US2766709A - Sewing machine for tubular fabrics - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 16, 1956 B. STEVENS, JR

SEWING MACHINE FOR TUBULAR FABRICS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 17, 1954 Oct. 16, 1956 s. STEVENS, JR

SEWING MACHINE FOR TUBULAR FABRICS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 17, 1954 Oct. 16, 1956 a. STEVENS, JR

SEWING MACHINE FOR TUBULAR FABRICS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 17, 1954 United States Patent SEWING MACHINE FOR TUBULAR FABRICS Brooks Stevens, Jr., Concord, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Ames Textile Corporation, Lowell, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 17, 195'4, Serial No. $16,811

2 Claims. (Cl. 112-63) This invention relates to a sewing machine for sewing together the ends of tubular fabrics of long length and, more particularly, knitted tubes.

Tubular fabrics are knitted in pieces many yards in length. In the finishing process it is desirable and customary to sew together these tubes, end to end, so that an indefinite number of lengths are handled as a single, continuous tube in the various finishing operations. The seam is a circular one, that is, the ends of the tubes are not flattened and sewed together in that form, but the seam runs around the circumference of the tubes so that the central opening extends continuously from one piece to the other.

If we can imagine the somewhat unlikely demand that we sew together the tops "of two mens socks, it i clear that we can stufi one inside of the other and align the two edges, telescope the opened tops over a cloth plate of a suitable sewing machine, and make our seam. In the case, however, of tubes of great length, it is impractical to so telescope them. What has hitherto been done is to get a few inches of the two edges superposed fiat- Wise, pushing the rest of the material out of the way as best we can, sew together these few inches, then superpose another short length, rearranging the parts to get them out of the way, and so proceeding inchmeal around the circumference. The two tubes are then drawn apart into line and the seams flattened out.

In accordance with my invention a machine is provided permitting the handling of long tubes and the sewing together of their edges in a circular seam as a continuous operation, without the necessity for rearrangements.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a machine, partly in section, illustrating, although somewhat diagrammatically, the end portions of two tubes being operated on;

Fig. 2 is an elevation as seen from the right of Fig. 1;

'Fig. 3 is a view showing the upper left-hand portion of what appears in Fig. l on a larger scale; :and

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a modification.

It will be understood that the drawing is necessarily diagrammatic since the illustration of the tubular fabrics by a double line exaggerates their thickness, and certain other parts are displaced to accommodate this exaggeration. Further exaggerations would arise if it were attempted to show functional parts of a sewing mechanism such as the needle, the presserfoot, etc., with double lines, and they have therefore been illustrated in the present instance by single lines, as the actual mechanical construction of such parts is well known.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the machine there shown is organized on a suitable frame embodying a generally rectangular wheeled base from the two sides of which arise side plates .or frames 12, which support a top 14. On this top is mounted a sewing head or sewing machine 16 which may be of any suitable or conventional form obtainable as such from many sources of supply. The machine is so positioned that its needle N vibrates in a vertical plane adjacent to the left-hand side of the machine viewing Fig. 1, access to the sewing mechanism being from that side. Herein the sewing machine 16 is driven by a belt 18 from a countershaft 20, itself driven by belt 22 from a wheel 24 connected to electric motor 26 through a friction clutch of conventional form, which may be operated by the arm 28, pivoted at 30, and adapted to be operated through a connecting cable 32 by a treadle 34 adjacent the base 10 of the machine. It will be noted that the countershaft .and the motor are supported from a bracket 36 arranged outwardly of the right-hand frame 12 of the machine as seen in Fig. 2, for reasons which will appear.

In accordance with my invention I provide a carrier on which the superposed edge portions of two tubes of fabric may be superposed for feeding continuously throughout their circumference beneath the needle N of the sewing head 16. This carrier takes the form of an open centered annulus 38, having a cylindrical outer surface. As distinguished from a wheel, which is supported from a hub adjacent its axis by spokes or a web, this annulus is supported by devices positioned remote from its axial center, so as to provide an unobstructed space of large area around that center. I have herein illustrated the annulus as provided with two ribs 40 along its inner surface between which are received supporting rolls 42 (see Fig. 2) one substantially in the one o'clock position viewing that figure, another in the six oclock position, and the third in the eleven oclock position, the first and third being overhung from the left-hand end of the machine viewing Fig. 2 by bearings 44 secured to the bottom of the top 14, and the second from a crossbar 46 extending between the two sides 12 at a position relatively near to the base 10.

In the modification which I am about to describe the annulus is rotated about its axis in timed relation to the movements of the sewing head by the motor 26. Herein (see Fig. 2) the roll 42 which is in the one oclock position in that figure, is driven by a belt 48 from a variable speed reduction gearing received in a housing 50 (which gearing may be of conventional form so that it is unnecessary to illustrate or describe it in detail), this gearing taking motion from the countershaft 20 through belt 52. By this arrangement, when the sewing machine is being operated the annulus is turned at a suitably reduced speed relative to the speed of revolution of the motor.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the space within the interior circumference of the annulus is substantially unobstructed in the area between the two side frames 12, the top 14 and the crossbar 46.

