Uill'ted States Patent Office 311227465 1 3,'i22,465 PF@ODUCTR-OIN OF @Q7-AAri-LIKE CONNEC,-LIONS Br-4, TWEEN FLAT FABRIC I'@@@EAOERS BY MEANS OF T,,"kfE RMOPLASTIC A,@IAT@@q RIALS Siegfried Keller, and KLrt Brar@,,It, AugsGernin@-@y, as,-gnors 1,0 AG,, Au,,-Vb:lrg, GeTmany, a co-,-per2@ . a--i of Geyn, "PY Filed -Psee. 9, 1953, E-;er. No. 779,145 10 (vCi. 256-93) The ir@ve,-@t,on relates to the production of seam-likeconnec'tions o-@ flat fabric members, in partical@ar of webs, usir;g thermoplast-le masses which are introeu-,cd into commoii recesscs, 'Lh-- mass be,.n@, liquii'@-d and then cooled. A process is already known in which ii,@ate-ials such as w-,bs are connected to.-ether by means of 'Lh,-rmoplast;c fo@'@ls. In th,'@s process, the connect,@'on is eff-,cted under pr,-ssure and the thermoplastic foil @.'s heated by means of a hi.ah frequency field in such a way that it partially penetrates into the cavit@'.--s formed by roughening or perforating the material at the poin,s where connection is to be esttblished. Th.- invention do,-s not us,- such foils, which arpear to be unsuitable for a number of reasons, and particularly because of the lar,-e amount of 'Loil needed and the -lecessity for rou,@hen,' 11,- or perforatir@- the material prior to the actaal process of co@inection; fLirLhormore, such foiis m-,ist first be cut to the required shape and then placed separately between the IE,.yers of fabr@'c or the I;ke. In particulir, the .nvention does not use a single, co,-itiiiuous band or thread of thermodlasic mater-'@al 'Lor formi,.a- the actual band. As a further development of the priicipal iulea, tLe iivention also relates to a process for the produci-ioii of pseudo lock st,.tches. It Las already frequently b-,en atteriipted to so,ve the problem of tlne lower thread i-@i the loc'@@- stitch seam, i.e. to tind a way of om-"tting the tiresom.- winaing and changin.- ol' the shuttle for the lower thread ar@d to make it possible to use considerably larger shutt'@es for tj',c lower thread. All the attempted sol@,itions have so far faile(l, however, owing to the fact that ip th,,@ formatiop of the lock st,'@tch the loop of the needle thread mast be taken -ight round the en,ire shutll-- or stor.- of tii,- lower @ re h ad. The possible size of the rotary hook which coxr;es t'@ic nc--dle thread round the entire sh-,ittle or stor-- of lower thread is limited, ar.,d @h--refore the max;mlim size of the shuttle for the lower thread is also limited. Th-'s invention provides a method which en,@ibles a shuttle or roll of any desired size to be used for the lower ti-iread. According to the ir@veption, the prodliction of the pseudo lock stitch seam m,,iy be carried out by various processes. Broadly, the iiivention co-iisists o'L a process for the maiiufact,are of s-.am-like connectiors in flat il.-Yible fabric members, such as pi,-ces of @@extile fabric, which includes the steps of repeatedly forming, as a corti-@itious process, common recesses in sa-'@d members at spaced @'nterva's, introducipg d,.rectly to each recess, after the formation thereof, a mass, such as a shaped solid plug of thermoplastic bonding material, li-quifyi-ig said mass, -nd allowing same to solidij'y again, thereby to form a series o@@l localised bonds between said pieces. The further developm@-nt of the invention deals with a process for producing a pseddo locl@, stitch seam. The essential feature of a lock stitch seam, nan-iely the holdintog@-ther of the layers of fabric by a needle thread and a lower thread and the connectio@i of the two tb,-eads witli each other iiiside the layers of the fabric are retained in this process. The di'Terence betweeti th,- norPatented Feb. 25, 1964 2 mal lock stitch and the pseudo lock stitch produced according to the invelition is that in the case of the normal sear,.i the needle thread and the lower thread are intertwined within the layers of the fabric whereas in the process of the invention the upper and lower threads are connected to each other, usually inside the layers of fabric, by means of artificial material, in particular thermoplastic resin. No intertviining of the needle thread and the lower thread takes place in this process and the store of lower 10 tbread may be just as large as that of the needle thread. A further development of the invention consists in that the bonding of the upper to the lower threads by the thermoplastic bonding agent to prodtice the pseudo lock stitch seam takes place outside the layers or webs, the process 15 b-.in-. thereby greatly simplified and the operation of sewing becoming very similar to that of sewing Pormal lock stitch seams. The invent,@'oi also includes a stipply device for the thermoplastic material. 20 The various processes of the invention are explained by way of example with reference to various modes of construction shown in the drawings. The first group of figures show the use of a bondin.@ agent in the form of spheres which are pressed into the 25 fabric from above, thus FIG. la shows the phase before the bonding agent is pressed in; FIG. lb shows the bonding ag@-nt pressed in; and FIG. lc shows the bonding agent melted. 30 The second group of figtires show the use of a bonding agent iii the form of spheres pressed into the web both from above and from below, thus FIG. 2a shows the phase before the bonding agent is pressed in; 35 FIG. 2b shows the bonding agent pressed in; a-,id FIG. 2c shows the boiiding agent melted. The third group of fi.-ures show the use of a bonding igent in the shape of studs, pressed into @the fabric from above, thus 40 FTG. 3a shows the piiase before the bonding agent is presse d in; FIG. 3h shovvs the bond@'@ng agent pressed in; and FIG. 3c shows the bondin.- a@-ent melted. 45 i, The fourth group of figures show the us@- of a bondaaent in the form of wires pressed into the fabric from above, thus e FIG. 4a shows the phase before the bonding a@ nt s pressed in; FIG. 4h shows the bonding agent pressed in; and 50 FIG. 4c shows the bonding a- nt melted. e FIGS. 5a,, 5b, 5c aqd FIGS. 6a, 6b, 6c show different phases in the use of a bondin,@ a.-ent in the form of a contintiously supplied wire divided into studs for bondin@@ together the upper and loi@,er thread for the pi-ir55 pose of producing a pseudo lock stitch seam and a pseudo s,.ngle chain st:tch seam. FIG. 7 shows the use of botidin@ agents in the form of spheres for bonding together the needle tliread and th.C lower thread of a pseudo loek stitch seam. 60 FIG. 8 shows the use of bonding agents in the form of spheres for the produ-,tion of a pseudo single chain stitch seam. -t:@,IG. 9 shows a por,ion of a finished seam and the 65 first working phase in the formation of the ps@-,ado stitch seam when the needle of the sewi-@ig r@,iachine is descending with the upper thread. FIG. 10 shows a further phase in the process of forming the seam according to FIG. 9, in which the se@xin70 machine rieedle h@,s brought the needle thread throu,@h the layers ol. fabric. FIG. 11 is a 'Urther phase in the operation Of making

3,122,4-j5 a scam accorl'ing to FIG. 9, in whicli the tipp-,r tli.-cad is bein.- bonded to 'Lli-- lower tbread. FIG. 12 shows the final Dhas-- in the process accordin- to FIG. 9 of formii,.- a scain, in whi,-Ii ihe point of bondin.- between the upper and the lower thread is palled 5 into the layers of tne fabric. FIG. 13 is a view in the direct-ion of the point of boiid;n- betv-,,ce-.i the upper 'Lhread ard the lower th@:;-ad .f the pseudo lock stitch scam accordinq to FIG. 9 before bondin.- takes place. 1( F.TG. 14 is a plan view i,.i ti-@e directif,-n I'@'IV, @Iiiat is from above, of FIG. 10. The process according to the main idea ol. th-, invention is expla:lned belo,,v with reference to the first four ,,roups of fig,,ires. 15 As in a sewing machiic, in whicb the r,,-edle is - ino,.,cd mecha.-i,'@cally or by means of electroir@agriet@c drivin.- means, a press pin Z moves in a nozzie-like or sl,evelike housin.- 1; this pin at the same time acts as means for conducting hea, or transmicting ultrasoni.,@ energy or, 20 if conn@-eted to a h;gh freluency -encrator, it may form a part of the condensor for producin.- a hi,-h freq,.ic@- icy alternating field. V-@hen the press pin 2 is Yalsed (FIG. la@l a s,,3heric-.1 iii@iss of bondin.- agent 3, preierably of tlicrmoplastic 2,5 resin, disposeci in a ma.-azine or chaniiel 4 in the HOL,Sin.