US2483595A - Sewing machine needle threader - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 4, 1949., t c OLSON 2,483,595-

SEWING MACHINE NEEDLE THREADER Filed June 9, 1944 6 /794141 55 Z(. 0150 mum/ 012. BY

m" IZNEY.

Patented Oct. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in needle threading devices and is particularly adapted for use in connection with threading of sewing machine needles of various measurements as well as threads of diiierent sizes such as encountered in th household type of sewing machine.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a needle threading device including a threading pin operable to push a strand of thread in the form of a loop through the eye of a needle wherein the threading pin. is of such construction and design as to insure greater accuracy in the threading operation, reduce the strain on the pin while in actual service and thereby increase. its life, and sufficiently light :in weight to facilitate its movement between. operative and inoperative positions relative to its mounting.

Another object of this invention is to provide a needle threading device embodying such features of construction and design as to render the same easier to adjust .in initially bringing the. threading pin into registry with the eye of the needle to be threaded.

Another object is to provide a device of this 1 character which incorporates features of construction and design susceptible of economical manufacture and assembly.

With the above and other objects in view, as will be apparent, this invention consists. in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts. all as hereinafter more full described, claimed and illustrated in the. accompanying drawing:

Fig- 1 is a. perspective view of the present needle threading device illustrating the threading. pin in retracted position.

Fig 2 is a similar view illustrating the threading pin in advanced position.

Fig. 3 is a similar View illustrating the. threading pin in. retracted position after completion of movement. to an advanced position with the strand, of. thread arranged in a. loop. through the eye of. the needle.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal central sectional view through the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a slightly reduced perspective view of the present needle threading device illustrating its application to a bracket fixed to the head of thesewingmachine.

In carrying out the present invention, a substantially rectangular unit is provided by means of a pair of plates 10 and H of metal or other suitable composition. secured mutually infacetry by means of conventional means, such as. a screw ii. The plate ill, which. may be of slightly greater thickness than the, plate ii, if desired,. is machined or otherwise operated upon to provide a longitudinal recess on its inwardly directed surface toprovide-conjointly with the inner surface of the plate I I, a bore or passageway 93. extending the full length of the joined plates as and H. One end of the passageway l3 isof enlarged transverse cross-sectional dimension to provide a chamber or bearing'in which an operating rod 14 may have longitudinal sliding movement toward and away from an operative position in the: passageway, with its trailing; end protruding from the limits of said-passageway in either operative or inoperative position therein. A lateral projection or Stu- 1 l6 secured to the portion. of the rod i4 confined within the. passageway I3 projects outwardly through a slot i l in the side of the plate H. Thus the longitudinal limits or edges of the slot H act to limit. the extent of sliding movement of the rod 14 in the passageway 13. A-spring 18 arranged in leading relation to the rod l4 presses. against the rod I l and the forwardmost. limits oi the enlarged portion of the passageway 13 to normally urge the rod 14 and the stud 16. to a position wherein the rod It is in retracted or inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 4.

The portion of the passageway l3 extending forwardly from the enlarged portion aforesaid provides a bearing-for a relatively thin threading pin l9 which is adapted to project from the forlward end of the passageway l3 when the operatingrod 1.4,. to which the trailing end of said pin 19 is suitably secured, is in forwardmost or operawardly converging surfaces 20 and 2| defining conjointly a recess or seat adapted to seat or circumferentially embrace needles of various diameter, such as they needle 22 shown in the drawing. .A groove 23 defined by the inwardly converging surfaces of a. recess arranged to cross the surfaces 20 and. 2.! in registry with the forward limits of the passageway 13. is extended slightly inward oi the inner limits of the surfaces. 2.0 and 2| to to-face upright relation with their edgesin regisas afford a. pocket. in. which a strand of thread 24 3 may be confined to obstruct the path of the threading pin [9 without being susceptible to withdrawal or dislodgment by the force of gravity pending engagement and advancement of the thread through the eye of the needle by the threading pin.

In order that the device may be accurately aligned to insure registration of the passageway l3 relative to the eye of the needle 22 to be threaded, a plate 26 is preferably mounted for adjustment in a path parallel to the axis of the needle in a position to engage the point of the needle. A keyway 27 in the side of the plate Ill provides a suitable seat for a bracket 28 from which the plate 26 is suspended in underlying relation to the needle seat formed by the surfaces 20 and 2!. A screw 29 secured to the bottom of 'keyway 21 is adapted to be adjusted to rigidly secure the bracket 28 in selected position lengthwise of the keyway 2'! whereby the height of the plate 26 may be properly maintained in accordance with the aligned positions of the needle eye and the passageway l3.

The threading pin 19 is preferably dished or concaved at its forward edge 30 to facilitate engagement of the strand of thread centrally of its leading end.

In order to conveniently maintain the device in a position to facilitate its application to the needle by movement in a horizontal path, any suitable means may be employed.'- For example,

as shown in Fig. 2, a bar 32 adjustably fastened as at 33 and having a bifurcated head 34 adapted to embrace a presser foot bar 35 of the machine, afiords an eflicient arrangement for this purpose.

In operating the present threading device, it is advisable to initially operate the machine to position the needle in its upwardmost position. Having then arranged a strand of thread in the groove 23 so as to retain the thread in a position to resist withdrawal or dislodgment by force of gravity, the bifurcated head 34 is manually applied and supported in embracing relation to the presser foot bar 35 at a position lengthwise thereof to assure that the plate 26 is disposed below the point of the needle 22. Thus the needle, and the presser foot bar provide laterally spaced supports for maintaining the device in selected horizontally rotated position relative to the eye of the needle 22. Having swung the bar 32 to position the inwardly converging surfaces 20 and 2| in a position to straddle the needle, and having determined the position of the plate 26 in vertical relation to the eye of the needle to assure aligned relation of the eye of the needle and the passageway l3 when the point of the needle rests on theplate 26, the device is elevated until the point of the needle touches the upper surface of the plate 26.

,By holding the device firmly in this position with one hand, and simultaneously pressing inwardly on the operating rod l4 until it reaches the limit of its forward or inward movement, the threading pin and the loop of thread engaged thereby, are moved accurately through the eye of the needle. Upon releasing the rod M, the spring 18 is relaxed forcing the rod M to inoperative position and simultaneously withdraws the threading pin from the eye of the needle, leaving the thread loop projecting through the eye of the needle.

It might also be desirable to permanently mount the device on the head of a sewing machine by means of a bracket 36 providing an upright bearing 31 on which an arm 38 is rotatable to swing its end fastened as at 40 to the plate Ill, in the same manner of swinging movement as described in connection with the bar 32 and head 34 cooperating with the presser foot bar.

The threading pin l9, when constructed of spring metal having a cross-sectional dimension of .030 inch by .003 inch operating in a passageway having a cross-sectional dimension of .035 inch by .006 inch, with the greatest of said dimensions arranged lengthwise of the axis of the needle 22, and arranged to travel approximately inch between advanced and retracted positions, has been demonstrated to operate with unerring results on needle eyes of various measurement in machines of conventional household type design, and on threads of different sizes applicable thereto.

What is claimed is:

, 1. A needle threading device comprising a pair of plates secured mutually in face-to-face relation with their edges in registry to provide a rectangular housing, a passageway arranged longitudinally of the inner face of one of said plates, a threading pin movable lengthwise of said passageway toward and away from a position wherein an end portion thereof projects outwardly from said passageway, inwardly converging sur faces formed in a pair of meeting edges of said plates to provide a seat with which the sides of a needle to be threaded are engageable, means mounted for adjustment lengthwise of said inwardly converging surfaces presenting an abutment with which the point of the needle is engageable to maintain said passageway in a posi tion in alignment with the eye of said needle when the sides of the needle are seated against said inwardly converging surfaces, means acting on said threading pin to bias the same into a position wherein said end portion is inwardly retracted relative to said passageway means operable to move said threading pin from a position wherein said end portion is inwardly retracted relative to said passageway to a position wherein its end projects through said eye of the needle, and a pocket intersecting the junction of said converging surfaces and extending inwardly therefrom to support a strand of thread between the needle and the housing in a position obstructin the path of movement of saidthreading pin during movement of the pin toward a position wherein its end projects through said eye of the needle.

2. A needle threading device comprising a housing, a passageway arranged longitudinally thereof, a threading pin movable lengthwise of said passageway toward and away from a position forwardly of the longitudinal limits of said passageway, inwardly converging surfaces formed in said housing in which a needle may be seated with its longitudinal axis extending lengthwise of said inwardly converging surfaces with the eye of the needle in alignment with the longitudinal limits of said passageway, means operable to move said threading pin from a retracted position within said passageway to a position projecting through said needle eye when the needle is seated against said inwardly converging surfaces of the housing and biased to a position corresponding to retracted position of said threading pin, and a pocket intersecting the junction of said inwardly converging surfaces and extending inwardly therefrom to'support a strand of thread between the needle and the housing in a position obstructing the path of movement of said threading pin during movement of the pin toward a position projecting through said needle eye.

3. A needle threading device comprising a threadin pin of spring metal adapted to enter and pass through the eye of a needle with a strand of thread of conventional thickness arranged in a loop around the leading edge thereof, a housing provided with a passageway in which said threading pin has longitudinal sliding support from a retracted position to an advanced position projecting from said housing, and return, means for moving said threading pin from a retracted position to an advanced position having sliding support in said housing, and means mounted on said housing for adjustment lengthwise of the axis of a needle to be threaded and presenting an abutment with which the point of the needle is engageable to maintain said passageway in alignment with the eye of the needle.

4. A needle threading device as described in claim 3 wherein said means for moving said threading pin from a retracted position to an ad- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 524,896 Goldman Aug. 21, 1894 748,913 Battey Jan. 5. 1904

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