U.S. patent number 3,772,127 [Application Number 05/216,019] was granted by the patent office on 1973-11-13 for thread fusing and severing apparatus.
Invention is credited to Alexander James.
United States Patent |
3,772,127 |
James |
November 13, 1973 |
THREAD FUSING AND SEVERING APPARATUS
Abstract
An apparatus for removing pulled threads and the like, from a
fabric. The apparatus includes an elongated electrical heating
element, a guide surface carried below the heating element for
engaging the fabric, and a source of power for selectively
energizing the heating element. When the pulled thread, which is
twisted to provide an elongated member, is brought into engagement
with the heating element, such severs the thread closely adjacent
the fabric fusing the ends of the cut thread.
Inventors: |
James; Alexander (Greenville,
SC) |
Family
ID: |
22805353 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/216,019 |
Filed: |
January 7, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
156/502; 156/515;
156/88; 156/251; 219/233; 66/1R; 156/157 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06C
13/06 (20130101); Y10T 156/1313 (20150115); Y10T
156/1054 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
D06C
13/00 (20060101); D06C 13/06 (20060101); B65h
021/00 (); B65h 069/06 (); B65h 069/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;156/88,251,267,157,272-274,306,368,380,502,515 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Powell; William A.
Claims
I claim:
1. Apparatus for removing pulled threads and the like on fabric
including,
A. an elongated electrical heating element,
B. spaced conducting means supporting said heating element
therebetween and supplying electrical energy thereto,
C. a guide surface carried below said heating element engaging the
fabric when in operable position maintaining said heating element
out of contact with but closely adjacent the fabric, and
D. a switch for selectively supplying electrical energy to said
heating element through said spaced conducting means,
whereby pulled threads may be brought into engagement with said
heating element and severed thereby while maintaining said heating
element out of engagement with the fabric.
2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said spaced
conducting means are closed by said heating element to form a loop,
whereby a pulled loop of synthetic thread may be inserted and
confined in the loop with the guide surface engaging the fabric, to
bring the heating element into engagement with the loop of
synthetic thread to sever same and join the severed ends when the
apparatus is pulled rearwardly.
3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said spaced
conducting means carry said guide surface integrally therewith.
4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide surface
is carried by a support spaced below said conducting means.
5. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein means for
controlling the supplying of electrical energy includes a
resistance in series with the heating element.
6. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, including an elongated
housing, and batteries carried therein as a source of electrical
energy.
7. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, including an elongated
housing, and an AC-DC power pack carried therein as a source of
electrical energy.
Description
In recent years knitted fabrics have become extremely popular for
men and women's dresses, blouses, pants, etc. Such knitted fabrics
can be manufactured much faster than the fabrics that are woven on
looms. However, due to the knitting operation they possess one
disadvantage in that they tend to pick or pull more readily than
the woven fabrics. Frequently, the garments which are made from
knitted fabrics are discarded as a result of these pulled threads
long prior to actual wearing out of the garment.
Heretofore, there has been no practical means of repairing or
removing the pick from the garment.
Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to
provide an apparatus for removing pulled threads and the like from
fabrics, such as knitted fabrics so as to improve the appearance of
such.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a
simple and convenient means of severing a pulled thread from a
fabric without leaving loose ends after severance.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus that can be operated by relatively inexperienced people
for severing synthetic threads and the like from fabrics and
simultaneously fusing the ends of the severed threads back
together.
The construction designed to carry out the invention will be
hereinafter described, together with other features thereof.
The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the
following specification, and by reference to the accompanying
drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the
invention is shown and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating an apparatus for removing pulled
threads and the like from the fabric,
FIGS. 2 through 5 illustrate the steps in preparing and severing
the thread with the apparatus constructed in accordance with the
present invention,
FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit
for the apparatus disclosed in FIG. 1,
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention wherein
an electrical heating element is integral with a guide means,
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the apparatus
disclosed in FIG. 7 being utilized to sever and fuse a pulled
thread from the fabric,
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of one type of electrical circuit
that may be utilized with the apparatus disclosed in FIG. 7,
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a modified form of the
electrical circuit wherein the amount of heat being generated by
the heating element may be controlled by a rheostat, and
FIG. 11 discloses an electrical schematic diagram disclosing still
another modified form of the electrical circuit that may be
utilized with the apparatus disclosed in FIG. 7.
The drawings illustrate an apparatus for removing pulled threads
and the like from fabrics including an elongated electrical heating
element A, and space conducting means B for supporting the heating
element A therebetween, and for supplying electrical energy
thereto.
A guide surface C is carried below the heating element A and
engages the fabric when in operable position for maintaining the
heating element A out of contact with but closely adjacent the
fabric so that pulled threads may be brought into engagement with
the heating element A and severed while maintaining the heating
element A out of engagement with the fabric.
