US2332931A - Covered seam and method of producing it - Google Patents

Description

INVENTOR:

.'5 Sheets-Sheet 1 LA. s. RIVIERE COVERED SEAMS AND METHOD OF P-RODUCING THEM Filed July so, 1940 Oct. 26, 1943.

Oct 26, 1943- A. s. RIVIERE 2,332,931

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omn 26, 1943. A, s, Awww.; 2,332,931

COVERED S'MS AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THEM aan www@ 1. ATToR/v Ys.

Patented Oct. v26, 1943 Albert S. Riviere, deceased, late of Chicago, Ill.,

by John F. Cahill, administrator de bonis non,

p Chicago, Ill., assigner` to` Union Special Ma?. chine Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 30, 1940, Serial No. 348,372

(Cl. Ilz-269) 14 Claims.

`This invention relates to fabric joining seams, and has reference more especially to flat seams in which parallel rows of fabric penetrating stitches extend along the edge margins of juxtaposed fabricportions united `by the seams.

This invention is concerned with the provision of a knitted multi-Wale covering Web for seams of the kind referred to, whereof individual loops are interlocked with individual fabric penetrating loops of the several uniting stitch rows; and also has to dov with the provision of a simple method which makes possible the continuous formation of the covering web' concurrently with the seam proper.

In the drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2 are fragmentary views respectively showing the face and back of a compound, covered, flat seam conveniently `embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of a combined sewing and knitting machine suitablefor carrying out the method by which the seam is formed.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal detail sectional View taken as indicated by the angled arrows IV-IV in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail View in cross section taken as indicated by the angled arrows V-V in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the `elements of the knitting mechanism of the machine.

Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are fragmentary Views generally like Fig. 3 showing successive steps in the cycle of stitch formation in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 14 and 15 are fragmentary views corresponding to Fig. 4 with the parts positioned as shown respectively in Figs. 7 and 13.

As exemplified in Figs. 1 and 2, the improved seam comprises four laterally-spaced longitudinal rows or lines I6, Il, I8 and I9 of seriallyconnected stitch loops formed from separate needle threads T, T', T2 and T3. The stitch loops of the lines I6, I1 and I8, I9 respectively penetrate the margins of juxtaposed edge-abutted fabric portions F and F joined by the seam. YAt the back of the seam a single thread 'I'4 connects the stitch loops of the lines I6, l1, I8 and I9, the loops constituting successive cross rows being designated |6a, Ila, Isa, I9a kand IIb, I'Ib, I8b, I9b respectively. As shown, the thread T4 extends transversely through the stitchloops of the successive cross rows, and also zig-zags back and forth between them, thereby forming 4a concatenation by which said` loops are mutually interlocked at the back of the fabric.' In so far tures 4I for passage of the needles.

as it is described above, the seam` is identical withthat featured in U. S. Patent No. 1,214,563, granted to Chester McNeil on February 6, 1917. As herein instanced, the improved seam is covered at the front `face thereof by a weft-knitted selvage-ed-ged knitted web of corresponding Width formed from another thread T5. Successive courses of the covering web are designated by the numerals 2I and 22, and the needle loops of these courses by the characters 2 la, 2 Ib, 2 Ic and 22a, 22h, 22e. In the course 2l, the sinker Wale loops 2Id, '2Ie and 2If respectively embrace the fabric penetrating loops IGa, Ila and Ia; while in the course 22, the sinker Wale loops 22d, 22e, and 221 embrace the fabric penetrating loops I'Ib, I8b and |919; the fabric penetrating loops Ilband I9a of the outer lines` I6 and I9 being skipped. As will be presently seen, the seam is formed incidentto concurrent `advance of the two fabric portions Fand F in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2.

The seam is producible commercially by a method which can be conveniently carried out on the combined sewing'and knitting machine illustrated in part in Figs. 3 and 4. As shown, this machine has a work support 25, a gang of four transversely 4'arranged sewing needles 2B, 2l, 28 and 29 which carry the threads'T, T', T2 and T3 and which are Xed in a cross head 30 at the lower end of a vertical axis needle bar 3I guided for endwise or axial reciprocation in a head 32 on the frame (not illustrated)` of the machine. The sewing needles' 26--29 move up and down through individual openings 33 in the Work support 25, and cooperate beneath said work support with a looper 35 which manipulates the thread T4. The fabric being seamed is intermittently progressed on the work support 25 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 by a fourmotion feed dog which has the toothed portions 36 and 31 operating upwardly through slots 38, 39 in said support, and which are opposed from above by a presser foot 43 having individual aper- At the top, the presser foot 4U has a short shank or boss 42 whereby it is secured, with the aid of set screws `113, to the lower end of a vertical presser bar 45,

which, like the needle bar 3l, is confined to axial movement in the head 32. Through suitable actuating mechanism (not shown) such as is well known in the art, the needles 36-28, the looper 35 and the feed dog 36-31 are operated in properly timed relation to determine formation of Y the sewed portion of the seam, i. e.. the seam proper, hereinbefore described.

