IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, Patent Agents, of
52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 :-
My Invention has for its object to simplify and improve the construction of lock
stitch sewing machines and with this end in view I have devised a simple and
novel construction in which a shuttle, carried at the end of a shaft passes through
the loop in the needle thread in the formation of each stitch, the usual shuttle
race being entirely dispensed with.
My Invention consists in the construction and combination of parts as hercin-
after fully described and then pointed out in the claims.
In order that others may understand ny Invention I will proceed to describe
the same referring by letters to the accompanying Drawings forming part of this
Specification, in which-
Fig. 1, is an end elevation with the sliding arm removed, and the bracket in
section, the shuttle being in position to take the loop.
Fig. 2, is a side elevation, Fig. 3, a plan view, and Fig. 4 a perspective, with the
parts in the same position.
Fig. 5, is a perspective of the sliding arm, and spring for holding the shuttle.
Fig. 6, a perspective of the yoke which supports the shuttle.
Fig. 7, is an end and Fig. 8, a side elevation of the shuttle and its operating
mechanism after the taking of the loop.
Fig. 9, is a perspective of the shuttle and bobbin detached.
Fig. 10, is an end, and Fig. 11, a side elevation of the shuttle and its operating
mechanism, with the shuttle farther advanced than in Figs. 7, and S.
Fig. 12, is a section of the carrying plate, the shuttle, and the bobbin, with the
stud and link in full lines, the feed cam being removed.
Fig. 13, is an end and Fig. 14, a reversed side elevation of the shuttle and
operating mechanism, after the loop has escaped from the recess, and the take
Price 6d1

page_text: up is acting to draw it up, the needle thread being shown in full and dotted
lines in Fig. 13.
Fig. 15, is a perspective of the link and stud.
Fig. 16, shows the stud with the link and sleeve in section.
Figs. 17, to 29, inclusive illustrate a modified form of my Invention in which 5
the shuttle is arranged to oscillate instead of rotate.
In the modification,
Fig. 17, is an end elevation showing the position of the operative parts just
before the taking of the loop.
Fig. 18, a side elevation with the parts in the same position.
Fig. 19, an end elevation after the taking of the loop.
Fig. 20, an end clevation showing the loop carried around and just being released.
Fig. 21, an end elevation showing the shuttle at the extreme of its throw and
the loop being drawn up.
Fig. 22, an elevation, and
Fig. 23, a central section of the shuttle and bobbin.
Fig. 24, a side elevation of the end of the shaft, the shuttle carrier and the
crank with the shuttle stud, washers, and sleeve being shown in section.
Fig. 25, a perspective of the shuttle stud, washers, sleeve, crank, and pin.
1
Figs. 26, and 27, are respectively end and side elevations, a pivoted link being 2
substituted for the slotted plate.
Fig. 28, a plan view of the same, and
Fig. 29, an end elevation showing the side opposite to that shown in Figs. 17,
and 26, with the shuttle at the extreme of its throw.
Figs. 30, to 39, inclusive illustrate another modification in which the shuttle 2
oscillates as before, but the shuttle carrying stud or pin is fixed in the plate. In
this modification,
Fig. 30, is an end elevation of the shuttle and carrying plate, with the shtutle
in position to take the loop.
Fig. 31, a side elevation showing the shuttle in the same position, and the 3
carrying plate in section.
Fig. 32, shows a position of the shuttle after the taking of the loop.
Fig. 33, shows the forward movement of the shuttle as nearly completed, and
the loop about to be cast off.
Fig. 34, the shuttle at the extreme of its forward movement, the loop having 3
been cast off, and partially drawn up by the take up.
Fig. 35, and 36, are end and side elevations respectively of the carrying plate
with the shuttle removed..
Fig. 37, is a perspective, and Fig. 38, a section of the shuttle, and Fig. 39, a
perspective of the bobbin. In the Drawings.
4
A, represents the bed of the machine, and B, a bracket on its underside, in which
the shaft is journaled. C, is the needle. D, the cloth plate. E, the shuttle.
