IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUTTON-HOLE SEWING MACHINES.
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Baldwin Woodruff and George Browning,
both of Cheapside, in the City of London, Engineers, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUTTON-HOLE SEWING
MACHINES.'"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Baldwin Woodruff
and George Browning at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 1st January 1867.
We, GEORGE BALDWIN WOODRUFF and GEORGE BROWNING, both of Cheapside,
in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUTTON-HOLE SEWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to ensure the exact position for the edges
of the button hole to be sewn relatively to the reciprocating movements of the
needle; this end we propose to obtain, first, by cutting the button hole
while the work is held firmly in the clamp which presents it to the action of
the needle; and, secondly, by expanding the hole by means of an upper and
lower pair of clamping jaws.
Hitherto the work has been prepared for this class of machines by cutting
the button holes required to be sewn by a punch or otherwise, and it was
then required of the attendant at the sewing machine to adjust the holes so
cut to a central position in the clamp; this adjustment required great care

page_text: and precision, and if carelessly done the stitching would be a failure and
require unpicking. Moreover, the opening of the hole to allow of the free
passage through of the needle has hitherto been imperfectly performed, the
upper layer of the cloth only moving with the laterally expanding clamping
jaws, and the consequence was a defective edge on the face of the work.
The above-named improvements apply to button hole sewing machines
generally, but for the sake of illustration, we will explain the manner of
carrying out this part of our Invention by reference to the machine known
as the union button hole and embroidering machine, patented March 20th,
1865 (No. 776.)
In adapting our improvements to this machine, we hinge to a bracket
which is bolted to the under side of the table and projects upwards through
it a lever which carries at its free end an adjustable punch or cutter corre-
sponding in form and size to the button hole required to be cut; this lever is
formed with a tail piece at its hinged end, and it carries at about the middle
of its length an arm that projects up through a hole formed in the table of
the machine; this arm is slotted or forked to receive a lever which is hinged
to the upper part of the bracket before mentioned; this lever is intended to
act in consonance with the under lever and take the pressure of the punch.
The table is slotted to allow the punch to reach the work, and so also is the
feed wheel which imparts the traverse motion to the clamp which carries the
work. Fitted to the free end of the upper lever is a presser piece so situate
that when the lever is depressed it will be brought down upon the work over
the spot where the hole is to be cut; this upper lever is fitted like the lower
lever with a tail piece, and the two are so formed that when brought into contact
they will act the one on the other so that there will be a sympathetic action
between the levers, the lower one rising to punch the button hole while the
upper one descends to take the pressure of the punch. The forked arm of
the lower lever is notched to form a shoulder against which bears a face cam
carried by the upper lever and worked by a bandle secured to the cam. By
means of this cam the requisite nip of the work between the punch and
presser piece is obtained to ensure the cutting of the button hole, and no
strain is put on the sewing machine proper. When the nip is taken off a
spring will raise the upper lever, and the lower lever will descend by its own
weight, or assisted by a spring clear of the sewing mechanism.
The clamp which carries the work to be cut or punched, and traverses it
under the neeedle to be sewn we provide with two pairs of jaws having
roughened surfaces to come in contact with the work. . The jaws are-shaped
to embrace the work on either side of the intended button hole, and they are

page_text: operated by a vertical cam-shaped spindle, which as its increasing diameter is
brought to act upon the jaws will give both pairs an expanding lateral action
simultaneously; when this pressure is removed the jaws will by their own
elasticity assume their normal position. The upper end of the cam-shaped
spindle is slotted to receive a cam which is turned by a short lever, and is
caused to press the upper pair of jaws down on the lower jaws and thus
clamp the work prior to their receiving a lateral expansion to open the
punched out button hole. In the button-hole sewing machine, above referred
to, a spring stop carried by the clamp projects down into a cam groove made
in the feed wheel that gives the traverse motion to the clamp; this stud,
instead of operating by a button, we now connect with a rock lever, which
when touched by the finger of the attendant, will raise the stop for the purpose
of disconnecting the clamp from the traverse or feed wheel.
From the above explanation, it will be understood that accuracy of adjust-
ment of the punched or cut button hole with regard to the needle will be
ensured, as the punch or cutter from operating upon the work while it is held
firmly by the clamp will not fail, when once correctly adjusted, to form the
hole in a line that if produced would bisect the space over which the needle
vibrates. An adjustable guide should be applied to the clamp to facilitate the
adjustment of the work before clamping.
As a modification of the above we propose in making button holes without
a circular eye to use a pair of shears for cutting the hole, the same being
mounted either on the table of the machine, and operated as explained with
respect to the levers, or applied to the travelling clamp.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Baldwin Woodruff and George Browning in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
BALDWIN WOODRUFF and GEORGE BROWNING, both of Cheapside, in the City
of London, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said George Baldwin Woodruff and George Browning, Her special licence
that we, the said George Baldwin Woodruff and George Browning, our

