IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Simon, of No. 7, St. Peter's Square, Manchester,
in the County of Lancaster, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Friedrich Bernhardt Köhler,
of Chemnitz, in the Kingdom of Saxony.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Simon at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th October 1881.
HENRY SIMON, of No. 7, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES." [A communication from
abroad by Friedrich Bernhardt Köhler, of Chemnitz, in the Kingdom of Saxony.]
This Invention relates to an improved construction of sewing machines for
producing ornamental stitching by means of two or more needles, the mode of
producing the stitches being such that the meshes formed by the two or more
needles are, on the next following stitch, all transferred to the front needle.
For this purpose the needle arm carries two or more needles situated one behind
the other in the direction of the feed. The construction of the machine is generally
the same as that of ordinary chain stitch machines, the looper and its cam being
arranged for two or more needles. On the commencement of the ascent of the
needles the looper enters the loops of both or all the threads and holds them while
the needles ascend, so that on the fabric being now fed forward and the needles
descending again the front needle passes through both or all the thread loops
which are left upon it by the receding of the looper, which again advances to enter
the new loops of the needle beneath those left on the front needle, the looper
having made a lateral movement during the above operation. Or in place of
imparting a lateral movement to the looper it may be arranged with a spring
action. For this purpose the hook of the looper has a small side spring blade with
its curved end bearing against the beak of the hook so that a space exists between
the hook and the spring. On the descent of the needles the front needle passes into
this space, and on the looper receding so as to leave the loops on the front needle

page_text: the spring gives way so as to allow the needle to pass out of the space. With this
form of looper three needles may be employed, arranged in a triangle, the apex of
which is formed by the front needle, thus producing stitching, having two side
meshes that converge at an angle to a third central mesh. With only two needles
placed out of line, or at an angle to the direction of the foed, the stitching has one
mesh in line with the feed, and another at an angle thereto.
For producing ornamental stitching of the above described kind with two or
more needles on closed up fabrics, such as the backs of gloves, the machine is,
according to one arrangement, provided with a hollow or trough shaped horn, over
the end of which the fabric is drawn. The looper is contained within the born
and connected to a slide extending back some distance, and receiving the requisite
to and fro motion from a finger on a spindle actuated by a lever in contact with
the looper cam, which in its turn is driven by an eccentric and rod from the
driving shaft. The presser constitutes at the same time the feed motion, for
which purpose it is actuated by the same excentric that works the needles for the
lateral motion, while a stud on the side of the excentric effects the lift motion.
With this arrangement it is necessary to turn the glove or other fabric to be sewn
inside out, as the ornamental stitching is produced on the underside. In order to
avoid this another modification of the machine is employed having a vertical
hollow pillar over which the fabric is drawn, within which pillar the needles are
arranged in an inverted position, that is, with thoir points upwards, the looper
being situated above the pillar with its hook downwards.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Lotters Patent filed
by the said Henry Simon in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd March
1882.
HENRY SIMON, of No. 7, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by Friedrich Bernhardt Köbler, of Chemnitz, in the Kingdom of Saxony.
This Invention relates to an improved construction of sewing machines for
producing ornamental stitching by means of two or more needles, the mode of
producing the stitches being such that the meshes formed by the two or more
needles are, on the next following stitch, all transferred to the front needle.
The said construction is shewn on the accompanying Drawings, in which Figs. 1
and 2 shew respectively a front and side view of the mechanism for producing the
stitches forming part of a sewing machine; Figs. 3 to 8 shew different positions
of the needles and looper and modes of producing the stitches. The neeedle bar A
carries two or more needles a, situated one behind the other in the direction
of the feed, and secured by cramps or otherwise. The sewing machine is other-
wise of the same construction as that of an ordinary chain stitch machine,
the looper B and its cam 6 being merely modified to adapt them to two or more
noedles.
Figs. 1 to 5 show the various positions of the parts in forming the stitch, which
are however very similar to those of a single neodle chain stitch machine; Figs. 1
and 2 show the position of looper at the top stroke of the needles; Fig. 3 shows
its position at the end of the downstroke of the needles at the moment when the
front needle passes through the meshes of the last stitch held by the looper; Fig. 4
shews the position of the looper during the upstroke of the needles when the looper
catches the meshes of the stitch just formed. The stitch produced by two needles
in this manner is shewn to an enlarged scale at Fig. 6, and resembles a description
of stitch now produced by hand on the backs of gloves. The arrow indicates the
direction of the feed. Instead of the form of looper B, shewn at Figs. 1 to 5, that
shewn at B' with spring B, Fig. 7, may be used, in which case the lateral motion
necessary for the other form of looper is dispensed with. With a looper such as B¹
a stitch formed by three needles may be produced, as at Fig. 8. In this case the
needles a are not placed behind each other but are arranged in a triangle, the
apex of which is opposite to the direction of the feed, that is to say, it is in advanco
on the line of stitching. Fig. 7 shews approximately the position of the three
needles relatively to the hook of the looper B' at the moment when the front one
would pass through the three meshes of the previous stitch. The front needle is
situated between the spring ẞ and the body of looper B'. At the following
backward motion of the looper the spring B is forced by the needle away from
the body so as to release the needle. By removing the one or the other side
needle of the three stitching may be obtained, as shewn at Figs. 9 and 10.
For producing ornamental stitching of the above described kind with two or
more needles on closed up fabrics, such as the backs of gloves, machines are employed
constructed as shewn at Figs. 11 to 17 of the Drawings. The machine shewn in
side view, sectional front view, and plan respectively at Figs. 11, 12, and 13, has
a hollow or trough shaped horn C over which the closed fabric to be stitched is
drawn. The needles a of the needlo bar A are situated above the horn and work
downwards. The looper B is carried adjustably in the horn C and receives its
motion from the looper cam 6¹ by means of the lever b with roller b³ and the
lever b', which latter gears with a slot in the looper bar. The feed arm D is at
the same time the presser arm, and receives its motion by means of the same

page_text: cam d¹ that actuates the needles, the side motion being imparted by the periphery
while the lift is imparted by the pin d².
With this machine the stitching is
produced on the inner or underside of the fabric, which has consequently to be
turned inside out to be operated upon. To obviate this and produce the stitching
on the outer or upper surface a machine is employed, constructed as shewn in side
clevation, end view, and plan at Figs. 14, 15, and 17; Fig. 16 shewing a detached
view of the looper and its cam. In this case the needles a work in an upward
direction within the hollow column Cover which the fabric is drawn. The looper B
is situated above the fabric as shewn. The arrangement and mode of operation is
otherwise the same as above described.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim,-
First. The construction of chain stitch sewing machines with two or more needles
operating in combination with a looper for producing ornamental stitching in such
manner that the meshes formed by one stitch are transferred to the front needle on
the following stitch, substantially as herein described with reference to the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. In sewing machines operating as set forth in the preceding claim,
arranging the two or more needles one behind the other as herein described with
reference to Figs. 1 to 6 of the Drawings.
Third. In sewing machines operating as set forth in the first claim, arranging
three needles in a triangle, the apex of which lies in the contrary direction to that
of the feed, substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 of the
Drawings.
Fourth. In sewing machines operating as set forth in the first claim, arranging
two needles in an oblique or slanting direction relatively to the direction of
feed, substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 9 and 10 of the
Drawings.
Fifth. The construction of sewing machine with hollow or triangle shaped horn
arranged and operating as herein described with .reference to Figs. 11 to 13 of the
Drawings, for producing ornamental stitching with two or more needles on closed
up fabrics.
Sixth. The construction of sewing machine with hollow column arranged and
operating as herein described with reference to Figs. 14 to 17, for producing
ornamental stitching with two or more needles on closed up fabrics.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Simon, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
HENRY SIMON. (L.S.).