E', the book or point of the shuttle. E², the recess in the shuttle, contracted at
its opening as at E3, and F, the bobbin. In my preferred form illustrated in
Figs. 1, to 16, inclusive, G, is the shaft journaled near its outer end in the bracket. 4
At the outer end of the shaft is rigidly secured a carrying plate or disk G¹, which
is preferably provided with a sleeve G, at its outer edge in which the sleeve of
link I, is journaled. H, is the shuttle stud, which is reduced at its inner end as
at H, leaving a shoulder 12. The reduced portion of the stud fits into the
sleeve 1', of the link and is provided with a groove H³, which is engaged by a 5
spline (not shown) upon the sleeve, thus holding the stud against rotation therein,
HI, is a head upon the stud which holds the shuttle in place. 115, is a screw
engaging an internal thread in the end of the stud, which holds the sleeve thereon.
The sleeve is made slightly longer than the reduced portion of the stud so that
the screw when tightened up will crowd the sleeve against shoulder H2, thus
holding the sleeve and stud rigidly together. It will thus be seen that the sleeve
and stud move as one piece, being journaled-as stated above in plate GJ, sec

page_text: Figs. 8, and 16. H, is a shallow groove or cut away portion in the stud, which
also extends into the link, in which the thread lics during the passage of the
shuttle through the loop, as will be more fully explained. The outer end of link I,
is pivoted to a link 12, which in turn is pivoted to the bed plate as at Is. The
shuttle consists of a ring having an internal shoulder E, against which the
bobbin F, rests, and a hook E', which engages the loop in the needle thread.
This hook is provided with a recess E², contracted at its opening as at E³, so that
when placed on the stud the shuttle cannot escape therefrom.
The hook portion of the shuttle is not made as wide as the ring, see Figs. 1, 2,-
and 9, which permits the outer edge of the ring to rest in a yoke K, which holds
the shuttle against centrifugal action, so that the hook will always be in position
to take the loop, and the strain and friction upon the stud is reduced to the
minimum. The yoke is preferably provided with a spline K¹ engaging with a
groove in the bracket to which the yoke is secured by a screw K² see Fig. 2. Lis
a sliding arm, having a spring L. This arm is provided with a slot. L' and is
secured to the bracket by a screw L³ which passes through the slot, thus permitting
the arm to slide when the screw is loosened. The spring L' presses against the
bobbin and performs a three fold function, viz. to hold the bobbin in the shuttle, to
hold the shuttle against endwise movement, and by pressure against the bobbin to
furnish tension for the shuttle thread. L' is a screw engaging a thread in the base
of the sliding arm. The head of this screw projects outward and abuts against the
yoke. By turning this screw in or out I am enabled to regulate the degree of
pressure of spring L', against the bobbin, i.e. the tension of the shuttle thread. M,
is the feed cam, the feed inechanism, however, being omitted as it forms no part of
my present Invention.
It will be observed in the Drawing that the rotating shuttle is placed outside
of the needle, which in its descent passes between the shuttle and the link.
It will of course be apparent that as the loop in the needle thread must be
formed on the outer side of the needle, the needle is set with the long groove on
the inner side, and is consequently threaded from the inner side outward. I have
shown no take up for the needle thread as it forms no part of my present Invention,
it should be understood, however, that a tako up of ordinary construction is used.
The operation is as follows. The bobbin is so placed in the shuttle that the
thread will unwind in a direction opposite to the rotation of the shuttle, the end
of the thread hanging over the edge, but no threading up whatever being required.
The shuttle is then placed over the stud with its baso resting in the yoke; and
the sliding arm is moved to the right until the head of the screw L', comes in
contact with the yoke.
