US2337181A - Button feeding mechanism for sewing machines - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 21, 1943- L. G. BURKEY 2,337,181

BUTTON FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 22, 1941 Tig-E- l m I \mmmn &

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' INVENTOR Lawren ce G. BurIig/fl ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 21, 1943 STATES PATENT 4 OFFICE 2,337,181 BUTTONS%I(I(L}IA FOR Lawrence G. Burkey, Creson, Pa assignor to S.

Liebovitz a Sons, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application January 22, 1941, Serial No.

375,481. Divided and this application Decem- This invention relates toimprovementsin sewing and has particular reference to a button feeding mechanism therefor, the present application being a division of my co-pending aping through the hopper, and said shaft is driven at a slow speed from a separate source of power such as an electric motor (not shown) through the medium of a pulley I36 loosely mounted on plication :Ser. No. 375,484, filed January 22, 1941. 5 said shaft and operated by the drive belt I31; 8 An object of the invention is to provide an imclutch mechanism, generally indicated by the nuproved button feeding device of simple and pracmeral I 33, being utilized to drive the shaft from tical construction which enable buttons to be said pulley. fed to a delivery position of said device in such The hopper 22 is formed therein at one side manner that each button will reach said position thereof with a recess or compartment I33 in for proper application to a garment or other fabwhich the drum I34 revolves, and the remaining ric to which the button is to be attached. space within said hopper constitutes a button Another object to provide improved means chamber I40 into which buttons are deposited for feeding buttons from a hopper into a delivery through the open upper end of said hopper. Said chute only when the buttons are in proper posil5 recess I39 is formed within the hopper by an tion for a sewing operation, and for preventing. enlargement I which extends (see Fig. 2) from entrance of any buttons from said hopper into the point I42 adiacent the chute 23 downwardly said chute when the latter is filled. around the wall of the hopper and upwardly to A further object is to feed buttons onto the the point I43, and the space between said two surface of a rotatable drum having recesses points exposes the periphery of the drum I34 as each adapted to receive a button to be fed to a it is rotated, and it is in this space that the butdelivery chute, andto provide a finger that entons from the bottom of the chamber I40 are ages in a groove passing through the bottom of fed onto the periphery of the drum preparatory said recesses so that the buttons in the latter to being discharged into the chute 23. In order will be dislodged therefrom as they are about to convey the buttons from the bottom of the to enter said chute. hopper upwardly towards said space, the side of The above and other objects will appear more the drum adjacent the chamber I40 has seclearly from the following detailed description cured thereto a plurality of conveyor elements when taken connection with the accompany- I44 in the form of diagonally disposed plates each ing drawing which illustrates a preferred emof which will pick up one or more buttons as bodiment of the inventive idea. the drum is rotated and convey the same up- Inthe drawing: wardly towards the point I43. At this point, Fig. 1 a. fragmentary side elevation of the the portion MI is provided with inclined surfaces, button feeding device, partly in section. as indicated at I45, upon which the buttons will Fig. 2 is an elevation of the button feeding be discharged from each conveyor I44 due to mechanism with the hopper casing in section. the inclination of the latter. The surfaces I45 Fig. 3 iss top plan view thereof. tend to center the buttons upon the surface of Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and the drum so that each button will come to rest Fig. 5 isa detailed sectional view of a portion thereon adjacent one of a plurality of button of the feeding mechanism taken on the line 5-5 receiving recesses I46 formed in the periphery of Fig. 2. of the drum. Each recess I46 has its bottom con- The button feeding device of the present informing substantially in shape to that of the vention is capable of use in conjunction with a normal upper surface of the button so that if sewing machine such as disclosed in the above the latter, when deposited upon the drum, is in identified application wherein means are proan upside down position itwill become seated in vided for transferring buttons in succession and one of the recesses, as illustrated in Fig. 2. at proper intervals from the feeding device to a Should, however, a button be right side up on button clamp on the machine where said buttons the drum, it will not enter a recess and will be are stitched onto a garment or the like. ejected from the surface of the drum, as will Said device, as shown in its preferred form, so later appear, before reaching the chute 23. In comprises a hopper 22 from which the buttons other words, only those buttons which become are fed into a chute 23 and from thence transseated in a recess in an upside down position will fen-ed to the proper position for the sewing opbe fed from the hopper into the chute so that oration. said hopper 22 is located a rowhen the button reaches the delivery'positlon tatable drum 134 fixed upon a shaft I35 extendfor transfer to the button clamp of the sewing machine, said button will be in the right side up position.

