IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING AND APPLYING EDGE BINDING
Year: 1885

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by John Keats, of 15, Bergerstrasse, Frankfort on
the Main, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer, and Karl Schultheiss, of
34, Hundsthurmerstrasse, Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, Engineer.]
Edge Binding.
I, ARTHUR KEATS of 77 Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, in the County of
Stafford, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING AND APPLYING EDGE BINDING, to be as follows:-
The chief object of this invention is so to modify glove sewing machines in
which an eye pointed needle and a looper are used as to enable them to produce
upon Boots and Shoes and upon garments a novel kind of binding which may be
described as a gimp worked upon one side of the fabric adjoining the edge or
extending from one side of the fabric to the other and forming a covering for
the edge.
.
The article to be operated upon is fed forward under the action of a reciprocating
eye-pointed needle between a pair of gripping horizontal feed wheels the edge to
be covered standing up vertically between these wheels. Mounted on the end of
a pivotted bar which is supported on the extremity of an arm carried by a rock
shaft is a cranked looper having an eye through which the silk or other braiding
thread intended to be used is passed. On the under side of this cranked looper
and a little in rear of its eye is a transverse cut which forms an opening between
the looper and its looper thread for the passage through the loop of the eye pointed
needle. A shoulder is formed at the forward end of this cut the more effectually
to provide a clear passage for the needle.
The movement of the looper is controlled by cams on the cam shaft and it is
caused to dip down on either side of the work a sufficient distance to lay its
looping thread on one or both sides of the article to be braided and thereby form
with the aid of the needle thread a gimp of any desired breadth. The needle
with its thread will pierce the work at a distance below the edge of the work
corresponding to the depth of the binding intended to be applied and the feed will
be so regulated as to ensure the laps of the looper thread completely covering the
surface intended to be ornamented thereby. The needle in its advance to pierce

page_text: the work has presented to it a loop of the looper thread and entering that loop it
passes through the fabric presented to it by the feed wheels; carrying through
with it so much thread as will serve to form the requisite loop of needle thread.
Into this loop the looper enters it being moved round for that purpose from say
the face to the back of the work. When the looper has caught the loop of the
needle thread in rear of the transverse cut in the looper the needle retires slipping
back on its own thread while the looper moving back to its starting position
carries with it the loop of the needle thread to the face of the fabric. Here the
looper presents a second loop of the looper thread to the needle which advancing
as before puts a locking thread into that loop.
The looper then retires leaving its loop disengaging itself from the loop of the
needle thread which it carried over.
The next operation is to cause the needle thread to bind the looper thread to
the work. For this purpose the further supply of needle thread is stopped by a
gripping device, the moment of its action being determined by the breadth of gimp
or binding intended to be produced, thus supposing the gimp is to be laid on the
face only of the work and to stop at the edge the grip on the needle thread is so
timed as to ensure that the advance of the needle shall tighten the loop of the
needle thread and cause it to bind the looper thread at the edge of the work
thereby producing by the repeated action of the needle and looper a kind of pearl'
edging.
The outerward thrust of the needle it will be understood will by means of this
gripping device tighten the loop of its thread upon the looper thread at any desired
point and make that point a starting point for the next lap of the looper thread.
That being so the needle thread when pulled in may be arranged to draw the
looper thread up to the edge of the work or over the edge or to the back of
the work in the latter case making if desired the lap equal at the face and back
of the work. The presser feed wheel is held to its work by a helical spring and
it is thrown out of action by means of a treadle.
The driver feed wheel is operated by an internal gripping device which is
adjusted to suit the gauge of looper thread used. The motion of the cam for
giving the feed being transmitted through a vertically adjustable rock shaft
carrying arms through which the motion is received and transmitted.
