US3331342A

US3331342A - Bound buttonhole guide

Info

Publication number: US3331342A
Application number: US380825A
Authority: US
Inventors: William L Herrmann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-07-07
Filing date: 1964-07-07
Publication date: 1967-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-18

Description

July 18, 1967 w. L. HERRMANN BOUND BUTTONHOLE GUIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1964 INVENTOK WILLIAM L. HERRMANN AT TO R N E YS July 18, 1967 w. L. HERRMANN 3,

BOUND BUTTONHOLE GUIDE Filed July 7, l964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 5 v WILLIAM L. HERRMANN E I gi ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,331,342 BOUND BUTTONHOLE GUIDE William L. Herrmann, 47 44 Lakeshore Road, Port Huron, Mich. 48060 Filed July 7, 1964, Ser. No. 380,825 7 Claims. (Cl. 112136) This invention relates to a device for making bound or piped buttonholes, and more particularly, to a device of this character for use with the ordinary sewing machine.

In making a bound buttonhole, a piece of cloth is normally sewed to the main body of the material, this piece of cloth being folded upon itself from each side inwardly and the edges pulled downwardly through slots cut through the piece itself and in the material to which the material is sewn.

Priorly, numerous devices have been employed in the making of these bound buttonholes. Examples of these devices are disclosed in Burgess Patents 2,814,264 and 2,814,265. Yet another of these prior art devices is disclosed in Hanna Patent 2,641,388. The prior art devices, however, exhibit numerous disadvantages. For example, they are not suitable for forming buttonholes in relatively thick material. Further, there is a tendency of the buttonhole device to slide sidewise from beneath the foot of the sewing machine. Still further when employed with relatively thick material, these buttonhole devices rock or tend to become misaligned with the proposed buttonhole. Yet another disadvantage of these devices is that they are relatively complex and require considerable skill on the part of the operator. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved buttonhole guide.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved bound buttonhole guide which is simple in construction and is easily manipulated.

.Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved bound buttonhole guide which is adapted to cooperate with relatively thick material.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a bound buttonhole guide which can be accurately manipulated by one having relatively little sewing skill.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a bound buttonhole sewing guide which incorporates provision for accurate placement of the guide on the cloth, and accurate sewing of the buttonhole.

Briefly, in accordance with aspects of this invention, I provide a bound buttonhole guide which is symmetrical about a longitudinal axis and is symmetrical about a transverse axis, so that the buttonhole guide may be employed in either elongated position relative to the buttonhole. In accordance with other aspects of this invention, I provide a novel slot and tongue arrangement for securely holding the folded strips relative to the buttonhole and for fastening the buttonhole guide to the material in which the buttonhole is to be made, thus accurately and securely positioning both the buttonhole guide and the strips. This arrangement facilitates accurate positioning and sewing of the buttonhole such that bound buttonhole making can be performed by one who is relatively unskilled.

In accordance with other aspects of this invention, I provide a bound buttonhole guide with a pair of parallel longitudinal ridges spaced relative to the longitudinal buttonhole slot such that the ridges serve as a guide or as guides for the presser foot or for a zipper or cording foot of a sewing machine. With this novel arrangement of guide ridges, accurate sewing is facilitated and contact between the needle and the buttonhole guide is prevented.

In accordance with still'other aspects of this invention,

I provide in a bound buttonhole guide a longitudinal.

3,331,342 Patented July 18, 1967 recess on the lower surface of the buttonhole guide which recess terminates at opposite ends in a pair of transverse slots such that a pair of folded strips may be securely held in the recess with the ends extending through the slots so that the thickness of the material does not cause the buttonhole guide to tend to rock beneath the presser foot or the zipper or cording foot of the sewing machine.

These and various objects and features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a reading of the detailed description of the invention in conjunction with drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one illustrative embodiment of a bound buttonhole guide according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing a pair of folded strips held in place in the buttonhole guide;

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a pair of strips employed in the bound buttonhole guide of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective showing the bound buttonhole guide of FIG. 2 with the included strips secured on a piece of fabric in which the buttonhole is to be made and showing a portion of a sewing machine to illustrate the cooperation between the sewing machine and the buttonhole guide;

FIG. 8 is a view in section taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view of the folded strips and fabric to which the strips have been sewn utilizing the guide in accordance with the operation indicated in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a view of the material of FIG. 9 with the strips pulled through a slot to form a bound buttonhole;

FIG. 11 is a view in section taken along the line 1111 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a view in perspective of another illustrative embodiment of this invention showing the buttonhole guide supporting a pair of folded strips in cooperation with a piece of material and showing a portion of a sewing machine;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 12; r

