IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING MACHINES
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd August 1860.
-A communication from abroad by Mr. Alphonse Maureau, Civil
Engineer, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING MACHINES," to be follows:-
The object of the present Invention is to furnish a machine working satisfac-
torily in all circumstances and conditions, and besides possessing a simplicity,
which will render it of great commercial value; it is represented in the
annexed Drawing, Fig. 1 of which is an elevation, and Fig. 2 an end view of
the machine.
This machine which produces the chain stitch possesses the property of
working on any kind of fabrics, and also on leather of any thickness.
The principle of this machine, which is in every way new, is the imparting
to the hook a movement of rotation, which I claim as its essential feature
and term it my system. The movement of the hook is indispensable for
embroidering the chain stitch, as without it one would be obliged to shift the
fabric to be operated upon so as to be able to work the design of the em--
broidery to be executed, which motion is inadmissable, being tedious and.
difficult in small pieces of work, and impossible for large fabrics.
The embroidering machine possesses four principal parts, 1st, the hook or
needle A; 2ndly, the guide B, intended to exert a pressure on the fabric. to

page_text: permit of the needle rising without obstacle through the fabric with the thread
which has taken up from below; 3rdly, an excentric tube C, termed a catch,
mounted on an axis carrying an exterior helix, the tube and axis is
pierced at the centre & throughout its length with a hole in which
the thread which is being used passes. By its rotating movement
the catch winds the thread round the needle each time it penetrates the
fabric. The thread being caught the needle rises, and the catch returns to its
position, which it always occupies at the commencement of each revolution
performed by its free end, which is excentric to it; 4thly, a thread tightener
intended to keep the thread always in tension, a spring fixed on its axes brings
back the thread as soon as the traction by the needle ceases. The different
parts above mentioned are set in motion by the movement of excentrics placed
on the axis D, F, Fig. 1. The excentric G on the extremity of this axis
imparts the vertical movement to the needle by means of the rod H, and lever
I fixed midway of its length. The sliding parts J & K receive motion from
levers I & L, communicated by the excentrics. The part J carries at its
extremity an axis M, pierced with a hole, which receives the needle carrier N,
The extremity of this axis M is split, which permits of fixing the needle
carrier by means of the nut O. By this means the movements of the needle A
are the same as those of the parts J & M. The excentric P determines by
its projections the displacement of the, catch tube round the needle when this
latter has passed through the fabric. The excentric acts as indicated in the
Drawings on the nut Q, so as to raise it, which imparts a rotating movement to
the helix. By reason of this displacement the catch, which is in one piece
with the helix, places the thread round the needle, and then rises with its stitch.
The excentric P then presents its hollow part to the roller, causing the nut
and hook to return simultaneously to the point of departure, the third excen-
tric, which is placed parallel to P on the axis D, F, determines the movement
of the guide B, the lever L communicates with the piece K. by means of the
pointed rod S, as seen; the rod T carries at its centre a nut U, which has at one
of its extremities a right-handed thread, and at the other a left-handed thread, so
that by screwing or unscrewing this nut the rod T is lengthened or shortened;
by this means the pressure of the guide. B on the fabric is regulated as
required. The lever L is diminished in thickness towards it centre, so as to
be flexible and aid in assisting the movement of the excentric. The arm V.and
the strap W are intended to maintain the roller R constantly in contact with
the excentric P without the aid of a spring. One of the principles of this
machine is the simultaneous rotating movement of the needle and the hook
without prejudicing their ordinary functions. To obtain this uniformity of move-

page_text: ment, the needle carrying tube is furnished with a bevil wheel supported by
a plate, which permits this wheel although rigid to rise and descend, but if the
wheel is turned it carries with it the tube M, and consequently the needle.
The rotating movement is transmitted to the catch by means of the conical
gearing mounted on the axis X, Y, Z. The bevil wheel A is maintained solid
with the pointed piece B, which turns freely in the plate G; the bevil wheel A
has at its centre a hole in which the helix passes freely, and also two pins solidly
fixed, which pass into holes of the nut Q. This nut has a vertical movement,
which is not impeded by the two pins above mentioned, which have for their
object to determine its place, and to impart to it the rotating movement
of the wheel A, which performs the same movements as wheel E. It will
be easily understood that the wheel A displacing the nut Q carries with it the
catch, the point of rest of which should always be behind the needle.
The simultaneous rotating movement of the needle and catch is transmitted
by means of a band, which receiving from the left foot of the workman
an up and down movement, or vice versa, turns the needle to the right or left
by means of gearing in coinmunication with the rod Z.
ACTION OF THE MACHINE.
The machine being at a stand still, the needle and guide are at their
highest position, and the catch tube is placed at the side opposed to the hook
or needle; this first descends with the guide, which presses the fabric and keeps
open the hole formed by the needle. When this latter has penetrated suffi-
ciently through the fabric the catch through which the thread has passed
performs a revolution round the needle, which then rises, carrying with it the
thrend which is to serve to form the following loop. The guide then rises to
allow of the displacement of the fabric, and the catch returns to its point of
rest by a revolution in the opposite direction to the first; the same movements
are repeated for each stitch.