IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES FOR BOOTS AND SHOES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Cutlan, of Roath, Cardiff, in the County of Gla-
morgan, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
SEWING MACHINES FOR BOOTS AND SHOES." A communication from abroad by
John Cutlan, of Philadelphia, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Cutlan at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th August 1876
JAMES CUTLAN, of Roath, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES FOR BOOTS AND SHOES." A commu-
nication from abroad by John Cutlau, of Philadelphia, United States of America.
My Invention relates,—
Firstly. To the construction and mounting of two vertical convex feed wheels
together to sustain the shoe to be sewed upon a horizontal shaft, having its
bearings in the frame of the machine, the outer one of said feed wheels being
rigidly fixed upon the outer end of the shaft, while the other is loose upon and has
a limited amount of play along the length of the shaft, and yields from the
direction of the outer wheel elastically against the force of a spinal spring seated on
the shaft.
Secondly To constructing a thread carrier with such form, and mounting it upon
a bearing in such a manner that its upper end will carry the thread in its upper
end within the recess in the feed wheels, as herein-before mentioned, and have four
separate and distinct movements caused by the action of other devices upon its end,
as hercin-after more fully described.
Thirdly. To the combination of two other shafts mounted in the frame, one above
the other, and both below the feed wheel shaft before mentioned; their cams and
other auxiliary parts co-operate to produce the four separate movements of the
thread carrier herein-before mentioned.
Fourthly. To a combination of devices, by means of which the needle when it
has made its downward thrust through the work and has caught the thread below
it upon its barb is made to revolve upon its vertical axis half way around in order
[Price Gdj

page_text: that the barb may not catch the loop in returning above the work again, and then
to revolve back to its original position before making another downward thrust.
Fifthly. To a combination of devices by which the vertical presser is operated in
such a manner that its lower end or foot exerts a constant elastic pressure down
upon the work, and at the instant of the upward or return movement of the needle
bar it is grasped and held firmly in position until the stitch is pulled in, when it is
released again, as herein-after more fully described.
Sixthly. To a combination of parts constituting a frame swinging horizontally
for the convenient support of the work while being sewed, and holding it against
the feed wheels, as herein-after more fully described.
Seventhly. To a combination of devices which is known as the presser finger, its
bearing being in the frame of the machine, being worked by cams and moving
between the feed wheels, pressing the upper of boots or shoes against the sole until
the needle passes through, and then being removed at a given time, herein-after
more fully described.
Motion is imparted to all the operative parts by means of a band over a pulley
on the main shaft, which imparts motion in the same direction to a lower shaft by
means of pinions and intermediate gear, and by nicans of a cam slot in the face of
a cam wheel and a connecting 1od provided with rest pin; the main shaft by every
revolution turns a shaft a few degrees, and with it the feed wheels, and thus affords
the feed motion required, and a ratchet wheel and its pawl prevents retrograde
motion. A spiral spring seated on the same shaft between the hub of feed wheel
and the frame presses the wheel against a feed wheel, and such pressure may of
course be regulated as required, and thus the feed wheel may be adjusted as
required by the character of the work to be done A pin in the same shaft prevents
the feed wheel fiom turning upon it, and the slot in the hub of the feed wheel
allows the play upon the shaft before mentioned
There is an annular recess in the interior of feed wheels extending around the
shaft, and also the thread carrier standing within the recess, and so curved edge-
wise that its upper end or tip may stand directly over its lower end and over
the shaft and make its side and edge movements without touching the shaft.
The thread carrier is mounted upon its support, and is hinged thereto by means
of a pin, and the body of that support extends into a recess within the outer end.
of a shaft, which has its bearings in the frame, and a spiral spring seated within
the recess presses the lower end of the carrier, which is provided with a friction
roller out against a cam wheel, and so when that cam revolves the lower end of the
carrier is vibrated inwardly and outwardly by the joint action of the spring and
cam, and the upper end is given one of the movements required. A cam on afore-
said shaft similar to cam on the lower shaft may be substituted for the spring and
the same movement produced.
