US3073483A

US3073483A - Shank button feeder

Info

Publication number: US3073483A
Application number: US822547A
Authority: US
Inventors: Medoff Irving
Original assignee: EMSIG Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: EMSIG Manufacturing CO
Priority date: 1959-06-24
Filing date: 1959-06-24
Publication date: 1963-01-15
Anticipated expiration: 1980-01-15
Also published as: DE1111489B; GB919561A

Description

Jan. 15, 1963 MEDOFF SHANK BUTTON FEEDER Filed June 24, 1959 INVENTOR m A a. k

-- u m nu I Medan? 6 M ATTORNEY 3,073,483 SHANK BUTTON FEEDER Irving Medolf, Seaford, N.Y., assignor to Emsig Manufacturing Co., New York, NY. Filed June 24, 1959, Ser. No. 822,547 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-186) This invention relates to a shank button feeder, and more particularly to a feeder for use in conjunction with a button sewing machine.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to an automatic shank button feeder adapted without alteration or adjustment, to feed to sewing position shank buttons having a wide variety of head sizes.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to an improvement in shank button feeders of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,597,912, issued May 27, 1952, and No. 2,830,549, of April 15, 1958, to William A. Troll, which improvement thereover permits the aforesaid button feeders to be used without adjustment or alteration to feed shank buttons of a still wider variety of head sizes than was heretofore possible through the use of the afore mentioned patented feeders.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved shank button feeder useful in conjunction with known button sewing machines which can feed buttons having the range of head sizes from 13 lignes and under, to 35 lignes and over, without requiring adjustment or alteration.

A'further object of this invention is to provide an improved shank button feeder.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or hereinafter be pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, in which- FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the button feeder assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to the view of FIGURE 1, in the raised position of the presser foot;

FIGURE 3 is a magnified section taken on the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a magnified section taken on the lines 44 of FIGURE 1.

Making reference to the drawings, there is provided a chute or raceway 10, including a rear wall 11, and separated

front walls

12 and 13, defining therebetween a slot 14. The chute 10, at its uppermost end, is communicated with a button hopper (not shown) adapted to introduce into said chute, shank buttons oriented so that the head portion H of the said buttons is guided interiorly of the

walls

10, 11 and 12 of the chute, and the shank S is projected laterally outwardly through the slot 14. The hopper portion does not form a part of this invention, a suitable hopper being described and illustrated in the aforesaid Troll Patent No. 2,597,912.

At the lowermost end 15 of the chute or raceway there are provided upper and lower spring clamping fingers '16 and 17, respectively, spaced to define a continuation of the slot 14 of the chute or raceway 10. A presser foot 18, comprising the lowermost portion of the chute assembly, is connected'to the conventional lift bar (not shown) of the sewing machine, said lift bar serving to raise and lower presser foot 18 to the upper and lower limiting positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 1, respectively, such movement being a generally vertical movement.

A lever 20, pivotally secured at 21 behind the chute it), carries the feeder pawl 22', which is mounted on trunnion 23 at the end 24 of the arm 20. A headed bolt 25, tapped into trunnion 23 of the arm 20, is provided, in addition, with a lock nut 26 for purposes which will appear hereafter. The pawl 24 is provided with a finger ice 30 lying

adjacent walls

12, 13 of the chute. A camming surface is formed on the pawl 22, adjacent the finger 30', to provide, upon raising of the presser foot, for a downward and forward sweeping movement of the finger 39 relative to and adjacent the chute 10.

While the operation of the pawl 22 and finger 33 under the influence of the cam surface 31 will be described in some detail in connection with the operation of this device, a fuller description of a similar cam and pawl member may be had by referring to the aforesaid Troll Patent No. 2,830,549.

The pawl 22 is maintained in contact with a follower 35 in the form of a roller by a coiled spring 36 tensioned between a tail piece 37 formed on the rearward part 38 of the cam 22, and a stud 39 secured to the chute 10. The roller 35 is provided with a flange 40, laterally spaced from the chute 10 a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the pawl 22, thereby serving to keep the pawl 22. and its associated finger 30 in close adjacency to the outer face of the

walls

12, 13, throughout all movements of the pawl with respect to the chute 1.0.