I have said that the work stands up between the pair of feeding wheels and as
the looper moves over the work from one side to the other reaching down to near
the level of the needle it is manifest that the breadth of the gimp produced on say
the face of the fabric will be determined by the height at which the edge of the
work stands above the feed wheels. To regulate this width with precision when
binding a boot or shoe is a matter of some importance as otherwise the breadth of
the gimp would be irregular and to secure good work a gauge is provided which
standing over the edge of the work will present a rigid surface for the work to be
held up to while the operation is proceeding. This gauge may be carried by a
stem passed up the centre of the pressing feed wheel and adjustable from below
by means of a nut working on the threaded end of the stem. A take-up motion
is provided for both the looper and the needle thread to ensure the proper action of
the parts.
The mechanism above described may be used for producing a stitch somewhat
like what is known as a herring bone stitch by giving a coarse feed to the work.
This will cause the spreading of the looper thread and the laying of that thread in
a zig zag fashion upon the fabric.

page_text: COMPLETE DI BULTICATION
Improved Machinery for Manufacturing and Applying
Edge Binding.
I ARTHUR KEATS of 77 Wolverhampton Road, Stafford, in the County of
Stafford, Machinist do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING AND APPLYING EDGE BINDING," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:―
The chief object of this invention is so to modify glove sewing machines, in
which an eye pointed needle and a looper are used, as to enable them to produce
upon Boots and Shoes, and upon garments, a novel kind of binding, which may be
described as a gimp, worked upon one side of the fabric adjoining the edge, or
extending from one side of the fabric to the other, and forming a covering for
the edge.
The article to be operated upon is fed forward between a pair of gripping
horizontal feed and pressing wheels, and presented to the action of a horizontal
reciprocating eye pointed needle, the edge to be covered standing up vertically
between the feed and pressing wheels.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the improved machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan view, the cover of the box frame being removed to expose the
enclosed mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a partial front elevation of the machine.
In these Figures, A A is the box frame secured to the table of the machine,
which table is fitted, like that of an ordinary treadle sewing machine, with a band
wheel, from which rotary motion is taken by a band to a pulley on the cam
shaft B. From this shaft the motions for working the needle, the looper, and the
feed wheel are derived. The cam shaft B has its bearings in the sides of the box
frame A, and it is provided at its opposite ends with hand wheels for turning it,
to adjust the sewing instruments to the position they must assume at the time of
inserting and removing the work.
This shaft B is fitted with an excentric C for working the needle c, which is
carried by a horizontal sliding bar C working in guides in the ends of the box A.-
Secured to this bar C, and pendent therefrom, is a yoke C², which embraces the
excentric C, and is caused to impart a reciprocating endway motion to the needle
bar by the rotation of the excentric.
D is the looper bar, which projects through the front of the box frame, and
carries at its forward end a cranked looper d.-This bar D is pivotted on a
vertical rod D¹, which fits loosely in a socket projecting from a rock shaft D²
mounted between centres projecting inwards from the sides of the box frame.-An
arm Ds projecting from this rock shaft carries a bowle which enters the groove of
a cam D keyed to the cam shaft. The rear end of the looper bar is slotted
longitudinally to receive a squared swivel pin d¹, which is pivotted to a radius
arm D5. This radius arm is itself pivotted to a bracket of the box frame, and

page_text: fitted to the swivel pin d¹ of this arm is a bowle d, which enters a groove cam Do
on the cam shaft. On the side of the looper bar is mounted a bowle d³, which is
held down upon a cam face D' by means of a tension spring d' connected to the
bar D, and to a hook on the rock shaft D².
The looper d is provided with an eye made near its point, and also a guide in
rear thereof, through which the silk or other braiding thread intended to be used
is passed. On the underside of this cranked looper, and a little in rear of its eye,
is a transverse cut, which forms an opening between the looper and its looper
thread, for the passage through the loop of the eye pointed needle c. A shoulder is
formed at the forward end of this cut, the more effectually to provide a clear
passage for the needle.
By means of the cams D, D6, and D7 on the cam shaft, the looper d is caused to
dip down on either side of the work a sufficient distance to lay its looping thread
on one or both sides of the article to be braided, and thereby form, with the aid of
the needle thread, a gimp of any desired breadth.
