Patent Publication Number: US-6216620-B1

Title: Method and apparatus for high-speed lacing of a teabag

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based on a provisional U.S. patent application entitled, ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH SPEED MANUFACTURE THEREOF filed May 1, 1998 by Daniel R. Shepard and assigned Ser. No. 60/083,968. 
     In addition, this application is the one of four U.S. patent applications filed on an even date herewith by Daniel R. Shepard, including: 
     Ser. No. 09/301,179, Attorney Docket No. G0005/7002, by, Daniel R. Shepard, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH-SPEED LACING OF AN ARTICLE”; 
     Ser. No. 09/301,174, Attorney Docket No. G0005/7003, by, Daniel R. Shepard, entitled “SHUTTLE APPARATUS FOR HIGH-SPEED LACING OF AN ARTICLE”; and 
     Ser. No. 09/301,241, Attorney Docket No. G0005/7005, by, Daniel R. Shepard, entitled “THREADING APPARATUS FOR HIGH-SPEED LACING OF AN ARTICLE”. 
     The subject matters of the above-identified co-pending patent applications are incorporated herein by this reference. 
    
    
     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&#39;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. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and further advantages of the invention may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram of the major elements of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 2A-C are top, side, and cross-sectional plan views of a pushpin assembly in accordance with the present invention with the pushpin-spreading pin pairs in various positions; 
     FIGS. 3A-B illustrate a shuttle and drive assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 4-8 are perspective views of the pushpin assembly during the various steps in method of manufacturing an article in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram of a cord feeding assembly in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIGS. 10A-B are perspective views of the pushpin and shuttle assemblies in accordance with the method of the present invention; 
     FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the article of manufacture in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 11B-D are side views of the article of manufacture in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 12 is a plan view of the pushpin retrieving a cord in an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 13 illustrates a shuttle and drive assembly in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIGS. 14A-D illustrate the process steps used to attach a cord to a tea bag in accordance with the methods of the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 15A-B illustrates the process steps used to attach a cord to a tea bag in accordance with the methods of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A high-speed lacing apparatus  100  in accordance with the present invention is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG.  1 . In the illustrative embodiment, lacing apparatus  100  comprises a plurality of loop forming assemblies  102 , receiving material feeding assembly  104 , a plurality of loop threading assemblies  106 , material removing assembly  108 , and cord feeding assembly  109  (not shown in FIG.  1 ), and a rigid frame  110 . Lacing apparatus  100  further comprises an assembly wheel  112 , which rotates via a motor  114 . In the illustrative embodiment, motor  114  is a direct drive motor which may be implemented with an electromagnetic motor or any other type of industrial-quality motor. 
     A plurality of loop forming assemblies  102  are mounted to assembly wheel  112 . Each loop forming assembly  102  comprises a selected number of push pin assemblies  130  mounted between a pair of tandem gear wheels of a loop threading assembly  106 . Loop forming assemblies  102  are described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 2A-C. Loop threading assembly  106  is described in greater detail with references to FIG. 3A-8 and  10 A-B. 
     Receiving material feeding assembly  104  comprises a material feeding wheel  118 , which is used to present a material to be laced upon the loop forming assembly  102 , and a material positioning wheel  120 . Both wheel  118  and wheel  120  may be driven by a belt drive  116  driven by drive motor  114 . In an alternative embodiment, each wheel  118  and  120  may be driven by individual motors that operate in a synchronous rotation with assembly wheel  112 . Both wheels  118  and  120  further comprise a plurality of spokes  121 . As described in greater detail hereinafter, material feeding wheel  118  and holder  122  may be mounted in fluid communication so as to provide a source of negative pressure at the attachment surface of holder article as illustrated in FIG. 11C in which the cord end  150 A extends around the exterior of the receiving material  160  prior to passing through open loops  155 A-C. 
     In the Office action, the Examiner objected to claim  9  as dependent upon a rejected base claim, but indicated that this claim would be allowable if rewritten in independent form. In response, claim  9  has been amended in accordance with the Examiner&#39;s suggestions. Specifically, the limitations of claim  5  have been incorporated into amended claim  9 . Claim  1  now recites a method including “engaging a portion of the cord” and “drawing the cord through the receiving material from a first side of the receiving material through to a second side of a receiving material beyond to form an open loop at the second side of the receiving material” (claim  9 , lines  3 - 6 ) claim  1  further recites a method including “repeating (a) and (b) in sequence” and “threading a first end portion of the cord through the open loops formed on the second side of the receiving material” (claim  9 , lines  7 - 9 ). As amended, claim  9  complies with the Examiner&#39;s suggestions, and,, therefore, is believed allowable over the art of record. New claims  21 - 23  include similar limitations to amended claim  6 - 8 , respectively, and are likewise believed patentable for at least the same reasons as claim  9 . 