As a result of this construction the end of a tubular piece of fabric T1 may be introduced into this space from the right, viewing Fig. 1, passed through the center of the annulus 38 and have its edge turned back over the outer face of the same, so that it projects somewhat to the rear thereof. Another tube T-2 is brought up at the left of the machine and its edge telescoped over the edge of fabric T-l, the two end edges being aligned and arranged to project beyond the right-hand side of the annulus, over the cloth plate C of the lsewing machine, and beneath the presserfoot P to be held by it and to be operated on by the needle N. When the carrier annulus 38 has made a revolution a circular seam is completed and the joined edges of the fabric may be drawn off from the surface of the annulus and the two lengths extended into alignment.

The two tubes of fabrics are of course limp and the arrangement illustrated in the figures is in a sense diagrammatic. The parts not being operated on may dispose of themselves. A twist of a single turn placed in their Patented Oct. 16, 1956 lengths by the operation of the mechanism is not objectionable. We may also point out here that if, in the machine illustrated, a line is drawn vertically from the edges of the two fabrics as Seen at the top of Fig. 1, where they extend under the needle, it would intersect the crossbar 46. However, we are not concerned with a rigid flange projecting outwardly in overhanging relation to the annulus. Where the edges are supported by the cloth plate C of the machine they are supported as it were by continuation of the surface of the annulus, but otherwise they are limp, and throughout the greater proportion of the circumference can dispose of themselves by folding inwardly or outwardly, as the case may be, around the adjacent edge of the annulus.

As herein disclosed the cylindrical surface of the annulus is smooth and without projections or teeth to engage the fabric, which construction is preferred. in the case of a knitted fabric it may be slightly stretched to position it over the cylindrical surface, and this is easier to do and a more even circumferential application is possible than if it had to be stretched over the tops of a series of teeth. Also, slight rearrangement of the fulness or tension is possible as the sewing proceeds.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the three rolls 42 which support the annulus are all merely supporting rolls, the driving mechanism from the countershaft 29 being omitted. Attached to the cylindrical face of the annulus is a thin sheet 60 of flexible material such as rubber, which projects toward the sewing head 16 for a slight distance, but does not extend to the position of the needle N. The sewing head has feed dogs F, diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4, such as those used in a so-called four-motion feed, and the edge of the covering 6t) is adapted to be engaged by at least one of the feed dogs as seen at the left in Fig. 4, while others engage the edges of the tubes T-1 and T-2, where they project beyond the covering. The annulus is made as light as feasible, being constructed, for example, of aluminum. Therefore, in the operation of the machine, the feeding mechanism of the sewing head, acting through the dogs, will rotate the wheel of the annulus as it feeds the edges of the fabric beneath the needle.

In the case of an ordinary sewing machine the operator usually supports the work and moves it along the cloth plate so that the feed motion is not burdened with the task of dragging along a long piece of fabric, but merely to move along a small portion loosely presented to it by the operator. Likewise in this case the operator may turn the annulus 38 by hand as the work proceeds, relieving the feed of the sewing head of the major portion of the drag.

i am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear in several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles ofthe invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which it is desired to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim:

1. A sewing machine for uniting the ends of long lengths of tubular fabric comprising a fabric carrier in the form of an open-centered annulus, means interior to said annulus for supporting it for rotation about its own axis in overhanging position with its side edges radially remote outwardly from said supporting means, which means are organized remote from the axial center line of the annulus to provide an unobstructed space about the center line through which the end portion of a length or fabric may pass, the annulus having an unostruc-ted exterior cylindrical face to receive the turned-back edge of a tube of fabric led from one side of the annulus and through the open center thereof and, superposed on said turned back face, the edge of a second tube extended to the annulus from the other side and a sewing mechanism proper positioned adjacent said one side of the annulus and also remote from the center line thereof to permit access to said imobstructed space at a location radially inward of the machine throughout an area in substantial axial alignment with said space, said mechanism comprising a needle vibrating substantially radially of the annulus for operating on the superposed edges projecting past the face of the annulus toward said one side.

'2. A sewing machine for uniting the ends of long lengths of tubular fabric comprising a-fabric carrier in the form of an open-centered annulus, means for supporting it for rotation about its own axis, which means are organized remote from the axial center line of the annulus to provide an unobstructed space about the center line through which the-end portion ofa length of fabric may pass, the annulus having an exterior cylindrical face, a flexible exterior covering affixed to said face projecting a short distance beyond one side of'the annulus, said face being adapted to receive over said covering the turned-back edge of a tube of fabric led from one side of the annulus and through the open center thereof and, superposed thereon, the edge of a second tube extended to the annulus from the other side and a sewing mechanism'proper positioned adjacent said one side of the annulus and also remote from the center line thereof topermit access to said unobstructed space at a location radially inward of the machine throughout an area in substantial axial alignment with said space, said mechanism comprising a needle vibrating substantially radially of the annulus foroperating on the superposed edges projecting past the face of the annulus and past the edge of its covering toward said one side and also comprising fed dogs at least one of which operates on said covering to advance the wheel and the tubular edge portions supported thereon past the needle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 595,229 Weyburn Dec. 7, 1897 FOREIGN PATENTS 182,390 Great Britain July '6, 19 22

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