Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature of
my 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 which are used for sewing boots and shoes,
when turned inside out, and in which a curved needle is employed which is
oscillated in the direction of its length, and thus caused to alternately enter the
work and to draw a loop of thread through the "between substance," or the upper
and that part of the s le between the bottom of the channel formed for the
reception of the stitches and the upper, the latter being placed against the outer
edge of the sole. In this class of machines the work is held by a channel gauge
which enters the channel, and a back-gauge or work-rest which bears against the
upper where the latter bears against the margin of the sole. A lateral motion is
given to the needle while it is in the work, whereby the work is fed forward, the
work-rest and channel-gauge being arranged to grasp and hold the "between
substance" while the needle is advancing to penetrate the same, and moving
laterally to feed the work.
My invention consists in the several improvements, hereinafter described,
and means for supporting the operator's right hand during the stitching operation.
Figures 1 and 2 represent side elevations of my improved machine.
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 3 represents a front elevation.
operative parts of the machine.
Figure 4 represents a side elevation of the cams whereby motion is given to the
Figure 5 represents a perspective view of a part of a shoe turned inside out, the
Similar letters of reference indicate the corresponding parts in all the figures.
a represents the fixed frame of the machine, and b represents a swinging head
which is connected to the frame a by a bolt c, and is capable of oscillating on said
channel-gauge, work-rest, looper and finger-rest.

page_text: bolt. The swinging head carries the curved nee
off f, and the looper g; and is oscillated with said parts by a cam h on the driving
a spring k which presses the roller j against the cam h. Said spring is shewn in
shaft i, said cam bearing against a roller ; on an arm on the swinging head b, and
dotted lines in Figure 3.
The oscillating movements thus imparted to the head give the needle its lateral
substance, and is moved back to penetrate the between substance for a new stitch
movements, whereby it is caused to feed the work when it penetrates the between
after each feeding movement and the formation of each stitch.
The needle is mounted on an arm 1 which is adapted to oscillate on a fixed stud
or pivot m (Figure 1) in the lower portion of the swinging head; and is oscillated
so as to cause the needle to alternately penetrate and leave the work by means of
a slide n (shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1) which is movable vertically in the
swinging head, a cam-groove in the back of the cam h which groove receives a
roller on said slide and reciprocates the latter vertically on a lever o pivotted at
to ears q on the swinging head, a link r connecting the lever o to the slide n, and
a link s connecting said lever to the needle-arm l. The cast-off f is an arm
attached to a rock-shaft t passing through the centre of the pivot or stud mon
which the needle-arm is mounted.
The cast off is formed to enclose a part of the needle and act as a shield therefor,
to cover the barb so as to retain the loop therein while the loop is being drawn out
by the backward movement of the needle and to uncover the barb when the needle
is penetrating the work; thus allowing the loop to be disengaged from the barb
by contact with the work and then moving forward into the loop thus disengaged
so as to prevent it from being caught by the barb while the needle is drawing the
next loop through it. The cast-off is operated by a cam-groove u (shewn in
dotted lines in Figure 3) formed in the inner side of a wheel von the driving
shaft, a bell-crank-lever ³ one arm of which has a stud entering the said groove,
and a rod w connecting the other arm of said lever with an arm a¹ on the rock-
shaft t to which the cast-off is attached.
The looper g is composed of a stud journalled in a sleeve b¹ affixed to the head b,
and having an excentric finger at its lower end containing a thread guiding eye.
The looper is rocked so as to cause said eye to oscillate partly around the needle
by means of a rack c¹ sliding in a guide on the swinging head, a pinion d¹ on the
looper stud meshing with said rack, a lever el pivotted at e³ and engaged at one
end with said rack, and a cam groove f¹ in the front side of a casing on the
driving shaft, said groove receiving a stud or roller on the upper end of the
lever e¹.
The work-rest e is a foot or finger attached to the lower end of a lever h¹. Said
lever is pivotted at i¹ to the swinging head, and is oscillated so as to alternately
press the work-rest against, and remove it from, the work by a cam-block j¹ on a
slide p', which moves between guides k¹, k¹ on the swinging head and bears against
a roller on the upper end of the lever h¹, and a spring m¹ which holds said roller
l¹
against the cam-block.
The cam-block j¹ is vertically reciprocated by the face cam g¹ on the shaft, and a
spring n' which presses a roller o¹ on the slide p' against said cam.
q¹ represents the channel gauge which is a finger formed to enter the channel
as shewn in Figure 5, and is affixed to an arm s¹ which is rigidly attached to a
bracket t¹ on the fixed frame a, so that the channel gauge instead of moving with
the swinging head is fixed, the work rest e being moved toward and from it to
grasp and release the between substance. The arm s¹ to which the channel gauge
is affixed is adjustable on the bracket t¹, so that the distance between the channel-
gauge and the work-rest, when they are in operative position may be varied to
conform to the thickness of the between substance. Said adjustment is permitted
by slots u' u¹ in the arm 81, and attaching screws or bolts v1, v¹ passing through
said slots into the bracket. Said bracket is also provided with a slot or slots w',
through which passes the bolts a¹ which secure the bracket to the frame. The