E represents the work, which is held up in a vertical position, and passed under
the action of the needle by means of the feed wheel fand the pressing wheel g, the
former of which is fixed on a vertical shaft F having its bearings in the casting of
the box frame, and the latter is carried by a cranked arm G mounted on a vertical
rock shaft G¹, which has its bearings in projections from the side of the box
frame.
Keyed to the lower end of the vertical shaft F, within the hollow base of the
box frame, is a double rimmed wheel F1, upon the upper edge of which a gripping
lever F takes. This lever embraces the shaft F, and its tail bears against a pin
pendent from the arm f* of a vertical rock shaft F³, which is centred in a vertically
adjustable slide F-The slide F is formed with a squared projection which enters
a vertical slot formed in one end of the box frame, and is tapped to receive a
binding screw fl-The slackening of this binding screw f¹ provides for the
vertical adjustment of the slide for the purpose of varying the length of the feed.-
Projecting from the rock shaft F³ is an arm f, which bears against a face cam F
on the cam shaft. By the rotation of this cam, the arm f2 (which, by the action of a
coiled spring f³, is held in contact therewith by the pressure of the gripping lever
on the pendent pin f* of the rock shaft) is caused to rock the shaft F3, and thereby
to set the gripping lever in action upon the wheel F¹.-The result of this is to
move round the feed wheel step by step, and thereby to pass the work under the
action of the needle c. The length of step, it will be understood, is determined by
the position at which the arm f2 is set with respect to the axis of motion of the
cam F, the length of movement being increased as the arm is brought nearer to
the axis of the cam.
To maintain the position of the feed wheel, when it is released from the feeding
lever F2, a second gripping lever is provided, as at F6, which embraces the feed
wheel shaft, and acts upon the lower rim of the wheel F-The pull of a coiled
spring causes this lever to act as a retaining lever during the back motion of
the feeding lever.
The pressing wheel is held to its work by a coiled spring g¹, and is thrown out
of contact with the work, preferably by means of a treadle lever, not shown in the
drawing, but connected with the pendent rod G-This rod is jointed to a bell
crank lever Gs, the fulcrum of which is carried by a projection on the back of the
box frame. To the upper arm of this bell crank lever is jointed a rod G', which
passes through the box frame, and is jointed at its forward end to the arın g² of
the rock shaft G¹.
The coiled spring g¹ is connected by a hook to the rod G', and also to an
adjustable hook which passes through the rear end of the box frame, and is threaded
to receive a nut, the turning of which will adjust the tension of the spring, and
impart the requisite pressure to the wheel g―This mode of mounting the
presser wheel g is important, as it provides sufficient clearance for the facile
manipulation of the work by the attendant,—the braiding of escaloped edges, for

page_text: example, requiring the constant tipping of the work to present it properly to the
action of the needle.
Upon the cover A¹ (see Fig. 1), the bobbins for the needle and looper thread are
mounted. As the arrangement for putting tension upon these threads, as they are
drawn from their bobbins, is alike, and similar to that in common use, it will be
sufficient to refer only to the course of the looper thread in passing from its
bobbin H to the looper.
This bobbin, which is filled say with silk thread, is carried loosely by a horizontal
pin projecting from a bracket casting of the cover A¹-Projecting from a second
bracket casting of the cover, is a threaded pin, on which a pair of gripping dises h
is loosely mounted, to receive between them the thread from the bobbin H. These
discs are pressed together by a coiled spring surrounding the threaded pin, the
pressure of which spring is made adjustable by means of a nut h¹ working on the
screwed pin which carries the spring and gripping discs. In line with the bobbin
and these discs, is set up upon the cover a guide pin 2, which is slotted
longitudinally below a shoulder near its upper end, and is surrounded by a coiled
spring h³, which forms a seat for a ring * dropped over the pin. The thread from
the bobbin H, laid between the gripping discs, is threaded through the slot of the
guide pin above the ring *-Thence it passes to a rigid guide arm / formed with
an eyelet, through which it is led to the looper d, passing first through the guide
on the looper stem, and thence to the eye of the looper.
