I■« PROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bernoulli Barlow, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "I■«
PROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING MACHINES." -A communication from
abroad by Henry Ricter, of Winterthur, and John Wehrli and
Isaak Groebli, of Wuelflingen, in the Republic of Switzerland.
Sealed the 6th March 1874, and dated the 30th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th December 1873.
I, HENRY BERNOULLI BARLOW, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING MACHINES," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Henry Rieter, of Winterthur, and
John Wehrli and Isaak Groebli, of Wuelflingen, in the Republic of
Switzerland, to be as follows:-
-
These improvements relate to former Letters Patent granted to me
on the 3rd December, 1870, No. 3177, part of which improvements are
also applicable to other embroidering machines.

page_text: :
Having observed that the stitches forming the embroidery are not
equally evenly laid on the .cloth in consequence of the needle eyes
pointing always the same way whilst the threads run from them in
varying directions according to the pattern that is being produced, the
object of the present improvements is to enable the attendant to give to
the thread passing out of the needle eye such a direction in relation to
the eye itself as is most suitable to the work in hand.
This is accomplished in the following manner :-Near the attendant
a vertical slide is moved up and down at proper intervals by an eccentric,
which slide carries grooves that can conveniently be set by the attendant
to a greater or smaller angle. By means of suitable bowls a horizontal
slide receives motion from these grooves, which horizontal motion is
transmitted to as many racks as there are rows of needles in the
machine, such racks gearing into pinions fixed on small spindles, the
front ends of which carry the needles. Instead of such racks there may
also be employed shafts with bevel or skew wheels or any equivalent
means to transmit a limited and adjustable rotary motion to the needles
during every stitch, provision being made that the needle eyes always
-assume-a vertical position by the time the loop is being formed that tho
shuttle has to pass through.
At the moment the needle is finishing the stitch and leaving the
fabric the front thread is drawn tight on the cloth by moving the
shuttle a little further, so that the shuttle thread which has passed
through the front thread is acting on the latter.
This improvement is also applicable to stationary needles.
The continuous and equal friction or drag applied directly to the front
thread is now dispensed with, and only very slight friction is given to
the bobbin whilst a length of thread proportionate to the stitch that is
being formed is unwound off the bobbin. But after this is done the
.bobbin is held fast by levers or springs or other suitable means, so that
the stitch when completed can be drawn as tight as is desirable.
The levers for balancing the weight of the cloth frame are so con-
structed that the point of suspension of the latter, the fulcrum, and the
'centre of gravity of the counterpoise weight fall in one straight line, the
effect of which is that the pentagraph has no tendency to move easier
in one direction than another. The the ends of these levers coming close

