US2885984A - Thread lubricating attachment for sewing machines - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1959 w. c. EARNHART 2,

7 THREAD LUBRICATING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Aug. 15, 1956 Fig. g

William C. E arn/mr/ INVENTOR.

THREAD LUBRICATING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES William C. Earnhart, Union, Mo.

Application August 13, 1956,Serial No..603,576

2 Claims. (Cl. 112-218) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a thread lubricating attachment for leather and textile sewing machines, for example, those used in a shoe factory; and pertains more particularly to a lubricating device that will continuously and evenly apply a lubricant to the thread preparatory to the step of stitching through delicate leathers and textile materials where, for instance, cements and heat generated by the needle are encountered.

An object of the invention is to provide a sewing machine attachment which is attached to the face plate having lubricant supply means carried thereby and disposed at the front end of said face plate so that the thread passing through the takeup lever on the way to the eye of the needle comes in contact with lubricant-laden applicator felts and will be coated and conditioned with said lubricant.

Another object of the invention is to structurally and otherwise improve upon attachments and devices, such as are applied to sewing machines and the like, and which are so constructed that they make it possible to wax, lubricate or otherwise treat the thread at the desired stage of operation and, in doing so, to provide a structurally distinct adaptation in which manufacturers and retailers will find their manufacturing requirements, economies and retailing needs satisfactorily met and the users will find their individual and varying needs effectually met.

Briefly summarized, the invention in its preferred embodiment is characterized by a suitably constructed and designed adapter plate which is mounted on the usual face plate of the machine head and which is provided at its top with a clip or the like to embrace a lubricant containing can and is provided at its bottom with a socketlike member which constitutes not only a receiver for the applicable lubricant but also as a holder for insertable and removable felt or equivalent wicks, the wicks serving as applicator pads for the thread which passes in contact therewith.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of ofl'icial drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure l is an elevational view showing a fragmentary portion of a sewing machine with the conventional parts and showing, what is more important, the attachment which is provided for lubricating the thread in the manner illustrated;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the attachment by itself; and

Figure 3 is a view in section and elevation bringing out the details and construction and arrangement with requisite particularity.

Referring now to the drawings and with respect to Figure 1, the overhanging arm of the sewing machine is denoted by the numeral 6 while the head, as a general -2,885,984 Patented May 12, 1959 "ice 2 entity, is denoted at 8. This is provided with a face plate 10. The needle is denoted at 12 and one of the guides in the guide assembly is denoted at 14. These are conventional parts.

The attachment comprises a substantially rectangular flat adapter plate 16 having bolt holes 18 whereby it is fastened as at 20 (Fig. 3) on the face plate :in the man- 1 ner shown. This is provided at the upper end with a resilient clip 22 which embraces the lubricant or oil con- 0 taining can 24 referred to as a reservoir. This base screw cap 26 and a dispensing nozzle or spout 28 which .is aligned with a hole 30 in the top wall 32 of the rectangular or box-like member on the lower end of the plate 16. The numeral 34 designates a reinforcing web. The member referred to is denoted at 36 and is closed at the end as at 38 with the other end open to accomimodate the insertable and removable applicator pads or felts 39. The closed end portion provides a chamber or receiver 40 for the lubricant.

It will be evident from the drawings that the adapter plate 16 is superimposed upon the face plate 10 and fastened in the manner shown to clip and hold the reservoir or lubricant can in a position which may be said to be inverted and ready for dispensing. The lower end portion of the adapter plate positions the member 36 between the guide 14 and the needle 12 and, in fact, it so locates the applicators 39 that they are in a position to permit the thread A to have Wiping and lubricating contact therewith.

The lubricant is fed into the receiver from the inverted can or reservoir, which is a vacuum feed. As the felts absorb the lubricant, more lubricant is fed into the lubricator until the felts are saturated. Then the flow is stopped until the lubricant is used from the felts, and as the felts absorb more lubricant more is fed into the lubricator from the vacuum reservoir. The lubricant is transferred to the thread by the thread touching the felt pads or applicators. By applying the lubricant close to the needle, less lubricant is thrown oif. This makes for even lubrication on the thread, and a cooler needle. This also solves the problem of thread breakage with nylon thread from heat, and stitching through cements with nylon or cotton thread.

Novelty is thought to reside in the over-all combination with the components contributing their proportionate shares to the improved thread treating and lubricating result, as well as in the attachment or lubricator by itself.

It is understood, of course, that the thread passes through the tension device before it passes through the takeup lever. Therefore, the lubricant is applied to the thread after it has passed through the tension and just before it is formed into stitches. Consequently, with the lubricant being applied at this point the tensions and thread guides do not strip the thread of the lubricant applied thereto. Also, at this point there is less whip to the thread and this feature reduces the loss to lubricant.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be restorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An attachment for the face plate on the head structure of a sewing machine comprising vertically disposable adapter plate provided on one side at the upper end of said plate with a spring clip which is adapted to releasably embrace and hold a removable invertedlubricant containing can parallel to said plate in a vertical dispensing position, a hollow box-like member having a median portion of a1 top wall the-reof attached" to' the lower; end of'said plate" and" disposed in a plane at right angles-to the vertical plane of the' plate and closed at one end and providing a receiver and also a socket'memb'er, the opjeni-ende'dsocket' portion thereof being provided with insertable and removable absorbent wicks, the top of one end portion of the receiver portion of said'member thavin'g'a hole thereinlto accommodatea. discharge nozzle on" said" lubricant containing can;

2; The" attachment and construction thereof recited in claim'il and"wl:terein' approximately onedialf portion of the. hollow "box-like" member projects beyond one. side of" References'Cited'linthe fil'c of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,270,470 Waggoner: --J1111B 25;. 1918 1,703,781 Rubel ..Feb. 26, 1929 1,802,602 Hellweg Apr. 28, 1931 1,856,882 Myers May 3, 1932

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