Patent Application
20150217966
The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods of winding strands and, more particularly, to a system embodying an apparatus and method for simultaneously winding two separate bobbins independent of a sewing machine.
Bobbins are used to feed thread to a sewing machine. During a sewing project, when the sewing machine bobbin needs more thread, a user must stop the project in order to wind the bobbin either by hand or by a device integrated to the sewing machine. Both are inconvenient: winding by hand is tiresome; and the integrated device adds wear and tear on the user's sewing machine, and both require rethreading of the sewing machine prior to continuing the sewing project. Moreover, bobbin winding devices typically wind just one bobbin at a time, and so are not accommodating of multi-colored fabrics and projects.
As can be seen, there is a need for a system embodying an apparatus and method for simultaneously winding two separate bobbins independent of the sewing machine, whereby the interruption to the underlying sewing project is minimized, especially for multi-colored fabrics and projects.
In one aspect of the present invention, a double bobbin winder comprises a body forming an internal containment space for housing two motors; two spindles rotatably connected to an external portion of the body; a telescopic thread tree connect to the external portion of the body, wherein the tree provides two branches of guide loops, each branch extending in the direction of each spindle; two bobbin bumpers for removably securing a bobbin, each bobbin bumper disposed on the external portion of the body, and wherein each bobbin bumper is rotatably connected to one of the two motors so as to selectively and independently receive rotational torque from the respective motor; and two tension guides disposed on the external portion of the body between the two spindles and the two bobbin bumpers, each tension guide configured to apply tension to a received strand.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system for simultaneously winding two separate bobbins independent of a sewing machine utilizing the above mentioned bobbin winder, the system comprises two bobbins, each operatively engaged by each bobbin bumper; a first spool of a first strand received by one of the two spindles; and a second spool of a second strand received by the other of the two spindles, wherein the first strand is received through one of the two branches of guide loops, and then through one of the two tension guides, terminating in a removably secure connection to one of the two separate bobbins, and wherein the second strand is received through the other of the two branches of guide loops, and then through the other of the two tension guides, terminating in a removably secure connection to the other of the two separate bobbins.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a bobbin winding system embodying an apparatus and method for simultaneously winding two separate bobbins independent of a sewing machine. The apparatus may include a bobbin winder having a thread tree and two independent bobbin sets. Each bobbin set may provide a spindle, a spindle disc, a tension guide and a bobbin bumper. For each bobbin set, a user may removably secure a spool of strand on the spindle, wherein the strand is threaded to a bobbin removably secure to the bobbin bumper. Whereby each strand may be received by at least one guide loop of the thread tree, then received by the tension guide and then secured by the bobbin of the bobbin set. The user may adjust the height of each spool by adapting the relevant spindle disc. The bobbin winder may then separately rotate each bobbin bumper so as to pull strand from at least a portion of each spool to wind around the bobbins. The bobbin winding system provides a method of winding the bobbins independent of a sewing machine whereby the interruption to the underlying sewing project is minimized, especially for multi-colored fabrics and projects.
Referring now to
The bobbin winder 100 may include an upwardly facing wall 12, a front side 14, a rear side 16, and side walls forming the body 10 so as to form an containment space 18 for housing at least one motor 82. The upwardly facing wall 12 may provide the thread tree 40, the two spindles 50, the two spindle discs 60 and the two tension guides 70. The front side 14 may provide the two bobbin bumpers 84 and a control knob 90 adapted to independently control the speeds of each bobbin bumper 84.
The rear side 16 may provide a power source 92. The body 10 may house at least two motors 82 electrically connected to the power source 92. The two independent motors 82 may be adapted so as to selectively receive power from the power source 92.
Each bobbin bumper 84 may be sized and adapted to removably secure a bobbin 80 thereto so as that as the bobbin bumper 84 rotates, so does its secured bobbin 80. In certain embodiments, at least one motor 82 may be operatively coupled to each bobbin bumper 84 so as to selectively rotate each bobbin 80 independently, controllable by the control knob 90, thereby winding a portion of the strand 54 interconnected from the spindle 50 of the respective bobbin set unto said bobbin 80.
Each spindle 50 may be adapted to simultaneously receive a separate spool of strand 52 for feeding the strand to the bobbin associated with the same bobbin set. Each spindle disc 60 may adjust the height of each spindle 50 in a vertical direction so that the height each spool 52 sits above the upwardly facing wall 12 may be adaptable.
The thread tree 40 may include a trunk 42 generally perpendicularly connected to the upwardly facing wall 12. The thread tree 40 may include two thread branches 44, each extending substantially in a perpendicular direction from the trunk 42 in the general direction of each spindle 50, respectively. Each thread branch 44 may be pivotably connected to the trunk 42. The thread tree 40 may be collapsible into the upwardly facing wall 12 for ease of storage. Each thread branch 44 may include a plurality of guide loops 48 adapted to guide strand 54 received from the spools of strand 52.
Each tension guide 70 may disposed between the spindle 50 and bobbin bumper 80 of each bobbin set. Each tension guide 70 may be adapted to apply adjustable tension to each strand 54 that it operatively engages, as illustrated in
A method of using the present invention may include the following. The bobbin winder 100 disclosed above may be provided. A user may secure the spool of strand 52 on each of the two spindles 50. The user may then adjust the height of each spool 52 relative to the upwardly facing wall 12 by adapting the respective spindle disc 60. The user may then pull each strand 54 separately through at least one guide loop 48 so that each strand 54 may be received by the respective tension guides 70 in order that the end of each strand 54 may be secured by the bobbin bumper 84 of the same respective bobbin set, as illustrated in
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 61/935,217, filed 3 Feb. 2014, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61935217 | Feb 2014 | US |
