Improvements in. Sewing Machines, Chiefly Designed for Use in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 12th Oct., 1889
Communicated from abroad 'by JOSEPH ELI BERTRAND, of Boston, Massachusetts,
United States of America, Mechanic.]
Improvements in. Sewing Machines, Chiefly Designed for Use in the
Manufacture of Boots and Shoes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Sothampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of.
his 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 machines for uniting the soles of boots and shoes to their
appers and has for its object to provide a novel and efficient mechanism by the use of
which a lock stitch may be formed, and the outer sole be stitched to the welt at the
shank as well as at the ball and around the toe, regardless of the width of the last,
and without removing the last from the boot or shoe.
My invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and
combination of parts which will be best understood by reference to the description of
the drawings and to the claims to be hereinafter given.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan of so much of my improved sole sewing
machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on line 1, 1, on Figure 2 looking towards the left.
Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 2, 2, on Figure 2 also looking towards the
left.
.
Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 3, 3. on Figure 2 also looking towards the
left.
Figure 6 is a vertical section on line 4, 4, on Figure 2 looking in the same direction
as in the case of the other vertical sections.
Figure 7 is a partial horizontal section on line 5, 5 on Figure 2.
Figure 8 is a partial horizontal section on line 6, 6 on Figure 2.
Figure 9 is a plan of the shuttle, shuttle carrier, and a portion of the shuttle race.
Figure 10 is a longitudinal section through the shuttle and shuttle race on line 7, 7
on Figure 9.
"
Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the formation of the loop above the work:
Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the formation of the loop below the work.
Figures 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are detail views of the needle carrier,
needle and awl to be hereinafter referred to.
In the drawings A is the frame of the head of the machine which is firmly secured
to the stand or column A¹ a portion of which is shown in elevation in Figure 2.
B is the driving pulley and balance wheel having secured upon its hub the spur
gear wheel B and mounted so as to revolve freely on the fixed stud set in an upright.
of the frame A.
C and C¹ are cam shafts mounted in bearings in the frame A and having secured
upon their outer ends the pinions C² and C³ respectively, which pinions engage with
the gear wheel B' upon opposite sides thereof so as to he revolved thereby when the
pulley B is revolved.
A work supporting arm a is secured by one end to the under side of the frame A
and projects obliquely therefrom, and has forined in its outer end a slot a¹ through
which the needle and awl pass to enter the work resting thereon.
D is the presser foot rod mounted in bearings in the frame A and projecting above
its upper bearing and having in its upper end the lateral opening 6 to receive the

page_text: front end of the locking lever D¹, which is pivoted at 6' to the stand D2 and has
formed upon its rear end a segmental ratchet 12 the teeth of which are arranged
with their shoulders downward and with which the pawl c mounted upon the
lever E engages to lock said presser-bar in position with the the presser-foot in firm
contact with the work and prevent it being raised or moved upward by the passage
of the needle and awl through said work.
The pawl lever E is pivoted to the stand D and carries at its free end the
truck which is acted upon by the cam c mounted upon, and revoluble with, the
shaft C as shown in Figures 1 and 5 said cam being so formed and timed as to
cause the pawl c to engage with a tooth of the ratchet 62 and lock the presser-foot-rod
while the needle and awl are passing through the work.
The presser-foot-rod D is forced downwards or towards the work by the spring d
and has secured to its lower end the presser-foot D³ to rest upon the upper surface
of the work and gripe it between it and the work supporting arm a as shown in
Figure 11.
A segmental ratchet 63 is firmly secured to the side of the ratchet b² the teeth of
which have their shoulders or working faces turned upward, or in the reverse
direction to the teeth of the ratchet 62, and are engaged by the pawl d secured to
the side of the arm d2 which in turn is pivoted to the free end of the lever
mounted upon a fulcrum pin set in the stand D2 at d* as shown in Figure 5.
The free end of the lever d³ has set therein a stud e upon which is mounted the
truck e¹ upon which the cam e² acts to raise the presser-foot from the work at the
proper time to permit the work to be fed by the lateral movement of the needle and
awl.
:
The arm d has set therein a stud es which projects into the cam slot et formed in
the fixed plate E¹, said slot and stud co-operating with the vibratory motions of the
lever d³ and arm de to control the disengagement of the pawl d from the teeth of
the ratchet 63 against the tension of the spring e³ and permit said engagement at the
proper time.
