IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Ramsden at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th April 1881.
JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN, of Leeds, in the County of York, Mechanic.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
32
This Invention relates to improvements in sewing machines in which one or two
waxed threads are used by a hooked needle aloue, or by a hooked needle working
in conjunction with a shuttle above the material to be sewn, and more particularly
to certain improvements on such machines patented by John Keats, on the
17th March 1877, No. 1085, and by S. and A. Keats, on the 29th October 1880,
No. 4430.
.
The first part of my Invention relates to an improved means of imparting
motion to the "whirl" or rotating looper in the nose of the horn of sole sewing
machines.
The "whirl" is mounted in the horn and driven by gearing in the ordinary
manner, but instead of imparting motion to it by means of a cam and sector or
other generally known means, I arrange a train of gearing from the main driving
shaft of the machine to the vertical shaft in the centre of the horn socket.
On the main driving shaft of the machine is keyed a one-toothed pinion gearing
into a "star" wheel having a given number of teeth or slots, and revolving upon a
stud. This "star" wheel will thus receive an intermittent axial motion, and will
make a certain portion of a rotation to each rotation of the main shaft. A spur
wheel is keyed to this "star" wheel and gears either directly or by means of
intermediate spur wheels into the pinion on the end of the vertical shaft in the
centre of the horn socket. This wheel must bear the same proportion to the pinion
that the "star" wheel does to the one-tooth pinion, that is, supposing the star
wheel to have four teeth or slots, the cog-wheel which it carries will have four
times the number of teeth of the pinion on the vertical shaft of the horn socket.
By this means the pinion on the horn shaft will make an equal number of rotations
Price 11

page_text: with the main driving shaft, but it will complete its rotation whilst the main shaft
is making only a certain portion of a rotation, and consequently will remain
stationary during the other portion of the rotation of the main shaft.
It will thus be seen that the "whirl" in the horn can be made to rotate during
the time that the hooked needle is in the nose of the horn to receive its thread, and
will then remain stationary until the hook has completed its upward stroke, and
the stitch has been drawn in tight.
If instead of a "whirl" in the nose of the horn a looper is applied, similar to
that described by S. and A. Keats in their Patent before mentioned, to adapt the
born machine for stitching purposes, I am enabled by the means just described to
impart a single to and fro motion to the Keats forked looper. To enable me to do
this I fix a small horizontal stationary shaft or stud over the pinion in the nose of
the horn. Rotating upon this stud is a cylinder, the front edge of which has teeth
cut into it to gear into the pinion. The number of teeth in this cylinder must
bear such a proportion to the pinion as will ensure one rotation of the cylinder for
each stitch of the machine. On the periphery of this cylinder is cut a cam of the
required figure to impart the necessary to and fro motion and dwell or rest to the
forked looper. In order to render this looper adjustable, I have the stud carrying
the runner which works in this cam adjustable in a slot in the horizontal looper
slide.
•
The second part of my Invention relates to an improvement in the rotary shuttle
sewing machine described by John Keats in the Specification of his above mentioned
Patent..
"
In this description of double wax-thread machine it has hitherto been necessary
to use an instrument called a divider.". This "divider" enters the loop when
drawn up by the hooked needle, lifts the thread out of the hook, and presents the
divided loop to the nose of the shuttle in such a manner that the shuttle can pass
readily through the loop.
I now propose to arrange the needle bar carrying the hooked needle, and also
the rotary shuttle in such a manner that I can dispense altogether with the
divider," and at the same time cause the hook to enter the material in such a
direction as will enable me to give the desired "cast" to the stitch.
61
To this end I employ a round needle bar sliding in ordinary_bearings.
Immediately over the upper bearing I mount a sleeve or socket.
The upper
end of the needle bar is grooved, and slides upon a feather fixed in this sleeve.
A partial rotating motion being imparted to this sleeve will turn the needle bar to
any desired extent. The hooked needle is fixed excentrically at the lower end of
the needle bar in such a position that it pierces the material to be sewn, so as to
give the desired amount of "cast" to the stitch. Having received its thread from
the "whirl" or other looper the hook now ascends, and when it comes up a little
above the level of the shuttle an axial motion is imparted to the sleeve, thus
turning the needle bar and throwing the loop into the path of the shuttle.
