Improvements in Shoe Sewing and Seam Finishing Machinery.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shoe Sewing and Seam Finishing Machinery.
A communication from abroad by THE INTERNATIONAL GOODYEAR SHOE MACHINERY
COMPANY, of 100 to 104, Bedford Street, Boston, State of Massachusetts,
United States of America.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 & 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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:.
My invention relates to shoe sewing machines, and more particularly to such
machines having means for separating or separating and indenting the stitches
during the operation of sewing the sole to the welt.
It has heretofore been proposed to provide sewing machines, employing a
straight needle, with a stitch separating and indenting attachment, but in such
machines the stitch separating and indenting attachment is carried by and
derives its motion from the regular movements of the stitch forming mechanisms,
thereby adding increased strain and wear to the parts of such mechanisms, rendering
them liable to get out of order, and decreasing the capacity of the machine.
The object of the present invention is to remove the objections above noted,
to provide a construction by means of which it is rendered practical to combine
a stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting mechanism with stitch
forming mechanism embodying a curved needle, and further to generally improve
this class of machines and increase the accuracy and speed of their operation.
To the above end my present invention consists of shoe sewing mechanism
comprising a needle, presser foot and feed as combined with a stitch separating
or stitch separating and indenting mechanism, operating independently of the
shoe sewing mechanism.
My invention further consists of the combination with a stitch forming
mechanism comprising a curved needle, of a stitch separating, or stitch separating
and indenting mechanism, and of the several devices and combination of devices
hereinafter set forth and described.
A preferred form of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the same.
Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof looking towards the left of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of said machine.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevation, a front elevation and a
plan of the stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting tool,
Figure 7 is a plan of the work support or table,
Figure 8 is a transverse section of the work support or table on the line 2-2
on Fig. 7,
Figure 9 shows one of the studs which sustains the stitch separating, or stitch
separating and indenting attachment,

page_text: Figure 10 is a diagram, illustrating a section of stitched material cut parallel
to the line of stitching, showing the position of the stitch separator or stitch
separator and indenter between the finished and the partially formed stitches in
the work.
Figure 11 is a similar view illustrating the stitch separator or stitch separator
and indenter in the material between the last two completed stitches in the work.
Figure 12 is a transverse section of the work support or table and the work,
showing the stitch separator, or stitch separator and indenter in the position it
occupies when in the work.
The stitch forming mechanism shown in the drawings, except as hereinafter
noted, is substantially the same as that embodied in the Goodyear sole-sewing
machine, shown and described in Patent No. 7793 granted to the present
applicant, dated Apr. 26, 1892, to which patent reference may be had for any
information relative to parts
of the sewing machine not shown in the
accompanying drawings.
In the drawing A³ represents a small portion of the fixed frame of the head of the
machine in which is set the stud b, upon which is mounted loosely the needle
carrying segment 61, to which is secured the curved hooked needle 62, in the same
manner as shown and described in the patent before referred to.
B3 is a slide fitted to a suitable guide way, (not shown), so as to be movable
horizontally to feed the work, and provided at its inner end with the upright or
arm B, having set in its upper end the fixed stud a, upon which is mounted
loosely the awl segment a¹, to which is secured the curved awl a²; and d is the
work support secured to the frame A³ in a fixed position, and is provided with
the usual throat for the passage of the awl and needle.
e is a bearing stud upon which is mounted loosely the elbow shaped lever e¹,
to which is secured at its front end the presser foot e², and at e30, the arm e³.
The frame work of the machine has a suitable stud m, upon which is mounted
the thread lifter lever m¹, only a portion of which is herein shown.
A¹ is a portion of the main shaft having secured thereto the cam wheel B,
in which is formed the cam path B¹.
The parts so far described are or may be constructed and operate substantially
as shown and described in the patent before referred to, the work support, the
studs e and m, and the cam wheel B, being slightly modified to adapt them to the
new function performed by the machine.
In the patent herein before referred to, the presser foot lever e¹, was mounted
upon a stud in a boss on the stand B, and moved laterally with the said stand,
but in the Goodyear machine as now constructed, said lever is mounted upon a
stud set in some fixed portion on the frame of the machine, and has only an up
and down movement and clamps the work firmly when the stand B, the awl
segment and the awl are being moved backwards, after having fed the work,
preparatory to puncturing the work for a new stitch and feeding it another step.