     In response to the Examiner&#39;s rejection of claims  5 - 8  under 35 U.S.C. §102(b) as being anticipated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,712 (hereafter Romagnoli), the claims have been amended. Claim  5  has been amended to include limitations similar to claim  9 . Specifically, claim  5  now recites a method including “repeating (a) and (b) at least one time” and “threading a first end portion of the cord through the open loops formed on the second side of the receiving material” (claim  5 , lines  8 - 10 ). As such, claim  5  is believed patentable over Romagnoli for at least the same reasons as claim  9 , whether considered singularly or in combination with any other art of record. Specifically, Romagnoli does not disclose a process in which the steps of engaging a portion of the cord and drawing the cord through the receiving material to form open loops is repeated a plurality of times. Claims  6 - 8  include all the limitations of claim  5  and are believed patentable for at least the same reasons as claim  5 . 
     New claim  24  likewise includes limitations similar to claim  9 . Specifically, claim  24  recites “engaging the cord at a plurality of locations thereon” and “drawing the cord through the receiving material at a plurality of locations from a first side of the receiving material through to a second side of a receiving material and beyond to form a plurality  122  so that pieces of receiving material may be collected and held by the negative pressure prior to presentation to the loop forming assemblies  102 . 
     Mounted to the end of each spoke  121  of wheel  118  is a material holder  122 , shown also in FIGS. 5-6. Material holder  122  securely grabs a piece of receiving material from one location and transports it to loop forming assembly  102 . The purpose of material holder  122  is to secure the receiving material  160  for placement and then release it for alignment on the loop forming assembly  102 . The material positioning wheel  120  includes a material compressing anvil  124  mounted to the end of each spoke  121  on the wheel. The anvil  124  is utilized to firmly position the receiving material  160  onto loop forming assembly  102  after being properly aligned by the material feeder wheel  118 . 
     Once the receiving material is laced, the lacing cord is cut, and the laced material is removed by material removing assembly  108 . Material removing assembly  108  may be two curved cutting elements that slip under the receiving material and pry it quickly off the loop forming assembly  102  as the assembly passes by removal assembly  108 . In another embodiment, material removing assembly  108  may comprise a mechanical claw or clamp that firmly grasps the material and pulls it off loop forming assembly  102 . 
     As illustrated, one or more of the assemblies comprising lacing apparatus  100  may be mounted movably or otherwise to a rigid frame  110 . In the illustrative embodiment, rigid frame  110  is made of metal such as steel or aluminum. Similarly, assembly wheel  112 , to which a plurality of push pin assemblies  130  and shuttle drive gear may be mounted, may likewise be made of aluminum or other rigid materials. 
     Pushpin/Threader Pin Assemblies 
     The loop forming assembly  102  comprises assembly wheel  112 , shown in FIG. 1, having a plurality of push pin assembly stations  130  spaced about its circumference and mounted thereto. Referring to FIGS. 2A-C, each pushpin assembly  130  comprises a plurality of outwardly projecting pushpin pairs  210 , a threaderpin pair  215 , and a pin support  218 . Each pushpin pair  210  further comprises a pushpin  212  mated to a second, closely-fitted spreader pin  214 . Pushpin  212  includes a sharp, pointed tip  224  that tapers to form a J-hook notch  226 . The pointed tip  224  is used to penetrate the receiving material. The J-hook notch  226  is used to hold the flexible cord during the loop-forming step of the present invention. Spreader pin  214  also includes a J-shaped hook  228 , which has a lip sufficient to retain the flexible cord during the loop forming process as well. 
     Each pushpin assembly  130  also includes a threaderpin pair  215 , which precedes the pushpins pairs  210  of an assemble  130 . Each threader pin pair  215  comprises a threader pin  216  and threader spreader pin  217 , each having a tapered end which serve to catch one end of the cord and align the cord to feed the shuttle. The threader pin  216  and threader spreader pin move in opposing directions relative to one another, thereby forming a loop in the cord in much the same fashion as pushpin pairs  210 . In the illustrative embodiment, pushpin pair  210  and threading pin pair  215  may be made of stainless steel of other substantially rigid materials. 
