IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OVERHEAD SEWING
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Storer, of Linwood, in the County of
Renfrew, Scotland, but at present of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OVERHEAD SEWING."
A communication by Louis Bollmann, J., and Josef Bollmann, both of
Penzing, near Vienna, Austria.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Storer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th December 1880.
ALEXANDER STORER, of Linwood, in the County of Renfrew, Scotland, but at
present of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
OVERHEAD SEWING." [A communication by Louis Bollmann, J., and Josef
Bollmann, both of Penzing near Vienna, Austria.]
In the Specification to a Patent granted to C. D. Abel on the 11th August 1879,
for an Invention communicated to him from abroad by Louis Bollmann and Josef
Bollmann, both of Penzing, near Vienna, Austria, was described a machine or
apparatus for effecting "overhead sewing" by the combined action of a revolving
shuttle, a reciprocating needle, and a reciprocating hook.
According to the present improvements the machine is constructed as
follows:-
The framing carries two parallel shafts, each of which has cams for actuating the
various mechanisms to be presently described. The one shaft is driven from any
suitable motor and drives the other through an intermediate wheel whose axis also
imparts motion to the shuttle driver by bevil gearing. The shuttle is driven by
means of vertical pins carried by the driver, as in the before mentioned Patent, the
pins having however in the present case downward extensions working in guides
and having lateral notches which at a certain part of the revolution of the driver
gear with a curved rib on the side of the shuttle race, whereby they are con-
secutively withdrawn so as to allow the loop of thread to pass over the shuttle.
The shuttle has an oblong cavity into which the thread is introduced in the form
of a cop through an opening at top closed by a hinged spring cover; the thread

page_text: passes through a hole in one end of the said cavity and between its outer wall and
the end of a lever acted upon by a spring so as to nip the thread and prevent its
delivery from the cop; the lever has a tail upon which acts a finger carried on an
axis on the shuttle driver having an arm bearing with a roller against a fixed cam
in the bottom of the shuttle race. This cam is so formed as to cause the arm at a
certain part of the revolution of the shuttle to bear upon the tail of the nipping
lever so as to release the thread and allow it to pass more or less freely from the cop.
From the nipping lever the thread is led through a hole in a projecting rib at the
bottom of the inner face of the shuttle, and then up through a hole in a rib at the
top of such face, whence it passes to the needle. A portion of the thread is thus
exposed between the two ribs which when the slack requires to be taken up is laid
hold of by a hook arranged as follows:-The hook is pivotted to an arm mounted
on the vertical spindle of the shuttle driver, and having on its boss a toothed
segment gearing with another toothed segment on an axis carried by the shuttle
driver. This axis has an arm with a roller running in a cam path on the shuttle
race bottom so shaped that at a certain part of the shuttle's rotation the hook on
the before mentioned arm is made to advance towards the said portion of the
thread in order to engage therewith and draw it out into a loop so as to take up
the slack, and afterwards to release the thread again and recede from the shuttle.
To produce the double movement of the hook required for this purpose it has a tail
in frictional contact with a lever that is pressed against it by a spring, the effect of
which is to rock the hook on its pivot alternately in contrary directions as the arm
carrying it receives the before mentioned to and fro motions from the cam. In order
to adjust the take-up motion of the hook to the different kinds of work to be
performed, a portion of the said cam path is formed as a separate piece carried by
a lever acted on by an adjusting screw, so that it may be made to project to a
greater or less extent, and thus impart greater or less motion to the arm and
Begment actuating the hook. Access is gained to the interior of the shuttle race
for removing and replacing the shuttle by forming part of its circular wall as a
separate piece opening on a hinge and secured by a catch. The hook by means of
which the thread is carried from the one side of the fabric to the other over the
edge thereof to form the stitch receives the same description of compound motion
described in the before mentioned Specification, but for producing such motion
the mechanism actuating it is according to the present Invention arranged as
follows: The hook is mounted on the end of a prismatic bar that can slide to and
fro in a carrier so as to impart the requisite advancing and receding motion to the
hook, the said to and fro motion being imparted by a lever worked by a cam on
one of the before mentioned cam shafts. The carrier has a trunnion extending
vertically downwards into a socket on a frame, so that by means of a lever actuated
by another cam the carrier can be turned laterally on such trunnion, whereby the
required lateral to and fro movement of the hook is obtained. Lastly, the frame is
rocked upon centres by an arm actuated by a third cam, whereby the required up
and down motion is imparted to the hook. The slide which closes the eye of the
needle as this passes through the fabric, instead of being carried by the needle arm
and receiving its motion by a spring and fixed stops, as described in the previous
Specification, is, according to the present Invention, mounted on an arm separate
from the needle arm and worked independently by a separate cam on one of the
cam shafts.