The second or edgewise movement is given to the thread carrier by means of the
above-named shaft having its bearings in the frame. This shaft supports its bearing,
and is rocked a few degrees upon its axis by every revolution of the lower shaft by
means of a bar, which at its upper end is provided with wrist pin, which works
in a suitable cam slot in the face of a cam wheel which is fixed on the lower
shaft.
The top end of the carrier is bent over in the direction of the front of the
machine so as to form a right angle with its side, and that tip thus formed is
pierced with a vertical hole for the thread, which is passed up from the spool below.
Now when a stitch is to be made the needle is thrust down through the leather,
and carrier makes its outward movement and draws the thread past the needle
above its notch and barb, and then makes its edgewise movement at right angles
with the line of the first and wraps the thread partly around the needle, which then
upon its upward or return movement catches the thread on its barb and pulls it up
through the leather and forms the stitch. The needle bar bearing the needle
receives its vertical reciprocating motion from a cam.
In order to vibrate the needle bar upon its vertical axis for the purpose herein-

page_text: before stated it is enclosed within a toothed wheel so that it cannot turn on the
wheel, but is free to reciprocate vertically therein, and a toothed sector is pivoted
on a projection of the frame to inesh with the toothed wheel, and the sector is pro-
vided with a wrist pin, which is made to work in a suitably formed slot in a cam,
and these parts are so arranged with respect to each other that the horizontal
vibration shall begin and end exactly when desired with respect to the vertical
action of the needle bar.
The devices for operating the presser foot consist of a spring lever, which is
pivoted; the back end of it is held down by a plate spring upon the upper end of a
bar, which is connected with a cam, while the other end of the lever is provided
with a hollow vertical arm or elbow, which loosely encloses the upper portion
of the presser bar, which is held in its vertical position by the frame, through
which it passes, and the spring lever holds the foot of the bar down upon the work
with an elastic pressure that will permit the feed movement, but just before the
upward or return movement of the needle bar the action of the cam forces up the
rear end of the spring lever and causes the forward end of that lever by its hollow
arm to grasp and hold firmly the upper end of the presser bar, with its lower end
upon the work against the return movement of the needle until the stitch is pulled
in and releases it again. The cam is formed of course in such a manner that this
action shall take place at the proper time.
The grasping action of the hollow elbow upon the upper portion of the presser
bar is due to the change in the direction of the elbow in respect to the presser bar,
which causes a pinching action between them The tension of the thread is
regulated by a milled screw and plate spring The bar of the swinging frame has
one end inserted in the last in the shoe, and upon the bar are seated two spiral
springs, and between them is a sleeve, which is connected by a hinge joint with a
vertical bar, which in its tuin is adjustable, connected with a horizontal crane bar,
which is provided with a brace, and both bar and brace are pivoted to the main
frame and swung freely back and forth in front of the machine.
By means of adjustable connections between the bar of the swinging frame and
the horizontal bar the inclination of the former may be changed as may be required
to suit different kinds of work. The convex surfaces of the feed wheels are milled
or otherwise roughened to prevent the work slipping upon them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said James Cutlan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th February
1877.
"IMPROVEMENTS
JAMES CUTLAN, of Roath, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan.
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWING MACHINES FOR BOOTS AND SHOES" A commu-
nication from abroad by John Cutlan, of Philadelphia, United States of America.
My Invention relates,—
Firstly To the construction and mounting of two vertical convex feed wheels
together to sustain the shoe to be sewed upon a horizontal shaft, having its bearings
in the frame of the machine, the outer one of said feed wheels being rigidly fixed
upon the outer end of the shaft, while the other is loose upon and has a limited
amount of play along the length of the shaft and yields from the direction of the
outer wheel elastically against the force of a spiral spring seated on the shaft.
Secondly. To constructing a thread carrier with such form and mounting it upon
a bearing in such a manner that its upper end will carry the thread in its upper
end within the recess in the feed wheels, as herein-before mentioned, and have four
separate and distinct movements caused by the action of other devices upon its end,
as herein-after more fully described.
Thirdly. To the combination of two other shafts mounted in the frame one abové

page_text: the other; their cams and other auxiliary parts co-operate to produce the four
separate movements of the thread carrier herein-before mentioned.