To aid in guiding a button into one of the recesses as it is deposited upon the drum, the latter carries on its periphery between adjacent recesses small follower lugs I41 which engage a button as the drum rotates. After a button has been seated in a recess and travels toward the delivery chute 23, it is retained in its recess by passing under small leaf springs I45 secured to an adjacent side wall of the hopper 22. The periphery of the drum has formed therein an annular groove I49 which extends centrally through the bottom of the recesses I45, and at the upper entrance of the chute 23 there is disposed a finger I50 which engages in said groove and beneath a button in one of the recesses I45 so that as the latter is about to be discharged into said chute, said finger will lift the button from its recess so as to facilitate its discharge into said chute.

In order to deflect those buttons from the drum which are not in proper position and seated in a recess, there is provided adjacent the entrance to the chute a diagonally disposed deflector plate or baflle II arranged in the path of movement of the buttons on the drum and having its lower edge spaced sufliciently from the periphery of the drum to permit those buttons within the recesses I45 to pass beneath the deflector or baffle and thus enter the chute'to be fed downwardly therethrough by gravity. However, those buttons which have not assumed an inverted position and become seated in the recesses I45 will strike against the baflle I5I and thus be deflected thereby back into the button chamber I45.

After a button has passed beneath the baflle I5I, it comes in contact with a. guide plate In (see Fig. 5) and the button is conveyed diagonally from this point to the entrance of the chute 23, This guide plate I52, by causing the buttons to move in a diagonal direction, provides a means for preventing an excessive number of buttons from entering the chute. In other words, should said chute become completely filled, as indicated in Fig. 5, the last button I53 to enter into the channel formed by the guide plate I52 will form an abutment for the next succeeding button I54 which is carried beneath the baflle I5I, and the latter button striking against the button I53 in an oil-center position relative thereto, will be deflected from the drum and will fall down into the chamber I45.

As previously stated, the drum I34 is ously driven from the pulley I35 by a clutch mechanism I38. This mechanism comprises a ratchet I55 fixed upon the shaft us, and further includes an arm I55 secured to the pulley I35. Pivoted to the outer end of the arm I55 is a pawl I51 having its free end connected to the other extremity of said arm by a coil spring I55 which is of suflicient tension to normally maintain a pin I59 on the pawl I51 in engagement with the ratchet between two of the teeth thereof so that as the pawl is driven by the rotation of the pulley, it will rotate the ratchet and thus revolve the drum. However, should a button become temporarily lodged beneath the baflle plate continu- I5I, it becomes necessary to dislodge said button so that the drum can continue to rotate and feed other buttons to the chute. Should such a contigency arise, the pulley I35 continues to drive 5 the pawl I51, but the pin I53 will now ride over the teeth of the ratchet I55 and, in so doing, each time said pin is snapped into a recess between two adjacent teeth of the ratchet by the action of the coil spring I58, suflicient vibration will be imparted to the drum I34 to dislodge the jammed button which will then either pass beneath the baflle I5! or be deflected back into the button chamber.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a button feeding device for a sewing machine, a hopper for containing buttons, a rotatable drum positioned within and to one side of said hopper and having button-receiving recesses in the periphery thereof, a chute extending from said hopper into which buttons are fed from said drum, button pick-up elements projecting from the side of said drum and operable to convey buttons from said hopper onto the periphery of said drum, means to guide buttons to said recesses, and means adjacent said chute to eject such buttons which fail to become seated in said recesses.

2. In a button feeding device for a sewing machine, a hopper for containing buttons, a rotatable drum positioned within and to one side of said hopper and having button-receiving recesses in the periphery thereof, a chute extending from said hopper into which buttons are fed from said drum, button pick-up elements projecting from the side of said drum and operable to convey buttons from said hopper onto the periphery of drum, means to guide said buttons to said re cesses, means adjacent said chute to elect such buttons which fail to become seated in said re-' cesses, and further means to prevent entrance into said chute of buttons in said recesses when said chute is filled.

3. In a button feeding device for a sewing machine, a hopper in which buttons are contained, a drum rotatable in said hopper and having button-receiving recesses therein, a chute extending from said hopper into which buttons are fed from said drum, means carried by said drum operable as the latter rotates to convey buttons onto said drum, means to guide said buttons into said recesses, a battle positioned at the entrance to said chute to deflect from said drum those buttons which are not seated in said recesses, and means to vibrate said drum should a button seated in one of said recesses fail to pass said baflle and enter said chute.

4. In a button feeding device for a sewing machine, a button hopper, a rotatable drum having recesses for receiving buttons from said hopper, a chute into which buttons are fed from the recesses in said drum, a baille position at the entrance to said chute to deflect from ,d drum those buttons which are not seated in said recesses, and means to vibrate said drum should a button seated in one of said recesses fail to pass said baflle.

LAWRENCE G. BURKEY.

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