In order to permit the use of shank buttons having a wide range of head sizes, there is provided a holdback or spacer member 45, mounted for pivotal movement in avertical plane about a stud 46, which is provided with a washer 47, adapted to maintain the holdback mem; ber in close adjacency to the wall 13 of the chute 10'. The tensioned coil spring 48 is spanned between a fixed stud 49 carried by an extension 50 of the chute assembly 10, and a laterally offset lug 51 extending from 1a tail portion of the member 45. The effect of the spring 48 is to apply to the holdback member 45 a clockwise torque when viewed in the positions shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the co-action of tail piece 52 of the holdback member with the abutment 53 of the extension 50 serving to restrain clockwise movement of the holdback 45 beyond the position shown in FIGURE 1.

The forward end 54 of the holdback 45 is prov-idedwith a cam nose or face 55 in leading position with respect to the direction of travel of buttons in the chute/10. The cam face 55 is normally projected by the action of spring 48 into a position adjacent slot 14 of the chute 19, and serves to block buttons from descending to the

spring fingers

16, 17 by engagement with the buttons, preferably employing the shank as the point of engagement in opposition to the finger feed 30.

The minimum spacing between the shank blocking part of cam face 55 and the leading button engaging face'30q of the finger 30 in the position occupied by' such leading face after a button has been advanced to sewing position, as shown in FIGURE 2, is critical to the successful operation of the feeder. Thus, I have determined that the aforesaid parts in the positions previously'described, must be spaced apart a minimum distance in excess of the diameter of the largest button to be sewn, minus thewidth of a button shank. For instance, if a 301igne button (a ligne comprising 4 of an inch) is the largest button to be used and the constant shank size of the buttons used is' 8 lignes, the leading. edge 30a of the finger 30 in the position shown in FIGURE 2 must be spaced from the button blocking part of the cam face 55 (when the space is projected into the path of the button shanks) a distance in excess of 30 minus 8, or 22 lignes. Where, as here, a non-linear chute is involved, the spacing heretofore defined and hereafter claimed shall be measured along the path of button travel.

I have likewise determined that the locationof the point at which the portion 30a of finger 30 enters the path'lof travel of the button shanks is critical to the operation of the feeder. Thus, successful operations havebeen determined to depend upon the entry by the part 30a rearwardly of the projected blocking part of the cam face 55 a distance in excess of the width of a button shank, but less than the diameter of the smallest button to be sewn. Thus, if the feeder is to be used for buttons having a shank width of 8 lignes, and the smallest button to be sewn is a 13 ligne button, the leading edge 30a of finger 30 must enter behind the blocking part of cam face 55 a distance greater than 8 lignes, but less than 13 lignes.

In operation, buttons B are fed to the chute from a hopper (not shown), and are oriented in said chute so that the shank portions S, by reason of their substantially hour glass cross section, are projected laterally outwardly through the slot 14 defined by the

walls

12 and 13, forming the side wall of the chute 10. The buttons B descend down the chute 10, until their flow is interrupted by the cam face or nose 55 of the pawl 45.

Reference will now be made to FIGURE 1, wherein the leading button B1 is depicted as having been sewn but still clamped by the fingers 16,.17, and the presser foot 18 against the anvil A of the sewing machine. On completion of the sewing operation, the lift bar (not shown) will raise the presser foot 18, causing the bolt 25 to bear against the under-surface of the sewing head H, thus forcing the lever 20 to pivot about the point 21 against the tensioning action of the spring 36. The downward pivotal movement of the lever 20 will cause the cam surface 31 to ride along the follower 35, causing an initial downward movement of the finger 30. As the presser foot 18 progresses toward the fully raised position shown in FIGURE 2, the finger 30 and leading edge part 30a will engage behind the second button B2, engaging the shank S, of the said button. The slope of the cam surface 31 is such that the initial downward movement of the finger 30 with respect to the chute 10 is followed by a primarily forward movement whereby the button B2 is forced by the finger 30 to the forward or sewing position shown in FIGURE 2. In the course of such forward movement, the forward part of the shank S of the button B2 will coact with the cam face 55 of the holdback 45, causing the said holdback to be moved out of the path of the shank of button B2, against the biasing pressure of the spring 48. When the trailing portion of the shank of button B2 has passed beyond the nose of cam face 55, holdback 45 is permitted to snap back into the path of the next succeeding button B3 and to restrain the same against movement toward the clamping

