Improvements in Buttonhole Sewing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
Improvements in Buttonhole Sewing Machines.
I, SAMUEL HICKOX WHEELER, of Fairfield, in the County of Fairfield, and State
of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to protect the needle-thread from the descent of
the buttonhole cutter at such time as the cutter is automatically actuated to cut
the buttonhole slit, and thus better to adapt the stitch-forming mechanism, to
the overseaming of a buttonhole slit which is automatically cut in the material
while the material is held in the cloth-holding clamp in stitching position, and
during the initial overseaming of the buttonhole.
My invention belongs to that class of sewing machine devices commonly termed
thread-controllers.
Thread-controllers which are continuously operative are common to sewing
machines generally, whether employed for straight or fancy sewing, or for
stitching predetermined figures, as in automatic buttonhole overseaming, and the
function of such controller is to better adapt a uniform throw of the sewing
machine take-up to varied lengths of the stitch and thickness of materials.
The time of effective operation of a thread-controller, relatively to the formation
of a stitch, is the interval between the initial movement of the take-up in the
direction to supply thread to the needle-eye and the piercing of the material by
the needle-point. At such time the movement of the thread-controller takes up
the slack in the needle-thread between the material and needle, effecting a slight
tension on the needle-thread until the needle-point has entered the material.
In the class of buttonhole sewing machines herein represented, it has been the
custom to cut the buttonhole slit between the lines of overseaming just prior to the
completion of the overseaming of the last side of the buttonhole, leaving the
material intact or uncut until the overseaming operation is nearly completed.
This manner of overseaming and cutting buttonholes permits the employment of
the continuously-operative thread-controller common to sewing machines generally,
for the reason, that in such instances the overseaming consists simply in the
formation of stitches under the conditions of ordinary seam sewing.
In the overseaming of a buttonhole slit, the action of a continuously-operative
controller interferes with the proper alignment of the depth stitches, (the stitches
back from the edge stitches) effecting an overseam stitch gradually narrowed as
the overseaming progresses from the bar-stitches towards the middle of the length
of the buttonhole, and consequently a gradual widening of the stitches as the
feed progresses from the middle to the opposite end of the buttonhole, and for the
reason that the action of a continuously-operative controller holds the cut edge of
the material inclined to the cloth-plate until the needle-point has penetrated the
material, the extent of such movement depending upon the firmness of the
material, the result being a gradual drawing of the plies forming the material
to be buttonholed, away from the middle line of the buttonhole slit, and the
producing of imperfect and objectionable work.

page_text: Moreover, it is essential that, during the automatic cutting of the buttonhole
slit, the needle-thread shall be controlled so as to prevent its slack from getting
in the path of the descending cutter.
This invention has for its object the protecting of the needle-thread from the
danger herein pointed out, and to remedy the defect in the alignment of the depth
stitches.
I do not mean to say it is detrimental to the overseaming of the two sides
of the buttonhole, that at any time during the formation of the stitch the edges
of the material forming the buttonhole slit should be lifted from the throat or
cloth-plate, for such a movement is essential to the laying of what is termed the
purl-stitch on the inner edges of the severed material, and such condition exists
at the time the take-up is finishing each edge-stitch adjacent to the cut portion of
the material, and tends to draw the lock or purl to the desired position; but such
tension of the needle-thread is released before the needle-point, in its descent,
reaches the material, permitting the material to drop back upon the cloth or throat-
plate so that the needle-point does not pierce the material while the latter presents
an inclined surface.
For the purpose of this case,
I have illustrated and described the construction and
operation of my invention in combination with so much of the buttonhole feeding
and sewing mechanisms illustrated and described in my contemporaneous British
specification for buttonhole sewing machines, as is necessary to show an operative
combination, to which specification reference will be hereinafter made.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, in the several figures
of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a perspective view looking
toward the rear showing an automatic buttonhole cutting and sewing machine
constructed and combined as shown and described by the specification above
referred to and with my thread-controlling device attached to the cutter-carrying
bar. Fig. 2 represents a finished buttonhole. Fig. 3 represents a partially over-
seamed faulty buttonhole, showing the material lifted from the throat-plate by
the tension given the needle-thread, due to the action of a continuously-operative
controller. Fig. 4 represents a faulty finished buttonhole, showing the variation
in the length of the overseam stitches, due to the tension given the needle-thread
by the action of a controller operative every time the needle-point enters the
material. Fig. 5 is a perspective view partly like Fig. 1, showing a modification.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a lever, to be described. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of
sufficient of a sewing machine to show the needle-thread in its passage from the
spool to the needle. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the slack or loop of
needle-thread which it is one object of my invention to control. Fig. 9 is a view
similar to Fig. 8 showing my invention in use.
Referring to Fig. 1, the bed-plate A, the portion B of the under member of the
cloth-clamp, the cross-slide 61, stationary guide-way 62, and the adjustable guide-
way 63, for the cloth-clamp slide-frame 6, the connecting link b, the vibrating
lever C, with its auxiliary lever e, the vibrating lever stud 2, the gear wheel 4,
with its cam groove, the spindle or stud 6, the slide bar d, the shouldered
screw d, the pivoted lever 10, the roller screw .r, the adjusting stud ", lever d¹³,
the screw, link, the springs, the screws, the adjusting
screws, anti-friction roller 8, and the adjusting screws 10, 11, may be of
approved construction and function similar to the parts designated by like
characters in my British specification, above referred to. From a comparison of
Fig. 1 with my said specification, it will be readily understood that the gear-
wheel derives its step-by-step rotary motion in the direction indicated by the
arrow, through its connection with the pawl-actuated ratchet-wheel mounted on
the spindle G
Referring to Fig. 1, the cutter-bar rock-shaft 1, its crank arm 2, the cutter-
bar collar 3, the cutter-bar 4, excepting as hereinafter explained, and its attached
cutter 5, the hooked collar or depressor 6 fast on the needle-bar rock-shaft 7,
the collar 81 fast on the cutter-bar rock-shaft 1, the latch 9 pivoted at 10 to the

page_text: collar 81, the spring 11, the stop-pin 12, the spring 13, the spring-collar 14, the
collar 15, the stop-finger 16, the spring 17, the lever 18, the pivot-screw 19, the
stop-pins 20 and 21, the flat spring 22, the collar 23 and its pin 24, are of approved
construction and operation.
The stitch-forming mechanism, frame and overhanging arm, herein shown and
described, are such as are employed in the said specification, and comprise the
well-known Wheeler & Wilson 110 sewing mechanism commonly used in con-
nection with their well-known buttonhole machines.
The manner of attaching the knife-clamp to the lower end of the cutter-bar as
herein shown and described differs somewhat from the manner of attaching as now
in use with similar machines, in that an adjustable collar 25 is employed to
adjust the clamp vertically with relation to the cutter-bar; but such change in
construction comprises no part of my present invention.
The throat-plate 26 is of the construction commonly employed in connection
with the well-known Wheeler & Wilson automatic buttonhole sewing and cutting
machine.
From the foregoing it will be understood that, to connect operatively the pre-
ferred cutting mechanism, with the preferred cloth-actuating mechanism shown
and described in my British specification mentioned, it is necessary to connect
operatively the lever 18, with some part of the cloth-actuating mechanism, so
that, at the proper time in the overseaming of the buttonhole, the cutter will be
automatically actuated to cut the buttonhole slit. To accomplish this result, a
lever 27 is attached to the adjustable way 6 by a pivot-screw 28, and held in the
direction indicated by the arrow u, by a suitably coiled spring, not shown,
located in the adjustable way 63 and encircling the screw 28, positioned to operate
in the usual manner. The lever 27 is constructed with two extending arms, the
arm 29 positioned to co-act with the lever 18, and an arm 42 extending in the
opposite direction or nearly so, and under the edge of the gear-wheel d¹, so that
the roller-stud 30, rotating with the gear-wheel, will strike the unexposed arm
of the lever 27, causing the arm or extension 29 to act upon the lever 18, and
effect the automatic operation of the cutter.
Having sufficiently described the details of construction and operation of the
cutting and cloth-feeding mechanisms to show an operative combination, I will
now proceed to describe in detail the construction and mode of operation of my
temporarily-actuated thread-controller.
As previously stated, a continuously-operative thread-controller is detrimental
to a perfect production, but a controller operated coincidently with the descent of
the cutter is essential, and to accomplish this temporary control of the needle-
thread, some temporarily-actuated portion of the machine must be employed. It
so happens that in the construction represented herein, the vertical movement of
the cutter-bar is in time and extent of movement a suitable means to effect the
desired control.
It is not my intention to limit my invention to the particular mounting of the
thread-controller finger as herein shown and described, since a cutter-bar having
substantially more or less throw than the cutter-bar herein illustrated and
described might demand the mounting or connecting of the controller-finger
upon or with some other part of the actuating mechanism.
In one form of my thread-controller, (Fig. 1), I employ an adjustable collar 31,
mounted on the cutter-bar 4, and supporting a controller-finger or wire 32, which
in its descent carries the needle-thread 33 down below the thread-guide 34
sufficiently to control the slack thread which otherwise would be liable to be
severed by the descending cutter.
In Fig. 5, I have shown a controller-wire or finger 32 suitably secured to the
cutter-bar rocker-shaft 1, which form of construction would greatly increase the
extent of movement of the outer or effective portion of the finger, and in some
constructions of stitch-forming mechanism might better accomplish the desired
result than the employment of the cutter-bar.

page_text: The thread-guide 34 is constructed with an arm 35 extended upward far enough
to permit of the descent of the controller-wire under all conditions of adjustment.
The thread-guide 34 here shown is of substantially the same construction as that
common to the Wheeler & Wilson D10 sewing machine.
In Fig. 7 I have shown the common devices for conducting the needle-thread
under tension from the spool to the needle and have omitted other parts of the
mechanism not material to this illustration. D is the spool from which the thread
passes to the thread check E, thence to the tension device F, thence to the
take-up G and thence through the thread leaders H to the guide 34 and to the
needle. Without my thread-controller, a loop of thread K, Fig. 8 would be
formed which would be in the path of the descending cutter, but, as already
described, my controller, as shown in Fig. 9 bends the thread and takes up the
slack and so prevents the formation of the loop (K) in the path of the descending
cutter, or, in other words, removes the thread from danger of being severed by
the cutter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination of a thread-controller
comprising a reciprocating finger and suitable thread guides, a cutter, cutter-
actuating mechanism, a cloth-clamp and actuating mechanism therefor, and
means interposed between the thread-controller finger and the cloth-clamp
actuating mechanism, whereby the cloth-clamp actuating mechanism controls the
action of the thread-controller finger at proper intervals to take up the slack in
the needle-thread as the cutter descends, substantially as described.
2. In a buttonhole sewing and cutting machine, a cutter, a cutter-actuating
mechanism, a thread-controller comprising a reciprocating finger and suitable
thread guides, and a depressor operated by the needle-actuating mechanism,
whereby said thread-controller finger is actuated to take up slack in the needle-
thread as the cutter descends, in combination with a cloth-feeding clamp and
stitch-forming mechanism, substantially as described.
3. In a buttonhole sewing and cutting machine, a stitch-forming mechanism,
feed mechanism, a thread tension, a take-up, a thread-guide, thread leaders and a
reciprocating cutter, combined with, a thread-controller finger and means to
actuate it coincidently with the descent of the cutter to bend the needle-thread
and clear it from the path of the descending cutter, substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of April 1899.
SAMUEL HICKOX WHEELER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.