page_text: work.
ous and Shoes.
the channel-gauge to be adjusted toward
and from the needle, so that when a thick needle is substituted for a more slender
thickness of the needle and channel-gauge when the needle is penetrating the
one, the channel gauge may be moved back to compensate for the increase in the
a² represents the take-up which is composed of a bell-crank lever pivotted at b
which the thread passes and in its other arm a slot d2 adapted to receive and permit
to the swinging head, and having at the end of one arm a grooved roller c² under
the adjustment of a stud e² having a roller f2 over which the thread passes on its
) way to the roller. The thread passes from the roller c² over another grooved
roller g² to the looper. As each loop is formed by the needle, the strain on the
thread presses the roller c² upwardly and causes the roller e² to move backwardly,
as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. After the loop is drawn out by the neelle
and while the needle is advancing to take the thread and draw the next loop, the
strain on the thread is released and the lever a² is moved by a spring 12 in the
opposite direction from that indicated in Figure 2, the rollers c², f² being thus
caused to pull the thread forward the required distance for the next loop. The
slot d² enables the roller f2 to be adjusted toward and from the pivot of the
The quantity of thread pulled forward by the take-up depends upon the distance
between said roll and pivot, the quantity being increased as the distance is increased
lever a².
and vice versa.
represents a rest for the fore-finger of the operator's hand, for the purpose of
steadying the hand while sewing around the toe and heel. The area of the shoe
that bears against the operator's hand while sewing at the toe and heel is com-
paratively small, and there is consequently more difficulty in guiding and controlling
the shoe when sewing at these parts than at other parts.
It has been found that the rest j2 makes the operation easier and gives the
operator better control of his work.
The rest is a plate preferably concave to fit the back of the fore-finger, attache
to a shank k² which is capable of moving in a socket 12 attached to the frame, and
is lacked by a spring m2, shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1, which normally presses
the rest outwardly toward the operator, and enables it to yield.
The operation is as follows, that is to say:-
The shoe being lasted inside out as usual, the operator holds it so that the
channel-gauge q enters the channel and the work-rest e bears against the upper,
as shewn in Figure 5.
The work rest being moved forward so that the between substance is grasped
between it and the fixed channel gauge, as shewn in Figure 5, the needle advances
nd penetrates the between substance, and is then moved laterally by the swinging
head so as to feed the work. During this feeding movement the looper throws the
bread into the barb of the needle, and at its close the needle withdraws from the
work drawing a loop through the between substance. After the needle has with-
Irawn from the work, the work rest is moved backwardly from the work, and
he work at the required distance from the last loop. The work-rest then moves
ther parts carried by the head laterally, until the needle is in position to enter
orward against the work and the needle penetrates the between substance, as
efore, and again moves laterally to feed the work, and thus the operation
ontinues.
lose to the upper, until the barb of the needle emerges from the work and is
When the needle is withdrawing from the work the cast-off remains stationary
overed by the cast-off. The latter then moves backwardly with the needle. Wher
he needle again moves forward the cast-off lingers and allows the barb to emerge
rom it while it is entering the work, so that the loop will be disengaged from the
arb by contact with the work. The cast-off then moves forward into the dis
ngaged loon and against the unner, and stands in position to cover the barb whe

page_text: Lake's Impre
it next emerges, thus preventing the barb from catching the disengaged loop and
causing the next loop to be drawn through said disengaged loop.
The fixed channel-gauge enables the operator to perfectly control the work
during the backward Interal movement of the needle; said gauge affording an
being no liability of the gange getting out of the channel as is the case when the
channel gauge moves with the swinging head and toward and from the work-rest,
as in machines of this class heretofore used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination of the movable work-rost, devices for operating it to
bear against the work when the needle is penetrating and withdrawing from the
work, the stitch-forming mechanism, the swinging head supporting the work-rest
and stitch forming mechanism, and the fixed channel-gauge, as set forth.
Second. The combination of the fixed frame, the swinging head, the work-rest
and the stitch-forming mechanism, carried by said head, the adjustable channel-
gauge attached to the fixed frame, and incans for positively holding said
any position to which it may be adjusted.
gauge in
Third. The combination of the swinging head, means for oscillating it, the
lover h¹ pivotted thereto, having the work rest e, the devices for oscillating said
lever, the stitch forming mechanism, the swinging head carrying the same, and the
fixed channel-gauge, as set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the swinging head, the pivotted needle-arm carrying
the needle, the devices for oscillating said arm and needle, the rock-shaft concentric
with the pivot of the needle-arm and carrying the cast off, the arm a¹ in said
rock-shaft, the bell-crank lever i, the cam groove u with which one end of said
bell-crank lever is directly connected for operating said lever, and the rod w,
connecting said lever with the arm a¹ of the rock-shaft t, as set forth.
2
Fifth. The pull-off composed of the bell-crank lever a² having the adjustable
roller or guide c² on one arm, and the roller or guide f' on the other arm, combined
with the looper and needle, as set forth.
Sixth. The combination with the work-holding and stitching mechanism, of the
yielding finger rest having the concave head cr plate formed to fit the back of the
fore-finger and located below the plane in which the sewing operation is performed
as shewn, and for the purpose set forth.