US2975739A - Machine for sewing concealed slide fasteners - Google Patents

Description

B. DUCHAN March 21, 1961 MACHINE FOR SEWING CONCEALED SLIDE FASTENERS Filed Dec. 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR.

March 21, 1961 DUCHAN 2,975,739

MACHINE FOR SEWING CONCEALED SLIDE FASTENERS .Filed Dec. 16, 195"! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTOR.

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MACHINE FOR SEWING CONCEALED SLIDE FASTENERS Benjamin Duchan, Bronx, N.Y., assignor to Placket Closing Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 16, 1957, Ser. No. 702,925

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-260) The present invention relates to a machine for sewing concealed slide fasteners, and more particularly to a machine for sewing concealed slide fasteners wherein the sewn-in slide fastener closely resembles a seam when the slide fastener is closed, and wherein the stitching joining the slide fastener to the cloth of the garment to which it is attached is concealed. v g

The present application is a continuation-in-part patent application of my earlier-filed copending patent application Serial No. 692,882 filed October 28, 1957 for: Machine And Process For Sewing Concealed Slide Fasteners. The machine and process disclosed in my copending patent application Serial No. 692,772 comprise the most efiicient machine and process for sewing concealed slide fasteners to a garment that has heretofore been developed. However, I have now discovered that it is possible to improve the efiiciency of the machine somewhat by curving the face plate or needle plate along its free edge, with the needle hole being disposed within the curvature and closely adjacent to but spaced from the curved free edge. Preferably, the curved free edge is arcuately curved with the curvature extending across the face plate a sufficient distance so that such curved free edge is crossed by a transverse projection of some point Beneaththe curved free edge of the needle plate is a curvedwall conforming to the degree of curvature of the curved edge of the needle plate,which wall extends vertically for a distance appreciably greater than the width of the concealed slide fastener which is to be stitched to the garment by the machine of the present invention. Moreover, in'the present invention I utilizea presser foot'which is arcuately curved along its" outer edge on either vside of its needle guide hole. The presserrfoot in the machine of my invention is'superposed above the needle plate and disposed within the curved free edge of the needle .plate. Preferably the feed. dogin the machine of the present invention extends out of -'a transverse slit in the needle This invention has as another object the provision of amachine which can sew concealed slide fasteners onto juxtaposed cloth at a rapid rate with a minimum of manual operation. a i p This invention has as yet another object the provision of a'machine for sewing concealed slide fasteners onto a cloth so that the line of stitching joining the concealed slide fastener to the cloth is concealed.

This invention has as a further object the provision of a machine for sewing concealed slide fasteners onto cloth in such: manner thatwhen the concealed 'slide fasteners. are in their closed disposition the appearance of a genuine seam is closely simulated.

Other. objects willfappear hereinafter.

i to

except that the presser foot is removed in order that clarity of. underlying parts may be had.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the portion of the machine shown in Figure 1.

.Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the portion of the machine shown in, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the presser foot and needle plate on the line Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a plan view revealing the manner in which a tape bearing slide fastener elements is stitched to cloth by the machine of the present invention in accordance.

with the process of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view demonstrating the appearance of a concealed slide fastener when the same is in its closed disposition attached to cloth by the process of the present.

invention, said View demonstrating the seam-like appe'arance ofrthc slide fastener. v

Figure 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figureit) is a view revealing a concealed slide fastener.

which maybe attached to cloth by the machine of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figures 1" through 5 inclusive, the machine of the present invention is designated generally as 20. Such machine may comprise a single needle lock-stitch sewing machine. For

stood that the remainder of the machine is of conven tional construction. The machine 29 includes a presser bar 22 in which is held by means of set screw 24 the presser foot 26. The

presser foot 26 includes a curved, outer edge 28. Be-

' neaththe presser foot 26 is the plate 32, sometimes referred to as the throat plate, sometimes as the face plate, and referred to herein as the needle plate 32. The outer .edge 30 of needle plate 32 is arcuately curved, as shown particularly in Figure 2. Y

