US2909136A - Sewing machine foot for use in sewing concealed sliding clasp fasteners - Google Patents

Description

1959 E. w. c. DIXON EI'AL 2,999,136

SEWING MACHINE FOOT FOR USE IN SEWING coucmso SLIDING CLASP FASTENERS Filed Dec. 18, 1956 IN VEN TORS ERIC WILLIAM CHILDS 01x0:

RON Fawn-m ATTORNEYS United States Patent SEWING MACHINE FOOT FOR USE IN SEWING CONCEALED SLIDING CLASP FASTENERS Eric William Chllds Dixon, Goodmayes, and Ron Fowler, Banstead, 0' Plneket Closing Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application December 18, 1956, Serial No. 629,038 8 Claims. (Cl. =11Z235) The present invention relates to an improved sewing machine presser foot for use in sewing margmalporhons of a garment or the to the element-supporting ta of a concealed sliding-clasp fastener.

In concealed sliding-clasp fasteners, the thickened edges of the element-supporting tapes are accommodated in recesses having narrow throats which, when the fastener is fitted to a garment and closed, open at an inclination towards one another and towards the outside of the garment. The tapes, starting from the thickened edges, are similarly inclined towards one another and outwardly where they pass out through the narrow throats and are then curved around away from one another. The mar ginal portions of the garment are applied over the convex surfaces of the curved parts of the tapes and are sewn to the latter as close as possible to the fastener elements. These marginal portions are thus brought into close contact with one another when the fastener is closed, so that they conceal not only the tapes but also the interlocking portions of the fastener elements, and the joint in the fabric of the garment has the appearance of a sewn seam. I

When using a sewing machine with a conventional foot for sewing the marginal portions of a garment fabric to the tapes of such sliding-clasp fasteners, it is diflicult, if not impossible, to obtain a straight sewn seam sufficiently close to the fastener elements.

It is the object of this invention to overcome this difliculty, and with this object in view the improved sewing machine presser foot according to this invention has formed in the sole thereof,'closely adjacent a guide hole for the sewing machine needle, a guide groove extending longitudinally in the direction from the toe to the heel of the foot and adapted, when sewing a fastener tape to a marginal portion of the fabric of a garment, to receive and slidably guide the row of projecting portions of the fastener elements attached to said tape which projects in the opposite direction to the row of interlocking portions of the same elements.

The foot is preferably provided with two such grooves arranged parallel to one another, and closely adjacent the needle guide hole on opposite sides thereof, so that the fastener does not need to be turned round end for end after sewing one tape and before sewing the other.

The invention is also conoemed with improvements in such a sewing machine presser foot with a view to enabling the parts of the garment or the like beyond the permanently closed end of the concealed slide fastener to be sewn together in a seam extending as far as the stitching connecting the element-supporting tapes to the parts of the garment or the like on each side of the opening therein. For this purpose, according to a further feature of the invention, the sides of the toe portion of a sewing machine presser foot having two parallel grooves formed in the sole thereof may be tapered inward towards the front end part thereof containing the needle guide hole, so that only thin wall parts are left between said needle guide hole and the tapered sides.

2,909,136 Patented Oct. 20, 1959 ice The tapered side surfaces of the toe portion of the foot preferably have a concave curvature.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sewing machine presser foot,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing a modified sewing machine presser foot positioned for sewing an element-supporting tape of a concealed slide fastener to a marginal portion of a garment,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary frontelevation of the sewing machine presser foot positioned for sewing as in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the modified sewing machine presser foot shown in Figs. 2 and 3,

Fig. 5 is a partly sectioned view from the inside of a garment, illustrating the procedure for sewing in a concealed slide fastener with the aid of the said modified sewing-machine presser foot, and

Fig. 6 is a partly sectional viewfrom the outside of the garment illustrating the use of the modified sewing machine presser foot for sewing together the two garment parts which carry the two tapes of the concealed slide fastener so as to form a seam beyond the permanently closed end of the concealed slide fastener.

The same references are used to indicate like parts in all figures of the accompanying drawings.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the lower part 7 of the presser foot (which will be referred to for convenience as the foot") is formed integrally on the lower end of a support 8 which is provided at its upper end with a grooved and'slotted head 9 for attachment to the sewing machine. This foot 7 has the form of a plate which is substantially rectangular in plan. The heel and toe ends of the foot 7 have their lower edges rounded off as at 11, 12, so that, in use, the foot will slide smoothly over the fabric of the fastener tapes. A needle guide hole 13 is arranged midway between the two sides of the foot 7 and close to the toe end thereof.