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said George
Baldwin Woodruff and George Browning, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUTTON-HOLE SEWING
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George
Baldwin Woodruff and George Browning, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that the said George Baldwin Woodruff, on behalf
of myself and of the said George Browning, do hereby declare the nature of
our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The chief object of this Invention is to ensure that the edges of the button
bole to be sewn shall before the act of sewing commences be in the exact
position required relatively to the reciprocating movements of the needle.
This end we propose to obtain by cutting the buttonhole while the work is
held firmly in the clamp which presents it to the action of the needle, and
when requisite the cut hole we propose to expand by the lateral expansion
of an upper and lower pair of clamping jaws of peculiar construction, which
under all circumstances will impart the requisite pressure to the work.
Hitherto the work has been prepared for this class of machines by cutting
the buttonholes required to be sewn by a punch or otherwise before placing
the work on the table of the machine, and it was then required of the
attendant of the sewing machine to adjust the boles and the several thicknesses
of cut fabric composing the work to a central position in the clamp. This
adjustment required great care and precision as if carelessly done the stitching
would be a failure and require unpicking. Moreover the opening of the hole
to allow of the free passage through it of the needle has hitherto when attempted
been imperfectly performed, the upper layer of the cloth only moving with the
laterally expanding clamping jaws, and the consequence was a defective elge
on the face of the work.

page_text: The above-named improvement of cutting the button-holes while the work
is clamped and in position for sewing we should remark applies to button-hole
sewing machines generally, but the improvement in the expanding clamp has
reference to the construction of clamp used in what is known as the union
button-hole and embroidering machine.
In illustrating that part of our Invention which relates to the cutting of
the button holes in sitû, we will first explain the manner of carrying it out
by reference to the union button-hole and embroidering machine, Patented
in England, March Twentieth, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five,
No. 776, and we will then, as a further example, show the manner of adapting
the cutting apparatus to the Woodruff button-hole sewing machine Patented
July Twenty-fifth, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, No. 1986.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 is
a longitudinal vertical section; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken in the
line 1, 2, of so much of an improved union button-hole and embroidering
machine as will serve to explain the nature of our improvements in the cutting
of button holes.
In Sheet II., Fig. 3 is a side elevation; and Fig. 4 a plan view of the
expanding clamp for opening out or expanding the cut button hole; and Fig. 5
is a cross section taken in the line 3, 4, of Fig. 4.
A is the table of the machine; B, the standard and bracket arm carrying
at its front end the guide box in which the needle bar C works as usual; D
is the throat plate which carries the work under the needle and turns it by
the aid of a feed wheel and cam grooves, so that a round end may be sewn
as will be well understood by all persons familiar with the union button-hole
machine. Upon this plate D (see Figures 3, 4, and 5.) the expanding clamp
for holding the work is mounted, and the plate is also provided with adjustable
guides for facilitating the adjustment of the work in the clamp. Supposing
it to be intended to adapt the cutting apparatus to a machine already con-
structed, we cut a hole in the table A to receive a block a which projects
upwards through the table and is made fast thereto by screws.
On the top
of this block we mount a swivel block a¹; to the lower part of the block a
we binge a lever E which carries at its free end an adjustable punch or cutter b
(see Fig. 2), by preference corresponding in form and size to the largest
button hole desired to be cut. This lever is formed with a tail piece e at its
hinged end, and it carries at about the middle of its length an arm F that
projects up through a hole formed for that purpose in the table A of the
machine. This arm is slotted or forked at its upper end to receive a lever E'
which is hinged to the upper or swivel part a¹ of the bracket a; this lever E'