The curved outer edge 28 of the presser foot 26 extends on both sides of the needle guide hole or notch 34, the front portion 28a of the curved edge 28 of presser foot 26 advancing to a gentle curved toe 35. As seen from Figure l the presser foot 26 is superposed above the needle plate 32, with the entire presser foot being disposed above the needle plate 32 and within the border outwardly its maximum distance'in the portion of the needle plate 32 which includes the needle hole 36, such needle hole 36 beingspaced from the arcuately curved outer edge 30-by the land 80; In the illustrated embodito its heel) and also the major axis of 'the slot 38 through i merit, the needle hole'36 is generally elliptical with its j major axis running parallel to the major axis of the v presser foot 26 (extending from the presser foots toe which the feed dog lfl'p'rojects upwardly. The degree of curvature of the outeredge 30 ofne'edle plate'32is such that aprojection of the major axis of the elliptical needle hole 36 intersects the curved outer edge30both aovwsc before the needle hole 36 and after the needle hole 36 (see points respectively designated A and B in Figure 2).

As seen in Figure 3 the needle plate 32 is arcuately curved, with the needle hole 36 being disposed at the highest point of such arcuate curvature. The needle plate 32 is secured to the post 42 by front and rear retention screws 44 and 46.

A work plate or end plate 48 of conventional construction is provided at the top of post 42 for permitting access to the contents of the post 42, such as the bobbin.

The needle plate 32 includes a dependent wall 50 beneath its curved outer edge 36, which dependent wall 50 is arcuately curved to the same extent as the outer edge 39 of needle plate 32. Preferably the outer wall 52 of post 42 is similarly arcuately curved so that a curved wall extends vertically beneath the curved outer edge 30 which conforms to the degree of curvature of the curved outer edge 30. As seen particularly in Figure 7 the vertical height of this curved outer wall is appreciably greater than the maximum width of the slide fastener elements which are to be stitched to the cloth by the machine 2% of the present invention.

A needle of conventional structure is carried by the needle bar 56 and is reciprocally movable through the needle guide hole 34 of presser foot 26 and the needle hole 36 of needle plate 32.

Preferably the machine of the present invention should employ the process disclosed in my copending patent application Serial No. 692,772. The manner in which such process may be effected, namely the manner in which a concealed slide fastener may be sewn to cloth in accordance with the present invention is shown particularly in Figures 6 and 7.

A form of concealed slidc fastener 58 which maybe utilized in accordance with the present invention is shown in Figure 10. The precise construction of the concealed slide fastener 58 forms no part'of the present invention, a wide variety of such concealed slide fasteners being described in the art. A suitable example of a concealed slide fastener which may be utilized in the present invention is that shown in United States Letters Patent 2,738,560 issued March 20, 1956 to Jacques Hug entitled Concealed Slide-Fasteners. The finished sewn article is shown in Figures 8 and 9, and by reference to Figures 9 and 10, a sufficient understanding of the concealed slide fasteners structure may be had to follow the manner in which such concealed slide fastener 58 is sewn to the cloth 6t).

The slide fastener 58 includes a pair of element supporting tapes 62 and 64 on which the elements 66 of the concealed slide fastener 58 are carried.

As seen particularly in Figure 9, the elements 66 are carried on folded-in inner edges of the tapes 62 and 64, the inner edges of the tapes 62 and 64 being welted at 68 to provide means for anchoring the elements 66. Since the elements 66 are disposed behind the inner edges of the tapes 62 and 6d and since the slider 7t) rides on the inside and outside of the elements 66, when the concealed slide fastener 58 is closed (see Figure 8) substantially only the tab 72 of slider 76 is visible.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a tape 62 of concealed slide fastener 53 is joined to the cloth 60. The cloth 69 includes a sewn seam 74 below the concealed slide fastener '58 and a sewn seam 76 above the concealed slide fastener 58, such seams joining the cloth 60 together except for the gap intermediate the seams '74 and 76 which is occupied by the concealed slide fastener 58.

The cloth 60' is folded back along fold line 78 (see Figure 7) to form'the exposed major portion of the cloth designated 66a and the folded-under portion of the cloth designated 6912, such folded-under portion 66b being juxtaposed to the tape 62.

As seen particularly in Figure 7 the distance between 28 of presser. foot 26 in the region of the needle guide hole 34 of presser foot 26 is approximately equal to the lateral dimension of the elements 66. Similarly, the maximum width of the land 80 between the needle hole 36 and the outer edge 39 of the needle plate 32 is also approximately equal to the lateral dimension of the elements 66, and in any event is sufficiently large so that it forms a supporting surface upon the elements 66 may be rested, with a portion thereof overhanging the vertical wall 50 which depends from the outer edge 30 of needle plate 32.