Formed in the sole of the foot 7, one on each side of this needle guide hole 13, are two grooves 14, 15 arranged parallel to one another, and to the sides of the foot. The width and depth of each of these grooves 14, 15 are determined by the dimensions of the fastener elements of the sliding-clasp fastener with which the sewing machine presser foot is intended to be used. The partition 16 formed by the part of the sole of the foot between these two grooves, which maybe approximately 1 mm. wide, is interrupted where the foot 7 is pierced by theneedle guide hole 13.

The arrangement of the grooves 14, 15 in the sole of the foot 7 is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, although these views in common with Figs. 2, Sand 6, show a modified construction.

Themodified construction differs from that according to Fig. 1 only in that the sides- 17, 18 of the toe portion of the foot 7 are tapered inward towards the front end part containing the needle guide hole '13. The surfaces of the tapered sides 17, 18 'of the toe portion are concave (Fig. 4). Due to this tapering of the toe portion the laterally outside wall portions 19, 20 of the grooves 14, 15 finish slightly behind the needle guide hole 13. A portion 16' of the partition 16 is left however in front of the said needle guide hole.

When it is required to sew a concealed sliding-clasp fastener into a garment, the fastener is first opened to its fullest extent. One of the marginal portions of the garment is then assembled in the required position with respect to, and pinned to, the corresponding fastener tape on the side of the latter on which the interlocking portions of the fastener elements project. 7

The tape and the marginal portion of the garment so assembled are now placed in position beneath the foot,

of the elements as the tape.

Thus in Figs. 3 and 4, the element portions 21 are engaged in the groove 14, so that-the needle guide hole 13 and the partition 1, 16' are on the same side of the elements asthetape23. ThetapeGS andmarginalportion24ofthe garmentcannowbesewntogetherbythe machineduringwhichoperationthefastenertapefl and garment fabric will be accurately guided beneath foot7 by the elements sliding in the guide groove 14 m the sole of the foot. Consequently, the sewn seam 25 will be close to and evenly spaced from the elements attachedtothetape23. AftertheseamZShasbeen sewn the main part 26 of the garment fabric is folded back at the seam under the marginal portion 24.

After this operation has been completed, the same procedure is followed for sewing the other fastener tape to the other marginal portion of the garment, except that the projecting portions of the elements in this case are engaged in the other slot 15 in the foot. The provision of the two slots 14, 15 in the foot 7 makes it unnecessary tom the fastener round end for end before sewing the second side. It also makes it possible to sew always in the direction from the separated end of the fastener towards the permanently interconnected end thereof, as indicated by the arrow 27 in Fig. 5.

When sewing the fastener tapes to the marginal portions of a garment, the slider '28 (Fig. is preferably adjusted to a position a short distance away from the element 2! which secures the two parts of the fastener together at the permanently closed end. Both fastener tapes are then sewn to the respective marginal portions 24 of the garment in the direction from the open end of the fastener to the permanently closed end withthe aid of the foot as illustrated in Fig. 5. The resulting seams 25 thus finish close to the slider 28. After this has been done, the garment is turned over and the two parts of the garment are sewn together in the direction of: the arrow 31 (Fig. 6) along a seam 32. For this operation, the modified construction of foot illustrated in Figs. 2 to 6 is particularly advantageous, since it enables the seam 21 to be continued in the direction of the arrow 31 (Fig. 6) sufficiently far to join the seams 25. When sewing the seam 32, the tape end parts 33 connected togetherby the element 29 are pulled out to one side as shown in Fig. 6. Due to the pointed shape of the toe portion of the foot 7 and to the thin walls left between the needle guide hole 13 and the sides 17, 18 of the foot, the sewing machine needle is able to sew the seam close up alongside the slider 28 to join one of the two seams 25.

The foot could be provided with only a single groove on one side of the needle guide hole 13, but for the reasons already mentioned it is preferred to have two grooves 14, 15 as described above.

The foot 1 in either construction may also, if desired, be hinged to the support 8 in known manner.

What we claim is:

l. A sewing machine presser foot for use in sewing marginal portions of a garment or the liketo the elementsupporting tapes of a concealed sliding-clasp fastener, wherein there is provided in the sole of said foot a pair of laterally spaced straight guide grooves extending the entire length of said foot, said grooves being parallel to each other and having similar dimensions, the parallel innermost straight edges of said guide grooves being spaced from each other, a partition whose lowermost surface is generally defined by the parallel innermost straight edges of said guide grooves separating said guide grooves, said lowermost surface consisting of a flat land means within said parallel innermost straight edges which may rest upon one of the tapes of the sliding-clasp fastener without scoring the same when the presser foot is being used, a needle guide hole formed in the presser foot and extending downwardly through said partition with the center of said needle guide hole being midway between the parallel straight edges of said guide grooves, and with the diameter of said needle guide hole being greater than the width of said partition wherein a like portion of said needle guide hole is disposed in each of said grooves.