Referring in more detail to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an
apparatus utilized for removing pulled threads and the like from
fabrics, such as knitted fabrics. In addition to the apparatus
severing the pulled thread, it is capable of fusing the ends of the
severed thread back together substantially even with the surface of
the fabric. The apparatus includes an elongated cylindrical housing
constructed of any suitable material, such as plastic. The forward
end of the housing 10 in one preferred embodiment is substantially
planar and has extending out a central portion thereof, a pair of
elongated conducting means B. The elongated conducting means B have
one end secured to the planar surface 11 of the housing by any
suitable means and is constructed of low resistance material so
that when current is allowed to flow therethrough such does not
heat up a substantial amount. The outer ends of the space
conducting means B are positioned approximately one-fourth inch
apart and have a heating element A bridged therebetween. The
heating element A may be constructed of any suitable high
resistance material such as wire that heats up readily when current
is allowed to pass therethrough.
A guide surface C is carried below the heating element for engaging
the fabric when in operable position, and for maintaining the
heating element A out of contact with, but closely adjacent the
fabric. The guide surface C includes a pair of spaced arms which
are curved slightly adjacent the forward end for riding smoothly
over the fabric. The inner ends of the arms 12 are attached to the
forward end of the housing by screws 13. The arms 12 may be
constructed of any suitable material, such as steel or the like. A
switch D, which in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 takes the
form of a push botton, is provided for selectively connecting the
electrical heating element A to a source of power. In the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 the source of power may be any
suitable A.C. outlet which is coupled to the housing through a wire
14. The wire 14, which is adapted to be connected to a 110 volt
A.C. source is connected to an A.C.-D.C. power pack 14a which
converts the A.C. voltage to 2 to 10 volts on the output wires 15.
One of the output wires 15 is, in turn, connected to a rheostat 16
which can further reduce the voltage from between 0.2 of a volt to
6 volts. The wiper arm 17 of the rheostat is, in turn, connected to
one side of the push button D. The other side of the push button D
is connected directly to one of the space conducting means B. The
other output wire 15 from the A.C.-D.C. power pack 14a is connected
directly to the other space conducting means B. The voltage
supplied to the electrical heating element A may be controlled by
rotating a knob 18a carried on the rear of the housing that is, in
turn, connected to the wiper arm 17 of the rheostat 16. Normally,
it is desired that the voltage be great enough to allow the heating
element A to heat to such a degree that it will melt the synthetic
thread so as to sever it, while simultaneously fusing the loose
ends together. It is desirable that heat generated by the heating
element A be regulated so that such will not damage the fabric
which is positioned closely adjacent thereto, while severing the
pulled thread.
Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, there is illustrated the manner in
which a thread is severed.
FIG. 2 illustrates a thread 18 which has been out sufficiently so
that such can be twisted between the fingers such as illustrated in
FIG. 3. After the pulled thread is twisted such is positioned
between the space conducting means B and the push button D is
depressed to heat up the heating element A. When the heating
element A reaches the desired temperature and the apparatus is
pulled rearwardly as illustrated in FIG. 5, such severs the
synthetic thread 18 from the fabric 19 and simultaneously fuses the
loose ends 20 together.
FIG. 7 illustrates a modified form of the invention wherein,
instead of using the conventional 110 volts A.C. source for the
source of energy a 2 volt battery is utilized. The battery is
carried within the housing 10 which has a push button D mounted
thereon for selectively supplying current to the electrical heating
element A. Instead of utilizing a seperate guide means C, such as
illustrated in FIG. A, 1, the heating element A is carried between
the space conducting means B which are rolled rearwardly to define
a loop 21 adjacent the end thereof. The lower surface of the loop
21 acts as a guide surface for maintaining the electrical heating
element A spaced from the fabric 19. As can be seen in FIG. 8, the
distance that the heating element A is spaced from the fabric 19 is
controlled by the thickness of the space conducting means B.
Instead of using a knob, such as 18a illustrated in FIG. 1 for
varying the voltage applied to the heating element A, a cylindrical
ring 22 is rotatably mounted on the forward end of the housing in
contact with the wiper arm of a rheostat.
FIGS. 9 through 11 illustrate various electrical systems that may
be utilized with the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7.
In FIG. 9 a battery is connected in series with the push button D
and the heating element A for supplying energy to the heating
element A.
In FIG. 10 a rheostat 24 is connected in series with the battery
23.
In FIG. 11, instead of utilizing a variable resistance means, such
as the rheostat 24, a fixed resistance 25 is connected in the
series circuit.
The apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 operate in the same
manner as the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 5 with the
exception that the guide surface C is provided on the bottom of the
space conducting means B.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described
using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes
only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be
made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *