US3191558A

US3191558A - Hosiery feeder

Info

Publication number: US3191558A
Application number: US310659A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph M Graves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-09-23
Filing date: 1963-09-23
Publication date: 1965-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-29

Description

June 29, 1965 R. M. GRAVES 3,191,558

, HOSIERY FEEDER Filed Sept. 23, 1963 RALPH MGRAvEs ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,191,558 HOSIERY FEEDER Ralph M. Graves, 430 Clifty St., Harriman, Tenn. Filed Sept. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 310,659 3 Claims- (Cl. 112-2) This invention relates to a hosiery feeder for sewing the open toe of hosiery on a sewing machine.

In the manufacture of hosiery, the hose is first knitted in tubular form and during the knitting a heavier gauge thread forms a top welt and toe and heel areas. After the knitting, the toe area must be closed to form the toe of the hose and until recently the toe closing has been performed by specially skilled operators using a looping machine. At present, most producers have employed a sewing machine in place of the looping machine to sew the toe and at the same time remove the excess toe welt in one operation.

When using a sewing machine the operator positions the tubular hose on the work table in a flattened position with the center of the heel aligned with one of the edges of the flattened hose. The operator then feeds the heel beneath the presser foot of the sewing machine using one hand to guide the forward edge of the flattened hose and the other hand for guiding the rear edge. Although a skilled operator can sew about 180 dozen pairs of hose per day, certain faults have been found to exist in the present method. For example, as one hand moves close to the presser foot and cutter of the sewing machine there is danger of the hand being injured. Also with both hands required for tensioning the fabric it is more diflicult to guide the hose for sewing the toes at a uniform point in the welt. Furthermore, since both hands of the operator are required until the sewing is completed there is lost motion.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hosiery feeder for sewing machines which will overcome the objections and faults of the present method employed in feeding the hosiery.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a feeder arm for supporting hosiery mounted to oscillate in a horizontal plane above the work table so that its free end passes beneath the presser foot of the sewing machine, the feeder arm being automatically disengaged from the hosiery as the hosiery is advanced by the sewing machine after the initial feeding by the arm.

A still further object of the invention resides in pivotally mounting the feeder arm in a supporting bracket for free swinging movement, means for oscillating said bracket to swing the feeder arm in an arcuate path towards the presser foot of the sewing machine and means for returning said bracket to its normal position while leaving the feeder arm free to swing on its pivot.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the general arrangement of the hosiery feeder on the work table of a sewing machine,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the feeder arm showing the positions of the arm in operation,

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the feeder arm,

FIG. 4 in a section taken on line 44 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the actuating mechanism for oscillating the feeder arm.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration a preferred form of the invention is shown, the numeral 5 denotes a work table on which a conventional sewing machine 6 is mounted for use in sewing the toe portion of hosiery to form the toe. Mounted in front of the sewing machine is a vertical shaft 7 having its lower end extending through the top of the work table. Adjustable collars 8 and 9 are mounted on the shaft above and below the top of the table in bearing engagement with washers 10 and 11 to support the shaft for rotation. The collars 8 and 9 are adjustably secured to the shaft by set

screws

12 and 13 to permit the shaft to be adjusted vertically. Extending radially from opposite sides of collar 9 are

arms

14 and 15 disposed in angular relation to each other. The arm 15 has its free end connected by a link 16 to one end of a coil spring 17 and the opposite end of the spring is attached to the underside of the table top, as at 18. An adjustable stop bracket 19 is attached to the underside of the table top forward of the arm 15 by a screw 20 and limits the forward movement of the arm 15. The free end of arm 14 is connected by a link 21 to one end of a cable 22 which is trained over pulleys 23 with its opposite end connected to a foot pedal 24 for actuating the cable to pull arm 14 in a rearward direction.

A collar 25 is adjustably mounted on the upper end of shaft 7 by a set screw 26 and extending radially from the collar is an arm 27. A U-shape supporting bracket 28 has one end fitted over arm 27 and is secured to the arm by -a bolt 29 for longitudinal adjustment on the arm. The open side of the bracket faces the sewing machine and a feeder arm or bar 30 has one end pivotally mounted in the open side of the bracket, as at 31, to freely swing towards and from the sewing machine. The free end 32 of the feeder arm is of reduced thickness to pass beneath the presser foot 33 of the sewing machine when the feeder arm swings towards the sewing machine.