Fis the needle carrier firmly secured upon the shaft F1 mounted in bearings in
the front edge of the lower plate of the frame A in such a manner as to be revóluble,
and movable, endwise therein.
The shaft F has firmly secured thereon the pinion F2 with which the teeth of the
segment F3 engage to impart to said shaft and needle carrying arm an oscillating or
reciprocating rotary motion about the axis of said shaft.
The segment F3 is mounted upon the stud f set in the frame A or a stand secured
thereto and is provided with the arm F in which is formed a longitudinal slot f¹ as
shown in Figure 5.
G is a lever pivoted to an ear or stand on the rear bar of the frame A and
carrying at its free end a truck f2 (shown in dotted lines in Figure 4) which fits
into and is acted upon by the path f³ of the cam G¹ to vibrate said lever.
G2 is a link pivoted at its upper end to the free or movable end of the lever G
and adjustably connected at its lower end, by means of the stud g and nut g¹ to
the arm of the segment F³ thereby rendering it practical to vary the length of
are through which the needle carrier oscillates, all as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.
The hub of the needle carrier, or a separate hub or collar secured on the shaft F1
is provided with an annular groove with which the forked lower end of the lever H
engages.
The lever H is pivoted at g² to the stand H and has formed in its upper end a
longitudinal slot h, and is connected to the lower end of the lever H2 mounted upon a
a rocker shaft H³ mounted in the stand H* and having secured upon its rear end the
lever I which carries at its free or movable end a truck which fits into and is acted.
upon by the path of the cylinder cam I¹ as shown in Figures 1 and 6, the lever H²
being provided with the longitudinal slot ' and connected to the lever H by means
of the stud h³ adjustably secured to the lever H2 in its slot h² and projecting into 5
the sloth of the lever H as shown in said Figure 6, and in Figure 2.

page_text: The needle and awl are curved to arcs of circles of equal radius and concentric
with the axis of the shaft F1, and are arranged side by side and parallel to each other,
and a distance apart equal to the desired length of stitches to be formed.
The needle and awl carrier F has formed in its free end a curved groovej con-
centric with the axis of movement of said carrier and of a depth nearly equal to
the thickness of the shank of the needle which is fitted thereto, and is also
provided with a curved shoulder j¹ to serve as a guide for the awl shank, and has set.
therein the threaded stud k provided with the nut ¹, see Figure 8, by means of which
the needle and awl are firmly clamped in position.
The construction of the needle and awl carrier is clearly shown in Figures 13
and 14 and the needle is shown in detail in Figures 15, 16 and 17, and the awl in
Figures 18, 19 and 20.
The awl ¹ has formed upon its shank or butt end a broad plate having an open
slot i³ formed therein to enable said awl to be placed in position and removed without
removing the nut by which said plate is pressed hard against the shank of the
needle to clamp the same, the inner edge of the said awl plate 2, and the
sides of the slot being curved concentric to the axis of motion of said awl and
needle as shown.
The awl is made somewhat shorter than the needle i so that the needle will enter
a previously formed perforation in the shoe sole and welt or other goods being sewed
before the awl is brought in contact with the under side of the work to puncture a
new hole therein.
The awl shank or haft is made thicker than the body of the awl, said increase in
thickness being in each case equal to the required distance between the needle and awl
to give the proper length of stitch, from which it is obvious that a series of awls
having shanks of different thicknesses will be required to adapt the machine to form
stitches of different lengths, said awls being used interchangeably according to the
kind of work required.
The needle i is a barbed needle and the needle and awl are arranged to pierce the
sole and welt of a boot or shoe from the underside thereof, the needle entering the last
puncture made by the awl, and the awl forming a new puncture at each upward
movement of said needle and awl and the work is fed forward by the lateral move-
ment of the needle and awl, which takes place while they are in the work, the stud
h³ being so adjusted in the slots and h of the levers H and H2 respectively, as
to cause lateral movement of said needle and awl just equal to the distance between
the centre of the needle and the centre of the awl.