I construct the shuttle with a raised portion or nose thinned at its point. This
point now enters between the threads and divides them, at the same time the
needle bar descends or "dips" sufficiently for the shuttle on its onward course to
take the thread out of the hook. A guard fixed to the shuttle "race or bearing
prevents the shuttle from carrying the thread forward, and the raised part of the
shuttle being tapered off behind allows the loop to become sufficiently slack for the
shuttle to pass through easily.
I may prefer to obtain these same results by fixing the hook concentrically, or in
the axis of the needle bar, rocking as just described; in this case as the booked
needle ascends and is turned into its proper position for its loop to receive the
shuttle nose, the shuttle being mounted in a pendulum or swinging bearing or
slide now comes forward and enters the loop, the needle bar dipping to deliver the
loop out of the hook on to the nose of the shuttle exactly as already described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John William Ramsden in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th October 1881.
JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN, of Leeds, in the County of York, England, Mechanic.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to improvements in single and double thread sewing
machines in which waxed threads are used by a hooked needle alone or by a
hooked needle working in conjunction with a shuttle above the material to be
sewn, and more particularly to certain improvements on such machines patented
by John Keats on the Seventeenth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy seven, No. 1085, and other improvements patented by Socrates Keats and
Arthur Keats on the Twenty ninth October, One thousand eight hundred and
eighty,, No. 4430.
The first part of my Invention relates to an improved means of imparting motion
to the "whirl" or looper in the nose of the horn of sole sewing machines, whereby
I am enabled to run the machine at a greater speed than heretofore and with less
fraying of the thread, owing to the whirl remaining quiescent while the thread is
being drawn through the eye of the whirl.
The "whirl" is mounted in the horn and driven by gearing as usual, but instead
of imparting motion to this gearing by means of a cam on the driving shaft and a
toothed sector as heretofore or equivalent means, I arrange a train of gearing from
the main driving shaft of the machine to the vertical shaft in the centre of the
horn socket of such nature that it will impart intermittent rotations to the whirl
always in the same direction, one for every rotation of the main driving shaft.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 shews in sectional elevation so
much of a horn sewing machine as will serve to illustrate the first part of my
Invention, and Fig. 2, Sheet II., is a plan view of the novel arrangement of gearing
for working the whirl.
.
In these Figures A is the main driving shaft, and B is the hollow socket, around
which the horn C which carries the work is free to move.
Keyed to the main driving shaft A is a one-toothed pinion a gearing into a
"star" wheel a', which is mounted loosely on a stud axle pendent from the under-
side of the table of the machine..
This star wheel is furnished with a given number of radial slots, into which the
one-toothed pinion takes, and it receives therefrom an intermittent axial motion,
making a certain portion of a rotation for each rotation of the main shaft; a² is a
spur wheel made fast to the "star" wheel a¹, and it drives through intermediate
spur wheels a³, a¹, the pinion as on the end of the vertical shaft D in the centre
of the horn socket B. The wheel a² must bear the same proportion to the pinion a
that the "star" wheel a¹ does to the one-toothed pinion a, that is, supposing the
star wheel a to have four slots, as shewn in the Drawing, the spur wheel a which
it carries will have four times the number of teeth of the pinion a³ on the vertical
shaft D. By this means the pinion as will make an equal number of rotations
with the main driving shaft, but it will complete its rotation while the main
driving shaft is making only a certain portion of a rotation, and consequently will
remain stationary during the other portion of the rotation of the main shaft.
whirl" E.
The movement thus imparted to the shaft D is transmitted to the "
(seen best at Fig. 1a) through bevil gearing, and an inclined shaft E¹ in the ordinary
manner.
It will thus be understood that the "whirl" in the horn can be made to rotate
during the time that the hooked needle is in the nose of the horn to receive its

page_text: thread, and will then remain stationary until the hook has completed its upward
stroke and the stitch has been drawn in tight.
If instead of a "whirl" in the nose of the horn a reciprocating looper is employed,
similar to that described by Socrates Keats and Arthur Keats in their above
mentioned Patent, to adapt the horn machine for stitching purposes, I am enabled
by the means just described to impart a single to and fro motion to such looper.
This adaptation is illustrated at Figures 3, 4, and 5, Sheet II., where Fig. 3 is a
sectional elevation at full size of the nose of the horn, with the forked looper and
the means for driving it fitted thereto; Fig. 4 is a front view, and Fig. 5 a plan
view of the same.
In these Figures e is a small horizontal stationary shaft or stud immediately
above the bevil pinion e' on the end of the shaft E¹.