page_text: together are segment shaped and connected by two metallic bands
tightened by screws, so that all back lash is avoided.
. To prevent the rollers on which the cloth that is being embroidered is
wound from bending I employ I employ detached vertical stays dis-
tending the rollers as much as is desirable by means of a short swivelling
arm and a screw acting on it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BERNOULLI BARLOW, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow,
Her special licence that I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Bernoulli Barlow, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERING MACHINES," being
a communication to me from abroad by Henry Rieter, of Winterthur,
and John Wehrli and Isaac Groebli, of Wuelflingen, in the Republic
of Switzerland, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Henry Bernoulli Barlow, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say) :—
These improvements relate to former Letters Patent granted to me on 5
the Third day of December 1870, Number 3177, a communication from
abroad, part of which improvements are also applicable to other em-
broidering machines.
The Invention may be divided into five parts, namely,—
First. Having observed that the stitches forming the embroidery are 1
not equally evenly laid on the cloth, in consequence of the needle oyes
pointing always the same way, whilst the threads run from them in
varying directions according to the pattern that is being produced, the
object of the first part of my present Invention is to enable the
attendant to give to the thread passing out of the needle cyc such a 1
direction in relation to the eye itself as is most suitable to the work in
hand.
Secondly. At the moment the needle is finishing the stitch, and
leaving the fabric, the front thread is drawn tight on the cloth by
moving the shuttle a little further, so that the shuttle thread which has 2
passed through the front thread is acting on the latter. This improve-
ment is also applicable to stationary needles.
Thirdly. The continuous and equal friction or drag applied directly to
the front thread is now dispensed with, and only very slight friction is
given to the bobbin, whilst a length of thread proportionate to the stitch 2
that is being formed is unwound off the bobbin. But after this is done
the bobbin is held fast by levers or springs or other suitable means, so
that the stitch when completed can be drawn as tight as is desirable.
Fourthly. The levers for balancing the weight of the cloth frame are
so constructed that the point of suspension of the latter, the fulcrum, 3
and the centre of gravity of the counterpoise weight fall in one straight
line, the effect of which is that the pentagraph has no tendency to move
easier in one direction than another.
And, Fifthly. To prevent the rollers on which the cloth that is being
embroidered is wound from bending I employ detached vertical stays 3
distending the rollers as much as is desirable by means of a short
swivelling arm, and a screw acting on it.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a section through the upper part of the needle and shuttle
carriages; Fig. 2, a view of the same from above.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism for producing the variable
rotation of the needles partly in section, the intermediate portion of it
being immaterial is therefore omitted; Fig. 4, a horizontal section of
the same; Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are details of the same, as seen from the
opposite side to Fig. 3. These Figures illustrate the mode of imparting
the rotary and lateral motions of the needles to the extent required
forming the first part of this Invention.
The wheel K, see Fig. 3, is furnished with a suitable eccentric groove
in which the bowl P runs, thereby imparting by means of a con-
necting rod P¹ an up-and-down motion to the slide bracket P². This
slide bracket carries two toothed sectors P³, P', that can be revolved on
their pivots, the teeth of which sectors are in gear with a double rack P³
fixed to the slide bracket in such a manner that it moves along with it,
but is capable of sliding horizontally in a dovetail, and thereby partially
turning the sectors when the pinion P* gearing into the upper rack
revolves. This pinion P' is on one end of an axle, the other end of
which carries the cross handle P' with notched disc P³, which is axially
held in its place by a spiral spring, and prevented from turning by the
small hooked stud Pº taking into one of the notches made in the circum-
ference of the plate P³.
The flat sides of the sectors P³ and P', and the double rack P³ carry
straight parallel projections forming short grooves. In front of this side
of the sectors a slide bar Q is so fitted to a stationary bracket Q'
that it is capable of sliding horizontally, which slide bar supports two
studs with bowls Q3, Q³, the centres of which exactly coincide with tho
centres of the pivots of the sectors P³ and P when the slide bracket P*
is in the middle of its course.
From the foregoing it will be seen that on the slide bracket P³ being
moved up and down the adjustable grooves P³ and P5 act on the bowl Q
during the time the slide bracket P² is above its middle position, but as
soon as it comes back, passing through its middle position, the bowl Qs
is leaving the slot on the sector P³, and the bowl Q³ is entering the slot
on the sector P' passing through it, and on to the slot on the rack P5.

page_text: The extreme vertical positions of the bowls Q³, Q³, in relation to the
sectors P³, P+, and the rack Ps are indicated by dotted circles in Figs. 7
and 8. Thus horizontal motion is imparted to the slide Q, the extent
and nature of which is determined by the position of the sectors and
rack P³, P, and P³.
Fig. 5 shows these in the middle position as employed for horizontal
stitches, whilst Figs. 3 and 7 shew one extreme for vertical stitches if the
embroidery is commenced on the left hand of the pattern, and pro-
ceeding to the right; and Fig. 8, the other extreme also for vertical
stitches when the first stitch of the embroidery is made on the right-
hand side of the pattern, proceeding gradually to the left. If the pattern
that is being produced requires to have the stitches laid to any inter-
mediate angle the cross handle P' is set to this angle when the slots on
the sectors P3 and P' and rack P' will assume the position required for
this angle, the pinion P and other parts being proportioned accordingly.
The slide bar Q is connected by a short link to the end of a rocking
lever Q, the fulcrum of which is a small upright shaft fixed to the
framing of the machine A¹, which shaft imparts motion by means of
levers and links to a bar Q with rack shaped teeth on its upper side,
and extending under the row of needles all the length of the needle
carriage G, see Figs. 1 and 2, there being as many such bars Q³ as there
rows of needles.
The stems of the needles are fitted into the front ends of small
spindles and held fast by the action of nuts on taper screw threads cut
on the spindles, suitable lengths of which are cut open for this purpose,
or they may be fastened by set screws or in any other manner. Each
of these spindles is capable of revolving in two bearings shaped in the
needle rail N, a small pinion Q being fastened to each spindle between
the bearings, the teeth of which pinions take into the rack on the
bar Q.
The proportion of all the intermediate parts is chosen in such a
manner that the needles perform the proper movements if the
bandle P is set parallel to the consecutive stitches constituting the
embroidery, whatever may be their direction.
The manner in which this whole arrangement acts is as follows:-The
handle P', having been pressed inwards by the attendant and set as near
as can be guessed by the eye parallel to the direction of the stitches to

page_text: be produced, is let free, when the spiral spring will force the hooked
bracket P³ into the nearest notch of the plate P³, and so prevent it from
turning accidentally. Suppose this to have been done when the needles
are out of the fabric and the bowl P and slide P³ are in their lowest
position after the cloth frame has been moved for the next stitch, the
side of the needle cyc by which the thread is leaving the needle is
pointing to the last stitch made. As the front carriage with the needles
is advancing the needles commence turning till the needle point is
touching the fabric, when they have described an arc of about 90 degrees,
so that the thread is passing off the needle at nearly a right angle to the
direction of the needle eye. The needles are turning in such a direction
that if the thread has passed off in the last stitch, say to the right, it
will pass off in the present stitch to the left, and so on, the thread
always running off the needle on the side towards the last stitch
perfected. The needles advance in the position assumed till the cycs
have passed the fabric, when they rotate to the vertical position of tho
eyes required by the time the loops are being formed through which the
shuttles have to pass.
When performing horizontal stitches the needle eyes are already
upright and no rotation is therefore required after the needle eye has
passed the cloth. As soon as the shuttles have gone through the loops
of the front thread the needles commence revolving into the position
required for the next stitch.
Sometimes the double rack is omitted and the sectors are made so
much larger that they gear together, the pinion P' being made to take
into the lower sector, the manner of action being similar to that above
described. The needle eye may also be kept pointing towards the last
stitch till it has passed the fabric, which modifications depend on the
nature of the fabric to be embroidered, the thread to be employed, and
the kind of embroidery desired to be produced. By means of these
improvements the stitches produced are evenly laid on the cloth.
Secondly. Embroidery of good appearance can only be produced if the
threads constituting the embroidery are laid very evenly alongside of
each other and equally tight on the fabric which is difficult to
accomplish as long as the needle is in the cloth on account of the
friction of the thread. After however the needle is withdrawn and, the
thread alone is left in the hole made by the needle, a slight additional

page_text: movement of the shuttle of say one-eighth to one-sixth of an inch, is
sufficient to draw the front thread tight as the shuttle thread is passed
through the loop of the front thread and therefore acting on it. This
slight movement of the shuttle at the proper moment is brought about
by a little modification of the eccentric moving the shuttles, not shown
on the Drawings but easily understood by any competent person.
Thirdly. The continuous friction formerly applied to the front or
needle thread itself is now entirely dispensed with, the only friction
exercised whilst the thread is being unwound from the bobbins, besides
the drag excrcised by the parts for guiding the thread on its way to the
needle, which way is indicated on the Drawing by a dotted line, being
applied to the bobbins by placing them on a strip of plush or cloth; but
when the greater or lesser portion of thread required to form a stitch
has been taken from the bobbins at the moment before the needles are
entering the fabric, the bobbins are prevented from turning any farther
by the springs R (Figs. 1 and 2) pressing on the lower rim of the
-bobbins-and acting as brakes. These springs, of which there is one to
every bobbin, are fitted to small hoops R¹, which are suitably disposed.
and fastened by a set screw on a small shaft R that receives the required
rocking motion by an eccentric on the cam shaft described in the Patent
Number 3177, 1870, above referred to, which eccentric acts on a bowl
fitted to a lever, from which the motion to press the springs against the
bobbins is transmitted by links and levers to the spring shaft R³. This
eccentric with its connections is not shewn on the Drawings, but will be
casily understood. A counterweight or spring pulls the lever in the
opposite direction when the eccentric allows it, and thereby removes thic
springs R from the bobbins at the moment a stitch is being completed,
and the cloth frame has to be shifted for the next stitch by the
pentagraph. In this manner it is possible to draw the stitch much
tighter on the fabric, whilst the thread is not liable to be stretched or
broken in the act of unwinding from the bobbins.
Instead of the springs shown, small levers or rocking rails furnished
with pressers of leather, caoutchouc, or any other equivalent, for applying
a slight brake to the bobbins may be employed.
Fourthly. The pair of lovers for balancing the cloth frame C¹, C³, see
Fig. 9, instead of being curved downwards at their outer ends as usual,
are now made so that the fulcrum falls as nearly as can conveniently be