     Referring to FIG. 2A, each pushpin pair  210  and threading pin pair  215  are held within a pin support  218 . Pin support  218  may be implemented with a rigid metal base and further comprises support arms  230 , spring plunger  232 , support arm stop bar  234 , stop adjustment screws  236 , roller bearings  238 , and spring mounted ball bearings  240 , as illustrated. Support arms  230  pivotally clamp the pushpin and threading pin pairs so that the individual pins within each pair can separate at a prescribed time. A spring plunger  232  is mounted proximate to each spreaderpin support arm  230 , which presses that support arm so that the pushpin or threader pin and its corresponding spreaderpin are aligned for piercing the receiving material. Support arm stop bar  234  comprises a stop adjustment screw  236  to set the alignment for each support arm and its pin pair. The pushpins and the threader pin are mounted to rigid support blocks which are part of pin support  218 . In the illustrative embodiment, the pushpins are rigidly mounted since the push pin pairs are forcefully pressed through the receiving material. A roller bearing  238  is mounted on each support arm  230  which engages a stationary cam that is mounted proximate to rotating assembly wheel  112 . The engagement of this cam pivots the support arm  230  and compresses the spring plunger  232  thereby causing the pin pair  210  to be spread. The support arms  230  are supported by ball bearings  220  in such a way that allows the support arms to be mounted on a slight arc that corresponds to the arc of assembly wheel  112  while at the same time enabling the support arms  230  to pivot in a direction perpendicular to that arc. Spring mounted ball bearings  240  hold the support arms  230  and the ball bearings  220  tightly together. 
     As described hereinafter in greater detail, pushpins  212  and spreader pins  214  are loaded with a flexible cord by the cord feeding assembly  110  and pushed through the receiving material causing the cord to double upon itself. The doubled up cord is then spread apart by the spreader pin  214 , thereby forming a loop at each location of penetration, as explained thereinafter in greater detail. 
     Floating Shuttle and Drive Assemblies 
     Loop threading assembly  106 , as illustrated in FIG. 3A-B, comprises a shuttle  310 , support element  322 , shuttle wheels  316  and retaining wheels  320 . Shuttle  310  is designed to grasp a cord at one end and pass it through loops that are formed with the cord by the loop forming assembly  102 . Shuttle  310  grasps the flexible cord via a thread hook  312 . Thread hook  312  is a notched opening at the leading end of shuttle  310 , as illustrated. Shuttle  310  has a generally flat, arcuate shape, and, in the illustrative embodiment, is made of metal or other rigid material. Along an inner radius of shuttle  310  a series of gear teeth  314  are provided. Gear teeth  314  mesh with a tandem pair of shuttle wheels  316 . Shuttle wheels  316  turn in one direction that drives threading shuttle  310  along the outer radius of assembly wheel  112 . Each wheel  316  includes a plurality of gear teeth  318  to match with the gear teeth  314  of shuttle  310 . While engaged with tandem wheels  316 , shuttle  310  is held in place by a pair of retaining wheels  320 . Each retaining wheel is placed substantially opposite a matching wheel  316 . Shuttle wheels  316  and retaining wheels  320  mount to a support element  322 , which is also securely attached to assembly wheel  112 . Support element  322  maybe substantially flat so as to allow wheels  316  and  320  to be movably mounted thereon. 
     In the illustrative embodiment, wheels  316  are driven by a stationary planetary gear (not shown) mounted to frame  110 , with shuttle teeth  314  positioned parallel to the planetary gear so that pitch and the arc of the shuttle teeth  314  match the pitch and the arc of the teeth of the planetary gear. As shown in FIG. 3, one of a plurality of timing gears  330  that match the diameter and teeth of the shuttle wheels  316  is attached to each axle to which a shuttle wheel  316  is attached such that it will mesh with the teeth of this planetary gear. The planetary gear extends about the entire circumference of the assembly wheel  112  so that the timing gears  330  are never left floating freely. In this way, as assembly wheel  112  rotates, the timing gears  330  turn against the planetary gear thereby causing the shuttle wheels  316  to likewise turn. As a result, the surface speed at the point where the timing gears  330  mesh with the planetary gear and where the shuttle wheels  316  mesh with the shuttle  310  is exactly the same as the surface speed of the assembly wheel  112  along the same arc but in the opposite direction. 
