WO1995033880A1

WO1995033880A1 - An improved whipping bell assembly for a button shank whipping machine

Info

Publication number: WO1995033880A1
Application number: PCT/GB1995/001314
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Raymond Mercer
Original assignee: Sherraim Limited
Priority date: 1994-06-08
Filing date: 1995-06-07
Publication date: 1995-12-14
Also published as: GB9625743D0; AU2677495A; GB9411478D0; GB2303645B; GB2303645A

Abstract

An apparatus for winding a thread round the stem of a button sewn onto an article of clothing by means of a sewing thread comprises a rotatably mounted winding bell (14) and a button holder (15) which is rotatably and releasably mounted on the winding bell (14). The winding bell is mounted on a hollow drive shaft (36) and a winding thread passes through the hollow shaft (36), through an aperture (54) in the wall of the shaft, through a passage (56) extending through the whipping bell to its outer periphery and passes back towards the winding area by means of a selected one of several apertures (60) in the periphery of the winding bell. The provision of a button holder mounted on the winding bell allows the rear face of a button (78) to be engaged by the holder (50) with its inner face abutting the button holder and allows an operator to apply tension to the sewn shank (80) which secures the button to an article of clothing. The application of tension allows the winding thread to be applied very evenly and securely.

Description

DESCRIPTION AN IMPROVED WHIPPING BELL ASSEMBLY FOR A BUTTON SHANK WHIPPING MACHINE

The present invention relates to whipping bells for button shank whipping machines.

It is known to attach a button to a garment by forming a stem between the button and the garment. This involves securing the button to the garment by means of sewing thread- with the thread initially being left loose- so that if the button is pulled it can be moved away from the garment. A second thread (usually a synthetic thread) is then wound around the first sewing thread along its length to form a relatively rigid stem between the button and the garment, causing the button to stand proud of the garment but allowing the button to be fed through a buttonhole. If synthetic thread is used for the winding it may be secured in place by application of a small amount of a suitable solvent, which causes adjacent windings of the thread to adhere to each other. This process is known as "button shank whipping" or "button shank winding" and a number of machines are available for carrying out the process.

Known button shank winding or whipping machines are provided with a so-called "winding bell" or "whipping bell" which comprises a generally conical rotatably driven member. The bell is mounted on a rotatably driven hollow shaft at its apex and thread for forming the whipped button shank is fed through the shaft and into an eyelet located on the annular rim of the bell. In use, a button is loosely attached to a garment by means of a loose thread shank as described previously. The button is then offered to the bell and a winding thread is located adjacent to the loose shank. The bell is then rotated which causes the winding thread from the bell to wind around the loose shank and after several rotations a stiff

"whipped" shank is formed around the loose shank which enables the button to stand proud of the garment to which it is attached.

Whilst known button shank whipping devices are popular with garment manufactures, they suffer from the disadvantage that they do not always form evenly whipped or wound button shanks. The movement of an operator's hand influences the position of the button relative to the rotating thread, and the whipped thread shank tends to build up in an uneven manner.

One apparatus which attempts to overcome the aforementioned problems is disclosed in Figs 1 and 2 of GB 2236046A, in which a button holder mounted on the base of the button shank whipping device is intended to fix the position of the button with respect to the whipping bell. However, when the button is located on the button holder prior to the shank whipping operation, the shank is only loosely held on the garment. Since it is necessary for the loose shank to be exposed in order for it to be whipped, the loose shank necessarily is not held taut since the weight of the button causes the shank to droop. This results in an unevenly whipped shank.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a whipping bell which overcomes the aforementioned problems.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a whipping bell assembly for a button shank whipping device of the type which winds a thread round the stem of a button sewn to a garment by means of a sewing thread, comprising a rotatably drivable whipping bell and characterised by a button holder mounted on the whipping bell.

This arrangement allows a button, which is loosely attached to a garment by an unwhipped shank, to be placed in the button holder with its inner face abutting the button holder and allows an operator to apply tension to the shank prior to the whipping operation. When the whipping bell is rotated the thread is wound evenly around the tensioned thread.