The needle thread, when leaving its slotted guide pin, is led under a spring
presser c¹ fitted to the needle bar C, and thence to the eye of the needle. This
presser c¹ consists of a headed pin which projects through the bar, and has, by
means of a spring contained in the bar, a tendency to grip the thread, holding it
between the head of the pin and the side of the bar.
It is however necessary, at times, for the thread to be released from this gripping
pressure, and to this end a fixed cam piece c² is provided, which is attached to the
box frame by means of a binding screw. This can piece stands out from the front
of the box frame to form a bearing surface for the end of the gripping pin.
As the needle moves forward to pierce the work, the thread will be left free to
follow the movement of the needle, but so soon. as the pin is freed from contact
with the cam piece, a grip will, through the action of the gripper spring, be put on
the thread, and the further supply of the thread to the needle will cease; at the
same time a supply of thread necessary for the next stitch will be drawn off the
needle thread bobbin, ready to be taken up by the needle when the gripping pin is
thrown out of action.
The timing of this stoppage of the supply I may regulate by making the cam
piece c² adjustable. For this purpose I form a slot in the cam piece for the recep-
tion of the clamping screw, the slackening of which screw enables me to adjust the
position of the cam piece relatively to the needle bar. This adjustment of the cam
piece determines how far the looper thread shall extend over the work. Or instead
of this arrangement, I may rely upon the slackening of the tension of the looper
thread and the tightening of the needle thread. The looper thread can be made to
cover both sides of the work operated on: The threaded needle, when advanced,
will pierce the work at a distance below the edge of the work corresponding to the
depth of the binding intended to be applied, and the feed will be so regulated as to
ensure the laps of the looper thread completely covering the surface intended to be
ornamented thereby. The needle, in its advance to pierce the work, has presented
to it a loop of the looper thread, and entering that loop, it passes through the fabric
presented to it by the feed wheels; carrying through with it so much thread as
will serve to form the requisite loop of needle thread. Into this loop, the looper
enters, the looper being moved round for that purpose from, say, the face to the
back of the work. When the looper has caught the loop of the needle thread in
rear of the transverse cut in the looper, the needle retires, slipping back on its own
thread, while the looper, moving back over the work to its starting position, carries
with it the loop of the needle thread to the face of the fabric. Here the looper

page_text: presents a second loop of the looper thread to the needle, which, advancing as
before, puts a locking thread into that loop. The looper then retires, leaving its
loop, and disengaging itself from the loop of the needle thread which it carried
over. The next operation is to cause the needle thread to bind the looper thread
to the work. For this purpose the further supply of needle thread is stopped by the
gripping pin c¹, the moment of its action being determined by the breadth of gimp or
binding intended to be produced.—Thus, supposing the gimp is to be laid on the
face only of the work, and to stop at the edge, the grip on the needle thread is so
timed as to ensure that the advance of the needle shall tighten the loop of the
needle thread and cause it to bind the looper thread at the edge of the work,
thereby producing, by the repeated action of the needle and looper, a kind of pearl
edging, as shown in the diagram Fig. 1ª.-The outward thrust of the needle, it will
be understood, will, by means of the gripping pin, tighten the loop of its thread
upon the looper thread at any desired point, and make that point a starting point
for the next lap of the looper thread. That being so, the needle thread, when
pulled in, may be arranged to draw the looper thread up to the edge of the work,
or over the edge, or down the back of the work; in the latter case, making, if
desired, the lap equal at the face and back of the work.
