Improvements in the Stitching and Tying or Lock-stitching of Threads, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Stitching and Tying or Lock-stitching of
Threads, and in Apparatus therefor.
A communication from GUSTAV KLEIM and CARL FORWERK, of Plagwitz,
Saxony, in the German Empire.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 relates to a new method of tying threads for book-binding and
other similar purposes and to a machine for carrying it out.
The books to be stitched together by this method are fed to the machine in
succession and in it their threads are each tied into knots in a continuous manner.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Figs. 1 to 8 are detail views illustrating the various positions assumed in the
course of one tying operation by the needle the catcher and the shuttle in order to
form a knot.
Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on the central line M M of Fig. 11 showing one
side of the machine.
Fig. 10 is a vertical section also taken on line M M of Fig. 11 and showing the
side of the machine opposite to that shown in Fig. 9 and also showing the needle
in its lowermost position.
Fig. 11 is a view of the machine with the needle raised, partly in front elevation
and partly in section on line x x of Fig. 9.
Fig. 12 is a view of the machine partly in front elevation and partly in section
on line yy of Fig. 10.
Figs. 13 and 14 are detail views illustrating the relative positions of the catcher
and shuttle partly in section on line 2 z of Fig. 9 and
"
Fig. 15 is a detail view of the knot tied by means of this improved mechanism.
In a convenient frame a is arranged in suitable bearings the driving shaft b upon
which are mounted cams c d e f the cam c operating the feed mechanism the cai d
operating the rod or needle bar h guided by the shaft and carrying the needle N
the cam e operating the presser i and the cam the thread-guide or take-up k with
the needle thread F.
In the frame a is arranged the table and according as either single folded sheets
or a number of pamphlets are to be bound together this table may either taper
upwardly as shown in Fig. 9 or be flat as shown in Fig. 10. Within the table / iş
provided a way or race for the shuttle S which by means of a carrier m and lever n
is reciprocated. In the same table is provided a guide-way for the swinging
catcher Go the motion of which may be derived from a cam or eccentric &* on
shaft and lever G¹. The motion of the shuttle-lever may be derived from a cam
or eccentric secured on shaft b, which is driven from main shaft b by bevel
gearing. By means of the rod 9 operated by the cam c motion is imparted to a
lever arm p and by shifting the point of connection of rod g to the lever arm p the
extent of the swinging motion of p may be increased or diminished as required.
The pawl p' mounted on p causes the ratchet wheel 9 to perform part of a revolution,
thereby imparting motion also to wheels & s'. The roller has a common axis of
rotation with and under it is arranged another roller and these rollers turn
with the wheels s s' the said pair of rollers being adapted to grasp and draw across
the table the folded sheets of paper inserted between a similar pair of
rollers
i

page_text: The cams c d e f are according to the particular operation each is to perform
differently shaped so that the parts hik respectively operated by them will
intermittently move or stand still at given intervals of time according to the
requirements of the work. The same remark applies to the shuttle lever n and to
the cam or eccentric 62 operating the catch device Go.
In Fig. 11 the cams are best shown the section being taken through the head
of the machine on line of Fig. 9 and the needle being supposed in a raised
position Fig. 12 more clearly represents the cams cd the section being here taken
on line y y of Fig. 10 and the needle being shown in its lowered position in which
it is brought by one half of a revolution of the shaft 6 in the direction of the
arrow.
The shuttle used for performing the special operation for which it is intended is
peculiarly constructed. As may be seen from Figs. 1 to 8 and 11 and 12 both its
points are bent and situated on different levels while if viewed in plan as in Figs. 13
and 14 they continuously extend from the front to the back. This peculiarity and
novelty of construction has been necessitated by the fact that to tie a knot the
shuttle-thread B must be carried through the loop of the needle thread F
backwards and forwards.
The movement which the loop of the needle thread F has to perform while the
knot is being tied is imparted to it by the catcher G pivotted as shown and curved
or bent at o as shown clearly in Figs. 13, 14 which curve or bend. in connection
with the point facilitates the desired formation of the loop in F.
The operation which is mainly illustrated by Figs. 1 to 8 is as follows;—
The folded sheet or number of sheets to be tied or stitched together by this
improved device on being inserted between the rollers and and moved along
the table is grasped by the other pair of rollers 12 and thus brought into the
proper position for stitching under the needle N. This being done the machine is
set in operation and the needle N is caused by the eccentric d to move from the
position in which it is shown in Fig. 8 down to the position which it occupies in
Fig. 2 the shuttle S and the catcher G remaining at rest. during this movement.
The needle then rises somewhat (Fig. 3) and a loop forms in the thread F.
this loop the point of the catcher G enters.
Into
As the needle N moves further upwards and rises above the paper to be stitched
the catcher G further enters into the loop of the thread F so that eventually the
curve or bend o is practically in the same vertical plane as the needle N as shown
in Fig. 4. This curve o then draws the loop of F forward so that when the
shuttle S next travels from right to left as in Figs. 4 to 6 its upper point may pass
behind the loop. This is illustrated in Fig. 5 which also shows that the shuttle
thread B passing through the needle opening in the table during this time lies
behind the shuttle point.
After the shuttle has thus been conducted past the loop of thread F at the back
of such loop the shuttle thread B has passed around the loop crossing itself at the
same time as shown in Fig. 6. The catcher then swings a little way back and 80
presents the needle thread loop that the back or lower point of the shuttle S in the
return movement of the shuttle from left to right may enter it (Fig. 7). As the
shuttle S proceeds and completes the loop for the knot (Fig. 8) the catcher G
withdraws from the loop and resumes its initial position. The tying of the knot is
now completed in the manner illustrated by Fig. 15 (which is drawn on an enlarged
scale) and the shuttle draws it tight while the cam likewise draws tight the needle
thread F itself while the presser i presses the said thread F against the book to be
stitched together or against the table l.
:
By the time the shuttle and catcher have completed their return stroke the
needle also has risen to its uppermost position again, while at the same time through
the action of the lever arm p which until then had remained in a lowered position
but is now (under the action of the rod y and cam c) raised the rollers are set
in operation and carry away the article just stitched together.. Immediately before
this the presser i which until then had kept down the paper upon the table riscs

page_text: and so releases the folded sheet so that it can be carried away.
The proper
connection evidently consists between the motion of the needle and that of the
take-up k by means of which at each stroke not more than the necessary quantity
of thread is supplied, though when the needle arrives at its lowest position the
thread it carries with it is sufficiently loose to form a loop.
The operation of the lever arm p may be so timed that the stitches obtained are
according to requirements long or short. As soon as one packet of sheets or a
folded sheet is stitched or tied together as described and while the knot is being
drawn tight a fresh sheet or packet is inserted between the rollers and rand
which sheet in its turn is similarly stitched by means of the combined threads F
and B by which threads it besides remains connected with the preceding sheet so
that the successive sheets are linked as they issue from the machine and may if
required subsequently either be severed from each other or remain connected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. Stitching and tying or lock-stitching by means of a needle N carrying with it
a thread F and of a shuttle such as S carrying with it a thread B and provided
with points situated in different planes and with the assistance of a catcher such
as Go by which combined means a knot is formed and drawn tight substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a machine such as described a shuttle such as S having a point at each end
but at different levels or in different planes operating substantially as and for the
purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a machine such as described the combination with a shuttle such as S of a
catcher such as Go operating substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of December 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.