guided in the upper pair of grooves is a plate- 55 with a central aperture engaged VbyV an up standing stud 56 on a swivel cross head 51 where-Y of the ends are engaged in the lower pair of grooves 52. In the interval between the swivel cross head 51 and the slide-'55,ar spacing collar 58 surrounds the stud 56;V and v`aicap screw 59 engaging axially into the top of said stud serves as a means for holding these parts assembled. The swivel head 51 is recessedfcrosswiseas at 60 to engage the butts El of three horizontally arranged latched knitting needles |52,l 63 and EllA which are'slidably guided inv parallel grooves formed ina lug 65 upstanding from the bottom of the .presserfoot 4|l.`V As shown in Fig. 4, the knitting needles 62, 63 and `64 are arranged to pass back `and vforth' centrally 1 of `the' intervals between'the four sewing needles'26, 21, 2B and 29, and are adapted to be' actuated by reciprocation of the slide 55 through alink B6 from a moving part (not illustrated). of the sewing machine. The swivel head 51 is; provided with a rearwardly extending arm v61 carrying a stud 68 whereof. the upper and lower ends engage slots B9 in the contiguous bifurcatedy end of an actuating member 1U.' Fora purposelater on explained, this actuating member 10 swings the swivel head 51about its pivotal connectionwith the slide 55 Vthrough motion induced by a moving part (not illustrated) of the machine. The office of vfeeding vthe knitting thread T5 is relegated tothe carrier in the form of an apertured finger 1| at the lower end of a Vertical supporting stem 12. As shown, the stem 12 extends .downwardly from a collar 13 at the lower end of `anoscillating sleeve 14 surrounding the needle bar 3| within the needle head 32.

Thefcycle of stitch formationis as follows: In Figs.i'7 and 14, vthe knittingneedles 62, v|3 and 64 yare `advanced substantially to thesfull extent in theL intervals between the sewing needles 25-*29 which are in their lowered fabric-penetrating positions; while the feed 1| is remote from the observer in Fig. 7 after. having been swung to one side (upward in Fig. 14)' to lay the knitting yarn T5 crosswise offthe frontsofrsaid sewing needles at a level." where it can be taken "by theV knitting needles. 'It is also to be notedin connection with Figs. '1 vand 14 thatthe hook ends of the knitting needles'SZ-Bllare arranged at aslope, which arrangementwasbrought about by movement of the swivel headY 51 anti-clockwise through lan angle of forty-'five degrees from the normal'positionin whichit is shown in Fig..4: With the foregoing. accomplished, the. knitting .needles 6264 are bodily moved'in the direction of fabric feeding from.n the `position of Figs. '1 and 14, throughthe positionsshown in Figs. 8 and 9,r to the position shown in Fig. 10, with 'resultant drawing of the loops Zia, 2lb andZIc of a course 2|V Vof the .knitted covering around the sewing needles 21,123, 29.k By reason of the sloped arrangement. of hook ends off the lknitting needles 62;-64, theloops 2 d, 2 le and 2 if are successively drawn"`from the supply lof. the thread .T5 with consequentavoidance' of undue strain upon said thread. After theknitting needles k|2'-6| have received their full: retractive movement; .the

swivel head 51 is swung back to its normal or true crosswise position to transversely align said needles for equal apportionment of the knitting thread T5 between the three loops 2id, 2|@ and 2 if. During the retractive stroke of the knitting needles 62-64 just explained, the needle latches are closed by the previously formed loops 2|a, 2lb and 2|c which are restrained by the rear edges of the openings 4| in the presser foot 40, and, as a consequence, cast oif said needles as shown in Fig. 10. The last described action occurs shortly before the sewing needles 26-29 are elevated to the full extent shown in Fig. 10, and just vbefore -the feed dogs 36 and 31 begin their active strokesy to advance the fabric F with incidental pullingof the newly shed loops 2id, 2lb and 2| c, as shown in Fig. 10, downward through the openings 4| in the presser foot 40. In Fig. 1l, the sewing needles 25-29 are descending while the knitting needles 62-54 are being advanced to thread'takingposition. InFig. l2, the knitting threadcarrier V1| is being moved toward the observer to lay the threadT5 across the knitting needles SZ-Sll'forwardly of the sewing needles 26--29V while the latter continue-in theirdescent and penetrate the fabric F. In' Fig. 12, the sewing 4needles 26-291are atithe limit of -their downward movement and the knitting needles162-64 at'the' limit of "their outward movement, Vthe swivel head 51 having been swung clockwise vfrom the normal position in which it is shown in Fig k 4, whereby the hook ends of the knitting needles predetermine the reversely sloped relation of the needle hooks shown in Fig. 15. With the immediately foregoing accomplished, the/knitting needles 62-54 are retracted to form the loops 22a, 22b'and v22o of a course 22 of the knitted'covering from the thread T5, while the loops Zia, 2lb and 26e of the previously formed course 2| are cast oi. Repetitions of the above cycle, incident to which theV knitting thread 'carrier '1l' is` swung alternatively crosswise of the seam from one sideto the other,will obviously result inthe formation,'concurrently with the sewingf,lof the `weft knit covering at the face of the fabric F with the selvage loops 2 ld, 22d respectively Vat.' opposite ends of its successive courses 2h22.V

