GB2139655A - Apparatus for use in the set- back tipping of neckties - Google Patents

Abstract

A jig for use in set-back tipping of neckties. The jig has a lower plate 2 on which a lining fabric may be supported and a fulling plate 26 for lowering onto the lining fabric. The lower plate 12 defines a stitching line having an end corner and two side corners. The upper surface of the fulling plate, over which a face fabric may be laid, has pleat forming means in the form of blades 32, 34 and 36 for forming in the face fabric fulling pleats extending towards the three end corners. An upper plate 4 may be lowered into position to hold the face fabric, plate 4 having openings through which the blades project. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for use in the set-back tipping of neckties The invention relates to apparatus for use in the set-back tipping of neckties.

The tipping of neckties is the provision of a lining to the basic or face fabric at one or preferably both ends, and it is highly desirable that the seam by which the lining is attached to the face fabric should be set back from the edge of the tie on the reverse side thereof.

The excess of face fabric required to allow the seam to be set back from the edge of the tie is commonly provided by adding fullness to the face fabric before stitching but the technique as hitherto practised has not given the desired neatness of the tie at the corners without the expenditure of considerable time and manuai dexterity.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for use in set-back tipping of neckties, comprising a jig for supporting a lining fabric and a face fabric in superimposed relationship with the face fabric uppermost, and pleat-forming means on the jig for forming in the face fabric a first upstanding fulling pleat extending towards an end corner of the tip and second and third upstanding fulling pleats extending respectively towards opposite side corners of the tip.

The jig may comprise a base plate and a second plate pivotally mounted to the base plate, between which plates the lining fabric may be secured, the second plate having first, second and third pleat-forming projections upstanding therefrom, one projection for each corresponding fulling pleat. The jig preferably includes an upper plate mounted to be lowered onto the second plate and having surfaces arranged to act in conjunction with one or more of the projections during said lowering to drape a face fabric laid over the second plate to form a respective fulling pleat or pleats.

It has been found that a problem may arise in creating the fullness in the face fabric when this is to be provided by more than one pleat, and in order to avoid the problem it is preferred that the pleat-forming means are such as to complete one upstanding fulling pleat (preferably the said first pleat) before formation of the other fulling pleats is commenced.

In such a jig, conveniently the upper plate comprises surfaces arranged to act in conjunction with the second and third projections to form the second and third fulling pleats, and a further pleat-forming surface is formed on a member arranged to be lowered to contact and act in conjunction with the first projection to complete the first fulling pleat before the surfaces on the upper plate act in conjunction with the second and third projections.

Desirably, the member having the further pleat-forming surface is mounted on the upper plate for pivotal movement between upper and lower positions relative thereto, and is resiliently biased towards the lower position.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a jig for use in necktie tipping; Figure 2 is a plan view of the jig of Figure 1 opened to show component plates; Figure 3 is a section on line Ill to Ill of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section on line IV to IV of Figure 1; Figures 5 and 6 are diagrammatic representations of necktie fabric at successive stages of tipping; Figure 7 is a rear view of a set-back tipped necktie; Figure 8 is a section on line VII to VII of Figure 7; Figure 9 is the section of Figure 8 before inversion of the necktie; Figure 10 is a detail plan view of a portion of a tipping apparatus showing a wiper blade; Figure 11 is the view of the portion of Figure 10 showing wiper blades in different orientation;; Figure 1 2 shows the portion of Figure 10 in elevation; Figure 1 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a necktie jig, closed, in plan view; Figure 1 9 is a section of line ll-ll of Figure 1 3 with vertical spacing of parts exaggerated,; Figure 1 5 shows the jig of Figure 1 3 open and, in phantom lines the relative position of a necktie lining fabric; and Figure 1 6 is a partial side elevation of the jig of Figure 1 3 with vertical spacing of parts exaggerated.

To illustrate the purpose of the invention Figure 7 shows the end of a necktie having set back tipping. It can be seen that, when opened out flat from fold lines D, E, the tie reveals a panel F of lining fabric stitched to a shaped piece G of face fabric along seam line H set back from edge K of the tie. The assembled fabrics are turned inside out so as to conceal the cut edges J of the component fabrics. It is also to be noted that the corners a, b and c in the stitch line are in mitred relationship with the corresponding corners of the edge K.

The seam line H is set inward from the edge K of the tie by a substantially constant distance d, so that if the width of the lining fabric F between the seam lines H in the direction of line IX-IX in Figure 7 is w, the corresponding width of the face fabric G needs to be w + 4d, as apparent from Figure 8. Accordingly, the face fabric G requires a certain amount of fullness between the seam lines H, H as shown in Figure 9 before the stitched assembly is turned inside out.

The jig illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises lower and upper plates 2, 4, hingedly mounted to one another by hinge 6 for turning about an axis 8 so that they can be angularly displaced from one another as shown in Figure 2 and brought into face-toface relationship as shown in Figure 1. The lower plate 2 is provided with four slots 10, 1 2, 14, 1 6 interconnecting at corners C, B and A. The upper plate 4 is so shaped that when the plates are in superimposed realtionship as shown in Figure 1 its outer edge 1 8 is in alignment with the inner edge of the slots.

The slots in the lower plate 2 are of such width as to allow the relative movement therealong of a guided stud on a sewing machine, not shown but described in our copending published application No.2062708A.

The slots define lines of stitching H for the seaming together of face and lining fabrics at the end of a necktie, by operation of the sewing machine needle 22, and the corners A, B and C correspond to the positions of the respective corners a, b and c of the stitch line.

A fulling plate 26 is hingedly mounted to the lower plate 2 by hinge 28 for movement about the axis 8 so as to be capable of being raised from lower plate 2 as shown in Figure 2 when the upper plate 4 is raised, and lowered to lie flat upon the lower plate 2.

The fulling plate 26 mounts three fulling blades 30, 32 and 34 which, when the fulling plate rests on the lower plate 2 project upwardly and extend respectively towards the corners A, B and C. The blades are deeper than they are wide, and the upper plate 4 is provided with appropriately located slots 36, 38 and 40 through which the blades protrude in the lowered position of the plate 4. Plate 4 is also provided with an opening 50 through which the face fabric of the necktie can be passed, although the laterally offset location of the hinge shown in the embodiment of Figure 1 3 eliminates the need for such an opening.

The outer edge 42 of lower plate 2 is generally parallel to the slots 10, 12, 14 and 16, and as described in our copending application No.2062708A a drive wheel is provided in the sewing machine (not shown) for engagement with the edge 92 to advance the jig relative to the machine with the guide stud slidingly located in the slots.

As will be described below, the blades of the fulling plate in association with the slots in the upper plate 4 cause a piece of face fabric to be formed into upwardly projecting pleats 20 which extend respectively towards the corners A, B and C. The blades stop short of the corners but the pleats extend to the edge of the fabric as unsupported portions 96, crossing the slots in the lower plate and thus crossing the line of stitching H.

In order to preserve the fullness in the face fabric, it is important to avoid stitching the pleat portion 46 to the lining fabric when the sewing machine reaches the corner, as described and claimed in our copending application published under No.21 10256A. To this end, a wiper device shown in Figures 10, 11 and 1 2 is provided on the sewing machine; The wiper device is mounted to the presser foot pillar of the sewing machine by means of a bracket 56 and comprises a blade 52 pivotally mounted on a horizontal axis arranged above and forwardly of the needle 22 in the direction of movement of the sewing machine relative to the jig.The orientation of the pivotal axis relative to the direction of movement imparted by the sewing machine to the jig is such as to be substantially parallel to the lengthwise direction of each fulling blade as the jig approaches the corresponding corner.

The blade 52 terminates in a return flange 58 which, when in the lowermost position shown in Figure 10, engages with its edge 54 against the pleat ahead of the approach of the sewing machine needle to the corner so as to divert the portion 46 of pleat 20 out of the line of approach of the needle as shown in Figure 5. The blade 52 is arranged to be swung to a position as shown in Figure 11 whereby the flange 58 passes over the pleat.

The blade is then returned to the original lowermost position whereby the pleat is diverted by the other edge 60 of the flange 58 to the opposite side of the original pleat position as shown in Figure 6. Thus the pleat can be diverted between extreme positions at either side of its original position as dictated by the fulling blade, the angular displacement being related to the width of the flange 58.

