Improvements in the Method of Making Stitched Seams and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th May, 1887
Complete Left, 20th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 11th May, 1888
Improvements in the Method of Making Stitched Seams and in
Apparatus therefor.
I, LEONOR BENDIX of Hanover in the Empire of Germany, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a close double quilt stitched seam, which
is applicable to sacks, bedding, quilted covers and similar goods. In a seam made by
this method the stitches do not appear inside the sack, etcetera which is to be filled,
consequently the filling substance of whatever kind it may be, cannot come in direct
contact with the seams, and therefore cannot force itself through, nor penetrate to the
outside through the stitch openings.
This is effected by providing a cord stitched to the material as hereafter described,
which effectually prevents the passage of any substance through it.
The cord is first sewn to the edge of the material where it is required to form a
seam. When this is accomplished, the two pieces of material or the two edges it is
desired to unite, are connected by a quilt seam running along the cord. The cord is
preferably sewn on, on the outside of the material, but when the seam is completed.
the cord can be turned inside.
The sewing machines used may be of any suitable form applicable for the purpose,
but the pressers are preferably of special construction.
The presser for sewing or stitching the cord to the edge of the material is preferably
provided with a slot or hole in the presser foot, which is made sloping at one or both
ends. A semi-circular or other shaped groove is also provided underneath the foot and
parallel with its sides into which the slot or hole penetrates. The presser, for the
second operation of sewing together the two edges of material, is provided with a
round hole in the foot, and also a groove on the underside of the same similar to that
above described. The whole does not however penetrate the slot, but is placed the
required distance from it. I can also use a presser which is a combination of the
pressers above described and allows of a simultaneous performance of the two first
sewing operations so that the sewing together of the cord with the materials is
accomplished in such a way that the grip or hold of the thread takes place in the
middle of the cord.

page_text: Instead of only stitching through the material once, the cord is first sewn on the
back of the material, a small distance from its edge, as is done in the existing cord
stitchers for braids, square cords, and the like: For this purpose the first mentioned
presser is used, the thread or cord having been threaded through the sloping ends of
the slot of presser number 1, from a reel provided for the purpose, which is placed in
a convenient position on the machine. After this the other edge which is to be sewn
to the first one, is carefully laid on the top of it, the outsides of the material being
turned towards each other, and their edges joining. After the two pieces have been
put carefully on each other, and made smooth, they are sewn together by means of
the second presser, the cord being placed under the groove of the presser.
The two pieces of material, and the above described cord, are then stitched through
with the first presser. This prevents the slipping away of the cord in exactly the
same way as if there was no cord provided. The grip or hold of the thread is thus in
the middle of the cord, and the filling substance is therefore completely separated
from the seam. It is thus prevented from forcing itself through the seam.
The
passage of any substance through a seam made in the manner above described becomes
almost impossible, if the cord before application is soaked in pure wax.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: 'Apparatus therefor.
1, LEONOR BENDIX of Hanover, in the Empire of Gerinany, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The present invention relates to the manufacture of a close double quilt stitched
seam, which is specially applicable in the manufacture of quilted covers filled with
down, bed clothing, bags of all sorts, and such like goods. The production of such
quilted covers (in the following specification, a quilted cover will be mentioned, but
that only for the sake of an example), is effected as is known, in such manner, that
the fabrics, laid one upon the other, are simply quilted through according to patterns,
whereupon the down is blown or filled into the seams or openings, left free for this
purpose. This method has the great objection that the quilted covers made according
to it, let the feathers pass through the seams, which are not close together, and so the
feathers get lost, because they come directly in contact with the seam threads, rub
against them and pass through the stitch holes; this objection will be entirely
prevented by means of the present method of production, and by the use of its allied
apparatus, consisting of the presser I and II, or III, hereafter mentioned.
The intertwinings of the threads between the two layers of fabrics laid together,
has hitherto been simply that shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing. The
intertwinings of the threads as done according to the present method is shown in
Figures 2 to 6 inclusive, Figure 2 being an elevation, and Figure 3 a side view of
the first sewing operation, hereafter described, (the stitching on of the cord). Figure 4
shows the second sewing, joining the two fabrics by a quilt seam running along the
cord. Figure 5 shows the two fabrics, which have been sewn together, spread out,
the cord being on the inside, and the seam ready to be turned. Figure 6 is a side
view of the finished seam. Figure 7 is the pattern and layer of a fabric to be worked
into a quilted cover. Figures 8 to 8° show the pressers in various sections and
positions, said pressers being made so as to take up a round cord for forming the
designs and divisions, presser I.
The presser foot II shown in Figures 9 to 9d, is used to stitch together the two
fabrics laid one over the other, and the presser III shown in Figures 10 to 10°, is a
combination of the pressers I and II, and by which, the cord lying between both the
turned over layers of fabrics, can immediately after the execution of the two first
sewing operations be stitched together with these in such a manner that the inter-
twining of the threads takes place in the middle of the cord.
Figure 11 shows a well known machine fitted with presser I and cord guide.
The sewing machines used, may be of any suitable form applicable for the purpose,
but the presser feet are preferably of the special construction shown.

