US2690149A - Needle cooler - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 28, 1954 F. w. ADAMS NEEDLE COOLER Filed July 5, 1952 INVENTOR. FREDERlCK W. ADAMs ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 28, 1954 htdi!) NEEDLE COOLER Frederick W. Adams, New York, N. Y., assignor to Coats & Clark 1110., a corporation of Delaware Application July 5, 1952, Serial No. 297,270

2 Claims. (01. 1122l8) The present invention relates to improvements in a device for cooling the needle or a. sewing machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for supplying continuous jets of a cooling medium to all sides of the needle of a sewing machine during the operation of the machine, which may be readily attached to the sewing machine without any alterations or changes being made therein and which does not interfere with the operators use of the sewing machine. Another object of the invention is to provide a needle cooler in which the flow of the cooling medium may be readily turned on to permit threading of the needle or the like. In addition, a needle cooling device made in accordance with the present invention is of simple construction and is economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent and best understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a needle cooler embodying the invention attached to a sewing machine;

Fig. 2 is a section view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig, 4 is a section view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of a part of the needle cooler shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a side view of a valve member for the needle cooler shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawins in detail, and to Fig. 1 in particular, there is a sewing machine head I ii in which a needle bar I I is mounted for vertical reciprocation. The needle bar I carries a needle holding chuck 12 at its lower end in which the shank of a needle I3 is secured in the usual manner.

The needle cooling device, indicated generally at I4, consists of a member I5 in the form of a ring which surrounds the needle bar I I. As shown best in Figs. 3 and 4, the needle bar II extends through a bushing I6 which extends downwardly from the head II) of the sewing machine and the ring I5 may be secured in a fixed position relative to the reciprocating needle bar by attaching it to the bushin It by set screws Il' or other suitable means.

The ring I5 contains an annular chamber I8 which surrounds the needle bar. The annular chamber has side walls and a top and. bottom.

The top of the annular chamber is formed by an annular plate !9 which forms a seal with the side walls of the chamber. The plate It may be held in place by spinning the top ends of the side walls of the chamber over the plate, as indicated at 20. As shown in Fig. l, a number of spaced inclined passageways 2| extend between the bottom of the annular chamber I8 and outlet openings 22 in the bottom of the ring I5.

The passageways 2I are of a relatively small diameter and are inclined with respect to the axis of the needle It so as to direct converging jets of a cooling medium emerging therefrom, as indicated by the arrows A, towards a common point that coincides with the center of the ring and which is spaced from the bottom thereof. The needle I3 is centrally located with respect to the ring and the converging jets strike the needle from all sides at a point near the eye of the needle when the needle is raised. Since the ring I5 is held in a fixed position while the needle is reciprocated vertically, thi point at which the jets strike the needle will vary with movement of the needle during operation of the sewing machine.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, an inlet pipe 23 extends outwardly from the side of the ring I 5 and has a passageway 24 therein which communicates with the air chamber I8 in the ring for supplying the COOIiIlg medium thereto. One end of a flexible tube 25 is attached to the end of the inlet pipe 23 and the other end thereof is connected to a supply of cooling medium under pressure (not shown).

In order to enable the sewing machine operator to shut off the continuous jets of the cooling medium emerging from the bottom of the rin when the sewing machine is not in use or to prevent interference with the threading of the needle, a control valve 26 is provided in the inlet pipe 23. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the valve 26 consists of a valve body 21 formed in the inlet pipe 23. The valve body 21 has an opening 23 therein extending transversely across the passageway 24 in the inlet pipe 23. A valve plunger 29 is slidably fitted in the opening 28 and extends through the valve body. The valve plunger 29 has a portion 38 of reduced diameter intermediate its ends which may be brought into and out of alignment with the passageway 25 in the inlet pipe 23 upon sliding movement of the plunger to open or shut the passageway M, as the case may be. To prevent removal of the plunger 29 from the valve body, the end of the plunger, extending beyond one side of the valve body, is provided with an enlarged operating knob 3i and the end of the plunger, extending beyond the other side of the valve body, carries a washer 32 which bears against the outside of the body when the valve is open.

The diameter and length of the converging passageways 2| in the ring I5 should be proportioned with respect to the pressure of the cooling medium so that the jets striking the needle will contain a, turbulent movement of the :cooling 'medium and will be-of substantially uniformcross-section until they impinge upon the needle. This is desirable to obtain an efiective and efficient coolin action.

As will be seen from the foregoing, the present needle cooler directs a pluralityof continuousjets of the cooling medium againstiall sidessof the reciprocating needle at all times unless the valve 26 is closed and because it is held-in'a fixe'd posi tion relative to the reciprocating needle .and needle bar, it will not interfere with or strike the hands of the operator .of the sewing machine. ,It will be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilledfin the art in the embodimerit of the invention illustrated and described herein without departing from 'the scope of .the invention as defined 'bythe following claims.

.1. In a sewing machine of the type having a head, a needle bar mounted for vertical reciprocation in said headiandproje'cting "therefromand a sew'ingneedle carried by the needle bar, the'improvement which comprises amemberhaving an upper and a lower :face with an opening extending between-said 'faces, said member containing a chamber surrounding said opening and having a series of discharge outlets in the lower face thereof spaced around said opening, means for attaching said member in a fixed position on a sewing machine head with a reciprocable needle bar projecting through the opening therein, inclined passageways in said member communicating with the chamber therein and the discharge outlets, said passageways converging in a downward directioniand directing converging jet-sofa cooling medium toward an eye of a needle carried by the meedle bar at a raised position of the needle bar and toward a body portion of the needle at a lowered position of the needle bar, a fitting carried :by the .chamberedmember and communicating with-the chamberitherein and valve means in said fitting for controlling communication through -.said= fitting with said chamber.

2. ,In --a sewing machine, the improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the chambered member is annular in shape and has a central opening therein "through which the needle "bar .of the sewing mac'hineprojects.

References Cited in the idle of this -patent UNITED .STA'IES PATENTS Number .:Name Date ,lgfifiligfillfi ..-Marsh Sept. 57., 1926 ;2:,4213,l96 iRubel. July 15., 19-4 7 2342;033 :Brantly et a1. May 25,, 19.48 2,49xl,:,'6Z-:5 Allen, :Dec. 20, .1949 $593,203 Schwartz :Apr. .15., 1952

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