'Ihe'rneansV for moving the parts 66 andl in properly timed` relation with the sewing instrumentalitiesof the'. machine to vcarry out the knitting cycle as above explained may be ofany approved'designand has been omitted since the present application is concerned only with the seamfand the method ofits formation.V

Asr analternative, the covering may be sep-' arately formed as a tapeV and it'sfee'ding so controlled in an ordinary multiple needle sewing machine vinsuch manner that the sewing needles are caused to penetrate individual loops in vsuccessive courses of the' tape, with attainment of exactly the same result in the completedseam;

It is-vto be understoodthat the invention is not necessarily limited to compoundseams such as herein `specifically described where thev several lines ofV fabricv penetrating stitches are transversely connected at the back of the fabric, since, by suitable modifications'within'the scope of the appendedclaimsfit may be'embodiedin compound seams vwhereof the stitch lines are entirely independent of oneanother.

The improved :seam is 'particularly .advantageous in 'connection with articles of wearing ap.- parel vsuch as-sweaters,.vests and bathin'gsuits made from knitted materials'.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. The method of producing a cover seam, which comprises forming parallel rows of fabricpenetrating stitches; and concurrently forming` a knitted covering Withloops which are arranged in crosswise-connected wales extending in the direction of the stitch rows and causing individual loops of such wales to interlock with `individual fabricpenetrating stitches of said rows;

2. The method of producing `a cover seam, whichcomprises forming parallel `rows of' fabric penetrating `stitches and mutually interlocking themat the back of the searnby a concatenation formed from a separate thread; and concurrent-` ly forming a knitted covering with loops which are arranged in cross-wise connected loop wales extending in the direction of the stitch rows and causing individual loops of such wales to interlock with individual fabric-penetrating stitches of said rows. i

`3. The method of producing a cover seam, which comprises forming parallel rows of fabric penetrating stitches and mutually interlocking them` at the back of the seam by a concatenation formed from a separate thread; and concurrently forming a plain weft knit covering from another thread with loops which are arranged in Wales extending in the direction of the stitch `rows and causing individual loops of such covertransversely spaced needles from as many differ` ent sewing yarns and locking such stitches at theback of the fabric; and, While the needles are in the fabric, successively forming around them a course of knitted fabric loops from a separate knitting thread with the component loops of such course interlocking with the individual sewing stitches of the several rows at the face of the fabric.

5. A fabric-joining seam comprising a plurality of spaced rows of fabric-penetrating stitches which are interlocked at one face of the fabric `and which, at the opposite face of the fabric, are

interconnected by a cover thread which is secured to the face of the fabric by the stitch threads and which is laid across the seam in opposite directions at successive stitches, said cover thread being formed, at and between the parallel rows of stitches, into loops which are interen- `gaged with adjacent similar loops of the cover thread longitudinally of the seam.

6. A fabric-joining seam comprising parallel `covering at one face of the fabric with its rib wales extending lengthwise between the fabric- `penetrating stitch rows and composed of loops which correspond in number to the stitches of the respective rows; and with thread segments crosswise connecting the loops of adjacent wales interlocked with individual stitches of said stitch rows.

'7. A fabric-joining seam according to claim`6, in which the fabric-penetrating stitches of the respective rows are crosswise connected at the opposite face of the fabric.

8. A fabric-joining seam according to claim 6, in which the `fabric-penetrating stitches ofthe respective rows are formed from individual threads.

9. A fabric-joining seam according to claim 6, in which `the fabric-penetrating stitch rows are formed from individual threads; and in which the stitches of said rows are crosswise connected at the opposite face of the fabric by another thread.

10. A fabric-joining seam comprising parallel rows of fabric-penetrating stitches; and a weftknitted covering at one face `of the fabric with its `rib wales extending lengthwise between the fabric-penetratingstitch rows and composed of loops which correspond in number to the stitches of the respective rows; and with the connecting vloops of its intervening Wales interlocked with individual stitches of said rows.

11. A fabric-joining seam `comprising parallel rows of fabric-penetrating stitches; and a weftknitted selvage-edged covering at one face of the fabric with its ribwalesextending lengthwise between the fabric-penetrating stitch rows and composed of loops which correspond in number to the stitches of the respective rows, and with the connecting loops of its intervening wales interlocked with individual stitches of said rows.

12. A fabric-joining seam according to claim 11,` in which the fabric-penetrating stitches of l the several rows are crosswise connected at the y opposite face of the fabric.

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