page_text: As represented in Figures 8 to 8°, the presser foot for sewing or stitching the cord
to the edge of the material is provided with a slot or hole, which is made sloping at one
or both ends. A semi-circular or other shaped groove is also provided underneath the
foot, and parallel with its sides into which the slot or hole penetrates. The presser
foot used for the second operation of sewing together the two edges of material, is,
(as shown in Figures 9 to 9d) provided with a round hole, and also a groove on the
underside, similar to that above described. The hole does not, however, penetrate the
slot, but is placed the required distance from it.
The presser foot used in the third operation, of uniting the doubled material and
the enclosed cord, is a combination of the other two, and is shown in Figures 10 to 10°.
Now let us suppose that a quilted cover is to be made of fabric of a length Cc Dd.
In the mode hitherto employed, the fabric was folded at E, E, in such a manner
that the half surface a, b, d, c, would lie exactly on A, B, D, C. The fabrics thus
folded, that is, the right sides of the material being outwards, were then quilted
together, and in the following order, a, b, d, c, e, g, h, f, i, k, m, 1; further the pattern
was, for instance, quilted in a zig zag manner from n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u. When this
had been done, the intermediate spaces left between these seams, were filled up with
down or feathers through the remaining openings a, c, c, f, i, n, p, r, t, l, n, o, q, s, u, m.
This done, the closing seams were made, that is, the openings were then seamed, and
the quilt was finished.
Whether by this method the braiding was simultaneously done above and below, or
otherwise, the intertwinings of the thread were inside the quilted materials, and came
in direct contact with the down surrounded by the seam.
The present process is, therefore, when compared with the foregoing, an essentially
different one. Instead of quilting through both layers of fabrics at one time, the
quilting pattern is done on the wrong side of one of the layers, the same size as the
cover and design.
When this is done, the round cord coming from a bobbin M is led through an
obliquely round opening Q in the presser foot I (see Figure 11), and sewn on the
wrong side of the material in the same manner as is done by the well known device
for stitching on edgings, square cords, etcetera. The material is then folded together
at the line E, E, in such a manner, that A, B, D, C, lies exactly under a, b, d, c, that
is, so that the wrong sides of the stuffs both lie on the outside. After the pieces of
material have been laid nicely flat, so as to correspond with each other, the fabric is
quilted through from a-b, b-d, d-c, (not from a to c), with the presser foot II,
(Figure 9), the cord being brought under the big furrow of the presser foot. The
bag so made is turned, and the whole quilted design is then visible on the right side
of one of the layers of the fabric a, b, d, c.
Now by means of presser foot I, which prevents the cord from shifting, both layers
of the fabric are with the cord, quilted through together, and indeed exactly as this
would be done if there were no cord, care being taken to leave free the proper
openings for filling in the down or feathers.
The twists or loops of the thread are thus worked into the cord, which is in this
manner sewn up almost at the distance of a millimetre from each side of the quilt
seam. By this means the filling material is separated from the loops of the sewing
thread, and is consequently prevented from passing through the said loops. The
penetration of the filling material becomes quite impossible with a seam thus made,
especially if the cord has been impregnated with wax prior to its being used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The process for making a close double quilt seam, for connecting two layers of
material, the said process consisting in stitching a round cord at the edges or
(according to a desired pattern) on the surface of the wrong side of one of the
layers; in sewing together both layers by a second row of stitches worked outside
the edge of the cord, and in turning the layers thus sewn together, inside out, and

page_text: once more stitching them together through and along the cord, which is now situated
between the two layers, whereby the thread intertwinings formed in the double quilt
stitching remain inside the retentive cord, and are protected against the contact and
friction of the filling material, so that the latter is prevented from escaping through
the holes of the stitch.
2. For the purpose of stitching on the retentive material, the application of a
presser foot provided with an oblique, circular passage for the cord, and with a second
passage for the needle, both uniting and opening into a groove on the pressing surface
of the foot.
3. For the purpose of working the edge seam, the use of a presser foot, which is
provided on the left hand side of the groove formed in the lower surface of the presser
foot, which rests on the cord, with an opening directed downwards, for the purpose of
working the quilted seam.
4. The combination of the presser feet such as are described in claims 2 and 3,
whereby one presser foot can be employed 1st to stitch the cord on by means of a
simple quilting stitch, 2nd, to form the edge seam which unites the two layers of
material, and 3rd, to connect the cord with the said two layers, the said presser foot
being characterised by the possession of two openings, which are arranged as set
forth in claim 2, and by the possession of a second groovo on the pressing surface of
the foot, and on the left of the groove as mentioned in claim 2.
1011 1
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Filing Agents for the Applicant.