Improvements in Overstitching Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 17th Apr. 1897
[Communicated from abroad by HARRY SEDGWICK STALLKNEOHT, Lawyer, of
515 Lexington Avenue, New York City, New York County, New York State.]
Improvements in Overstitching Machines.
.
. I, HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., Fol. Ch. Inst. P.A., F.I. Inst.,
practising as Phillips and Leigh, of No. 22 Southainpton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the Administrative County of London, Engineer and Patent Agent, 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:-
My invention relates to that class of machines for sewing leather and the like,
particularly gloves and furs, in which the doubled edge of the material is passed
between two revolving feed-disks, and in which the sewing is accomplished by means
of a reciprocating needle and a movable looper located adjacent to the needle. The
object of the present invention is to provide a new and useful motion for the looper,
and to so improve the means whereby the feed disks are separated for the purpose of
inserting the edge of the material between them, that the operator will be enabled to
simultaneously work the driving treadle of the machine with.both feet and also actuate
the mechanism for separating the feed disks from each other."
The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same,
as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1, is a side elevation of the macliine with parts in section on line 11 of
Figure 4;
Figure 2, is a similar view, the section being taken on line 2-2 of Figure 4;
Figure 3, is a cross sectional elevation of the machine on line 3-3 of Figure 1;
Figure 4, is a plan of the same with the cover removed from the casing containing
the operating shaft and the parts engaging it;
Figure 5, is an end view of the entire machine; and Figure 6, is..a plan
thereof.
Figures 7, 8 and 9, are views mainly diagramatic, illustrative of the various
positions assumed by the needle and looper relatively to each other during the
formation of a stitch.
In carrying out my invention I construct the machine' with the usual supporting
standard A carrying the table B and the casing C, the latter being provided with a
cover D on which are located the spool supports E and the thread guides 1, 2, the
construction of these parts may be the usual one.
In an extension 3 of the casing is mounted to revolve (about a stationary axis)
the main feed disk which is positively operated by mechanism fully described
hereaftor. With this main feed disk co-operates the auxiliary feed disk 4 which is
rotated by frictional.contact with the material. The two feed disks have serrated or
milled peripheries. The auxiliary feed disk 4, is loosely mounted on a bolt H secured
to a bracket I projecting from a sliding arm J capable of a reciprocating movement
in the casing C. The arm has a lug 5 projecting through a slot 6. of the casing to
prevent the bur from turning. To the rear end of the arm J, exteriorly of the
casing C is secured a sleeve K having a transverse groove in its lower surface,
whereby the lower part of the said sleeve substantially has the shape of a fork, as will
be seen best at 7 in Figure 1. This fork is engaged by a pin 8 formed upon one

page_text: end of a lever L, which is fulcrumed in a sleeve M secured to the casing by means
of a bracket 9, the lever being further journaled in a collar N secured to the table B.
That part of the lever which extends under the table comprises an essentially
horizontal portion 10 and approximately. vertical end portion 12. The portion 10 is
normally drawn inward so as to press the auxiliary disk 4 towards the main feed
disk G, by means of a coiled spring O, one end whereof is secured to the said
horizontal portion 10 of the lever L, while the other end of the spring is adapted for
attachment to any one of a series of pins or projections P secured to the underside
of the table. This construction permits of adjusting the tension of the spring in the
normal' position of the lever L. The end portion 12 of the lever is located at the side
of the machine, at about the height of the operator's knee, so that he may throw
the lever L outward, and thereby move the auxiliary disk 4 away from the main feed
disk G, by simply pressing with his knee on the lower end of said lever, and without
removing his feel from the driving treadle of the machine. In machines of the same
class as bitherto constructed, a separate treadle is provided for operating the slide
arm carrying the auxiliary feed disk, and when the operator desires to actuate the
said slide arm, he must remove one of his feet from the main or driving treadle and
press with the said foot on the auxiliary treadle; whereas, with my improved
arrangement of parts, the operator need only change his position to separate the feed
disks for the purpose of inserting the material between them.
In the casing Cis journaled the main shaft Qextending transversely therethrough
and revolved by means of a treadle or other suitable device. The said shaft is
provided with a series of cams or eccentrics for operating various mochanisms
controlling the motion of the needle, the looper, and the main feed disk. I will
now proceed to separately describe each of these three mechanisms, the needle and
the looper being of substantially the usual construction.
1. The needle and the mechanism for giving it a reciprocating motion. The
needle R is secured to the needle bar S mounted to slide in the casing C. A
stirrup. T is secured to the needle bar. within the casing, and the said stirrup
straddles an eccentric U on the shaft Q. The point of the needle is adapted to
enter a slotted guide V secured to that end of the arin J which carries the auxiliary
feed disk 4.
2. The looper and its operating mechanism. The looper W is secured to the
outer end of the looper bar X so as to extend adjacent to the path of travel of the
needle. The looper and looper bar have a threefold movement, viz.; first, an up
ard down movenient during which the looper bar remains parallel to its original
position, secondly, a reciprocating movement in the same direction as the needle, and
thirdly, a rocking or oscillating movement about the longitudinal axis of the looper
bar. It will be understood that during this complex motion the looper bar remains
parallel to its original position, that is, it remains horizontal.
a. The mechanism for moving the looper up and down is as follows. The looper
bar is journalled in bearings 13 at the ends of arms 14 secured to a sleeve Y
mounted to turn on screws Z or otherwise pivotally secured to the casing C. From
one of the arms 14 a bell crank member '16 extends downward (see Figure 3) said
member being provided with a pin 17. engaging a cam groove a, on the main shaft Q.
It will be obvious that the revolution of the shaft will cause the member 16 to oscillate
back and forth, thereby raising and lowering the looper bar X bodily.
b. The looper bar receives a reciprocating notion parallel to that of the needle, by
means of a bell crank lever b, (see Figure 1) pivoted at c, upon the casing and
provided with a forked arm 18 which engages an eccentric d, upon the shaft Q.
The other arm of the bell crank lever carries a pin 19, engaging a substantially
vertical groove 20 on a sleeve e rigidly secured to the looper bar. By this
construction the looper bar is permitted to move up and down without disengaging
the pin 19 from the groove 20.
c. In addition-to the above-described movements an oscillating movement is
imparted to the looper, the looper bar rocking about its longitudinal axis. To this
end a sleeve, is rigidly secured to the looper bar, (see Figure 3), said sleeve

page_text: carrying an extension or.arm 21 provided with an elongated radial slot 22. In this
slot is adapted to move a pin 23 secured to one end of the lever g fulerumed at h
upon the casing C, the other end of the lever carrying a pin 24 engaging a cam
groove i on the main shaft Q. The pin 23 as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 is of
sufficient length. to allow the looper bar to reciprocate without bringing the arm 21
out of engagement with the pin, while the elongated slot 22 permits the looper bar to.
move up and down independently of the lever 9 and maintaining an operative contact
between the pin 23 and the arm 21 in either the raised or the depressed position of
the looper bar.
3. The feed mechanism is operated from a cam upon the main shaft Qsaid cam
being arranged to periodically engage one end of a leverk (see Figure 1) which is
normally held against a stop by means of a spring m (Figure 4). The lever k has
another arm 40 within which is pivotod a pawl a actuated by a spring o to engage the
teeth of a ratchet wheel: pmounted on a shaft g within the extension 3 of the casing C.
On the same shaft g is also mounted to revolve in unison with the ratchet wheel a
worm meshing with a worin wheels which is rigidly mounted upon the shaft t
carrying the main feed disk G. It will be readily understood that by this mechanism.
the feed disk G is intermittently rotated at regular intervals. The inechanism is so
timed that the intermittent rotation of the feed disk G takes place when the needle is
in its inner position and therefore out of engagement with the material.
The mode of operation in forming the stitch is as follows;
In Figure 7, the looper is shown in the position it occupies when it has bent back
and laid a loop over the edges of the goods in position to be entered by the needle as.
it moves forward to enter the goods. In this position, the needle is retracted the
looper bar bas bodily descended to it lowest position (the looper being upon the left
of the needle) and at the same time has turned upon its longitudinal axis far enough.