Fourthly. To a combination of devices by means of which the needle when it has
made its downward thrust through the work and has caught the thread below it
upon its barb, is made to revolve upon its vertical axis half way around, in order
that the barb may not catch the loop in returning above the work again, and then
to revolve back to its original position before making another downward thrust.
Fifthly. To a combination of devices by which the vertical presser is operated in
such a manner that its lower end or foot exerts a constant elastic pressure down
upon the work, and at the instant of the upward or return movement of the needle
bar it is grasped and held firmly in position until the stitch is pulled in, when it is
released again as herein-after more fully described.
Sixthly To a combination of parts constituting a frame swinging horizontally for
the convenient support of the work while being sewed and holding it against the
foed wheels, as herein-after more fully described
Seventhly. To a combination of devices which is known as the prosser finger, its
boaring being In the frame of the machine, being worked by cams and moving
between the feed wheels pressing the upper of boot or shoe against the sole until
the needle passes through, and then being removed at a given time, herein-after
more fully described.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a
machine embodying these improvements; Figure 2, a front elevation of the upper
part of the same; Figure 3, a side elevation thereof.
Figure 4, a side elevation of the swinging frame, and a central longitudinal
vertical section of the feed wheels, shafts, and other necessary parts.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of devices embraced in the same.
The letter A. wherever it occurs indicates the frame of the machine.
Motion is imparted to all the operative parts by means of a band over a pulley F
on main shaft B, which imparts motion in the same direction to the lowermost
shaft K; by means of the pinions E and I and the intermediate gear G and by
means of the cam wheel i and the connecting rod R provided with a ratchet pawl i
working in a ratchet wheel is, the shaft B by every revolution turns a shaft E¹ a
few degrees in the feeding direction, thus affording the feed motion required. The
spiral spring e on the shaft E¹ between the hub of feed wheel N and the frame
presses the wheel N against a feed wheel O, and such-pressure may of course be
iegulated as required, and thus the feed wheel N may be adjusted as required by
the character of the work to be done. The pin e¹ in the same shaft E' prevents the
feed wheel fron turning upon it, and the slot at this place in the hub of the feed
wheel N allows the play upon the shaft before mentioned
In Figure 4 is shown an annular recess in the interior of feed wheels N and O
extending around the shaft E¹, the thread carrier T stands within the recess, and is
BO curved edgewise that its upper end or tip may stand directly over its lower end
and over the shaft and make its side and edge movements without touching the
shaft.
The thread carrier is mounted upon its support W, and is hinged thereto by
means of a pin, as shown at Fig. 2, and the body of that support extends into a
cam recess formed in the periphery of the cam P, so formed as to vibrate the thread
carrier in a direction parallel to the shaft E To produce vibration at right angles
thereto another recess again is formed in the back of the cam P, within which a
projection from the thread carrier support is engaged, so as to produce the necessary
cross motion, and by these means the carrier T is vibrated inwardly and outwardly,
so as to pass entirely round the needle when it is at the bottom of its stroke
The top end of the carrier is bent over in the direction of the front of the
machine, so as to form a right angle with its side, and that tip thus formed is
pierced with a vertical hole for the thread, which is passed up from the spool below.
Now when a stitch is to be made the needle is thurst down through the leather,
and the carrier makes its outward movement, and draws the thread past the needle

page_text: above its notch and barb, and then makes its edgewise movement at right angles
with the line of the first, and wraps the thread partly around the needle, which
then, upon its upward or return movement, catches the thread on its barb and pulls
it up through the leather, and forms the stitch.
:
The needle bar B¹ bearing the needle receives its vertical reciprocating motion
from a cam M In order to partially rotate the needle bar it passes through a
toothed wheel R, Fig. 3 and Fig 5, and is keyed thereto by a slip feather and
groove, so that it cannot tuin on the wheel, but is free to reciprocate vertically
therein, and a toothed sector N¹ is pivoted at x on a projection of the frame to gear
with the toothed wheel R¹, and the sector is provided with a fricton roller T, which
is made to work in a suitably formed slot in the cam M (see Figure 3) on shaft B¹,
and these parts are so arranged with respect to each other that the horizontal
partial rotation shall begin and end exactly when desired with respect to the
vertical action of the needle bar.