fingers

16, 17. As the button B2 is shifted into sewing position, see FIGURE 2, the initial or first button B1 will be ejected from engagement with the

fingers

16, 17, by the action of gile periphery of the button B2 against that of the button A trailing stop surface 31a is provide on the cam face 31 of the pawl 22, to assure that buttons advanced to the sewing position will be accurately aligned with respect to the sewing machine M.

The adjustment bolt 25 and its associated lock nut 26 are provided mainly to control the rearward alignment of the finger 30 when the pawl 22 occupies the position shown in FIGURE 1, it being understood, however, that once correct adjustment of the bolt 25 is accomplished, no further adjustment of such bolt need be effected to permit the device to be used with buttons having varying head sizes. It will be readily recognized that the operation of the device is dependent upon the provision of shank buttons having constant shank widths since the point of blockage by the cam nose 55 and the point of advance between the needle N of the machine will be altered if the button shank widths vary.

The criticality of the spacings previously set forth will be more clearly understood when it is recalled that when using the largest button for which the feeder is adapted, the next succeeding button B2 must be restrained a distance sufficient to prevent engagement of the peripheries of the heads of the first button B1 and the second button B2, so that the second button will lie against the cam face 55 rather than being restrained rearwardly by engagement of the cam face 55 by the periphery of the button being sewn.

Similarly, the finger 30 must not be permitted to enter too far rearwardly of the cam face 55 since, if small buttons were used, entry too far rearwardly of the cam face might result in engagement of the finger 30 with the shank of the button B3 (the button in trailing position of the one restrained by the holdback 45).

It will be readily recognized by one skilled in the button feeder art, that the limitation in range of button sizes which may be fed by the feeder herein described is theoretically unlimited, the range of 13 to 35 ligne buttons, herein mentioned, being illustrative only. Accordingly, this invention is to be differentiated from the Troll feeder described and claimed in US. Patent No. 2,830,549 which provides a limited range of variability in button sizes and requires a more complex camming design to make this limited range workable.

Having thus described the invention and illustrated its use, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A shank button feeder for use in combination with a button sewing machine to sew without adjustment buttons of a wide variety of head sizes but having shanks of uniform size, comprising an extended button chute adapted slidingly to receive the head portion of shank buttons and to project the shank portion laterally outwardly through a slot formed in a wall of said chute, means at one end of said chute to supply buttons to said chute, the other end of said chute having a substantially vertically moveable work engageable presser foot including button clamping means at a terminal part of the presser foot, a pawl member moveable with respect to said chute responsive to relative movement of said presser foot to said sewing machine, a finger carried by said pawl to be adjacent said slotted wall of said chute and arranged, upon raising of said presser foot to be shifted by said pawl progressively downwardly into the path of said buttons and forwardly to a predetermined button sewing position adjacent said button clamping means, the entry of said finger into the said path being readwardly of said predetermined position a distance at least equal to twice the diameter of the largest button to be sewn and means having a cam nose portion normally projected into the path of said button shanks to restrain flow of buttons down said chute, the shank engaging face of said nose portion being spaced from said button sewing position of said clamping means a distance in excess of the diameter of the largest button to be sewn minus the width of said uniform sized shanks, the point of entry of said finger of said pawl into said path being rearwardly of the shank of the button engaging said nose and forwardly of the shank of the next succeeding button whereby a variety of button head sizes may be used in the feeder without adjustment of the feeder parts to each other.

