the exposed annular fianges'contact the one wall of the compartment, the sideof the spool adjacent the otherwall of the compartment positioned beyond a line in alignment with the needl and substantially the central portion of the spool, the thread supply thereby extending obliquely inwardly from the side of the spool adjacent the other wall of the compartment toward the one Wall of the compartment and the free end of the needl and through the eye of the needle whereby when the thread is drawn through the eye of the needle from the spool it will cause the spool to roll toward said one wall and the flanges-Of th spool will be caused to engage and roll against said one wall whichacts as a brake upon the spool to tension the thread supplied to the needle.

8. A device for tagginggarments, comprising a stand, means including a-needle held in rigid vertical position'on said stand and a thread passing through the eye of the needle, whereby a strand of said thread may be inserted through a tag and a garment, means for cutting off the strand to leave the free ends thereof on-either side of the points of insertion through the garment and tag, means including a set of exposed pegs about which the two ends of the strand may be looped, and means for moving the pegs contacted by the strand to effect tying of the free ends of the strand.

9. Azdevice for tagging garments,.comprising a stand, means including a needle held in fixed vertical position on said stand and a thread passing through the eye of the needle, whereby a strand of said thread may be inserted through a tag and apart of the garment, means for cutting ofi .a length of said strand to leave th ends thereof extending in opposite directions from the garment and tag, 'a plunger operative upon the stand, pegs on the plunger normally held in exposed position and adapted to have the exposed ends of the strand jointly wrapped about the same, and means to operate the plunger and the pegs thereon to eifect tying of the free ends of thestrands.

10. Adevice for tagging garments, comprising a stand, means including a needle held in fixed vertical positionon saidstand and a-thread passing through the eye of the needle, whereby a strand of said thread may be inserted through a tag and a part of the garment, means for cutting off a length of said strand to leave the ends thereof extending in opposite directions .from the garment and tag, a plunger operative upon the stand, pegs on the plunger upon which the free ends of the strand are adapted to be jointly wrapped, a top plate having holes through which the pegs are adapted to pass to be held in exposed position, a spring for-so holding the pegs, and means when the ends of the strands are wrapped about the pegs to depress the plunger to move the pe s below the plate to effect tying of the free ends of the strands.

11. A device for tagging garments, comprising a stand, means including a needle held in fixed vertical position on said stand and a thread passing through the eye of the needle, whereby a strand of said thread may be inserted through a tag and a part of the garment, means for cutting off a length of said strand to leave the ends thereof extending in opposite directions from the garment and tag, a plunger operative upon the stand, pegs on the plunger upon which the free ends of the strand are adapted to be jointly wrapped, an inturned hook on one of said pegs, a top plate having holes through which the pegs and the hook are adapted to pass to be held in EWALD F. MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 127,579 Cussen June 4, 1872 2,063,918 Flood Dec. 15, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 344,481- France Nov. 5, 1904

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