     In an alternative embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the loop forming assemblies  102  could be mounted on a rotating flat endless loop, such as a chain and sprocket drive, in which case the shuttle  310  could be substantially straight and the path taken by the receiving material could be substantially straight, although other shaped paths and shuttles would be possible as well. 
     Cord Feeding Assembly 
     Referring to FIG. 4, a cord feeding assembly presents the cord  150  to the pushpin pairs  210  just prior to the receiving material  160  being pressed onto the pushpin pairs  210 . When the receiving material is pressed to the bottoms of the pushpins, enough slack may be present in the cord at the point of each pushpin so that a partial loop can be formed. Because of the high speeds desired for the overall process, slack in the cord  150  cannot be achieved by allowing the cord to be pulled back through the pushpins  212  simply by pressing the receiving material  160  onto the pushpins  212  and then spreading the pushpins  212  and spreader pins  214  apart. Instead, slack is put into the cord  150  before the receiving material  160  is placed onto the pushpins  212 . Furthermore, to prevent the resulting stresses on both the cord and the pushpins from creating this slack by pulling on the cord after it is already loaded in the push pins, the slack is put into the cord before it is inserted into the push pins. Accordingly, a mechanism is provided to restrain loops of slack which form between the respective push pin and spreader pin pairs within the pushpin assembly as described herein. 
     As used in the specification, the term “cord” is contemplated to embody not only cords but any strand, thread, filament, wire, cable, string, or fiber, etc., or other substantially small diameter flexible material capable of being manipulated and utilized in accordance with the apparatus, methods and article of manufacture described herein. Such cords and cord-like materials may be made from either synthetic or natural fibers as well as thin metal or resin filaments. The composition of the cords may be of a single fiber component or may be of a composite nature. The flexibility, tensile strength and diameter of the material depends on the nature of the receiving material and/or article with which the cord is to be utilized. 
     A cord feeding assembly, in accordance with the present invention, is shown conceptually as feeding assembly  900  in FIG.  9 . Feeding assembly  900  feeds cord  901  with slack into the pushpins  210 . In the illustrative embodiment, feeding assembly  900  comprises a spool  903 , feed pinch rollers  905 , tube  907  and a source of positively pressurized air (not shown in FIG.  9 ). Feed pinch rollers  905  are rotated at a speed which draws cord  901  from spool  903  at a rate which maintains slack in the cord between spool  903  and feed pinch rollers  905 . Cord  901  advances from pinch rollers  905  into tube  907 . Tube  907  is coupled in fluid communication with a source of high pressurize air, which causes the cord to be jetted out from end of tube to the pushpin pairs  210 . Since the pushpin pairs are in motion, cord is fed from one pushpin pair  210  to the next. The cord is fed to a pushpin assembly at a rate so that the portion of cord extending between any two adjacent pushpin pairs is longer than the spacing between any two adjacent pushpin pairs. As a result, the excess cord forms a partial loop of slack between the pushpin pairs, as illustrated in FIG.  9 . 
     Lacing Method 
     To facilitate a better understanding of the apparatus of the present invention and the article of manufacture resulting therefrom, an outline of the process detailing the interaction of the-receiving material and cord with the various components of the apparatus  100  is set forth below and with reference to FIGS. 4-11 A. 
     FIGS. 4-11A illustrate various positions of the push pins  210  and assembly wheel  112  and their interaction with shuttle  310 , material positioning wheel  120 , and material compressing anvil  124 , as well as the interaction of the various support gear assemblies and rollers. Specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates push pin assembly  130  mounted to assembly wheel  112  and surrounded by shuttle wheels  316  and  320 . In FIG. 10B cord  150  is loaded onto the push pin/spreader pin pairs  210  using, for example the cord feeding assembly described with reference to FIG.  9 . At this point in the manufacturing process, cord  150  has been loaded onto push pin pairs  210  and awaits receipt of receiving material  160 . 
     FIG. 5, illustrates the push pin assembly  130  and material positioning wheel  120  as they approach each other along there respective travel paths. Receiving material  160 , in the form of a cotton pad, is positioned upon the surface of wheel  120  and is held in place, in the illustrative embodiment, by negative pressure supplied to the surface of wheel  120 , for example, by a chuck in the wheel head or by other conventional means. As illustrated, push pin pairs  210  are about to commence piercing the receiving material  160 . 
