An improved whipping bell assembly for a button shank whipping machine

摘要

An apparatus for winding a thread round the stem of a button sewn onto an article of clothing by means of a sewing thread comprises a rotatably mounted winding bell (14) and a button holder (15) which is rotatably and releasably mounted on the winding bell (14). The winding bell is mounted on a hollow drive shaft (36) and a winding thread passes through the hollow shaft (36), through an aperture (54) in the wall of the shaft, through a passage (56) extending through the whipping bell to its outer periphery and passes back towards the winding area by means of a selected one of several apertures (60) in the periphery of the winding bell. The provision of a button holder mounted on the winding bell allows the rear face of a button (78) to be engaged by the holder (50) with its inner face abutting the button holder and allows an operator to apply tension to the sewn shank (80) which secures the button to an article of clothing. The application of tension allows the winding thread to be applied very evenly and securely.