IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING OR STITCHING HOSIERY AND OTHER LOOPED WORK
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING
OR STITCHING HOSIERY AND OTHER LOOPED WORK." A communication from
abroad by Louis Antoine Guinquarlet-Dupont, of Paris, France.
Sealed the 7th April 1876, and dated the 19th January 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th January 1876.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING OR STITCHING HOSIERY AND OTHER
LOOPED WORK." (A communication to me from abroad by Louis Antoine Quinquarlet
Dupont, of Paris, France).
This machine is distinguished from those of a similar class by the application to
it of a shuttle to produce the sewing, and by the particular relative movement of
the needle and bodkins, a motion which enables the sewing to be effected in the
two meshes by going in one direction, and in all the meshes by going in the other
direction.
The following description will completely describe the Invention and the motion;
the stitch produced forms part of the Invention:
The machine is composed as most machines for sewing or stitching hosiery of a
crown or wheel divided and furnished with bodkin needles set radially in a wheel
frame. This crown turns in horizontal plane round an axis passing through its
centre, in such manner as to successively present in a uniform or determined order
its different bodkins to a needle which has a to-and-fro motion lengthwise, and which
produces the sewing; the loop is brought up on the bodkins of the crown.
The sewing is effected by means of two threads, one coming from a bobbin
guided by the needle which has a hole in it, the other coming from a small bobbin
or spool placed in the interior of a shuttle. This shuttle slides in the interior of a
circular grooved guide placed above the crown carrying the bodkins opposite the
needle; this grooved guide does not move with the crown; it remains stationary.
The movement of the shuttle is horizontal and describes the arc of a circle con-
centric with the crown. A slot formed in the lower part of the sliding needle bar
acts as the needle guide when it advances from the crown; the shuttle can then

page_text: pass above and close to the needle without touching it; the movement of the
shuttle is perpendicular to that of the needle.
A grooved pulley which receives motion through a strap driven by foot of
operator on a treadle, or by any other convenient means, imparts motion to a shaft
to the end of which it is keyed. This shaft itself carries a plate, in the face of which
a groove of the required form is formed which drives the needle by means of a
roller or guide fixed at the end of the needle carrier. The latter slides in a slide
which guides it during its forward and backward movements. A spring presses
upon the needle carrier in order to keep it constantly at the bottoni of its slide.
The pulley is provided with a handle on its outer face which transmits motion to
the shuttle by means of a connecting rod and arms, or bell-crank lever, which turn
round the centre of the crown, This bell crank is operated at the end of one of its
arms by the connecting rod, and at the end of the other arm it in its turn guides the
shuttle by means of a kind of hook which is bent in front and behind the shuttle.
The pulley and an excentric are fixed on the horizontal shaft, in such manner
that the movements of the needle and the shuttle are in harmony or unison to
produce the work, which is accomplished in the following manner: The crown
being turned the number of divisions desired, and presenting the bodkin opposite
the needle, on which bodkin the two meshes which are to be sewn together are
mounted, the needle advances directing itself towards the said bodkin, penetrates
its point into the eye of the latter and penetrates into the two meshes to be united,
thus engaging there the thread which it directs. The needle having arrived at the
end of its course goes back a very little way, whereby its thread is looped above
it and it stops a moment; the shuttle then enters into this loop which it traverses
with the thread which it carries. The needle accordingly continues its backward
motion and the shuttle advances until it has stretched the thread which it draws
with it. The crown then turns the number of divisions desired whilst the shuttle
returns to assume its normal position. The needle and shuttle recommence the same
series of movements to produce a new stitch. The relation which exists between the
movements of the needle and that of the crown is such that the needle presents itself
in the eye of the first bodkin, then into that of the third, going one way, then it
returns in the second, then in that of the fourth, going always in the same direction,
then in that of the third, returning backwards, then in that of the fifth, and so on.
The movements are similar to those made by hand work.
These motions are pro-
duced by the displacement of the needle in relation to the crown, or by that of the
crown in relation to the needle, and the latter means I preferably employ. The
crown while turning round its centre advances alternately from two divisions in
the direction of its motion and returns a division to the rear. It presents to the
needle the bodkins in the following order, 1, 3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 4, 6, 5, 7, 6, 8, and so on."
This alternate motion of the crown is obtained in the following manner:-The
lower edge of the crown is provided with a rack into which gears a small pinion
which is fixed at the end of a small horizontal shaft, itself carrying two ratchets.