- 1, falls ur@der.,icatli tile press pin 2. L-,iycrs oifabric 5 aiid 6 wh:cli are to be conneeled are moved on a plate 7 siiiiilar to the needle plate of a sewi-ii.- machiiie, and th-,reby coines to lies uiidern,-ath the press pin Z. The 30 fabric may be provided with a p3rfora,,ioi o' in a prec@lding operation step. When the press pin 2 is lower.@d (FI-J. lb) the sphei-ical mass of bondin.a agent 3 is pressed iiito the layers of fabric 5 and 6, a plate provided i-@i the plate 7 s-,rv35 in.- as support. '-he supporting plate 9 serves at the sa@iie tim-. as a ,L means fo.- conductiii heat or for 'Le@e stipply of ul@rasonic energ,", which may, ii- desirei, be co@itrolled to be in'tern-i:ltteiit, or al'Ler@iativ,-Iy tho pi-.ite may fo-m a 40 condenser piate coiinected with a Ligh frcqtieiicv gcncrator for the prod-cction of a high frequen,-.y af@,eriiatin,- field. The spherical m-.ss of bondi@,g azeiit 3 is lieqted by means of heat impulses, ultrason:c v,,ave!3, or hi.-h frequ-,ncy, and is thereby m--Ited, whereby the bor-d!5 in,- a.-ent ilows into the layers 5 and 6 of the fabr,',c and connects these together on coolin.- (FIG. Ic). Th-- moverr,--nt of the layers of web 5 ard 6 on the pl,ite 7 takes plac-- stepwise and is con,rolled as in a sewii-ig machine, so that the steps may b.- short, Ion,-, 50 forwards, backwards, to the side or in zi.@-za.- movement etc., so that a row of connecting poinls arp- formed which result in a seim-like conn,-clion of tiie layers 5 ai,.d 6 to each o,her. in FIC@S. 2a to 2c, i@-i -,idd:,Lion to the upper nozzlelike 55 ho@,isin.- I with the press pi@-i 2, a similar hotising 10 with a similar pr,-ss pin 11 are arrang@-d opposite to the former, on the underside of the labric. For th,"s pi-,rpose, a plate 12, which carries the layers of fabric 15 and 16, is provided with a recess 13. Th-@ bondin@ 60 a,,Cnts 3 aiid 3' are pressed i-@ito the layers of fabr : , @c 15 and 16 by means of press p:@ns 2 and '@l (FIG. 2b), the press pins 2 and 11 servin.- also as meais for the tr@@i-isfer of iieat or of ultrpsonic energy or, when - conncc',Cd with a high freqtiency @enerator, it may s.-rve as coii- 65 densor for the productio-ii of a bigh freqLi.---,icy altcrnatiiig field. The bondin.- a.@eit 3, 3' is r@i@-Ited by means c.1 @--at, or by the ener,-y fron-1 ultrason;c waves, or from a Iig-li o i freq,.iency feld, and flows into iiie layers 15 and '-@6 oi. the fabric, resulting in their bei-@i@ bonled to,,e,-.h,-r on coolin,- (FfG. 2c). In the exampl.- illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 3c, the mass of bonding agent 17 is in the form of sti-ids and each 75 preferab'.y tapered to a point at the bottom so that they can penetrate more readily into the layers i3 and 19. It can be seen from the drawin-, that the layers of iabr'c may be folded over at the scam. In th-. example shown in FIGS. 4a to 4c, the bonding ageit is in the form of a wire 20, preferably of thermoplastic resin which is wound off a reel or roll, not shown, and 1:s guided in a verticahy reciprocatin.- nozzle-like head 21. The head 21 contains a piston 22 which iii t@,irn moves claw-like p@-essure members 23, 24. @llihen the head 2'-, moves down (FIG 4) it moves the piston 22 with it, but the stroke of the piston 2Z is greater by the amount 25 than the stroke of the head 21, so that the claw-like pressure member 23, 24 press the lower p:@ece '-7,@6 of the wire 23 into th-- la37ers 5, 6 of the fabric owing to the partiaily conical shape of the interior of the head 21 and shear off the wire 20 in such a way that one end of 27 of the wir-, is at the same time tapered to a point. The piston 20 and the pressure members 23, 24 serve at the same time to transniit h.-at impulses or ultrasonic energy to the piece of wire 26 or alternatively they may form, together with the supporting plate 9, a condenser for the production of a high frequency alternating field; the piece of wire 26 which is pressed into the layers 5 and 6 of the fabric is melted by means of licat impulscs or by ultrasonic waves or by heatiri-, by hi.-h freqtiency and flows into the layers of fabric 5 and 6, boncling theni together on coolin, (FIG. 4c). Durir@g the Lipward stroke oi- the head 21 and the piston 22 (see FIG. 4a) the wire 20 remains stationary, i.e. the clanv-like pressure memb.