CHALK LINER FOR SEWING

Abstract: A chalk liner has a vessel shaped main body (1) having a chalk chamber (11a) to be charged with chalk powder (3), an opening formed in the lower end of the main body for dropping the chalk powder from the chalk chamber and a gear (12) disposed in the opening for drawing lines on a cloth by the dropped chalk powder, and a cartridge for supplying chalk powder into the main body, which is fittable in the chalk chamber of the main body and detachable therefrom. By installing the cartridge (2) in the main body, the chalk powder previously charged in the cartridge is supplied into the chalk chamber of the main body. When the chalk powder within the main body runs short during the lining operation, the cartridge is detached from the main body and another cartridge which is previously charged with chalk powder is installed in the main body. This enables the easy recharge of chalk powder for a short time.

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a chalk liner according to the introductory portion of claim 1 for sewing, by which lines are drawn on a cloth surface by chalk powder. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART In the process of cutting or sewing cloth it is known to draw lines as guiding means. To draw lines the use of solid chalk formed from chalk powder solidified with a paste is known. The use of solid chalk being held manually leads to fingers getting dirty, which can result in the outbreak of skin diseases. It is also known to use chalk liners according to the introductory portion of claim 1. Improvements of chalk liners of this type are known with regard to the lower end portion having the opening from which the chalk powder can be dropped outward (Japanese Utility Model examined publications numbers Sho 8-10861, Sho 11-5360, Sho 25-778 and Sho 51-32594) to enable the drawing of fine clear lines. Concerning the supply of chalk powder to the chalk liner it is known (GB-A-432,860) to provide chalk powder through an opening in the upper part of the main body, which can be closed with a lid which fits tightly over a reduced lip at the upper part. For this type of chalk liner a considerably long time for recharging chalk powder is required. There is also a possibility that during recharging chalk powder scatters out of the main body. This results in the operation efficiency becoming low. Accordingly conven tional chalk liners have sometimes being used only once and then been thrown away, which is very uneconomical. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a chalk liner capable of recharging chalk powder in an easy manner and within a short time. Another object of the present invention is to provide a chalk liner capable of increasing the sewing efficiency. These objects are attained at with a chalk liner according to the features of claim 1. By installing the cartridge in the main body, the chalk powder previously charged in the cartridge is supplied into the chalk chamber of the main body. When the chalk powder within the main body runs short during the lining operation, the cartridge is detached from the main body and another cartridge which has been previously charged with chalk powder is installed in the main body. This enables an easy recharge of chalk powder within a short time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of a chalk liner according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a partially cut away perspective view of a main body of the chalk liner of Fig. 1; Fig 3 is a perspective view of a cartridge used in the chalk liner of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 to 6 is a further embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a chalk liner according to the present invention will be explained with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. A chalk liner for sewing A(hereinafter will be called a chalk liner) is composed of a main body 1 and a cartridge 2. The main body 1 is made of resin and has a nearly letter D shaped section. The tip end of the main body 1 has a small arc shape. The main body 1 is composed of a pair of opposed side wall members 1a and lb, each expanding outward from its peripheral portion to its central portion. The side wall members 1a and 1b are combined to one body by fitting a lip 113 formed in the outer periphery of the inner surface of the side wall member 1a in a groove(not shown) formed in the outer periphery of the inner surface of the side wall member 1b. A chalk chamber 11a for chalk powder 3 is formed between the lower half portions of the side wall members 1a and 1b. A shaft 111 is provided between the lower ends of the wall members 1a and 1b. A gear 12 is axially supported by the shaft 111 so as to be slightly exposed from the lower ends of the side wall members 1a and 1b. The shaft 111 is formed by fitting an inner shaft 111b projecting from the side wall member 1b in an outer shaft 111 a projecting from the side wall member 1a. The central upper half portions of the side wall members 1a and 1b define an upward opening cartridge chamber 13 for a cartridge 2. The cartridge chamber 13 has an opening l1 long and w1 wide. And the depth thereof is d1. These dimensions correspond to those of the cartridge 2. Supporting members 112a and 112b project inwardly from the center of each of the inner surfaces of the side wall members 1a and 1b, respectively, for supporting the upper end of a spring plate 14 and fixing the cartridge 2 installed in the cartridge chamber 13. The length (d2) from the supporting members 112a and 112b to the upper end surface of the main body 1 is equal to the height of the cartridge 2. The lower end of the spring plate 14 is engaged with the gear 12. Branch spring pieces 14a and 14 b project from the center of the spring plate 14 rightward and leftward and the tip ends of the branch spring pieces 14a and 14b extend close to the inner surface of the side walls of the main body 1, respectively. In each of opposed transverse surfaces of upper portions of the side wall members 1a and 1b, defining the cartridge chamber 13 is formed a transverse groove 114. The cartridge 2 is made of resin into a bottomed rectangular prism shaped vessel. A thick wall portion 20 which is thicker than the other wall portion by the thickness of the side wall member 1a or 1b is formed in the lower half portion of each of opposed side walls of the cartridge 2. And the upper end of the thick wall portion 20 is formed into a stepped portion 22. The height of the thick wall portion 20 is equal to the depth d1 of the opening of the cartridge chamber 13. A lip 21 is formed in the lower end portion of each of another opposed side walls of the cartridge 2 to be fitted in the groove 114 formed in the main body 1. When the cartridge 2 is stored, the cartridge 2 is covered with a cap 23 for previously accommodating the chalk powder 3 and preventing the accommodated chalk powder 3 from scattering before being installed in the main body 1. Hereinafter the operation of the chalk liner A will be explained. The cap 23 is firstly removed from the cartridge 2 charged with the chalk powder 3. And next, the main body 1 is turned upside down. And the cartridge chamber 13 is applied to the cartridge 2 and pushed downward. This results in the stepped portion 22 of the cartridge 2 coming in contact with the end surface of the opening of the main body 1 and the lips 21 fitting in the grooves 114 and accordingly, the cartridge 2 being installed in the main body. Then, the main body 1 is turned so that the gear 12 is placed downward whereby the chalk powder 3 within the cartridge 2 is supplied into the chalk chamber 11a. In operation, the gear 12 is rolled frontward or rearward while being slightly pushed to a desired cloth. At this time, the branch spring pieces 14a and 14b of the spring plate 14 of which the lower end is engaged with the gear 12 vibrate. These branch spring pieces 14a and 14b prevent the chalk powder from concentrically dropping to the gear 12 and operate to drop a proper amount of chalk powder 3 to the gear 12 while pulverizing the chalk powder 3. The dropped chalk powder is received between adjacent teeth of the gear 12 and conveyed in accordance with the turn of the gear 2 while being guided by a V shaped groove opposed to the gear 12. Then, the chalk powder is attached to the surface of the cloth and pressed thereagainst by the gear 12 to form a fine line. When the chalk powder 3 runs short during use, or when another chalk powder of a different color is desired to be used, another cartridge 2 is installed in the main body 1 as follows. Namely, the main body 1 is firstly turned so that the side wall members 1a and 1b are nearly horizontal, and next, to the open end of one of the side wall members 1a and 1b positioned on the lowerside, is applied one side of an upper opening end of another cartridge 2 uncovered with the cap 23. Then, into the cartridge chamber 13 is quickly inserted the another cartridge 2. The installation construction of the cartridge 2 is not limited to that of the present embodiment. Another structure is explained with reference to Fig. 4 to 6. As shown in Fig. 4 and 5 a cap 23′ is slidably fitted on an opening of a cartridge 2′ charged with chalk powder 3. A projection 115′ is formed in the lower end of each of the opposed transverse surfaces of the side wall members 1a′ and 1b′, which define the cartridge chamber 13′, so as to be opposed to the transverse groove 114′ (Fig. 5). The cartridge 2′ with the cap 23′ being placed on the bottom side is pressed into the cartridge chamber 13′ from one side surface thereof (Fig. 5). As the cartridge 2′ is pressed into the cartridge chamber 13′, the cap 23′ is gradually pushed outwards by virtue of the projections 115′. The cap 23′ is detached from the cartridge 2′, and the cartridge 2′ is fitted in the cartridge chamber 13′ of the main body 1′ (Fig. 6). The shape of the cartridge and the cartridge chamber and the installation construction thereof can be voluntarily selected without departing form the spirit or the scope of the present invention. As described above, the chalk liner according to the present invention is provided with a replaceable cartridge for recharging chalk powder. The chalk liner according to the present invention enables the recharge of chalk powder without a long time interruption of lining operation when the chalk powder within the chalk liner runs short, or when the color of the chalk powder is desired to be changed. This results in the operation efficiency being improved. And in the chalk liner of the present invention, the chalk powder is not scattered when the chalk powder is recharged, and accordingly the chalk powder is prevented from being attached to undesired places on the surface of the cloth.