These ratchets are placed at the side of one another, and their teeth turn in con-
trary directions to one another. Then according as to which one or the other of
the ratchets is in action so the crown will turn one way or the other. It is then
sufficient to turn alternately each of the ratchets, one two teeth, the other one
tooth. This is how it is effected-At the end of the horizontal shaft of the
machine there is a pinion which gears with another pinion having double the number
of teeth, which is fixed to an excentric with groove. This eccentric makes one
revolution while the shaft and the other eccentric which it carries makes two.
connecting rod with slide rests at one end on a guide pin, about which the eccentric
gooove turns, and at the other end on a vertical lever with which it is jointed;
this connecting rod carries a roller which takes into the groove of the eccentric,
and it moves lengthwise horizontally by reason of the motion communicated to it
by the eccentric. The vertical lever turns at its base; it carries two catches jointed
with it and abutting by their own weight on the two ratchets.
One pawl
operates one ratchet by pushing it, and the other pawl operates the other ratchet
A

page_text: by drawing it. Now oue of the pawls moves double the distance of that of the other
pawl, consequently one ratchet will turn two teeth in one direction, while the
other ratchet will turn but one tooth in the contrary direction.
The groove of the eccentric is composed of two circular concentric parts of
different radii united by a joint; it is only for a moment that the guide passes into
this joint that the connecting rod, and consequently the coupling of the pawls,
make a forward or backward movement, the guide or roller remaining stationary
while it traverses the concentric groves.
The eccentrics are placed one in relation to the other on their respective shafts
in such manner that the crown only turns when the needle has left the bodkins; the
pawl is provided with a prolongation against which the eccentric acts at the proper
time. In this manner the pawl is caused to balance in such manner as to disengage
the teeth of the one pawl at the moment when the other pawl draws on the ratchet
two teeth.
The Drawing shows on a large scale the interlacing of the threads of the needle
and shuttle to produce the stitch which results from the motions just described;
a is the bobbin thread, b the shuttle thread.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by
the said Edward Griffith Brewer in the Great Seal Patent Office, on the 19th
July 1876.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEWING OR STITCHING HOSIERY AND OTHER
LOOPED WORK." (A communication to me from abroad by Louis Antoine Quin-
quarlet Dupont, of Paris, France).
This machine is distinguished from those of a similar class by the application to
it of a shuttle to produce the sewing, and by the particular relative movement of
the needle and bodkins, a motion which enables the sewing to be effected in the two
meshes by going in one direction, and in all the meshes by going in the other
direction.
The following description will completely describe the Invention and the motion.
The stitch produced forms part of the Invention :-
The machine is composed, as most machines for sewing or stitching hosiery, of a
crown or wheel divided and furnished with bodkin needles set radially in a wheel
frame Z, Figures 1 and 3. This crown turns in horizontal plane round an axis,
passing through its centre in such manner as to successively present in a uniform
or determined order its different bodkins to a needle m, which has a to-and-fro
motion lengthwise, and which produces the sewing. The loop is brought up on the
bodkins of the crown.
The sewing is effected by means of two threads, one coming from the bobbin Q,
guided by the needle which has a hole in it, the other coming from a small bobbin
or spool placed in the interior of the shuttle V. This shuttle slides in the interior
of a circular grooved guide U placed above the crown carrying the bodkins opposite
the needle. This grooved guide does not move with the crown; it remains
stationary. The movement of the shuttle is horizontal, and describes the arc of a
circle concentric with the crown. A slot formed in the lower part of the sliding
needle bar acts as the needle guide when it advances from the crown; the shuttle
can then pass above and close to the needle without touching it. The movement
of the shuttle is at right angles to that of the needle.
The grooved pulley L, which receives motion through a strap driven by foot of
operator on a treadle, or by any other convenient means imparts notion to the
shaft d, to the end of which it is keyed. This shaft itself carries a cam B, in the
face of which a groove of the required shape is formed, which drives the needle by
means of the roller or guide g¹ fixed at the end of the needle carrier G¹. The latter

page_text: slides in a slide G, which guides it during its forward and backward movements.
The spring R presses upon the needle carrier in order to keep it constantly at the
bottom of its slide. The pulley L transmits motion to the shuttle by means of the
connecting rod K and arms or bell-crank lever M, which turn round the centre of
the crown wheel Z. This bell-crank M is operated at the end of one of its arms
by the connecting rod K, and at the end of the other arm it in its turn guides the
shuttle by means of a kind of hook which is bent in front and behind the shuttle.