The feed motion is effected as follows:-
There are two feeding arms acting on the upper face of the cloth, both of which
feed the cloth forward, but one of them holds the cloth upon the needle plate while
the other is retreating. For this purpose the arms are mounted on the upper ends
of upright levers pivotted to the framing, and acted upon at their lower ends by
cams on the cam shafts, so as to impart to them a to and fro motion for producing
the above described movement of the feed arms. These have tails connected by
links to other levers acted upon by cams so as to impart an up and down motion to
the links, whereby the feed arms are alternately pressed down upon and lifted up

page_text: from the cloth while they are moving to and fro. For lifting both feed arms
simultaneously from the feed plate, when it is desired to introduce the cloth, the
before mentioned levers actuating the links are connected by a stirrup to a treadle,
by depressing which the levers and links are drawn downwards.
For regulating the feed motion of the feed arms, and thus to vary the size of the
stitches, as also to enable a number of very small stitches to be made at the
commencement and end of the work, a sliding bar is provided on the top plate of
the machine, actuated by a treadle, whereby a stop on the bar can be brought into
the path of a stud on the feed arm, so as to reduce the motion of the latter, the
extent of motion of the sliding bar being regulated by screws, between which a
stud on the slide moves to and fro. The before mentioned levers are kept against
their respective cams by means of springs. The one feed arm has near the hole of
the needle plate a projection, over which the thread is laid when being passed from
the one side of the fabric to the other by the hook, the object being to keep the
thread away from the edge of the cloth and thus reduce the friction while the
thread is being drawn tight to form the stitch. When the thread is tightened
the projection is withdrawn by the backward motion of the feed arm.
For pulling down the thread into a loop in order that the hook may seize it
when it descends beneath the needle plate, a finger pivotted to the framing has an
arm actuated by a cam, so as at the right moment to cause the finger to draw
down the thread as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Storer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th June 1881.
ALEXANDER STORER, of Linwood, in the County of Renfrew, Scotland, but at
present of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
OVERHEAD SEWING." A communication by Louis Bollmann, Jr., and Josef
Bollmann, both of Penzing, near Vienna, Austria.
This Invention relates to an improved construction of that description of sewing
machines for overhead sewing, described in the Specification to Letters Patent
granted to C. D. Abel on the 11th August 1879, No. 3226, being a communication
from L. and J. Bollmann, wherein such overhead sewing was effected by the
combined action of a revolving shuttle, a reciprocating needle, and a reciprocating
hook.
According to the present Invention such machines are constructed as shewn on
the accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 shews a plan partly in section;
Fig. 2, a longitudinal section on line X, X, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an underside plan;
Fig. 4, a plan of the shuttle race and feed mechanism; Fig. 5, a cross section on
line Y, Y, Fig. 1, shewing the feed mechanism; Fig. 6, a detail of the feed
regulator; Fig. 7, a plan of the shuttle race, with mechanism for regulating the
stitch and taking up slack; Fig. 8, an elevation of the curved bar for withdrawing
the pins driving the shuttle; Fig. 9, a cross section on line Z, Z, Fig. 1; Figs. 10
to 25 shew detached details of the needle plate shuttle, needle, hook, and its gear,
and pins driving the shuttle. The framing A carries two parallel cam shafts H, K,
the cams on which actuate the various mechanisms, to be presently described.
Either shaft is driven from any convenient motor or by treadle, and drives the
other through the spur wheels K', K, and intermediate wheel K³, whose axis drives
a bevil pinion R² on the axis R¹ of the shuttle driver through a bevil wheel W.