     FIGS. 6 illustrates the receiving material  160  being partially impaled on the pushpin pair  210 . As the pierced receiving material  160  separates from wheel  120 , the heads of the push pins pairs  210  hold the receiving material in place. In the piercing step, receiving material  160  is pressed onto the tips of sharpened pushpins  212 . A plurality of small apertures or holes  232  are formed in the surface of holder  122  so that the pushpins can penetrate completely through material  160  without breaking against holder  122 . Apertures  232  are sized to account for the arc of the pushpins as they travel in proximity to material holder  122 . The smaller apertures result in a greater surface area for providing counter-pressure during the actual piercing of material  160 . 
     Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the material  160  is pressed just past the sharpened pushpins  212  by a synchronized compressing anvil  124 . The compressing anvil  124  is synchronized to apply a counter-pressure upon material  160  to impale material  160  fully on the pushpin pairs  210 . The exposed ends of pushpin pairs  210  pass through a deep slot  170  cut into the surface of the front of anvil  124 . 
     In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, to minimize the stress on the pushpin pairs  210  when they are about to pierce material  160 , it is preferred that the pushpins  212  contact material  160  at as close to a perpendicular angle as possible. This approach maximizes the piercing pressure of pushpins  212  while minimizing the lateral or bending pressure on the push pins  212 . The deeper below the surface of anvil  124  that the push pins must travel the greater the arc along the anvil  124  that the pushpins and the counter-pressure anvil must overlap. In addition, the greater the arc means a greater angle is encountered when pushpin  212  meets the surface of anvil  124  at the point where pushpin  212  and the anvil  124  first begin to overlap. Therefore, pushpins  212  typically overlap with and cover a much greater arc of anvil  124  than the pushpins overlap with and cover an arc with material holder  122 . 
     In FIG. 8, wheel  124  has pressed the receiving material  160  onto the push pin/spreader pin pairs  210  and the pad has disengaged from slot  170 . At this point, cord  150  passes through threader pins  210 , along a first side of receiving material  160  and thereafter alternating through the series of holes formed by push pin pairs  210  from the second side of receiving material  160  and back through to the first side of the receiving material. Next, assembly wheel  112  advances so that the roller bearings  238  engage a stationery cam, the front end of which is positioned just ahead of the loop threading assembly  106 . The cam causes the spreading of the pushpin pin pairs  210 , allowing shuttle  310  to pass through the loops in cord  150  formed on the opposite side of material  160 . This stage is illustrated in FIG. 10-11A. 
     FIG. 10A depicts a more detailed illustration of how shuttle  310  traverses through loops  155  while pulling cord  150  through the loops  155 . The rotation of assembly wheel  112  causes the receiving material  160  to move from left to right. As illustrated, each respective pair of pushpins  212  and spreader pin  214  are separated to form a plurality of open loops  155 . Threading pin pair  216  is likewise spread to form a smaller loop  155  which is captured by the thread hook  312  of shuttle  310 . Shuttle  310  passes through the centers of the larger pushpin loops  155  with cord  150  in tow. 
     In the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, shuttle  310  is not attached to the machine apparatus  100 , but rather is supported by the series of supporting gears  316  and retaining wheels  320 . This configuration enables shuttle  310 , along with the end the cord  150 , to pass into loops  155  at one end of the receiving material  160  and out of the loops  155  at the other end of receiving material  160  without the shuttle having to be retracted afterwards. This embodiment eliminates the prior art approach of using reciprocating needle and bobbin assemblies and their inherent disadvantages. 
     Gear wheels  316  are synchronized so that the surface speed of the gears as they mesh with shuttle  310  is the same, though of opposite direction, as the linear speed along an arc of material holder  122  at a radius that would reach the same point where the gears mesh with shuttle  310 . Shuttle  310  is supported by wheels  316 , which are movably mounted to the support  322 . Consequently, shuttle  310  remains stationary as the forward rotation of assembly wheel  112  is offset by the backward rotation of tandem wheels  316 . As shuttle  310  moves in a single direction relative to the rotation of assembly wheel  112 , no reciprocating motion is required. The receiving material  160 , held by the pushpins, approaches the front end of shuttle  310 , the loops pass around the shuttle which captures the cord and draws it through the center of these loops. The receiving material with the now formed and threaded loops continues on past the tail end of the shuttle. Further, since the pushpin assemblies and the supporting gear assemblies are all mounted on assembly wheel  112 , there is no possibility of the supporting gears ever colliding with and damaging any of the pushpins. 