The device for operating the presser foot C consists of a spring lever S (Fig. 3),
the back end of which is held down by a plate spring upon the upper end of a bar
G which is connected at G with cam H on shaft B, while the other end of the lover
Sis provided with a hollow vertical arm or elbow D, which loosely encloses the
upper portion of the presser bar C, which is held in its vertical position by the
frame through which it passes, and the spring lever holds the foot of the bar down
upon the work with an elastic pressure that will permit the feed movement, but
just before the upward or return movement of the needle bar B the action of the
cam H upon rod G forces up the rear end of the spring lever S, and causes the
forward end of that lever by its hollow arm to grasp and hold firmly the upper
end of the presser bar C, with its lower end upon the work against the return
movement of the needle, until the stitch is pulled in, and releases it again. The
cam is formed and fixed of course in such a manner that this action shall take place
at the proper time.
The grasping action of the hollow elbow D upon the upper portion of the presser
bar C is due to the change in the direction of the elbow in respect to the presser
bar, which causes a pinching action between them. The tension of the thread is
regulated by a milled screw fand plate spring a, shown in Fig. 3, and need not
be further described, since no claim is made upon that mechanism. A side view of
the swinging frame herein-before mentioned is represented in Fig 4. The bar U
has one end inserted in the last in the shoe, and upon the bar are seated two spiral
springs U¹ and U2, and between them is a sleeve J, which is connected by a hinge
joint with, a vertical bar J, which in its turn is adjustably connected with a
horizontal crane bar U³, which is provided with a brace or strut U, and both bar
and brace are pivoted to the main frame, and swing freely back and forth in front
of the machine.
By means of adjustable connections, between the bar U and the horizontal bar, the
inclination of the bar U may be changed, as may be required, to suit different kinds
of work. The convex surfaces of the feed wheels N and O are milled or otherwise
roughened to prevent the work slipping upon them.
I am aware that a needle, receiving about a quarter turn in the up stroke, and
similarly in the down stroke, has heretofore been proposed to be employed for boot
sewing machines.
And having thus fully described the nature of this Invention, I declare that I
claim, as applied to sewing machines, for what is techanically called "turn" or
'pump "work in the shoe making trade-
Firstly. Constructing a sewing machine without a bed or plate, as heretofore
used, for the work to rest on or against while being operated upon, and to make
use instead thereof of the feeding appliance, as herein-before set forth.
Secondly. Constructing the feed appliance of one or more revolving parts, so
as to enable the work to be done with the feed motion.
Thirdly. Giving the needle a half turn or thereabouts during its upward or out-
ward stroke for casting off the loop of the thread, as set forth.

page_text: Fourthly. The mode and means here set forth for holding the presser foot during
the tightening of the stitch.
Fifthly. The finger or equivalent pait or parts for holding the work firmly
against the last or sole whilst the straight needle passes through, and being then
released, as set forth.
Sixthly. The means here set forth for holding the work in any required position
while being operated upon.
And, Seventhly. The construction of the thread carrier, and the mode of operating
the same, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Cutlan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JAMES OUTLAN.
(145.)

page_text: DISCLAIMER AND MEMORANDUM OF ALTERATION of parts of the
Specification of the said Patent proposed to be entered by the said James
Cutlan.
WHEREAS since the filing of the Specification of the said Patent I have been
advised that certain defects exist in the Specification, mainly owing to errors of
omission and commission per incuriam, both in the written description and in the
Drawing, and which errors have a tendency to obscure the description of the nature
of the Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed.
I, the said James Cutlan, for the reasons aforesaid, am desirous of disclaiming and
amending certain parts of my said Specification and of the Drawing accompanying
and
A
certain words and otherwise
A
the same, and do hereby disclaim strike out and amend the said Specification as
follows, that is to say :-
In the introductory part of the Specification, which sets out the nature of the
Invention under seven heads, in order to remove a repetition, I alter, at line 48,
page 3, in the printed copy of the Specification published by the Commissioners of
Patents, "it" to "its," and strike out the words "upper end," and at line 1, page 4,
I alter the word "co-operate" to "co-operating."
