Patent GB-102943-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Machines for Sewing on Buttons.
IPC: D05B3/16
Filed: 1916-12-02
Abstract: 102,943. United Shoe Machinery Go., (Assignees of Smith, W. A.), Dec. 27, 1915. [Convention date]. Button-attaching machines.-In a machine for sewing shank buttons to shoe uppers and other articles, a loop of thread is passed through the work and the button eye, and a second loop is passed through the work and the first loop outside the button-eye and then over the button-head, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the knot being tightened below the button shank. The needle 24, Fig. 2, is reciprocated in a bearings 46 carried by a rockshaft 48, which is operated from the cam-shaft so as to pierce the work at two places in each button-sewing operation, and the looper 26 has two loop-taking points, one of which 28 takes the first loop and positions it for the passage of the second loop, which is then taken by the point 30 and carried over the button head, the looper shaft 80 being given rocking and end-long movements for this purpose. The fixed throat-plate 2 is provided with an adjustable projection 38, Figs. 5 and 7, which comes under the head of the button and tilts it during the drawing-up of the knot, which is thus enabled to pass over the shank. The work is stamped between the throat-plate 2 and presser-foot 4, which is carried by a slide 6 and is adapted to be withdrawn between successive buttonattaching operations by cam-operated means, or may be manipulated manually to allow insertion or removal of the work. A thread-clamp 32 is carried bv a spring-pressed bar 56 and is released at suitable periods by cam-actuated connexions with the bar. A take-up roll 34 is carried by a bar 66 sliding in the needle-carrier and operated through a link 68 and arm 70 from the cam-actuated rockshaft 72. An auxiliary take-up roll 36 is carried by a sleeve 74 sliding vertically on a rod 76 on the needlecarrier and actuated in a direction to take-up thread by a spring 78. The mechanism for handling the buttons is mounted .on a support 112, Fig. 14, and comprises two positioning-plates 100. 102 which together provide an aperture in which the button shank is held in position for the passage of the needle, a button clamp 126, and a lifting-plate 148. These parts, except the plate 100 which is fixed relatively to the support, are carried by a plate 118 pivoted to the support 112 under control of the spring 160 and actuated by the arm 134, which has a pin 136 adapted to engage the end of a slot 138 in a spring-controlled slide 130 provided with a shoulder 144 adapted to engage a projection 146 on the plate 118. The plate 102 is carried by a lever 114 pivoted at 116 and connected by a link to a fixed pivot 124. The clamp 126 is carried by an arm pivoted at 128, which is connected by a light spring 140 and the shoulder 142 to the slide 130 and has a pin 150. The plate 148 is supported by a link 154 pivoted at 128 and guided by a pin and slot. At the completion of a button-attaching operation, the plate 118 is swung about its pivot, causing the plate 102 to rise quickly, the clamp 126 to be withdrawn, and the plate 148 to lift the button, until the projection 150 meets the abutment 152, thus causing the clamp to move the button over the plate 100. The support 112 is reciprocated transversely of the line of feed to enable the parts to receive the buttons from a shoot placed to one side thereof, and carry them into positions for sewing. The shoot is shown in Figs. 10 and 13 and comprises a permanent and a removable part. The permanent part consists of two plates 172 spaced apart to form a groove for the button-shanks, and a back-plate 176 supported by an arm 178 pivoted at 180 and controlled by a spring 186 tending to keep the stop 182 up to the abutment 184. The buttons are fed past a spring finger 220, which positions the shanks by a reciprocating finger 224 pivoted at 226 to a spring-and-stop controlled rock-shaft mounted in the end of a cam-actuated bell-crank lever. The work is fed by a point 254, Fig. 2, mounted on a bar 256 sliding in the arm 258 secured to the rock-shaft 62. The workengaging movements are derived from a lever 284 actuated by a cam 282 and connected by a link 286 with the bar 256, being kept up to the cam by a spring 288. The feed movements are derived from the cam-groove 290 acting on a lever 262, which is connected, at variable distances from its axis, to the arm 258 by a link 260. In order to allow the feed-point to be moved backwards independently of its actuating mechanism when it is necessary to get the work into position, as in sewing the lowest button on a shoe upper, the cam-groove is cut away at one part so that the engagement of the work with the point moves it back; and, to prevent this backward movement of the point from interfering with the needle in its first reciprocation, a stop-segment 292 is provided on the end of the cam shaft and is adapted to engage a stop-lug 294 on the feed-arm. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 (3) (a) comprises also a description of the removable part of the shoot, which consists of a back-plate 188 mounted on a support 198 and carrying on screw pins two plates 190 in register with the plates 172. An adjustable spring plate 204 is mounted on the back-plate 188 and has a projection 206 bearing behind the plate 176 thus providing simultaneous adjustment of both sections of the back-plate and keeping them always in register when it is necessary to alter the dimensions of the shoot to suit the buttons being used. The removable part of the shoot is closed by a. finger 214 when it is detached to retain the supply of buttons therein. This finger is carried by a spring-pressed lever pivoted to the plate 188, and is withdrawn when this section of the shoot is in operative position by contact of the rear end of the lever with the support 198. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.