Claims
- 1. A dye applying apparatus for applying a dyeing liquid to a thread, comprising:
- a marker comprising a marker container having an upper end and a lower end with a marker opening extending a distance therethrough intersecting the lower end thereof, a transorb material being disposed within the marker opening and a nib with a portion of the nib being disposed in the transorb material and the nib extending a distance out from the open end of the marker container terminating with a tip end, dyeing liquid being disposed in the marker opening and being transferred through the transorb material to the nib, a slit being formed in the tip end of the nib with a slit extending a distance through the nib, the slit being sized to accommodate a portion of the thread extending through the slit with portions of the nib formed by the slit being disposed generally adjacent the portions of the thread extending through the slit, the dye liquid being applied to the thread via the nib;
- a support housing having a thread opening extending through a portion thereof, the thread opening being sized for receiving a thread so that the thread is movable therethrough, the support housing having a housing opening extending a distance through the support housing with a portion of the housing opening intersecting the thread opening, and wherein a portion of the marker is defined further as being supportable in the housing opening so nib is disposed within the housing opening, the thread being disposed in the slit in the nib as the thread is moved through the thread opening for applying dye to the thread; and
- a support stand having opposite ends with one end being adapted to be removably connectable to the support housing for supporting the support housing.
- 2. The dyeing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nib is defined further as having a first side and a second side and wherein the the slit is defined further as intersecting the first and second sides of the nib and forming a first nib portion and a second nib portion, the first nib portion having a face formed by the slit and the second nib portion having a face formed by the slit, the face of the first nib portion facing and being disposed generally adjacent the face of the second nib portion and the space between the faces on the first and second nib portions forming the slit in the nib.
- 3. The dyeing apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first nib portion is defined further to include a tapered portion formed on the face of the first nib portion generally adjacent the tip end of the nib, and wherein the second nib portion is defined further to include a tapered portion formed on the face of the second nib portion generally adjacent the tip end of the nib, and the tapered portions formed on the first and second nib portions cooperating to form a thread guide channel adjacent the slit and adjacent the tip end of the nib for guiding the thread into the slit.
- 4. The dye applying apparatus of claim 1 defined further to include:
- means for forming a seal between the marker container and the support housing when the marker is supported in the housing opening for reducing evaporation of the dyeing liquid.
- 5. The dyeing applying apparatus of claim 4 wherein the marker container is characterized by an outer peripheral surface, and wherein the housing opening in the support housing is characterized as being shaped to sealingly engage the outer peripheral surface of the marker container when the marker container is inserted in the housing opening.
- 6. The dye applying apparatus of claim 5 wherein the marker container has a protrusion with an outer peripheral surface, the protrusion being formed on the end of the marker container from which the nib extends; and wherein the nib extends from the protrusion; and wherein the housing opening includes a portion adapted to sealingly engage the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion when the marker container is inserted in the housing opening.
- 7. The dye applying apparatus of claim 1 wherein the thread opening has a diameter about the same diameter as the thread, yet slightly larger to permit the thread to be moved through the thread opening while maintaining a minimum clearance between the thread and the portion of the support housing formed by the thread opening to reduce evaporation of the dyeing liquid by way of the thread opening.
- 8. The dye applying apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support stand comprises:
- a stand; and
- a pliable neck having a first end connected to the stand base and an opposite second end removably connectable to the support housing wherein the pliable neck is selectively positionable for positioning the support housing in pre-selected positions.
- 9. The dye applying apparatus of claim 8 adapted for use with a sewing machine having a needle for applying the thread during operation of the sewing machine, wherein the thread extends from a thread source to the needle, and wherein the dye applying apparatus further comprises:
- means for supporting the marker between the thread source and the needle.
- 10. The dye applying apparatus of claim 9 wherein the dyeing liquid is characterized by a drying time sufficiently short so the dyeing liquid dries on the thread before the thread reaches the needle.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation-in-part of Applicants co-pending application entitled "Thread Dyeing Apparatus and Method", Ser. No. 055,413, filed May 27, 1987, pending, and owned by the Assignee of the present invention.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
55413 |
May 1987 |
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