-rs Z3, 24 divcr.-e again, slide lipwards by a controlled, predetermined ainount along the wire 20, and then take the wir-. with them a.@ain on thf, downward niovem-@nt (FIG. 4b), shearing the wire off in the proc--ss. The process of introducin.- the pieces of bonding material of thermoplastic resin or the like may be separated c, 'ther spatially or in time or bolh from the process o,' effectin- a bond by heatin,@ or the like. This method would be used if, for example, there is a risk of the tools which introduce the bonding a-.Cnt being raised to too high a temperature by tle heating proccss. Such a separation of these steps may be carried out according to the invention in that, for example, an element which is niainly concerned only with heating and therefore with glucinl- or bonding together the parts of the fabric supplied to it, is placed in the path of the scam at a predetermined distance, which may even be adjustable, behind the memb-r which introduces the bonding a.-ent either by stitching or some other means. Thus, for example, the scam which already contains the bondin.- particles but is rot yet bonded is guided through a preferably strictly localised hi.@h frequency field or a field of ultrasonic waves or a source of heat. In this case, intermittent control of the supply of energy which -ives rise to the bondin.- is not absoliitely necessary. In order, for example, to be able to take into account d;.iferent speeds in the runnin.- of the scam, it is preferable to provide, in accordance with the invention, a device which makes it possible to adjust the intensity of the flow of ener.-y which effects the bondin.- or the like in dependence, for example, on the speed of running of the seam. FIGS. 5a to 5c show a modification embodiment of the invention for producing a pseudo single chain stitch seam. Again there are provided the head 21, the piston 22, the claw-like pressure members 23, 24, the wire 20 of thermoplastic resin, the layers of fabric 5, 6, and nc@-d@le plate 7, and the supporting plate 9 inserted in the latter. This process, which is otherwis-@ similar to that shown in FIGS. 4a to 4c, is to bind an upper thread, e.g. of textile material, such as yarn or twin-. 2'0 with the layers 5, 6 of fabric by means of the piece 26 of thermoplastic ,vire 20 which has becii introduced, so th,,it a pseudo single chain stitch scam is produced (FIG. 5c).

5 According to FIGS. 6a to 6c, a stronger two-layered web 32, 33 is first perforated in a preceding working step. The web 32, 33 may ruh, for example, from left to r@'ght. As soon as the hole 34 has reached the positiori underneath the device for the thermoplastic bonding of upper thread 35 and lower thread 37, the pointed end of the thermoplastic wire 20 is severed by suitable means mounted in the head 21, in such a way that a stud shaped piece 26 is cut off and is press.-d, according to FIG. 6b, into the hole 34 by the descendin- head 21, ,with the co-operation of a finger 36 which acts on it from undern,-,,tth in the opposite direction; the upper and lower threads are gripped between these parts 26 and 36 in this region and are bonded together by heatin,@ the stud 26 of thermoplastic material, as already mentioned, the final bonding particle being a kind of thermoplastic sphere (FIG. 6c) which always unites the upper thread 35 to the lower thread 37 in the perforation 34. Accordin.- to FIG. 7, the plate 12, NIliicli is cut to the appropriate @size and shap,-, carries the two layers 15, 16 of fabric wh@ch are to b-. bonded together. The pseudo loc"- stitch slam is formed by the upp@-r thread 35 and the lower thread 37. A point glueing or similar union by thermoplastic agent takes place Nvhich, in the example shown, results in a spherical con-lection between the upper thread 35 and the lower thread 37. It is supplied through corresponding ducts whereby the thermoplastic material is supplied in the form of small spheres 3, 3', both from below and from above or, if necessary, only from one side. The process consists in that the thermoplastic spheres 3, 3' are taken up respectively by the upper press pin 2 and the lower press pin 11, which carry out suitably controlled movements in opposition to each other ,,vhich are adjusted to