US3591105A

US3591105A - Spool holder for sewing machines

Info

Publication number: US3591105A
Application number: US841462A
Authority: US
Inventors: Silvano Perlino
Original assignee: Necchi SpA
Current assignee: Necchi SpA
Priority date: 1968-07-29
Filing date: 1969-07-14
Publication date: 1971-07-06
Anticipated expiration: 1988-07-06
Also published as: GB1221756A; FR2013888A1; DE1938563A1; BE736695A; CH493675A; AT304240B

Abstract

A support means for sewing machine spools of the flanged and flangeless types and for use in machines wherein the thread is pulled axially off stationary spools.

Description

United States Patent [50] Field of Search l 242/l29.5-

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 589,053 8/1897 Webster .7 242/l29.7 X 1,558,561 10/1925 Mossberg 242/129.7 1,933,502 10/1933 Chason .7 242/l29.71 3,381,641 5/1968 Bialy et a1. 112/218 Primary ExaminerLeonard D. Christian Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller and Mosher ABSTRACT: A support means for sewing machine spools of the flanged and flangeless types and for use in machines wherein the thread is pulled axially off stationary spools.

SPOOL HOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES This invention relates to pin supports in sewing machines for flanged and nonflanged type spools which are fixed or nonrotatable relative to said supports.

In lockstitch-type sewing machines for home use, thread is unwound from such spools either as part of and during the sewing operation or in order to rewind thread onto the lower thread bobbin which normally occurs while the machine sewing members are at rest. In either instance the thread is unwound from spools in either of two fashions.

According to one fashion, the spools, whether flanged or not, are rotatably supported on generally vertical pins and the thread is pulled thereoff tangentially to the spool diameter, in a direction perpendicular to the spool axis. According to a second fashion, the spools of either type are fixedly (nonrotatably) mounted on the pins so that the thread is pulled off the spools in a direction generally parallel to the spool axis, the threadline leading from the spool revolving about the spool axis. This second fashion of thread unwinding being well known for the advantage of providing greater regularity of I thread unwinding, especially at high sewing, and consequently unwinding, speeds.

Known spools of either the flanged or nonflanged types comprise a longitudinally (axially) extending bore which, however, is different as between the respective type spools. Further, the flanged type spools comprise respective opposite end flange surfaces facing the wound thread, said surfaces being roughened and sometimes including appropriate notches or slits for anchoring the thread loose end therein. Unwinding of thread in an axial direction from such flanged type spools, however, often results in snagging of the thread on one of said flange surfaces and consequent thread breakage.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved pin supports in a sewing machine for fixedly holding either flanged or nonflanged type spools whereby the thread must be pulled in an axial direction.

It is a further object of this invention to provide identical pin supports adapted to receive either type of spool.

It is a general object of this invention to realize the aforementioned types of pin supports through constructional features which are simple and not costly and provide reliability in operation.

Other objects are those which are inherent in this disclosure.

The foregoing objects are generally realized through pin supports whose lower end portions constitute a retaining or gripping means for the nonflanged type spools or a supporting means for the flanged type spools, and said objects are further realized through the provision of a simple member adapted to clamp the flanged type spool against said pin support lower end portion while at the same time serving to prevent the spool thread from snagging with the top flange of the spool. More specifically, the pin supports are generally vertical and are slightly conical or tapering towards their upper end while at their lower end portion they include a retaining member adapted to either elastically be force fitted into the bore of the nonflanged type spools or to support upon an upper radial surface thereof the lower flange of a flange type spool. Further, a holed cap is provided which is slidable along the pin to bear against the top flange of a flange type spool while pressing it downwardly against the upper radial face of said retaining member.

A specific preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view showing the disposition of pin supports, according to this invention, relative to the remainder ofa sewing machine;

FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively are enlarged views of the pin support according to this invention, and having a flanged type and nonflanged type spool, respectively, mounted thereon.

. Referring to FIG. 1, 10 denotes a home type sewing machine which comprises a lower horizontal base 11, a standard 12 upstanding from one end of said base, an arm 13 extending from said standard generally parallel to said base, and a support 14 for mounting a not shown drive motor which through known means will be drivingly connected with the sewing parts located in the arm 13. A handwheel l5 and a knob 16 (for selecting sewing pattern cams) are mounted along the outer side of standard 12. A bobbin winder pin 17 projects sidewise from motor support 14 while spool pin supports 18 are fastened to the upper side of said motor support and extend generally vertically therefrom.

An an example of operating procedure, the flanged spool 19 and the nonflanged spool 20 may both be simultaneously mounted on the respective pin supports 18 for double needle sewing. The thread 21 passes from the spool 19 to thread guide 23 which is supported on bar 25 which in turn is secured by screws 26 to standard 12, and from the guide the thread is directed to a bobbin winder in the bobbin rewinding operation. Thread 22, on the other hand, is directed from spool 20 to thread guide 24 also supported on bar 25, and then to the not shown sewing needle.

According to the invention, the pin supports 18 for the flangedand for the nonflanged type spools are identical and may be of plastic material in the form of generally vertical pins 27 which are slightly tapered towards the top end thereof and include a sleeve member retaining means 28 adjacent the lower end thereof.

The retaining means 28 includes a solid shoulder 36 forming a radial protrusion relative to pin 27 upon which may rest the lower flange of a flange type spool 19. The invention includes a disc member. 32, which can be of plastic or other resiliently yieldable material and includes a central hole and hub 35 which fit around pin 27, said hub including a plurality of grooves 37. The hole in hub 35 is slightly tapered in the same direction as the taper of pin 27 and is of a slightly smaller diameter than that of said pin whereby the pin 27 is resiliently gripped and held by said cap 32. In fact, after the spool 19 is placed on pin 27 with the lower end resting upon the annular rim 36, the cap member 32 is pressed downwardly along the pin until it abuts against the spool upper end whereupon the frictional gripping fit of hub 35 around pin 27 is such as to provide a fixed clamping effect of the spool between the cap member 32 and the rim 36.

The retaining means 28 includes a tubular element 29 also of a resiliently yieldable material and also includes longitudinal grooves 31 to render it circumferentially elastically compressible. The tubular element 29 is fixed to the rim 36, the element 29 facing downward from said rim. The element 29 includes an external circumferential crown 30 of slightly enlarged diameter, said crown being circumferentially interrupted by the grooves 31.

The flangeless type spool 20 conventionally comprises a cardboard tube 34 and this may easily be pressed downwardly along the extent of pin 27 with the tube pressing radially inwardly against crown 30. Since the diameter of crown 30 is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the spool tube 34, there occurs a slight elastic deformation as between tube and crown so that the tube is securely held against rotation and other unwanted displacement by such engagement with the crown 30.

It is seen, therefore, that excepting for the inclusion of the cap member 32, the support means are identical for both types of spools, flanged and flangeless. In other words, either type of spool may be fitted onto either of the pin supports, the only difference being that in the case of a flanged spool, the cap member 32 would have to be added. Otherwise, the pins 27 and the retaining means 28 are identical for both types of spools.

Many of the details given herein relating to a preferred embodiment are of course only illustrative and not restrictive of the scope of applicability of the inventive concept which underlies the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A spool support means for sewing machine spools of either the flanged or flangeless types, including an elongate pin and a retaining means thereon, including an axially fixed means for abutting against the end of a flange type spool and a radially elastically deformable means for pressing radially outwardly against the inner walls of a flangeless spool tube, further including an axial clamp member positionable along said pin at a distance from said retaining means corresponding to the length of a flange type spool and adapted to axially clamp such a spool axially against said retaining means, said clamp member being axially slidable along said pin and being positionable therealong in frictional gripping engagement therewith, said clamp member comprising a hole therethrough of a diameter smaller than that of said pin, said clamp member being elastically defonnable around said hole, said pin extending through said hole with said member being elastically deformed thereby, furthermore said pin and said hole being correspondingly tapered.

2. A spool support means for sewing machine spools of either the flanged or flangeless types, including an elongate pin and a retaining means thereon, including an axially fixed means for abutting against the end of a flange type spool and a radially elastically deformable means for pressing radially outwardly against the inner walls of a flangeless spool tube, further including an axial clamp member positionable along said pin at a distance from said retaining means corresponding to the length of a flange type spool and adapted to axially clamp such a spool axially against said retaining means, and said retaining means comprising a sleeve member axially fixed on said pin and having one end thereof which forms a radial shoulder of a diameter larger than that of the bore extending through a conventional flange type spool, a circumferential crown on said sleeve member of a diameter larger than that of said shoulder and larger than the inner diameter of the tube of a conventional flangeless type spool, said crown being radially resiliently deformable so as to permit such a tube to be axially pressed thereon.

3. A spool support means for sewing machine spools of either the flanged or flangeless types, including an elongate pin and a retaining means thereon, including an axially fixed means for abutting against the end of a flange type spool and a radially elastically deformable means for pressing radially outwardly against the inner walls of a flangeless spool tube, further including an axial clamp member positionable along said pin at a distance from said retaining means corresponding to the length of a flange type spool and adapted to axially clamp such a spool axially against said retaining means, said clamp member being axially slidable along said pin and being positionable therealong in frictional gripping engagement therewith, said clamp member further comprising a hole therethrough of a diameter smaller than that of said pin, said clamp member being elastically deformable around said hole, said pin extending through said hole with said member being elastically deformed thereby, and furthermore, said clamp member being in the form of a disc having a central hole and a hub surrounding same, at least one longitudinal slot in said hub to render same radially deformable, said hub being of elastically deformable material, said disc having a diameter substantially greater than that of the flanges on a conventional flange type spool.

4. The spool support means of claim 2, said sleeve member being of a resiliently deformable material and including at least one longitudinally extending slot to permit radial deformation of said sleeve member.

5. The spool support means of claim 1, in combination with a sewing machine which includes a thread guide located whereby thread coming from a spool supported on said pin must extend substantially along the same direction as the pin axis.

6. The spool support means of claim 1, said clamp member having a radial extent relative to said pin substantially greater than that of the flange of a conventional flange t pe spool.

7. The spool support means of claim 5, inclu ing a plurality of said pins and said retaining means all identical to each other.

Claims

1. A spool support means for sewing machine spools of either the flanged or flangeless types, including an elongate pin and a retaining means thereon, including an axially fixed means for abutting against the end of a flange type spool and a radially elastically deformable means for pressing radially outwardly against the inner walls of a flangeless spool tube, further including an axial clamp member positionable along said pin at a distance from said retaining means corresponding to the length of a flange type spool and adapted to axially clamp such a spool axially against said retaining means, said clamp member being axially slidable along said pin and being positionable therealong in frictional gripping engagement therewith, said clamp member comprising a hole therethrough of a diameter smaller than that of said pin, said clamp member being elastically deformable around said hole, said pin extending through said hole with said member being elastically deformed thereby, furthermore said pin and said hole being correspondingly tapered.

6. The spool support means of claim 1, said clamp member having a radial extent relative to said pin substantially greater than that of the flange of a conventional flange type spool.

7. The spool support means of claim 5, including a plurality of said pins and said retaining means all identical to each other.