US3104635A - Shuttle-moving mechanism for schiffli embroidery apparatus - Google Patents

Description

2 ge? @han Sept. 24, 1963 T. BoHUs 3,104,635

SHUTTLE-MOVING MECHANISM FOR SCHIFFLI EMBROIDERY APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1962 United States Patent `O 3,104,635 SHUTTLE-MOVING MECHANISM FOR SCHIFFLI EMBROIDERY APPARATUS Theodore Bohus, 7024 Durham Ave., North Bergen, NJ. Filed June 29, 1962, Ser. No. 206,223

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-95) each needle is -guided on a shuttle-box which is mountedv on a horizontally-fixed shuttle box-supporting har and is provided with a shuttle-supporting face that is disposed in a plane that is transverse to the shuttle box-supporting surface of the bar and is at a slight yangle td a plane perpendicular to that surface. The shuttles are each reciprocated on their sloping supporting surface in an upward `direction hy a drive pin engaging its bottom and held in place on a horizontally-disposed har that is reciprocated along an angle parallel to the shuttle-supporting faces. The apparatus is also provided with means that Vwill assure the downward or return movement of the shuttle to initial position, by its own weight, and that such return will not be interrupted by binding against the shuttle-supporting or adjacent surfaces.

yIn the Schifi embroidering machines of the prior art, the means for assuring the return of the shuttleto its initial or lowermost position have been another set of bars or fingers supported on the shuttle-moving bar in vertically-spaced relation and in position to have an end thereof engage the upper end of a shuttle whose downward movement has heen interrupted, to push such shuttle down to initial position. Normally, such shuttle-returning iingers are arranged to have their ends disposed in slightly spaced relation to the upper ends of their respective shuttles and to contact a shuttle only in the event its downward movement is in some way interrupted.

In apparatus of the prior Aart, as described above, the shuttles are generally held loosely in position and frequently, due .to the vibration of the apparatus or to the sharp movement of the shuttle-moving means, or for other reasons, they move sharply away from and tow-ard their supporting surfaces, as a result of which missed stitches frequently occur and 1also c-onsiderable damage and abrasion of the shuttle-supporting surface or the shuttle-box is caused. These results 'brin-g about inferior work and the need for shuttle-box replacement that involves not only shuttle-box and labor costs, hut also the cost of machine layoi time.

It is the object of the present invention to provide improved means on a shuttledmoving bar that will positively return `a shuttle from its upward .to its initial, lower position, and at the same time prevent it from bouncing away from its supporting surface on a shuttle-box, and thereby prevent missed stitches as well as undue wear on and damage to its supporting surface.

It is another object of the present invention to provide improved means yfor returning a shuttle to its initial, lowermost position, which are certain and positive in their operation.

llt is a further object of the present invention to pro- Vide improved means for returning a shuttle to its initial, lowermost position which are of relatively simple construction and relatively easy and economical to install, on new as well as existing apparatus.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the shuttle-returning means for Schiiiii-enrbroidering apparatus of the character described will'become more readily apparent to those skilled -in the art from Athe embodiment thereof sho-wn in the accompanying drawings and from the description following. It is to he understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make `the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

lIn the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, elevational v-iew of .the shuttlc-supporting and moving mechanism of a Schiii emlbroidering machine embodying the present invention, partly broken away to show structural details; yand FIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional and partly elevational View of the same, taken on line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, there is shown a more or less standard shuttle-supporting lbar, 10, which is xed rin position on `the apparatus in 'any well known manner not thought necessary to he illustrated, on which are supported a plurality of standardv shuttle-boxes, generally designated as` 12, which may each he se-cured in place on the ybar 10, as 'by set screws 14, passing through the bar 10, and engaging ,in the base 16 of the shuttle-box. l Y

The shuttle-box 10 each comprise an upwardly-ere, tending block which is tilted at an angle,l as about 15 to .the vertical, and has, on one side, a smooth supporting and `gliding surface '18 -fo-r ythe flat vface of a shuttle 20. Each shuttle-'box 10 is also provided with a conventional needle-groove 22 opening into the shuttle-supporting face y18 thereof. i

