IMPROVEMENTS IN OVER-EDGE SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM WEBSTER, of Park Mills, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OVER-EDGE
SEWING MACHINES and in what manner the same is to be performed to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
"
This invention relates to that class of over-edge sewing machines wherein there
is used a spiral needle whereby when in operation a continuous feed is imparted
to the article or material under treatment.
The spiral needle is in outline approximately cylindrical, that is to say;-it is
not of tapering form, it is grooved on the periphery of the series of coils for the
reception of a double thread or twine, and is of such length that it will contain a
sufficient quantity of thread or twine for sewing the side of a sack or other article
to be sewn.
The said spiral needle is mounted between three rollers which may have spiral
grooves on their peripheries so as to form screws of the same pitch as the spiral
needle. In some cases I make these rollers or screws of metal, and in others
I construct one, two or all three of leather, paper or other suitable material of an
elastic nature. They may either be all plain, or all or part of them may be formed
with spiral grooves. These rollers or screws are mounted in suitable standards,
that one situated above the needle having movable bearings with springs so as to
yield to contraction or expansion of the spiral needle, to which it is liable during
sewing. On one of the abovenamed rollers, and at one or both ends I provide a
driver or drivers of any suitable construction to suit the kind of material under
treatment. When the material is very light I use a simple belically coiled needle,
and slightly enlarge one or both ends of the rollers or make the screw thread
shallower at such part or parts where the rollers act on the front or rear coils of
the said needle, so that by slightly compressing it they obtain a sufficient grip
thereon for propelling it through the work.
I sometimes make such enlarged parts of the screwed rollers in short sections
which may be readily changed as may be required. I also make one such roller
with a sectional part or parts that may be at one or both ends of the roller, such
sectional part or parts having on one or both sides of the threads thereof projections
taking into undulating parts on the sides of the coils of the needle or into
undulating parts of short sections of the needle and against projections thereon

page_text: (say for about two coils) which on motion being imparted to the rollers will cause
the needle or its sectional part or parts to rotate.
This is a positive driving medium which I find is required when sewing very
heavy material. When sectional parts of the needle are used the front or leading
part pierces the material, the next part of the needle carrying the thread or twine
passes into the said piercings more easily than if it had to make its own perforations.
I also use a driver consisting of a helical coil of rectangular section and of which
there may also be one at one end only or one at each end of the driving rollers.
These just mentioned coil or coils is or are capable of being compressed endwise
upon the axis of the roller or rollers (as the case may be) so as to grip the needle
or its sections by the sides, and so propel it or them. In some cases and when a
simple needle only is used I drive it by the rollers or screws these being suitably
formed for gripping the needle by the bead on that side of the groove furthest
away from the point, which bead (owing to the groove on the periphery of the
needle being nearest the leading in side of the needle) is higher or somewhat larger
than the opposite bead, so that the needle is driven by the bead alone. And in
order to obtain a superior grip on the needle and to prevent its moving endwise in
either direction I arrange the axes of the rollers or screws in such wise that they
converge either towards one end or the other, so that their lines of contact with
the needle are slightly conical.-I also for some purposes make a few coils of the
needle or the coils of its end sections somewhat larger in diameter than the part
having the groove therein, and drive it by such enlarged parts, which may either
be round or slightly flat on their periphery, the bead on the central part of the
needle taking into grooves in the rollers, which at 'all times prevent the needle
from oscillating, or in other words, having an endwise to and fro movement.
Another form of driver which has a positive action comprises teeth or serrations
on the periphery of a roller or a section thereof taking into corresponding serrations
or teeth on the periphery of the needle or a section thereof. In all cases where
the needle is in sectional parts the continuity of the helix is maintained by pointing
the end of one part and drilling up the end of the other, so that the point of one
part takes into the drilled hole or portion of the other. The needle besides being
grooved on its periphery for the reception of a double thread as previously
mentioned, is also provided with an eye for receiving the thread, a loop formed by
folding the thread is pressed therein by any suitable instrument previous to
commencing work.
At a convenient part of the needle I remove a portion of the lowest bead in
order to form what I will call a "cast off," this is at a point where it is intended
that the thread is to be thrown from the groove and the tightening of the stitches
commence, one being tightened at each revolution of the needle, and so on until
the thread is exhausted therefrom.-A table is provided in front of the needle
upon which the work or material is caused to pass by the rotating action of the
needle in a continuous manner, and in order that the work or material may be
supported against the action of the piercer or the needle; that is, the frictional
action of the same, an endless chain is provided in the table, the flat links of which
have teeth projecting into the spaces of the piercer and needle (or needle alone
when no piercer is used) these teeth support the work during the stitching.-An
adjustable fence or guide is provided where the work enters the machine, to
regulate the extent of the "overstitch" from the edge to be sewn.
At the rear end of the needle is a guide for leading the work away from the
machine when either the whole spiral needle and driving or other spiral section, or
the whole needle (in cases where no driver or other section is used) as the case
may be, have or has passed through the article under treatment. The last
mentioned guide is also adjustable within the needle for preventing any jumping
action thereof. The rollers are all driven from one centre (which they surround)
by toothed gearing from any convenient source.
In the accompanying drawings the same letters of reference are used to indicate
like parts wherever they occur. Fig. 1, is a front elevation, partly in section, Fig. 2,