J is the thread guide or carrier mounted upon the lower end of the vertical rod J'
fitted to bearings in the frame A and having secured thereon, just above its lower
bearing, the spur pinion with which the teeth of the sliding rack J2 engage to
impart thereto an oscillating motion about its axis, to carry the thread into engage-
ment with the barb of the needle; said rack being reciprocated by the elbow lever J³
and the cam J* firmly secured upon the shaft C.
A looper finger 1 is pivoted to the lower end of the elbow lever K and held in its
normal position relative thereto by the spring 12 and the adjustable screw stop 13 as
shown in Figure 5, until in its backward movement its rear end comes in contact with
the fixed curved plate of cam 19, when its rear end is somewhat depressed from
the position it would otherwise assume, so as to maintain the front or hook end
of said looper at about the same height when in its rearmost position as when in its
most forward position.
The lever K is pivoted at Figure 5 to the ear K¹, projecting from the upper
front bar of the frame A, see Figure 1; and carries at the free end of its upper arm
a truck 5 upon which the cam K on the shaft C acts to vibrate said lever and move
the looper finger towards the rear of the machine carrying with it a bight of
the thread in engagement with the book formed upon its front end, thereby
forming a loop in the thread above the work, said loop extending from the work to the
hook of the looper finger when in its most rearward position and thence to the
barb of the needle as shown in Figure 11.

page_text: The truck is kept in contact with the cam K² by the tension of the spring 17
which might be dispensed with by substituting a path' cam for the face cam K² if
desired.
When the needle descends to draw the thread through the work from its upper side
the looper finger has returned to the position shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7 of the
drawings and released the thread from its hook, and the surplus thread which
constituted the loop just described is drawn through the work and carried to the rear
by the barb of the needle to form the loop proper, below the work, and through
which the shuttle with its bobbin or coil of thread is to pass without any slip of the
thread on the barb of the needle.
When the needle moves to the rear to form a loop below the work the loop spread-
ing finger m mounted, upon the hub of the needle and awl carrier and rotating
therewith comes in contact with the lower strand of the loop and depresses it at one side
of the shuttle while it is depressed upon the opposite side of the shuttle and disengaged
from the barb of the needle by the finger m¹ set in the front end of the lever 1,
pivoted at m² to the swivelling stud L' and carrying at its free end trucks m³ and m
arranged with their axes at right angles to each other to be acted upon by the
cam surfaces n and n¹ on the cylinder cam M all as shown in Figures 1, 6 and 8,
the truck m being shown only in dotted lines in Figure 6.
When the loop is disengaged from the barb of the needle it is received by the loop
retaining and releasing finger n² set in the front end of the short-lever M¹ mounted
upon a vertical axis at n³ and connected at its rear end by the stud N to the
free end of the lever M² secured to the upright shaft M³ upon the upper end of which
is secured the arm M* provided with the finger n5 with which the cam e² engages to
impart to said shaft an oscillating motion and vibrate the loop retainer.
U is the shuttle race secured to the under side of the lower plate of the frame A and
having formed in its upper side a longitudinal groove o in the form of a segment of a
hollow cylinder and extending at right angles to the planes of movement of the
needle and awl.
O¹ is the shuttle carrier fitted to suitable. longitudinal guides or lips o¹, ol so as to
be movable longitudinally of said raceway by the vibrations of the lever 02 pivoted
at o² to the under side of the lower plate of the frame A and connected at its front end
to an ear o³ on the shuttle carrier and carrying at its rear end a truck of which fits
into and is acted upon by the path o' of the cam cylinder M upon the shaft c¹ as shown
in Figures 5, 6 and 9.
P is the shuttle the main body of which is cylindrical in cross section, and hollow,
and having one end made conical with the apex of the cone nearly in line with the
upper side of the cylinder as shown in Figures 9 and 10.
The shuttle P has formed upon its upper side the longitudinal lip or rib of which
fits into the groove o' formed in the under sides of the plates o³ secured to the under
side of the lower plate of the frame A as shown in Figures 2, 4, 5 and 6.
The shuttle P also has formed in its under side a longitudinal groove o into which
the upper edge of the thread holding finger P¹ enters as the shuttle passes over it
from right to left thereby preventing the thread of the loop through which the shuttle
is passing being carried forward or toward the left end of the shuttle race by said
shuttle.