page_text: is fitted with a removable presser piece 61 (shewn best at Fig. 2*), and is
intended to act in concert with the under lever E, and take the pressure of the
adjustable punch or cutter b. In order that these levers may act in concert,
the lever E¹ is also provided with a tail piece e', which as its lever is brought
down to the depressed position of Fig. 2 will press against the tail piece e of
the lower lever E, and thereby lift and force the punch or cutter b of that
lever through the work.
By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the table A is slotted to allow
the cutter to move up to the under side of the work, and for the like reason
the feed wheel D₁ which imparts the traverse motion to the clamp carrying
the work is also slotted. The object of mounting the lever E¹ on a swivel
block is to enable it to turn slightly as the lever descends, and thus enable
the lever to bring its presser piece down into the true position upon the
work, or immediately above the part which is to be acted upon by the punch
or cutter, the overhanging needle guide box not admitting of the lever moving
down in a direct vertical line on to the work. The upper lever is depressed
by means of a handle G, and by reason of the tail pieces e and e¹ being
brought into contact on the depression of the upper lever they will act the
one on the other, so that there will be a sympathetic action between the
levers, the lower one rising with its cutter to punch the button hole while
the upper one descends to take the pressure of the punch. The forked arm F
is not secured rigidly to the lower lever, but it is held in position by stops f and
f', which leave it free to oscillate with the movements of the lower lever; this
arm F is notched at its upper end at få to form a shoulder against which
bears a face cam g forming part of the fulcrum end of the handle G. This
handle is carried by and turns on a fulcrum pin secured to the upper lever;
by turning this bandle on its fulcrum pin when the lever has been brought
down to the position for the cam to engage in the notch of the arm F, the
cam will draw the two levers together until the requisite nip of the work
is obtained between the punch or cutter, and the presser piece to ensure the
cutting of the button hole without any strain being put upon the sewing
machine proper.
When the nip is taken off the button hole will be found to
be cut in the exact spot required, the upper lever is then to be raised out
of the way, an elastic cord or spring H being employed for the purpose, and
the lower lever being released will descend by its own weight and rest upon
a stop supported by an elastic bracket arm h¹ affixed to the under side of
the table clear of the sewing mechanism, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.
The button hole bas now to be expanded by the means hereafter described,
and the sewing mechanism being set in action the needle 1 will carry its

page_text: regu-
thread down below the work; the looper 2 (Fig. 2) will seize the loop of
the needle thread, and the loop opener will expand it ready for the needle
on its next descent to enter the expanded loop of its own thread, and thus
form the well-known button-hole stitch. To ensure the proper action of the
parts and to prevent the needle from striking the looper and loop opener, an
occurrence which is not unfrequent in the union button-hole machine, we
modify the form of the throat 3, and the guide bar 4, as shewn in Fig. 2.
By turning aside the stop h the lever will be free to drop down and bring
the cutter to a position more accessible than the dotted position of Fig. 2 for
removing and replacing it when that is required. It should be remarked
that if the lever E is fitted with a punch or cutter suitable for cutting the
largest button holes required as above intimated, the length of cut can be
lated to suit the work in hand by changing the presser piece 6', and inserting
a longer or shorter one, for the punch or cutter will only act upon so much
of the work as is subjected to the nip of the punch or cutter b and presser b
To prevent the rise of the punch when the opening in the feed wheel for
the passage of the cutter is not in position for the cutter to act; the lever E
is fitted with a stop piu e, which when the opening in the feed wheel is
brought into coincidence with a similar opening in the table, or is in position
for the cut to be made will rise through a small hole made in the wheel to
receive it; but when this wheel D is not in position the pin e will, if the
lever is raised, strike against the wheel and arrest the upward movement of
the cutter.
A modification of the above-described cutting apparatus is shewn in side-
elevation at Fig. 6, and in plan view at Fig. 7, Sheet III. In this arrange-
ment we employ only one lever E, and in lieu of the second lever for bringing
the pressing piece on to the work we provide a steel sliding block with a
cutting edge, which acting with the cutter carried by the lever will cut the
button hole after the manner of a pair of scissors. The lever E is hinged on
a swivel plate secured to the table A of the machine to permit of its swinging
laterally into position. In the plate D and across the middle of the plate for
nearly its whole length we form a groove with guides in its parallel sides to
receive the steel sliding block E', which as the plate D is rotated in the
working of the machine is brought into contact with the stationary throat
plate round which the plate D rotates, and through which the needle strikes.
By thus being brought into contact with the throat the sliding block is pushed
back, leaving the plate D free to be advanced to its rotating centre.
readjustment of the sliding block E¹ is to be effected by hand. By reference
to Fig. 6 it will be seen that the cutting edge on the block E¹ is formed by
The