page_text: obtained in one straight line, drawn from the centre of gravity of the
counterpoise weight C³ to the axis of the antifriction pulley C, by which
the cloth frame is suspended, the bracket on the latter c³ being heightened
correspondingly.
In consequence of this improvement the cloth frame will be in
equilibrium in any position it can be brought to, and the effort required
to move the pentagraph is the same in every direction.
A second improvement applied to these levers consists in connecting
their ends by two metallic bands C6, C7, by preference of steel, like the
springs of timepieces, each of them being made fast to the lower end of
a suitably shaped segment at the end of each lever, and at the upper end
of this segment of the opposite lever, provision being made there for
tightening these bands by bolts and nuts. This arrangement prevents
"back lash," and produces a more uniform movement than is obtainable
by any of the devices hitherto employed for this purpose, namely,
toothed segments, or links and studs.
Both the latter improvements are also applicable to the common
pentagraph embroidering machines.
Fifthly. It being very essential that the fabric operated upon be well
and evenly stretched, the difficulty of the bending of the rollers on which
the fabric is wound had to be overcome, and this is effected by the
distending bracket or stay S, a side elevation of which is shewn in
Fig. 11, Fig. 10 being a section through the line Z, Z, and view of the
upper part of the stay, as seen from underneath, with part of the roller.
The upper part S₁ of this stay is a two-armed lever hinged to the main
part on a pivot S², the one end being pressed down by a set screw S³,
whereby the other end acts on the roller or cloth beam, and stretches the
fabric to the desired degree. Onc, two, or three such stays may be
distributed along the machine, as the fabric operated upon requires.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, as communicated to me by the within-
named Henry Rieter, John Wehili, and Isaak Groebli, I declare that I
claim,―
First. Fixing the needles in the front ends of small spindles capable
of rotation, and causing these spindles to assume such a position that
the thread is running off the needle to the fabric in the manner most

page_text: suitable for producing embroidery of good appearance till the needle eye
has passed the fabric, and this being done to bring the needles always
back to the position which is required to enable the shuttles passing
through the loop of the needle thread; whatever angle the needle eye may
have been pointing to before; all this in the manner described, or any 5
modification thereof.
Secondly. Drawing the front thread tight on the fabric by imparting
an additional movement to the shuttles, when the needle has nearly or
quite left the perforation produced by it in the fabric.
Thirdly. Leaving the front thread more or less free to unwind itself 10
from the bobbin or spool at the commencement of the stitch, and holding
more or less fast the bobbin when the stitch is being completed and
drawn tight.
Fourthly. Making the counterpoise levers of such a shape that the
centre of gravity of the counterweight, the fulcrum, and the point of 18
suspension of the cloth frame fall approximately into one straight line.
Fifthly. Shaping the ends of the counterpoise levers to the segment of
a circle, the centre of which lies in the fulcrum, and connecting the ends
of the two levers by two metallic bands, as described.
And, lastly. Applying adjustable and casily removable stays between 20
any pair of cloth rollers, to counteract the bending of these rollers by the
tension of the fabric stretched between them.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, One
thonsand eight hundred and seventy-four
04