US2912948A - Needle threader for a sewing machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17, 1959 lSAO MASUYAMA NEEDLE THREADER FOR A SEWING MACHINE Filed April 7, 1958 ta atent .fNEEDLE THREADER FOR A SEWING MACHINE .Isao Masuyama, Ishioka-shi, Ibaragi, Japan, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Belcon Importing (30., Los

Angeles, Calif.

Application April 7, 1958, Serial No. 724,662

Claims priority, application Japan June 17, 1957 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-225) The present invention relates to an improvement in a needle threader for a sewing machine, and more particularly to an improvement in a needle threader of the type wherein a hook-needle is advanced so as to pass through an .eye of a sewing-needle of the sewing machine while said ;sewing-needle is guided by a guiding channel .of the threader.

A needle threader, according to the present invention, :is characterized .in that a needle guiding plate is mounted in .a little inclined position downwardly to the front and has a first guiding channel of inverted V section .for guiding a hook-needle and a second guiding channel .of V .shape at its forward end for guiding a sewing needle of the sewing machine, the said second channel being formed by cutting off the sides of the channel in the forward end from the top to the bottom in inclined direction, and the slidable hook-needle which has a hook portion .at thefront bending upward at a proper angle is so arranged that the upper edge of the hook portion isalways lightly pressed into contact with the top of said hook-needle guiding channel. 1

'The object of the present invention is to guide the hook-needle so that only .the upper edge of the forward end .hook portion is kept in contact with the top of the .first guiding channel, and to make the'forward end of theitop of the first guiding channel conform to the apex of the V-shaped second guiding channel, whereby the hook-needle can be positively and easily passed through theeye of the sewing-needle. (The hook-needle is posi- -tively passed through the eye of the sewing-needle..withoutlfail, even if the hook-needle is somewhat bent.)

The other object is to make the upward bending angle of the hook portion of the hook-needle substantially accord with the inclining angle of the needle portion of .the hook-needle when the hook portion slides into the eye of the sewing needle, so that the hook portion passes into said eye substantially at a right angle with respect .to the sewing-needle, whereby facilitating the passing of the hook needle, as well as permitting the vertical width of the hook portion of the hook-needle to be made somewhat longer than usual, thus facilitating the manufacturing of the hook needle.

'In order that thepresent invention can be clearly understood, it will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, one embodiment of the present invention, in which:

Fig. .1 is a perspective view of a needle threader according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the needle threader attached to a pressure-bar of a sewing machine and kept in its operative position, the pressure-bar being shown by chain lines;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-II1 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the needle threader in the raised position;

Fig. Sis an end view of the needle threader as seen from the right side of Fig. 2, showing the lowered polines;

2,912,948 I 1 Patented Nov. 17, 19.59

ZFig...6 is a,perspective view of a hook-needle;

Fig. .7 .is .a plan viewofthe.needleguiding plate, show- .ing. a .sewingeneedle in cross section;

.Fig. 8 is .a view taken along the.lineiX1'II-,XIII of Fig. 7, and I i 'Fig. '9 is ,a view illustrating therelation between the sewing-needle and the hook-needle.

Referring to the drawings, the.needle threader according to the present inyen'tion comprises a threader. proper indicated generally by ;the reference numeral land a mounting member generally indicated by the reference numeral2.

As shown in Figs. 1, '2 and 3, the threader proper 1 comprises a base'platefi slightlytilting downward-'to'the front, a supporting plate 4 and a needle guiding plate 5. A slider 6 is slidably mounted'on the base plate "3 'so'that it can be'slid alonga slot 7 formed in said base plate. Aspring8 is provided which is fixed at-one end 'on the supporting-plate4 and is engaged -at"the other end with a pin 9 which is :mounted on the slider :6. The spring 8 always acts to push the "slider .6 backward along the slot 7 and to holditinits retracted position. A hook needle 10 is :releasably .mounted :at thelrearward end ontheslide'rs6.

Said needle guiding plate "S'hason its underside .a first guiding channel 11 having inverted ;V+shaped section for guidingthehook-needle 10 (Fig. 8), and at is forward end a second guiding channel 12. of 'V shape for guiding thesewing-needle of the sewing machine ,(Fig. 7 formedby cutting-off the sides of the channel :in the .forward end from 'the -top'to .the bottom'in'inclined direction. The needle guiding plate is arranged 'lO incline downwardlyto its forward end.

The hook-needle 10 basahookportion 13 at the forward end which hook portion is formed by bending upwardly at -a=properangle:andqthen downwardly tohave an opening facingdownwardlmand an eye portion 14 at the rearward end. .The hook-needle 10 is pivotally mounted by-theeyelportion 14 on the, pin -9 of the: slider 6 and is prevented from slipping out of the pinbyaknob 15 screwed thereon. vA coil spring 16 isloosely mounted .on the pin 9 and is engaged at one endwith the be advanced forwardly when the-slider 6 is pushed forward along the slot '7 against the action of the spring 8 by. applying, a manual forceonthe. knob 15 of .theslider 6.

The mountingmember indicated by thelreference numeral 2 comprises a cylindrical mounting tube 17, .a cylindrical sleeve 18 which is rotatably set in said cylindrical mounting tube andis adapted tobe fixedon a-pressurebar 19 of the-sewing-machine by means of a set screw 20, and a supporting .arm 21 which. projects outward from said cylindrical mounting tube and has a bracket .22 fixed thereon, to which is pivotally mounted .an upper portion 23 of the above-mentioned supporting plate 4 of the threader, proper 1. -A,,pressing,.pinf24 having ahead 25 is mounted'in the supporting arm'21, said head.25 always applying a pressure on. the upper-portion. of the supporting plate i On the bracket 2270f thesupporting-arrn 1 fisprovided a stop 27, which. acts .to stop the supporting. plate.. .4 which is urged downward .by the action of thesp-ring26 when said supporting plate 4 islowered, wherebythe suporting plate 4,, is held, at a, predetermined angle as required, as shown in full lines in Fig. 5.