I have said that the work stands up between feed and pressing wheels; as, there-
fore, the looper moves over the work from one side to the other, reaching down to
near the level of the needle, it is manifest that the breadth of the gimp produced
on, say, the face of the fabric, will be determined by the height at which the edge
of the work stands above the feed wheel-To regulate this width with precision,
when binding a boot or shoe, is a matter of some importance, as otherwise the
breadth of the gimp would be irregular, and to secure good work, care must be
taken by the operator to maintain the proper level of the edge above the feed
wheel. Or if desired, a fixed gauge standing over the work may be used to
regulate its height. This gauge may be carried by a stem passed up the centre of
the pressing wheel, and adjustable from below by means of a nut working on the
threaded end of the stem, and if furnished with an eye suitable for receiving a cord,
it may be used to lay a cord upon the edge of the work immediately in front of the
looper. The coiled springs and rings h* on the guide pins 2 will serve as a take-
up motion for both the looper thread and the needle thread, the springs yielding to
the tension put on the thread, and rising when the tension ceases, to take up the
slack.
The mechanism above described may be used for producing a stitch somewhat
like what is known as a herring bone stitch, by giving a coarse feed to the work.
This will cause the spreading of the looper thread, and the laying of that thread, in
a zig-zag fashion, upon the fabric. By suitably enlarging the proportions of the
machine, sacks may be sewn at their edges, twine being employed, as usual, for the
sewing thread. In this kind of sewing, the length of the feed should be about
4th of an inch, and the raw edges of the sacking will be effectually protected from
ravelling out.
To render the more clear the action of this mechanism, I have shown in the
accompanying drawings a series of diagrams illustrating the formation of the
binding stitch.
Diagram 4 represents in plan and sectional side elevation, the position of the
parts when the needle, having pierced the work presented to it by the feed wheel,
is in its most advanced position. The point of the looper is, at this time, in its
highest vertical position and farthest from the needle, and the needle thread is
gripped by the spring presser, which is shewn as having left the stationary
releasing cam.
Diagram 5 shews in plan and front elevation the needle presenting its loop to
the point of the looper. The needle has retreated to form a loop, and the point
of the looper has been rocked down to the level of the needle, and advanced to
enter the loop.

page_text: Diagram 6 shews, in plau and front elevation, the needle thread loop caught on
the stem of the looper, the needle retiring, and the looper about to commence a
rising and backward motion, for the purpose of carrying the loop of needle thread
over the edge of the work.-The spring presser is about to strike the releasing cam
and free the needle thread.
Diagram 7 shews in plan and sectional elevation the position of the instruments
when the looper, now on the opposite side of the work, is presenting its thread to
the needle. At this time the feed of the work in the direction of the arrow takes
place. On referring to the clevation it will be seen that the point of the looper,
after being raised in order to bring the loop of needle thread over the edge of the
work, is again depressed, to bring the recess on the underside of the looper opposite
the needle.
Diagram 8 shews, in plan and sectional back elevation, the position of the parts
when the needle has passed through the loop. of the looper thread (in advance of
the loop of needle thread on the looper stem), and again pierced the work.―The
looper has retired in a diagonal line back toward its first position, dropping its
loop of needle thread, now caught by the passage through it of the looper thread.
The spring presser is shewn as having just left the cam piece c², so that during the
remaining forward motion of the needle, the supply of thread through the eye of
the needle may be stopped, in order to enable the advancing needle to take up the
slack thread and tighten the previous stitch. While this is proceeding, the looper
will move forward, and rock down to the position of Diagram 4.
Those cams which are only partially illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, are shown as
laid out at Figs. 9 and 10.
Fig. 9 represents the cam D which gives the movement for entering the needle
thread loop and drawing back therefrom.
Figs. 10 shew in face view the feed cam F" and two laid out sections of the
same, the sections being taken in the respective circles 1 and 2 of the face view.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The construction of machinery above described, whereby I am enabled to
overlay or cover the edges of Boots and Shoes, and other articles, with a binding
extending over one or both sides of the fabric to any desired depth.
2nd The means above described for carrying the pressing feed wheel and throwing
it out of action.
3rd The means above described for obtaining an adjustable feed motion.