US3229485A

US3229485A - Sliding latch needle

Info

Publication number: US3229485A
Application number: US191528A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peschl Ervin; Zmatlik Josef; Sedlecky Jaromir
Original assignee: Vyzkumny Ustav Bavlnarsky AS
Current assignee: Vyzkumny Ustav Bavlnarsky AS
Priority date: 1961-11-28
Filing date: 1962-05-01
Publication date: 1966-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-18
Also published as: DE1585442A1; CH398860A; GB999008A

Description

Jan. 18, 1966 E PESCHL- ETAL 3,229,485

SLIDING LATCH NEEDLE Filed May l, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A127 5?

m

2,2 @ZW/2 f2 ff *lm m y \l\ WJ/ I W////////////// .iff 1F 111i..- L/ 11P- /0 93@ *im 51,

2 2 5 F! 6. /0 F/G. 9 E INYJENTORS wir; eroi BY /aiflz Jan. 18, 1966 Filed May l, 1962 E. PESCI-1L ETAL SLIDING LATCH NEEDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O SLIDING LATCH NEEDLE Ervin Peschi, Brno, and Josef Zmatlk and Jarornir Sedlcckj, Prague, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Vyzknrnny stav bavlnslry, Usti nad Orlic, Czechoslovakia Filed May 1, 1962, Ser. No. 191,528 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia, Nov. 28, 1961, 7,032/61 12 Claims. (Cl. 66-120) The present invention relates -to a quilting and knitting latch needle, and more particularly to a quilting and knitting latch needle which is advantageously used for quilting textile fabrics by knitted loops.

Latch needles including a main part with a hook, and a movable latch are advantageously used in textile inachines making fabrics of substantial widths which consist of one or several layers of a textile material, quilted and knitted together by a system of threads or iibers. The same type of needle is used for mending, embroidering and similar quilting operations in other mach-ines which are designed for the manufacture of textile products such as carpets, laces, upholstery fabric, or insulating fabrics for industrial uses.

The present invention is particularly concerned with a latch needle of the type in which the main part has a guideway for an elongated latch, one end portion of which projects out of the guideway ltoward the end of a hook at the forward and of the main part of the needle. The main part of the needle, and the latch are preferably operated by independent drive means to move in a synchronized relation as is required for receiving a thread when the hook is opened by the latch, and for closing Vthe hook Abefore the needle passes with the thread through the fabric and during the knock over of the old loop when a new loop is formed. Known latch needles used for quilting and knitting have certain disadvantages .which -limit the time during which lthey can be used, reduce the output of the machines, and detrimentally influence the quality of the produced quilted fabrics.

It is one object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of known quilting and knitting latch needles, and to provide a latch needle having a long span of life and being operable at high speed without damaging the quilted fabric.

Known latch needles of this type have either no points at the forward end, or an unsymrnetrically arranged point which cause an uneven displacement of the pierced and penetrated fabric so that the surface of the fabric becomes wavy and the fabric itself is of greater density at some points, and at llesser density at other points, corresponding to the unsymmetrical shape of the needle with respect to the forward point. Since -the unsymmetrical shape of the needles also causes eccentric buckling pressures, the needles are often bent, and have to be straightened out during an operation.

The hooks of conventional latch needles have a rectangular cross-section, and the inside of the throat of the hook is flat and has edges which damage the thread so that the quality of the finished quited fabric is detrimentally affected.

Furthermore, in conventional latch needles, the throat of the hook is of insuficient depth and is not completely closed by the latch preventing the use of heavy threads which slip out of the hook so that the quality of the quilted product cannot be maintained at a high level.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a quilting and knitting latch needle whose latch reliably closes the hook, and cannot -be displaced by the pressure of the pierced fabric.

With these objects in view, a quilting and knitting needle ice according to the invention comprises a main part including a shank, a stern, which preferably tapers in forward direction, and a hook. The shank is formed with a longitudinal guideway having an open end at the forward end of the shank and at the rearward end of the stem. The 4hook Ihas ya connecting hook portion merging into the thinner end of the tapered stem, la pointed hook center portion and a free hook end portion. A latch is slidable in the guide way projecting from the open end of the same and being movable to and from an advanced closing position abutting the hook end portion. The latch has a latch end portion with a pair of walls forming and bounding a longitudinal groove having a transverse shape lmatching the rounded outline of the hook end portion. The hook end portion is located in the groove and the walls are located in opposite sides of the hook end portion in the advanced closing position of the latch, so that the same cannot be laterally displaced. In accordance with the invention, the cross section of the hook center portion has a lrounded peripheral outline, and the hook center portion has a forward point located symmetrically to longitudinal sections of the hook center portion and preferably of the connecting hook portion and the hook end portion so that the leading part of the needle is completely symmetrical to the forward point of the needle, whereby the fabric is symmetrically displaced when the needle pierces the fabric.

The transverse cross-section, and peripheral outline of the hook -center portion is either circular, oval, or a shape resembling a streamlined cross-section.

The throat yof the hook is rounded off in the direction toward the point. The hook end portion is located substantially opposite to the open end of the guide way, so -that a straight latch can be provided. The depth of the groove in the latch is substantially equal to the transverse height of the hook end portion, and the hook end portion is covered by the leading end of the latch when the latch is in its forward hook closing position.

In one embodiment of lthe invention, the guide way in the shank of the needle is formed by two longitudinal flaps bent -toward each other and forming a tubular guide way.

Quilting needles which are made of tubular blanks require a material vof very high quality having ine grain, and a particular carbon content. The quilting and knitting needle having two bent longitudinal flaps forming a tubular guide way in accordance with the present invention, overcomes this disadvantage, and renders possible the manufacture of high quality needles which can be used on fine fabrics while operating at high working speeds.

A particularly efficient operation is obtained by the needles Iof the present invention, if certain ratios between the dimensions of the parts are maintained.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in longitudinal cross-section, of a quilting and knitting needle according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

PIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line III-III;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on line IV-IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line V--V in FIG. l;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line VI-VI in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line VII-VII in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view, partly in longitudinal section, illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IX-IX in FIG. 8;

FIG. l is a cross-sectional view taken on line X-X in FIG. 8;

FIG. 1l is a side view, partly in section, of the main part of a quilting and knitting needle according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken on line XII- XII in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional View taken on line XIII- XIII in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side view illustrating the main portion of a needle according to FIG. 1 partly completed during manufacture of the needle.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. l to 7, the main part of the needle has a shank 1, a forwardly tapered stern 10, and a hook 3 terminating in a forward point 4. As is best seen in FIG. 7, the crosssection of the center portion of the hook taken in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the needle is symmetrical to the point 4 and has a rounded outline 30. A longitudinal section through the free hook end portion end portion 6, the hook center portion, and the corresponding connecting hook end portion 3a, see FIG. 6, which connects the hook with the thinner end of the tapered stem 1a has an outer contour 35a, 3511 symmetrical to a longitudinal axis passing through point 4 as best seen in FIG. 1. Due to the symmetrical shape of the hook with respect to the point 4, a fabric pierced by point 4 will be uniformly displaced by the hook portions trailing behind point 4. This arrangement permits quilting and knitting at a high speed even with fabrics which offer a substantial resistance to piercing since the fibers are symmetrically pushed to the side, so that a continuous and uniform appearance of the surface of the quilted fabric is obtained, while the density of the fabric adjacent the stitches is not substantially increased. In this manner, the quality of the quilted and knitted goods, as well as its appearance, is improved, which is of particular importance if the quilting and knitting threads are of a different color and clearly distinguishable from the fabric. The symmetrical shape of the` leading forward end of the needle permits it to provide a greater number of stitches within a given unit area so that a fine and light fabric can be quilted. A uniform spacing of the stitches is maintained even at high pressure due to the symmetrical hook formation, the needle remains straight, and has no tendency to bend so that no lateral pressures on the needle bed are produced, and the needles need not be straightened during the operation.

The needles of the invention are mainly intended for use with a special quilted material in which a fleece, or similar loose material, is densely quilted by knitting stitches so that the quilted fabric attains the characteristics of a woven fabric.

Referring again to FIGS. l to 7, it will be seen that a guide way is formed in the shank 1 by two flaps 15 which are bent toward each other and form a longitudinal seam on one side of the shank 1. The straight latch 2 is guided in the thus formed guide way 2a which terminates in an open end 12 located at the thicker portion of the tapered lstern 10, and opening on the at inclined face 17 which faces forwardly and has a rounded portion 16 formed on the ends of the longitudinal aps 15.

The latch 2 has a main portion guided in guide way 2a and end portion formed with a longitudinal groove 7 of uniform depth which is defined by two lateral walls 8 located in opposite sides of the hook end portion 6 in the hook-closing position of the latch. The transverse cross-sectional shape of the groove 7 matches the rounded outline 31 of the cross section of the hook end portion 6, as best seen in FIG. 6. Main portion and end portion of latch 2 are of the same thickness as best seen in FIG. 1.

The outline 30 of transverse cross-section and outline of the central hook portion is oval in the embodiment of FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 7. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the hook center portion is circular, as shown in FIG. 9, the shank 1 is also circular, as best seen in FIG. 10, and an open guide way 2a is provided for the latch 2. Parts in FIG. 8 corresponding to FIG. 1 are indicated by primed reference numerals.

FIG. 1l illustrates a modified embodiment which substantially corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. l. However, the cross-sectional shape of the center hook portion 3 is streamlined, as best seen in FIG. 12. Furthermore, the shank 1" of the main part of the needle is tubular, and the guide way 13 is of circular shape, corresponding to a latch, not shown, of matching circular shape. The shank 1 has an end portion 21 shown to be mounted in a holder 20, so that the effective length L extends between holder 20 and needle point 4.

The oval cross-section of the center hook portion, as shown in FIG. 7, and the stream lined cross-section, as shown in FIG. l2, are advantageously used when the needles quilt and knit fabrics-composed of several superimposed layers, and for dense and heavy fabrics and materials which offer a substantial resistance to the piercing by the needles. The oblong cross-sections are also advantageous for fleece having fibers which are directed parallel to the feeding direction of the material during the knitting, stitching and quilting of the seams by the needles.

The circular cross-section of the center hook portion shown in FIG. 9 is particularly suitable for material consisting of fibers which are not oriented, or for a material composed of superimposed layers, each of which has fibers oriented transversely to the bers of the adjacent layer. A circular cross-section is also preferred for quilting and knitting knitted fabrics, or knitted fabrics combined with fibrous layers, and also for quilting and knitting rather thin, loose and light materials where it is desired that almost interceptable traces are left where the needle has been retracted after piercing the fabric and knitting a loop. In accordance with the invention, the

throat

5 or 5 of the hook is rounded in the direction toward the point 4. The free hook end portion 6, and the connecting hook portion 3a have rounded off

inner surfaces

32 and 33, as best shown in FIG. 6 so that the thread in the throat slides on smooth and rounded surfaces.

It has been found that the rounding off of the inner surfaces of the throat is important for easily forming a new loop of the thread or yarn laid into the hook, and also for preventing damage to the fibers of the thread or yarn.

FIG. 11 indicates dimensions of the needle in accordance with the present invention. The depth E of the throat 5 between the end of hook end portion 6 and the inner surface of hook center portion 3" (or 3, or 3') is at least equal to the transverse width of the throat 5 between the inner surface of hook end portion 6 and the confronting surface 11 of connecting portion 3a.

This ratio permits the use of heavy binding and knitting yarns such as rovings or twisted yarn, which are well covered within the hook and are prevented from being damaged or from slipping out of the hook so that the manufacture of high quality quilted fabrics is assured.

The hook end portion 6 is engaged by the latch 2, and due to the fact that the walls 8 form groove 7 matching the hook end portion 6, the yarn is safely held in the closed hook. The inner edges of the walls 8 are flush with the inner surface of the hook end portion 6, as best seen in FIG. 6. The hook end portion 6 is substantially straight, and consequently tits into the straight groove 7 which terminates in a face 9 spaced from the end of the hook end portion 6.

Due to the fact that the latch walls S are positioned by the hook end portion 6, a lateral displacement of the latch end portion during the stitching and knitting operations is not possible so that damage and breaking of latches is prevented.

When the latch 2 is retracted, the surface 9 serves for cleaning the guide way 2a from dust and small ber particles which may be deposited therein, so that it becomes unnecessary to provide a scraper which is used in prior art constructions.

Holders are either made of metal, or of a synthetic plastic material. letal holders may be made of alloys containing lead, zinc and similar metals having a low melting point. Plastic holders have the advantage of low specific weight, resulting in a substantial reduction of the inertia of the parts moved by the driving means. The effective length L of the needle passes through the quilted material, and through knock-od combs or sinkers.

A great variety of fabrics can be quilted and knitted by needles in which the thickness A in a direction trans verse to the plane of the hook, see FlG. 13, is in a certain ratio to the eective length L. A ratio between A. and L within the range of 1:20 to 1:40 has been found most advantageous for the manufacture of quilted material for heavy thermal insulating working garments, for heavy filter materials, or as bottom layer for laminated fabrics, such as artiiicial leather, and also for the manufacture of light linen, fine fabrics used for garments, and for iight protective or decorative packing materials.

The ratio 1:20 is particularly advantageous for materials winch offer a substantial resistance to piercing and where it is possible to space the quilting and knitting needles considerable distances. The ratio 1:40 is more suitable for loose materials which are arranged in a number of superimposed layers, and for other materials which can be easily pierced and where the needles have to be arranged closely spaced from each other so that closely spaced knitted and quilted seams are obtained.

The thickness A of the shank is preferably in a certain ratio to the height B of the shank. The ratio AzB is referably in the range between 1:2 to 1:14, and needles constructed in accordance with this ratio are suitable for quilting and knitting machines employing a great number of needles per unit width, since a greater number of needles can be used than in known machines of this type, for instance, 70 needles for 1GO mm., where the quilted and knitted seams are spaced 1.4 mm. Although the needles are closely spaced, the strength required for piercing the material is maintained. Within the above range, specific ratios may be selected in accordance with the fabrics on which the needles are used.

A common feature of the needles according to FIGS. 1 to 13, is a particular ratio between the length C of the hook between the end of the hook end portion 6 and the point il, and the height l) of the hook in a direction of the plane of the hook. In accordance with the present invention the ratio C to D is at least 1 so that the hook is oblong in longitudinal direction of the needle. This construction enables an easy piercing of the material and prevents a damaging of the bers of the material. Furthermore, the highest number of loops or seams for a given unit area is obtained. The construction of the hook in accordance with the present invention, assures a safe binding of the fibrous layers by the quilting and knitting threads without any undesired stressing of the loops, while the fibers in the finished product are Safely held in position.

It has been found that during the passage of the needle through the material, two piercing actions actually take place. The first piercing occurs when the point 4 of hook 3 enters the material, and the second piercing occurs when the thicker portion of the stem 1@ enters the material. This portion has the forwardly facing

inclined face

17 or 17 which merges into the inner face 11 necting neck portion 3a.

The length H from the end of the shank and the beginning of the tapered stem to the point of the needle and also the length of the opening 12 of the

guideway

13 or 13" on the

face

17 or 17 have an influence on the working stroke of the needle, since the angle Gl of the

inclined face

17 or 17 with respect to the'longitudinal direction of the needle has an inuence on the pressure exerted by the needle on the material during the piercing of the material by the thicker end of the tapered stern 11 and by the shank. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ratio between the length H of the stem and hook portions, and the effective length L of the needle is between 1:3 and 1:6, and the angle G is less or equal to 20.

The above explained ratios between the dimensions of the portions of the needle assure an easy piercing without any damage to the pierced material, and furthermore, makes it possible to use a short stroke of the needle, which results in an increase of the rotary speed of the shaft of the quilted and knitting machine.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7, is manufactured in accordance with the present invention in the following manner:

The shaft 1 of the needle is made of a solid at wire at one end portion of which a flat symmetrical wedge portion is made. rl`he hook 3 is cut into the flattened wedge portion, and thereafter shaped in such a manner that the inner face of the throat 5 is rounded off toward the outside of the hook. When the hook 3 is cut into the flat wire body, a projection 14 is also cut, as shown in FIG. 14. When the groove 2a is formed in the shaft ll, two tlaps extending in longitudinal direction are formed, and these aps are then bent toward each other to assume the shape shown for the flaps 15 in FIG. 4 in which the flaps form a guideway for a latch. The

face

16, 17 is machined to be hat and planar, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The iiat planar rounded face portion 16 is formed of the projecting portion 1d.

in the embodiment of FIG. l1 where the guideway is tubular and provided in a tubular shank, the hook 3 is cut and shaped after the tube has been pre-shaped substantially as above described. It is not necessary, however, to form the projection 14, and the dat

inclined surface

16, 17 can be directly formed at the end of the tube.

Needles manufactured and constructed in accordance with the present invention assure a high speed operation in which neither the quilting and knitting yarn, nor the quilted and knitted material are damaged so that a product of high quality is obtained although lower grade material may be used, for example material composed of short fibers, while thin and easily breakable yarns may be used with the needles. Since fewer disturbances occur, it is possible to increase the number of machines attended by each attendant, and consequently to reduce the cost of exchanging damaged needles and latches. The manufacturing costs are reduced, and the productivity of the quilting and knitting machines is increased, when the needles according to the invention are employed.

It will be understood that each lof the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of latch needles differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a quilting and knitting latch needle having a point symmetrical to the transverse cross section and outline of the hook end portion of the needle, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the of the constandpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specic aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended Within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A quilting and knitting needle comprising a main part including a shank, a stem and a hook, said shank having a longitudinal axis of symmetry and being formed with a longitudinal guideway located on one side of said axis and having an open end at the forward end of said shank, said hook having a substantially straight longitudinally extending connecting hook portion merging into said stem and at least the major part of said connecting hook portion being located on the other side of said axis opposite said guideway, a hook center portion having a forward end, and a free hook end portion located substantially opposite said open end of said guideway, said hook center portion having a curved peripheral outline in a plane transverse to the longitudinal direction of the needle, and said connecting hook portion and said hook end portion having curved peripheral outlines merging into said outline of said hook center portion, said hook center portion having a forward end located at said other side of said axis symmetrically to said outlines and closer to said axis than said major part of said connecting hook portion, so that said hook has a substantially symmetrically shaped outline and is transversely spaced from said longitudinal axis of symmetry of said shank and thus asymmetrically arranged with respect thereto and so that longitudinally directed forces exerted on said hook center portion during operation of the needle will be directed through said shank along a line passing through said forward end closer to said axis than said major part of said connecting hook portion; and a latch slidably mounted in said guideway projecting from said open end of the same and being movable to and from an advanced closing position closing said hook end portion.

2. A needle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said latch has a latch end portion with a pair of walls forming and bounding a longitudinal groove having a transverse shape matching said curved outlines of said hook end portion, said hook end portion being located in said groove so that said walls are located on opposite sides of said hook end portion when said latch is in said advanced closing posititon thereof.

3. A needle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said curved outline of said hook center portion is circular, and wherein said shank has a circular cross section.

4. A needle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said curved outline of said hook center portion is oval.

5. A needle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said rounded outline of said hook center portion is streamlined.