towards the needle to cause it to bring the loup on the looper in the path of the
needle. The needle now advances and, after it has passed through the loop, the looper
swings a little outwardly to the left (so as to clear the needle) and moves upwardly-
taking the path indicated by the curved arrow 41 in Figure 7, and it thence swings
to the right across to the other side of the needle, in the direction indicated by
arrow 28, sheds the loop, advances and at the same time descends, so that by the time
the needle has completed its outward stroke and has begun its return movement, just
enough to give slack to the thread, the toe of the looper is in position to enter between
the needle and the slack thread thus thrown up, as seen in Figure 8, where it is shown
as just entering the new loop. As the needle recedes the looper with the new loop
upon it swings across the needle from right to left in the direction of arrow 29, at tho
same time rising and receding, so as to draw the new loop across the edges of the
goods, as seen in Figure 9. By about this time the needle in its rearward movement
has withdrawn from the goods, the feed theu takes place (as.indicated by the arrows
on the feed disks) and simultaneously the looper descends and at the same time
swings inwardly toward the needle, (moving in the direction indicated by arrows 30)
so as to reassume the position shown in Figure 7. The slack of the old loop is taken.
up during the movement of the several parts, and the new loop is laid in position to
be taken by the needle as already described in reference to Figure 7. During all
these varied movements of the looper. the looper bar in approaching and receding
from the needle bar has a bodily movement by which at all times its substantial
parallelism with the needle bar is maintained.
This feature I believe to be broadly new with me, beyond its special embodiment
herein illustrated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said-inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
First. In a sewing machine, the combination with the main feed disk of the
auxiliary feed disk, the sliding arm carrying the auxiliary feed disk toward and from
the main feed disk and the operating lever fulcrumed on an approximately vertical

page_text: axis at the rear of the casing and operatively connected' with the sliding arm, the said
lever having an approximately horizontal portion extending under the table and an
approximately vertical end portion, the latter portion being located at the side of the
machine, substantially as described.
Second. In a sewing machine, the combination with the main feed disk, of the
auxiliary feed disk, the slide arm carrying the auxiliary feed disk toward and from the
main feed disk, a sleeve secured to the rear end of the said arm and having a
transverse groove in its lower surface, and a lever pivoted about an approximately
vertical axis and having one end engaging the said groove end and the other
end extending under the table at the side of the machine, substantially as
described..
Third. In a sewing machine, the combination with the main feed disk, of the auxiliary
feed disk, the slide arin for carrying the auxiliary feed disk toward and from the main
feed disk, a sleeve secured to the rear end of the said slide arm, and having a trans-
verse groove in its lower surface, an operating lever pivoted about an approximately
vertical axis and engaging the said groove in the slide arm, the said lever extending
under the table of the machine and having an approximately horizontal portion
and an approximately vertical end portion, and a spring having one end' connected
with the horizontal portion of the lever, and the other end connected with the frame
of the machine, the vertical end portion of the said lever being located at the
side of the machine, substantially as described.
Fourth. In a sewing machine, longitudinally aligned bearings, a loopar and a
looper bar supported to rock in said bearings and to reciprocate longitudinally therein,
means for reciprocating the looper bar, means for moving the aligned bearings so that
the longitudinal axis thereof shall constantly remain parallel to its original position, a
radially slotted arm rigidly secured to the looper bar and extending upwardly there-
from, and a lever provided with a pin engaging the slot of the arm and operated to
impart an oscillating motion to the looper bar, said pin being of sufficient length to
permanently engage the slotted arm during the reciprocating movement of the looper
bar, substantially as described.
Fifth. In a sewing machine, and in combination with a reciprocating needle bár a
looper bar longitudinally reciprocatory in a path substantially parallel with that of the
needle and also bodily movable to and from the needle bar, in parallelism, therewith,
and means for imparting said movements to the looper bar, substantially as and for
the purpose herein before set forth.
Sixth. In a sewing machine, and in combination with a reciprocating needle, a
looper bar longitudinally reciprocatory in a path substantially parallel with that of the
needle, and also bodily movable to and from the needle bar, in parallelism therewith,
as well as capable of a movement of partial rotation about its longitudinal axis, and
means for imparting these several movements to the looper bar at the times, and in
the manner, substantially as herein before set forth.
Seventh. In a sewing machine and in combination with a reciprocating needle bar,
a looper bar, longitudinally reciprocatory in a path substantially parallel with that of
the needle, supporting bearings in which said looper is mounted and moves, and
means for moving said bearings, to and from the needle bar, in parallelism therewith,.
substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth.
Dated this 29th day of December 1806