US3022612A

US3022612A - Needle grinding attachment for sewing machines

Info

Publication number: US3022612A
Application number: US856698A
Authority: US
Inventors: Aoyagi Suesaboro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-12-02
Filing date: 1959-12-02
Publication date: 1962-02-27
Anticipated expiration: 1979-02-27

Description

Feb. 27, 1962 5, AOYAGI 3,022,612

NEEDLE GRINDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Dec. 2. 1959 Suesabura A ayagi 1N VEN TOR.

BY 24am United States 3,022,612 NEEDLE GRlNDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Suesaboro Aoyagi, 1614 S. King St., Honolulu 14, Hawaii Filed Dec. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 856,698 6 (Jlaims. (Cl. 51-256) This invention relates to grinders and more particularly to an attachment for sewing machines to facilitate grinding needles or other sharp objects.

The main purpose of the invention is to satisfy a long felt need of a device to reclaim damaged sewing needle points which become damaged quite often especially when sewing materials of various thickness and coarseness. There are times when a spare needle is not immediately available. When such a predicament occurs the grinding device will become not only very convenient but necessary.

Another object, of the invention is to provide a sewing machine attachment adapted to be fastened onto the bobbin rewind spindle and to obtain rotational force therefrom. By using a small grindstone as a part of the attachment, the needles may be placed thereon and held in position with the pointed end of the needle against the stone so that upon actuation of the spindle, the point of the needle is reground.

Briefly, the attachment is of very simple construction, consisting essentially of only three parts. A drive sleeve is adapted to be secured to the spindle and held in place by the same means which holds a bobbin in place on the spindle. There is a grindstone, for instance a natural or composition stone, eg, a Carborundum brand wheel held in place on the sleeve by means of a suitable fastener.

One of the features of the invention is found in the circumferential groove of the grinding element. It is specifically designed to accept the pointed end of the object which is being ground so that the object nests therein and may be turned about its longitudinal axis while the grinding operation takes place.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a part of a conventional sewing machine showing principally the bobbin rewind spindle and the means to operate the spindle.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the attachment in place on the bobbin rewind spindle.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the attachment.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the attachment.

In the accompanying drawings there is a fragmentary illustration of a sewing machine 1%). The illustration includes a flywheel 12 of the machine together with bobbin rewind spindle 14 mounted in a swinging bearing 16. The swinging bearing is attached by means of pivot 18 to the body of the sewing machine. One end of the spindle 14 is free, however, the opposite end has a friction wheel 24 secured thereto which is adapted to be brought against cylindrical surface 24 of flywheel 12 thereby imparting rotation to the driving wheel 20 which is, in turn, imparted to the bobbin rewind spindle 14. Clamp 26 is pivotally secured to the body of the sewing machine and it is adapted to be swung toward spindle 14. The design purpose of clamp 26 is to form a guide for the thread as it is being wound on a bobbin and also to retain the bobbin on spindle 14. There are a number of different ways of separably retaining the bobbin on the spindle, these differing between manufacturers makes of sewing machines. A

aszaeiz Fatented Feb. 2?, 1962 ball detent carried by spindle 14 can be used, or another procedure is to use a frictional bond generated between the bore of the bobbin and the surface of spindle 14. Regardless of the type of fastening device used, the same fastening device is used for attachment 30 which constitutes one embodiment of the invention. It is to be understood that the previous description relating to the sewing machine is given by way of example only. Different manufacturers makes of sewing machines have different procedures and methods of rewinding threads onto bobbins. Attachment 30 may be used with any of these inasmuch as essentially all of the bobbin rewind mechanisms have a spindle and some type of device for separably holding the bobbin on the spindle while it is wound with thread.

Attachment St) is composed of adapter sleeve 32;, grinding element 34 and a fastener 35 to hold the grinding element on the adapter sleeve 32. Sleeve 32 is made of a cylindrical body 33 having a flange 4% at one end which protrudes laterally outwardly from the outer surface of the cylindrical body. There is a second flange 42 spaced from flange 40 and parallel to it. The part of sleeve 32 between

flanges

40 and 42 and the flanges themselves are an essential duplication of a bobbin, however, flanges 4% and 42 are made considerably smaller in diameter than the corresponding parts of a conventional bobbin for a sewing machine.

Sleeve 32 has its cylindrical body 38 extending beyond flange 42 to form a seat 44 for the grinding element 34. The grinding element is preferably a cylindrical natural or manufactured stone type abrasion wheel. it has a circumferential groove 46 opening through its outer surface 48, forming a circular pocket within which to accommodate the end of the object which is to be sharpened. Fastener 36 is preferably a screw having a head 5% and a shank 52. The sank is screw-threaded into threaded part 54 of the bore of sleeve 32, and the head 5b of the screw overlies a portion of the outer flat surface of the grinding element. The opposite flat side surface of the grinding element abuts a surface of flange 42 thereby binding it to sleeve 32.

In use, the adapter sleeve 32 is inserted on spindle 14 and is held in place by the means on, or associated with, spindle 14 which ordinarily hold a bobbin fastened thereon during the thread winding procedure. For example, spindle 14 may have a projection 58 engageable with notch 60 at one end of sleeve 32. Clamp 26 is pivotally moved down to a position so that a portion of the clamp occupies the space between

flanges

40 and 42 thereby preventing the attachment from separating from the drive spindle 14. This prepares the attachment 3% for use as a grinding device.

When the drive wheel 20 is brought into contact with surface 24 of flywheel 12, drive spindle 14 rotates thereby rotating attachment 30. A needle may be held in the fingers of the user and oriented with the pointed end nested in groove 46. This will automatically sharpen the needle thereby restoring the point thereof.

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 resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a sewing machine which has a bobbin rewind spindle and a clamp to hold the bobbin on the spindle during the winding, a grinding attachment comprising a sleeve having a bore to receive said spindle, a pair of spaced flanges protruding laterally outwardly from said sleeve and between which the clamp is adapted to rest to prevent said sleeve from excessive axial movement on said spindle by abutting said flanges, a grinding element carried by said sleeve and abutting a face of one of said flanges, and means carried by said body and engaging said grinding element to fasten the grinding element to said sleeve.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein the grinding element is a grinding Wheel, and the grinding wheel has a circular groove in the outer surface thereof within which the pointed end of a needle is adapted to seat.

' 3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said last-men tioned means includes a fastener received within the bore of the sleeve and having an enlarged head in parallel spaced relation to the flanges and abutting against one axial side of the grinding element.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said grinding element comprises a single piece cylindrical abrasive member, having an annular groove in a radially outer surface of the grinding element. 7 e

5. In a sewing machine having a bobbin rewind spindle and clamp to hold the bobbin on the spindle during Winding, a grinding attachment comprising sleeve means for receiving the spindle, flange means projecting substantial- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 443,760 Ginn Dec. 30, 1890 704,324 Hastings July 8, 1902 966,305 Brennan Aug. 2, 1910 992,037 Nichols May 9, 1911 1,124,331 Rodgers l Jan. 12, 1915 1,191,555 Blagrave July 18, 1916 2,396,505 Gumper Mar. 12, 1946 2,703,471 Rowland Mar. 8, 1955 2,745,365

Zink May 15, 1956 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3,022,612 February 27, 1962 Suesaburo Aoyagi It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant, lines 1 and 12, and in the heading to the printed specification, line 4, for "Suesaboro Aoyagi", each occurrence, read Suesaburo Aoyagi Signed and sealed this 31st day of July 1962.:

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID LADD Attcsting Officer Commissioner of Patents