The presser foot lever e¹ as embodied in said Goodyear machine as now
constructed is shown in Fig. 2. It has secured thereto the presser foot e³ which
is constructed and operates substantially as in the patented machine herein before
referred to, except that it has no lateral movement, and is arranged to clamp
the work firmly while the needle is in the work and the feed mechanism is being
retracted as above described.
While I have described the stitch forming mechanism of my machine as being
substantially the mechanism of the patent referred to herein, I wish it to be
distinctly understood that my invention is not limited thereto for the reason
that it is broadly new so far as I am now aware of the state of the art, to
combine a stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting mechanism with
a stitch forming mechanism comprising a curved needle, or further, to combine
a stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting mechanism with any shoe
sewing mechanism whether employing a curved needle or a straight needle, with
its presser foot and feed in such a manner, that the stitch separating or stitch

page_text: separating and indenting mechanism shall derive its movements entirely
independently of the shoe sewing mechanism.
The stitch forming mechanism having been sufficiently described I will now
proceed to describe the mechanism for separating or separating and indenting
the stitches.
As shown in the drawings this mechanism comprises the bracket A which may
conveniently be fixed to the machine by the studs e and m, which studs are
elongated or provided with extensions such as e20 shown in Fig. 9; the bracket A,
being provided with suitable apertures or bearings which are fitted to and
suitably secured upon the said projecting ends of the studs.
Bracket A, at its upper end, is provided with bearings in which is fixed the
stud g, upon which is mounted the cam lever g¹. Bracket A, at its lower end,
carries an arm A, which may be secured thereto or formed integrally therewith.
In the end of arm A6, is formed a suitable bearing for the shank of the stitch
separating or stitch separating and indenting tool C, which is adapted to be
freely oscillated therein.
As shown in the drawings, the tool is oscillated or given its stitch separating
or stitch separating and indenting movements by the following mechanism.
The shank of the stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting tool C
is projected beyond its bearing in the arm A6, and to the end thereof is fixedly
secured, by means such as the set screw s, the arm D, in the end of which is
secured the stud D¹, upon which is mounted loosely one end of the link E, the
opposite end of the link E, being connected loosely by stud E¹, to the cam
lever g.
The cam lever may be provided with the stud g2, upon which is mounted the
roll g³, which bears against and is acted upon by the peripherial cam B³, formed
upon the cam wheel B, to impart motion to said cam lever, the end of the lever
being held against the cam B5, by the spring 94, one end of which bears against
some fixed part of the frame and the other end thereof against the lever g¹.
The stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting tool C as shown, is
preferably yoke shaped and has formed thereon at one end the round shank C¹,
which fits in a bearing in arm A6 of the bracket A, as before described; the
other end of the yoke carrying a down turned arm upon which is formed the stitch
separating or stitch separating and indenting point C2 (shewn clearly in
Figs. 4-6.)
The yoke shaped form of the tool C, is desirable in connection with the
stitch forming mechanism hereinbefore referred to, in order to give necessary
clearance to the several parts of the said stitch forming mechanism, but it is
obvious that the form of said tool will be controlled by the character and mode
of operation of the particular stitch forming mechanism with which said tool
is employed.
The work support d, is fixed in suitable position for co-operation with the
presser foot, in clamping the work during the formation of a stitch and the
separation or separation and indentation of the stitches. The support d, has
the usual throat or aperture for the passage of the needle and awl, and upon
its upper surface it is provided with a recess d¹, of sufficient length and depth
to allow for the necessary adjustment of, and the free passage of the point C³
of the separating or separating and indenting tool C, when in operation.
The recess d' also accommodates the point C2 of said tool and permits it to find
a resting place below the work bearing surface of the work support d, where it
temporarily dwells during the time in which the work is fed and the stitch is
being formed.
The operation of my invention is as follows: The several parts of the machine
being in the positions as shown in the drawings, that is with the awl in the
work in a position to feed; the first movement caused by the revolution of the
cam shaft in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, is the feeding of the work a
distance equal to the desired length of a stitch, the presser foot is then depressed

page_text: upon the work and locked in position, and the awl withdrawn from the work
and returned to a position preparatory to puncturing the work for another stitch
during which time the needle enters the work. The next movements in order
are the forming of a stitch and drawing it into position in the work.
