Improvements in and relating to Sewing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2 th Apr., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Sewing Machines.
We, DAVID NEILSON and JAMES BRODIE both of the Firm of Neilson and
Brodie, Manufacturers, of 9 Montrose Street in the City and County of Glasgow,
and ROBERT NEILSON, and ARCHIBALD NEILSON, of same address, Mechanics,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
"
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to sewing machines,
and has specially for its object to enable a series of "tucks or hems to be sewn at
one operation such as on aprons, pinafores, skirts and the like.
According to our improvements we adjustably mount a series of sewing machines
or operating needles in parallel line on a bed frame or other suitable foundation,
and actuate them all together or simultaneously through crank shafts and connecting
rod gear, or it might be through toothed wheel and shafting or other suitable
gear.
A conoidal scroll "hemmer or hem former would be fitted at one end of the
bed frame through which the fabric to be tucked or hemmed would be fed, and a
longitudinal steel or other bar would be attached to this hemmer and extend to
the opposite end of bed frame so as to act as a guide and keep the hem in position.
While a wheel or like organ would be mounted to rotate loose on a vertical arm
attached to a blade spring or bracket at the opposite end of bed frame to that at
which "hemmer" is placed so as to press above the cloth on the longitudinal
hemmer bar to keep it in proper guiding position.
We dispense with the ordinary feeding guide organ of each sewing machine, and
we swivel on a thumb screw or pin at each of the sewing machines a tucking guide,
consisting of a vertical arm with a horizontal chaunel or grooved plate at its
lower end.
This tucking guide is brought into position in front of the needle to form the
"tuck," by embracing a double fold of the fabric and which is held in place within
channel plate by an adjustable or stationary horizontal thin plate or clip mounted
at the one side of it and fitting within the channel plate when the latter is brought
down to this position.
By this means the doubled over hems or tucks are formed on the fabric and the
needles sew through three thicknesses of the fabric.
A spring blade or equivalent guide preferably with knob on end is soldered or
attached to the ordinary presser foot or needle guide of each sewing machine so as
to bear over the top of the travelling fabric and guide it in its travelling action
while being tucked and hemmed.
Drawing or feed rolls are fitted at one end of the bed frame so as to keep a
tension on the fabric being tucked and hemmed and draw it past the several sewing
machines at a regulated speed; and the pressure between the rolls through which
the fabric passes can be adjusted by screw, lever, or other gear.
These rolls are operated by a ratchet toothed wheel and pawl through lever and
cam or other gear from the main shaft of one of the synchronic actuated sewing
machines and the mechanism is so arranged that the rolls receive an intermittent
action so as to pull the cloth through between them while the needles are in the
inoperative or up position off the cloth.

page_text: Each sewing machine can be shifted along on its bed frame by a bosshead on it
working on a rotating spindle fixed to immovable part of gear mechanism and be
fixed in the required position by a pinching screw or a screw spindle or other
suitable gear may be used so as to adjust the relative position of the needles from
those on the other machines.
Thus in tucking and hemming the lower part of an apron four sewing machines
may be simultaneously used, three set in adjusted positions for forming and sewing
three "tucks" and one for sewing the lower looped or hem part.
Dated the 27th of April 1891
Improvements in and relating to Sewing Machines.
We, DAVID NEILSON, and JAMES BRODIE, both of the Firm of Neilson and
Brodie Manufacturers, of 9 Montrose Street in the City and County of Glasgow,
and ROBERT NEILSON and ARCHIBALD NEILSON of same address, Mechanics,
do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
"
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to sewing machines
and has specially for its object to enable a series of "tucks or hems to be sewn at
one operation such as on aprons, pinafores, skirts and the like.
And in order that our said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, we have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a series of four sewing machines with
fittings arranged in accordance with our improvements for forming a series of tucks
or hems at one operation on aprons or garments.
Figure 2 is a plan view corresponding to Figure 1; while
Figure 3 is a back elevation showing the main driving shaft and connections.
Figures 4 and 5 are a detached side elevation and plan view respectively of the
hemmer, and hemmer bar. While
Figures 6 and 7 are corresponding views of the tucking guide and fittings.
Referring to these drawings:-According to our improvements we adjustably
mount a series of sewing machines A' in parallel line on a bed frame Z or other
suitable foundation, or have a series of operating needles a suitably mounted, and
actuate them all together or simultaneously preferably through adjustable
couplings B, connected at their one end by pinching screws to the shaft of cam
plate which works the needle bar of machine, and at their other end connected to a
shaft B operated through bevel wheels from the main countershaft B2
which is driven through a pulley B" by a band B from any prime moving
shaft.
A conoidal scroll "hemmer" or het former C would be fitted at one end of the
bed frame through which the fabric to be tucked or hemmed would be fed, and a
longitudinal steel or other bar C2 would be attached to this hemmer C and extend to
the opposite end of bed frame Z so as to act as a guide and keep the hem in position.
While a wheel or like organ c would be mounted to rotate loose on a vertical
arm attached to a blade spring or bracket at the opposite end of bed
frame Z. to that at which "hemmer" C is placed so as to press above the cloth
on the longitudinal hemmer bar C* to keep it in proper guiding position.