The thread holding finger P' is secured in the free end of the lever P² pivoted to
the left hand end of the shuttle race O and has its free end forced upward through a
slot in the shuttle race by the spring p so as to be in a position to prevent a lateral
movement of the loop of thread while the shuttle is passing through the same.
The shuttle thread is arranged in a cylindrical coil within the cylindrical portion of
the shuttle P and is drawn from the interior of said coil through an opening in the
side of the conical portion of said shuttle and beneath the tension spring pl as shown
in Figure 2.
Qis the thread spool mounted upon a stud set in the upright Q1, and provided with
a hub to receive the brake strap R for the purpose of locking said spool to prevent
rotation thereof at the time that the slack of the thread is being drawn up after the

page_text: loop has been cast off from the barb of the needle and the lock of the stitch is being
drawn into the centre of the sole or other work being sewed.
น
The spool Q is pressed against the shoulder of its supporting stud by the multiple
leaved spring q in a well known manner.
One end of the brake strap R is secured to the upright Q¹ or other fixed portion of
the machine and the other end thereof is secured to one end of the lever R¹ pivoted
to the upright Q₁ and carrying at its other end the truck q' with which the cam
plate R2, secured to the side of the cam G¹ opposite its path f³ engages to draw said
strap hard upon the hub of the thread spool and lock it against any possible rotation
thereof while the thread is being drawn up, all as shown in Figures 2 and 4.
The thread from the spool Q is carried partially around and in front of the thread
guiding sheaver, partially around and in the rear of the sheave r¹ and in front of the
sheave 2, and thence under the sheaves and over the sheave s¹ and through the eye
of the thread guide J.
The sheaves 1, 2 and 8 are mounted upon fixed studs, the sheave 1 is mounted
upon a reciprocating bar on plate R³ and the sheave s¹ is mounted upon the free end
of the arm 8 which is held in its normal position in contact with the stop-pin 63 hy
the spring s except when the tension of said spring is overcome by the strain on the
thread when the needle is drawing the thread through the work or the sheave¹ is
being moved to the rear to take the slack and draw the stitch tight.
The sheave carrying plate or bar R³ is connected at its rear end with the upper end
of the lever S mounted upon the rocker shaft S¹ which has secured to its opposite end
the slotted arm S to which is adjustably connected the lower end of the link or rod S³
the upper end of which is slotted to embrace the shaft C and carries a truck which
fits into and is acted upon by the path t of the cam T to impart to said bar or plate R³
an intermittent reciprocation said bar being fitted to slide on the slotted plate T"¹
which carries at its front end the sheaves 7 and r¹ as shown in Figure 3.
A portion of the shuttle guiding groove in the raceway 0 near the middle of its
length is cut away upon its front side to permit the passage of the awl and needle and
their carrier all as shown at t¹ Figures 2, 5, 6, 9 and 10.
U is a hand lever by which the presser-foot may be raised to permit the insertion or
removal of the work when the pawl c is disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet b².
The operation of iny invention is as follows:-
The edge of a boot or shoe sole and welt, or other piece of work to be sewed
being inserted between the work support a and the presser-foot D³ and power being
applied to the driving pulley B to revolve the same the needle and awl are forced
through the work to the extreme of their upward movement, the shuttle moves
towards the right and the looper moves towards the rear its hook engaging
the thread between the eye of the thread carrier J and the work, and drawing
a loop of thread to the rear at the same time that the thread carrier carries the
thread into engagement with the barb of the needle, when the needle and awl are
moved to the left to feed the work a distance equal to the desired length of stitch,
the presser-foot being raised by the pawl d¹, the needle and awl descend, the needle
drawing a loop of the thread through the work without any slip of the thread across
the barb of the needle, the looper 16 having released the loop carried back by it just
as the needle commenced to descend.
The needle and awl continue their rearward movement until said movement is
completed during which time the loop spreaders m and m¹ have pressed the lower
thread of said loop downward, the latter acting in conjunction with a slight forward
movement of the needle i, caused by the throw in the path f3 of the cam G¹ see
Figure 4, discharging the loop from the barb of the needle and at the said time said
loop is received by the loop retainer and releaser.
