US3126043A

US3126043A - Simon

Info

Publication number: US3126043A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-24

Description

March 24, 1964 J. SIMON 3,126,043

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR FORMING BENT EYE TAPE Filed Aug. 9, 1960 INVENTOR.

JACK SIMON BY F /flax H [S ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,126,043 METHGD AND MACHTNE FGR FORMING BENT EYE TAPE Jack Simon, Rye, N.Y., assignor to L. M. Rahinowitz & (10., Inc, New York, N .Y., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 48,536 3 Claims. (Cl. 153-1 This is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial Number 758,988, filed September 4, 1958, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a novel method and machine for bending eyes in a hook-and-eye combination wherein the hooks and eyes are each secured to elongated tapes which are thereafter stitched to the marginal edges of an opening in a garment.

Garment manufacturers have continued to use old fashioned hook-and-eye devices in preference to some of the newer multiple fasteners and the hooks and the eyes are individually secured to long lengths of tape which are thereafter cut to length and quickly stitched to the margins of a garment opening. It is manifestly easier to effect engagement between the hook and the eye if the loop end of the latter is bent slightly upwardly from the plane of the attaching portions which are stitched to the tape.

In the past, no effective means was ever devised for bending the legs of the eyes the or 20 necessary to secure this much easier engagement. Existing highspeed machines, which have been used for years for automatically stitching the eyes to the tape, require the eyes to be fiat when attached, so the bending operation must be performed on the finished eye tape.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for sequentially bending the eyes after they have been stitched in spaced relation on the'tape, either in single or multiple rows, without causing injury to'either the tape or to the individual fasteners or to the tape.

In conventional eye tapes the tape itself has a longitudinal crease line to form an underlying or base section, and an overlying section or top fabric of lesser width than the base section. In some instances the top fabric or upper layer is formed from a separate piece of tape. In either event, the multi-layer tape structure is fed to the special sewing machine and a line of stitching is formed adjacent the edge of the top fabric while the eyes are automatically inserted between the folds with a desired spacing between the eyes. Upon encountering the eye the needle moves transversely from the stitch line, sews the loops of the eyes to the fabric, and then returns to the stitch line. In this fashion only the U end of the eye element is exposed and the principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for sequentially bending the legs of the eyes at the stitch line by supporting only the opposed ends of the eyes and applying a bending stress to the eye along the stitch line which is located somewhat closer to the loop ends than the U end.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and means of applying this bending stress without any metallic portion of the machine touching the metal of the eye. This arrangement avoids any damage to the metallic eye because it is covered by fabric in all parts contacted by the machine. More important still, however, is the fact that the bending is efiected without any crushing of the fabric which is more readily damaged than the metal.

The foregoing is accomplished by providing a lower roller having a rather flat, V-shaped annular recess of only suflicient depth so that during the bending operation the eyes and their fabric coverings, extending over 3,126,043 Patented Mar. 24, 1964 their entire lower surfaces, do not bottom in the recess, but rather straddle the opposed upper edges of the same as the bending stress is applied by an annular rib on an upper roller which contacts the stitch line of the top fabric but not the eye itself.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view of the essential operating parts of a machine for practicing the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the bending rollers with the work piece therebetween.

FIG. 4 is a broken plan view of the tape.

A short length of the fabric tape with a single row of eyelets is shown in FIG. 4. The tape has at least two layers including an underlying layer or base fabric 10 and an overlying section or top fabric 11. In most instances a single tape is used which is folded along a longitudinal fold line 9 to form the top fabric. The special machine used in stitching loop 12 of the eyelets to the tape includes means for successively feeding the eyelets to stitching position between the fabric layers and a vertically reciprocating needle shown at 18 forms stitch line 13 adjacent inner edge 14 of the top fabric, and when the needle encounters the first leg 15 of the eyelet 16 a suitable cam arrangement causes the needle to shift transversely and stitch the loop 12 to the tape, as shown at 17. The needle then returns to line 13 and continues as before to attach the second loop between the layers.

By this arrangement, the stitching loops 12 of the eyelet are covered and it leaves the U-shaped hook-attaching end exposed. The eyelets must be generally flat when applied by the machine. After the tape has been formed in this fashion it may be stored for subsequent use, or itbeingsuitably driven by a motor (not shown). The two rollers are driven at the same speed by gears 23-24 also fast on the shafts. centrally disposed annular rib 25 and the outer periphery of the roller is relieved on both sides of the rib thus forming diagonal faces 26. The lower roller is formed with full diameter sections 27 and with a'centrally disposed V-shaped slot defined by

faces

28 and 29 of unequal width so that the root 30 of the recess is disposed to one side of the slot.

A pair of adjusting screws 31 are used for the purpose of adjusting the position of upper roller 19 and its rib 25 relative to the recess in the lower roller since various thicknesses of tapes call for an adjustment of the setting of the rollers. Also, the resultant degree of bend may vary but it has been found that about a 20 angular relation between the two end sections of the legs is best for most purposes. In most instances the rib will extend into the recess from .005 to .010 inch. These adjusting screws are mounted in spaced frames 32 and move hearing blocks 34 up and down. The shafts are preferably equipped with ball bearings whose inner races are secured to the shafts to limit axial travel thereof. The upper roller is provided with a hub 33 with a set screw to permit the roller to be moved longitudinally of the shaft to an adjusted, fixed position. Some adjustment here is necessary for eyelets having different lengths.

