Improvements in Machines for Holding and Sewing Carpets and other Fabrics.
Year: 1891

page_text: te of Application, 10th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Holding and Sewing Carpets and
other Fabrics.
I, LANSING ONDERDONK, of 60 Michigan Street, Chicago, in the County of
Cook, State of Illinois, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statements :-
The object of my invention is to adapt mechanical means for operating the
sewing machine during its travel along the carpet or fabric. In carrying out my
invention I provide suitable means for supporting the fabric in a vertical position,
and along which fabric the sewing machine travels in the well known manner, the
weight of the sewing machine being sustained by the fabric. Arranged parallel to
the stretched fabric is a railway, preferably suspended from the ceiling or other
suitable support, and upon this railway a vehicle runs which sustains an electric
motor and one end of a power transmitting device the other end of which trans-
mitting device extends to the sewing machine and operates it. Arranged along
the railway is an electrical conductor and a current collecting device makes contact
with the said conductor and is moved by the travelling carriage. While I prefer
to employ a flexible shaft from the motor to the sewing machine, I do not confine
myself thereto as suitable belting or transmitting cables may be employed between
the sewing machine travelling along the carpet and the electric motor_sustained
upon the railway. If desired, a supporting connection may be arranged between
the travelling carriage when suspended and the sewing machine so that considerable
of the weight thereof may be sustained by the railway independently of the fabric.
Electrical conductors are employed leading from the suspended conductor to a
rheostat or a current controlling device carried with the sewing machine and in
reach of the operator. By the operation of this regulator, the speed of the motor
may be controlled. As the sewing machine travels along the carpet in a well
known manner, the carriage is moved over the railway by the connection between
the said sewing machine and the carriage.
Referring to the drawings :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine for holding and sewing fabrics embodying
my invention;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the railway and conductor in
section; and
Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the electrical circuits.
A is a suspended rail or track preferably hung by brackets B from the ceiling.
Upon the railway a movable carriage C runs. Preferably above the rail is
suspended a bared conducting wire D with which an underrunning collector E
makes a contact, the said collector being secured to but insulated from the carriage.
The conductor D is connected with the positive pole of the source of power W, and
the rail A is connected with the negative pole of the source of power. F is an
electric motor which is secured to the carriage C and is movable with it. L is a
revolving spindle journaled in the carriage C and adapted to be rotated by
a transmitting band or other power connection M. Secured to this spindle L is a
flexible shaft K leading to the sewing machine. G is the sewing machine and may
be made similar to any of the well known constructions adapted to sew carpets or
other long lengths of fabrics. The particular sewing machine illustrated in this
application is that clearly set out in U.S. Letters Patent to Flint, No. 405,834, dated
June 25th, 1889, but I do not confine myself to any special form of sewing machine.