6. A needle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said forward end of said hook center portion has a forward point located on said line passing through said forward end.

7. A needle as set forth n claim 6 wherein the thickness of said shank in a direction transverse to the plane of said hook is in a ratio between 1:20 and 1:40 to the 60 effective length of the needle from the free portion of said shank to said point.

8. A needle as set forth in claim 6 wherein the thickness of said shank in a direction transverse to the plane of said hook and the height of said shank in the plane of said hook are in a ratio between 1:1.2 and 2.4.

9. A needle as set forth in claim 6 wherein the longitudinal extension of said hook between the free end of said hook end portion and said point is at least equal to the transverse height of said hook in the plane of said hook.

10. A needle as set forth in claim 6, wherein said stem is tapered and the effective length of the needle to said point is in a ratio between 1:3 to 1:6 to the longitudinal distance between the thicker end of' said stem and said point, and wherein said stem has a surface confronting said hook and being inclined to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the needle an angle of at least 20 degrees.

11. A needle as set forth in claim 6 wherein said hook has a throat bounded by outwardly rounded surface of said connecting portion, said center portion and said hook end portion and the longitudinal depth of the throat of said hook between the free end of said hook end portion and the inner surface of said hook center portion is at least equal to the Width of said throat between said hook end portion and said connecting portion.

12. A needle as set forth in claim 11 wherein the thickness of said shank in a direction transverse to the plane of said hook is in a ratio between 1:20 and 1:40 to the effective length of the needle from the free portion of said shank to said point; wherein the thickness of said shank in a direction transverse to the plane of said hook and the height of said shank in the plane of said hook are in a ratio between 111.2 and 2.4; wherein the longitudinal extension of said hook between the free end of said hook end portion and said point is at least equal to the transverse height of said hook in the plane of said hook; and wherein the effective length of the needle to said point is in a ratio between 1:3 to 1:6 to the longitudinal distance between the thicker end of said stem and said point, and wherein said stem has a surface confronting said hook and being inclined to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the needle an angle of at least 20 degrees.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 140,150 6/1873 Mayne 163-5 140,611 7/1873 Bullard 163-5 423 ,780 3 /1890 Landenberger 66-84 1,866,222 7/ 1932 Pledger 66-120 2,024,794 12/ 1935 Carlson 66-118 2,129,327 9/1938 Kataja 66-120 2,237,480 4/1941 Everett 66-120 2,297,440 9/ 1942 Szucs 66-84 2,341,403 2/1944 Williams 66-117 X 2,402,388 6/ 1946 Franz 66-118 2,778,211 1/1957 Rhoads 66-120 3,079,778 3/1963 Kubelka et al. 66-85 FOREIGN PATENTS 818,075 10/1951 Germany. 516,025 12/1939 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A QUILTING AND KNITTING NEEDLE COMPRISING A MAIN PART INCLUDING A SHANK, A STEM AND A HOOK, SAID SHANK HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SYMMETRY AND BEING FORMED WITH A LONGITUDINAL GUIDEWAY LOCATED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID AXIS AND HAVING AN OPEN END AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID SHANK, SAID HOOK HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CONNECTING HOOK PORTION MERGING INTO SAID STEM AND AT LEAST THE MAJOR PART OF SAID CONNECTING HOOK PORTION BEING LOCATED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID AXIS OPPOSITE SAID GUIDEWAY, A HOOK CENTER PORTION HAVING A FORWARD END, AND A FREE HOOK END OF SAID GUIDEWAY, SAID STANTIALLY OPPOSITE SAID OPEN END OF SAID GUIDEWAY, SAID HOOK CENTER PORTION HAVING A CURVED PERIPHERAL OUTLINE IN A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE NEEDLE, AND SAID CONNECTING HOOK PORTION AND SAID HOOK END PORTION HAVING CURVED PERIPHERAL OUTLINES MERGING INTO SAID OUTLINE OF SAID HOOK CENTER PORTION, SAID HOOK