US3428227A - Bow frame - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 18, 1969 J. w. CAVOLI I 3,428,227

BOW FRAME Filed Jan. 8, 1968 JWVENI'OR JOSEPH n. CA v04! United States Patent 3,428,227 BOW FRAME Joseph W. Cavoli, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Artistic Packaging, Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed Jan. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 696,384 US. Cl. 223--46 Int. Cl. A41h 43/00; D04g 5/00 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device utilizing four pneumatic cylinders to hold a ribbon bow under tension during tying, and then release it rapidly.

This invention relates to mechanical aids to the manual forming of cloth into shapes, and particularly to devices to provide powered assistance for hand-tying of ribbon into decorative bows.

Background of the invention Summary of the invention The present invention utilizes four small diameter shafts each free at one end to provide a form or frame for the tying of a decorative bow. As in prior devices for this purpose, the separation and angular relationship among the four shafts may be varied and locked in position depending upon the size of bow desired, but this device utilizes a simple, safe and reliable pneumatic actuator to hold the bow in tension during tying, and to simultaneously and rapidly withdraw the four shafts from the bow for release. The length of the shaft which protrudes into the bow may also be simply adjusted. In this manner uniform tied bows can be quickly and easily formed and released from the forming frame with minimal strain on the operator and a high degree of repeatability.

It is an object of this invention to provide a frame for the manual forming of ribbon bows, which contains a quick, simple powered release.

A second object of this invention is to provide a frame for the forming of bows which is usable for a large range of bow sizes and widths.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device for repetitively manufacturing uniform bows which is not tiring to an operator.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which forms an integral part thereof.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is an isometric view, taken in front of and slightly above a device of this invention, just subsequent to the forming of a bow;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view taken in front of and slightly above a device of this invention just subsequent to the release of a bow.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to FIG. 1, there are mounted on plate four identical pneumatically operated cylinders 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d, supported thereto respectively by brackets 12a, 12b, 12c and 12d, and discs 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d. Brackets 12 are mounted to discs 14 by means of flanges 19. Rods 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d are used to hold bow 40 during forming. The relative angles of rods 26 may be contorlled by rotating discs 14 about axes 18 and locking them by means of screws 16. The separation of rods 26 may be adjusted by releasing locking screws 20 and tilting arms 12 and relocking in the desired angular position (as shrown in dashed lines in the lower left part of FIG. 1

The withdrawal of rods 26 from the bow, which withdrawn condition is shown in FIG. 2, is accomplished by applying air pressure at ports 30, which forces pistons 24 away from brackets 12, the pistons carrying rods 26 with them until pistons 24 strike internal stops not shown. For subsequent use, air pressure applied at ports 28 forces pistons 24 toward brackets 12 exposing a length of rod 26 from the interior portion of cylinder 22, this action continuing until end buttons 32 strike the end of cylinders 22 preventing further protrusion of rods 26 and reestablishing the condition shown in FIG. 1. The amount of protrusion of rods 26 may be controlled by adding or removing spacers shown representatively as 34 and 36 in the figure. A larger or smaller number of spacers than is shown may be used.

It should be recognized that air to inputs 28 and 30 may be controlled by an air valve which may, for example, be foot-actuated by the operator providing a simple, rapid means for inserting and removing rods 26 from bow 40. It should further be recognized that initial settings such as the angular position of parts 12 and 14 may be controlled by geared mechanisms, either manually operated or automatically operated, to provide even simpler means of initial adjustment of relative angle and separation of rods 26. FIGS. 1 and 2 represent a simple embodiment from the viewpoint of initial adjustment.

Having thus disclosed the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bow-forming jig comprising:

(a) four upright members each pivotable about a transverse axis; (b) means to lock said upright members each in a selected position;

(c) a cylinder carried by each of said upright members and each having a piston arranged for pneumatic actuation in a plane transverse to said upright members; and

(d) a rod extending from each of said pistons, pairs of said rods being arranged to move along intersecting paths defining a parallelogram, said rods being arranged to move to and from a position wherein said pairs substantially meet and where said pairs are spaced for removal of a tied bow.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,308,800 7/1919 Mendelson et a1. 22346 2,775,377 12/1956 Cook 22346 3,147,894 9/1964 Zenk 22346 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S.C1. X.R.

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