IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR SEWING AND MANUFAC- TURING FURNITURE TUFTS, ADAPTED FOR USE AS AN ATTACHMENT TO SEWING MACHINES."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Doolittle, of Bridgeport, in the County of
Fairfield and State of Connecticut, United States of America, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR SEWING AND MANUFAC-
TURING FURNITURE TUFTS, ADAPTED FOR USE AS AN ATTACHMENT TO
SEWING MACHINES."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said George Doolittle at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th March 1882.
GEORGE DOOLITTLE, of Bridgeport, in the County of Fairfield and State of
Connecticut, United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR
SEWING AND MANUFACTURING FURNITURE TUFTS, ADAPTED FOR USE AS AN
ATTACHMENT TO SEWING MACHINES."
My Invention relates to certain improvements in sewing machine attachments.
It has for its object to provide a means for successfully manufacturing furniture
tufts from strands of yarn or other suitable material, which peculiar form of tuft
forms the subject of another part of my Invention.
My Invention consists, firstly, of a condensing tube arranged within bearings
secured to the work plate of a sewing machine, said tube being adapted to rotate
on an axis at right angles to the needle of the machine, as will be fully and in
detail explained. My Invention consists, secondly, of the yarn condensing tube
mounted in bearings, and adapted to rotate, in combination with suitable
mechanism, intermediate between said tube and the driving shaft of the machine,
adapted to produce rotation of the tube, as will be hereinafter fully explained. My
Invention consists, thirdly, in the special instrumentalities hereinafter described
for accomplishing the rotary feed of the yarn to the action of the needle. My
Invention consists, fourthly, in the peculiar manner of connecting the yarn
carrying and rotary tube within its bearings, so that it may readily be removed
and replaced, as will be more fully explained hereinafter. My Invention consists,
fifthly, in combining with the yarn carrying tube a temple plate for grouping the
yarn, as will be more fully explained. My Invention consists, sixthly, in the
special devices hereinafter explained for feeding the yarn longitudinally through
CD 1

page_text: the condensing tube. My Invention consists, seventhly, in a furniture tuft com-
posed of a series of strands of yarn, condensed and associated together by short
circumferential and intersecting diametric or radial drawing stitches.
In order that those skilled may know how to make and use my improvements,
I will proceed to describe the construction and operation of the same, referring by
letters to the accompanying Drawings, in which,-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sewing machine with my Invention applied
thereto; Figure 2 is a bottom view of a sewing machine, showing the means by
which motion is applied to the mechanism for giving rotary motion to the yarn
tube Figure 3 is a cross section (enlarged scale) of the yarn carrying tube taken
at the line x, x, of Figure 1, and showing in elevation the double pawl and ratchet
mechanism by which the tube is rotated at pleasure in either direction; Figure 4
is a detail showing the mechanism for feeding the yarn longitudinally through
the tube; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the yarn tube removed from its bearings,
and with temple plate attached; Figure 6 is a plan view of the locking ring
employed to secure the tube in position and against longitudinal movement;
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a tuft produced by the machine; Figure 8 is a
side elevation of the same, and Figure 9 is a section taken at the line a, b, of
Figure 8 on an enlarged scale. Similar letters indicate like parts in the several
Figures. The tuft shown at Figures 7, 8, and 9, is composed of a series of strands
of yarn or other suitable material stitched diametrically or radially, and having
short circumferential binding stitches; the radial or diametric stitches result from
the vertical penetration of the needle, and the circumferential stitches are produced
by the rotary feed. The instrumentalities for producing the results I will now
describe-A is the bed plate of an ordinary sewing machine; to this plate is
secured in any suitable manner a tube supporting plate B provided with boxes a, a,
confining and supporting a short cylindrical or tubular box c (see particularly
Fig. 3), provided with two ratchets d, d, between which rises a vibrating pawl
carrier e, through the upper end of which passes a shaft f, to the squared ends of
which are secured two pawls g, h, bearing such relation to each other that when
one is in working relation to one of the ring ratchets the other is held out of
engagement with the other ring ratchet.
A spring arm i is secured to the pawl carrier e by a screw or bolt j, and its free
end is turned or bent over at right angles, as seen at Figure 3, and provided with a
short teat adapted to lie either side of a short projection on the pawl shaft, as
shown in dotted lines at Figure 3, so that either pawl may be thrown into
engagement with its own ring ratchet by rotating the pawl shaft fin an obvious
manner. The teeth of ring ratchets have their working fac-s in opposite directions,
in order that, as the pawl shaft is rotated the feed of the tube may be reversed
(the object of which is to take out the twist in the yarn where it is fed from a
reel). The vibrating pawl carrier e has its vibrating motion imparted through the
medium of a pitman or rod C, connected at its forward end to the lower end of
the pawl carriers, and its opposite or rear end pivoted to a short arm D, pivoted
at E to the underside of the bed plate A.
The arm D is automatically vibrated by contact of stud F on the rotating
plate G, by which, through the medium of the connecting rod H, the shuttle
carrier is reciprocated (see Figure 2). Any other means however may be used for
vibrating the arın D. From this construction and arrangement it will be seen
that the pawl carrier is vibrated upon its shaft, and a regular rotary feed motion
imparted to the tubular box c. I is the yarn concentrating tube, to the front end
of which is secured by a friction ring connection a temple plate K, through which
different colored yarns may be passed, so that they may be associated in any given
design when introduced into the tube I. The tube I is provided with a short
feather k (Fig. 5) which slides within a feather groove in the outer end of the
tubular box c, and is held against longitudinal retraction by a loose ring l (Fig. 6),
the feather groove of which is carried out of alinement with the feather groove
in the box c by rotation after the tube I has been properly located.