FIG. 14 is a view in section taken along the line 1414 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 12; and,

FIG. 16 is an elevational section view of the structure shown in FIG. 13, taken along the line 1616 thereof, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is depicted a top plan view of one illustrative embodiment of buttonhole guide 10 according to this invention. Advantageously the buttonhole guide 10 is substantially rectangular and includes a centrally located longitudinally elongated slot 11 which slot is to be positioned to enclose the location of the buttonhole which is sewed. Also advantageously the buttonhole guide 10 includes a pair of

transverse slots

14, 15 each positioned adjacent one end of the buttonhole slot 11 for the purpose of receiving the ends of a pair of folded strips in a manner which will be subsequently described. Yet another advantage of the buttonhole guide 10 is that it includes a pair of

tongue portions

16, 17 on the opposite ends thereof and projecting away from the

transverse slots

14, 15 such that the folded strips passing through the

slots

14, 15 may lay across the

tongue portions

16, 17, respectively, and may be secured thereto by any suitable manner in a manner which will be subsequently described.

Advantageously, the buttonhole guide 10 is symmetrical about both a longitudinal and a transverse axis such that the guide may be positioned relative to a sewing machine with either end of the guide 10 adjacent either end of the buttonhole line. Stated in another manner, the device or guide 10 eliminates the necessity for a particularly distinct orientation of the guide 10 relative to a piece of fabric other than the required alignment of the slot 11 with the axis of the buttonhole line on the fabric. Also advantageously, the guide 10 includes a pair of

parallel ridges

18, 20 along the opposite lingitudinal edges and parallel with the slot 11 to act as guide members for the sewing machine attachment which passes adjacent the slot 11. As will be subsequently described, this sewing machine attachment may be any convenient type such as a presser foot or a zipper foot or shoe. The guide 10 may be formed of any convenient material such as cardboard, plastic or a fiber. Also advantageously, the guide 10 may be formed of transparent material to facilitate the observation of the material beneath the guide 10. For convenience, the guide 10 may be provided with a set of indicia such as the scaled

indicia

22, 23 on the left hand opposed edges of the guide 10 to facilitate the measurement of the position of the buttonhole relative to the fabric, or to facilitate marking the length of the buttonhole. The

tongue portions

16, 17 are formed by cutting a pair of

parallel notches

24, 25 adjacent one end of the guide 10 and by forming a corresponding set of

parallel notches

27, 28 in the opposite edge of the guide 10.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown the embodiment of guide 10 of FIG. 1 and including a pair of folded

strips

30, 31 each of which is sewed as indicated at 32, 33 respectively. The strips are positioned in parallel relationship on one side of the guide 10 and the ends of the strip are passed through the

transverse slots

14, 15 and laid across the

respective tongue portions

16, 17. After the strips have been placed in this position they may be secured in this position by any suitable means, such as by a pair of

rubber bands

35, 36 which encircle the

tongue portions

16, 17, respectively, and the

strips

30, 31. These

strips

30, 31 are preferably formed of the same material as that in which the buttonhole is to be formed in a manner well known in the art.

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken along the longitudinal line 33 of FIG. 2 and shows the relationship of the strip 30 relative to the guide 10. The opposite ends of the strip 30 have been passed through the

notches

14, 15 and are secured to the

tongue portions

16, 17 by means of the

rubber bands

35, 36. This view also illustrates the ridge 18 extending longitudinally of the device or guide 10 for the purpose of guiding the machine attachment along the buttonhole slot 11 in a manner which will be subsequently described.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section taken along the lines 44 of FIG. 1 and showing the parallel relationship of the

ridge portions

18, 20 relative to the slot 11. Advantageously, the distance between the

ridges

18, 20 and the edges of the slot 11 are equal such that they facilitate sewing along the respective edges of the slot 11. Further, it is this symmetrical relationship which facilitates the placing of the guide 10 relative to the proposed buttonhole such that the guide may be placed with its longitudinal dimension in either direction relative to the longitudinal dimension of the buttonhole.

FIG. is a plan view of the two folded

strips

30, 31 showing the strips placed in parallel contiguous relationship with the sewn

edges

32, 33 substantially touching. The strips are normally held in this relationship relative to the forming of a bound buttonhole along the line of juncture of these two strips. FIG. 6 is a view in section taken along the line 6-6 and showing the folded relationship of the

strips

30, 31.