Screw L³ is then tightened up and acts to hold the arm, and with it the shuttle
and bobbin in operative position. Figs. 1, 2, and 4, show the parts in position to
commence the formation of a stitch. In Fig. 7, the loop in the needle thread has
been taken, and is lying in the groove in the stud, that is to say between the stud
and the wall of the recess in the shuttle, the size of the groove being such that
there is no friction or tendency to retard the thread while it is held between the
shuttle and the stud. In Figs. 10, and 11, the movement of the shuttle is shown as
farther advanced. It will be observed that although the shuttle has made nearly
a half revolution the position of the recess in the stud relatively to the plane of
the cloth plate has changed very slightly, nor does it change materially during the
revolution of the shuttle. This is owing to the stud, and link I, moving as one
piece, and the thrust of this link being taken up by the pivoted link 12, to which
the link I, is pivoted. It will be seen that neither end of the link I, has a fixed
support, one end being pivoted to the rotary carrying plate, and the other to the
pivoted link 12, which simply carries that end, taking up the thrust caused by the
rotation of the disk, and thus substantially maintaining the slot in the stud in the
plane of the cloth plate.
In Figs. 13, and 14, the rotation of the shuttle has proceeded until the stud has
been carried more than half around the centre of rotation. By this time the

page_text: position of the recess in the shuttle, relatively to the groove or cut away portion
of the stud, has changed so that the loop of the needle thread, having passed
around the recess (during which time the entire shuttle has passed through the
loop) may now escape from the recess and be drawn up by the take up (not shown)
which begins to act at the instant the loop is free to escape from the recess, see full
and dotted lines in Fig. 13. Before the shuttle can reach the position shown in
Fig. 1, the loop has been drawn up tightly and the parts are then in position to
proceed with the formation of another stitch.
In the modification illustrated in Figs. 17, to 29, inclusive.
Q, is the shaft the end of which is supported in the bracket as before. Q¹, is the
shuttle carrier secured to the end of the shaft. S, is a crank having a hollow
sleeve S', at one end which is journaled in the shuttle carrier, and a pin S, at the
other end which engages in groove T", in plate T, which is rigidly secured to the
bracket, see Figs. 17, and 18. The oscillating shuttle carries the bobbin and is
provided with a hook which takes the loop in the needle thread as before. The
bobbin is held in place by a spring U. The shuttle is also provided with a recess E²,
contracted at its opening as at E³, in which the shuttle stud rests, and with
grooves U¹, U2, on opposite sides around the recess E², for a purposo presently to be
explained, V, is the shuttle stud, the head V₁, of which has a flange V2, around its
edge on the inner side, except at the groove or portion V³, where both the head
and flange, as well as the stud itself, are cut away, as will presently be more fully
explained. V4, is a washer upon the shuttle stud which is held from rotation by
a pin and groove (not shown) or in any suitable manner, and is provided with a
flange V, similar to the flange upon head V. A portion of the flange V³, is cut
away, see V6, in Fig. 25. leaving a space between the hook and the washer to
permit the passage of the loop in the formation of each stitch. The shank V, of
the shuttle stud passes into and through the sleeve S¹, of crank S, and is secured
therein by set screw S³, thus it will be seen that the stud, sleeve, and crank, move
as one piece the sleeve itself being journaled in the shuttle carrier as stated above.
Q2, is a lug secured to the shuttle carrier, which engages a groove Q³, in the base of
the shuttle, and acts to secure it against lateral motion. W, is a thread guard,
preferably made of wire and is secured to the shuttle carrier, which acts to prevent
the shuttle thread from being caught by the hook, or the head of the shuttle stud.
In use, the base of the shuttle is engaged by lug Q, the shuttle is supported by
stud V, which rests in recess E, the flanges V2, and V5, upon the head of the
shuttle stud and the washer, engaging in grooves U, U2, which surround recess E,
in the shuttle, thus it will be seen that the shuttle bears upon the stud as well as
upon both washers. The contraction E³, at the opening of the recess enables me
to make the grooves U1, U2, which surround the recess more than half a circle thus
holding the flanges V2, and V, in the grooves, and preventing the shuttle from
dropping away from the stud at any stage of its oscillation, although the recess is
of sufficient size to permit the stud to move freely in the shuttle. Q, is a guard,
secured to the shuttle carrier, and curved over the edge of the shuttle but not
bearing on it. Should any disarrangement of the parts occur by accident, this
guard would prevent any severe strain on the shuttle stud, thus preventing any
binding of the washers. The operation of the modification is as follows.