page_text: cutting a slanting longitudinal groove along the face of the block, and a cutter
of the requisite length being fitted to the lever the pressing down of the
lever will ensure a shearing cut of the length of the button hole desired.
This form of cutter will best suit the cutting of button holes in linen, no
rounded end being in general required in that class of work. For giving the
pressure requisite to cut the hole the cam 9 operated by its band lever G, as
before described, will be used. The notched slotted arm F connected to the
lower lever and used to take the pressure of the cam g is in this case bolted
to the table A of the machine, and the depth of the vertical slot serves to
determine the limit of depression of the lever and its cutter.
The pressure of
the moving cutter will in this case be sustained by the table of the machine,
which will require to be made proportionably strong to bear the pressure.
At Figures 8, 9, and 10, Sheet III., a further modification of our button-
hole cutting apparatus is shewn, the same being adapted to a Woodruff button-
hole sewing machine in illustration of its applicability to button-hole sewing
machines generally. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of so much of the machine as
will serve to explain the improvement, the table being shewn in section;
Fig. 9 is an end view of the same; and Fig. 10 is a plan view of the part of
the table where the feeding plate is situated. In this adaptation the cutter b
Pivotted
is carried by a lever E mounted on a fulcrum pin above the table.
to the lever E is a hand lever G having a forked cam-shaped termination g,
the curved prongs of which when the lever is depressed are intended to take
on to a pair of bowles g¹ carried by a standard g that project up through a
hole made in the table A, and draw down the cutter on to and press it through
the work. The standard g² is securely bolted to the under side of the table.
A dovetail groove is cut in the table in a line with the feed plate i to receive
a brass plate k which supports the work while the button hole is being cut
and takes the pressure of the cutter; m is the presser foot formed with a
sufficiently wide slot to allow for the lateral motions of the needle, which
motions are required, as is well known, to form the button hole stitch. It
may be here remarked that the operation of opening the button hole pre-
paratory to sewing, which is next to be described, is not required when light
goods are being operated upon. By reference to Figures 3 and 4, Sheet II.,
it will be seen that there is fixed to the top face of the plate D a casting D',
which is T-shaped in plan view, and to which are connected the expanding
jaws I, 1', of the clamp for holding the work while being operated upon.
The forward part of this casting or that which connects with the plate D is
made hollow and of a cylindrical form to receive a vertical plug or pin d;
this pin projects through a hole in the plate D, and enters the cam groove

page_text: which governs the motions of the plate as it is driven and caused to rotate
around or slide over the throat plate before mentioned. The pin d is kept
down by the pressure of a coiled spring which surrounds the pin in the
cylindrical box, and it is raised for the purpose of readjusting or shifting the
position of the plate on the table of the machine by a rock lever d', which
embraces the pin and bears against the under side of a knob affixed to the top
of the pin d. The jaws I, I, are carried by arms I made of steel, and of
such form as will enable them to yield to pressure put on their inner edges,
and open or expand laterally and close again when the pressure is removed.
The jaws I, I, are bung loosely on these arms to allow of the jaws adjusting
themselves to inequalities in the thickness of the work. A raised rib on the
back of the jaws enters a slot made in the extremities of the arms, and a cross
pin secures the connection of the parts. The arms are formed of one piece
of metal, and they embrace a vertical cam K. For connecting the arms to
the casting D there is affixed to the under side of the cross or coupling piece
a block which enters a recess in the casting, and is secured in place by a
transverse pin; this coupling is so arranged that the arms will be free to
rock vertically in order to bring down the jaws which they carry upon the
work. They are held up in the position shewn at Fig. 3 by means of a
spring. The lower jaws 1' form part of the elastic arms I which bear
upon the plate D, and like the arms I also embrace the cam K, and extending
back to the rear of the casting D¹ are secured thereto by screws. The cam K
is supported in a vertical position by a cylindrical pin k rivetted to the plate D,
and it receives an axial motion from a short lever attached thereto. The
upper end of the cylindrical pin is flattened, and it is embraced by a split snail
cam L, which is formed with a hand lever, as shown at Fig. 5; this cam
bears upon a saddle piece 7 which is slotted to enable the flattened extension
of the pink to pass through it, and it rests upon the upper elastic arms I³.
When, therefore, the cam L is turned so as to bring its increasing radius to
bear on the saddle piece the upper clamping jaws will be depressed and caused
to bear upon the work. The work being thus properly clamped the cutting
of the button hole is to be effected as before explained. The cam K is now
to be turned so as to give the upper and under jaws a lateral motion simul-
taneously, and the button hole cut through the several thicknesses composing
the work will thus be properly expanded or opened ready for the vertical
needle to enter it and work a line of stitches around the edges of the hole.
In order to ensure the proper adjustment of the clamp on the table of the
machine for submitting the work to the action of the cutter an adjustable
plate d (Fig. 1) is fitted to the table of the machine. A hole is made in this

page_text: plate to receive the pin d; when, therefore, the pin is inserted in the hole of
the plate d and the plate is adjusted to its proper position the clamp will be
properly situated to ensure the cutter acting on the work at the precise spot
required. To prevent the clamp from shifting, guides shown in red at Fig. 4
are provided, which will hold the clamp when brought to the cutting position
firmly down upon the table.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in
the Construction of Button-hole Sewing Machines," and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent we claim,-
First, the application to button-hole sewing machines of apparatus for
cutting the holes in the work while the work is held securely in the machine,
as described.
Secondly, operating the upper and lower jaws of the union button-hole
and embroidery machine clamp in the manner and for the purpose above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Baldwin Woodruff, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Third day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
GEORGE BALDWIN WOODRUFF.
L.S.)