IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING BUTTON HOLES AND FOR FANCY STITCHING
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Matthew Melhuish, of Hoxton, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING
BUTTON HOLES AND FOR FANCY STITCHING."
Sealed the 5th May 1876, and dated the 29th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Matthew Melhuish
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th January 1876.
RICHARD MATTHEW MELHUISH, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING BUTTON HOLES AND FOR FANCY
STITCHING."
My Invention relates to improvements in the machine for sewing button holes
and fancy stitching, for which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date the
14th day of March 1873, No. 946.
According to the present improvements I dispense with the oblique slotted bar
described in the said former Patent as receiving a pin fixed to the upper side of the
feed screw nut, and serving to so guide the cloth plate in its vibrating movement as
to ensure the stitches being made at right angles to the edge of the. button hole, and
I substitute for the said slotted bar a radius link pivoted on a bar or frame fixed to
or forming an extension of the said feed screw nut. This link is, connected, by a pin
or stud to the cloth plate, and is placed in such a position relatively thereto as to
guide the cloth plate in the manner and for the purpose before mentioned as being
accomplished by the oblique slot above referred to. The part of the frame or
extension to which the said radius link is pivoted is made.adjustable, so that the
position of said link relatively to the cam rod by which the plate
vibrated may
be altered as required, and the said frame or extension has preferably a second
bearing on a plain part of the feed screw in order that it may be held rigidly in
position.
The cloth plate is preferably connected to the cam rod or bar by a long bearing
having a groove corresponding to the shape of said bar or rod instead of by two
lugs or friction rollers as described in my former Patent, and the spring by which
the plate is held against said rod or bar is double, that is to say, it is fixed by
its centre at the middle of the front edge of the cloth plate, and bears with its
two ends against the front of the shuttle box instead of one end only, whereby
a more equal pressure is obtained at the two ends of the plate.

page_text: In order to leave the cloth plate as unencumbered as possible and to allow of
button holes in a large piece of stuff being stitched more conveniently than when
the clamp is fixed close down upon the plate as in my former Patent, I con-
struct and secure the clamp as follows:-At the back of the cloth plate there is
fixed a pin or pillar to receive a tubular socket, from the upper part of which
the clamp arm extends at sufficient distance above the cloth plate to accomodate
the work beneath it, and is bent downwards to the cloth plate at the needle hole.
The clamp is secured by a nut and provided with a spring as before. I provide
the stud or projection against which the cam for vibrating the cloth plate works
with a roller to diminish the friction of the parts, and for the spring brake on
the feed screw I substitute a leather strap encircling a collar on the screw and
provided with an adjusting screw by which it may be tightened as required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Richard Matthew Melbuish in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
June 1876.
RICHARD MATTHEW MELHUISH, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING BUTTON HOLES AND FOR FANCY
STITCHING."
My Invention relates to improvements in the machine for sewing button holes
and fancy stitching, for which Letters Patent were granted to me bearing date the
14th day of March 1873, No. 946.
My present improvements consist,-
1st. In an adjustable radius link connecting the vibratory cloth plate to an
extension of the feed screw nut in such manner as to so guide the plate in its
vibratory movement, that the stitches will be at the proper angle to the edge of the
button hole, the said link being used in lieu of the oblique slot described in my said
former Patent as receiving a pin on the feed screw nut, the slot and pin being
dispensed with. The connection of the link with the feed screw nut is adjustable
so that the position of the link relatively to the cam rod by which the plate is
vibrated may be altered as required, and the extension of the nut has a second
bearing on a plain part of the feed screw to hold it rigidly in position.
2nd. In an improved arrangement of the spring for holding the cloth plate
against the cam rod, and an improved bearing for the same.
3rdly. In a clamp of improved construction for fixing the work which leaves the
cloth plate as unencumbered as possible, and allows of button hole in centre of a
large piece of stuff being stitched more conveniently than when the clamp is close
down upon the plate as in my former Patent.
4thly. In the application of a friction roller for the cam which vibrates said plate
to work against instead of against a fixed stud.
5th. In an improved break for the feed screw.
In order that my Invention may be more readily understood I will describe it
with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which-
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a machine with my improvements
applied, and Figure 2, a plan of the same, the fixed bracket arm being removed for
the sake of clearness.
The cloth plate a is vibrated back and forth as shown in dotted lines by a rod c
and cami, the rod c receiving endway motion through bent levere from cam wheel
d driven by a pinion d' on main shaft f. The cam i has three faces inclined at
different angles, one of which works against a friction roller mounted in a-
stationary part of the frame so as to convert the longitudinal movement of the rod
c into a transverse movement of the plate a, as described in my former Letters
Patent above referred to. The whole of the mechanism by which the plate a is
operated (with the exception of the parts herein after specially mentioned) being:

page_text: precisely similar in construction and operation to that described in my former
Patent, it will be unnecessary to again describe it fully in detail here; m is the feed
screw by which the plate a is traversed along from right to left, and vice versa, as
the work progresses, and is a nut travelling along the screw m. The plate a is
connected to nut by the following means which constitute the 1st improvement of
my present Invention ; is an extension of nut bearing on a plain part of the
feed screw; m and is an arm fixed adjustably to by a wing nut and stud
in order to vary the position relatively to plate a of a link connected to studs on
plate & and arm respectively as shown. By means of this adjustment the position
of link can be so regulated, that it will guide the plate a in its vibratory move-
ment in such manner as to ensure the stitches being made at right angles or nearly
so to the line of the button hole, which in my said former Patent was described as
being accomplished by the oblique slot above referred to. The feed screw m is
operated by the teeth of one or other of a pair of discs n, n', on shaft ƒ striking a
star-shaped pinion 2 on; the end of screw m, or the pinion may remain out of genr
with either when no feed is required, the action of the feed screw being made to
depend on the position of cam i by a link q', embracing an eccentric 7 on rod c and
attached to a sleeve s on rod m, all as described in my said former Patent.
с
The second improvement of my present Invention consists in connecting the
cloth plate a to the rod c by a bearing g, extending nearly the whole width of the
plate a and fixed to the under side thereof by studs, said bearing being in the form
of a half tube which embraces the round rod c,.and is kept up against it by a
spring h.
The rod c slides and turns freely in g, which I prefer to use in lieu of
the two lugs or friction rollers described in my said former Patent, and the
spring h instead of being fixed by one end near one end of the plate a is attached
by its centre to a stud on the under side, and at the middle of the front edge of
plate a, and it presses with its two ends against the front of the shuttle race b,
whereby a more equal pressure is obtained at the two ends of the plate. The
work is secured upon plate a by means of the improved clamp. The part of
the clamp and likewise the plate a has a long slot for the needle to work in as
usual. A suitable needle hole plate is fixed on the top of the shuttle race beneath
plate a in such a position that the needle will pass down close to the rear side of
the needle hole, so as in case of excessive tension of the needle thread to avoid
damage by the needle being drawn into the shuttle.
The clamp is constructed as follows:-The part u is at the extremity of an arm
u' which extends from the upper end of a tubular pillar u at a sufficient height
above the cloth plate a to accomodate the work beneath it, and is bent down at the
front end as shown. The tubular pillar ² fits on a strong pin us firmly fixed to tho
plate a near the back part thereof, and the clamp is secured by a nut u screwing
on pin is a spring beneath pillar 2 to raise the clamp when the nut is
inscrewed to release the work; is a tail piece projecting from pillar u² and
fitting on a pin fixed to plate a to keep the clamp in position over the hole in
plate a.
The improved brake for the feed screw m for preventing irregularity of feed
consists of a leather band m² encircling a collar on screw m. The ends of the band.
are united by a screw with a pin fixed in the part b¹ of the machine frame, and
projecting between them to prevent the band turning with the screw m. The
brake may be easily regulated by tightening the screw which unites the two ends
of the leather band.
To cusure regularity in the purl of the stitch I find in practice that it is desirable
the feed should be earlier than usual, i.c., before it rises quite out of the work, and
the cam by which the shuttle carrier is driven is formed with a longer dwell than
usual, being an arc of about 120°.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of perforining the
same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination with cloth plate a vibrated by cam i as described of the

page_text: adjustable radius link , by which plate a is connected to the feed screw nut and is
also guided in its vibrations, as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. In combination with plate a a long bearing composed of a half tube g
affixed to the under side of said plate, and a spring h fixed as described to plate a
and pressing with its two ends against the shuttle race to maintain bearing
g against the rod c, as described.
Third. The improved construction of clamp consisting of a bent arm u¹ extending
as shown and described from the top of a pillar u² fitted on a pin u³ fixed to plate a,
as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. The use in combination with the triple faced cam i of a friction roller j
for said cam to work against, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The use as a brake for the feed screw m of the leather band m² fixed to b¹
and encircling a collar on m, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Matthew Melhuish, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
RICHARD MATTHEW MELHUISH. (L.S.)