Claims: A chalk liner for drawing lines on a cloth surface comprising a vessel shaped main body (1) provided with a chalk chamber (11a) to which chalk powder (3) is supplied, a lower opening from which the chalk powder within said chalk chamber is dropped outward, and a gear (12) rotatably disposed in said lower opening so that one portion of said gear is exposed to the outside of said main body (1) for drawing lines on a cloth surface by the dropped chalk powder, characterized in that, a cartridge (2) for supplying the chalk powder (3) into said main body (1) is provided said cartridge (2) being fittable in and detachable from said chalk chamber (11a) of said main body whereby when said cartridge (2) is fitted in said main body (1) , the chalk powder (3) previously charged in said cartridge is supplied into said chalk chamber (11a). The chalk liner according to claim 1, wherein said main body (1) is a flat and has a letter D shaped section, said lower opening is formed at a tip end of an arc shaped portion of said main body (1), said chalk chamber (11a) opens in an upper opening of said main body (1), and said cartridge (2) has a shape equal to that of said upper opening of said main body (1) and is fitted in said main body (1) from said upper opening. The chalk liner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said cartridge (2) has a vessel shape having an upper opening and said cartridge (2) is installed in said main body (1) by turning said upper opening of said main body (1) down and fitting said upper opening of said main body (1) on said cartridge (2). The chalk liner according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said main body (1) is composed of a pair of side walls (1a, 1b) each having a D shaped section, and is formed by fitting a lip (113) formed along the outer periphery of the inner surface of one side wall (1a) in a groove formed along the outer periphery of the inner surface of the other side wall (1b) thereby to combine said pair of side walls into one body.

Inventors: KAWAMURA, MUNESABURO
Applicants: KAWAMURASEICHUKOGYO CO., LTD.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A41H23
IPC codes: A41H25, A41H23