Preferably, the button holder is rotatably mounted on the whipping bell. The rotatable mounting of the button holder with respect to the whipping bell allows the button to remain stationary during whipping. Preferably, the rotational axes of the whipping bell and the button holder are coaxial.

There may be biasing means for biasing the button holder into a preferred position. This may, for example, comprise a weighted portion of the button holder or may be magnetic.

It has also been found that use of the present invention results in a thread shank which is evenly spooled. In other words, the whipped shank is wound evenly back and forth along the tensioned shank, allowing a previously wrapped turn of thread to position the next turn and so on until a regular, tightly-bound or "whipped" shank is produced.

The present invention also allows blazer-type buttons, which are secured to a garment by thread passing through a loop or eyelet on the rear of the button, to be provided with a reliable whipped shank, i.e. wound around the threads securing the button to the garment, in contrast to the prior art devices in which the shank was often caused to wind around the loop or eyelet on the rear of the button.

Preferably the whipping bell is provided with means to enable it to be detachably removed from a button shanking device. Preferably the button holder is shaped to accommodate a wide range of button sizes and shapes.

Preferably the button holder is removably secured to the whipping bell, such that it can be easily replaced with other types of holder to enable the machine to handle new button designs, toggles and other features e.g. buttons incorporating an eyelet.

Preferably, the whipping bell is provided with a recess and the button holder is located in the recess. The recess is preferably symmetrical about the rotational axis of the whipping bell.

The button holder preferably comprises an abutment surface for engaging the rear face of a button, the abutment surface preferably facing inwards. The abutment surface may be substantially normal to the rotational axis of the whipping bell and may form part of a plate member. The plate member may be planar and substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the whipping bell.

Preferably, the button holder comprises a body having a slot or cut-out which in use accommodates the loose shank of a button sewn onto a garment. Application of tension to the loose shank causes the inner face of the button (the face adjacent to the garment) to engage with the holder and exposes the whole of the thread for winding. Preferably the whipping thread is directed to the exterior of the whipping bell and is then directed substantially radially inwardly to the winding area.

Preferably the whipping bell has at least one bore or channel near its periphery. By selecting one of these bores through which to guide the shanking thread from the edge of the whipping bell onto the area to be shanked, shanks of different lengths can be easily produced.

In an alternative embodiment a single guiding aperture and the button holder are moved relative to each other using preferably a cam or lead screw device, so that the movement in the direction of binding (whipping) is equal to the diameter of the shanking thread for each revolution of the housing. By this means very accurate control over the shanking thread is possible with the result that exceptionally long shanks can be produced.

The present invention also includes a button shank whipping device fitted with a whipping bell assembly in accordance with the present invention.

Preferably, the whipping machine has a hollow shaft upon which the whipping bell is releasably securable, and the hollow shaft is preferably rotatable and provided with drive means.

By way of example only, a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a button shank whipping apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational cross-section through the whipping bell of the apparatus, of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the whipping bell illustrated in Fig. 2.

The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a generally cuboidal housing 10 mounted on a base 12. The front face of the housing 10 is provided with a rotatably driven button shank whipping bell 14, an on/off switch 16 and a variable control 18 for setting the period of time for which whipping occurs or alternatively the number of revolutions of the bell. The whipping bell 14 is fed with synthetic thread 20 via a thread guide 22 and through an aperture (not shown) in the rear face of the housing, from a bobbin 24 of thread. A stand 26 projecting upwardly from the base 12 is adapted to support several bobbins of synthetic thread. The stand also supports a bottle 28 which in use is filled with thread solvent, the bottle 28 feeding a conventional solvent dispenser 30. Operation of the apparatus is controlled by means of a foot pedal 32 .

The whipping bell 14 is illustrated in more detail in Figs. 2 and 3. The bell comprises a main body 34 which in use is releasably secured on a rotatably drivable shaft 36 by means of a grub screw 38 which is advanced along a threaded bore 40 in the main body 34 to engage with the shaft 36. The rotational axes of the bell 14 and the shaft 36 are thus coaxial. The main body 34 comprises a cylindrical outer wall 42 which is contiguous with a frusto-conical outer wall 44 which terminates in a planar, inner annular end face 46. The opposite end face of the main body 34 is provided with a recess 48 which is symmetrical about the rotational axis and which receives a button holder 50, to be explained in more detail hereinafter.

The whipping bell 14 is mounted on the shaft 36 by means of a bore 52 extending through the main body 34. The shaft 36 is hollow and is provided with an aperture 54 near to its outer end, for permitting the passage of thread. The whipping bell 14 is mounted on the shaft such that an obliquely-extending bore 56, extending from the inner bore 52 of the whipping bell to the outer face of the cylindrical wall 42, communicates with the aperture 54 in the mounting shaft 36. A peripheral annular rim 58 formed by the cylindrical wall 42 and the recess 48 is provided with three radially-extending thread-receiving apertures

60, such that the thread 20 can be guided through the hollow shaft 36 through the obliquely-extending bore

56 to a location external of the whipping bell 14, through one of the apertures 60 and radially inwardly onto the button shank whipping site. The provision of a plurality of apertures 60 permits shanks of different lengths, particularly long shanks, to be formed. This is assisted by the fact that the winding thread is directed radially inwardly to the winding area from a location radially outward of the winding bell 14.

The button holder 50 is generally circular and comprises a circular planar backing plate 62 to which a planar button-holding plate 64 is secured perpendicularly to the rotational axis by means of a number of screws 66 which pass through the two plates

52, 64 and through a peripheral wall 68 extending over approximately two thirds of the circumference of the backing plate 62. The button holding plate 64 is provided with a cut-out or notch 69 for receiving the shank of a button to be whipped with the inner face 65 of the button in contact with the inner face of the holding plate 64, the notch 69 being located on the rotational axis of the bell 14. As best seen in Fig. 2, the rear face of the mounting plate 62 is provided with an upstanding boss

70. The button retainer 50 is rotatably and coaxially mounted with respect to the main body portion 34 by means of an annular ball race 72, which is releasably held in position by means of a locking ring 74 whose outer cylindrical surface is complimentarily-threaded with a recess 76 in the main body portion 34.

In use, a button 78 is loosely sewn onto a garment to produce a shank 80 in order to space the button from the surface of the garment. The button is then placed behind the holding surface 64 such that the shank attached to the button extends through the notch 69 in the plate 64 with the inner face of the button in contact with the inner face of the holding plate 64. Tension is then applied to the garment in order to keep the shank taut, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thus exposing the whole of the shank for the winding or whipping operation. The appropriate operational time or number of revolutions is selected by means of control 18, and the foot pedal

42 is then depressed, causing rotation of the shaft 36 and of the main body 34 of the bell 14. However, since the button holder 50 is rotatably and coaxially mounted with respect to the main body 34 of the bell, the button holder 50 remains virtually stationary with respeσt to the housing 10 of the apparatus, whilst allowing the remainder of the bell 14 to rotate. This causes the thread 20 to be wound onto the tensioned button shank, 80 thus "whipping" the shank. It has also been found that with the present invention the shank is wound or spooled uniformly, thus avoiding the problems associated with the prior art devices.

In order to further restrict rotation of the button holder with respect to the bell, the button holder may be weighted. For example, as shown in chain dot in Fig. 3, an arcuate weight 84 may be secured to, or may be integrally formed with the undersurface of the button holder 50 to bias the holder 50 into the illustrated position. Alternatively, or in addition, the button holder 50 may be biassed into the illustrated position by magnetic attraction. For example, a magnet or magnetic material 86 may be secured to the lowermost surface of the button holder and be arranged to be magnetically coupled to a magnetic material or magnet 88 (shown in chain dot in Fig. 1) located on the upper surface of the base 12 of the apparatus.

When the whipping of the shank has been completed, the rotation of the bell 14 ceases, and the button is removed from behind the plate 64. The whipped shank is then offered to the solvent dispenser 30. The whipped shank is engaged with the solvent dispenser 30, whereupon an amount of solvent is dispensed onto the synthetic thread, thereby fusing the threads of the whipped shank together.

Application of the solvent also severs the thread from the incoming thread, and allows the button shank whipping process to be repeated.

It will be noted that a plurality of apertures 60 are provided, each at a different longitudinal spacing with regard to the rotational axis of the bell. This allows for selection of the appropriate aperture 60 depending upon the length of shank to be whipped. This is important, particularly in the formation of long shanks, where it is important for correct spooling of the shank that the winding thread be as perpendicular as possible to the longitudinal axis of the shank. With prior art devices, such adjustment is not possible and problems can arise with the formation of long shanks. In this regard, it is also significant that the winding thread is fed into the apertures 60 radially inwardly, so that the winding ^• thread is already aligned correctly for winding, in a radially inward direction, i.e substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shank.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. For example, although the present invention has been described with reference to a conical bell, it is not necessary for a substantially complete bell to be used. As an alternative, only those parts which are involved in directing the thread may be used, subject to the device having sufficient strength.

Claims

1. A whipping bell assembly for a button shank whipping device (10) of the type which winds a thread round the stem (80) of a button (78) sewn to a garment by means of a sewing thread, comprising a rotatably drivable whipping bell (14) and characterised by a button holder (50) mounted on the whipping bell.

2. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim

1, wherein the button holder (50) is rotatably mounted on the whipping bell (14).

3. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim

2, wherein the rotational axes of the whipping bell (14) and the button holder (50) are coaxial.

4. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising biasing means

(84;86,88) for biasing the button holder into a preferred position.

5. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the biasing means comprises a weight (84) attached to, or forming part of, the button holder.

6. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the biasing means are magnetic.

7. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, comprising means (38,40) for releasably securing the whipping bell (14) to a button shanking device.

8. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the button holder (50) is releasably securable to the whipping bell (14).

9. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the whipping bell (14) is provided with a recess (48) and the button holder (50) is located in the recess.

10. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the recess (48) is substantially symmetrical about the rotational axis of the whipping bell (14).

11. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the button holder (50) comprises an abutment surface for engaging the rear face of a button (78).

12. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim

11, wherein the abutment surface faces inwards.

13. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim

12, wherein the abutment surface is substantially normal to the rotational axis of the whipping bell (14).

14. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the abutment surface forms part of a plate member (64).

15. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plate member (64) is substantially planar and is substantially normal to the rotational axis of the whipping bell ( 14) .

16. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the button holder (50) comprises a slot or cut-out (69) which in use accommodates the loose shank (80) of a button (78) sewn onto a garment.

17. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the winding thread, in use is directed to the exterior of the whipping bell and is then directed substantially radially inwardly to the winding area.

18. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the whipping bell

(14) comprises at least one through bore or channel (60) at or adjacent to its periphery for receipt of a winding thread.

19. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in claim 18, comprising a plurality of through bores or channels (60) .

20. A whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising a through bore (56) extending from or adjacent to the rotational axis of the whipping bell (14) to the periphery of the whipping bell (14).

21. A whipping bell as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the position of the button holder (50) is adjustable.

22. A button shank whipping machine comprising a whipping bell assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims.

23. A button shank whipping machine as claimed in claim 22, comprising a hollow shaft (36) upon which the whipping bell (14) is releasably securable.

24. A button shank whipping machine as claimed in claim 23, wherein the hollow shaft (36) is rotatable.

25. A button shank whipping machine as claimed in claim 24 comprising drive means for rotating the hollow shaft (36).

26. A button shank whipping machine as claimed in claim 25, comprising passage means (54,56) connecting the interior of the hollow shaft with the periphery of the whipping bell (14).

27. A button shank whipping machine as claimed in claim 26, wherein the passage means comprises a bore (56) through the whipping bell (14).