page_text: We dispense with the ordinary feeding guide organ of each sewing machine A,
and we adjustably mount on a thumb screw or pin D' at each of the sewing
machines A a tucking guide, consisting of a vertical arm D with slot D" in which
the pin D' is adjusted and having a horizontal channel or grooved plate D' at its
lower end. This tucking guide is brought into position in front of the needle a
to form the tuck by embracing a double fold of the fabric and which is held in
place within channel plate D' by an adjustable or stationary horizontal thin plate
or clip D³ mounted at the one side of it and fitting within the channel plate D'
when the latter is brought down to this position. By this means the doubled over
hems or tucks are formed on the fabric and the needles a sew through three
thicknesses of the fabric. A spring blade or equivalent guide d' preferably with
knob on end is soldered or attached to the ordinary presser foot or needle
guide d of each sewing machine A so as to bear over the top of the travelling
fabric and guide it in its travelling action while being tucked and hemmed.
Drawing or feeding rolls E E are fitted at one end of the bed frame so as to
keep a tension on the fabric being tucked and hemmed, and draw it past the
several sewing machines A at a regulated speed; and the pressure between the
rolls E, E' through which the fabric passes can be adjusted by a hand operated
screw wheel F and pressure frame For by lever or other gear.
The rolls E, E, are preferably operated as follows:-The roll E has mounted
on its spindle a worm wheel E' which receives motion from a worm ³ mounted on
the countersbaft B2 and formed as a straight thread for about four fifths of the
circumference and for the other fifth angled and with terminating ends as shown
detached in Figure 8; while motion is in turn transmitted from the spindle of
roll E through spur gearing at E to the roll E', and by this means the cloth is
pulled through between the rolls E, E', while the needles a are all simultaneously
in the inoperative or up position off the cloth.
The tucked or hemined cloth would be wound on a winding up reel or beam G
rotated by a band G' from a pulley mounted on spindle of roll E, and revolving
brushes y would be mounted between each pair of sewing machines so as to act
over and keep the tucked cloth always in proper position. These brushes would
be mounted on spindles gl carried on adjustable brackets ³, and rotated through
pulley and band gear 9' 9 from the countershaft B. A similar brush g and
carrying fittings y would be mounted in front of the rolls E E, so as to act
in a similar manner over and at right angles to the travel of cloth, to keep it
straight in being wound up on the taking up beam G.
Each sewing machine A can be shifted longitudinally along on its bed frame Z
by unscrewing the pinching screws band coupling B, and re-fixing these with the
shafts adjusted to the desired position, so as to adjust the relative positions of
the needles a from those on the other machines.
Thus in tucking and hemming the lower part of an apron four sewing machines
may be used, three A set in adjustable positions for forming and sewing three
"tucks" and one A' for sewing the lower looped or hem part.
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 :-
First. The method of sewing a series of tucks or hems on fabrics at one
operation by means of a multiple number of sewing machines or needles, substan-
tially as herein described in reference to and by way of application shown in the
accompanying drawings.
Second. The combination of a series of sewing machines set in adjustable
parallel line, and actuated simultaneously to sew tucks or hems on fabrics, substan-
tially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Third. The arrangement and combination of sewing machines and connected
devices or fittings for simultaneously forming a series of tucks or hems on fabrics,

page_text: substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Fourth. In a multiple system of sewing tucks or hems on fabrics, the combination
of a hem former, a longitudinal guide bar, and a wheel or like guiding organ,
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Fifth. In a multiple system of sewing tucks or hems on fabrics, the arrangement
and use of a vertical arm with horizontal channel plate and adjustable clip plate,
to act as a doubling over and tucking guide, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 26th January 1895.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents..