Stitching or Finishing Button Holes in Cloth and other Materials.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20 h Sept., 1888
Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1889
Stitching or Finishing Button Holes in Cloth and other Materials.
We ELMER FLETCHER of Needham in the County of Norfolk, in the State of
Massachusetts one of the United States of America and GEORGE WALLINGFORD
HILLS of Boston in the County of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts aforesaid 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:
This Invention has for its object the construction of a novel and simple attachment
for application to usual Sewing machines and by which to stitch material held and
moved by a clamp to form the worked edge of a button hole, the button hole
produced by means of the said attachment having an enlarged eye at its outer end
which is strengthened in and across the centre line of the said enlarged eye by
stitches superimposed or accumulated at that point, as will be described.
Straight button holes are commonly barred, as it is called, by stitching across
the end of the button hole, but prior to our invention we are not aware that a
button hole having an enlarged rounded eye has been stayed at the central part of
the enlarged eye, or at the extremity of the button hole where the greatest strain
falls.
Our invention in attachment for holding and moving material to be stitched for
button holes consists in an attachment which includes the following instrumentali-
ties, viz., a bed plate; a vibratory actuating lever a cloth clamp or holder one.
member or part of which contains teeth surrounding a button hole shaped slot, a
rocker block against which one part of the said clamp is pressed; a shaft a toothed
gear to move the said cloth clamp for a distance to correspond with the length of
the stitch; means to rotate the said gear intermittently an over edge or depth
stitch cam; means to actuate it intermittingly; and a lever moved by the said
cam to vibrate the cloth clamp to move laterally under the needle the material
held by the clamp and to be stitched for the production of the depth stitch, or
the stitch back from what is to be the edge of the button hole as will be described.

page_text: Also, in an attachment for use in sewing machines, an elbow lever composed of
two arms adjustably connected together whereby the bifurcated end of the lever
may be adjusted to fit any usual form of nut on the needle. bar of the sewing
machine on which the attachment will be placed.
Our invention further consists in that improvement in the art or method of
making button holes which includes clamping the material, stitching the same to
form one straight side for the button hole, then an enlarged eye portion for the
outer end of the button hole, and a second straight portion for the second or opposite
side of the button hole, the stitches forming the end of the said enlarged eye in
the line of the center of the button hole being shortened in the direction of the
length of the button hole, and superimposed or crossed back and forth, substantially
as described, in the line of the slit in the button hole thereby accumulating the
thread directly at the edge of the button hole at the extremity of the said enlarged
eye and strengthening the button hole where the strain therein is to be the greatest,
substantially as set forth.
Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of a button hole stitching attachment embodying our
invention, part of the covering plate being removed.
Fig. 2 is a front side elevation of the attachment shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a tranverse section in the line X Fig. 1 the actuating lever for the
attachment being broken off.
Fig. 4 a detail of the friction clutch for rotating the shaft and gear to regulate the
length of stitch in the direction of the length of the button hole..
Fig. 5 a detail showing the pawl and pawl carrier and ratchet wheel employed
in rotating the depth stitch cam, the Fig. being a section below the dotted line X
Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a detail to be referred to.
Fig. 7 an under side view of the clamping plate and the pinion for moving it,
the pinion being shown as in position to commence the stitching of a button hole.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are respectively sections of Fig. 7 in the line X2, X3, X*, but
with the clamping plate right side up.
Fig. 11 is a partial plan view of the upper side of the base plate of the
attachment.
Fig. 12 a detail of the pawl carrier detached.
Fig. 13 shows one of the spring pins detached.
Fig. 14 an underside view of lever e³, Fig. 14" a view of link f...
Fig. 15 an: underside view of the base plate with part of the holding projection
broken away.
Figs. 16. 17. 18. are diagrams illustrating the method of stitching a button hole as
produced by us to bar the large end of the eye, the Fig. 17 showing the stitch at the
face of the button hole very much enlarged.
Fig. 19 a separate view of the depth stitch cam.
Fig. 20 a separate view of the shaft d and its attached nut and pinion.
Fig. 21 is a detail view of the shank 6, cam finger 6 and rack 6º.