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of the buttonhole guide in position on a piece of fabric 36 and held in this position by means of a pair of

curved pins

37, 38 which pass from the top of the guide 10 forward through the fabric strip 31, the

slots

14 and 15, then through the fabric 36, and then upward through the

slots

14 and 15, respectively. This view includes a portion of a sewing machine partly broken away and including a presser foot 49 mounted on the end of a conventional shaft 41 by means of a thumb screw 42 and showing a sewing needle 43 held on the end of a reciprocating rod 44 by means of a conventional thumb screw 45. Although this particular view shows the sewing of the buttonhole with a presser foot attachment 40, as will be subsequently described, other sewing machine attachments may be employed. As shown in FIG. 7, the fabric 36 is positioned such that the ridge 18 engages and is parallel to the path of the presser foot 40 so the needle 43 will enter the longitudinal slot 11 and will sew immediately adjacent the edge of this slot 11 while preventing the needle 43 from engaging the guide 10. In other words, a relatively unskilled operator can position the guide 10 relative to the path of the presser foot 40 and start sewing at the beginning of the slot 11 and will continue to sew along the length of this slot until the end of the slot is reached, at which point sewing is stopped. The operator may then rotate the guide 10 and fabric 36 and sew along the opposite side of the slot 11 by engaging the pressure foot 40 with the raised portion or guide 20.

FIG. 8 is a view in section, taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7 and showing the relationship of the guide 10, and the

strips

30, 31 relative to the notch 11, and the relationship of the guide and strips relative to the fabric 36. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the

strips

30, 31 after they have been sewed to the fabric 36. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the fabric 36 before the

strips

30, 31 have been pulled through the buttonhole slot 46 which is out between the

strips

30, 31. The steps which are accomplished between the views of FIGS. 9 and 10 are the conventional steps normally employed in forming a bound buttonhole. FIG. 11 is a view in section taken along the line 1111 of FIG. 10. In FIG. 11 it is seen that the

strips

30, 31 have been rotated from a position on one side of fabric 36 in which the sewed edges 32, 33 are contiguous to a position on the other side of fabric 36 in which the folded edges are contiguous. Thus, the result is a bound buttonhole. In other words, this buttonhole is bounded by folded edges of the fabric. After the buttonhole has been formed by the steps indicated in FIG. 9, 10 and 11, a separate piece of material with a suitable buttonhole slot is placed in contact with the material 36 and in contact with the

strips

30, 31 with the edges around the buttonhole slot folded under and sewed to the material 36. in a manner well known to the art.

FIG. 12 is a view in perspective of another illustrative buttonhole guide 50 according to this invention which is preferably transparent plastic. This view includes a portion of a piece of fabric and portions of a sewing machine showing the cooperation of the sewing machine with the buttonhole guide. In the embodiment of FIG. 12 a pair of

guide ridges

52, 53 are mounted or formed integrally with the guide 50 in spaced parallel relationship and preferably equally spaced relative to the longitudinal notch 54 which encloses the buttonhole area. Preferably, the device 50 is relatively thick in comparison to the device 10 such that the device 50 has sufficient room on the lower portion thereof to have a recess which receives the

strips

55, 56. This recess will be shown and described in connection with FIGS. 14, 1S and 16. In the embodiment 50 the

guide ridges

52, 53 are substantially coextensive with the slot 54 and are spaced from the longitudinal notch 54 a distance suitable for guiding a zipper or cording foot 57 which is mounted on the end of the rod 41 by means of a suitable thumb screw 58. This embodiment includes a pair of

transverse slots

60, 61 which correspond with

slots

14, 15, respectively, of the embodiment of FIG. 1. The embodiment 50 also includes a pair of

tongue portions

63, 64 which portions are formed by cutting or otherwise forming

notches

65, 66 and 67, 68 in the embodiment 50.

The buttonhole guide 50 is preferably formed of substantially rigid material such as plastic or the like. This second embodiment or buttonhole guide 50 is adapted to be securely held in place on the fabric 36 by an alternative means to the

curved pins

37 and 38.

As shown in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16, the buttonhole guide 50 is provided on the bottom face thereof, exclusive of the cut-out portions, with a layer of abrasive or friction material 78 such as emery cloth, sandpaper or the like. Experience has shown that when the friction material such as emery cloth makes contact with the fabric 36, that the guide 50 is securely held to the fabric 36 and slippage between the buttonhole guide 50 and the fabric 36 is prevented during the positioning and actual sewing operations due to the inherent characteristics of the friction materials. It will be understood that the

curved pins

37 and 38 could also be used with this embodiment in the same manner as with the first embodiment, but it has been found that the friction material 78 is satisfactory without the use of the

curved pins

37 and 38.

