Improvements in Devices for Driving Sewing and other Machines Intermittently.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Driving Sewing and other Machines
Intermittently.
We, THOMAS ROBERT ROSSITER, of Kingshill Villa, Knowle, in the County of
Somerset, Engineer, and DONALD NOBLE, of 87 Victoria Street, Bristol, in the
County of Gloucester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in devices for driving sewing and other
machines intermittently and is more especially applicable to that class of sewing
machine for executing fancy work wherein the needle is required to give only one
stitch at a time and to be brought to rest in some definite position after each stitch,
so as to permit the work to be moved for the next stitch.
According to our invention we provide a simple and convenient arrangement
which ensures the parts coming to rest with certainty after giving the stitch, and
also obviates any strains on the bearings or other parts such as arise for example
from the use of an ordinary friction clutch.
To this end we mount on the shaft or spindle of the machine a pair of discs
which can be moved apart slightly by means of a forked lever (or other equivalent
separating device) on one of them, the end of which lever projects from the side
of the disc in which it is mounted. The two discs are kept in rotary connection
say by a pin on one projecting into a hole in the other. They are also normally
pressed together by springs which may be coiled round bolts secured in one disc
and extending through holes in the other.
The ordinary driving pulley or cone has connected to it a leather or other annular
friction disc or washer which projects into the space between the two discs, and
the latter are so arranged that when in the normal position they grip the washer
and so transmit power from the pulley or cone to the shaft or spindle of the machine.
When however the separating lever is operated one of the discs is moved away
from the other and the washer. runs freely between them without driving them.
It will thus be seen that the driving pressure is balanced between the discs and no
strain is thrown on the bearings.
The operation of the lever at the proper moment, that is in the case of a sewing
machine of the kind referred to, at the instant the needle comes into the desired
position, is effected by a pivoted arm the end of which is pointed and forms
a cam or wedge. This arm can be moved by a treadle or otherwise into the path
of the end of the aforesaid separating lever on the disc, so that the said lever will
strike against its wedge shaped end and will be thrown to one side, so separating
the discs and causing the driving connection to cease.
Conveniently the end of the separating lever may rest normally against the disc
and be bevelled on the side adjacent thereto forming as it were a mouth to receive
the cam or wedge on the arm aforesaid which entering between the end of the
lever and the disc operates the said lever.
The discs are so set on the spindle that the operation of the separating lever is
effected when the needle is in the proper position.
Immediately beneath its wedge shaped end, the pivotted arm carries a shoulder
projection or stop which may be provided with a suitable pad or cushion and serves

page_text: to engage the end of the separating lever and finally bring the discs to rest if
they have not stopped already owing to the friction of the engaged end of the said
lever and pivoted arm.
The pivotted arm may normally be pressed by a suitable spring into the position
for acting upon or engaging the lever and it may be bell cranked its other extremity
carrying a roller or truck, upon which acts one arm of a bell crank lever whose
other arm is connected with a treadle, the arrangement being such that when the
treadle is depressed the arm is moved back out of engagement and the machine
can make a stitch.
Dated this gond da of 1007
Improvements in Devices for Driving Sewing and other Machines
Intermittently.
We, THOMAS ROBERT ROSSITER, of Kingshill Villa, Knowle, in the County
of Somerset, Engineer, and DONALD NOBLE, of 87 Victoria Street, Bristol, in
the County of Gloucester, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
aud in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in devices for driving sewing and other
machines intermittently and is more especially applicable to the class of sewing
machines employed for executing fancy work wherein the needle is required to
perform only one stitch at a time and to be brought to rest in some definite position
after each stitch, so as to permit the work to be moved for the next stitch.
'
According to our invention we provide a simple and convenient arrangement
which ensures that the parts shall come to rest with certainty after performing
the stitch and also obviates any strain on the bearings such as would arise for
example from the use of an ordinary friction clutch.
To this end we provide on the main shalt of the machine a pair of discs adapted
normally to grip a revolving portion such as an annular disc or washer, connected
with a loose driving pulley, and to transmit the revolution of such pulley to the
said main shaft. One of these discs carries a lever having a projecting end adapted,
as the discs revolve, to strike against a wedge-like or cam-shaped end of a pivoted
arm, the said end being normally situated on the path of the said lever. The
arrangement is such that the lever is thus pressed to one side so separating the two
discs, at the same time remaining frictionally in engagement with the end of the
arm; thus positively arresting the movement of the machine, and keeping it out of
action until the said arm is released by the operator.
And in order that the invention may be readily understood we will proceed to
describe the same by aid of the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is an inner side view of one form of our improved device applicable to
a sewing machine.
Figure 2 is an edge view thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line x x of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line y y of Figure 1, but showing the
parts in the position they occupy when the working of the machine has been
arrested.
Figure 5 is an inner side view of the disc carrying the separating lever.
a is the shaft or spindle of the machine and a¹ is a portion of the frame thereof.