The fourth head of the Invention, for the purpose of rendering the same more
clear, I alter by inverting some of the words in lines 5 and 6 of page 4, and altering
others in line 6. Thus after the word "revolve," in line 5, I make it read "in its
return stroke above the work upon its vertical axis," &c., and the words "not
catch" I replace by "release." I also strike out the word "again."
In the seventh head of the Invention I make the correction at line 17 of "a
cam "instead of "cams."
To remove discrepancies in the Drawing I strike out Fig. 1, and I alter the
references of the several Figures to accord with this change. I also strike out

page_text: Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawing as superfluous or misleading, and I add details of
certain cams and other parts of the machine where further illustration has been
thought desirable. In accordance with theso changes I strike out at line 21 the
words "
a perspective view of a," and 1 draw up from the two following lines the
words " a front elevation of the upper part of the." I also strike out the word
same " and "Fig. 3," and insert the word "is" At line 24 I alter "Fig. 4" to
"Fig. 3 is."
At line 26 I alter the references " 5, 6, and 7, to "4, 5, and 6." At
line 31, after the letter "R," I insert the words "jointed to a crank lever," and at
line 32, after the words "ratchet wheel ³," I insert the words "(see Fig. 5)." At
line 35, instead of "against " I insert "towards." At line 40 I change the reference
"4" to "8" At line 46 I change the reference Figuro
A
"8" and
Figure "2" to "1," and at line 47, after the word "so" I strike out the super-
fluous word "formed." At line 49 I alter the word "another" to "a cam," and
strike out the word "again." At line 50, after the word "engaged" I insert "(see
Fig. 2a)." At line 6, page 5, after the words "from a "I insert the words " pin
projecting from a." At line 7 I alter the reference from_ "5" to "4." At line 8 I
alter the word "on" to "in." At line 11 I alter Figure "3" to "2" At the end
of line 12 I strike out the word "horizontal," and after the word "rotation" in
line 13 I insert the words "of the needle." At line 15 I alter the reference from
"3" to "2" At line 17 I alter the letters "G, G," to "G" and "G" respectively.
At line 20 I strike out the words "and the" and insert the capital letter "A." At
line 21, after "permit," I insert the word "of." At line 22 I alter the reference
letter "B" to "B" At line 23, after the word "upon," I insert "the," and alter
the letter "G" to "G" At line 31 the sentence commencing "The tension of,”-
and ending at line 33, I strike out the same, being a 'misdirection, and in place®
thereof I insert the following description of the mechanism which constitutes the
seventh head of the Invention, and forms the subject of the fifth claim :—
*L (see Figures 1 and 6) is the presser finger for holding the upper of the boot
or shoe firmly against the sole while the work is being pierced by the needle. This
finger is carried by a crank shaft L³, to one end of which is jointed a forked rod L³,
the fork of which embraces and slides upon the cam shaft K. This sliding rod carries
a bowle, which enters the groove of a cam L³, and receives therefrom a slight
reciprocating motion, which is imparted to the presser finger L. Thus by means of this
cam the finger is held firmly against the work while the sewing is proceeding, and
is withdrawn to permit of the feed action taking place."
At line 34 I alter the Figure "4" to "3." I also strike out the second claim
contained in lines 54 and 55, the same being unintelligible. In page 6, line 1, I
alter the fourth claim by inserting after "holding' the words "down or locking,".
to render the meaning more clear. I also alter the numbers of the claims to make
them run on consecutively from the first, when the Specification will stand as
follows:-
My Invention relates,—
Firstly. To the construction and mounting of two vertical convex feed wheels
together (to sustain the shoe to be sewed) upon a horizontal shaft having its
bearings in the frame of the machine, the outer one of said feed wheels being
rigidly fixed upon the outer end of the shaft, while the other is loose upon and has
a limited amount of play along the length of the shaft, and yields from the direction
of the outer wheel elastically against the force of a spiral spring seated on the
shaft.