Now the manner how the above mentioned needle threader according to one form of the present invention can be used will be explained as follows. The needle threader is mounted on the pressure-bar 19 of the sewing machine, by fitting the sleeve 18 of the mounting member 2 on said pressure-bar and then fixing said sleeve at the proper position along the length of the pressure-bar by the set screw 20. When the needle threader is not used, the threader is rotated as a whole around the mounting sleeve 18 backwardly of the sewing machine and the threader proper 1 is raised upward as shown in Fig. 4. The threader proper 1 is then held in the raised position or resting position by the action of the spring 26 (Fig. 5).

When it is desired to use the needle threader, the threader proper 1 is lowered into the position shown by full lines in Fig. 5 and then the threader is rotated as .needle is advanced against the force of the spring 8 by applying a manual force on the knob 15. At this time the hookportion 13 of the hook-needle 10 is lightly pressed into contact with the first guiding channel 11 of the needle guiding plate 5 as shown in Fig. 8, so that the hook portion 13 is guided by said channel 11, while advancing, and comes in contact with the sewing-needle 28 as shown by full lines in Fig. 9. Then the hook por tion 13 is guided by a groove 29 provided in the sewingneedle adjacent to an eye 30 thereof, until the hook portion slides into the eye 30 of the sewing-needle.

When 'the hook portion 13 of the hook-needle has passed through the eye 30 of the sewing-needle, a thread to be passed through the eye is engaged in the hook portion, and then the hook-needle is retracted by the action of the spring 8, carrying the thread through the eye. Thus the thread is passed through the eye of the sewing-needle and the threading operation is completed. After completion of the threading operation, the threader will be rotated and raised into the resting position as aforementioned.

According to the present invention as described with reference to the drawings, there is no danger of bringing about a misalignment in the required relative position between the sewing-needle and the hook-needle, because the forward end of the top of the first guiding channel 11 is made to conform to the apex of the second guiding channel 12 so that the guiding points of these channels for the hook-needle and the sewing needle are the same front point of the guiding plate 5, and because the sewing needle. even if the hook-needle is somewhat bent.

and consequently it assures that a thread can be inserted into the eye of .the sewing-needle without fail.

The needle threader as described above is so arranged that the hook-needle engages the groove of the sewingn'eedle in a little inclined position downwardly to the front and slides along said groove until the hook portion of the hook-needle slides into the eye of the sewingneedle, and the hook needle is formed with the upwardly 'bent hook portion having the bending angle of such value as corresponds to the inclining angle of the hook-needle when the hook portion enters into the. eye of the sewing 4 needle. Thus the hook portion of the hook-needle passes the eye of the sewing-needle substantially at right angle with respect to the sewing-needle.

Accordingly this needle threader permits to use a relatively large vertical width of the hook portion (as indicated by b in Fig. 6) as compared with the case in which the hook portion of the hook-needle is adapted to diagonally pass through the eye (in the case of the present invention, the vertical width a little smaller than the length of the eye of the sewing-needle will suffice), and therefore the hook-needle can be manufactured more easily.

While one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other modifications and alterations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A needle threader for a sewing machine having a sewing needle, comprising a threader body, means for mounting the threader body on the sewing machine, a hook-needle support slidably mounted on said threader body, a hook-needle pivoted on said support and including an upwardly bent hook portion, a needle guiding plate provided on said threader body and inclined downwardly therefrom, a first guiding channel on said needle guiding plate for guiding the hook portion of said hook-needle, spring means for resiliently pressing said hook portion into contact with the first guiding channel, and a second guiding channel at the forward end of said needle guiding plate for guiding the sewing needle of the sewing machine.

2. A needle threader for a sewing machine according to claim 1, in which the upwardly bent hook portion of the hook-needle is at an angle which corresponds to the angle of inclination of the hook-needle with the hook portion entering into the eye of the sewing needle.

3. A needle threader for a sewing machine, comprising a threader body, means supporting the threader body on the sewing machine, a hook-needle support slidably mounted on said threader body, a hook-needle pivoted on said support and including an upwardly bent hook portion, a needle guiding plate on said threader body and inclined downwardly therefrom, a first guiding channel on the needle guiding plate to guide the hook-needle, spring means for resiliently pressing said hook-needle into contact with the first guiding channel, and a second guiding channel on the needle guiding plate to guide the needle at a point which lies at an end of the first guiding channel.

4. A needle threader according to claim 3, in which the first guiding channel is an inverted V groove on the underside of the needle guiding plate which is adapted to guide the upwardly bent hook portion of the hook-needle, and the second guiding channel is a V-shaped notch having the apex lying at an end of the first guiding channel and which is adapted to guide the needle at said apex.

5. A needle threader according to claim 4, in which the second guiding channel is connected with the first guiding channel.

6. A needle threader according to claim 3, in which the spring means comprises a coil spring loosely mounted on the pivot of the hook-needle and engaged at one end with the hook-needle and fixed at the other end to the support.

7. A needle threader according to claim 3, in which said spring means resiliently urges the support into position to hold the hook-needle carried on the support in retracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,239,765 Bowyer Sept. 11, 1917 engages Hickey Nov. 21, 1950 2,538,395; Stinson Jan. 16. 1951 2,655,386 Ingwer Oct. 20, 1953

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