In an alternative embodiment not shown, the pleat wiper is mounted on the base of the sewing machine for to and fro arcuate movement about a vertical axis.

Operation is controlled by a sequential controller arranged to be activated by a feeler device which, as described in detail in our copending published application No.2062708A is mounted on the sewing machine in such a position relative to the sewing machine that the needle occupies a position, designated a in Figure 2, where the stitch lines towards and away from the corner are to meet. In this position of the needle, the pleat will have been diverted away from the approaching needle by edge 54 of flange 53.

The controller is arranged successively to activate mechanisms which execute the following actions, namely, (a) severing the thread carried by the needle, (b) stopping the forward movement of the jig relative to the machine, (c) raising the needle to its upper position, (d) tilting the blade 52 to the position shown in Figure 11 and back, (e) lowering the needle into the fabric, (f) rotating the jig through the angle of the corner of the necktie, and (g) recommencing sewing with the needle following the slot away from the corner.

In use of the apparatus, the upper and fulling plates of the jig are first raised by hinging about axis 8 and a shaped portion of lining fabric is laid flat upon the lower plate 2 of the jig so that it extends over the slots therein and so that its cut edge J lies short of edge 42 as shown in Figure 2.

The fulling plate 26 with its blades, 30, 32 and 34 is then lowered by its hinge 28 into face-to-face contact with the lining fabric. An end of the face fabric of the necktie, pre-cut to a shape similar to and with dimensions rather larger than the lining fabric is than laid right side downwards, loosely over the fulling plate, with the remainder of the tie passing through opening 50 in upper plate 4. The corners of the fabric are arranged in alignment with corners A, B and C of the jig.

The upper plate 4 is then lowered by hinge 6 into face-to-face contact with the face fabric the edges of the slots 36, 38, and 40 causing the face fabric G to be drawn over the blades 30, 32, 34 to form three distinct elongate pleats 20. Although the blades 36, 38 and 40 stop short of the corners A, B, C, the pleat lines 46 continue to the edge J of the face fabric. The pleats take up the excess dimensions of the face fabric so that the cut edges are substantially aligned with the edges of the lining fabric, a point which will be referred to later in discussing a further refinement of the apparatus.

Tracing the assembly of lining and face fabrics along lines IV-IV as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the face fabric presents an unsupported loop 46 in the vicinity of corner A beyond the termination of the fulling blade 30, whilst there are similar unsupported loops at each of the corners B and C.

The jig so loaded is fitted to a sewing machine with the guide stud of the sewing machine in the slot 1 6 of lower plate 2 and the drive wheel in driving engagement with the adjacent edge 42 thereof whereby the machine advances relatively to the jig in the direction of stitch line H. The needle of the sewing machine provided with thread is set into reciprocating motion and commences stitching the face and lining fabrics together along stitch line H until it approaches corner A.

The flange 58 of the wiper blade 52 being located ahead of the needle in the direction of movement of the machine relative to the jig, edge 54 diverts the pleat to the position L (Figure 10) out of line of approach of the needle 22 so that it is not caught thereby when the needle reaches the position a as is shown diagrammatically in Figure 5. The controller then sequentially severs the needle thread 24, stops the relative movement of sewing machine and jig with the needle as close as possible to the point a and then stops the reciprocation of the needle with the needle in its up position. With the needle thus clear of the upwardly projecting pleat, the controller causes the blade 52 to perform a rocking motion about its pivot firstly in a direction away from the needle so that it rides over the pleat and then returning to its original position.After the blade has passed over the pleat the resiliency of the fabric causes it to return to a position where it is contacted by edge 60 of the blade on its return movement so that it is diverted to the other side of the needle into position R as shown in Figure 10 and diagrammatically in Figure 6.

The needle is subsequently lowered without any relative movement between sewing machine and jig so that the needle re-enters the lining fabric F by or very close to the hole which it had previously occupied. The jig is then turned, either manually or by the action of the drive wheel with the edge 42 of plate 2, which is rounded at the corners, or by means of the mechanism described in our copending application No.2062708A. During this angular movement the neelde acts as a pivot for the jig. When the rotation of the jig is completed, the reciprocation of the needle is re-commenced and the sewing machine advance relative to the jig is continued away from the corner, leaving there an open loop of face fabric.

