IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Chadwick, Managing Director, and Thomas
Sugden, Foreman, of the firm Bradbury & Co Limited of Wellington Works,
Oldham, in the county of Lancaster, Sewing Machine Manufacturers for an
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Chadwick and
Thomas Sugden at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
18th December 1882.
THOMAS CHADWICK Managing Director, and THOMAS SUGDEN, Foreman of the
firm Bradbury & Co, Limited, of Wellington Works, Oldham, in the County of
Lancaster, Sewing Machine Manufacturers, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES,"
Our invention relates to rotary shuttle sewing machines similar to that
illustrated by figs 1 to 11 inclusive of the specification of Letters Patent Numbered
3716 dated the 13th September 1880, and granted to us and Charles Shaw, and the
object of our present invention is to so arrange rotary shuttle sewing machines as
to be better adapted for sewing with coarse as well as fine threads. In the said
Patented machine the shuttle thread receives one turn of twist for each rotation
of the shuttle, acting either to twist or untwist the thread according to the direction
in which the thread is twisted when spun, but by our improvements twist is not
given to the thread either way by the rotation of the shuttle.
Our invention consists in arranging the spool for the thread in the shuttle, so
that it will be free to unwind from a stud or pivot in the shuttle, and so that the
rotation of the shuttle will tend to wind the thread upon the spool, but the thread
between the cloth and the shuttle spool will prevent the spool from revolving with
the shuttle, and consequently the pivot will have to rotate in the axis of the
spool as the shuttle rotates, the spool only rotating contrary to the direction in
which the shuttle rotates to give off thread as it is required by the fabric being
sewn.
Besides the friction of the spool upon its pin, arrangements are added to the
shuttle, to give an adjustable friction to the spool, so as to be able to regulate the

page_text: •
tension to be put upon the shuttle thread. For this purpose and to retain the spool
in the shuttle, the pivot for the spool is made tubular and at the upper end a finger
is jointed that can be turned down upon the head of the spool when placed upon
the hollow pivot, and the joint of this finger is formed so as to be in contact with
a sliding disc or piston pressed upon by a small helical spring in the hollow tube,
the pressure of which spring can be regulated by a screw in the tubular pivot and
thus the tension upon the shuttle thread can be readily adjusted.
Another improvement relates to means for giving free space for the loop of the
needle thread when drawn up, to pass off the heel of the shuttle, and consists in
adding arrangements by which the shuttle will be pushed forward for a moment
when the loop of the needle thread is about to slip between the heel of the shuttle
and the propelling part of the shuttle driver, and thus open a clear space between
the two.
As far as our present experience goes we prefer to arrange a slide to move in a
line at about a tangent to the shuttle race, this slide having a short projection that
can, when in a certain position, come against a bar or part on the edge of the
shuttle and push it forward in the direction in which it is rotating thus forming a
space between the heel of the shuttle and its driver.
The slide carrying the projection for the shuttle is reciprocated by a cam on any
convenient part of the machine, or it is or may be actuated by a projection or stud
from the oscillating guide for the rod which couples the two cranks, in the
Patented machine herein before referred to, or the projection or stud is or may be
made to act upon a cam slot, in a part connected with the slide having the small
projection to act upon the shuttle.
Instead of a slide and projection to act upon the shuttle a short arm on an
oscillating stud is or may be used.
:
::
This part of our invention for moving the shuttle to give clearance for the thread
is also applicable in the case of sewing machines having oscillating or reciprocating
shuttles.
By another modification that part of the shuttle driver acting upon the heel of
the shuttle, is divided into two parts, one of which is fixed, the other is a small
lever and forms the lower part of the driver, and is jointed thereto and rotates
therewith.
The tail of this lever works against the face of the lower part of the shuttle race
in which there is a cam space cut out that allows the tail of the lever to be forced
outwards by a spring and centrifugal force, and the other end of the lever against.
the heel of the shuttle, the loop of the needle thread having been drawn above the
space occupied by the small lever before it closes upon the heel of the shuttle-The
small lever is withdrawn again from the heel of the shuttle by the cam surface
formed in the face of the shuttle race as the shuttle driver rotates.
Or the small lever is jointed at one end to the shuttle driver and that end of it
acting upon the heel of the shuttle is worked by a cam surface or groove in the
bottom of the shuttle race.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Chadwick and Thomas Sugden in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th June 1883.
.