Secondly.. To constructing a thread carrier with such form, and mounting it upon
a bearing in such a manner, that it will carry the thread in its upper end within the
recess in the feed wheels, as herein-before mentioned, and have four separate and'
distinct movements caused by the action of other devices upon its end, as herein-
after more fully described.
Thirdly. To the combination of two other shafts mounted in the frame, one above
the other, their cams and other auxiliary parts co-operating to produce the four
separate movements of the thread carrier herein-before mentioned.

page_text: Fourthly. To a combination of devices, by means of which the needle when it
has made its downward thrust through the work, and has caught the thread below
it upon its barb, is made to revolve in its return stroke above the work upon its
vertical axis half way around, in order that the barb may release the loop and
then to revolve back to its original position before making another downward
thrust.
Fifthly. To a combination of devices by which the vertical presser is operated in
such a manner that its lower end or foot exerts a constant elastic pressure down
upon the work, and at the instant of the upward or return movement of the needle
bar it is grasped and held firmly in position until the stitch is pulled in, when it is
released again, as herein-after more fully described.
Sixthly. To a combination of parts constituting a frame swinging horizontally for
the convenient support of the work while being sewed, and holding it against the
feed wheels, as herein-after more fully described.
Seventhly. To a combination of devices which is known as the presser finger, its
bearing being in the frame of the machine, being worked by a cam and moving
between the feed wheels pressing the upper of boot or shoe against the sole until
the needle passes through, and then being removed at a given time, herein-after
more fully described.
In the accompanying Drawings,-
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the upper part of the machino embodying
these improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the swinging frame, and a central longitudinal ver-
tical section of the feed wheels, shafts, and other necessary parts. Figures 4, 5, and
6 are detail views of devices embraced in the same
OVCI
The letter A, wherever it occurs, indicates the frame of the machine.
Motion is imparted to all the operative parts by means of a band, a pulley F on
main shaft B, which imparts motion in the same direction to the lowermost shaft K.,
by means of the pinions E and I and the intermediate gear G, and by means of the
cam wheel i, and the connecting rod R jointed to a crank lever, provided with a
ratchet pawle working in a ratchet wheel 3 (see Fig. 5); the shaft B by every
revolution turns a shaft E¹ a few degrees in the feeding direction, thus affording the
feed motion required. The spiral spring e on the shaft E', between the hub of feed
wheel N and the frame, presses the wheel N towards a feed wheel O, and such
pressure may, of course, be regulated as required, and thus the feed wheel N
be adjusted as required by the character of the work to be done. The pin c¹ in the
same shaft E¹ prevents the feed wheel from turning upon it, and the slot at this
place in the hub of the feed wheel N allows the play upon the shaft before
mentioned
may
In Fig. 3 is shown an annular recess in the interior of feed wheels N and O,
extending around the shaft E¹; the thread carrier T stands within the recess, and
is so curved edgewise that its upper end or tip may stand directly over its lower
end and over the shaft, and make its side and edge movements without touching
the shaft.
The thread carrier is mounted upon its support W, and is hinged thereto by
means of a pin, as shewn at Fig. 1; and the body of that support extends into a
cam recess, formed in the periphery of the cam P, so as to vibrate the thread carrier
in a direction parallel to the shaft E. To produce vibration at right angles thereto,
a cam recess is formed in the back of the cam P, within which a projection from the
thread carrier support is engaged (see Fig. 2a), so as to produce the necessary cross
motion; and by these means the carrier T is vibrated inwardly and outwardly, so
as to pass entirely round the needle when it-is-at the bottom of its stroke.