This advance causes stitching to continue along the stitch line H lengthwise of the next slot 1 9 until on the approach of the needle to the corner B a similar sequence of events takes place as that described above which results in a loop of face fabric G remaining also at corner B. A similar sequence of events takes place as the stitch line H is continued along the slot 1 2 whereby the jig is turned and an upstanding open loop of face fabric is left at corner C before the stitch line is continued along slot 10 and the stitching is terminated.

The stitching thread is then severed and the jig is removed from the sewing machine. The upper plate 4 and the fulling plate 26 are partially raised and the assembled end of the necktie is eased away from the fulling plate and its blades whereupon the necktie appears in section as shown schematically in Figure 9.

The open loops where the pleats meet the stitch line H are then sewn up. The assembly is then turned inside out so that the cut edges J are concealed and the necktie is pressed flat with the seam lines H equidistant from edges K. A similar process is, if required, carried out at the other end of the necktie.

It will have been understood that the excess of face fabric located between opposed seam stitch lines, which is required to allow the seam to be set back from the edge of the tie, is drawn into that zone by the draping of the fabric over the fulling blades. As mentioned above, the face fabric is cut to a larger shape than the lining panel, and the draping of material over the blades draws the cut edges of the former in until they are substantially in alignment with the edges of the latter. This operation presupposes that the face fabric is indeed free to move in its own plane, but in practice this freedom may be curtailed in some circumstances.

For example, when there are three fulling means spaced across the face fabric and an attempt is made to operate each simultaneously, it is found that whilst the outer means are able to pull the fabric in from the free edges, frictional forces at least partially prevent the intermediate means from drawing fabric from the edges as this would involve pulling the fabric through the outer fulling means. The outer fulling means however exert a clamping effect and consequently the action of the intermediate fulling means is to stretch the face fabric. This stretching does not contribute to permanent fullness and in fact is positively disadvantageous.

The jig shown in Figures 1 3 to 1 6 has been designed to overcome this problem. It comprises a lower plate 62 shaped with corners A, B and C and having an elongate slot 64 therein. A fulling plate 66 is mounted on the lower plate by means of a laterally offset hinge 68, so that it can be laid in face-to-face contact with the lower plate 62 or raised therefrom. The shape of the fulling plate is such that, when it lies in face-to-face contact with the lower plate 62, its outer edge corresponds generally to the inner edge of the slot 64 in the lower plate 62.

As shown more particularly in Figure 14, the fulling plate 66 which is of sheet aluminium, supports on its upper face an elongate central upstanding rib 98 terminating, when plate 66 is in face-to-face contact with plate 62, at the inner edge of slot 64 at corner B. A pair of shorter upstanding ribs 70 are laterally oriented respectively towards corners A and C of the iiq, and terminate at the edge of slot 64.

The jig further comprises an upper plate 72 mounted by hinge 74 to lower plate 62 for movement between an upright position and a lowered position where it overlies the fulling plate 66 to the peripheral shape of which it generally corresponds. Four flange strips 76 are arranged over the lateral edges of the plate 72 so as to project downwardly therefrom by approximately the same distance as the ribs 70 on thefulling plate 66 extend upwardly.

At each of the corners A, B and C, that is to say in the vicinity of the termination of the ribs 98, 70, gaps 78, 78a are left between adjacent flange strips 76. Blocks 80 of pliable material such as sponge rubber are secured to the underside of the upper plate 72 in such positions that when the upper plate is lowered into face-to-face relationship with the fulling plate 66, vertical edge 82 of each block lies parallel and close to the corresponding one of the laterally oriented ribs 70.

Along the median axis of the upper plate 72 there is an elongate slot 84 through which passes an elongate member 86 which is mounted on the upper plate 72 by means of a hinge 88.

The portion 90 of the member 86 overlying the rib 98 in the lowered position of the upper plate 72 is a channel of inverted Usection of such dimensions as to receive the rib 98 therein. By means of a spring 92, the member 86 is urged into a position in which the portion 90 lies generally below the plate 72 but can be raised relative to the plate 72 against the pressure of the spring 92 so as to lie with its lower edge 94 approximately on a level with the lower edge 96 of the flange strip 76.