The pulley L and cam B are fixed on the horizontal shaft d in such manner that
the movements of the needle and the shuttle are in harmony or unison to produce
the work, which is accomplished in the following manner:-The crown Z being
turned the number of divisions desired, and presenting the bodkin opposite the
needle, on which bodkin the two meshes which are to be sewn together are
mounted, the needle advances, directing itself towards the said bodkin, passes its
point into the eye of the latter, and penetrates into the two meshes to be united,
thus engaging there the thread which it directs and carries. The needle having
arrived at the end of its course goes back a very little way, whereby its thread is
looped above it, and it stops a moment. The shuttle then enters into this loop,
which it traverses with the thread which it carries. The needle meanwhile
continues its backward motion, and the shuttle advances until it has stretched the
threads, which it draws with it; the crown then turns the number of divisions
desired, whilst the shuttle returns to assume its normal position. The needle
and shuttle recommence the same series of movements to produce a new
stitch. The relation which exists between the movements of the needle and that of
the crown is such that the needle presents itself in the eye of the first bodkin, then
into that of the third, going one way, then it returns in the second, then in that of
the fourth, going always in the same direction, then in that of the third, returning
backwards, then in that of the fifth, and so on. The movements are similar to
those made by hand work. These motions are produced by the displacement of
the needle in relation to the crown, or by that of the crown in relation to the
needle, and the latter means I preferably employ. The crown while turning round
its centre advances alternately from two divisions in the direction of its motion, and
returns a division to the rear. It presents to the needle the bodkins in the following
order 1, 3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 4, 6, 5, 7, 6, 8, and so on.
_The
This alternate motion of the crown is obtained in the following manner:-
lower edge of the crown Z is provided with a rack, into which gears a small pinion j,
which is fixed at the end of a small horizontal shaft, itself carrying three ratchets
X, Y, W. The ratchet W is in the centre, and the two others are placed at each
side, the teeth of the two outer ratchets being turned in opposite directions to one
another, and the central ratchet having the same number of divisions, but of a V
form. The free end of a spring presses on this central ratchet W, and takes into
one of the divisions every time the crown is placed in proper position for sewing.
By this means the crown is maintained in place during the sewing operation. The
fixed end of the pressing spring is fixed on the circular plate U, in which the shuttle
travels. Then, according as to which of the two ratchets X, Y, is in action, so the
crown will turn one way or the other. It is then sufficient to turn alternately each
of the ratchets one two teeth, the other one tooth, this being effected in the
following manner-At the end of the horizontal shaft d of the machine there is a
pinion H, which gears with another pinion having double the number of teeth,
which is fixed to a grooved eccentric or cam A. This eccentric or cam A, revolving
upon the stud pin b, makes one revolution, while the shaft d and the cam B which
it carries makes two. A connecting rod C at its slotted end on the stud pin b
about which the eccentric or cam A. turns, and is attached at the other end to the
vertical level D by means of the stud e. This connecting rod carries a roller g,
which takes into the groove of the eccentric or cam A, and it moves lengthwise
horizontally by reason of the motion communicated to it by the eccentric or cam.
The vertical lever D is centred at its base upon the pivot o, and it carries at fand
ath two catches F and E jointed with it, and abutting by their own weight on the

page_text: two ratchets. The pawl F operates the ratchet Y by pushing it, and the pawl E
operates the ratchet X by drawing it. Now the distance o, h, being double that of
o, f, the pawl E will move double the distance of that of the pawl F; consequently
the ratchet X will at the forward stroke turn two teeth in one direction, while the
ratchet Y will (at the ensuing backward stroke) turn but one tooth in the contrary
direction.
The groove of the eccentric or cam A is composed of two circular concentric
parts of different radii, united by curved eccentric portions. It is at the moment
that the guide g passes into these curved eccentric portions that the connecting
rod C and attachments make a forward or backward movement, the guide or
roller g remaining stationary while it traverses the concentric portions of groove.
The eccentrics or cams A and B are placed one in relation to the other on their
respective shafts in such manner that the crown only turns when the needle has left
the bodkins. The pawl F is provided with a prolongation F¹, against which the
eccentric or cam A presses, so as to raise the pawl F at the proper time. In this
manner the pawl F is caused to balance in such manner as to disengage its point
from the teeth of the ratchet Y at the moment when the pawl E draws on the
ratchet X.
Figure 2 shews on a large scale the interlacing of the threads of the needle and
shuttle to produce the stitch, which results from the motions just described. " is
the bobbin or spool thread; b is the shuttle thread.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the improvements in machines
for sewing or stitching hoisery and other looped work,-
First. The application to such machines of a shuttle to produce the sewing.
• Second. The particular relative movement of the needle, bodkins, and shuttle,
enabling the sewing to be done on both sides in every alternate mesb, going in one
direction, and returning in the other, and in all the holes going in contrary directions,
substantially in the manner described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Third. The particular stitch resulting from the motions aforesaid and before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
E. G. BREWER. (L.S.)