Fig. 17, shows the position of the parts at the moment the loop is about to be
taken, i.e. at the beginning of the formation of a stitch. This Figure also illustrates
the action of the thread guard in keeping the shuttle thread out of the way. In
Fig. 19, the forward movement of the point of the shuttle has proceeded, and the
loop is shown as taken by the point of the shuttle and is lying in recess E³, between
the outer edge of said recess and the cutaway portion of the shuttle stud and
washers. In Fig. 20, the loop has passed entirely around recess E³, and is about
to be thrown off by the shuttle, the thread being shown as just passing out of the
open space between the cutaway portion of the shuttle stud and washers, and the
portion of the hook surrounding the recess. At the instant the parts are in this
position the take up (not shown) begins to act. Fig. 21, shows the extreme of the

page_text: throw of the shuttle. The loop has been thrown off by the shuttle, after being
carried around the shuttle thread, and the take up has nearly drawn it up. From
the position shown in Fig. 21, the shuttle is carried back to the position shown in
Fig. 17, when it is ready to take another loop. It will be observed in Figs. 17,
19, 20, and 21, that the position of the groove or cut away portion of the shuttle
stud relatively to the plane of the cloth plate does not materially change during
the oscillation of the shuttle, which leaves ample room for the thread between the
stud and the shuttle during the oscillation of the latter. Thus, although this stud
imparts to the shuttle an oscillatory motion equal to more than half a revolution.it
has slight axial rotation of its own.
This peculiarity of movement is owing to the stud being solid with crank S,
whose pin S, engages in the slot T', in plate T, thus preserving the plane of the
groove as in my preferred form. I have shown slot T', which is engaged by the
crank pin as curvilinear in form, but this is not essential, as a straight slot may bo
used with a different adjustinent of parts.
In Figs. 26, 27, 28, and 29, the slotted plate T, is dispensed with and the crank
is pivoted to a link which in turn is pivoted to the bed of the machine in front of
the cloth plate.
This link supports and carries the outer end of the crank, thus preserving the
plane of the stud the same as in my preferred construction.
In the modification illustrated in Figs. 30, to 39, inclusive.
N, is the oscillating shaft the outer end of which is journaled in the bracket as
in the other forms. O, is the shuttle carrying plato which is secured to the end of
the shaft. O, is a pin near the outer edge of the carrying plate, upon which the
hook E¹, of the shuttle rests. The recess E2, is contracted at its opening as in
the other forms, so that the shuttle when placed on the pin cannot escape therefrom,
although ample space is provided for the thread to pass between the shuttle and
the pin. 0, 0, represent bosses or lugs upon the face of the carrying plate upon
which the shuttle rests, one or more of which are provided with shoulders against
which the edge of the shuttle rests, see Fig. 31. P, is a spring guard lateb, pivoted
to the face of the carrying plate, which acts to hold the hobbin in the shuttle and
the shuttle upon the pin and against the lugs, and also acts as a guard to hold the
shuttle thread out of contact with the needle and the hook upon the shuttle. This
latch I preferably so construct that its point P¹, only, presses against the bobbin thus
offering very slight resistance to the passage of the loop between it, and the bobbin,
see Figs. 32, and 33.
In Figs. 30, 35, and 36, I have shown a portion of the circumference of the
carrying plate as having a slightly lessened radius as at 03, and the heel of the
latch projecting slightly beyond the plate in order that it may be acted on by a
spring 03, which in this construction, serves to hold the latch either in operative
position or out, see Fig. 35.