the stepwise movement of the fabric feed, and the spheres are pressed into the i'abric, which is not necessary perforated, and take with them the correspondiiig parts of the upper thread 35 a-@id the lower thread 37 which are pressed into the fabric at the same titne and are united by the thermoplastic connection 3". in the coiinecting process, the sphere or the like of thermoplastic material is adequately softened by means of a bigh freqiiency generator (not shown) or soiie other known means of heat supply. FIG. 8 shows an analogous process 'or the production of a pseudo single chain stitch seam. In this case, there is no lower thread, the upp-.r thread 28 (as in FIGS. 5ti to 5c) is fixed into the fabric layers 5, 6 in a manner similar to that used in the previous example so that, in particular, a connection between the lower layer 6 of fabric and the upper thread 28 is fomied. A further embodiment of @he invention is explained below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 14. Just like in an ordinary sewing machine, a needle 41 (FIG. 9) moves upwards and downwards, and an upper thr-,ad 43 is threaded through the eye 42 of the needle. Layers 44, 45 of fabric which are to be united are moved, exactly as in an ordinary sewing machine, by a fabric feed which is not shown, on the needle plate, which is also not shown. While the fabric feed is in the pos-ition ol' rest, the needle 41 (FIG. 10) penetrates so deeply in-o the layers 44, 45 of fabric that the upper thread 43 forms a loop 46, which projects below the lower surface 47 of the layer 45 of fabric. The needle 41 is rotated about a small angle (FIG. 14) so that the eye 42 of the needle is at an an.-le to the direction of feed of the fabr'@c and a tan-.ent to the loop 46 of the upper thread 43 and to the needle 41 gives a straight line A-B which is parallel to the direction of feed of the fabric. The lower thread 48 is so gu@@ded on the needle plate, which is not shown, below the layer of fabric 45 that like the straight 1-ine A-B it is in cc)ntact with the needle 41 and the loop 46 of the needle thread. A nozzle-like piston 49 moves obliquely up and down below the needle plate and through it. Th;s nozzle-l-',ke 3,122,465 6 piston 49 is split in front to form two lips 50, 51 (FIG. 13). Inside, in the actual nozzle 52 (FIG. 13) or similar conveyance device, is contained a rapidly hardening bonding agent, for example tbermoplastic resin 53. This thermoplastic resin 53 is introduced in the form of a powder, granulate or wire into the nozzle-like piston 49 or some similar conveyance device. By means of electrical heating or hot air or high fre.. qiiency current or by some other means, the front part of 10 the thermoplastic material 53 is heated to the nielting temperature so that this thermoplast@@c material 53 is always in a liquid state inside 'Lhe lips 50, 51 of the nozzlelike pisto.1 49 while the machine is in operition. At the mo@-nent in the sewing operat-'@on at which the 15 needle 41 (FIG. 10) has brought the upper thread 43 through the fabr@'@c layers 44, 45 and the tipper thread 43 has formed a loop 46, and the lower thread 48 lies in contact with the loop 46 of tiie upper thread 43, the nozzlelike piston 49 is moved upwardly (FIG. 11). The lips 20 50, 51 of the nozzle-like pislon 49 fork over the co.-I-ilecting point 54 between the upper and the lower thread 43, 43 (FIG. 13) to such an extent that the pont of co.itact 54 is covered by the liquid thermoplastic resin 53 k@,hich is betnveen the lips 50, 51 of the nozzle-like p;ston 49. 25 The nozzle-like piston 49 then descends, retuming to its slarting position (FIG. 12), having left a blob 55 of thermoplastic resin at the point of contact 54. This quickly sets and thereby establishes the connection b-,tween the upper thread 43 and the lower thread 43 (FIG. 30 12). As the sewing proceeds, the needle 41 again ascends, the upper thread is tensioned so that the bonded re.-ioii is pi-illed into the layers of fabric 44, 45 and no longer projects below the layer of fabric 45 (FIG. 12). Thus a 35 por'ion of the seam is completed, and the "sewiiig" cycle starts again from the begilining, as described above. Continued operation results in a pseudo lock stitch seam. We