Improvements relating to Sewing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1889-Accepted, 31st Aug., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE BROSIUS INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SEWING
MACHINE COMPANY, of Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.]
Improvements relating to Sewing Machines.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object the construction of a sewing machine and
spring driving mechanism, so arranged as to be conveniently operated. In the
accompanying drawings, so much of the sewing machine as is necessarily con-
structed of peculiar form in order to accomodate it to the required conditions, the
driving springs and the gearing connecting them with the sewing machine proper and
other essential details are shown.
Figure 1 is an end elevation of the stand, the machine head and the motor, showing
in dotted lines the gearing that transmits the motion from the springs to the machine.
This Figure also shows the lever, partly in section, by which either one or two springs
may be wound, or the two wound together, and one of the two ratchets on which
the pawls on the lever work, and the hinges by which the machine head is pivoted to
the table.
Figure 2 is a top view of the winding lever, the pawls and the ratchets.
Figures 3 and 4 show a top view and vertical section respectively of the shuttle
driving cam and lever which is also shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the device, partly in section, showing the springs,
the winding and holding ratchets, the gearing by which the power of the springs
is communicated to the sewing machine proper; also the vertical shaft, cam and
forked lever that gives an oscillating motion to the shuttle carrying arm and other
necessary details.
Figure 6 is a vertical cross section through a portion of the table on the
line, Figure 5, showing a portion of the side of the motor casing opposite to
that shown in Figure 1, and the device by which the machine-head is fastened down
when in use.
Figure 7 is a plan showing the lever that locks the machine-head down when in
use; or when the machine head is turned back, that locks the wheels of the motor.
The lever is shown in this Figure in the position in which it locks the head down,
and the lug projecting downwardly from the head is also shown in section.
A and B represent spiral springs that are attached at their inner ends to the
shaft C and the sleeve D, said shaft and sleeve being journalled as shown, in the
frame or casing E. One of these springs is shown in Figure 1 and both are shewn in
section in Figure 5. The frame or casing E is attached to the table as is also
the head G of the sewing machine. Also pivoted in the frame or casing E, and
in the head G of the sewing machine is a train composed of the gears and
pinions H, i, I, į, J, k, K and 1, the gear H being pivoted loosely on the shaft C
and the pinion being attached to the shaft L of the sewing machine proper.
The outer ends of the springs A and B being attached to the barrels M that are
carried on either side of the gear Heach receives its required tension by the
winding of its arbor, the arbors being the shaft C and the sleeve D. The springs
are wound by an oscillating movement of the lever N which is pivoted to the
shaft and the sleeve. The lever N is connected to the ratchets O and P on the
shaft C and sleeve D by means of the pawls o and p which are pivoted to the

page_text: lever N on a common centre by the pin n as shown in Figure 1, and a pressure
of the pawls against the ratchets is caused by the spring between the rearward
extension of the two pawls. The cam Q is also pivoted on the lever N, as shown in
that Figure, and by its oscillation will throw out of engagement either of the said
pawls by reason of which only one spring A or B, will be wound at one time. The
cam Qis operated by the lever R through the connecting rod S, the cam being held
in any one of three positions by the three faces on the lever R and the spring T
that presses said faces against the upper inner side of the leyer as shown in Figure 1.
Many features of this lever and its appendages are also shown in Figure 2. It is
obvious that an oscillating movement of the lever N will produce, by the engage-
iment of the pawls o and p with the ratchets O and P, a movement of these ratchets
and wind both the springs attached to the shaft and the one attached to the sleeve.
To wind them separately the cam Q is turned in either direction by means of the
lever R and connecting rod S, lifting out of engagement either the one or the other
of the pawls o and p; the lever R being held in either of the three positions at which
it requires to be set by the spring T pressing one of the flat surfaces against the
lever N. By means of the device just described, both springs may be wound together
so long as they wind easily and afterwards wound separately to a much higher tension.
The reactionary movement of the shaft and sleeve is prevented by ratchets U, Figure 5,
and pawls, or in any other approved way.
In order that the machine head may be turned back, as is usual, it is hinged to
the table by the hinges V, Figure 1. In order to prevent the accidental disengage-
ment of the gears I and 1, the front side of the machine head is provided with a down-
wardly projecting lug W, shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, that engages with the
horizontally swinging lever Y to which is attached the pin Z, that, passing through
the casing E, enters one of the holes win the wheel I. It is obviously necessary
that the gear I should be prevented from turning whenever it shall be necessary to
disconnect the mechanism contained in the sewing machine proper and also that the
gears and should he held firmly in engagement at all other times, for which
reasons the lever Y the lug W and the pin Z should be so proportioned and placed
that the disengagement of the lever and the lug W cannot occur except when the
pin Z is in one of the holes w in the wheel I and that the said wheel will not be
released until after the lever shall have been turned back sufficiently to engage with
the lug W.
The mechanism shown in Figures 3 and 4, and also appearing in Figure 5 and
consisting of the inclined cylindrical cam a and the bifurcated lever 6 attached to
the vertical shafte by which an oscillating motion is given to that shaft whereby a
shuttle carried on the arm d will be reciprocated is believed to be the best for the class
of machines shown on account of its economy of space in the part of the machine
that is occupied by the train of gears.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said iuven-
tion 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 A means for operating a sewing machine consisting of a spring-driven
train of gearing connected directly with the machine, and mounted partly within
the arm of the machine and partly in a casing beneath the table, said arm of the
machine head being hinged to the table and adapted to carry a portion of the train
of gearing therein enclosed, substantially as shown and described.
Second The combination with the motor-frame, the bead, their binged connection
and a portion of said train of gears contained in said frame and head, of the means
employed for connecting them and preventing further movement of the gears when
the parts are disengaged, consisting of the notched lug W lever Y, pin Z, attached
to said lever and the gear I provided with holes to receive said pin, substantially as
shown and described.

page_text: Third As a means of winding driving springs, the ratchets O and P, the shaft C
and the sleeve D the lever N, pawls o and p, spring 7, cam Q lever R and connecting
rod S combined and arranged substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 16th day of July 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.