Improved Edging for Lace and like Open Work, and Method of and Apparatus for Producing the same.
Year: 1894

page_text: Improved Edging for Lace and like Open Work, and Method of and
Apparatus for Producing the same.
I, STOCKTON BORTON of No. 658 Broadway, New York City, County of New
York and State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to produce with speed and economy an edging,
on lace or similar open-work goods, which will be durable, neat, attractive and
in harmony with the work of which the body of the goods is composed.
In the manufacture of lace as usually carried on, edgings have been applied
by trimming the lace by hand to the desired outline and then sewing onto this
trimmed edge a binding of tape. This results in the production of an edging
which is neither neat, attractive, nor in harmony with the character of the goods
to which the tape binding is applied.
According to my invention, I apply to the edges of the goods a cord or cords
so as to cover and bridge over the open spaces or loose ends left on the edge
of the lace or the like open work (and particularly when the latter is trimmed
or cut) and form along the edge of the lace, a continuous and firm body of
material to which I apply overseam stitches which pass over the cord or cords
or the main parts thereof and through the lace or the like upon which the cord
or cords will thus be firmly bound down by the stitching so that the stitching
and cord or cords cannot be pulled out in ordinary use.
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The over-seam stitch may be produced in various ways and by various means
for example by means of a looper in connection with a needle to form the
over-seam "stitch over the edge of the goods, or by means of a vibrating needle
for instance, to form what is usually termed a zig zag stitch, but which in the
finished article will be in the nature of an over seam stitch. It will be under-
stood therefore that I use the term
66 over-seam in a sufficiently general sense to
refer to any stitch in the nature of an over seam and whether produced with
the use of a single thread or two threads.
"
In the practical carrying out of my invention, I prefer to cut or trim the edge
of the lace simultaneously with the application of the cords and the over-seaming
but a little in advance of the stitching.
To carry this method of operation into effect, I prefer to make use of the
construction of sewing machine, known as the Willcox and Gibbs over-seaming
or "overlock" machine, and to enable me to avail myself of that construction of
machine, I have devised certain improvements thereon.
I prefer to use two or three cords, one or two being laid above and one below
the edge of the lace, the stitches embracing the cords and binding the edge of
the lace between the two.
The upper cord or cords may be led first through a fixed eye or eyes and
then preferably through an eye or eyes, on a vibrating arm over the presser foot
of the sewing machine, thence down through the slot in the presser foot in which
the over seam stitches are formed. The lower thread may pass first through a

page_text: fixed eye, then either directly or through a second fixed eye to an open eye in
the undersitle of the presser foot.
When the lace or the like is laid in the machine under the presser foot with
a cord or cords, above the lace and one below, the cutters will trim off the surplus
edge of the lace or the like a little in advance of the sewing, and the cords
will be laid over the open spaces of the cut edges and the over-seating stitches
will be made over the body thus provided, binding the cords to the otherwise
frail edge and clamping the latter between the cords.
The stitching may be done in advance of the trimming, or in some cases, my
method of producing an edging on lace or the like may be employed without
trimming the goods.
Dated the 27th day of August 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Edging for Lace and like Open Work, and Method of and
Apparatus for Producing the same.
'1, STOCKTON BORTON, of No. 658 Broadway, New York City, County of
New York, and State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical
Engineer, 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 object of this invention is to produce with speed and economy an edging on
lace or similar open work goods which will be at once durable, neat, attractive and
in harmony with the work of which the body of the goods is composed.
In the manufacture of lace as usually carried on, edgings have been applied by
trimming the lace by hand to the desired outline and then sewing onto this trimmed
edge a binding of tape. This results in the production of an edging which is
neither neat, attractive nor in harmony with the character of the goods to which
the tape binding is applied.
In carrying out my invention I apply to the edges of the goods one or more
cords so as to cover and bridge over the open spaces and bind together the loose
ends left on the edge of the open-work lace, particularly when the latter has been
cut or trimmed. There is thus formed along the edge of the lace by the cord or
cords a continuous body of material to which I apply an over-seam stitch. This
stitch will pass over the cord or cords or the main parts thereof and through the
lace upon which, the cord or cords will thus firmly be bound down by the stitching
so that the stitching and cord or cords cannot be pulled out in ordinary use.
I prefer to use two or three cords, one or two being laid above and one below the
edge of the lace, the stitches embracing the cords and binding the ragged edges of
the lace between them.
"
The over seam stitch may be produced in various ways and by various means,
as by means of a looper in connection with a needle to form a true "over-seam
stitch over the edge of the goods, or by means of a vibrating needle for instance,
to form what is commonly termed a zig-zag stitch, but which in the finished article
will be in the nature of an over-seam stitch. It will be understood therefore that
in this Specification I use the term "over-seam" in a sufficiently general sense to
: refer to any stitch in the nature of an over-seam, and to refer to any stitching
mechanism that will produce a stitch in the nature of an over-seam, and whether
one or more threads be used in the production of such stitch.
In the practical carrying out of iny invention, I prefer to cut or trim the edge

page_text: afy the lace simultaneously with the application of the cords and the over-seaming,
but a little in advance of the stitching.
To carry this method. of operation into effect, I prefer to make use of; the
construction of sewing machine described in the Specification to Letters Patent
dated April 5th,, 1892, No. 6557, and to enable me to avail myself of that con-
struction of machine have devised. certain improvements thereon, which. I will
hereinafter describe..
And in order. that my said invention may be fully understood. I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that. purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the saine letters of reference.
indicating corresponding; pants in all the figures.
Figure 1 is.a. view illustrating my improved edging, and the manner of producing.
the same.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a part of a sewing machine with my
improvements for carrying out my process or method of producing the edging.
Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 Figure 4
Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 Figure 3; and
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the presser foot.
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It will be readily understood, that the edge of the lace, particularly, when it is
trimmed or cut to the scalloped or other outline of the pattern, is very, ragged, with
open spaces and loose ends, but. by laying over this irregular and spaced. edge,
cord or cords such as X, Figure 1, a regular continuous line of material is provided
with sufficient body to-form over or upon it, and the lace, the over seam stitch Y,
giving a neat and durable edging to the lace and one which harmonizes in its
general character and appearance. with the goods themselves.
In practice I prefer to use at least two cords X and X', one laid above. and one
below the cut edge of the lace, and, in many cases it will be well to use two upper
cords X, side by side, as well as one below.
The mechanism which I have devised for carrying, my method, of' making the
lace edging, into effect, where the edge is to be trimmed,, is sufficiently illustrated'
in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. So far as the stitching, and trimming, mechanism are
concerned I prefer to use those forming the subject of the Letters Patent herein
before referred to, and the parts of such mechanisms illustrated in these drawings
are similar to those described in the said Specification.
A represents a portion of the bed plate of the sewing machine, e the needle bar
Or arm, and, h the looper. The presser bar 35 carries. the presser foot P and
below is the plate 77 through which works the feed dog m.. 42 is an upper
moying shear blade carried by the vibrating arm 41 and 90 is a fixed lower blade
adjustable in the bed plate A.
will describe the device as adapted to feed, two edging cords, one above and
one below the edge of the lace.
Upon the bed plate A of the machine is mounted a. bent arm B' which at b
and is provided with guide or tension eyes, for the upper cord or cords X and
the lower cord X¹ respectively. In practice I prefer to use for the front face of
the lace a cord, or cords slightly heavier than the one for the back face..
Upon a suitable vibrating arm. I. provide one or more eyes d for the passage of
the upper cord or cords, and for this purpose I prefer to use the arm 41,, which
carries the upper shear blade 42. The cord X after passing through the eye d'
enters a slot p' in the presser foot within which slot the stitch is formed, and
passes under the back part of the presser foot, as shown in Figures 2 and 3,
so that each time the arm 41 with its guide eyes d descends a sufficient
amount of cord will be pulled, off, from the supply bobbin for the next stitch.
The lower cord X atter leaving, the guide eyes 6 in the arm B may be passed*
through a fixed guide eye on the bed. plate A, and beneath the presser foot P
which is provided with a pendent hook or open eye (Figures 3 and), which, lies
, with its open side adjacent to the back of the upper shear blade, so that the latter,
nearly closes.the eye, leaving, nevertheless sufficient opening or slit for the sillewisc

page_text: introduction of the cord X' from below. By this means, I avoid the trouble of
having to thread the cord through an eye at a point where it would be awkward to
do so but the cord when once in the open eye will stay there.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the lace is laid in the
machine under the pressure foot with one or more cords above the lace and one
below, the entters 42 and 90 will trim off the surplus edge of the lace in advance
of the sewing, and the cords will be laid across the open spaces and loose ends of
the edge of the lace and the over-seaming stitches will be made over the body thus
provided, thereby binding the cords to the otherwise loose frail edge and clamping
the latter between the cords.
In the construction described, the lace is cut or trimmed a little in advance of
the sewing, but I do not wish to limit myself to that order as in some cases my
method of producing an edging on lace or the like may be employed without
trimming the goods.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of iny said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :
--
1. As a new article of manufacture, edging for lace and like openwork having
one or more cords laid across the open spaces and loose ends at the edge of the
lace or the like and over-seam stitches binding such cord or cords in place,
substantially as herein before described.
2. As a new article of manufacture, edging for lace and like openwork having a
trimmed or cut edge, one or more cords laid across the open spaces and loose ends
of the said cut edge, and over-seam stitches binding such cord or cords in place,
substantially as herein before described.
3. The mode herein described of edging lace, consisting in trimming the lace to
the desired outline, laying over the open spaces and loose ends at the cut edge one
or more cords, and binding the latter to the cut edge with over-seaming stitches,
substantially as herein before described.
4. The mechanism herein described for edging lace, comprising means for
trimming the lace to the desired outline, and means for simultaneously laying one
or more cords along the edge across the open spaces and loose ends in the cut edge,
in combination with means for simultaneously overseaming the cord or cords in
place, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. The mechanism herein described for edging lace, comprising means for
trimming the lace to the desired outline and means for simultaneously laying one
or more cords along the edge across the open spaces and loose ends in the cut edge
in combination with means for simultaneously over seaming the cord or cords in
place behind the trimming, substantially as herein before described.
6. An over-seaming stitching mechanism, and a trimming device in conjunction
therewith, in combination with a set of cord guides to lay a cord upon the cut edge
of the goods in position to be stitched to the latter by the over-seaming stitches,
substantially as hereinhefore described.
7. An over-seaming stitching mechanism and a trimming device in conjunction
therewith, in combination with two sets of cord guides one to lay a cord or cords
upon, and the other to lay a cord under, the cut edge of the goods in position to be
stitched to the latter by the over-seaming stitches, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
8. An over-seaming stitching mechanism having a presser foot, with a slot p¹
through which a cord may be passed, with a vibrating arm over the said presser
foot, and carrying an eye for a cord, substantially as hereinbefore described.
9. An over-seaming stitching mechanism, with a presser foot, having upon its
underside a pendent hook for the reception and guidance of a cord to the edge of
the material being stitched, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
10. An over-seaming stitching mechanism, with a presser foot having upon its

page_text: underside a pendent hook, with an eye open at the side for the reception and
guidance of a cord to the edge of the material being stitched, substantially as and
for the purpose herein before described.
Dated this 26th day of June 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.