     FIG. 10B illustrates, from a different perspective, the traversal of shuttle  310  through loops  155  formed by pushpin  212  and spreader  214 . The pushpin assembly  130  utilizes an opening cam to separate the spreaderpins  214  from the pushpins  212 . As the receiving material advances, supported by the pushpins, the pushpin assembly  130  engages the cam causing the opening of threading pin pair followed by the pushpin pairs in order. Once the threading pin pair is fully opened, the tip of shuttle  310  emerges from between the tandem wheels  316  and retaining wheels  320  of the preceding shuttle driver. In fact, since it is the shuttle  310  which is stationary and the pushpin assemblies  210 , receiving material  160  and shuttle drivers are moving, the shuttle driver leading the piece of receiving material moves beyond the tip of the shuttle. As the shuttle advances relative to the pushpins it captures the cord at the spreader pins  214  where the top of the formed loop is lower. As the shuttle  310  continues to advance, it pulls the cord  150  through the centers of the now opened loops  155  formed by the pushpins. The tops of these loops are higher than the shuttle  310  thereby allowing the shuttle to pass through those loops. After passing through the loop formed by the last pushpin pair  210 , the shuttle  310  is engaged by the tandem wheels  316  and retaining wheels  320  of the subsequent shuttle driver. At that point, the shuttle will cease to be supported by the leading retaining wheel pair of the preceding shuttle driver. The shuttle will instead be supported by the trailing retaining wheel pair of the preceding shuttle driver and the leading retaining wheel pair of the subsequent shuttle driver. The shuttle will be supported by both the preceding shuttle driver and subsequent shuttle driver until the shuttle is fully supported by both tandem wheel-retaining wheel pairs of the subsequent shuttle driver at which point the shuttle will cease to be supported by the preceding shuttle driver. 
     As the receiving material continues to advance beyond the tail end of the shuttle, the pushpin assembly  130  partially disengages the cam, e.g. the cam is stepped down causing the partial closing of the threading pin pair  216  followed by the pushpin pairs  210  in order until all are nearly closed. The pushpin pairs close until they are only the cord&#39;s thickness apart. This partial closing is sufficient to enable the removal of the laced material  160  from the pushpins. The pushpin pairs  210  do not close completely so that they do not scissor onto the cord, potentially cutting it. The pushpin pairs  210  remain in this nearly closed position until the pushpin assembly  130  has moved beyond the material removal assembly  108 . 
     The removal assembly  108  removes the laced material  160  and cuts the cord  150 . A series of parallel rails on either side of pushpins  212  and supporting gear assembly  316  rise under material  160  and lift the finished article off the pushpins. As the finished article is lifted from the pushpins, the cord, one end of which is still running back around the tip of the shuttle  310 , pulls tight. This pulling causes loops  155  to lace tightly about the cord that had passed through the loops. After the loops are pulled to a desired tightness, but before the cord is stressed to the point of breaking, the removal path of the finished article causes the cord to be pulled across a blade or other cutting device (not shown) such that the cord is cut to a desired length. Other ways of pulling the cord tight and of cutting the cord will be apparent to one skilled in the art. For example, where cord  150  is implemented with a plastic or resin filament rather than a textile fiber, a mechanism for or severing the filament may, in addition to a cutting blade, be implemented with a heating element for melting the filament. 
     Laced Article 
     FIG. 10B illustrates a laced pad which comprises the article of manufacture of the present invention in which the cord  150  has been pushed through a first side of the receiving material  160  to form a plurality of sequential loops on the opposite side of the receiving material. Thereafter the loose end of cord  150  has been threaded from the first side of the receiving material to the second side of the receiving material and through the interior of each of the loops formed on the opposite side of the receiving material. In FIG. 10B, the laced pad does not yet have the cord pulled tight. FIG. 11A illustrates a finished article  175  of the laced receiving material  160  where loops  155  are laced tightly by cord  150 . 
     FIGS. 11B-11D illustrate an article of manufacture  175  made with the process and apparatus described herein. Specifically, FIG. 11B illustrates a side view of an article of manufacture  175  comprising a piece of receiving material  160  having a cord  150  laced through the receiving material, as illustrated. Specifically, the cord  150  passes through the receiving material from a first side thereof at a plurality of locations to a second side thereof to form loops  155 A-C on a second side thereof. In FIGS. 11B-C the cord path through the interior of receiving material  160  is illustrated in phantom. In FIG. 11B, an end portion  150 A of cord  150  reenters receiving material  160  and emerges on the second side thereof and then passes through open loops  155 A-C as illustrated. In the illustrative embodiment, the other end of cord  150 , end portion  150 B may have a trailing length, as illustrated. As shown in FIGS. 11B-C, substantially all of the slack removed from loops  155 A-C so that the stitch formed by cord  150  is tightly secured to receiving material  160 . 
     FIG. 11C illustrates an alternative embodiment of the article  175  of FIG.  11 B. In this embodiment, the end portion  150 A rather than repenetrating receiving material  160  prior to passing through loops  155 A-C, instead extends around the exterior surface of an end of receiving material  160  and then into loops  155 A-C. With this embodiment, the end portion  150 A does not penetrate the receiving material  160 , therefore eliminates the need for an extra pin to penetrate the receiving material. 
     FIG. 11D illustrates an alternative embodiment of the article  175  of FIG. 11B-C. In this embodiment, a completely separate cord  152  passes through loops  155 A-C, instead of the end  150 A of cord  150 . This embodiment is useful where a large number of loops  155 A-N penetrate the receiving material  160 . In this embodiment, instead of shuttle  310  grasping the end  150 A of cord  150 , as previously described herein, a separate second cord  152  is disposed within the path of shuttle  310  as the article is advanced toward the shuttle. The shuttle then grasps the second cord and draws the cord  152  through the open loops  155 A-N in a manner similar to that described previously. The second cord may be supplied to the shuttle using a system similar to that described with reference to FIG.  9 . 
     As stated previously, the concepts and implementation described herein may be applied to any situation where a strand of material, such as a cord, thread, wire, or fiber is to be attached to a piece of receiving material. For example, apparatus  100 , may be utilized to attach a string to a tea bag. In this embodiment, the cord-like substance is a string of the thickness and strength typically used with conventional tea bags. The receiving material is the tea bag itself. Since the weave of the paper used to form the bag is rather loose, the subject invention is ideally suited to lace the string onto the bag without overstressing or tearing the bag in the process. Using the push pin assemblies and shuttle, as described previously, with appropriate changes in the dimensions made to accompany the size of the receiving material, i.e., the tea bag, a cord  262  may be laced to a tea bag  260 , as illustrated FIGS. 15A-B. Specifically, FIG. 15A illustrates a portion of a tea bag  260  in which a cord  262  passes from one side of the tea bag  260  through a slot  266  to a second side of the tea bag where an open loop  264  is formed. An end portion of the cord  262  is then drawn through the open loop  264  using the loop threading assemblies and methods described herein. The cord  262  is then tightened to remove any slack from the loop  264  and cut in a manner previously described. In the resulting tea bag  260 , as illustrated in FIG. 15B, the thread  262  is securely fastened to the bag in a manner which does not employ staples or glue as in conventional tea bag structures. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the tea bag  260  may be scored during its manufacturing process and before it is supplied to apparatus  100  to form the slot  266  prior to being penetrated by the pushpins of the pushpin assembly. Such scoring of the bag may be achieved by means of a perforating wheel that passes over the outer edge of the tea bag  260  prior to the bag being presented to the pushpins. Alternatively, a cutting die may stamp the outer edge of the bag to form a slit. Other conventional methods and systems for forming the slot  266  may be used as well. 
     FIGS. 14A-D illustrate various stages in the method of attaching a cord  262  to a tea bag  260  in accordance with the present invention. In a manner similar to that previously described with reference to FIGS. 12A-B, a pair of pushpins  312  are not loaded with cord  262  but draw the cord from one side of the tea bag  260  to another after having penetrated the bag. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 14A, pushpins  312  penetrate tea bag  260  at lots  266 . Slots  266  may be precut as described previously or may be made by push pins  312 . Cord  262  is disposed on a first side of the bag  260  as illustrated. Pushpins  312  are designed similar to pins  210  and are shaped so as to engage cord  262  and draw the cord from a first side of tea bag  260  through slots  266  to a second side so as to form a pair of open loops at the second side thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 14B. A shuttle similar to those previously described herein, may be used to grasp the cord  262  and draw the cord through open loop  264  as illustrated in FIG.  14 C. The shuttle continues through loop  264  drawing cord  262  to eliminate any slack in the loop. An end portion of cord  262  proximate to the portion grasped by the shuttle and drawn through loop  264  in FIG. 14C is cut either before or after threading through loop  264  using any of the techniques previously described. FIG. 14D illustrates the resulting laced tea bag  260  which shows the underside of the bag, not visible in FIGS. 14A-C, illustrating the end portion of cord  262  extending through loop  264 . 