The operation of this modification is as follows. The bobbin is laid in the
shuttle. After threading, the shuttle is placed upon the carrying plate, with
recess E³, in engagement with the pin, and the body of the shuttle resting on the
lugs, as already described. Latch P, is then turned into place, and holds the
shuttle in position. When the needle, after reaching its lowest position, (sec
Figs. 30 and 31,) begins to rise, the loop in the needle thread is caught by the hook
of the shuttle, which proceeds to enlarge the loop and to pass with the bobbin
entirely through it, thus interlocking the needle and the shuttle threads. During
the passage of the shuttle through the loop, the needle thread passes into and out
of recess E². During which time it lies between the shuttle and the pin. The
normal position of the shuttle with reference to the pin is shown in Fig. 30, in
which ample space is shown between the hook and the pin for the loop to slip into
recess E, in the shuttle. In Fig. 32, the shuttle has moved forward far enough so
that the loop is half through the recess. At this stage of its passage through the
loop, the shuttle is resting upon the bosses (see Fig. 32,) the shape of the recess

page_text: being such that there is ample space for the loop to pass between the shuttle and
the pin without binding. In Fig. 33, the shuttle has passed nearly through the
loop, which is passing out of the recess, at this instant the pull of the thread is
exerted upon the body of the shuttle, which it lifts slightly from the pin, thus
leaving for the loop a clear passage out of the recess. The next instant the take
up begins to net, and the loop is quickly drawn up, as shown in full and in dotted
lines in Fig. 34. In this Figure the shuttle is shown at the extreme forward point
of its throw, the take up (not shown) is acting to draw up the loop which has now
encircled the shuttle thread. At the next instant the shuttle is carried back by
the oscillation of the carrying plate to the position shown in Fig. 30, when it is
ready to take another loop and proceed with the formation of the next stitch.
The advantages of my improvements lie in their extreme simplicity and the
non-liability of the machine to get out of repair from constant use. The fact that
no shuttle race is used does away with a large amount of friction and wear, and
with the constant liability to soil the thread, which has heretofore been a serious
objection in this class of machine.
I do not desire to limit myself to the exact details of construction shown, as it is
apparent that they may be varied within reasonable limits without departing from
the spirit of my Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with the needle, of a rotating shuttle carried by a stud
having a groove which permits the needle thread to pass between the shuttle and
the stud in the formation of each stitch, and means for holding the shuttle against
centrifugal action.
2. The combined link, sleeve, and stud, in combination with the carrying plate in
which the sleeve is journaled, the shuttle which is carried by the stud, and means
for holding the shuttle against centrifugal action substantially as described.
3. In a sewing machine a shuttle having a hook and recess as described, in
combination with a stud engaging the recess, and operating mechanism which
imparts rotary motion to the shuttle through the stud, said stud being at the same
time free to move independently of the shuttle, and the operating mechanism.
4. In a sewing machine a disk at the end of the shaft having a sleeve at its
edge, and a combined link and stud journaled in the sleeve, in combination with
a shuttle carried by the stul, and means for holding the shuttle against centrifugal
action.
5. The disk, the stud journaled therein, and the link connected to the stud, in
combination with the shuttle carried by the stud, a yoke which supports the
shuttle, and a spring carried by a sliding arm, as described and for the purpose
set forth.
'
6. The stud having a groove or cut away portion as shown, and the link I,
connected therewith, in combination with the carrying disk, the shuttle, and a
link 1, pivoted to link I, and to the bed plate, whereby rotary motion is imparted
to the shuttle without corresponding rotation of the stud, thus permitting the
needle thread to lie in the groove while the shuttle is passing around it, and
through the loop.
7. In a sewing machine the combination with the shuttle, carrying disk, and the
yoke, of a sliding arm secured by a set screw and having a spring L', and screw L',
as described and for the purpose set forth.
8. An operating disk upon the shaft, a shuttle having a recess E², with a
contracted opening E³, and a stud having screw H³, head H, and groove H1, in
combination with link I, secured at one end to the stud, and having means, for
example link I, at its other end, to maintain the plane of the groove as the stud is
carried around,

page_text: 9. The combination of a needle, and a rotary shuttle carried by a stud linving
a groove for the needle thread, with a disk on the main shaft in which the stud is
journaled, a yoke which holds the shuttle against centrifugal action, and means for
connecting the stud with the bed of the machine, whereby as the stud is carried
around, the plane of the groove remains substantially unchanged.