:
While the loop is opened as shown in Figure 12 the shuttle P is moved from the
right to the left passing through the loop the lower thread of which is prevented from
being carried forward with the shuttle by coming in contact with the end of the
finger P the upper edge of which projects into the groove o in the under side of the.
shuttle as before described.

page_text: Just as the shuttle has completed its movement towards the left and the loop has
been discharged from the barb of the needle the take-up sheave and its carrying-
bar commence to move towards the rear to draw up the slack of the thread the loop
releaser 2 being moved to the left to withdraw it from the loop and permit the
slack to be drawn up.
When the take-up sheave has accomplished about half of its rearward movement
the cam R2 comes in contact with the truck q' to depress the front end of the lever R¹
and cause the brake strap R to be forced hard upon the hub or flange of the
spool Qand lock said spool so that no thread can be drawn therefrom during the
latter part of the rearward motion of the take-up sheave r' thus ensuring the stitch
being drawn tight and the lock of the stitch being drawn into the middle of the work.
These several operations are repeated at each complete oscillation of the needle
and awl carrier, the needle at each upward motion entering a previously formed
puncture in the work, and the awl at the same time formning a new puncture at a
distance, equal to the required length of stitch, from the puncture made by the last
previous upward movement of said awl.
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a lock stitch sewing machine the combination of the oscillating needle
and awl carrier F provided with the groove; and shoulder j¹ the needle i fitted to
said groove j, the awl provided with a plate like shank having a thickness equal
to the aggregate thickness of the body of said awl and the required distance
between said awl and needle, and provided with the slot 3, the threaded stud k and
the nut k¹.
Second. In a lock stitch sewing machine the combination of a fixed work support,
a presser-foot, a spring for pressing said foot upon the work, an oscillating curved
awl and a barbed needle arranged side by side and parallel to each other and to enter
the work from the side opposite to said presser-foot the lever D¹ connected at one
end to the upper end of the presser-foot rod and provided at its other end with two
sets of ratchet teeth and 63 with the shoulders of their teeth opposed to each
other or facing in opposite directions, the lever E, pawl c and cam c² for locking said
presser-foot, and the lever d³ arm d², pawl d¹ and the cam e² for lifting said presser-
foot above the work when the work is to be fed.
Third. In a lock-stitch sewing machine the combination with a circularly curved
barbed needle and a thread guide or carrier for carrying the thread into engagement
with the barb of the needle after it has pierced the work, of the arm provided with
the hook 16, the elbow lever K, the revolving cam K2 the spring 12 and the curved
cam plate, all constructed, arranged and operating substantially as and for the
purposes de cribed.
Fourth. In a lock stitch sewing machine the combination of an oscillating circularly
curved bailed needle and a circularly curved awl arranged side by side in the same
carrier arın parallel to each other and to pierce the work from the same side, the loop
spreading finger m mounted upon and revoluble with the hub of the needle and awl
carrier, the lever L provided with the loop opening finger m' and pivoted in the swivel-
ling stand L, the cams for imparting to said lever L both vertical and horizontal
vibratory motions, the pivoted lever M¹ provided with the loop receiving and releasing
finger n the rocker shaft M³, the levers M² and M* n' and the cam e², all constructed,
arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fifth. In a lock stitch sewing machine, the combination of a shaft constructed and
arranged to oscillate about its axis and to be moved endwise in its bearings; a
carrier arm secured upon said shaft; a barbed needle and an awl both secured to
said carrier arm side by side parallel with each other, and bent to a curve concentric
with the axis of said shaft; the gear wheel F2; segment F3, arm F; the lever G;
the cam G; the rod G2; the levers H, H2, and 1; the rocker-shaft H³; and the
cam 1', all constructed and arranged substantially as described.

page_text: Sixth. In a lock stitch sewing machine the combination of the shaft F¹, the
carrier arm F, the curved needle i and awl secured to said carrier, side by side,
and arranged to be forced through the work from the same side, a pinion secured
upon said shaft, a toothed segment engaging with said pinion and provided with a
slotted arm, the link G2, the lever G, the truck f2 and can G¹ for oscillating said
shaft and carrier, the levers H, H2 and I, the rocker shaft H3 and cam 1¹, for
imparting to said shaft an intermittent reciprocatory motion substantially as
described.
Dated this 20th day of August 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.