2. A sewing machine presser foot for use in sewing marginal portions of a garment or the like to the element-supporting tapes of a concealed sliding-clasp fastener having a sole and a toe portion, wherein there is provided in the sole of said foot a pair of laterally spaced straight guide grooves extending the entire length of said foot, said groovesbeingparalleltoeachotherandhavingsimilsr dimensions, a partition who lowermost surface is generally defined by the parallel inner-men straight edges of said guide grooves separating said guide grooves, the sides of the toe portion of said foot being concavely tapered inwardly towards the front end part thereof, a needle guide hole formed in the presser foot and extending downwardly through said partition with the center of said needle guide hole being midway between the parallel straight edges of said guide grooves, with the diameter of said needle guide hole being greater than the width of said partition wherein a like portion of said needle guide hole isdisposedineachofsaid grooves,andwiththeneedle guideholebeingdisposedinthetapered frontendpart of the foot so that only thin aide parts are left interme diate said nndle guide hole and said tapered sides.

3.Asewingmachinepresserfootfor useinsewing marginal portions of a garment or the like to the elementsupporting tapes of a concealed sliding-clasp fastener, having a sole and a toe portion wherein there is provided in the sole of said font a pair of laterally spaced straight guide grooves extending the entire length of said foot, said grooves being parallel to each other and having similar dimensions, a partition whose lowermost surface is generally defined by the parallel innermost straight edges of said guide grooves separating-said guide grooves, the sides of the toe portion of said presser foot being concavely tapered inwardly towards the front end part thereof, a needle guide hole formed in the presser foot and extending downwardly through the partition, said nwdle guide hole being disposed in the tapered front end part of the toe portion, said toe portion being so tapered that the lateral outside wall portions of the grooves finish behind the needle guide hole, said needle guide hole being positioned on said partition with the center of said needle guide hole being midway between the parallel straight edges of said guide grooves, and with the diameter of said needle guide hole being greater than the width of said partition wherein a like portion of said needle guide hole isdisposedineachofsaidgrooves.

4. A sewing machine presser foot for use in sewing marginal portions of a garment or the like to the elementsupporting tapes of a concealed sliding-clasp fastener, having a sole and a toe portion wherein there is provided in the sole of said feet a pair of laterally spaced straight guide grooves extending the entire length of said foot, with the outside walls of each of said guide grooves being spaced at a similar distance from the outside walls of said foot at any given point along the length of said foot; said grooves being parallel to each other and having aim-1 I ilar dimensions, the parallel innermost straight edges ofthe parallel innermost straight edges of said guide grooves separating said guide grooves, said lowermost surface consisting of a flat land means within said parallel innermost straight edges which may rest upon one of the tapes of the sliding-clasp fastener without scoring the same when the presser foot is being used, a needle guide hole formed in the presser foot and extending downwardly through said partition midway between the outside walls of said foot, with the center of said needle guide hole being midway between the parallel straight edges of said guide grooves, and with the diameter of said needle guide hole being greater than the width of said partition wherein a like portion of said needle guide hole is disposed in each of said grooves.

5. A sewing machine presser foot as claimed in claim 4 in whichthe bottom surface of the partition is spaced above the bottom surfaces of the outside walls of said foot.

6. A sewing machine presser foot for use in sewing marginal portions of a garment or the like to the elementsupporting tapes of a concealed sliding-clasp fastener, having a sole and a toe portion wherein there is provided in the sole of said foot a pair of laterally spaced straight guide grooves extending the entire length of said foot, said grooves being parallel to each other and having similar dimensions, a partition whose lowermost surface is generally defined by the parallel innermost straight edges of the guide grooves separating the guide grooves, with the bottom surface of said partition being spaced above the parallel outermost straight edges of the guide grooves, a needle guide hole formed in the presser foot and extending downwardly through said partition with the center of said needle guide hole being midway be tween the parallel straight edges of said guide grooves, and with the diameter of said needle guide hole being greater than the width of said partition wherein a like portion of said needle guide hole is disposed in each of said grooves.

7. A sewing machine presser foot for use in sewing marginal portions of a garment or the like to the elementsupporting tapes of a concealed sliding-clasp fastener, having a sole and a toe portion wherein there is provided in the sole of said foot a pair of laterally spaced straight guide grooves extending the entire length of said foot, with each of said guide grooves having parallel upright walls, said grooves being parallel to each other and having similar dimensions, a partition whose lowermost surface is generally defined by the parallel innermost straight edges of said guide grooves separating said guide grooves,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 338,163 Conpropst Mar. 16, 1886 381,090 Sutherland Apr. 10, 1888 415,000 Rossiter Nov. 12, 1889 1,207,619 Penny Dec. 5, 1916 2,369,118 Cumfer Feb. 13, 1945 2,697,994 Wurker Dec. 28, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,769

Great Britain Sept. 26, 1913

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