The shuttle Y is driven by vertical pins q carried by the shuttle driver R, and
entering holes in the underside of the shuttle, in a manner similar to that described
in the before mentioned previous Specification. The pins q have however in this
case downward extensions working in guides, as shewn at Figs. 2 and 9, and have
lateral notches, more clearly shewn at Fig. 25, which shews a front and side view
and plan of the pin. As the pins in their revolution with the shuttle driver are
brought to the part beneath the needle their notches engage with the curved bar A*,
the downward curvature of which causes the pins to be consecutively drawn
downwards out of gear with the shuttle, so as to allow the loop of the thread to pass
over it at that point.
The shuttle Y has an oblong cavity 2 closed by a pivotted cover 3, in which
cavity is placed the thread in the form of a cop. The end of the thread is led from
the interior of the cop through a hole in the end of the cavity, whence it passes to
outer flanges 16 and 17 on the inner face of the shuttle through holes in which it
is threaded, as indicated at Figs. 11 and 13. On its passage to these holes the
thread is pressed upon by a lever 7 acted upon by a spring 11 of sufficient force to
prevent the delivery of the thread from the cop. The lever 7 has a tail which is
acted upon by a finger S on a spindle carried by the shuttle driver, and having
at its lower end an arm provided with a roller that bears against a fixed
arm S2 (Fig. 1) on the bottom of the shuttle race. This cam is so formed that
when at a certain point of the revolution of the shuttle it is required to
deliver the thread from its cop the arm is moved by the cam, so as to cause
the finger 8 to press upon the tail of lever 7 against the action of spring 11
and so release the thread more or less from its nip, allowing it to pass out
freely or with only as much friction as is necessary to maintain the requisite
tension. The portion of thread exposed between the flanges 16 and 17 is laid hold
of and drawn out into a loop when the slack requires to be taken up and the stitch

page_text: tightened, this operation being performed by a hook Z¹, as follows:-The hook is
pivotted to an arm Q mounted loosely with its boss on the spindle R¹ of the
shuttle driver, and having teeth which gear with a segment 20. This segment is
on an axis carried by the shuttle driver, and having an arm at its lower end, acted
on by a spring 21, and whose roller 21 runs in a fixed cam groove in the bottom
of the shuttle race. This cam groove is so formed that, as the driver rotates, the
segment 20 is caused at one time to turn the arm Q somewhat in one direction,
and then in the contrary direction. The hook Z' has a tail, against the end of
which bears the curved end of a lever Z carried by the shuttle driver, and acted on
by a spring as shewn, so as to maintain frictional contact between it and the tail
of the hook. The effect of this arrangement will be that when by the one motion
of the arm Q the hook Z' is advanced towards the part of the thread between 16
and 17, in order to seize it and draw it out into a loop, the friction between the
hooks tail and the lever Z at the same time causes the hook to be turned forward
on its pivot so as to pass behind and seize the thread, while when the arm Z is
moved in the contrary direction in order to release the thread from the hook, the
latter is by the above means caused to turn backwards on its pivot, and thus to
pass out of the loop of thread and recede sufficiently so as not to interfere with the
loop through which the shuttle passes to form the stitch. Fig. 1 shews the position
of the hook Z¹ just in the act of seizing the thread between 16 and 17 when the
arm and hook are moving relatively to the shuttle in the direction of the arrow,
and Fig. 7 shews the hook in the backward position. The tail of the hook plays
between two stops on the arm Q, as shewn, whereby the extent of its motion is
limited.
In order to adapt the machine to sew heavier or lighter material, the cam path Q'
which imparts the above described motion to the hook Z', is, at that point where
it has to effect the final tightening of the thread, partly cut out and a piece Q³
(Fig. 1) inserted, which piece is connected to an arm Q (Figs. 1 and 3), acted upon
by a helical spring Q5, the tension of which can be regulated by a screw Q6, as
shewn. Thus when during its rotation the roller of the arm Q¹ comes in contact
with Q³, this and consequently the arm can yield more or less according to the
quantity of thread required for thick or thin material. Access is gained to the
shuttle for introducing it into and removing it from its race, by arranging part of
its circular wall at V to open on a hinge V2 as a door, it being secured by a catch
3 or bolt at V₁ when closed.
The construction and action of the hook D, by means of which the thread is
carried from the one side of the fabric to the other over its edge, is the same as in
the original machine, but the arrangement of mechanism for imparting to it its
several movements is modified as follows, for the purpose of working at greater
speed-The hook D is secured to a prismatic bar D', as shewn detached in side
view, end view, and plan at Figs. 17, 18, and 19, which bar slides to and fro in a
carrier m, shewn detached in side view, end view, and plan at Figs. 20, 21,
and 22, in which it is enclosed by a cover m¹, shewn in edge view and plan at
Fig. 15. The requisite in and out motion is imparted to the hook-bar as the hook
moves from above the needle plate to below it and conversely by means of lever i
connected by rod g to a stud on the bar projecting through a slot in the cover m².
Lever is fixed on an axis having at its lower end a second lever i' having
a roller gearing with the cam K³ on shaft H, whereby the requisite to and fro
motion is imparted to i. The carrier has a pivot m² fitting into a socket n¹ on a
bar n, shewn in front view and section at Figs. 23 and 24, which is mounted with
its ends on lathe centres, and has an arm n² extending downwards and gearing
with a roller in the groove of a cam K² on shaft K, this cam being so formed as to
rock the bar n on its centres, and thus impart an up and down motion to the
carrier m and hook bar D', a lateral to and fro motion being also imparted to the
carrier m upon its pivot m² by means of a lever M (Figs. 1 and 2) connected
thereto by a rod O, the axis of the lever M having at its lower end a second
lever M¹ (Fig. 3) gearing with a roller in the groove of cam Ke on shaft H.

page_text: By the above described means the hook D has imparted to it its compound motion,
consisting of an in and out, backwards and forwards, and up and down move-
ment, as described in the before mentioned previous Patent. The hooked needle L
with its slide L' for closing the hook while passing through the fabric operate in
the same manner as described in the original Patent, but instead of the slide being
pivotted on the needle arm and actuated by a spring and fixed stops, it is mounted
on a separate lever actuated by a separate cam. C (Figs. 1, 2, & 3) is the lever
arm of the needle pivotted on the shaft C¹ and gearing with its roller c in the
groove of the cam K' on shaft K, and C2 is the lever arm of the slide L¹, also
pivotted on the shaft C¹, and gearing with its roller c¹ in the groove of cam K on
the shaft H, which cam is so formed as to impart the requisite motion to the slide
relatively to the needle as to open and close its hook at the proper times.
The feed mechanism is shewn at Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Two vertical rocking
levers ff, pivotted to the framing A₁ have rollers at their lower ends, which, by
means of springs, are kept in contact with cams G, G¹, on the shafts H, K. On
the upper ends of the levers are pivotted arms F, F, which act on the upper face of
the cloth, their motion being such that they both move together to feed the cloth
along, but while one recedes the other holds the cloth fast to the needle plate E.
To produce this motion the arms F, F¹, have extensions connected by rods f³, f³, to
bell crank levers f, fo, pivotted to the framing A', and having rollers on their other
arms kept in contact with cams I, I', by means of a spring f6; these cams are so
formed that while the feeders F, F, are performing their feeding motion, the
rods ff, are pressed upwards by levers f, f, so as to press the feeders upon the
cloth, while during the backward motion of the feeders their tails are drawn down
by the action of the springs fe so as to raise them off the cloth. The levers f, f,
are connected by links f', f8, and rod f³ to a treadle, by means of which they may
be depressed so as to raise the feeders F, F', off the needle plate when it is desired
to insert or remove the cloth. The feeder F¹ has a projection or nose F³ near the
needle hole, as shewn at Fig. 4, and detached at Fig. 16, over which the thread lies
as it passes from the one side of the cloth to the other while the shuttle is passing
through the loop, and while the loop is being closed again. The motion of the
feeder F being such that it will travel with the cloth while feeding, the loop of
thread will keep on its nose so long as it is being pulled backwards and forwards by
the formation of the stitch, and by being thus kept away from the edge of the seam
during this operation friction is greatly reduced, and consequently the machine can
work at a much higher speed than with the original construction. At the
moment when the thread is being fully tightened in finishing the stitch, the feeder
makes a quick motion backwards, so as to cause its nose to slide out of the
loop.
As the hook D moves under the needle plate so as to seize the thread coming
from the shuttle, it is necessary that this thread should be pulled downwards for
the hook to enter the loop. This was effected in the former construction by means
of the feeder, which was there situated below the needle plate; in the present
arrangement, the feeder being above, a special device is provided for this operation
consisting of a finger F, Figs. 2 and 3, pivotted to the framing, and having an arm
with a roller gearing with the groove of cam K³ on shaft K so formed as to pull
down the finger and with it the thread at the proper moment.
In order to lock the stitches fully at the commencement and end of the seam, an
arrangement shewn at Figs. 1 and 6 is employed, whereby the feed motion is reduced
at those times so as to cause a number of short stitches to be made. For this
purpose a bar 22 sliding in guides on the top of the table is connected by a bell
crank lever 23 to the rod of a treadle, by which it can be drawn back against the
action of a spring (not shown) so as to bring a projection 26 on its end against the
swinging centre of feeder F, so as to limit to some extent its feed motion. The
bar 22 has a second projection 27 between two adjustable stops 24, 25, of which
the former limits the before mentioned backward motion of the bar so as to regulate
the shortening of the stitches, while the latter prevents the bar being advanced

page_text: beyond a certain point by its spring when released by the treadle, and in thus also
limiting, by means of projection of 26 the forward motion of lever f and feeder F,
it serves to regulate the length of the stitches while sewing.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my correspondents, I claim in
respect of overhead sewing machines of the kind herein referred to,―
First. In the shuttle Y the combination of the oblong thread box 2 with cover 3,
spring nipping lever 7, and flanges 16, 17, through which the thread passes,
substantially and for the purposes described.
Second. In combination with the shuttle Y the driving pins 9 with lateral
notches gearing with curved bar A4, whereby they are consecutively withdrawn
from the shuttle to allow its passage through the loop, substantially as described.
Third. In combination with the lever 7 of shuttle Y, the finger 8, operated by
cam S², for releasing the thread from the nip of the lever, substantially as
described.
Fourth. In combination with the shuttle Y, the regulating hook Z' carried by
arm and operated by segment 20, arm 21, cam Q, and lever Z, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
Fifth. In combination with the cam path Q2, the piece Q³, with arm Q,
regulated by spring Q³ and screw Q, substantially as and for the purpose herein
set forth.
Sixth. In combination with the hook D, the bar D', carrier m, with pivot m²,
bar n, with arm n² gearing with cam K², constituting a device for imparting to the
hook D its compound movement, substantially as herein described.
Seventh. The combination of the needle L, lever arm C, and cam K', with the
needle slide L', mounted on lever arm C2, and actuated by cam K4, substantially as
herein described.
Eighth. The feeder arms F, F', mounted on rocking levers ff, actuated by
cams G, G¹, in combination with levers f4, f5, actuated by cams I, I¹, constituting
the feed mechanism for the cloth, substantially as herein described.
Ninth. In combination with the feeder arms F, F¹, rods f³, ƒ³, and levers f¹, f³,
the links f,f, and rod f9, operated by a treadle for raising the feeder arms off the
cloth, substantially as herein described.
Tenth. In combination with the feeder arm F', the nose F³ operating as herein
described for keeping the thread off the edge of the seam while the stitch is being
made.
Eleventh. The finger F4, operated by cam K³, for drawing down the thread for
the hook to enter, as herein described.
Twelfth. In combination with the feeder arm F and lever f, the sliding bar 22,
with projection 26 for limiting the amount of feed motion.
Thirteenth. In combination with the sliding bar 22 and its projection 2, the
the projection 27 and adjustable stops 24, 25, for regulating the length of stitch, as
herein described.
Fourteenth. The combination of the two cam shafts H, K, with their cams K¹, K³,
K³, K*, K³, K, G, G, I, I, driven at the same speed through gearing K, K³, K,
for imparting the various motions to the needle L, needle slide L', hook D,
feeders F, F, and finger F4, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Storer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
ALEXANDER STORER. (L.S.)