The base plate a has erected upon it at one side a standard a¹ which supports the
fulcrum pin a² on which turns loosely the actuating lever a shaped like a bell
crank and having at the end of its longer arm a notch or fork, one portion of the
fork being composed of an auxiliary arin as a which is attached to the main arm by
a pivot as, the two portions of the arm being embraced by a block a having a set
screw a by which to confine the auxiliary arm in position, with relation to the main
arm in order to adapt the opening of the forked end of the actuating lever to the
size of the nut projecting from the needle bar of the machine upon which the attach-
ment is to be used and by which nut and needle bar the lever is to be moved to operate
the attachment.
The base plate a has upon it an overlapping guide as and just back of it a projec-
tion a' which supports and holds rigidly one end of a spring a which normally acts
at its free end against the lower member of the clamping plate to be described.
The plate a has a needle hole a", and a projection a¹ upon which is mounted loosely

page_text: by a screw a¹³ a spring actuated detent -The plate a also has in it a hole as a
to. receive and act as a guide for the lower end of the shaft d, and the plate also has
three small holes for the reception of three spring pins 2, 3, 4 one of which is shown
separately in Figure 13 the said spring pins being all alike each as represented being
composed of wire having one end bent up as in said Fig. the longer portion of the
said wire spring pins being laid in like slots 5 at the under side of the plate, see
Fig. 15, and being retained therein by upsetting or turning over portions of the walls
of the slot the metal as at a (Fig. 15) by a punch to partially embrace the wire near
its rear end leaving the upturned or spring pin end free to rise and fall.
The plate a, at its under side, has attached to it the holding plate a" which enters
the groove usually occupied by the shuttle race slide when the attachment is not in
in use.
At the upper side of plate a is a guide stud 6 and a screw stud 7, a small slot 8,
and as shown four like threaded pillars 9, the latter receiving like screws 10, employed
to retain the attachment cover c in place upon and to conceal the main working parts
of the attachment.
The cloth holding clamp consists essentially of the plate having at its front end a
slot as while from near its rear end to near the centre of its length it has a button
hole-shaped-slot as the straight sides of which present a series of fine teeth as 12, 12×
while the rounded end of the said slot has a series of teeth 13, the row of teeth 12, 12×
at opposite sides of the slot being substantially parallel, while the teeth 13 occupy a
little more than a semi-circle. The plate below its toothed edges, is sufficiently
cut out as shown in Fig. 7 to form a recess for the reception of a block 63 shown
separately in Fig. 6 and in section Fig. 9. having rising from it a screw 6x, which, at
a point above the upper side of the plate, receives upon it the shank 64 of a cam
finger the said shank having connected with it the shifting rack which is engaged
by the pinion when the stitching is being carried across and to finish the small end
of the button hole.
:
The shank referred to also carries a little spring as the bent end of which enters
between the spaces of the teeth 12 when the shank and the shifting rack 6° (shewn
in detail Fig. 21) are adjusted upon the plate band within the slot 2 longitudinally
or in the direction of the length of the button hole, such adjustment being made
from time to time according to the length of the button hole to be made.
The block and shank referred to are confined in adjusted position by the thumb
nut 18.
The plate has attached to it by screws 19, a forked spring plate as to which
is connected loosely by pins or pivets the foot plate 613 the shape of which in
cross section is best shown in Fig. 10, it acting to crowd the material to be stitched
partially into the slot and holding it firmly to the plate 6 while the stitching takes
place, the spring plate being at such time forced down in usual manner by a
clamping lever as 4 pivoted on a post 6,15, but instead of the clamping lever I may
use any other well known or equivalent device.
Referring now to the under side of the plate it will be noticed that near its inner
end the said plate is cut away to form passage ways 20, 21, partially surrounding
cam blocks or tongues 22, 23 integral with the plate .
The upturned end of the spring in practice acts against the inner edge of the
plate b at a point substantially opposite the centre of the pinion when the plate is
being moved outwardly or in the direction of the arrow 26, Fig. 1, to stitch the first
straight side of the button hole and about at the time that the stitching of the-round
eye of the button hole is to be commenced the said upturned end passes the round or
larger end of the block or switch 22 and enters the groove 20 see Fig. 7.
As the plate is being moved in the direction described to stitch the first half of the
button hole from its small inner towards its larger outer rounded end. the upturned
end of the said spring 3 acts to keep the pinion d'in engagement with the teeth 12
of the plate 6, and at this time the upturned end of the spring 2 is acted upon by the
plain portion 28, see Fig. 7, of the under side of the plate band is held down so that
the said upturned end of the said spring 2 cannot project up through and above the

page_text: top of the plate a, but as the plate in its movement in the direction of the
arrows 26 & 29 travels for enough to carry the shoulder 31 past the upturned end of
the spring 2 the latter immediately rises through the plate a against the inner wall of
the switch or block 23 so that the upturned ends of the two springs 3 and 2 both
projecting above the plate are passed simultaneously by the outer or rounded ends of the
said blocks or switches 22 and 23, the end of the spring 2 passing into the groove 21
just as the end of the spring 3 passes out of the groove 20, the ends of the said
springs being left in such position as the rear end of the plate is being moved
laterally by the pinion d' then in engagement with the semi-circular series of teeth 13,
and when the plate has been moved as far as the pinion d in engagement with the
teeth 13 can move it, the teeth of the said pinion d' come into mesh with teeth 12×
at the opposite side of the slot 2, the purpose of the upturned ends of the said
springs 2 & 3 being to act upon the plate bin such manner as to keep the pinion d
in engagement with the teeth 12 & 13 and 12* the ends of both springs resting
against the enlarged rounded ends of the blocks 22, 23 when the pinion d is in
engagement with the series of semi-circular teeth 13 & acting to move the plate b, so
that. the needle of the sewing machine cooperating with any usual under thread
carrier produces the. stitches which make the finish for the outer end of the button
hole which outer end is enlarged or made circular or nearly so in shape to constitute
an enlarged eye as will be described.
When the plate 6 is moved in the direction opposite the arrows 26 & 29 the
upturned end of the spring 2 first acts upon the outer side of the projection 23
and follows along the outer edge 42 of the plate until the said upturned end 2
strikes the inclined end of the depressing finger which pushes the said. end
down below the plate a and during this same movement of the plate in the direc-
tion of the arrow 29 the upturned end of spring 3 is kept against the inner side
of the projection 22 until the plate in its movement brings the shoulder 33
against the upturned end of the said spring 3, when the latter is also depressed,
this happening however before the upturned end of the spring 2 is acted upon by
the finger 6. As the finger acts as described the wedge part 44 of the block
acts upon the upturned end of the spring 4, slightly depressing it so that in the
further movement of the plate & block the upturned end of spring 4 enters
the cross slot 45 of the said block. This happens just as the teeth of the gear
leave the teeth 12 to engage the teeth 12* ready to commence a second button hole.
The pinion d as it leaves the teeth 12× engages the few teeth at the end of the
shifting rack and as a result thereof moves the plate bin such direction laterally
as to enable the small end of the button hole to be stitched across.
The guide pin 6 (see Fig. 1) receives upon it the slotted fulcrum plate e which also
embraces the screw stud 7, the said fulcrum plate having at its right hand end the
thumb piece e and a right angle projection in which is held rigidly the fulcrum
pin e, the latter entering a slot as 36 in the slotted levere having at its outer end
a roll e adapted to turn about a pivot e³.
The lever has at its under side a pin e, see Fig. 14, which enters the sinall
slot in the plate a the said pin and slot preventing any longitudinal movement of
the slotted lever e³.
The plate e has adjustable on it a rocker block 46 against which the spring a
presses the opposite edge of the plate b. Adjustment of the plate e longitudinally
causes the movable fulcrum e" to be placed nearer to or farther from the rocker
block 46 thus shortening or lengthening the throw of that end of the said lever
carrying the rocker block, the less the throw the narrower the depth stitch and
vice-versa.
The short arm of the actuating lever a³ has connected to it loosely a slotted link f
apon which are placed and held in an adjustable manner by suitable screws, two
blocks or stops ff", see Fig. 14".
The slot.between these two blocks receives the outer end of a pawl carrying lever f³.
shown separately in Fig. 12, the said lever having two cars as 50, 51, in one of which is
screwed an adjusting screw 52, the lever having also pivoted upon it a spring pressed

page_text: pawl 53 the inner end of which as the pawl carrying lever is moved by or through
the link engages a ratchet toothed wheel y having fast to it the depth stitch cam g':
see Figs. 1 and 19, loose on the shaft d just above the pinion d¹ fast on the said shaft,
and before referred to.
