US1800923A - Stencil for the production of composite ornamentations on embroidery machines - Google Patents

Description

April 14, 1931.

STENCIL G. ZELLWEGER FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOSITE ORNAMENTATIONS ON EMBROIDERY MACHINES Filed March 29, 1928 Mumm 4 4' 66%. A TTOR/VEKSJ Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAV ZELLWEGER, 0F GRANTWOOD, NEW JERSEY, AQQIGIQORTO GRAB GOL, 0F UNION CITY, NEWJERSEY, A PARTNERSHIP CONSISTING 0J1 ALBERT GRAB AND GUSTAV ZELLWEGER STENCIL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOSITE OIRNAMENTATIONS ON EMIBROIDERY MACHINES Application filed March 2a, 1928. Serial No. 265,564.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of decorating fabrics, and has particular reference to a stencil for producing a composite color and embroldery ornamentation on fabrics.

In the production of this type of fabric, it has been customary to perform the coloring and embroidery operations successively and-one of the principal problems encountered has been to secure accurate registration of the color pattern with the has-relief embroidery ornamentation so that the latter, which is preferably applied to the fabric subsequent tothe coloring thereof, willnot overlap any portion of the color pattern.

One method heretofore employed for producing this composite ornamentation makes use of a pantograph embroidering machine for forming a stencil which is subsequently utilized to paint the color pattern on the fabric. Briefly, in this methoda blank stencil is temporarily aflixed t0 the fabric and the ornamentation is delineated thereon, after which the stencil is removed, the delineated design cut out, and thestencil then relocated at its original position on the fabstencil, and finally embroidering the outline originally produced.

It is known that with the methods just re ferred to, accurate registration of the two ornamentations has been very diflicult of attainment and the embroidery has often overlapped the color design. This is primarily due to the complicated manner in which the stencilsare made and the'inability to always relocate the stencils in proper position on the fabric prior to the coloring operations.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the difficulties encountered in the useof known methods by materially simplifying the making of the stencil and in supporting the same in position with respect to the fabric'in such manner that the color.

pattern produced thereby will be accurately located on the fabric so as to properly register with the embroidered ornamentation.

Another object is to provide a stencil adaptedfor the application to a fabric of a color pattern constituting a part of a conn posite ornamentation .and to form in said stencil a recess or recesses for receiving one or more needles of an embroidery machine, with one of said recesses disposed below the ornamentation on. the stencil in vertical alignment with a predetermined point thereon which coincides with a similar point'on the fabric to be decorated.

Another Object is to so construct the stencil that the needles of an embroidery machine may be utilized in properly lobating the stenci relative to the fabric to be colored, and the presser member of said machine employed to retain the stencil in position during the coloring operation.

Another object is to support'and reinforce the stencil so that it will lie flatly and rigidly against the fabric while thecolor is being applied thereto.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing I Figure 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view in vertical section of an embroidery ma chine which may be used in carrying out the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the completed fabric with the stencil indicated in broken lines in the position thereon which it would be made to assume when applying the color pattern; t

Figure 3 is a plan view of the stencil; and

Figure 4:. isa fragmentary vertical section on the line ll of Figure 3 with the presser member and associated parts of an embroidery machine in position to hold the stencil in place.

In Figure 1 there is illustrated a portion of an embroidery machine of a well known construction in which the Vertical embroidthe frame on the rollers and 11.

ery frame 5 is movable relative to the needle bar 6 in vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions under the control of an automatic jacquard mechanism (not shown), whereby each of the various needles of the machine, one of which is shown at7, is operated by the horizontal reciprocation of the needle bar relative to the shuttle bar 8 to form an embroidered design in the fabric 9 supported in well known inmachines of this type, the

- various movements of the frame: 5, and consequently of the fabric 9, relative to theneedles 7, are controlled by a mechanism which is set in accordance with the particular design being made. It is to beunderstood that in so far as the present invention is concerned, this automatic control mechanism may be of the jacquard typeor any other form of mechanism, such as the pantograph.

In the productionof composite ornamentations, such as embroideryand color patterns, it is proposed by the present invention to employ'a stencil 10 for the application of the color design to the fabric by supportin said stencil upon the needles 7 in fixed relation to the fabric and lying snugly against the same during the application of the color thereto, In order to accomplish this, it is quite desirable, though not absolutely necessary, that the color work be done before the embroidery, since the latter is a has-relief ornamentation and if made first might prevent the stencil from engaging the fabric in the proper manl as ner. Furthermore, it is proposed to utilize the presser memberll of the machine to aid in retaining the'stencil in proper position against the fabric, This presser member, as is well known, comprises anumber of fingers or arms 12, which, in the ordinary operation of the machine, engage the fabric in proX- imity to the needles 7 so asto hold the fabric against excessive outward movement when the needles 7 are withdrawn after making a stitch. In placing the stencil in position, the presser member is firstmoved outwardly a slight distance equal to the thickness of the stenciland then the lower edge of the latter is inserted between the fingers 12 and the fabric, with said lower edge restinglupon a needle or needles 7 The presser fingers will then engage and assist in supporting the stencll in a vertical position against the fabric.

In preparing the stencil, the composite design which is later to be applied to the fabric a. is first, sketched upon a sheet of paperusually employed for this purpose. The design so sketched 1s a complete motif or repeat and ,it is now necessary to determine a point relative to the embroidery part of the ornamentation which may bem'ade to. coincide with a point on the fabric at which the needlewhich is to stitch the pattern will commence its operation after the color design has been applied. For convenience, the point on the sketch paper may be located in a vertical line mined distance below. the lowest extremity of the composite design a horizontal line is a drawn which will intersect said mean vertical line, The distance of the horizontal line from the pattern may be four inches, for in stance, and represents the amount of upward Vertical movement which it is necessary to impart to the fabric prior to the coloring operation and said horizontal line determines the lower edge of the stencil which is -mad e' from the sketch. f 1

, Itnow becomes necessary to transfer the design on the sketch to a blank stencil. 2 To do this, 'the'stencil sheet may beprovided with a vertical line such as the line 12f placed in a position which is determined by thenaturej of the design to be transferred thereto and the tracing paper upon which said sketch is.

made is then reversed and laid upon the blank stencil with the mean vertical line'on saidsketchcoinciding with the vertical line which has been made upon the blank stencil andt-he horizontalline on said sketch registering with the bottom edge of the stencil blank. By rubbing upon the reverse or uppermostside of the sketch paper, the design, which l1as beenmade thereon with softpencil or crayon,;1nay betranfsferred to the;

stencil blank and at the same time the .point of intersection of the mean verticalline and the horizontal line on the sketch will also be 7 indicated on the lower edge of said blank. -A recess or notch 13 is now formed-at said point on the lower edge of the stencil to receive the needle 7 :which' is to make the. embroidery portion of the motif represented by said stencil when the latter is placed in the position shown in-Figurel. In order to further assist in maintaining the stencil in proper v operative position, the lower edge thereof may also be formed wth one or more recesses 14 similar to-the recess 13, and-:each of the. recesses, llis spaced fromthe re'cess13 a distance equal to that between the needle 7 enf gaged in the latter recess and the next adjacent needles so that said recess or recesses 14 will receive the next adjacent needle orneedles on the needle bar. i It is conceivable that instead of may be obtained inits completed form, that is with the pattern already cut out, A point on the lower edge of the stencil may thenbe g 7 making the stencil as above described, the stencil sheet anemone It is preferable that the lower edge of the stencil be reinforced so that repeated mountings of the stencil upon the needles will not wear away the material of the stencil forming the edges of said recesses, thereby avoiding the possibility, after repeated use, of the color pattern being inaccurately applied to the fabric. For this purpose, a metallic strip 15 is applied to the lower edge of the stencil and formed with notches or recesses therein coinciding with the recesses 13 and 14. The stencil is further preferably provided with a supporting frame consisting of horizontal and vertical strips 16 and 17 to which the stencil is secured, said strips being arranged inwardly of the marginal edges of the stencil, with the ends of the vertical strips 17, and particularly the lower ends thereof, extending practically to the upper and lower edges of the stencil. l Vith the stencil attached to this frame the same will have sufficient rigidity imparted thereto to prevent it from bending when being applied and held in proper position 011 the fabric. The extension of the lower ends of the vertical strips 17 to overlapping position relative to the metallic strip 15 will avoid any bending of the lower por tion of the stencil when said metallic strip is inserted into the space between the fabric and the fingers 12.

After the stencil has been made as above described, the fabric is placed upon the rollers 10 and 11 and the automatic control mechanism of the embroidery machine is prepared or set in accordance with the embroidery design so as to control the movements of the frame 5 in predetermined directions during the course of the embroidery opera tion. The fabric is adjusted relative to the needle bar so that a predetermined point on the fabric which corresponds to the starting point of the embroidery operation is horizontally aligned with the particular needle that is to perform the stitching of one motif. The fabric is now moved upwardly under the influence of the previously-mentioned control mechanism a distance equal to the space between the lower edge of the stencil and the lower extremity of the composite ornamentation, which space, for example, has hereinbefore been given as four inches. During this movement, the frame 5 and fabric may, in accordance with the setting of the control mechanism, be moved in any one or all of the directions of which the frame is capable so that it is possible that when the frame reaches its final position, the starting point on the fabric for the embroidery pattern will be vertically offset relative to the original position of said point. The movement of the fabric above described brings it into proper position to have the color portion of the ornamentation applied and the stencil is now placed in position as previously described. After application of the color, the fabric is moved ina reversev direction from that originall imparted: thereto: to again: bring the pre etermined starting point of the embroidery work into alignmentwith the needle? which is to perform. 1 said :work. The stencil isremoved andthemachihtzstarted to accomplish the regular. embroidery operation and, in so doing, the pattern produced by. the latter operation will exactly register'with the color. nattern'previously applied to the fabric.

lVhat is claimed is:

1i .AJL stencil for use: with embroidery machines, including a stencil sheet having an ornamental pattern for fabrics thereon and having a recess formed therein adjacent to the bottom edge thereof for receiving a needle of the machine to support said stencil in position relative to a fabric to be colored to orient said stencil with respect to said fabric.

2. A stencil for use with embroidery machines, including a stencil sheet having an ornamental pattern for fabrics thereon and having a recess formed therein adjacent to the bottom edge thereof for receiving a needle of the machine to support said stencil in position relative to a fabric to be colored to orient said stencil with respect to said fabrlc, and a supporting frame to which the stencil sheet is attached.

3. A stencil for use with embroidery machines, including a stencil sheet having an ornamental pattern for fabrics thereon and having a recess formed therein adjacent to the bottom edge thereof for receiving a needle of the machine tosupport said stencil in position relative to a fabric to be colored to orient said stencil with respect to said fabric, and a supporting frame for said stencil sheet including strips secured to said sheet at points inwardly of the edges thereof.

4. A stencil for use with embroidery machines, including a stencil sheet having an ornamental pattern for fabrics thereon and having a recess formed at the lower edge of said sheet for receiving a needle of the machine to support the stencil in position relative to the fabric to be colored to orient said stencil with respect to said fabric, and a supporting frame for said sheet including strips secured thereto inwardly of its edges, certain of said strips extending to the edge of the sheet having said recess therein.

5. A stencil for use with embroidery machines, including a stencil sheet having an ornamental pattern for fabrics thereon, and a reinforcing strip along the lower edge of said sheet and having a recess formedtherein for receiving a needle of the machine whereby the stencil is supported in position relative to the fabric to be colored to orient said stencil with respect to said fabric.

6. A stencil for use with embroidery machines, including a stencil sheet having an ornamental pattern for fabrics thereon, a reinforcing strip along the lower edge of said sheetand having a recess formed therein for receiving a needle of the machine whereby thestencil is supported in position relative to the fabric to be colored to orient said sten:

cil with respect to said'fabric, anda' supporting frame .for said sheet including strips secured thereto inwardly of its edges, certain of said strips extending to said reinforcing V strip. 1 V a 1 i l. J

In testimonywhereof I have afiixed my signature.

GUSTAV-ZELLWEGER.

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