US2763410A - Lacing needle - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent LACING NEEDLE Arah A. Walker, Temple, Tex.

Application December 8, 1954, Serial No. 473,848

1 Claim. (Cl. 223-103) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in needles embodying a construction for easily and quickly attaching a cord thereto for lacing the cord through preformed openings provided in moccasins during the manufacture thereof, and for other purposes.

An important object of the invention is to provide a needle of hollow construction having a seam extending longitudinally thereof and formed with an opening in one side of the needle adjacent its rear end to receive the tip of a lacing cord and providing means for locking the cord to the needle.

Another object of the invention is to construct the rear portion of the needle with a longitudinally elongated opening to receive the tip of a lacing cord and forming a restricted opening rearwardly of the longitudinal opening to accommodate the cord to extend the latter rearwardly of the needle and further to form the rear end of the needle with an inwardly projecting locking tongue to engage and lock the tip of the cord to the needle.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and other wise Well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the needle in use in the manufacture of a moccasin;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the needle;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged transverse sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 44 and 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view showing the initial step in placing the tip of a lacing cord in the opening of the needle;

Figure 7 is a similar view showing the cord locked in the needle;

Figure 8 is a similar view showing the initial step in removing the needle from the cord; and

Figure 9 is a similar view showing the final removal step.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a tapered hollow needle which may be constructed of metal ice or other suitable material and formed with a longitudinal seam 6.

The rear or diametrically enlarged portion of the needle is formed in the region of the seam 6 with a longitudinally elongated opening or slot 7 and the rear portion of this slot is partially closed by a pair of opposed lips 8 and 9 forming a restricted passage 10 between the lips. An inwardly projecting tongue 11 is formed at the rear end portion of the needle and in spaced relation rearwardly of the lips 8 and 9 to form a rear opening 12 at the side of the needle rearwardly of the elongated opening 7. The tongue 11 preferably is curved toward the front end of the needle, as shown more clearly at 13 in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing.

A lacing cord 14 is formed with a tapered tip 15 of a length adapted to enter the elongated opening 7 and the flexible character of the cord enables the same to pass between the opposed lips 8 and 9 by Way of the restricted passage ii) to position the cord and tip inside the hollow needle and with the cord extending rearwardly of the needle through the rear opening 12. After the cord and tip have been placed in the needle, the cord is pulled rearwardly until the rear end of the tip is engaged by the tongue 11, which prevents further rearward movement of the cord and locks the cord and tip in position inside the rear end portion of the needle.

The needle may then be used for lacing the cord through previously formed openings 16 in a moccasin 17 to thus secure the parts of the moccasin in assembled relation to each other.

In order to remove the cord 14 and tip 15 from the needle, the tip is moved forwardly beyond the opposing lips 3 and 9, and the cord is then pulled outwardly through the restricted passage 10 as shown in Figure 8 of the drawing, and the tip 15 may then be removed through the elongated opening 7.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A needle comprising a hollow tapered body having an open rear end and also having a longitudinally elongated opening in one side adjacent its open rear end, said elongated opening being adapted to receive the tip of a cord for positioning the same longitudinally in the needle, opposing lips adjacent the rear open end of the needle and in the region of the elongated opening to form a restricted passage between the lips adapted for the entrance of the cord, said tip being slidable behind the lips by a rearward pulling force subjected to the cord to retain the tip in a longitudinal position in the rear open portion of the needle, and a radially inwardly projecting tongue on the needle rearwardly of the lips and engaging and obstructing removal of the tip at the rear open end of the needle, said tongue being spaced rearwardly from the lips to form an opening between the lips and tongue through which the cord extends longitudinally rearwardly of the needle.

Switzerland Mar. 1, 1935 Great Britain May 12, 1948

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