In operation, the operator first slips the open toe-end welt of the hose over the free end 32 of the feeder arm when in its normal position, as shown in full lines in FIG. 2. With one hand, usually the right hand, the operator tensions the fabric away from the arm 30 to flatten and straighten the fabric. By rolling the rearward edge between the thumb and finger, the rearward edge of the fabric can be aligned with the center line of the heel portion of the hose. Holding the fabric in this manner and using the other hand to guide the hose in a transverse direction, the operator depresses the foot pedal 24 to rotate the shaft 7 to swing the feeder arm to pass the free end 32 beneath the presser foot 33, thus feeding the forward edge of the hose into engagement with the fabricadvancing means of the sewing machine. At this point, the foot pedal may be released permitting the shaft to return to its starting position while swinging the feeder arm 30 on its pivot 31 to a position that permits the arm to be returned to its normal position without passing under the presser foot.

During the sewing operation, once the left hand has guided the fabric so as to commence sewing at the proper position on the toe welt, this hand is free to prepare the next hose to be mounted on the feeder arm. In this manner a rather large increase in the production rate is achieved. For example, production has been increased from about dozen pairs to 230 dozen pairs per shift. Furthermore, more uniformity is achieved in the length of the foot, the toe seam is more easily aligned with the center of the heel and the sewing operation is safer.

It is' to be understood that the form of the invention herein shown and described is a preferred example of the same and changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sewing machine attachment for feeding the toe portion of tubular hosiery to a sewing position preparatory to forming the toe closure comprising a work table supporting the sewing machine, a shaft having one end extending through the top of the work table, means mounting said shaft in the top of said Work table for oscillating movement, a radial arm aflixed to the upper end of said shaft, a U-snape bracket having one end adjustably connected to said arm, a feeder arm having one end pivotally mounted in the open side of said bracket for swinging movement in a horizontal plane above the work table, the free end of said feeder arm being adapted to support the toe portion of the hosiery to be sewed, opposed radial arms extending from the lower end of said shaft beneath the top of the Work table, a spring connected to the free end of one of the radial arms for biasing said shaft in one direction, a cable connected to the free end of the other radial arm, and a foot pedal connected to said cable for rotating said shaft against the bias of said spring.

2. A sewing machine attachment as described in claim 1 including a stop bracket attached to the underside of said Work table in the path 'of movement of said radial arms to limit the oscillating movement of said shaft.

3s A sewing machine attachment for feeding the toe portion of tubular hosiery to a sewing position preparatory to forming the toe closure comprising, in combination with a sewing machine, a Work table supporting the sewin machine a vertical shaft havin its lower end rotatably mounted in the top of the work table, an elongated bracket affixed to the upper end of said shaft and extending radially therefrom, said bracket being U-shape in cross section with the open side facing the sewing machine, a feeder arm for supporting the toe portion of the hosiery to be sewed having one end pivotally mounted in the open side of said bracket, midway the length of the bracket, to freeiy swing in the direction of the sewing machine, said armbeing limited in its movement in the opposite direction by said bracket, and means for rotating said shaft to swing -said bracket and feeder arm towards the sewing machine.

References Cited by the Exaer UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,597,686 5/52 Turner et al 112102 2,649,975 8/53 Brooks 214-451 2,702,014 2/55 Brownstein 112-2 3,073,267 1/63 Reeber et a1. 112-2 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING THE TOE PORTION OF TUBULAR HOSIERY TO A SEWING POSITION PREPARATORY TO FORMING THE TOE CLOSURE COMPRISING A WORK TABLE SUPPORTING THE SEWING MACHINE, A SHAFT HAVING ONE END EXTENDING THROUGH THE TOP OF THE WORK TABLE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID SHAFT IN THE TOP OF SAID WORK TABLE FOR OSCILLATING MOVEMENT, A RADIAL ARM AFFIXED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT, A U-SHAPED BRCKET HAVING ONE END ADJUSTABLY CONNECTED TO SAID ARM, A FEEDER ARM HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN THE OPEN SIDE OF SAID BRACKET FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE ABOVE THE WORK TABLE, THE FREE END OF SAID FEEDER ARM BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE TOE PORTION OF THE HOSIERY TO BE SEWED, OPPOSED RADIAL ARMS EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID SHAFT BENEATH THE TOP OF THE WORK TABLE, A SPRING CONNECTED TO THE FREE END OF ONE OF THE RADIAL ARMS FOR BIASING SAID SHAFT IN ONE DIRECTION, A CABLE CONNECTED TO THE FREE END OF THE OTHER RADIAL ARM, AND A FOOT PEDAL CONNECTED TO SAID CABLE FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT AGAINST THE BIAS OF SAID SPRING.