THOMAS CHADWICK, Managing Director, and THOMAS SUGDEN, Foreman, of
the firm Bradbury & Co Limited, of Wellington Works, Oldham, in the County
of Lancaster Sewing Machine Manufacturers. " IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES,"
Our invention relates to rotary shuttle sewing machines similar to that
illustrated by figs 1 to 11 inclusive of the specification of Letters Patent Numbered
3716 dated the 13th Septr 1880, and granted to us and Charles Shaw and the
object of our present invention is to so arrange rotary shuttle sewing machines as
to be better adapted for sewing with coarse as well as fine threads. In the said
Patent machine the shuttle thread receives one turn of twist for each rotation of
the shuttle, acting either to twist or untwist the thread according to the direction
in which the thread is twisted when spun, but by our improvements twist is not
given to the thread either way by the rotation of the shuttle.
Our invention consists in arranging the spool for the thread in the shuttle, so
that it will be free to unwind from a stud or pivot in the shuttle, and so that the
rotation of the shuttle will tend to wind the thread upon the spool, but the thread
between the cloth and the shuttle spool will prevent the spool from revolving with
the shuttle, and consequently the pivot will have to rotate in the axis of the
spool as the shuttle rotates, the spool only rotating contrary to the direction in
which the shuttle rotates to give off thread as it is required by the fabric being
sewn.
Besides the friction of the spool upon its pin or axis, arrangements are added to
the shuttle, to give an adjustable friction to the spool so as to be able to regulate
the tension to be put upon the shuttle thread. For this purpose, and also to retain
the spool in the shuttle, the pivot for the spool is made tubular, and at the upper
end a finger is jointed that can be turned down upon the head of the spool when
placed upon the hollow pivot, and the joint of this finger is formed so as to be in
contact with a sliding disc or piston pressed upon by a small helical spring in the
hollow pivot the pressure of which spring can be regulated by a screw in the
tubular pivot, and thus the tension upon the shuttle thread can be readily adjusted.
Another improvement relates to means for giving free space for the loop of the
needle thread, when it is drawn up, to pass off the heel of the shuttle, and consists
in adding arrangements by which the shuttle will be pushed forward for a moment
when the loop of the needle thread is about to slip between the heel of the shuttle
and the propelling part of the shuttle driver and thus open a clear space between
the two for the thread to pass.
We arrange a slide to move in a line at about a tangent to the shuttle race this
slide having a short projection, that can when in a certain position, come against
a bar or part on the edge of the shuttle, and push it forward in the direction in
which it is rotating, thus forming a space between the heel of the shuttle and its
driver.
The slide carrying the projection for the shuttle is reciprocated by a cam on any
convenient part of the machine.
Instead of, a slide and projection to act upon the shuttle, a short arm or lever on
an oscillating stud is or may be used.
Fig 1 is a plan sectional view of our improved shuttle in its race
Fig 2 is a view of the top and fig 3 a view of the bottom side of the shuttle,
Fig 4 is a section on the line 1-1 fig 2-Figs 5, 6, 7 and 8 are edge views, and each

page_text: "
of the figs 5, 6 and 7 is an edge view of fig 2 looking from the position in which the
figures are respectively drawn, towards fig 2; and fig 8 is an edge view looking
from it towards fig 3.
In fig 1 a is the groove in the edge of the shuttle race for the needle and the
thread passes from the cloth at that point to the spool m³ in the shuttle m, as
shown, by peculiar dotted line, and as the shuttle rotates as pointed by the arrow
on fig 1, its motion tends to wind the thread upon the spool m³ and as the latter
is prevented by the thread from' revolving with the shuttle, the tube forming its
axis rotates in the hollow axis of the spool.
:
From the drawings it will be seen that one edge of the shuttle is below the top
flange or head of the spool m³ so that the thread can freely draw off the spool over
that edge of the shuttle.
The finger me jointed to the tubular axis of the shuttle is shown turned down
to press upon the head of the spool m³ and the spring in the tube acts upon a
plate or piston and rod the head or piston of which comes against one side of the
joint part of the finger me to cause it to press upon the head of the spool, the
tension of this spring being increased or decreased by a screw m screwing into
the tubular axis and acting upon one end of the spring the other end of which
surrounds the piston rod and acts under the piston or disc on the rod...
•
This finger me can be lifted or turned up on its joint, or it is lifted or turned up,
when the spool is withdrawn into a line with the tubular axis thus allowing the
hollow axis of the spool to pass of the tubular axis and over the finger
Fig 9 is a plan view of the under side of the plate or frame of our improved
rotary shuttle sewing machine..