page_text: From this arrangement it will be seen that the tube I and its tubular box c are
rigidly connected with each other, and that the rotary motion given to the latter is
imparted to the former. After the hanks of yarn are passed through the temple
plate K, the ends are bound together by a string and drawn into and through the
tube I, and slightly beyond the other end; in so doing the yarn is perfectly
concentrated into a practically tight cylindrical or rope form.
This is all done before the tube I is located in its bearings, and when done the
tube I is connected with its box or holder e, as heretofore described, and the
projected ends of yarn lie under the needle of the machine. The plate B is located
on the bed plate A, with special relation to having a sufficient length of yarn
projecting to form a tuft. When the parts are all properly adjusted, power is
applied to the machine, the needle with its thread descends and passes vertically
through the center of the yarn, the loop of the thread is caught by the shuttle
thread in the usual way and the knot on the ascent of the needle, and through
the action of the tension device and take up mechanisin drawn toward the center
of the yarn; before the needle descends again, the pawl carrier e is automatically
rocked, and a rotary feed motion imparted to the tube I and contained yarn, thus
making a short circumferential binding stitch terminating by the next descent of
the needle in a diametric drawing stitch.
This action is continued until one or more complete rotations of the tube and
yarn have been made.
The needle is then lifted from the material, and the yarn is drawn longitudinally
through the tube a sufficient distance to produce another sewing at the proper
point to form a second tuft; this is accomplished by the following devices :-
A vibrating lever L (see Figures 1 and 4) is pivoted at M to the bed plate A of the
sewing machine; near the pivoted end of said lever is hinged a vertically movable
arm N, the free end of which is curved to accommodate itself to the yarn;
extending downwardly from the curved portion of the arm N is a spear or
needle O, which will when the arm is brought down into the position shown at
Figure 1 penetrate the yarn; the free end of the arm N is bifurcated and straddles
a short spur D' rising from the lever L.
After the arm N has been brought down so that the spear O has penetrated the
yarn, the lever L
swung upon its pivot M, which drags or pulls the yarn through
the tube I. The movement of the lever L is limited in either direction by stop
screws p, p, working through posts Q, Q, so that by the adjustment of the screws
the movement of the lever L may be varied if desired.
After the yarn has been drawn out the lever remains as shown at Figure 1, and
the sewing operation is renewed as before, and when a second stitching has been
completed, the arın N is thrown up (which movement is assisted by the spring R)
and the lever L drawn back against the other stop screw, when the arin N is again
closed down against the yarn, and the lever returned to the position seen at
Figure 1. The feed tube I may be regulated by a set screw m (see Figure 2, or in
any other suitable manner.
A continuation of the operations of sewing and feeding longitudinally, as above
described, will produce a stitched body, substantially as seen at Figure 1; and in
order to make complete a tuft, such as seen at Figure 7, this stitched boly of yarn
is cut by a knife or other suitable instrument just behind each line of stitching.
The free ends of the yarn on the opposite side of the line of stitches will expand
or distend themselves into the form shown, but under the line of stitches the
strands will be thoroughly bound and stitched together with no liability whatever
of liberation.
I do not wish to confine myself to exact details of construction shown, as they
may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of iny Invention.
Having described my Invention and in what manner the same may be performed,
what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,―
1st. A sewing machine attachment consisting of a tubular box or work holder
adapted to contain a rope or congregation of strands of yarn or other suitable

page_text: material mounted in boxes or bearings arranged upon a securing plate, said box or
work holder adapted to rotate in its bearings upon an axis at right angles to the
needle in combination with suitable intermediate mechanism between the work
holder and the driving mechanism of the machine, whereby a rotary feed is given
to the rope or yarn contained in the tubular work holder, and short circumferential
and intersecting diametric stitches are made, substantially as hereinbefore set
forth.
2nd. As a sewing machine attachment for the manufacture of yarn tufts, the
plate B having mounted therein a tubular box c provided with ratchet rings, and
having means, substantially as described, for rotating said box c, as hereinbefore
set forth.
3rd. In combination with the tubular box c provided with ratchets d, the
plate B, pawl carrier e, pawls g, h, and suitable mechanism for vibrating the
carrier e, substantially as herein before set forth.
4th. In combination with the plate B, box c, and the ratchets and pawls for
giving rotary motion to the box c, the condensing tube I adapted to be secured
within the box c and to rotate therewith, substantially as described.
5th. The box c having a feather groove at its outer end, and the tube I with a
short feather k in combination with the loose ring 1, whereby the tube and box c
are rigidly connected, substantially as described.
6th. In combination with the tube I the temple plate K, the two removably
connected, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
7th. In combination with the box c, and tube I, and mechanism for producing
rotary feed, as described, the vibrating lever L provided with the hinged arm Ñ
having spear O, substantially as described.
8th. In combination with the lever L, pivoted as described to the bed plate A,
the posts provided with stop screws p, p¹, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
9th. The box c provided with two ring ratchets d having their working faces in
opposite direction, the pawls g, h, arranged upon a common shaft in relation to each
other, as described, in combination with the spring arm i provided with teat for
holding either pawl in working contact, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
10th. The method of making tufts of yarn or other suitable material by
condensing the strands and confining and associating the same together by circum-
ferential and radial intersecting stitches, substantially in the manner hereinbefore
set forth.
11th. As an improved article of manufacture a tuft for upholstery composed of
strands of yarn or other suitable material bound and stitched by circumferential
and intersecting radial stitches, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Doolittle, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 13 day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
GEORGE DOOLITTLE. (LS.)