Rotating upon this stud is a cylinder e², the front end of which has a ring of
teeth e cut into it to gear into the bevil pinion e¹. The number of teeth in this
ring must bear such a proportion to the pinion e¹ (whatever may be the rate at
which that pinion is driven) as will ensure one rotation of the cylinder e² for each
stitch of the machine.
On the periphery of this cylinder e² is cut a cam of the required figure to impart
the necessary to and fro motion, and dwell or rest to the forked looper F. This
cam is shewn as laid out at Fig. 5a. In order to adapt this reciprocating looper F
(shewn detached and in plan view at Fig. 5b) to suit different qualities of work, I
make the stud f for carrying the runner, which works in this cam groove, adjustable
in a slot in the horizontal looper slide.
This looper, it will be understood, is forked to allow of its advancing close up to
the hooked needle, and laying its thread across the path of the ascending hook of
the needle. For this purpose an eyelet is formed near the extremity of one of the
prongs of the looper to receive the thread from the bobbin, which thread crosses
the space between the prongs, and is connected with the last stitch of the work.
The second part of my Invention relates to an improvement in the rotary shuttle
sewing machine described by John Keats in the Specification of his above mentioned
Patent.
In this class of double wax thread sewing machines it has hitherto been necessary
to use an instrument called a "divider." This "divider" enters the loop when
drawn up by the hooked needle, lifts the thread out of the hook, and presents the
divided or opened loop to the nose of the shuttle in such a manner that the shuttle
can pass readily through the loop.
I now propose to arrange the needle bar carrying the hooked needle and also the
rotary shuttle in such a manner that I can dispense altogether with the "divider,"
and at the same time cause the piercing chisel edge of the needle to enter the
material in such a direction as will enable me to give the desired cast to the
stitch.
This part of my Invention is illustrated in Sheets III. and IV. of the Drawings,
where Fig. 6 is a side elevation of so much of the sewing machine as will serve to
explain my improvements therein, and Fig. 7, Sheet IV., is a plan view of the
same; Fig. 7 shews the needle cam laid out; Figures 8, Sheet III., represent in
plan views the upper and underside of the improved shuttle; and Figs. 9 shew
the shuttle in side and sectional elevation; Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view
taken on the line 1, 2, of Fig. 6, shewing the shuttle in place in its holder; Fig. 10ª
is a vertical section of a portion of the shuttle holder, shewing the shuttle drivers
and the cam for operating the same; Fig. 10° is a front elevation of a portion of
the holder, shewing the nose of the shuttle passing into the loop of the needle
thread; Fig. 10° is a plan view of the shuttle full size, shewing the position of the
needle hook and guard, and illustrating the formation of the cast stitch; and
Fig. 10ª is a plan view of the needle bar, shewing the excentic position of the
needle g.
G is the needle bar, made round at parts to slide and turn in its bearings, and
carrying the needle o in a nosition excentric to its axis (see Fio 10d)

page_text: Immediately over the upper bearing of the needle bar I mount a "sleeve" or
socket G¹, which rests upon that bearing, and is held in place by a rebated collar G*,
which is screwed to the bearing (see plan view, Fig. 7). The upper end of the
needle bar is grooved, and slides upon a feather g' fixed in the sleeve G'. A partial
rotating motion being imparted to this sleeve will turn the needle bar to any
desired extent. The hooked needle I fix excentrically at the lower end of the
needle bar in such a position as to enable it, when the needle bar is turned, to
present the loop of the needle thread to the nose of the shuttle, as best seen in
Fig. 10, when the needle has been relieved of the loop, and the needle bar is
turned back to enable the needle to take up a position that will allow of its
piercing the material to be sewn, so as to give the desired amount of "cast " to the
stitch. On reference to Fig. 10° the amount of axial motion of the needle bar, the
lay of the cast stitches, and the angle of the pierced holes will be clearly seen.
This axial motion of the needle bar, which it receives from the sleeve G², is derived
from a cam G² on the main shaft, which acts upon the bowle of a forked lever G*
pivotted to the main framing. Between the prongs of this lever stands up a pin
carried by a horizontal arm G, forming part of the sleeve G². By this arrange-
ment the needle g is shifted laterally from its piercing position (shewn at Fig. 10d)
to the position for presenting its loop to the shuttle (shewn at Fig. 10°), and back
again, once for every rotation of the cam G. The up and down motion of the
needle bar is effected, as heretofore, by means of the depressing lever Go, which
however is in this case connected to the needle bar by a swivel pin or stud, the
flattened head of which enters a transverse slot made through the thicker part of
the needle bar G, so as to allow of the axial motion of that bar (see Fig. 7",
Sheet IV.). The cam for imparting motion to the depressing lever G³ is shewn as
laid out at Fig. 7. From the foregoing it will be understood that when the needle
descends to pierce the work its flattened piercing edge may be caused to take any
desired angle to the progress of the work without interfering with the efficient
action of the shuttle in taking up the loop of the needle thread. When the hooked
needle has received its thread from the "whirl" or other looper the needle ascends,
and so soon as it has risen a little above the level of the shuttle an axial motion is
imparted to the sleeve G¹ in order to turn the needle bar and throw the loop of the
needle thread into the path of the shuttle. H is the rotary shuttle mounted in its
holder H, carried by a bracket from the main standard. This shuttle is worked
by the usual drivers H2 (as shewn in the sectional elevation, Fig. 10a), and it is
constructed with an inclined segment shaped projection or nose h, which stands up
vertically from the outer periphery of the shuttle, and terminates in an over-
hanging chisel edge. The inclined segment shaped ridge thus formed is recessed
vertically to receive the point of the hooked, needle when it dips to permit of the
removal of its loop (as shewn at Fig. 10b). The overhanging edge, which constitutes
the point of the shuttle, will so soon as the needle thread is presented to it enter
the loop and open it out; at the same time the needle bar descends or dips
sufficiently to allow the shuttle on its onward course to take the thread out of the
hook. To prevent the shuttle carrying the thread forward the shuttle holder is
provided with a guard h¹. This guard is bolted to the shuttle holder above the
shuttle, and its lower end dips into a rebate formed in the upper side of the shuttle
(see Figures 8 and 10b), and prevents the needle thread escaping below it.
"
"
The segment shaped projection h of the shuttle as it rotates passes outside the
guard ', so that the guard forms a stop to the forward progress of the thread.
and retains the loop while the shuttle is worming itself through the loop. The
raised part of the shuttle h decreases in depth rearwards as the shuttle increases
in breadth. Thus a broader part of the shuttle nose passes into the loop as the
shuttle rotates, and takes up a portion of the slack, leaving sufficient slack however
to allow of the shuttle passing easily through the loop.
Instead of relying on the hooked needle by reason of its excentricity in the
rocking needle bar to present the loop to the nose of the shuttle, I propose in some

page_text: cases to move the shuttle up to the loop in order that its nose may enter the loop
as already explained.
This modification is illustrated in Sheets V., VI., and VII. as applied to what is
known as a bracket arm machine, where Fig. 11, Sheet V., is a side elevation of the
machine partly in section; Fig. 12 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 12ª is a
front elevation of the shuttle holder.
In Sheet VI. Figure 13 is a front view of the upper portion of the machine ;
Fig. 14 is a sectional elevation of the shuttle carrier and driver; Fig. 15 is a
sectional plan on the line 1, 2, of Fig. 14 shewing the manner in which the several
parts of the shuttle carrier are locked together; Fig. 16 is a plan view of a recip-
rocating driver, from which the axial motion of the shuttle is derived. This
Figure shews also a portion of the lever which actuates the driver; Figs. 17 shew
the driver in side elevation and sectional plan; Figures 18 shew in elevation and
sectional plan the helical grooved vertical spindle which actuates the vertically
reciprocating shuttle drivers; Figures 19 shew the shuttle in plan and elevation;
Figures 20 to 24, Sheet VII., shew the cams for actuating the hooked needle, also
the cams for actuating the shuttle and shuttle carrier.
The shuttle H works as before in its shuttle carrier H¹, but this carrier instead
of being a fixture has an extension towards the cam shaft, and is supported in
horizontal guides fixed to the underside of the bracket arm.
Attached to the shuttle carrier and concentric with the rotary shuttle is a
vertical spindle I (see the detached views in elevation and plan, Figs. 18), which
is furnished with a pair of helical grooves for receiving a pair of antifriction balls
carried by a reciprocating driver I¹ shewn detached in elevation and sectional plan
at Figures 17. This driver is intended to impart an axial motion through its
antifriction balls to the spindle I, the connection of which at foot with the shuttle
carrier is such as to permit of this axial motion.
An enlargement at the foot of this spindle is grooved vertically on its opposite
sides to receive the shuttle drivers H2 which are surrounded by the fixed cam H³
shewn laid out at Fig. 20, Sheet VII., for giving the drivers the requisite vertical
motion for locking into and releasing themselves from the shuttle. The driver I¹
is formed with a forked projection into which takes a block I³ (see Figures 17),
that is swivelled to a forked rock lever 13 having its fulcrum on the bracket arm.
The tail of this rock lever carries a bowle which enters a groove formed in the
periphery of a cam I on the cam shaft A. By the rotation of this cam (shewn
detached at Fig. 21, Sheet VII.) a vertical reciprocating motion is imparted to the
rock lever 1, and from it to the driver I', which moving up and down the spindle I
imparts an axial motion thereto, and through the drivers H³ to the shuttle Ĥ. On
the underside of the cam I' is a cam groove for receiving the bowle on the extended
end of the shuttle carrier H'. The form of this cam groove is shewn at Fig. 22,
Sheet VII. This groove is so cut as to advance at the proper time the shuttle
carrier to the hooked needle g, and thus enable the nose h of the shuttle to enter
the loop. This advance of the shuttle carrier, it will be understood, towards the
needle attains precisely the same object as was attained in the last described
arrangement by mounting the needle excentrically in the needle bar G.
In the present instance the needle is set in the axis of the needle bar, which is
mounted in fixed bearings and receives an axial as well as a reciprocating motion
therein. The rocking of this bar in its bearings serves only to determine the angle
to the feed at which the work shall be pierced.
Within the upper bearing of the needle bar a sleeve G¹ is fitted, see Fig. 13,
Sheet VI. The upper end of the needle bar is grooved vertically and slides on a
feather g¹ fixed in this sleeve G¹, which is retained in place by a flange at its
lower end, and by an arm G4 attached to its upper end. A partial rotary motion
being imparted to this sleeve, will turn the needle bar to any desired extent. This
axial motion of the needle bar, which it receives from the sleeve G', is derived
from the cam groove formed on the underside of the cam G² of the cam shaft (shewn

page_text: at Fig. 23, Sheet VII.,) which acts upon the bowle of a rod G³ jointed to the arm G*
of the sleeve G¹. This rod carries a second bowle which works in fixed guides
parallel with a radial line drawn from the cam shaft. By this arrangement the
needle after presenting the loop in the proper position to the nose of the shuttle is
turned axially that its chisel-shaped point may pierce the material at the desired
angle to the feed to give a cast to the stitch. The up and down motion of the
needle bar is obtained from the groove in the periphery of the cam G² shewn "laid
out" at Fig. 24, Sheet VII.
The connection of the lever I³ with the driver I¹ is by means of the swivel
piece 12 which enters the fork of the driver and allows, as will be readily under-
stood, of the shifting of the shuttle carrier and the parts in immediate connection
therewith, towards and from the rock lever I³ without disturbing the connection
with that lever and the driver I.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Sewing Machines," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
I claim,―
First. The mechanism described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the
Drawings for driving the whirl, whereby the whirl (or looper) is rendered
stationary while the waxed thread is being drawn through the eye of the whirl
or looper.
Secondly. The rotating cam and adjustable stud described with reference to
Figures 3, 4, and 5 for transmitting motion from the inclined shaft of the horn
sewing machine to the looper.
Thirdly. The hooked needle set excentrically in its bar, which receives an axial
as well as a reciprocating motion, in combination with a rotary shuttle formed with
a segment shaped vertical projection or ridge, as described with reference to
Figures 8, 9, and 10, whereby the loop of the needle thread is so presented to and
caught by the nose of the shuttle as to render the use of the instrument known as
the "divider " unnecessary.
Fourthly. A reciprocating needle bar which is caused by a reciprocating feathered
socket or its equivalent to turn in its bearings for the purpose of presenting the
piercing edge of its needle at any desired inclination to the line of traverse of the
work, and thereby producing "cast" stitches or stitches which lie parallel to one
another.
Lastly. The arrangement described with reference to Sheets V., VI., and VII.,
for enabling the shuttle to advance towards the loop of the needle thread, and
thereby to enter that loop and release it from the needle without the aid of a
divider, such arrangement consisting essentially in a reciprocating shuttle carrier
actuated by a cam on the cam shaft, and timed to advance the shuttle towards the
needle when the loop is fully formed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John William Ramsden, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
JOHN WILLIAM RAMSDEN. (L.S.)