     As stated previously, various modifications to the dimensions, shapes and sizes of the various assemblies of apparatus  100  may be necessary to adapt the technology to use with a tea bag, such modifications within the scope of those reasonably skilled in the art in light of the disclosure contained herein. For example, pushpins  312  do not need to be accompanied by spreader pins, since the open loops formed on the second side of the tea bag have a relatively small diameter. The tea bag illustrated in FIGS. 15A-B is manufactured similar to that described with reference to FIGS. 14A-D, except that a single slot  266  is present. 
     With the illustrative embodiment, sewing apparatus  100  can sustain rates in excess of 500 attachments per minute, and may produce a cord attached to the pad by a lacing stitch that may have pull strengths in excess of 5 kilograms. Of course, the high-speed lacing apparatus can be used for applications and products other than the personal hygiene product example described herein, for example, any production process in which a cord, thread, wire, or fiber is attached by lacing to a receiving piece of material. Also, the receiving material  160  may comprise any natural, synthetic or composite material capable of being pierced and threaded. For example, the apparatus and methods described herein may be applied to the process of attaching a string to a tea bag, as described in one of the previously referenced copending applications. 
     ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Several variations are possible to the article, method and apparatus disclosed herein. First, if the cord to be attached was made of an elastic-like material, the slacking mechanism may not be necessary as the open loops could be created by stretching the cord and a loop tightening mechanism may not be necessary as the loops would snap back into place as the push pins are removed. 
     Second, the floating shuttle mechanism can be used in any environment where an item is to be passed through a full (O-shaped) or partial (C-shaped) aperture. In addition, although in the illustrative embodiment shuttle  310  is shown having an arcuate shape, and pushpin pairs  210  move in a circular motion relative thereto, other implementations are possible. For example, the pushpin assemblies may move linearly in to a straight shuttle or they may move in an ovoid or other shape relative to the shuttle. Any path in which a loop forming mechanism moves relative to a stationary shuttle may benefit from the concepts disclosed herein. 
     Third, the pushpins  212  can pierce through the receiving material to be laced, be loaded with the cord on the other side and then pull back through the receiving material such that the loops are then formed on the same side of the receiving material as the push pins. This example is illustrated in FIG. 12A-B. 
     Fourth, if the loops are formed by pulling the push pins back through the material, the width of the loop could be formed by the width of the push pin, as illustrated in FIG. 12A (side view) and FIG. 12B (top view showing the loop opening) with the shuttle being fed through a narrower loop. 
     Fifth, the needle and spreader pair could be replaced with a single needle and a cam such that once the cord was passed through the receiving material to be laced, the cam would capture the cord and spread the cord out into a loop. 
     Sixth, the supporting gears could be replaced by supporting devices other than gears such as a chain and sprocket drives or friction belts. Retaining wheels keep the shuttle aligned during operation. 
     Seventh, the supporting gears could be turned at a speed other than the forward speed of the receiving material thereby making the relative difference in the speed of the shuttle to that of the receiving material other than that of the speed of the receiving material through the machine. This may, however, require that additional shuttle handling mechanisms be provided to return one or more shuttles to their starting points. 
     Eighth, two rotating surfaces can be formed where the material to be laced is held against the outer rotating surface. An inner surface containing the push pins would have a smaller diameter and would rotate about an axis that is off center to the axis of the outer surface such that the push pins would extend through the outer surface at one area of the rotation. 
     Ninth, the shuttle could be sized so that it could be driven and supported by a single drive gear. 
     Tenth, the shuttle supporting mechanisms could be modified such that the shuttle could be supported by a single support mechanism, for example, a single retaining wheel. 
     Eleventh, although receiving material feeding assembly  104  and cord feeding assembly  109  are part of lacing apparatus  100  in the illustrative embodiment, such assemblies may be implemented as separate apparatus which interact with lacing apparatus  100  provided appropriate drive mechanism are used to coordinate and synchronize the timing of the interaction of the respective assemblies described herein. 
     Although various exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made which will achieve some of the advantages of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. These and other modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claim.