The top end of the carrier is bent over in the direction of the front of the
machine so as to form a right angle with its side, and that tip thus formed is pierced
with a vertical hole for the thread which is passed up from the spool below. Now
when a stitch is to be made, the needle is thrust down through the leather, and the

page_text: .
carrier makes its outward movement and draws the thread past the needle above
its notch and barb and then makes its edgewise movement at right angles with the
line of the first and wraps the thread partly around the needle, which then upon its
upward or return movement catches the thread on its barb and pulls it up through
the leather and forms the stitch.
bar
A
The needle B¹ bearing the needle receives its vertical reciprocating motion from
a pin projecting from a cam M. In order to partially rotate the needle bar it passes
through a toothed wheel R¹, Fig. 4, and is keyed thereto by a slip feather and
groove so that it cannot turn on the wheel but is free to reciprocate vertically
therein, and a toothed sector N' is pivotted at a, on a projection of the frame to
gear with the toothed wheel R¹, and the sector is provided with a friction roller T³,
which is made to work in a suitably formed slot in the cam M (see Fig. 2) on
shaft B, and these parts are so arranged with respect to each other that the partial
rotation of the needle shall begin and end exactly when desired with respect to the
vertical action of the needle bar.
The device for operating the presser foot C consists of a spring lever S (Fig. 2),
the back end of which is held down by a plate spring upon the upper end of a
bar G¹ which is connected at G with cam H on shaft B, while the other end of the
lever S is provided with a hollow vertical arm or elbow D which loosely encloses the
upper portion of the presser bar C which is held in its vertical position by the
frame through which it passes. A spring lever holds the foot of the bar down
upon the work with an elastic pressure that will permit of the feed movement, but
just before the upward or return movement of the needle bar B¹³ the action of the
cam H upon the rod G¹ forces up the rear end of the spring lever S, and causes the
forward end of that lever by its hollow arm to grasp and hold firmly the upper end
of the presser bar C with its lower end upon the work against the return movement
of the needle until the stitch is pulled in and releases it again. The cam is formed
and fixed of course in such a manner that this action shall take place at the proper
time.
The grasping action of the hollow elbow D upon the upper portion of the presser
bar C is due to the change in the direction of the elbow in respect to the presser
bar, which causes a pinching action between them. L (see Figures 1 and 6) is the
presser finger for holding the upper of the boot or shoe firmly against the sole while
the work is being pierced by the needle. This finger is carried by a crank shaft L³,
to one end of which is jointed a forked rod L³, the fork of which embraces and slides
upon the cam shaft K. This sliding rod carries a bowle, which enters the groove of
a cam L³ and receives therefrom a slight reciprocating motion which is imparted to
the presser finger L. Thus, by means of this cam, the finger is held firmly against
the work while the sewing is proceeding, and is withdrawn to permit of the feed
action taking place.
A side view of the swinging frame, herein-before mentioned, is represented_in
Fig. 3. The bar U has one end inserted in the last in the shoe, and upon the bar
are seated two spiral springs, U¹ and U³, and between them is a sleeve J, which is
connected by a hinge joint with a vertical bar J', which, in its turn, is adjustably
connected with a horizontal crane bar U³, which is provided with a brace or strut U³,
and both bar and brace are piyotted to the main frame and swing freely back and
forth in front of the machine.
By means of adjustable connections between the bar U and the horizontal bar the
inclination of the bar U may be changed as may be required to suit different kinds
of work. The convex surfaces of the feed wheels N and O are milled or otherwise
roughened to prevent the work slipping upon them. I am aware that a needle
receiving about a quarter turn in the up stroke and similarly in the down stroke
has heretofore been proposed to be employed for boot sewing machines.
"
And having thus fully described the nature of this Invention, 1 declare that I
claim as applied to sewing machines for what is technically called "turn or "pump"
work in the shoemaking trade,-

page_text: Firstly. Constructing a sewing machine without a bed or plate as heretofore used
for the work to rest on or against while being operated upon, and to make use
instead thereof of the feeding appliance as. herein-before set forth.
Secondly: Giving the needle a half turn or thereabouts during its upward or out-
ward stroke for casting off the loop of the thread, as set forth.
Thirdly. The mode and means here set forth for holding down or locking the
presser foot during the tightening of the stitch.
Fourthly. The finger or equivalent part or parts for holding the work firmly
against the last or sole whilst the straight needle passes through, and being then
released, as set forth.
Fifthly. The means here set forth for holding the work in any required position
while being operated upon.
And, Sixthly. The construction of the thread carrier and the mode of operating the
same, as set forth.
-
In witness whereof, I, the said James Cutlan, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Tenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.