page_text: In place of the flexible shaft K, a grooved wheel may be secured to the rotated
part of the sewing machine and a connecting band therefrom to a pulley of the
electric motor may be provided as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 so that there
is a direct transmission. N is a rheostat or regulator and is secured to the frame
of the sewing machine and adapted to be operated by the operator to control the
speed of the operation of the sewing machine. From the current collector E an
insulated conductor P extends down to the rheostat. The other terminal of the
rheostat is electrically connected through the conducting material of the sewing
machine, flexible shaft K, and carriage C with one terminal of the motor F;
and the other terminal of the motor F is connected by a conductor P' with that
portion of the carriage which runs upon the rail A. which acts as a return circuit.
The circuits are clearly shown in Fig. 3. The conductor P and flexible conductor
and power shaft K act as a flexible electrical conductor between the collector E and
motor F and includes the regulator N so that the latter may move independently of
the motor.
The sewing machine is provided with the usual opening T for receiving the
edges of the fabric, whereby the sewing machine is guided upon the said fabric
during its travel. If desired, the sewing machine G may be connected by a link S
with the carriage C so that a great deal of the weight of the sewing machine may be
directly sustained from the railway A, though this is not essential to my invention.
The carpet or fabric H is connected at one end by a holder I and is stretched by a
windlass device J at the other end, and while in the said stretched condition it:
hangs vertically exposing at the top the edges to be sewn, and upon these top edges
the sewing machine is caused to travel during its operation. While it is preferable
to arrange the railway and the travelling carriage at an elevation so as to have it
out of the way, I do not limit myself to such an arrangement as the railway might
be arranged close to the floor and below the level of the sewing machine so that the
power transmitting device would extend from the motor on the carriage upward to
the sewing machine. This construction is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The
conductor is shown below the railway in this modification and the collector may be
formed of any suitable construction.
While the constructions shown are excellently adapted to the purposes of my
invention, I do not limit myself to the details thereof as they may be modified in
various ways without departing from the principles of my invention.
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:
1. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means for
supporting and stretching the fabric, a sewing machine adapted to move upon and
sew the edges of the fabric, a railway arranged parallel to the fabric, a movable
carriage travelling thereon independent of the sewing machine, an electric motor
carried by the carriage, and power transmitting connection between the electric
motor and sewing machine.
2. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means for
supporting and stretching the fabric, a sewing machine adapted to move upon and
sew the edges of the fabric, an elevated railway arranged above and parallel to the
fabric, a movable carriage travelling thereon, an electric motor carried by the
carriage, power transmitting connection between the electric motor and the sewing
machine, a suspended conductor, a collector making contact with said conductor
secured to the carriage and movable therewith, a flexible electrical conductor
having its terminals in electric connection respectively with the collector and the
motor, and a regulator to control the speed of the motor.
3. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means for
stretching the fabric and holding it in a vertical position, a sewing machine adapted
to straddle the edges of the fabric and travel thereon, an elevated railway, a carriage
supported wholly by the railway, an electric motor carried by the carriage, and a

page_text: flexible power transmitting connection between the electric motor and the sewing
machine.
4. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means for
stretching the fabric and holding it in a vertical position, a sewing machine adapted
to straddle the edges of the fabric and travel thereon, an elevated railway, a carriage
supported wholly by the railway, an electric motor carried by the carriage, and a
flexible power transmitting connection between the electric motor and the sewing
machine, and in which the weight of the power transmitting connection is sustained
by the carriage.
5. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means for
holding and stretching the fabric and holding it in a vertical position, a sewing
machine adapted to straddle the edges of the fabric and travel thereon, an elevated
railway, a carriage supported wholly by the railway, an electric motor carried by
the carriage, a flexible power transmitting connection between the electric motor
and the sewing machine, a conductor arranged parallel to the railway, a source of
electric power having its poles connected respectively with the conductor and
railway, a current collecting device movable with the carriage and connecting with
the conductor, and electric circuits between the conductor and railway and including
the electric motor.
6. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means for
stretching the fabric and holding it in a vertical position, a sewing machine adapted
to straddle the edges of the fabric and travel thereon, an elevated railway, a carriage
supported wholly by the railway, an electric motor carried by the carriage, a
flexible power transmitting connection between the electric motor and the sewing
machine, a conductor arranged parallel to the railway, a source of power having its
poles connected respectively with the conductor and the railway, a current collecting
device movable with the carriage and connecting with the conductor, electric circuits
between the conductor and the railway including the electric motor, and a rheostat
or regulator for controlling the speed of the motor arranged close to the sewing
machine and movable therewith.
7. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means to stretch
the fabric and hold it in a vertical position, a sewing machine riding upon the edges
of the fabric and having its weight supported thereby, an elevated railway arranged
parallel to the stretched fabric, a travelling carriage supported by the railway, a
motor movable with the carriage and having its weight sustained thereby, and a
flexible power transmitting connection between the motor and the sewing machine.
8. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means for
stretching the fabric, a sewing machine adapted to travel parallel to the edges of
the fabric and sew the same, a railway parallel to the fabric a carriage supported
wholly by the railway and independent of the sewing machine, an electric motor
carried by the carriage, and power transmitting connections between the electric
motor and the sewing machine.
9. In a machine for holding and sewing fabrics, the combination of means for
stretching the fabric, a machine adapted to travel upon and parallel to the edges
of the fabric and sew the same, a railway parallel to the fabric, a carriage supported
wholly by the railway and independent of the sewing machine, and an electric motor
carried by the carriage and flexible power transmitting connections between the
electric motor and the sewing machine.
LANSING ONDERDONK.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.