Style loop forming and attaching apparatus

Apparatus for forming a style loop having one end folded over and the other end turned flat under the loop and for attaching the ends of the loop to a surface, the apparatus comprising:

• means adjacent the surface for attaching the ends of the loop thereto;
• a turning clamp positioned over the surface;
• means receiving loop material for folding over one end upwardly from the surface and for advancing the upwardly folded end to the turning clamp and the other end flat to the attaching means;
• means operating the turning clamp for thereafter holding the folded end of the loop while the attaching means attaches the flat end to the surface;
• means relatively moving the turning clamp and the surface for turning the loop over the attached flat end;
• and
• means rotating the turning clamp in the same direction as the relative clamp movement for rotating the upward fold in the one end of the loop downwardly toward the surface and, in combination with the relative clamp moving means, transferring the then downwardly folded end to the attaching means for attachment to the surface.

Apparatus for forming and attaching a style belt loop to pants, the style loop having one end folded over and sewn to the pants through the folded end and the other end turned under the loop and sewn flat to the pants in spaced relation to the one folded end, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a sewing machine for sewing the ends of the loop to the pants, the sewing machine having a needle, a plate movable along a sewing bed for receiving the pants, and at least one presser foot above the plate at the needle;
• b. means for pulling a loop length of upside down material from one end of a longer piece;
• c. folding means having a pair of tines and a gripper spaced from each other less than the loop length and adapted to straddle the loop length;
• d. means rotating the tines for folding over the one end upwardly of the plate and closing the gripper for holding the loop;
• e. means spaced from the gripper for cutting the loop length from the longer piece;
• f. a turning clamp having a pair of generally parallel movable jaws adjacent the needle and above the plate of the sewing machine;
• g. means for moving the folding means to the loop-straddling position and for moving the gripper-held and folded loop length thereon after it is cut to the sewing machine with the flat end of the loop slipped under the presser foot at the needle of the sewing machine and with the folded end on the tines between the jaws of the turning clamp;
• h. means for closing the jaws on the folded loop end whereby retraction of the folding means with opening of its gripper leaves the folded end held in the jaws and the other flat end under the presser foot for sewing to the pants;
• i. means moving the plate and the pants thereon for spacing the ends of the loop from each other;
• j. means moving the turning clamp in the opposite direction from the plate for turning the folded end of the loop over the end of the loop sewn flat to the pants whereby the upside down loop material is positioned rightside up, the movement also bringing the folded end of the loop to the needle of the sewing machine, and means rotating the turning clamp for orienting the upward fold in the end of the loop between the jaws downward toward the plate and the pants thereon;
• and
• k. means opening the jaws and retracting them from the folded end of the loop for sewing through the folded end to complete the style belt loop.

An attachment for a sewing machine for forming a style loop which is to be sewn to a surface, the style loop having one end folded over and adapted to be sewn to the surface through the folded end and the other end turned under the loop and adapted to be sewn to the surface flat, the attachment comprising:

• a turning clamp having a pair of cooperatively closable jaws above the surface which are closed on the folded end of the loop, the fold being upward from the surface and the other end of the loop being positioned flat for sewing to the surface;
• means moving the turning clamp toward the flat sewn end for turning the loop over the sewn end;
• and
• means rotating the turning clamp in the same direction for orienting the upward fold downwardly toward the surface for sewing to the surface through the folded end.