FIG. 15 shows a slight modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 13, 14 and 16. In this embodiment the friction material such as emery cloth or sandpaper is only applied along the bottom edges of the buttonhole guide 50, as for example, two half-inch wide strips 79 and 80 may be applied along the button'hole guide bottom surface, along each longitudinal edge thereof. The strips of

friction material

79 and 80 function in the same manner as when the whole bottom surface is provided with this material.

The

strips

55, 56 are fastened or held on the guide 50 by means of suitable fasteners or hold devices such as the rubber bands 72, 73. The method employed in positioning the buttonhole guide 50 and in performing the sewing operation and the ultimate turning of the

strips

55, 56 through the buttonhole formed in the fabric 36 is identical to that described with respect to FIGS. 1 through 11.

FIG. 13 is a plan View taken from the top of the embodiment 50 of FIG. 12 and shows the coextensive relaaionship between the

guide ridges

52, 53 and the buttonhole slot 54. This View also shows the

transverse slots

60, 61 and the

tongue portions

63, 64. The dotted

lines

75, 76 indicate the channel or slot 77 extending longitudinally of the device 50 between the

transverse slots

60, 61 for the purpose of receiving the thickness of the

strips

55, 56.

FIG. 14 is a view in elevation and in section taken along the line 14-14 of FIG. 13, which line constitutes the longitudinal axis of the device 50. This device is symmetrical with respect to both its longitudinal and transverse centerlines. As shown in FIG. 14, the

transverse slots

60, 61 are connected by the longitudinal recess indicated between the respective transverse slots such that the folded strips such as 55, 56 in FIG. 12, will lie within the recess 77. Thus the force of pressure of the zipper or cording foot 57 or the pressure foot 40 of FIG. 7 would not cause the buttonhole guide 50 to tip or tilt relative to the sewing machine worktable and the incorporated or sandwiched fabric. FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the device 50 and showing the positional relationship between the elongated slot or recess 77 and the buttonhole slot 54 and the

transverse slots

60, 61.

While I have shown and described two illustrative embodiments of this invention, it is understood that the concepts thereof could be employed in other embodi- 6 ments without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A buttonhole guide comprising a substantially rectangular member having an elongated substantially rectangular buttonhole slot centrally located therein, and a pair of transverse slots; one of said transverse slots being positioned adjacent one end of said buttonhole slot and the other transverse slot being positioned adjacent the other end of said buttonhole slot; a first tongue portion at one end of the guide formed by a first pair of parallel longitudinally extending slots opening outwardly thereof and the transverse slot at said one end of said buttonhole slot; and, a second tongue portion at the other end of the guide formed by a second pair of parallel longitudinally extending slots opening outwardly thereof and the transverse slot at the other end of the buttonhole slot.

2. The combination according to claim 1 further comprising a pair of parallel guide ridges positioned on opposite sides of said buttonhole slot for aligning said guide with a sewing machine attachment, said ridges serving to prevent the needle from engaging the guide.

3. A buttonhole guide comprising a substantially rectangular member having an elongated substantially rectangular buttonhole slot centrally located therein and a pair of transverse slots each positioned adjacent one end of said buttonhole slot; a pair of tongue portions on said member, one of which projects longitudinally of said guide from adjacent each of said transverse slots; a pair of parallel guide ridges positioned on opposite sides of said buttonhole slot for aligning said guide with a sewing machine attachment, said ridges serving to prevent the needle from engaging the guide; and, said rectangular member being provided with a longitudinal recess communicating with said transverse slots for receiving strips of folded material the ends of which are passed through said transverse slots.

4. The combination according to claim 3 further comprising means for holding the ends of a pair of strips to said tongue portions.

5. The combination according to claim 4, further comprising means for securing the buttonhole guide to a fabric in which a buttonhole is to be formed.

6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein: said means for securing the buttonhole guide to a fabric comprises a plurality of curved pins.

7. The combination according to claim 5, wherein: said means for securing the buttonhole guide to a fabric comprises a friction material on the bottom surface of the buttonhole guide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 202,303 4/ 1 878 Trowbridge 112-152 1,145,244 7/ 1915 Hoffmann. 1,337,972 4/1920 Webb 112-136 1,816,627 7/1931 Weis 112-152 2,313,261 3/1943 Podgorny 112-152 2,487,926 11/1949 Hoffman 112-152 2,506,332 5/1950 Bedford 24-77 2,703,931 3/ 1955 Collins. 2,775,822 1/ 1957 Hinton.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. H. H. HUNTER, Examiner.