US3778853A

US3778853A - Method and apparatus for buttoning upholstery

Info

Publication number: US3778853A
Application number: US00209313A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Cooper
Original assignee: MATRAMATIC CO Ltd
Current assignee: MATRAMATIC CO Ltd
Priority date: 1971-12-17
Filing date: 1971-12-17
Publication date: 1973-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-18

Abstract

A method of buttoning upholstery comprises attaching a button to a support bearing against the undersurface of the upholstery so that the underside of the button is urged against the wearing surface of the upholstery.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Cooper 1 Dec. 18, 1973 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 5 2,098,786 11/1937 Mathewson 24/102 T BUTTONING UPHOLSTERY 2,671,498 3/1954 Stubnitz 5/266 X 3,608,157 9/1971 Molt 24/102 T Inventor: J p West gf 1,950,613 3/1934 Katt .1 24/90 B England [73] Assignee: Matramatic Company Limited, I

Bast-0rd Nottingham, England Primary Exammer-Casm1r A. Nunberg Altorney-Ralph E. Potter [22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1971 [21] App]. No.: 209,313

52 us. 01 5/356, 24/90 TA [57] ABSTRACT [51 1 Int. Cl. A47c 27/00. [58] Field of Search 5/356, 266; A me Of buttoning upholstery comprises attaching 24/90 TA, 10] T, 101 W, 102 T; 29/91 1 a button to a support bearing against the undersurface of the upholstery so that the underside of the button is [56] References Cit d urged against the wearing surface of the upholstery.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,907,732 5/1933 Burch 24/90 B 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDBEUWISB 3.778.853

SHEET 1 OF 2 FIGJ' PAIENIEUHH: 18 ms 3'. 778,853

SHEET 2 OF 2 FIGS.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BUTTONING UPHOLSTERY This invention relates to a method of buttoning upholstery.

Existing methods are time consuming and expensive as they are normally performed manually. This invention aims to provide an improved method which is speedy and which can be mechanized.

A method according to the invention of buttoning upholstery comprises attaching a button to a support bearing against the under surface of the upholstery so that the underside of the button is urged against the wearing surface of the upholstery.

Conveniently a thread is connected to the button, passed through the upholstery and attached to the support.

Conveniently said thread is carried by a reciprocatable needle having a cut out portion so that a loop of said thread connected to a button can be engaged by said portion, the needle passed through the wearing surface of the upholstery, the loop passed over a portion of the support which engages the loop, and the needle retracted free of said loop.

This invention further includes an article of buttoned upholstery comprising a button, a support bearing against the undersurface of the upholstery, and connection means passing through the wearing surface of the upholstery connecting said button to said support so that the underside of the button is urged against the wearing surface of the upholstery.

Conveniently said connection means comprises a thread looped through a shank of the button. Preferably said support is resilient and may be for example a coil spring. The coil of the spring bearing against the undersurface of the upholstery may be of greater diameter than the portion of the spring to which said thread is attached. This portion of the spring may be hooked so that the other end of the loop can be passed over the hook.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the invention for buttoning upholstery in a first stage of operation;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the completed buttoned upholstery;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a prior art arrangement for buttoning upholstery.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 the apparatus comprises a needle reciprocatable along a path X-X. The needle has a cut out portion 12. The upholstery to be buttoned has a wearing surface 14 and an under surface 16. A support in the form ofa spiral coil spring 18 bears with its largest diameter coil against the under surface 16 of the upholstery. The spring 18 includes a hooked portion 20 which lies adjacent the path XX. A button 22 has a shank 24 through which is passed a loop 26 of thread. The other end of the loop is engaged by the cut out portion 12.

The upholstery is buttoned as follows:

Initially the position is as shown in FIG. 1. The needle 10 is then advanced along the path XX so that it passes through the wearing and under

surfaces

14, 16 of the upholstery. Thus the loop of thread 26 is also drawn through these surfaces. The forward movement of the needle continues until the end of the loop initially engaged by the cut out portion 12 is engaged by the hooked portion 20 of the spring 18. The needle is then withdrawn leaving the loop on the hook. The underside of the button is now urged against the wearing surface 14 by the biasing force of the spring transmitted through the loop of thread 26. The dimensions of the loop and the spring are selected so that the button is urged against the surface 14 to cause a depression in the surface which gives an aesthetically pleasing effect.

The described operation can be repeated successively either the upholstery or the needle being moved to a new position in order to produce a multi-buttoned upholstery.

With reference to FIG. 3 in the illustrated prior art arrangement the shank of a button 28 is connected by a thread 30 to a rigid cross member (not shown). Means such as a block of foam rubber are provided at point 32 to prevent the button being displaced away from the wearing surface if the upholstery is depressed away from the underside of the button.

This method of securing the button to the upholstery is laborious and time consuming and must be performed manually. In contradistinction thereto the method according to the invention can be mechanized, is simple and can be performed more rapidly. In addition there is no need to provide a rigid cross-member as the method of the invention provides a support for attachment of the thread which is movable with the wearing surface of the upholstery.

What we claim is:

1. An article as claimed in claim 10 wherein said connection means comprises a thread looped through a shank of the button.

2. An article as claimed in claim 1 wherein the coil of the spring bearing against the undersurface of the upholstery is of greater diameter than the portion of the spring to which said thread is attached.

3. An article as claimed in claim 2 wherein said portion of the spring is hooked so that the other end of the loop can be passed over the hook.

4. A buttoned upholstery article comprising a wearing surface and an undersurface, a button disposed on said wearing surface, a single resilient spring coil support bearing against said undersurface and having its central axis concentric with the center point of said button and connecting means securing said button to said coil support whereby the button is urged against said wearing surface.