10. The combination with the needle, the shuttle, and the carrying disk, of a
link having a sleeve journaled in said disk, a stud which carries the shuttle, a screw
engaging said stud to hold the shuttle, and means for supporting and guiding the
end of the link which at the same time permits endwise movement.
11. In a sewing machine, the needle, shuttle, oscillating shaft, and shuttle
carrier, in combination with a crank having a sleeve journaled in the shuttle
carrier, and a shuttle stud secured in said sleeve substantially as described.
12. The combination with the needle, of an oscillating shuttle carried by a pin,
which while it imparts motion to the shuttle, has free movement therein, and also
in the carrier, substantially as described.
13. The oscillating shuttle carrier, with the shuttle stud and crank journaled
therein, in combination with the shuttle having a recess, which engages the shuttle
stud, and means for supporting and guiding the opposite end of the crank.
14. In a sewing machine, the shuttle stud cut away on one side as shown, and
having head V, with flange V2, and a washer V, with a corresponding flange cut
away as shown, in combination with a shuttle having a recess E², and grooves U¹, U³,
surrounding the recess, and mechanism for oscillating the shuttle.
15. The shuttle stud having a head and flange, and carrying a fixed washer, all
of which are cut away as shown, and a crauk, in combination with an oscillating
carrier in which both crank and stud are journaled, means for supporting and
guiding the opposite end of the crank, and a shuttle having a hook and recess, as
described and for the purpose set forth.
16. The shuttle, having hook E', and recess E2, and spring U, which holds the
bobbin, in combination with the needle, stud V, cut away as shown and journaled
in an oscillating carrier, and incans for imparting motion to the stud, whereby the
needle thread is caused to pass between the stud and the recess in the formation of
each stitch.
17. The shuttle carrier having lug Q2, and guard Q', and stud V, journaled in
the carrier, in combination with the shuttle having recess E², and groove Q³.
18. The needle, the shuttle having grooves U1, U2, the carrier, and the shuttle
stud having a flange with a groove V³, upon its head, and a washer with flanges,
in combination with the crank having a sleeve through which the stud passes,
and means for supporting the opposite end of the crank which permits end wise
movement but preserves substantially the plane of the stud.
19. The shuttle carrier having sleeve S¹, crank S, journaled therein, and stud V,
which carries the shuttle, in combination with a plate having a slot which is
engaged by a pin at the opposite end of the crank.
20. In a sewing machine a crank having a pin engaging a slotted plate, and a
sleeve at the opposite end journaled in the shuttle carrier, in combination with the
shuttle stud which is secured in the sleeve, and means for securing the shuttle
upon the carrier.
21. The combination of a needle, and an oscillating plate having a pin near its
edge, with a shuttle having a recess which loosely engages said pin, permitting the
loop to pass between the shuttle and pin, and a spring secured to the plate which
holds the shuttle in place.
22. The needle, an oscillating plate having a pin near its edge, bosses upon its
face, and a spring latch pivoted thereto, in combination with a shuttle having a
recess with a contracted opening, and adapted to be held by the latch, in place
upon the pin and bosses, while at the saine time the loop is permitted to pass
between the shuttle and said latch, pin, and bosses, substantially as described.

page_text: 23. The shuttle having a hook for engaging the loop, and a recess with a
contracted opening, in combination with a needle, an oscillating plate having a pin
loosely held in said recess, and a spring latch which holds both bobbin and shuttle
in position, and acts as a guard to hold the shuttle thread out of contact with the
hook and the needle.
24. In a sewing machine plate O, having pin 0¹, bosses 01, 0, latch P, and
spring Os, in combination with shuttle E, having hook E¹, recess E2, and bobbin F,
combined and arranged substantially as described.