page_text: is a plan partly in section whereby the top roller or screw is not seen. Fig. 3, is
an end elevation, the hand wheel, the outer bearing of the driving shaft and the
driving pulley being removed, Fig. 4, is a transverse sectional "elevation on the
line 12. of a machine according to my invention. Figs. 5 to 11, inclusive shew
Bundry details to an enlarged scale and hereinafter referred to.
A, is the bed of the inachine, B, B, the standards in which the rollers or
screws C, D, E, for carrying the spiral needle F, and sections thereof, are mounted,
F1, is the table, G, is the driving pulley on the shaft G1-G2, is a hand wheel
by means of which the operator can adjust the needle for the insertion of the
thread previous to starting. H, is the driving pinion on the shaft G 1.—H1, H2,
H3, are pinions on the rollers or screws C, D, E, respectively and taking into and
receiving motion from the pinion H.-The top roller or screw C, is adjustable by
the screws C1, C2, each having either a spiral spring or an elastic cushion of india-
rubber C3, and C 4, for affording a yielding pressure on the needle and its sections
in the event of expansion or contraction of the same through heating or cooling
and maintaining a gentle pressure thereon under all conditions. I, is the endless
toothed chain carried within the table, its teeth taking into the spaces of the spiral
needle or the needle and its sections, as previously referred to. The dead pulley I 1,
around which the chain travels at one end is adjustable for taking up any
Blackness thereof. J, is the adjustable guide for leading or guiding the material
into the machine. K, is a guard for preventing the operator's fingers coming into
contact with the piercer or the needle. L, is a guide for leading the article or
material away from the machine on the completion of the stitching and also for
preventing the needle from "jumping' M, is a brush beneath the table, or it may
be placed as indicated by dotted lines at M1, and arranged to press upon the
needle as it rotates, and upon the thread to assist in imparting a proper tension
thereto when the stitch is being tightened.-N, N 1, are drivers on the roller or
screw C, with projections N 2, N 3, respectively on the sides of the screw threads,—
N 2, taking into undulations in the piercer C 5,-and N 3, taking into those of the
section C6, at the rear end of the needle F, or they, the projections N 3, may take
into similar undulations in the needle F. These drivers with their projections are
shewn to an enlarged scale in Figs. 5, and 6.
وو
Fig. 7, shews the method of driving the needle F, by means of the helical
coil N 4, of rectangular section, capable of being contracted endwise by the
nuts C7, and thus gently gripping the coils of the needle F, or sectional parts
thereof and propelling the same.—Fig. 8, shews to an enlarged scale the method of
driving the needle F, by a groove O, in each of the rollers or screws C, D, E, acting
on the bead F 2, of the needle F, and preventing to and fro movement thereof; the
said groove may be on one or more of the said rollers or screws or otherwise.
Fig. 9, shews the method of driving the needle F, by forming each end portion
somewhat larger than the intermediate portion, these end portions being without
groove, the cross section of the coils may either be round or they may be flattened
on their periphery, and the screws or rollers pressing thereon.
The ends may be separate sections and act as piercer and driver respectively as
desired. Figs. 10-11, shew a method of driving the needle F, or separate ends
thereof by means of a sectional part N 5, of one roller or screw (say two coils
thereof) having teeth or serrations N 6, on a sunk periphery taking into corre-
sponding teeth or serrations N 7, on the needle F, or sectional parts thereof. This
method of driving may be used at both ends of the needle if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim in an over-edge sewing machine wherein a spiral needle is employed, is
1. Driving the needle by means of a roller or rollers (with or without spiral
grooves) of which one or more part or parts is or are of larger diameter than the
remainder, the arrangement being such that the roller or rollers has or have a firm
grip of the needle at one or both ends substantially as hereinabove described.

page_text: 2. Driving the needle by means of teeth, serrations or projections such as N 2,
N.3, on the sides of a thread or threads of one or more of the rollers, the said
teeth, serrations or projections taking into corresponding teeth or projections on
the sides of one or more convolutions of the needle, substantially as described.
3. Driving the needle by means of a belical coil such as Ñ 4, which grips the
convolutions of the said needle, substantially as described and shewn.
4. Driving the needle when of an approximately cylindrical form by means of a
groove such as O in one or all the rollers taking on to the highest bead F 2, on the
periphery of the needle substantially as described and shown.
5. Driving the needle by means of an enlargement of one or more of its
convolutions which may be round or flat on the periphery, engaging with a
corresponding part or parts of one or more rollers substantially as described and
shewn.
6. Driving the needle by means of teeth or serrations on a roller or screw
engaging with corresponding teeth on the outside of one or more convolutions of
the needle or on sectional parts thereof substantially as described and shewn.
t
7. The use of a piercer coupled to the needle and arranged to precede it in its
passage through the fabric substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
8. The use of a brush such as M, for pressing upon the convolutions of the needle
and upon and for increasing the tension of the thread when the stitches are being
tightened substantially as described and shown.
9. The application to the movable bearings of one roller or screw, of springs such
as C3, and C4, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.
10. The arrangement of the axes of the rollers or screws in lines converging
towards one end or the other, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
1005
Witness,
T. E. CRAVEN, C.E.,
Fellow Inst. Patent Agents,
24, Victoria Chambers, Leeds.
WILLIAM WEBSTER.