The line of stitching 82 is secured closely adjacent the elements 66 since the needle guide hole 34 of presser foot 26 is closely adjacent the outer edge 28 of presser foot 26. In this manner both of the tapes 62 and 64 may be secured to the cloth 60 by lines of stitching which are close to and parallel to the elements 66 carried by such tapes 62 and 64.

The inward curving of the outer edge 28 on either side of the needle guide hole 34 of presser foot 26 enables the presser foot to be used with the elements 66 advanced by the feed dog 4! very close to the needle guide hole 34 and the needle hole 36. Similarly, the arcuate curvature of the outer edge 30 of the needle plate 32 enables the elements 66 to be rapidly fed, and the line of stitching 82 achieved, as close as possible to the elements 66. The small land portion 36 of the needle plate 32 enables the elements 6-6 to be supported while the line of stitching 82 is inserted.

The arcuately curved dependent wall 50 of needle plate 32 and the adjacent outer wall 52 of post 42 enables the slide fastener 53 to be fed in respect to the machine 20 without interference to its rapid feeding, and without interference to the method of insertion heretofore described and which forms the process described in my copending patent application Serial No.

Folding back of the major portion 66a over the foldedunder portion 60!) will conceal the line of stitching 32 so that such line of stitching 32 may not be seen when the outside of the cloth 60 is viewed (see Figure 8).

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine for sewing concealed slide fasteners, an arcuate needle plate, said needle plate having a needle hole in the uppermost point and closely adjacent the outer edge thereof, said outer edge of said needle plate being inwardly curved on either side of said needle hole when viewed from a position above said needleplate, a presser foot superposed above said needle plate, said presser foot having a needle guide notch on the outside edge thereof, and said presser foot being disposed over said needle plate with the needle guide hole of said presser foot mating with the needle hole of said needle plate and the outside edge of said presser foot being above said needle plate and spaced inwardly a short distance from the outer edge of said needle plate, said needleplate extending downwardly from diametrically opposite points on said needlehole, said diametrically opposite points forming a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said presser foot.

2. In a sewing machine for sewing concealed slide fasteners, an arcuate needle plate, said needle plate having an elliptical needle hole in the uppermost point and closely adjacent the outer edge thereof, said outer edge of said needle plate being inwardly curved on either side of said needle hole when viewed from a position above said needleplate, an upright wall depending from the lowermost surface of said outer edge conformed to the shape of said outer edge, a presser foot superposed above said needle plate, said presser foot having a needle guide notch on the outside edge thereof, said presser foot being disposed over said needle plate with the needle guide hole of said presser foot mating with the needle hole of said needle plate and the outside edge of said presser foot being above said needle plate and spaced inwardly a short distance from the edge of said needle plate, said needleplate extending downwardly fromdiametrically opposite points on said needlehole, said diametrically opposite points forming a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said presser foot.

3. A sewing machine in accordance with claim 2 in which the outer edge of the needle plate curves inwardly a suflicient distance so that it crosses a line which projects from the needle hole and which is parallel to the major axis of the presser foot.

4. In a sewing machine for sewing concealed slide fasteners, an arcuate needle plate, said needle plate having a a needle hole in the uppermost point and closely adjacent ing therethrough on the side of the needle hole opposite to the outer edge thereof, a feed dog extending upwardly through said slot, the uppermost surface of said feed dog being below said uppermost point on said needleplate at all times, a presser foot superposed above said needle plate, said presser foot having a needle guide notch in the outer edge thereof, said presser foot being disposed over said needle plate with the needle guide hole of said presser foot mating with the needle hole of said needle plate and the outside edge of said presser foot being above said needle plate and spaced inwardly a short distance from the outer edge of said needle plate, said needleplate extending downwardly from diametrically opposite points on said needlehole, said diametrically opposite points forming a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said presser foot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 149,714 Brewster Apr. 14, 1874 555,476 Fogg Feb. 25, 1896 1,109,455 Onderdonk Sept. 1, 1914 1,387,143 Flanagan Aug. 9, 1921 1,685,854 McLaughlin Oct. 2, 1928 2,363,976 Kline Nov. 28, 1944 2,776,635 Blumenkrantz Ian. 8, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 359,771 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1931

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