The shaft d has fast on it a friction hub 3 which is surrounded by a friction
clutch d having a tail piece which tail piece during the vibrations of the pawl
carrying lever is acted upon by the lug 50 and then by the feed regulating screw 52
to thus vibrate the said friction clutch and cause it during its movement by the lug 50
to bite the hub d and rotate the shaft d far enough to cause the pinion to move
the plate the distance desired for one stitch, the friction clutch during the
opposite movement of the tail piece being acted upon by the said screw 52 at which
time the clutch moves upon the hub, but does not rotate it.
By adjusting the screw 52 in the ear 51 the movement of the friction clutch may
be made more or less according to the length of stitch required.
Above the hub d³ the shaft is surrounded by a friction washer or plate, shown by
a heavy black line in Fig. 3, which washer is pressed upon firmly by a spring
connected to the under side of the cover plate the said spring being forced against.
the said friction washer and the latter against the hub 3 when the screws 10 are
turned in to confine the plate e in position.
C
We do not desire to limit our invention to any particular construction of friction
clutch, but may use any usual form of clutch such as employed in sewing and
other machines for imparting an intermitting rotation to a shaft, the said friction
clutch being an ordinary substitute for a ratchet and pawl movement.
As herein shown the ratchet tooth wheel y has eighteen teeth, and the depth-stitch
cam g has teeth and spaces which taken together correspond in number with the
teeth of the said ratchet.
During the rotation of the depth-stitch cam g, step by step, the projections and
spaces at the periphery of the said cam come alternately in contact with the roller e
which causes the lever to be moved about its fulcrum so that the adjustable rocker
block 46 thereon is made to act upon the outer edge of the plate b opposite that edge
which is acted upon by the spring a £hus vibrating the cloth clamp, sufficiently to
produce the over edge or depth-stitch.
The pawl carrier 3 which carries the pawl for moving the ratchet to vibrate the
depth-stitch cam,
also acts during its stroke in one direction to effect the movement
of the clutch d to regulate the length of the stitch, the pawl carrier f³ in its back-
ward movement rotating neither the depth stitch cam nor the hub d³ for the needle is
then down but as the pawl carrier is moved in the opposite direction both the depth
stitch cam and the hub d are moved in unison to not only move the cloth clamp.
longitudinally but also vibrate the cloth clamp as by the action of the said cam g¹
against the said roller et.
The adjustment of the lever e effects the extent of vibration of the cloth clamp as
the latter is moved by the depth-stitch cam, we have made the rocker block 46 adjustable
on the lever e³ and by adjusting the said block it is possible to give more or less throw
to the outer end of the clamp to enable the distance between the stitching along the
sides of the button hole to present a greater or less space between them according to
the character of the goods and the width desired for the depth stitch.
The vibrating movement of the clamp for the depth-stitch and controlled by the
depth-stitch cam, is continued from the commencement to the completion of the
button hole, but while the gear engages the teeth 13 the longitudinal motion of
the cloth clamp is made slower and slower gradually ceasing about as the needle arrives
at the centre line of the button hole when the longitudinal movement of the clamp is
as gradually increased and as a result thereof the stitches at the immediate end of
the enlarged eye are superimposed as shown in Fig. 18 and the stitches are carried
back and forth across the centre line of the eye of the button hole thus accumulating
the stitches at such point and barring and strengthening the enlarged outer end of
the eye at its centre which is the weakest point.
In our invention herein contained see Figs. 16, 17, 18 the tension at the needle
Love

page_text: thread 6× is supposed to be in excess of that put upon the shuttle thread c*, so that
the needle thread in the finished button hole is left at the edge of the button hole at
the face side of the material, see Figure 17 and as a result thereof the shuttle thread
is drawn up through the material at each ascent of the needle by the needle thread,
and the latter holds closely together the loops of under thread.
The slit for the button hole is cut the material after the stitching has been
finished. In illustration of my invention the material a* held in a suitable clamp
preferably such as referred to, is placed under an eye pointed needle with which
co-operates a complimental under thread carrying device such as a shuttle or
hook.
il
The needle descends through the material at the inner or small end of the button
hole as at 1 then at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 &c. at substantially equal distances apart, until, as
herein shewn, the needle arrives, at about the point 31 where the enlargement for
the eye is started, the stitching thereafter following in a curved line to form one
half of the enlargement for the eye at the outer end of the button hole, the move-
.ment of the material in the direction of the length of the button hole, being
gradually shortened until the needle reaches the center of the enlarged end of the
button hole at which time the length of the stitch is practically nothing.
The needle having reached the central part of the said eye, some stitches are
taken across the center and end of the eye to strengthen it and then the stitching
for the opposite side of the. eye is performed, the stitches being gradually increased
in length until they arrive at the straight side of the button hole where the stitches
are again of uniform length while the second siraight side is being stitched.
the
This gradual shortening and super-imposing of the stitches at the extremity of the
large part of the eye of the button hole, effects a most important result viz.:
button hole is strengthened at its point of greatest strain, and wear.
By referring to the Drawing Fig. 16 it will be noticed that the stitches from the
point 40 to the point 47 indicating punctures of the needle, decrease in length.
When the needle arrives at the point 43 the feed motion of the material is
practically suspended and the needle at its next descent penetrates the material at 44
substantially at the center line of the button hole, but at its next descent the
needle penetrates the material at the point 45 at the right hand side of the said
center, next the needle descends at 46 across the center line of the button hole,
then back again across the center line descending at 47, then again across the center line
descending at 48, and then again back to the point 49 which is substantially at the
center of the button hole as well as the center of the eye, and then the needle descends
penetrating the materiai at 50, 51 &c. Fig. 16, the stitch being gradually lengthened
until the needle arrives at the point 53, after which the length of the stitches made
along the right hand side of the button hole, or its second sides, are substantially the
same until the needle arrives at the point 90 when the length of stitch is somewhat
shortened, the stitches 91 and 92 being taken practically into the holes made by the
first and second punctures of the needle. In the diagram Fig. 16 it will be noticed
that the depth stitches from the right hand of the side of the eye, to and across the
center of the eye to the left are longer as from 43 to 44 and 45 to 46 and 47 to 48
and 49 to 50, than the return stitches to the right, as 44 to 45, and 46 to 47, and
48 to 49. The depth-stitches, or the stitches from the inner to the outer side of the
button hole are substantially the same in length except as they are modified, due to
the elliptical movement which is given to the material."
We have herein shown a button hole requiring 92 stitches but it will be obvious
that the button hole may have more or less stitches according to its length and the
length of stitch, the stitch in practice being quite short so that the stitching completely
covers the material thereunder. It is also obvious that the length of the eye or
enlarged portion of the outer end of the button hole may vary more or less according
to taste. We do not desire to limit our Invention to putting the most tension on the
needle thread, and should the most tension be put on the shuttle thread it would
draw the needle thread so that it lying on the face of the material would show as does
the shuttle thread in Fig. 17.

page_text: 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:
1. In a button hole attachment for sewing machines, the following instrumentalities
vis. a bed plate; an actuating lever; a cloth clamp or holder, one member or part of
which contains teeth as 12, 13, 12*, surrounding a button hole shaped slot; a rocker
block against which one part of the said clamp is pressed; a shaft a toothed gear
therein to engage the said teeth as 12, 13, 12x, and move the cloth clamp for a.
distance to correspond with the length of the stitch; means to rotate the said gear
intermittingly an over-edge or depth stitch cam; means to actuate it intermittingly ;..
and a lever moved by the said cam and vibrating the said cloth clamp to move the
material for the depth stitch substantially as described.
2. The Sewing Machine attachment actuating elbow lever composed of two arms.
or parts adjustably connected together to permit the space between the forked arms at.
the outer end of the said lever to be changed in size substantially as described.
3. That improvement in the art or method of stitching button-holes which includes.
clamping the material, stitching the same to form one straight side for the button.
bole, then an enlarged eye-portion for the outer end of the button hole, and a second
straight portion for the second or opposite side of the button hole, the stitches forming
the end of the said enlarged eye in the line of the center of the button hole being
shortened in the direction of the length of the button-hole and super-imposed or
crossed back and forth, substantially as described in the line of the slit in the button
hole thereby accumulating the thread directly at the edge of the button hole at the
extremity of the said enlarged eye and strengthening the button hole where the strain.
therein is to be the greatest substantially as set forth.
Dated the 20th day of Sentember 1888.