Fig 10 is a plan view of the top side of the cloth plate showing the shuttle race,
shuttle driver and shuttle, and with covering slides removed and a lever for acting
upon the shuttle shown in dotted line
Fig'11 is a sectional view of the shuttle race and other parts.
The mechanism shown in fig 9' is the same as that described in the specification
of the Letters Patent No 3716 AD 1880 hereinbéfore referred to, except that the
feed mechanism is changed in position from one side to the other side of the cloth
plate, and mechanism is added to 'carry out our improvements, but if preferred the
feed mechanism need not be changed from its former position.
a is the base or cloth plate of the machine g the end of the vertical shaft which
has the cams on it for the feed' movement, and the crank for actuating the shuttle:
g is the crank jointed to one end of the rod k which slides and swivels in the
oscillating part ! the other end of the rod k being jointed to the crank j" which is
jointed on the crank j³ secured on the axis j of the shuttle driver.
is the lever rod receiving motion from the cams on the shaft g for actuating
the sliding lever i jointed at i¹ for. carrying the serrated feed surface:
The rod lever slides and oscillates in a swivel part centered at ' carried by a
part 2 secured to the slide bar ³;. is a spring for giving two movements to the
feed slide i.
1
a t
#f_
All the parts above referred to by letters of reference and others shown in fig 9
are more particularly described in the aforesaid specification.
Our improvements are carried out by applying a bracket p to the underside of the
plate a bý a screw passing through a slot as shown; this bracket has a stud p¹
for a lever p the free end of, which passes through a slot in the side of the shuttle
race, and this lever p² is jointed with a rod p³ that is actuated by a cam on the
shaft g. If desired the bracket p may be dispensed with and' the stud p¹ fixed in
the plate a.
J
The cam is shaped to cause 'the end of the lever p² to remain in the position in
which it is shown in the drawings until the shuttle has. rotated to a point where the
end of the lever p² can enter a slot or opening in the edge of the shuttlo, and then
move and push against the part m', of the shuttle to give it a greater motion than
it receives from the shuttle driver and thus leave a space 'for the loop of the needle
thread, to pass freely between the shuttle and that part of the shuttle driver j' acting.
wake 18
it is 1-1

page_text: upon the shuttle, and then the cam gives movement to take the lever p² back
again to the position in which it is shown in the drawings ready for the next-
rotation of the shuttle,
Figs 12, 13 and 14 are views respectively similar to figs 9, 10 and 11 but only
part of the base plate a of the machine is drawn in fig 12, in which the mechanism
shown is the same and is marked with the same letters of reference as in the
aforesaid specification, and with the feed mechanism on the same side of the base
plate a.
In this modification a slide P2 is used having a projection p* from it, that passes
through a slot in the side of the shuttle race.
This slide p² is kept in position by an angle piece p secured by screws to the
base plate a.
The slide p has also a projection to carry a stud for a bowl p³
which works against a cam surface formed on the boss part of the crank j³.
The bowl p is kept against the cam surface by a spring p* connected to a screw
or pin in the slide p² at one end, and to a screw or pin in the base plate a at the
other end.
The cam surface is formed to cause the slide p² to rest and move, and its pro-
jection px to act upon the shuttle, as herein before described, in reference to the
lever p² in figs 9, 10 and 11.
We have now particularly described the nature of our said invention and the
modes of carrying the same into effect and claim as our invention.
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of rotary shuttles for sewing machines
so that while the shuttle rotates twist will neither be added to, nor taken from, the
thread substantially as herein before described.
Secondly. The construction of shuttles for sewing machines with a finger jointed
on the axis of the spool to hold the spool on its axis in the shuttle and give friction
to it and thus tension to the thread substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the drawings.
Thirdly. The system or mode of giving additional motion to rotary shuttles, at
about the time the loop of the thread about being drawn away from the shuttle
to give free space for the loop of the needle thread to pass from the shuttle between
the shuttle and shuttle driver substantially as herein before described.
Fourthly. The combination and arrangements of mechanism herein before
described, and illustrated by the drawings for giving additional motion to rotary
shuttles, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before described
and illustrated by figs 9 to 14 inclusive of the drawings
In Witness whereof we the said Thomas Chadwick and Thomas Sugden have
hereunto set our hands and seals this Eleventh day of June in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
THOMAS CHADWICK (L.S.)
THOMAS, SUGDEN
(L.S.)