IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: We, JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN, of 81 Bruce Street, Leeds, in the County of York,
Mechanic, and HARRY SENIOR ELLIS, of Hope Cottage, Hanover Lane, Leeds, in
the said County, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements in that class of sewing machines using
two waxed threads by means of a hooked needle and shuttle working above the
work or material under treatment, and more particularly to a novel disposition of
a reciprocating shuttle with its attendant loop-dividing and stripping apparatus.
The hooked needle mounted and actuated in the usual manner by means of a
lever and cam on the main shaft of the machino, pierces the work which rests
upon a stitching plate, thread is thrown into the opening in the hook by means of
a looper consisting of a lever rocking on a pivot and having an eyelet for the
thread to pass through at its upper end, this looper lever has a reciprocating motion.
across and in front of the opening in the hooked needle, imparted to it by means
of a can on the main shaft of the machine.
Now our invention has for object the improvement of this class of looper, to
which we impart a curvilinear motion instead of a straight to and fro motion as
heretofore. This we accomplish by baving a grooved cam plate of the desired
form fixed on the underside of the stitching plate. A pin on the upper end of
the looper lever works in this cam which is of such a form that it brings the:
looper across the opening in the hooked needle and also about a quarter of a circle
around it, thus ensuring the thread being placed into the opening of the hook in
whatever direction the work is fed.
In order to enable the looper-lever above referred to, which is mounted upon a
pivot, to take a curvilinear motion, we preferably make it of tempered steel so that
it will spring sufficiently to follow the figure of the cam under the stitching plate,
but a lever having universal joints may be used to effect the same purpose.
Thread being placed into the hooked needle in the manner just described, it now
continues its ascend and draws the loop of thread through the work.
At right angles to the path of the. hooked needle but having a common centre
line with it, works a reciprocating centrally pointed shuttle, travelling in the
direction of the opening in the hooked needle. This shuttle is of similar construc-
tion to those used in ordinary reciprocating shuttle sewing machines.-It works

page_text: with its rounded back immediately over the work in a suitably constructed race,
and is driven by means of a carrier receiving its required motion through a
connecting rod and lever from a cam on the main shaft of the machine.
The upper face of the shuttle is open and flat and a plate partially covering the
top of the race prevents the shuttle from jumping out of it. We prefer to use a
cop of thread in the shuttle, and tension is given to the thread in the usual
manner.
At the point in the centre of the shuttle race where the bar carrying the
hooked needle intersects the race, the latter is cut away to allow of the bar passing
through it.
Immediately above the upper flat face of the shuttle race and working upon a
pivot fixed to the framing of the machine behind the hooked needle bar, but
having a common centre line with it and the shuttle race, is a rocking lever, This
lever has the desired reciprocating motion imparted to it by means of a lever from
a cam on the main shaft of the machine.
At the lower end of said rocking lever is fixed our improved loop dividing and
stripping plate. This plate is of an annular form, of steel; the opening being so
shaped that the bar carrying the hooked needle can pass through it. The hooked
needle having received its loop of thread and got to the top of its upward course,
now slightly descends, and at the same time the loop dividing plate which has a
pointed projection, advances towards the hooked needle, this pointed projection
divides the looped thread and as the hooked needle continues to descend, the said
pointed projection which is broader at its base forces the threads (that is the two
parts forming the loop) further apart so as to permit the now advancing shuttle to
enter and pass freely through the loop."
Immediately this is effected the needle bar makes a further descent, the loop
dividing and stripping plate lever reverses its motion and the face of the opening
in the plate opposite to the pointed projection comes rapidly against the loop and
strips it out of the hook.
The stitch is then drawn in by a stitch tightening arrangement working under-
neath the stitching plate, preferably similar to that described in the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to Alphonso Keats, N° 5252, dated the 23rd day of
December 1879.
We prefer to use a pricker feed motion working underneath and passing through
the stitching plate, and the locked presser bar and foot for holding the work in
position, usual with this class of machine when used for closing boot uppers or
sewing belts, harness or other classes of work.
Dated this out. T
1004
JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN.
HARRY SENIOR ELLIS.
W. Lloyd Wise,
Per F. J. Brougham,
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: =
We, JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN, of 81 Bruce Street, Leeds, in the County of
York, Mechanic, and HARRY SENIOR ELLIS, of Hope Cottage, Hanover Lane,
Leeds, in the said County, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES" and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in that class of sewing machines in which
two waxed threads are used by means of a hooked needle and shuttle working
above the work or material to be sewn, and more particularly to a novel
disposition of a reciprocating shuttle with its attendant loop dividing and
stripping apparatus.
In a machine of the type to which our invention refers, a hooked needle mounted
and actuated in the usual manner by means of a lever and cam on the main shaft
of the machine, pierces the work or material to be sewn, which rests upon a
stitching plate, thread is introduced into the opening in the hook by means of a
looper; this looper is in the form of a lever which rocks on a pivot and has an
eyelet for the thread to pass through at its upper end. Reciprocating motion
across and in front of the opening in the hooked needle, is imparted to the
looper lever by means of a cam on the main shaft of the machine.
Now according to our invention the looper has imparted to it a curvilinear
motion instead of a straight to and fro motion as heretofore. This is accomplished
by means of a grooved camplate of suitable form fixed on the underside of the
stitching plate. A pin on the upper end of the looper works in this cam which.
is of such a form that it causes the looper to move across the opening in the hooked
needle and also through about a quarter of a circle around it, thus ensuring that
the thread shall be introduced into the opening of the hook, in whatever direction
the work may be fed.
In order to enable a looper such as above referred to, mounted upon a pivot, to
have a curvilinear motion, it is made of tempered steel so that it will spring suffi-
ciently to follow the figure of the cam under the stitching plate or a lever having
universal joints may be used to effect the same object. Thread having been intro-
duced in the manner described into the hooked needle, it continues its ascent and
draws the loop of thread through the work or material to be sewn. A recipro-
cating centrally pointed shuttle works at right angles to the path of the hooked
needle but with its centre line in the same vertical plane as the axis of the needle.
This shuttle travels in the direction of the opening in the hooked needle (that is to.
say: in the direction of the open side thereof). The shuttle is of similar con-
struction to those used in ordinary reciprocating shuttle sewing machines. It
works in a suitable race with its rounded back immediately over the material to
be sewn, and is driven by means of a carrier receiving the required motion through
a connecting rod and lever from a cam on the main shaft of the machine.
The upper face of the shuttle is open and flat, and a plate that partially covers
the top of the race prevents the shuttle from jumping out of it.

page_text: We prefer to use a cop of thread in the shuttle, and tension is given to the thread
in the usual manner.
At the point in the centre of the shuttle race where the bar carrying the hooked
needle intersects the race, the latter is cut away to allow of the bar passing
through it. Immediately above the upper flat face of the shuttle race is a rocking
lever which works upon a pivot fixed to the framing of the machine behind the
hooked needle bar, with its centre' line in the same vertical plane as the centre of
the hooked needle bar and the shuttle race. This rocking lever has the required
reciprocating motion imparted to it by means of a lever froin a cam on the main
shaft of the machine, and at its lower end is fixed a loop dividing and stripping
plate. This plate (which it is preferred to make of annular form, of suitable
material such as steel) has an opening in it so shaped that the bar carrying the
hooked needle can pass through it. The hooked needle having received its loop
of thread and reached the top of its upward course, afterwards slightly descends,
and at the same time the loop dividing plate which has a pointed projection,
advances towards the hooked needle; the pointed projection divides the looped
thread and as the hooked needle continues to descend, the said pointed projection
which.is broader at its base, forces the threads (that is, two opposite parts of the
loop) further apart so as to permit the now advancing shuttle to enter and pass
freely through the loop. Immediately this has been effected the needle bar makes
a further descent, the lever of the loop dividing and stripping plate receives a
reverse motion, and the face of the opening in the plate opposite to the pointed
projection comes rapidly against the loop and strips it out of the hook.
The stitch is then drawn in by a stitch tightening arrangement working under-
neath the stitching plate, which may conveniently be similar to that described in
the specification of Letters Patent granted to Alphonso Keats, N° 5252, dated
the 23rd day of Decomber 1879. We prefer to use a pricker feed motion working
underneath and passing through the stitching plate and the locked presser bar and
foot for holding the work in position, usual in this class of machine when used for
closing boot uppers or sewing belts, harness, or other classes of work.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, on sheet 1, and Figs. 3, 4, on sheet 2, of the
accompanying drawings, Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a sewing machine, embodying
our invention. Fig. 2, is a plan, shewing that portion of the machine below the
Jine 1, 2. Fig. 3, is a front elevation. Fig. 4, shows the cams for actuating the
various mechanisms of the machine as hereinafter mentioned. Fig. 5 is a plan of
the stitching plate with grooved cam. Fig. 6, a plan of the shuttle and its carrier,
and Fig. 7, a plan of the loop dividing and stripping plate.
A, (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) is the standard or framework of the machine,-B, is the
main shaft upon which are the cams C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, mounted in bearings in
tho standard; this shaft is actuated by the wheels B¹, and B³, from any convenient
source. Upon the base at A 1, is fixed the standard A 2, for supporting the work
or material to be sewn. Upon the said standard is fixed the grooved camplate C¹,
(which may if desired also form the stitching plate) for guiding the looper C2,
whilst making a curvilinear movement across and partly around the hooked
needle D', and introducing the thread into the hook thereof. C³, is a bellcrank
lever to which is attached the looper C2, and which is actuated by the cam E, and
lever E 1.-D 4, is a pointed or pricker feed lever, mounted on the end of the
lever D 3, and caused by the cam D, actuating the said lever, to pass through the.
slot C4, in the cam or stitching plate C¹, and pierce the work or material to be
sown.
While in this position the cain F, acts on the bellcrank F 1, to which the pricker
lever is connected by the link F 2, and thus advances the work, after which tho
said lever is, by the combined action of the cams D, and F, caused to leave the
work and move out of the way of the needle to allow of its descent, and so on
for each stitch. K, is the shuttle race fixed to the overhanging head of the machine,
and having an opening at K', for the passage of the needle D', and its bar D-
K2, is the centrally pointed shuttle, and K 3, its carrier, The needle bar is

page_text: actuated by the cam J, and lever J, and the shuttle by the cam H, lever H 1,
link H 2, and carrier K 3.-L, is the loop dividing and stripping plate carried by
the rocking lever H 3, and actuated by the cam G, and lever G 1. Its movements
are to be properly timed for opening the looped thread by the action of the pro-
jecting point and angular sides L, L, for the passage through the loop, of the
shuttle, and for stripping the loop from the hooked needle by the action of the
part L 3, the needle in the meantime having entered the hole L 4.-M, is a pressure
foot as usually employed in such machines, with its locking arrangement by the
cam I, lever I', link 12, lever 13, and bolt I 4.
The cam C, lever C 5, pulleys C 6, and C7, constitute the stitch tightening
nechanism previously referred to. N, is a reel from which the lower thread is
supplied.
The cams C, D, E, F G, H, I, and J, are shewn developed in Fig. 4, which repre-
sents them in their proper relative positions for producing the required results as
bereinabove indicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
In a sewing machine of the kind above referred to
1. Causing the looper to travel in a curvilinear path partially around the hooked
needle, such movement being controlled by the cam C₁, substantially as described
with reference to and shown in the drawings for the purpose set forth.
2. The use of a combined loop. dividing and stripping apparatus constructed
arranged and operating substantially as described with reference to and shown in
the drawings for the purpose set forth.
3. The use of a centrally pointed reciprocating shuttle arranged to work in a
race in the direction of the opening in the hooked needle (that is, the open side
thereof) and in a vertical plane coincident with the centre line of the needle, an
opening being provided in the race to allow the needle bar to pass through it
substantially as described.
4. The arrangement of the looper, loop dividing and stripping apparatus and
centrally pointed reciprocating shuttle to co-operate substantially in the manner
and for the purpose described with reference to and illustrated in the drawings.
Witness,
THO E. CRAVEN,
Fellow Inst. Patent Agents,
24, Victoria Chambers,
Leeds.
JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN.
HARRY SENIOR ELLIS.
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