Improvements in Sewing Machines for Stitching Feathers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 10th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines for Stitching Feathers.
We, THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire,
Sewing Machine Manufacturers, and JoHN GORDON POLLOCK, Mechanic with said
Company, at 17, Chiswell Street, Finsbury, London, E.C., do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to better adapt sewing machines for stitching
together short lengths of feathers for use chiefly in making ladies boas for neck
wear, and it comprises a travelling carriage of special construction for carrying
the lengths of feathers through the machine which stitches the quills to form a
continuous length of the feathers, means for supporting and guiding said carriage
in passing in and through the sewing machine, means for feeding the carriage
and feathers simultaneously, and an improved presser foot for holding the feathers
during the feeding and stitching operations.
The sewing machine employed may be of any well-known type but is prefer-
ably of the kind in which the needle has a cross motion imparted to it in order to
produce overseaming stitches. The bed plate is grooved or recessed in the line
of feed, and centrally along this grooved portion a strap or strip constituting
the throat plate or needle plate of the machine is carried thus leaving a groove
on either side of the said strip. In this groove the carriage for leading in the
feathers is fitted to travel and is held down by a plate on either side attached to
the bed plate. The feather carriage is composed of two long parallel bars held
apart by arched ties or bridge pieces at each end, the bars being of such width
and so far apart as to fit neatly the grooves on either side of the throat plate of
the sewing machine. The bars of the carriage are each formed on the inner edge
with ratchet teeth which are adapted to engage with spring pawls pivoted on
the cross lever which actuates the feed dog of the machine and projecting out-
wards on each side of the throat plate strip. By the action of the feed the carriage.
is thus traversed across the bed plate, and it is supported on either side of the
machine by a long extension leaf or rail. On each bar of the carriage a row of
upwardly projecting impaling hooks is secured in order to retain in place the
feathers which are laid in overlapping lengths with the quills extending longi-
tudinally between the rows of hooks. The feathers are held down by means of a
rod or strap secured at its end to the extension leaf or rail and extending forward
into close proximity with the presser foot, but merely resting on the feathers so
as not to interfere with the forward feed movement of the carriage and feathers.
The presser foot is slightly recessed or hollowed on the under side as is also the
throat plate strip on its upper side in order to provide ample surface contact for
the feather quills, and the presser foot has pivoted to it a spring lever or arm
carrying at the feeding-in end a pair of small discs or rollers which bear on the
feathers on either side of the quills and keep them from rising out of the impaling
hooks of the carriage.
In the operation of the machine one end of the carriage, with the feathers
arranged upon it as described, is placed in the grooves of the throat plate in
which it is held by the overlapping plates on either side, and the sewing
machine is put in motion whereby the carriage is fed slowly forward under the
needle by means of the pawls on the feed lever and the reciprocating needle.

page_text: with its thread forms overseaming stitches across the quills, binding together
the spliced or overlapping quills of the feathers, so as to produce a continuous
length thereof.
Datad ki 10+ J
T
1000
Improvements in Sewing Machines for Stitching Feathers.
We, THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of Kilbowie, Dumbartonshire,
Sewing Machine Manufacturers, and JOIN GORDON POLLOCK, Mechanic with said
Company, at 17, Chiswell Street, Finsbury, London, E.C., 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 to better adapt sewing machines for stitching
together short lengths of feathers for use chiefly in making ladies boas for neck
wear, and it comprises a travelling carriage of special construction for carrying
the lengths of feathers through the machine which stitches the quills to form a
continuous length of the feathers, means for supporting and guiding said carriage
in passing in and through the sewing machine, means for feeding the carriage
and feathers simultaneously, and an improved presser foot for holding the feathers
during the feeding and stitching operations.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being a
front elevation, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan of part of a sewing
machine with the improvements applied thereto. Fig. 4 is a plan showing the
method by which the feather carrying carriage is actuated.
The sewing machine employed may be of any well-known type but is preferably
of the kind in which the needle A has a cross motion imparted to
it in order to produce overseaming stitches. The bed plate B is grooved
or recessed at B¹ in the line of feed, and centrally along this grooved portion B¹
a strap or strip C constituting the throat plate or needle plate of the machine is
carried, thus leaving a groove on either side of the said strip, said strip having
the usual orifices for the passage of the needle A and feed dog H. In this groove
the carriage D for leading in the feathers is fitted to travel and is held down
by a plate E on either side of the grooved portion B', the plates E being attached
to the bed plate. The feather carriage is composed of two long parallel bars
held apart by arched ties or bridge pieces D' at each end, the bars being of such
width and so far apart as to fit neatly the grooves on either side of the throat
plate C of the sewing machine. The bars of the carriage are each formed on
the inner edge with ratchet teeth D2 which are adapted to engage with spring
pawls F pivoted on the cross lever G which actuates the feed dog H of the machine
and projecting outwards on each side of the throat plate strip C. By the action of
the feed the carriage D is thus traversed across the bed plate B,
and it is supported on either side of the machine by a
extension leaf or rail I. On each bar of the carriage a row of upwardly pro-
long
jecting impaling hooks or pins D³ is secured in order to retain in place the
feathers which are laid in overlapping lengths with the quills extending longi-
tudinally between the rows of hooks D³. The feathers are held down by means
of a rod or strap J secured at its end to one of the extension leaves or rails I
and extending forward into close proximity with the presser foot K, but merely

page_text: resting on the feathers so as not to interfere with the forward feed movement of
the carriage and feathers. The presser foot K is slightly recessed or hollowed
on the under side at K³ as is also the throat plate strip on its upper side at C¹ in
order to provide ample surface contact for the feather quills, and the presser foot
is hinged or has pivoted to it a spring lever or arm K₁ carrying at the feeding-in
end a pair of small discs or rollers K which bear on the feathers on either side
of the quills and keep them from rising out of the impaling hooks of the carriage.
In the operation of the machine one end of the carriage D, with the feathers
arranged upon it as described, is placed in the grooves at the sides of the throat
plate in which it is held by the overlapping plates E on either side, and the
sewing machine is put in motion whereby the carriage D is fed slowly forward
under the needle A by means of the pawls F on the feed lever and the reciprocating
needle A with its thread forms overseaming stitches across the quills, binding
together the spliced or overlapping quills of the feathers, so as to produce a
continuous length thereof.
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. The combination with a sewing machine of the improved devices herein-
before described for holding and feeding forward short lengths of feathers to
the stitching mechanism.
2. In a sewing machine for stitching together short lengths of feathers, a
travelling carriage composed of two side bars tied together by bridge pieces
and having teeth on its edges, and impaling hooks or pins on its upper surface,
substantially as set forth.
3. In a sewing machine for stitching together short lengths of feathers the
combination with the travelling carriage of means for feeding forward said
carriage consisting of a pair of spring pawls centred on the actuating cross lever
of the feed dog, and adapted to engage teeth formed on said travelling carriage,
substantially as described.
4. In a sewing machine for stitching together short lengths of feathers, the
combination with the travelling carriage, of a stationary bar laid between the
sides of said carriage and secured to an extension of the machine table, to prevent
the feathers rising, substantially as described.
5. In a sewing machine for stitching together short lengths of feathers a
presser foot grooved or recessed on its under side and having pivoted to it a
spring lever carrying discs or rollers at its forward end, substantially as described.
6. In a sewing machine for stitching together short lengths of feathers, the
combination with a presser foot grooved or recessed on its under surface and
having attached to it a spring pivoted lever carrying discs or rollers at its forward
end, of a throat plate grooved or recessed on its upper surface, substantially as
described.
7. In a sewing machine for stitching together short lengths of feathers, the
combination of a bed plate grooved in the line of feed, a throat plate fixed
centrally in said groove, a travelling carriage having impaling hooks or pins
on its upper surface, and teeth on its edges, a pair of spring pawls centred on
the actuating cross lever of the feed dog and adapted to feed forward the carriage
and guide plates secured on the bed plate for retaining the carriage in position,
substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1900.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicants.