US3468274A - Process for stitching metal strip to edge portion of luggage shell - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 23, 1969 s. KOFFLER 3,468,274

PROCESS FOR STITCHING METAL STRIP TO EDGE PORTION OF LUGGAGE SHELL Filed Sept. 27. 19s? //Vl/EN70/?. 50L KOFFLER United States Patent M 3,468,274 PROCESS FOR STITCHING METAL STRIP TO EDGE PORTION OF LUGGAGE SHELL Sol Kofiler, 600 Blackstone Blvd, Providence, RI. 02906 Filed Sept. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 670,887 Int. Cl. Db /00 U.S. Cl. 112262 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Manufacture of luggage, with frame valance comprising male and female, interfitting, metal, shell-edging strips, each with a rearwardly extending web portion having a shallow V groove for maintaining alignment of needle and awl of a stitching machine and valance and luggage shell sewed thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns improvements in luggage manufacture which facilitate the maintenance of proper alignment between the frame valances, the luggage shell sewed thereto, and the awl and needle of the sewing machine. The invention is particularly useful in the sewing or stitching of metal strip valances, particularly those made from aluminum or other soft, awlpunchable metals to the periphery of opposing edges of luggage shells. Maintenance of a steady, straight, punching and stitching line is one of the problems confronting the art in the manufacture of luggage of the character described, particularly soft shell luggage in which metal strip valances are stitched on opposing edges of fabric soft shells by industrial sewing machines having an awl ahead of the needle for prepunching in the stitchreceiving web of the metal strip. The problems occasioned with maintaining such steady, .straight lines are accentuated with the increase of gauge or thickness of the web to be punched by the awl because, as the gauge of the web becomes greater, the tendency towards misalignment in the sewing machine increases as a result of the heavier puncture stroke required to punch the heavier gauge with the punching awl.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in the attachment of metal edging strips sewed to shells of luggage through the utilization of shallow, V-shaped faces on the webs of said strips to be stitched to the aforesaid shells.

A further object is to provide improvements in the methods of punching holes in metal members and the stitching thereof to fabric members by sewing machine having a punching awl immediately preceding the needle through the utilization of a shallow V-shaped face on the metal member with the awl punching its holes along its axis of the apex of the V-shaped member.

Still another object is to provide improvements for the maintenance of alignment of the punching awl and needle with a metal strip and the fabric to be stitched thereto in sewing machines embodying an awl and a needle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the invention herein concerns methods wherein a web of a metal strip edging is punched and stitched on the edge of a luggage shell. The improvements herein arise through the utilization of a web or wall on said metal strip with a shallow, V-shaped face On said web or wall. The awl punctures the web at the apex of the V. This technique facilitates the maintenance of alignment of the .awl and needle with the metal edging by virtue of the tendency of the strip to properly realign in the 3,468,274 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 event the needle should strike off center from the apex of the shallow V-face.

The resultant article of luggage comprises opposed, hollow shells with metal strip valance on opposing edges thereof. The improvements of the invention reside in the rearwardly extending, elongated web on each metal strip in a combination wherein an edge portion of each shell overlies one face of the respective web, and the opposite face of each web constitutes a shallow V-face. The awl punches holes through the respective edge portion and web along the apex of the shallow V-face to provide therealong holes to receive stitching for attachment of the valance to the edge portion. One of the valances includes an elongated nose portion projecting forwardly thereof while the other valance includes walls defining an elongated groove adapted to receive the nose portion when the shells are closed. The aforesaid webs preferably are offset from the outer face of each valance whereby the edge portions of the shells which overlap the webs lie in the respective offsets.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross section through male and female valances on the opposing edges of luggage shells with the punching awl and needle shown diagrammatically.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a segment of luggage with said valances; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the luggage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the luggage piece 10 comprises opposed, five-sided, hollow shells 11 and 12 attached at their bottom edges by hinges (not shown). The opposed edges of the shells respectively have male and female valances 13 and 14 attached thereto by stitching 15. As shown in FIG. 1, the male valance 13 comprises a metal strip, preferably extruded aluminum or other relatively soft, awl-punchable metal which has a nose portion 16 adapted to be received in the channel 17 of the female valance 14. The strip 13 further embodies a strengthening rib 18 and a rearwardly extending web 19 having an outer face 20 offset from the outer face 21 of the nose portion 16. The peripheral edge portion 22 of the shell 11 lies in the offset 23 provided between the faces 20 and 21, and the outer edge portion 22 of the shell 11 is abutted substantially tightly against the offset wall 23.

The opposite side or face of the Web 19 comprises a shallow, V-shaped wall 24. The apex 25 extends longitudinally of the strip and forms an awl-punching and needle stitching line extending longitudinally of the web 19. When the web 19 becomes misaligned with respect to the needle and awl, whereby the needle strikes to one side or the other of the apex 25, the diagonal planes 28 or 29 of the V-shaped face 24 tend to cause the web 24 to shift back to its proper alignment with the awl punching at the apex 25. Thus, this shallow V-shaped wall functions to maintain proper alignment of the awl and needle with the valance 13.

The female valance 14 comprises an outer web 30, a connecting bight 31 and a narrower lower web 32. These three walls form the channel 17 which receives the nose portion 16. The outer surface of the web 30 may have decorative ribs 33.

A rearwardly extending web 34 projects from the bight portion 17 with its outer face 35 olfset from the outer face of web 30. The edge 36 of the other luggage shell 12 seats in the offset with its edge substantially tightly against the offset 37 of the female valance. The web 34 has a V-shaped face 38 similar to the previously described V-shaped face 24, the function and purpose of which is the same as that previously described.

The valances 13 and 14 are stitched to the shell edge portions 22 and 36 by conventional industrial sewing machines with an awl 40 preceding the needle 41 alOng the stitching line corresponding to the apex 25 of the shallow V-face 24. Should misalignment to either side of apex 25 occur, the striking of needle 41 against either diagonal leg 28 or 29 has the effect of urging or deflecting the valances 13 or 14 back into a proper alignment between the needle 41 and punched holes 42 along the apex of the shallow V-face 24. By maintaining proper needle alignment, the proper alignment of awl 40 is also maintained.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein disclosed being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A process for stitching a metal strip having an outer face and an elongated web to an edge portion of a luggage shell comprising placing one face of said elongated web and said edge portion in overlapping relationship,

the opposite face of said web being a shallow V-face,

punching said edge portion and said web with an awl to provide a series of holes along the apex of said shallow V, stitching said edge portion and web together with a threaded needle aligned with said awl, said needle entering the punched holes in the shallow V-face, and automatically maintaining alignment of said needle and awl along said apex by realignment of said needle when it strikes said shallow V-face to one side of said punched holes through deflection of said web back into alignment.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said awl and said needle reciprocate into and out of said edge portion and said Web from opposite sides thereof.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one face of said web is oflset from said outer face of said metal strip to provide an offset portion, and placing said edge portion in said offset portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,187,703 6/1965 Fake ll2262 X RICHARD J. SCANLAN, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

Images