Sewing – Method of sewing – Stitch forming
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-28
2001-04-17
Nerbun, Peter (Department: 3741)
Sewing
Method of sewing
Stitch forming
C112S156000, C053S134200, C289S001500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216620
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the fields of automated manufacturing, and, more particularly, to an apparatus for attaching a strand of material, cord or wire to one or more pieces of material at high-speed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The attachment of a strand of cord, thread, wire or other material to one or more pieces of material presents challenges to today's high speed manufacturing processes. As an example, consider the tampon industry. The rate at which the product is consumed requires that a high speed manufacturing process be employed. Current tampon designs employ a withdrawal string, usually a cotton cord, to allow the user to remove the product after use. The cord must be firmly attached to the tampon pad, and must not shear the product or leave material behind upon withdrawal.
One current method for attaching a cord to a pad involves sewing the cord to the pad, although this technique has a variety of disadvantages. The piercing of a cord by the thread actually weakens the cord, thereby requiring a thicker cord to meet any strength specifications. The use of thread to attach a cord to a pad introduces the possibility of thread breakage or jamming of the sewing apparatus. Current high speed industrial sewing machines operate at rates that are typically insufficient to feed a subsequent high speed production line. As a result, multiple sewing stations are required and their respective outputs must be merged to feed a single production line. Such multiple stations operating near their maximum rated speed, as well as the merging mechanism, increase possibility and frequency of mechanical failures, jams, etc. Further, the reciprocating motion of traditional sewing machine movement, combined with the very thin and flexible handling qualities of thread, further increase the likelihood of jams, or mechanical failure.
Another method of attaching a cord to a pad involves punching of a cord once through the pad, and entanglement of the cord about the pad, i.e. with a knot or other restraining mechanism. Punching a cord once through a pad suffers from a lack of redundancy of attachment. Should the cord fail to puncture the pad, the needle fail to feed the cord properly, or the pad misaligned, the cord will not be attached to the pad. Also, the force on the cord during the use of the product assembly is undesirably concentrated at the single point where the cord is attached to the pad.
Cord entanglement does not offer the mechanical strength or integrity offered by a cord that is firmly attached to the pad since the cord can slip off. Simply tying a string to a pad in such a fashion creates a product which is prone to failure.
Accordingly, a need exists for a cord attachment mechanism that is fast enough to support a subsequent high speed production line and which meets the reliability requirements of its users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention discloses an article of manufacture and a method and apparatus for manufacturing the same. Specifically, an apparatus and method for attaching a cord to a piece of receiving material at high speeds comprises one or more pins which engage the cord, pierce the receiving material and draw the cord through the receiving material from the first side to a second side thereof so that at least one open loop is formed in the cord on the second side of the receiving material. The apparatus further comprises a shuttle mechanism which moves relative to the pin and engages an end portion of the cord drawing the cord through the open loop so as to complete the lacing stitch of the cord through the receiving material.
According to the first aspect of the invention, an article of manufacture comprises a tea bag having first and second sides, a cord penetrating the tea bag at a location on the first side thereof and extending through the tea bag to a second side and therebeyond to form an open loop at the second side of the tea bag. The cord extends back through the tea bag from the second side to the first side. A first end portion of the cord extends through the open loop formed on the second side of the bag. In one embodiment, the end portion of the cord extends from the first side to the second side of the tea bag along the exterior surface and into the loop on the second side.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a method for attaching a cord to a piece of receiving material comprises the steps of (a) engaging a portion of the cord; (b) drawing the cord through the receiving material from a first side of the receiving material through to a second side of the receiving material and beyond to form an open loop at the second side of the receiving material; and (c) threading a first end of the cord through the open loop on the second side of the receiving material. In one embodiment, the method further includes the step of (d) eliminating any slack in the open loop.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, an apparatus comprises a frame, at least one pin movably mounted to the frame and adapted to penetrate a piece of receiving material and draw a flexible cord from a first side to a second side of the receiving material so as to form an open loop in the cord on the second side there. The apparatus further comprises a shuttle having a first end adapted to receive a portion of the cord and to draw the cord through the open loop on the second side of the receiving material. In one embodiment, a plurality of pins are movably mounted to the frame and adapted to penetrate the piece of receiving material and draw the cord from a first side of the receiving material through to a second side of the receiving material to form open loops on a second side thereof. In another embodiment, the shuttle is not mounted to the frame, but the pin(s) are selectively movable relative to the shuttle.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, an apparatus for attaching a flexible cord to an article comprises a cord supply assembly, an article supply assembly, a loop forming assembly adapted to grasp the cord and pass the cord through the article from a first side to a second side of the article and to form an open loop with the cord on the second side of the article. The apparatus further comprises a shuttle having a first end adapted to receive a portion of the cord and to draw the cord through the open loop formed on the second side of the article. According to one or more embodiments, the loop forming assembly comprises one or more push pin(s) having first ends adapted to penetrate the article and engage portions of the cord.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2462178 (1949-07-01), Ganz
patent: 3814469 (1974-06-01), Simon
patent: 3940169 (1976-02-01), Kock
patent: 3970022 (1976-07-01), Kopatz et al.
patent: 5657712 (1997-08-01), Romagnoli
patent: 5797243 (1998-08-01), Tagliaferri et al.
Koch, Paul-August, et al., “Grofses Textil-Lexikon”, 1966, pp. 99-100, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt Stuttgart, Germany.
Kudirka & Jobse LLP
Nerbun Peter
LandOfFree
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