page_text: bb are the two discs mounted on the shaft, the former of which is fixed directly
thereto, and has a flange b' and a sleeve or tubular extension 6 on which the other
disc is mounted loosely. The arrangement is such that although the discs can be
separated slightly they are kept in rotary connection with each other by means of
a pin 63 on one of them fitting into a corresponding hole in the other.
c is the lever by which the separation of the discs is effected. This lever is
mounted on a pin c¹ extending across a cavity 64 in the disc b and such lever is
forked as at c, the ends of the fork bearing agaiust the disc b* or against a
washer 6 interposed between the discs. The discs are drawn together by means
of coiled springs d situated in holes d¹ in the disc b and compressed therein by the
heads of screws d² which screws extend through the springs and are secured in
the opposite disc 6*.
e is the annular disc or washer, which is secured to the flanged side of a loose
driving pulley e by screws e³ and projects between the two discs bb these latter
normally grip the same and so transmitting the power from the pulley or cone to
the shaft of the machine. When however the separating lever is operated one
of the discs is moved away from the other and the washer e revolves freely between
them without driving them. It will be seen that the discs are so arranged they
press equally in opposite directions against the washer e, so that there is no endwise
strain thrown on the bearings.
fis the pivoted arm by which the operation of the separating lever c is effected,
fbeing the cam or wedge-shaped end which is caused by a spring f2 to project
normally into the path of the end of the lever c so as to engage with the same
every time it arrives at the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, this being
the position at which, in the present case, it is desired to stop the machine between
the successive stitches. To facilitate the engagement of the separating lever o
with the end of the arm, the said lever is tapered or bevelled towards its forward
edge (Figures 2 and 3) on the side adjacent to the diso 6x, so forming as it were
a mouth to receive the said end of the lever c. The arm is of bell cranked
form and is pivoted at f³, its lower end carrying a truck or roller f. g is a second
bell crank lever pivotted at g' one arm of which has a V-shaped extremity g² which
acts upon the truck or roller /', while the other arm thereof is connected with a
treadle. By a rod 93 the arrangement is such that when the treadle is moved in
either direction the lever y is turned on its pivot, and the truck or roller is caused
to perform very quickly an up and down movement rising up one side of the
extremity g² of the lever and descending on the other side thereof. In this
movement the arm f is temporarily moved out of engagement with the lever cand
the discs bb* close upon the revolving washer e so causing the machine to make a
stitch. The descent of the truck or roller however immediately permits the arm f
under the action of the spring 12 to resume its normal position before the discs
have performed a revolution, and consequently when the lever c comes into the
dotted position shown in Figure 1, it again engages with the end f¹ of the arm and
throws the machine out of gear. At the same time owing to the resistance set up
by the end of the arm in forcing itself between the lever and the disc, the
mechanism is brought to a standstill instantly.
The said army is advantageously provided immediately beneath its wedge-shaped
end with a shoulder, projection or stop to engage with the end of the separating
lever and so positively arrest the revolution of the discs in case the friction set up
between the lever c and the arm should not be sufficient for this purpose. The
said shoulder may be provided with a pad or cushion (not shewn) to receive the
impact of the lever.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A device for driving a sewing or other machine intermittently and for stopping
the same in a predetermined position, comprising a pair of discs which tend to

page_text: come into driving connection with a loose driving pulley such connection being
controlled by a separating lever on one of the discs and a movable cam or
wedge adapted to engage and operate such lever, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
2. In a sewing machine, the combination of a loose driving pulley having an
annular friction piece or washer, a pair of movable discs adapted to grip the said
washer from opposite sides thereof so as to avoid endwise strain on the bearings,
a separating lever for causing the discs to disengage the washer, and a pivoted arm
having a cam or wedge-shaped end normally projecting into the path of the
separating lever and adapted to restrain the same until released by the operator,
substantially as described.
3. Our improved device for driving sewing and other machines intermittently,
constructed and operating substantially as herein before described with reference to
the accompanying drawings, and for the purpose specified.
Datch this 20th day of pin 1957.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.