Improvements in Button-hole Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 22nd Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Button-hole Machines.
I THOMAS ROSE 49 Ansdell Road Peckham Surrey Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
On that part of the machine ordinarily used for giving motion to the cloth plate,
& determining its action as regards the rocking motion imparted to such cloth
plate, & which determines what is known & understood by the trade as the grip of
the fabric on which the button hole is to be worked; & which as ordinarily used,
produces the well known straight hole as in linen collars, cuffs, shirts & other
articles of clothing; my improvements consist in applying at the operators will,
guides or formers, of varied shapes, which in conjunction with the action of the
feed motion, will produce such varied shaped button holes as I may desire; either
curved or at an angle, or straight, or the many combinations that angle, curved, &
straight line could produce; clamps for holding the fabric are formed of similar
shape to the former used; & are alterable at the operators will.
Dated this 10th day of November 1893.
THOMAS ROSE.
Improvements in Button-hole Machines.
I, THOMAS ROSE, of 49 Ansdell Road, Peckham in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 button-hole machines and has for its object to provide
an attachment or attachments for such machines by which curved or angular
shaped button-holes, or more generally button-holes whose shape is other than
straight, may be produced.
My improvements are more especially applicable to that kind or class of
machine described in the Specification of prior Letters Patent granted to me
No. 3781, A.D. 1876, but they may also be applied to other types of button-hole
machine.
My said improvements are applied to that part of the machine ordinarily used
for giving motion to the cloth or work-plate, and determine the character and
degree of oscillatory movement imparted to such plate.
According to my invention I provide guides or "formers" of varied shapes
which operate in conjunction with the feed notion to so guide the work that a
curved or angular button-hole is made. The holes or eyes in the clamps for holding
the work are made of the proper shape to suit the character of button-hole to be
produced.
In the accompanying drawings I have shewn how my invention may be conveniently
and advantageously carried into practice as applied to a machine such as illustrated
in the prior Specification herein before referred to.
Figure 1 is a plan of the work table and work-holding clamp.
Figure 2 is a plan with the work table removed showing one form of my
improved attachment for controlling the movements of the work-holding clamp.

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 are similar views showing two other positions of said
attachment.
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line, a Figure 2.
Figure 6 shows a plan of a modified "former" hereinafter described.
A is the work table; B is the clamp for holding the work. This clamp is
carried by a work-plate C which can slide on the table A and is secured to a bar D
which slides in guides E as described in the prior Specification No. 3781 A.D. 1876.
The shape of the opening B¹ in the end of the clamp through which the needle
works is made to suit the character of button-hole to be produced.
F is the screw spindle the rotary movements of which produce the longitudinal
travel of the work as described in the before-mentioned Patent Specification. The
means for controlling the slide D are as follow, that is to say, on the rock shaft G,
which is operated as in the before-mentioned Specification is fixed an arm H which
is prepared to receive the spindle J' of a curved plate J. Said spindle is quite
free to turn in the arm H. The bar D is furnished with a removable end piece D'
which is adapted to fit the curved plate J as clearly shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4,
and which is maintained pressed thereagainst by a spring K Figure 5. The
oscillations of the shaft G are communicated through the arm H to the bar D and
produce a reciprocating motion in the latter which determines what is known in
the trade as the grip of the fabric in which the button-hole is to be worked. It will
be seen that when the slide bar D moves laterally from the central position shown
in Figure 2 to either side of said position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the plate J
turus in its socket under the action of the spring K with the result that the slide
bar D moves backward, carrying the work-plate and clamp with it, and thus causes
the stitching to deviate from the straight line: This apparatus produces a curved
button-hole. To assist in returning the curved plate J to its central position, I
provide a balancing spring L-secured at one end to a collar for example fixed on
the lower end of the spindle J' and passing at its free end between two pins or
rollers L' which are mounted on the collar G₁ of the rocking shaft G. This
spring is deflected when the plate J is turned in either direction from its central
position and tends to return the plate. The greater the angle through which the
plate is turned the more powerfully does the spring operate to bring it back. By
this means the action of the "former" is balanced. The spring.may obviously be
arranged in many different ways other than that shown.
In Figure 6 have shown in plan a modified "former." D is a plate, having
curved sides and flat at the end, adapted to be detachably secured on the end of
the slide bar D, and to bear against rollers N' carried by pins N mounted on the
plate J the spindle of which is carried as before by the arm H and can turn freely
therein. When the slide is moved laterally by the screw F to form the button-
bole, one of the curved sides of the plate D₁ slides down its corresponding roller N¹
while the flat end slides against the other roller with the result that the bar D
moves in its guides and produces a curved or angular button-hole. The shape of
the "formerplate D₁ may be varied greatly, for example, instead of the flat end
as shown, the plate may have a convex or concave curved end, or an angular
shaped end; the sides moreover may be straight. By thus varying the shape of
the "former," any desired shape of hutton-hole may be produced.
In some instances I make the "former" in the shape of an eccentric which is
connected by links or otherwise to the guide block E so as to be turned when the
said guide block is moved laterally, and thereby cause the bar D to move in or out
and produce the desired shape of button-hole.
A more simple manner of carrying my invention into effect for producing
slightly curved or angular button-holes is to provide a curved or angular face in
the arm H against which face a roller carried by the slide D bears. During the
formation of the button-hole the said roller moves over the said curved or angular
face and communicates to the clamp and cloth-plate the desired motion for
producing a curved or angular button-hole.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. For a button-hole machine, an attachment whereby button-holes whose shape
is other than straight, are automatically produced.
2. The combination, with the reciprocating work-plate and work-clamp of a
button-hole machine, and the operating gear of such plate and clamp, of guides or
"formers which automatically produce button-holes whose shape is other than
straight.
"
3. The combination, with the work-plate and work-clamp of a button-hole
machine, of the oscillating operating arm H, and a "former" intermediate of said
arm and the work-plate, or formed by the said arm, with or without a balancing
spring substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
4. The several types of "formers," substantially as herein described, for the
purpose specified.
5. A button-hole machine furnished with an attachment or attachments for
automatically producing button-holes whose shape is other than straight, constructed
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and
operating as specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.