2. A shank button feeder for use in combination with a button sewing machine to sew without adjustment thereof to accommodate buttons of a wide variety of head sizes, but having shanks having a predetermined size, comprising an extended button chute adapted slidingly to receive the head portion of shank buttons and to project the shank portion laterally outwardly through a slot formed in a wall of said chute, means at one end of said chute to supply buttons to said chute in edge-to-edge relation, the other end of said chute having a substantially vertically moveable presser foot including button clamping fingers at a terminal part of the presser foot, a pawl member moveable with respect to said chute responsive to relative movement of said presser foot to said sewing machine, a finger carried by said pawl to be adjacent said slotted wall of said chute and arranged, upon raising of said presser foot, to be shifted by said pawl progressively downwardly into the path of said button shanks and forwardly to a predetermined button sewing position adjacent said clamping fingers, the entry of said finger into the said path being rearwardly of said predetermined position a distance at least equal to twice the diameter of the largest button to be sewn, and a holdback member having a blocking portion to one side of said slot spring biased normally to be in blocking position in the path of said button shanks, said blocking portion being spaced rearwardly from the leading edge of said finger when in button sewing position a distance in excess of the diameter of the largest button to be sewn minus the width of said shank, the point of entry of said finger of said pawl into said path being rearwardly of the shank of the button engaging said blocking portion and forwardly of the shank of the next succeeding button whereby a variety of button head sizes may be used in the feeder without adjustment of the feeder parts to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 386,856 Thayer July 31, 1888 502,327 Stimpson Aug. 1, 1893 2,597,912 Troll May 27, 1952 10 2,661,709 Troll Dec. 8, 1953 2,814,393 Buck Nov, 26, 1957

Claims

1. A SHANK BUTTON FEEDER FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A BUTTON SEWING MACHINE TO SEW WITHOUT ADJUSTMENT BUTTONS OF A WIDE VARIETY OF HEAD SIZES BUT HAVING SHANKS OF UNIFORM SIZE, COMPRISING AN EXTENDED BUTTON CHUTE ADAPTED SLIDINGLY TO RECEIVE THE HEAD PORTION OF SHANK BUTTONS AND TO PROJECT THE SHANK PORTION LATERALLY OUTWARDLY THROUGH A SLOT FORMED IN A WALL OF SAID CHUTE, MEANS AT ONE END OF SAID CHUTE TO SUPPLY BUTTONS TO SAID CHUTE, THE OTHER END OF SAID CHUTE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY MOVEABLE WORK ENGAGEABLE PRESSER FOOT INCLUDING BUTTON CLAMPING MEANS AT A TERMINAL PART OF THE PRESSER FOOT, A PAWL MEMBER MOVEABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID CHUTE RESPONSIVE TO RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID PRESSER FOOT TO SAID SEWING MACHINE, A FINGER CARRIED BY SAID PAWL TO BE ADJACENT SAID SLOTTED WALL OF SAID CHUTE AND ARRANGED UPON RAISING OF SAID PRESSER FOOT TO BE SHIFTED BY SAID PAWL PROGRESSIVELY DOWNWARDLY INTO THE PATH OF SAID BUTTONS AND FORWARDLY TO A PREDETERMINED BUTTON SEWING POSITION ADJACENT SAID BUTTON CLAMPING MEANS, THE ENTRY OF SAID FINGER INTO THE SAID PATH BEING READWARDLY OF SAID PREDETERMINED POSITION A DISTANCE AT LEAST EQUAL TO TWICE THE DIAMETER OF THE LARGEST BUTTON TO BE SEWN AND MEANS HAVING A CAM NOSE PORTION NORMALLY PROJECTED INTO THE PATH OF SAID BUTTON SHANKS TO RESTRAIN FLOW OF BUTTONS DOWN SAID CHUTE, THE SHANK ENGAGING FACE OF SAID NOSE PORTION BEING SPACED FROM SAID BUTTON SEWING POSITION OF SAID CLAMPING MEANS A DISTANCE IN EXCESS OF THE DIAMETER OF THE LARGEST BUTTON TO BE SEWN MINUS THE WIDTH OF SAID UNIFORM SIZED SHANKS, THE POINT OF ENTRY OF SAID FINGER OF SAID PAWL INTO SAID PATH BEING REARWARDLY OF THE SHANK OF THE BUTTON ENGAGING SAID NOSE AND FORWARDLY OF THE SHANK OF THE NEXT SUCCEEDING BUTTON WHEREBY A VARIETY OF BUTTON HEAD SIZES MAY BE USED IN THE FEEDER WITHOUT ADJUSTMENT OF THE FEEDER PARTS TO EACH OTHER.