US3283976A - Attachments for spools of thread - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 8, 1966 B. 1.. SNYDER ATTACHMENTS FOR SPOOLS OF THREAD Filed March 31. 1965 FIG.!

FIGS

FIG]

FIG.9

FIG.8

INVENTOR, Ben omm L.Snyde;

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Oflfice 3,283,976 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 3,283,976 ATTACHMENTS FOR SPOOLS F THREAD Benjamin L. Snyder, Brookline, Mass., assignor to Pentapco, Inc., Elizabeth, NJ a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 31, 1965, Ser. No. 444,322 1 Claim. (Cl. 22564) The present invention relates to attachments set into the hole of a spool of thread, to serve as devices to deal with the thread and to limit undesirable spool movement.

The principal object of this invention is to provide novel and improved attachments for spools of thread, to lock the thread from unraveling, ofler a cutting edge for severing a length of unwound thread and keep the spool from rolling should it fall or be placed horizontally.

Another object thereof is to provide thread spool attachments of the character mentioned, which are simple in construction, reasonable in cost to manufacture, easy to use and eflicient in carrying out the purposes for which they are designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, the attachment comprises a nipple having a flange at one end. This flange is elongated, the nipple is between the ends of the flange and nearer to one end than the other. The nipple is adapted to be set into the spools hole for frictional engagement therein. The length of the flange is such that one end thereof is well within the confines of the end face of the spool which it contacts, but its other end over-hangs the spool, as a radially extending tooth. The shape of the flange is that of a tear drop, with its apex end serving as said extending tooth. In other embodiments illustrated herein, said tooth presents cutting edges. Said nipple may have lengthwise slits upwardly from its free end.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is an inverted perspective view of a thread spool attachment embodying teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a spool of thread equipped with said attachment, in use as a thread lock, releasably securing the free end of the thread. Also shown, the nature of the material of said attachment permitting, the flange part of the attachment may serve as a temporary pin cushion."

FIG. 3 is an upright section of the attachment taken at line 33 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spool of thread equipped with an attachment of slightly modified form, shown in use as a thread lock and thread cutter.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the attachment included in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a section taken at line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of another attachment construction.

FIG. 8 is a section taken at line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an end view of a horizontally positioned spool of thread combined with any of the attachments shown herein, lying on surface.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates generally a nipple having an outward flange denoted generally by the numeral 16, at one of its ends. This flange is preferably tear-shaped and said nipple is concentric with the broader end of said flange whose radius is less than that of an end of a spool of thread into which said nipple is frictionally fitted so said flange contacts the end face 17 of the spool 18. The distance from the axis of the nipple 15 to the apex end of the tear shape, exceeds the radius of the spool end and so said flange over-hangs the spool, presenting a sort of tooth-form 19 extending laterally of the spool body. The attachment indicated generally by the numeral 20, may be of plastic or metal or other suitable material. The nipple-form is preferred for 15, because the spool 18 equipped with the attachment 20, may be set on the axis pin provided for the spool on a sewing machine or in rack or box structures used to carry a collection of spools. -If the attachment is for example of polyethylene, it may serve as a temporary pin cushion for a needle 21, as shown in FIG. 2. If desired, a solid stem may be used in place of the nipple 15, but the nipple-form is preferred because when slitted as at 22, and the item 20 being preferably of material having some resilient quality, a better frictional grip is attained to holdthe attachment 20 on a spool. It is of course preferred, and in the embodiments illustrated, the attachment 20 is removable so when the thread is spent, said attachment can be applied to another spool of thread.

The attachments designated generally by the numerals 20 and 20" are like 20, with a provision to serve as thread cutters. The notch 23 in the distal free end of the flange 16' offers a sharp notch vertex 23' on which to sever the unwound portion 24 of the thread 24. The notch 25 in the distal free end of the flange 16" is crossed by a metal blade 26 which is embedded in the flange body, presenting the cutting edge 26'. Also, the distal free end region having the notch is an upward step on the flange, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, so the cutter is spaced from the spool face when within the confines of the perimeter of the spool face, and so with use of this device on larger spools, access is free to the cutter means, for when the flange is flat, the cutter means would rest substantially against the spool face and be unaccessible to do its work. The step would then also allow the free end of the thread to be entered between the flange and the spool face to avoid unraveling. Without such step, the thread would be stopped at the flange perimeter.

With about a turn of thread unwound from the spool 18, the lead end 24" is pulled to tighten the thread as it is set under the flange 16 and given a partial turn around the nipple 15 as shown in FIG. 2. This locks the thread from unraveling. To look the thread and then cut off the unwound portion 24, it is arranged as shown in FIG. 4, when the attachments used are of the types shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.

When the spool of thread equipped with one of the attachments taught herein, is set horizontally on a table, or if it falls off a table, it will in most instances roll less than one revolution, because it is hampered by the extending tooth portion 19 when the latter contacts the supporting surface 26.

This invention is capable of various forms and applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments shown herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive, and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claim rather than J to the specific showings and description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

In combination with a thread spool of the type having a central hole therethrough and top and bottom end faces, a generally resilient element having a flat portion and opposite end portions; said flat portion facing and in contact with the top end face of the spool between the end portions; one end portion of said element being an upward step overlying the spool end, the top of said step being located in a plane which is above and substantially parallel to the plane of the flat portion; said step being provided with a notch, a separate fiat blade fixedly carried by said step in the general plane of said step and crossing said notch, said blade having a sharp edge for severing a thread when forced thereagainst; the space between said step and the plane of the top end face of the spool being unobstructed to permit the free end of the thread to be entered between the top face and the flat portion; the space between said blade edge and said plane being unobstructed, and means at the other end of said element, in frictional engagement with the wall of the central hole of the spool whereby said element is mounted on the spool.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 367,03 5 7/1887 Fox 22563 649,180 5/ 1900 Robinson 22564 752,845 2/ 1904 Laird 22563 1,044,014 11/1912 Butts 242125.2 2,058,536 10/1936 Wasseen. 2,195,316 3/1940 Marick et al 223-109 2,265,126 12/ 1941 Bersche 242-1252 2,7 57,451 8/ 1956 Johnson.

FOREIGN PATENTS 600,200 4/ 1948 Great Britain.

FRANK J. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

MERVIN STEIN, STANLEY N. GILREATH,

Examiners.

G. F. MAUTZ, Assistant Examiner.

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