The tape is shown in FIG. 3 with the layers in spaced relation rather than in face to face contact as they actually are. Thus the bottom layer 10 extends across the face of the lower roller with its recess and the upper layer 11 is disposed so that the stitch line 13 is aligned with the center of rib 25.

The loop ends 12 and eyelet are shown as being dis- The upper roller is formed with a posed between the upper and lower layers of the tape and the 'U-end 8 extends beyond the inner edge 14 of the top fabric. For the sake of clarity the outer periphery of rib 25 is shown as being spaced unduly from the faces 28-29 of the recess in lower roller 20. In actual practice, for materials of average thickness, this outer periphery of the rib will extend slightly into the recess, as was earlier pointed out, but never so far as to cause the stitch line 13 of the bottom fabric to reach the bottom 30 of the recess. For the purpose of suitably guiding the tape in order that the stitch line 13 will coincide with rib 25, a guide plate 36 is provided with inwardly facing channels 37 of suitable width so as to engage the opposite sides of the tape. Means for imparting positive drive to the tape may comprise

pressure rollers

40 and 41 shown in FIG. 2. Lower pressure roller 41 may be driven by a belt 42 from shaft 22 on which lower roller 20 is mounted and upper roller 40 is urged downwardly by means of spring 45.

While there have been described herein what are at, present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the. exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.

What I claim is:

1. The method of bending the eyelets in a fabric fastener strip formed with a lower layer and an upper layer of lesser width and in which the eyelets are secured in position between the layers and along a line parallel to one of the edges of said strip by a longitudinally arranged line of stitching passing through both layers and across the transversely arranged legs of the eyelets between the ends of the legs, bending the legs of said eyelets sequentially along a line coinciding with said line of stitching upwardly at an angle of substantially 20, by running the tape between two driven juxtaposed rollers, one having. a flat V-shaped slot and the other having an annular rib. which may project a predetermined distance into the slot, the upper and lower fabric layers forming a cushioning element between the eyelets and the meeting portions of the rollers.

2. The method of bending the eyelets in a fabric fastener strip formed with a lower layer and an upper layer asp-ea of lesser width and in which the fasteners are secured between the layers and along a line parallel to one of the edges of said strip, and in which said eyelets are secured in position by a longitudinally arranged line of stitching passing through both layers and across the transversely arranged legs of the eyelets between the ends of the legs, bending the legs of said eyelets sequentially along a line coinciding with said line of stitching upwardly at an angle of substantially 20, by running the tape between two driven juxtaposed rollers, one having a flat V-shaped slot over which the eyelets straddle and the other having an annular rib which may project a predetermined distance into the slot, the depth of the slot being great enough to avoid contact between the eyelet and the bottom of the slot, the upper and lower fabric layers forming a cushioning element between the eyelets and the meeting portions of the rollers.

3. The method of bending the eyelets in a fabric fastener strip formed with a lower layer and an upper layer of lesser width and in which the eyelets are secured in position between the layers and along a line parallel to one of the edges of said strip by a longitudinally arranged line of. stitching passing through both layers and across the transversely arranged legs of the eyelets between the ends of the legs, bending the legs of the said eyelets sequentially along a line coinciding with said line of stitching upwardly at an angle of not less than 10 so as to place the said bend portions of the legs in substantially the same plane, the said bending stroke being applied to the upper side of the fabric by running the tape between upper and lower driven rollers, the latter having a V- shaped annular recess whose width is substantially the same as the length of the eyelets, and the former having an annular rib engaging the upper layer along said stitch line while the layers of the fabric form a protective covering between the eyelets and the rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 570,256 Lavens Oct. 27, 1896 2,146,223 Penkala Feb. 7, 1939 2,164,836 Penkala July 4, 1939 2,794,478 Douglas June 4, 1957 2,870,817 Boldrini Jan. 27, 1959 2,935,786 Basile et al. May 10, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 618,137 Great Britain Feb. 17, 1949

Claims

1. THE METHOD OF BENDING THE EYELETS IN A FABRIC FASTENER STRIP FORMED WITH A LOWER LAYER AND AN UPPER LAYER OF LESSER WIDTH AND IN WHICH THE EYELETS ARE SECURED IN POSITION BETWEEN THE LAYERS AND ALONG A LINE PARALLEL TO ONE OF THE EDGES OF SAID STRIP BY A LONGITUDINALLY ARRANGED LINE OF STITCHING PASSING THROUGH BOTH LAYERS AND ACROSS THE TRANSVERSELY ARRANGED LEGS OF THE EYELETS BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE LEGS, BENDING THE LEGS OF SAID EYELETS SEQUENTIALLY ALONG A LINE COINCIDING WITH SAID LINE OF STITCHING UPWARDLY AT AN ANGLE OF SUBSTANTIALLY 20*, BY RUNNING THE TAPE BETWEEN TWO DRIVEN JUXTAPOSED ROLLERS, ONE HAVING A FLAT V-SHAPED SLOT AND THE OTHER HAVING AN ANNULAR RIB WHICH MAY PROJECT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE INTO THE SLOT, THE UPPER AND LOWER FABRIC LAYERS FORMING A CUSHIONING ELEMENT BETWEEN THE EYELETS AND THE MEETING PORTIONS OF THE ROLLERS.