Directly after the stitch is set the action of the cam B5 against the roll g³,
of the cam lever g₁, will cause the opposite end of said lever to be moved down-
wards, and by its link connection with the arm 1) secured to the separating tool
will cause the wedge shaped point of said tool to move outwardly and upward in
a path at right angles to the line of feed and oblique to the surface of the work,
and indent the interval between the stitch last formed and the next partially
formed stitch in advance. When it is desired to separate the interval between
the last two completed stitches it may be performed by releasing the grip of
the set screws, in arm D against the shank of the separating tool C, where-
upon the tool C may be adjusted laterally to the desired position in order that
its end C², may be brought in line with the interval between the last two com-
pleted stitches, and fixed in such adjusted position when the desired result will
be accomplished.
The separating tool is next withdrawn from the work and the awl again
engages therewith preparatory to feeding it another step corresponding to the
length of a stitch, which operations are continued until the sewing of a piece of
work is completed and the intervals between each two contiguous stitches have
been separated or separated and indented.
I have throughout the preceding specification and following claims made use
of the terms "stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting mechanism "
and "stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting tool' and by such
terms I desire to be understood as including any mechanism, tool or device which
'will separate the stitches only, or any mechanism, tool or device which will
separate the stitches and indent the welt.
a
I desire further to say that in such types of sewing machine as embody
presser foot, I consider such presser foot as a part of the stitch forming mechanism
and my improved stitch separating or stitch separating and indenting tool, as
shown in the drawing is actuated independently thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:―
1. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism, of stitch separating
mechanism, and means independent of the parts for operating the sewing
mechanism, for operating the stitch separating mechanism upon the intervals
between the stitches to separate the stitches, substantially as described.
2. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism, of stitch separating
mechanism, and automatic means for operating the stitch separating mechanism
upon the intervals between a finished and a partially formed stitch in the work
and intermittently with the forming of said stitch, substantially as described.
3. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism comprising a presser foot, of
stitch separating mechanism independent of said presser foot or other part of
the shoe sewing mechanism, and means for automatically operating the stitch
separating mechanism upon the intervals between the stitches during the dwell
of the work in the position in which the stitch is set, substantially as described.
4. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism comprising a work support
formed and arranged to engage the crease between the upper and welt, of a
stitch separating tool, the working end of which is normally below the surface of
the work support, and means for intermittently projecting said end above the
surface of the work support, substantially as described.
5. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism comprising a work support
formed and arranged to engage the crease between the upper and welt, of a
stitch separating tool, and automatic means for intermittently projecting the

page_text: working end of said tool from a position below to a position above the work
support without contact with the upper, substantially as described.
6. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism comprising a work support
formed and arranged to engage the crease between the upper and welt and
having a recess in its work bearing surface, of a stitch separating tool, and means
for entering and withdrawing the tool from said recess, substantially
described.
as
stitch
7. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism comprising a work support
formed and arranged to engage the crease between the upper and welt and
having a laterally elongated recess in its work bearing surface, of a
separating tool, and means for entering and withdrawing the tool from said
recess, substantially as described.
8. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism, of a stitch separating tool
comprising a yoke shaped body provided with a down turned arm on which is
mounted the working end of the tool, substantially as described.
9. The combination with stitch forming mechanism, comprising a curved
needle, of a stitch separating mechanism and automatic means for operating the
stitch separating mechanism upon the intervals between the stitches to separate
the stitches, substantially as described.
10. The combination with stitch forming mechanism, comprising a curved
needle, of stitch separating mechanism, and independent actuating means for
the stitch separating mechanism, substantially as described.
11. The combination with stitch forming mechanism, comprising a curved
needle, of stitch separating mechanism, and means for actuating the stitch
separating mechanism to cause it to act upon the intervals between a finished
and a partially formed stitch, substantially as described.
a driving shaft
on said driving
12. The combination with shoe sewing mechanism and
actuating said mechanism, of a stitch separating tool, a cam
shaft, and independent connections between said cam and tool for actuating the
said tool, substantially as described.
Dated the 19th day of December 1800
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55/56, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.