In use of the apparatus, and with the plates 66 and 72 raised, a shaped piece of necktie lining fabric F (shown only in Figure 14) is laid upon the lower plate 62, overlying the slot 64. The fulling plate is then lowered onto the lining fabric whereby the latter is held firmly against the lower plate 62.

An elongate shaped piece of necktie face fabric G is laid loosely over fulling plate 66 with its longitudinal axis along the rib 98, the offset position of the hinges 68, 74 allowing for the remainder of the face fabric, and of the lining fabric if required, to project beyond the line of the hinges. Similar hinges may with advantage be incorporated in the apparatus of Figure 1. The face fabric portion G is of generally similar shape to but rather larger than the lining fabric so that it overlies slots 64 even allowing for draping over the ribs 98, 70.

The upper plate 72 is then lowered towards the face fabric G, the channel portion 90 of the member 86 first making contact with the face fabric under the influence of the spring 92 whereby the face fabric G is entrained about the rib 98 as it enters the channel. The pleat so formed in the face fabric extends beyond the forward end of rib 98 and the channel 90, passes through the forward gap 78a so that the pleat continues over that portion of the face fabric overlying the slot 64 at corner B.

Because of the downward orientation of the channel 90 relative to the plate 72, the takeup of fabric by folding thereof over the rib 98 takes place before the approach of the flange strips 76 to the ribs 70 exerts the abovementioned clamping effect on the face fabric and inhibits inward movement of the fabric in its plane.

The channel 90 having located over the rib 98, however, the upper plate 72 is further lowered with compression of spring 92 and the entry of the channel 90 into the space defined between the flange strips 76.

On this further iowering, the blocks 80 and the edges of the flanges 76 defining the gaps 78 cooperate with the upstanding ribs 70 to drape the face fabric G thereover whereby to form lateral pleats extending over the slots 64 respectively in the directions of the corners A and C.

With the upper plate 72 held in the lowered position, the jig is introduced into a sewing machine in a manner substantially as described in relation to the Figure 1 embodiment, the presser foot of the sewing machine (not shown) engaging the upper edge of the flange strip 76 as the jig is guided by means of the slot 64 to form a seam between the fabrics G and F along a line defined by the slot.

When seaming is completed, the upper plate 72 is raised and the fulling plate 66 slid out from between the now joined fabrics. The assembly of fabrics is turned inside out whereupon the fullness provided by the ribs 98, 70 results in the seam line being offset from the edge as described in relation to the Figure 1 embodiment.

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus for use in set back tipping of neckties comprising a jig for supporting a lining fabric and a face fabric in superimposed relationship with the face fabric uppermost, and pleat-forming means on the jig for forming in the face fabric a first upstanding fulling pleat extending towards an end corner of the tip and second and third upstanding fulling pleats extending respectively towards opposite side corners of the tip.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the jig comprises a base plate and a second plate pivotally mounted to the base plate, between which plates the lining fabric may be secured, the second plate having first, second and third pleat-forming projections upstanding therefrom, one projection for each corresponding fulling pleat.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the jig includes an upper plate mounted to be lowered onto the second plate and having surfaces arranged to act in conjunction with one or more of the projections during said lowering to drap a face fabric laid over the second plate to form a respective fulling pleat or pleats.

4. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the pleat-forming means are such as to complete one upstanding fulling pleat before formation of the other fulling pleats is commenced.

5. Apparatus according to claims 1 to 3 in which the pleat-forming means are such as to complete the first upstanding fulling pleat before formation of the second and third pleats is commenced.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 insofar as dependent from claim 3 in which the upper plate comprises surfaces arranged to act in conjunction with the second and third projections to form the second and third fulling pleats, and a further pleat-forming surface is formed on a member arranged to be lowered to contact and act in conjunction with the first projection to complete the first fulling pleat before the surfaces on the upper plate act in conjunction with the second and third projections.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the member having the further pleat-forming surface is mounted on the upper plate for pivotal movement between upper and lower positions relative thereto, and is resiliently biased towards the lower position.

8. Apparatus for use in set back tipping of neckties, the apparatus being substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 3 to 16 of the accompanying drawings.