Improvements in or appertaining to Sewing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1895
Improvements in or appertaining to Sewing Machines.
A communication by EDWARD KIRK WARREN, of Three Oaks, in the County of
Berrien and State of Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester
both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved attachment for sewing machines for
stitching stays to garments, more especially to the seams of garments.
The objects of the invention are to provide an attachment which shall be simple
and convenient for the purpose; that can be attached quickly and conveniently to
any machine; which will perfectly hold the stay so that the operative is free to
apply the seam to the stay or the stay to the seam in any desired manner putting
stress upon the cloth when needed or leaving it full when so desired to assist the
stay in giving the proper conformation to the seam. A further object is to provide
such an attachment which shall allow the stay to pass readily, yet hold it securely
to permit free operation, by the seamstress, of the machine and manipulation of the
cloth.
These objects of the invention are accomplished by the devices shown in the
accompanying drawing, in which,-
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of the machine with the
invention in place and in use.
Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the attachment removed from the machine
with a stay in place.
Fig. is an end elevation of the device itself showing the formation of the
guide, B'.
Fig. 4 shows the washer which is adapted to form a universal attachment of the
device to any sewing machine.
Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several
views.
In the drawing, A, represents the sewing machine head. A', represents the base
of the same. B, represents the plate portion of the attachment which contains a
slot for attachment to the sewing machine. The guideway, B', for the reception of
the garment stay is bent and formed on the edge of the plate. It will be noted
that this guideway, B', is constructed in such a manner that the upwardly bended
guide portion engages the main part of the stay and affords free passage for the
thin tape edges of the same to pass freely without crowding, which will be readily
seen by inspection of Fig. 3. Toward the plate side are two shoulders or strips
bent in the metal. The outer edge is a little raised as will be readily seen when
compared with the straight dotted line below. The front portion of the guideway
for the improved attachment is slightly enlarged to make it easy to insert the stay,
but is not so much enlarged as to interfere with properly guiding the same so that
when the stay is inserted, it is held firmly and will be fed along by the feed of the
sewing machine.

page_text: In use the attachment is attached to the base of the sewing machine by use of
the sewing machine screw for the purpose. A specially constructed washer, E, is
provided to make the device fit perfectly in the sewing machine. The washer is
constructed with a key-hole slot which will accommodate a large sized screw or a
smaller sized screw and the washer extends out from the screw on either side and
engages the plate, B, of the attachment to each side of the slot in the plate, the
said slot being made large and elongated to permit of adjustment back and forth
and sidewise, so that the guideway, B', can be located properly to receive the tape
and carry it square under the needle.
It will be noted that in Fig. 1 the device is shown in operation, the cloth being
nearly through the machine. It will be necessary for one flap of the seam to be
turned out flat, the stay is put in the guideway and the operator manipulates the
material above to properly guide it over the stay and put proper tension upon the
material either putting it on slack or loose as it is required to bring out the proper
formation, the guideway, B', of the attachment along with the feed, holding the
same perfectly, so that this is accomplished with ease and dispatch. In that part
of the drawing, D, represents the material; e, the row of stitches by which the
seam is joined; and e¹, the row of stitches attaching the stay which is preferably
through the middle of the stay.
Having thus described the improved sewing machine attachment, my correspondent
desires to state that it can be considerably varied without departing from the
invention. For instance, it will operate very well if the front of the guideway, B',
is not larger than the rear; and, while the device for attaching the same possesses
great merit, each attachment could be specially made for attaching to each
particular variety of sewing machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained 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 declare that what I claim is :-
1. A guiding attachment for sewing machines for sewing dress stays to the seams
to garments, consisting of a base plate having means by which it may be attached
to the work plate of a sewing machine, said base plate having a raised portion
forming a guide for the thin edge of the stay and having immediately contiguous
thereto a second raised portion forming a guide for the thick central portion of the
stay and the exterior edge of which is raised above the plane of the base plate so
as to ride on the opposite thin edge of the stay.
2. In a sewing machine attachment for attaching dress stays to the seams of
garments, the combination of the flat plate, B; grooved guideway, B¹, to
engage over the lady of the stay formed continuously with sid plate, B, with
a raised shoulder between the guideway and the flat portion, B, the outer
edge of the guide being raised slightly above the base of the machine to allow the
dress stay to pass between it and the plate, substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.