The means for reciprocating a shuttle 20 on a supporting face 18 comprises a frame, generally designated as 24, which may be of any standard type, or, as illustrated, comprise a pair of substantially flat, vertically spaced, interconnected horizontal hars, including a lower horizontal bar 26 and an upper horizontal bar 28, which are spaced so yas to provide a distance equal approximately the height of a shuttle 20 between their remote surfaces. The frame 24 is operatively connected to the operating mechanism of the apparatus for movement, as a whole, along an yangle parallel to the plane of the shuttle-supporting surface, Iby means of a rod 30 secured to the frame 24, as at 32, which rod is guided in diagonal guiding means 34 secured to the shuttle-boxsupporting Ibar 10. The means 'for moving each shuttle in an upward direction may be of any conventional type and may comprise a shuttle drive pin 36 held against the underside of bar 26 of frame 24, as by means of the plate 38, which is secured to the underside of bar 26, as by the screw 40', passing through the plate and engaged in the har 26. Each pin 36 is arranged to engage the hottom or thicker end of a shuttle 20 to move it upwardly upon upward movement of the frame 24. The return movement of each shuttle is primarily effected fby gravity. However, to assure its return movement against interruption, as by binding against the sides of the shuttlehox, a return bar or iinger 42 is provided, supported on the top bar 28 of frame 24 and, preferahly adjustably, held in place in -any conventional manner, as by a curved spring 44, which engages by an edge a linger 42, and is, in turn, held in place -by a screw 46 passing therethrough and engaged in the upper bar 28 of the frame 24. The inner end 0f the shuttle-returning finger overlies the top or thin end of -a shuttle 20, in the conventional manner.

tTo maintain the shuttle 20 against the supporting surface 18 of a shuttle-box 12, as well as return it to lowermost position, l secure to the inner end of the associated Patented Sept. 24, 1963 return finger 40, which is generally spaced `slightly rfrom the top end of the shuttle, a dependent resilient member, as in the form of a leaf spring 4S, the upper end of which is secured, as by soldering or welding, to the end portion of the lfinger 4t) overlying the associated shuttle. The spring 48 is so positioned and so curved and shaped' that its dependent end will press slightly, resiliently, against the curved face of the shuttle 20 at approximately the `center of its curvature, at a slightdistance from the top end of the shuttle. The dependent end portion of theV spring 48 ispreferably curvedly offset, las at Sti, so .that such end portion .lies flatly against the sloping shuttle surface at point or" contact.-

By this construction and arrangement, the shuttle is at all times in contact With its elevating pins 36 and at all times in resilient contact'witth itsreturning iinger 4tlg so that the shuttle will not jump eitherupwardly on its upper movement or |bounce away trom its supporting sunface either onV its upward or downward movement, ibut =Will always remain in contact with its supporting surface, under slight pressure, and will be prevented from missing any stitches or abr-ading the supporting surfaces.

This completes the description of the shuttle-moving mechanism for Schifli embroidery apparatus of the present invention. It will be readily apparent that such mechanism, though of simple character and economical to install, will be highly effective for its intended purposes of assuring the lowering of the shuttles on the shuttleboxcs and at the same time eliminating the bouncing of the shuttles, to .thereby eliminate missed stitches and reduce resulting Wear and tear on the shuttle-boxes and the shuttles, to thereby effect economies in operation and maintenance ofthe apparatus.

It will also be apparent that numerous variations and -modications in the shuttle-moving mechanism of the present invention may -be made by anyone skilled'in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth, and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. 1 desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and -rnodicationsrthat may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim: l

-l. In a Schifi embroidering machine having kmeans supporting a shuttle for diagonally vertical reciprocating movement and means moving a shuttle on said supporting means including a shuttle `driving pin engaging fthe bottom of a shuttle and means moving said driving pin in a diagonally vertical direction, shuttle returning rerngag'ingsaid shuttle comprises a spring element dependently securedA to said rod.

3. The shuttle returning means of claim 1, wherein said element comprises a rod and said resilient memlber engaging said Shuttle comprises a leaf spring secured` to said rod by one end 4thereof with thev other end thereof engaging against the outer surface of said shuttle at substantially the center of the circumferential curvature thereof.

4. The shuttle returning means of claim '5,7 wherein said lea-f spring is formed with an offset yfree end shaped` to lie against the sunface ofsaid shuttle at point of contact.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,082,456 Zahn Dec. 23, 1913l `1,347,232 Saurer July 20, 19,120,

Sieber Nov. 23, 1926

Claims (1)

1. IN A SCHIFFLI EMBROIDERING MACHINE HAVING MEANS SUPPORTING A SHUTTLE FOR DIAGONALLY VERTICAL RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT AND MEANS MOVING A SHUTTLE ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS INCLUDING A SHUTTLE DRIVING PIN ENGAGING THE BOTTOM OF A SHUTTLE AND MEANS MOVING SAID DRIVING PIN IN A DIAGONALLY VERTICAL DIRECTION, SHUTTLE RETURNING MEANS COMPRISING AN ELEMENT MOVABLE WITH SAID DRIVING PIN AND EXTENDING OVER THE TOP OF A SHUTTLE SUPPORTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND VERTICALLY SPACED FROM SAID SHUTTLE TOP AND A RESILIENT MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID ELEMENT ENGAGING THE OUTER FACE OF SAID SHUTTLE ADJACENT ITS TOP END.

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