US2534753A - Button feeding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 A. BELLow Erm- 2,534,753

BUTTON FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 26, 1948 Attorneys Patented Dec. 19, 1950 BUTTON FEEDING MECHANISM Abraham Bellow and Arthur Francis Carter, Leeds, England Application January 26, 1948, Serial No. 4,436 In Great Britain October 8, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires October 8, 1966 3 Claims. i

This invention relates to apparatus for use in connection with machines for sewing on bu tons, such machines as are used in the clothing and allied trades for sewing buttons on to earments and the like.

The present practice is to first thread a plurality of buttons on to rigid wire holders from which they are passed by means of an arm to their correct position beneath the needle of the sewing machine and upon the garment placed therein. With such arrangements it has been found difficult to maintain a constant feed from the wire holders, owing to their liability to bending or distortion with the result that the buttons tend to foul on the wires.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new or improved construction of apparatus for feeding the buttons from a bulk source, such as a hopper or the like, to the sewing machine whereby the use of wire holders is elim' inated.

According to the invention the apparatus cornprises a chute along which the buttons are passed from a hopper or the like on to a carrier which is adapted to transfer them one at a time to the material beneath the sewing machine needle. The buttons will be controlled during their passage from the chute on to the carrier by means of a spiked roller adapted to be rotated at a controlled speed and whilst they are on said spiked roller, the buttons will be correctly positioned so that they are placed on the carrier to arrive beneath the sewing machine needle with their holes correctly aligned.

The spiked roller will be adapted to align the buttons and means associated with said roller will be provided to hold the buttons on the roller and permit the buttons to fall in succession upon the carrier which transfers each button to the sewing machine.

The buttons will travel in single file along the chute from the hopper and will be placed upon or transferred to the spiked roller face downwards, the rotation of the roller turning the buttons over so that they arrive on the carrier face upwards in correct position for sewing when the carrier transfers them to the sewing machine.

The spiked roller and the carrier will be driven from a suitably placed electric motor adapted to drive them through gearing which ensures correct timing and sequence of operation. The spiked roller may be driven intermittently through any suitable mechanism, such as a Geneva motion or its equivalent. Suitable controlling means will be provided, and the feeding mechanism will be provided with emergency stops for use in the event of stoppage or delay arising in connection with the operation of the sewing machine.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be more fully described with reference to and by the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a part sectional side elevation of apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the chute and roller shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the mounting of the spiked roller.

Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a hopper I to contain the buttons which are to be passed to a sewing machine (not shown) for sewing to garments or the like. An inclined chute 2 leads from the hopper 1 along which chute the buttons 3 pass face downwards.

From the lower end of the chute 2 the buttons 3 are taken up one at a time on a transfer roller 5 having a number of radial spikes 5, centrally positioned on the periphery of the roller and equally spaced around it in such manner that a spike 5 passes through one of the holes in the button 3. The transfer roller 5 is rotated in the direction of travel of the buttons along the chute 2, and as the spike 5 which has just taken up a button commences to approach a horizontal position, gravity causes the button to pivot on the spike 5 until the button 3 is positioned with a pair of holes in axial alignment with the chute 2. When it is so positioned the further rotation of the roller 4 causes the button 3 to engage a spring guard 6 which partly surrounds the roller 4 and holds the button to retain it in correct position and prevent it from falling off the spike 5 until required to do so. The roller 4 by further rotation carries the button round until it is face side uppermost, and at this point, i. e. with the spike 5 pointing vertically downwards, the guard 6 is caused to release the button by the push rod 1 engaging the end of the guard 6 and causing it to release the button which falls on to the carrier it On the end of a pivotal or swinging arm 8 adapted to transport the button to the sewing machine (not shown). The guard B is in the form of a cover plate of springy or resilient nature partially surrounding the roller 4, and the guard G terminates at the point Where the button is released to fall chute 2.

on the carrier and is slotted at 9 for the passage of the spikes 5 of the roller 4. The mechanism for transporting the buttons to the sewing machine comprises an arm 8 provided with a plate In carrying fixed pins H, the latter being positioned on the plate 10 tocorrespond exactly with' the spacing of the holes in the buttons being used, and one of said pins l I will align with the spikes 5 on the roller 4 when each spike is pointing vertically downwards and a button is leaving the roller to be taken by the carrier to the sewing machine.

The apparatus will be driven by suitable well known mechanism, such as an, electric motor (not shown) and intermediate shafts and gearing, diagrammatically indicated as a vertical shaft I2, gearing [3, an eccentric I4, connecting rod I5 and intermittent motion mechanism 16, which latter rotates the roller 4. The shaft lZwillalso actuate the push rod 1 and operate the hopper which. feeds the buttons face downwards tothe Instead of having a single hopper, a series of hoppers may be provided having chutes leading to a controlling and: distributing mechanism for dealin with buttons of different colours 3 or sizesbefore passing themto thenpositioning and transferring 'mechanism.

Means (not shown) =may' be'provided in the chute for stopping the flow :of buttons from the main hopper, in orderthat alternate or difierent buttons may be. admitted to the chute from side chutes which enter the main chuteuadjacent the stopping means, which is preferably placed toward the lower delivery end'of the main chute.

We claim:

1. In combination'with a; machine'forsecuring buttons on garments; a hopper, a downwardly inclined chute leading from the hopper, an automatic button positioning transfer mechanism associated with the machine and including a rotary roller at the delivery end of the chute, said roller having circuniferentially spaced radial spikes arranged to be sequentially moved past the delivery end of thezchute to engagean opening ina button as the latter discharges from thedelivery end. of the chute, resilient means engaging each roller having 'circumferentially spaced centrally disposed radial spikes arranged to be sequentially moved past the delivery end of the chute to engage an opening in a button as the latter discharges from the delivery end of the chute, a resilient retaining plate partly surrounding the roller and having a slot for receiving the spikes during. a predetermined rotary movement of the roller, said plate engaging each button on the roller until the button moves downwardly to a position where the spike engaging the buttonis .in a substantially vertical position, operable means when the'said spike'reaches the downwardly vertical position forireleasing-theg plate from engagement with the button so as to discharge the same from the roller, and means positioned below the roller for receiving each button as it is discharged from the roller.

3. In combination with a machine for securing buttons on garments as called i'orin claim- 2.211

"which means are provided for intermittently rotating the roller and for actuating said operable means.

ABRAHAM BELLOW. ARTHUR FRANCIS CARTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of. record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 403,611 Richards -May 21,1889 1,052,092 Robertson 'Feb.: i, 1913 1,134,078 Kotkovsky --Mar. 30,- 1915 2,271,028 Olson Jan;.27,i1-942

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