Improvements in Button Hole Sewing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1896-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Button Hole Sewing Machines.
I, JULIUS GUTMANN of Meyerbeerstrasse, Berlin, Germany, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a button hole sewing machine in which the button holes
The fabric is
are sewn on both edges, bar stitched at the ends and then cut open.
clamped in a presser or holder and two edges of the button hole sewn with the
known zigzag stitches with a pendulum motion of the needle rod and a movement
of the fabric presser in the line of the button hole or the needle may be operated
up and down whilst the fabric presser swings. The needle rod is operated from a
horizontal spindle and eccentric carried in the upper arm of the machine and the
fabric presser or holder is for the ordinary button hole sewing stitch driven from
another eccentric on the horizontal spindle by which a reciprocating motion is
communicated to a slide bar. The slide bar has attached to it a pawl by which a
cam disc provided with ratchet teeth on its periphery is turned round to move
through lever connections, the fabric presser to and fro for said ordinary sewing
stitch. For the bar stitching at the ends of the button hole and perpendicular to
the ordinary stitch movement is communicated to the fabric presser from a cam on a
second horizontal spindle and thence through a reciprocating lever. The cam disc
which is carried underneath the sewing table plate is designed to communicate to
the fabric a gradual forward and backward movement and after every half
revolution a lateral displacement. The length of the button hole sewing may
be varied by means of a two part lever, one part slideable upon the other and
capable of being coupled together for the ordinary sewing stitch and uncoupled
so soon as the fabric presser has to be reciprocated for the bar stitching operation.
In this case one of the parts of the lever transmits motion to the fabric presser.
The coupling pin is placed vertically and loose through the two parts of the lever
with its lower end bearing and sliding upon a lever operated by the cam dise to rise
and fall, so as to raise and lower the coupling pin and thereby automatically
couple and uncouple the two parts of the lever according as the ordinary sewing
stitch or the bar stitch has to be made. For the latter case the pendulum or
swinging motion of the needle rod is prevented by a stop piece which at the
desired moment is drawn against the rod actuating the needle rod in such a way
that the eccentric which communicates a swinging movement to the needle rod no
longer operates. The movement of the stop piece is obtained from the cam disc
through levers. This stoppage of the needle rod lasts only so long as certain
raised parts on the cam disc are passing underneath one of the operating rods or
levers. When the button hole has reached one of its outermost positions and the
short forward and backward movements of the fabric presser for the bar stitching
operation commence the stop piece is operated from one of the raised parts of
the cam disc to stop the swinging motion of the needle rod. Upon the completion
of the bar stitching the fabric is cut to form the button hole between the sewn
edges by a knife attached to an arm which projects forward into the middle of a
frame mounted to turn on lathe centres on the under side of the sewing table
plate; the knife arm is operated from the cam disc to spring down the knife
at the desired moment to be drawn back immediately a recess in said cam

page_text: disc has passed by whereby a lever in connection with the knife arm is
pressed down.
Dated this 1st day of January 1896.
CAPITAINE & VON HERTLING,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Button Hole Sewing Machines.
I, JULIUS GUTMANN of Meyerbeerstrasse, Berlin, Germany, Sewing Machine
Manufacturer, 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 a process for bar stitching button holes by mechanical
means, consisting in that the button holes after being sewn in a known manner
at the edges, receive at the end to be bar stitched, such bar stitches which are
parallel or nearly so with the button hole and at right angles or nearly so to the
button hole edge stitches. In this way the button hole receives by mechanical
means and in the simplest way, a bar stitching which is considerably more durable
than the bar stitching by the processes hitherto employed in which the bar
stitching, like the ordinary sewing stitching for the edges, is sewn at right angles
or nearly so to the button hole. Further in the mechanical process of this
invention, for the purpose of obtaining a secure connection of the bar stitching
with the edge sewing, the bar stitches may be so arranged as to engage over
the nearest edge stitches, in the manner that not only is the bar stitching of the
button hole end accomplished but also the bar stitching of the edge sewing takes
place to a certain extent.
This novel process renders practicable what is of great advantage namely, the
bar stitching with the same machine that is used for the edge sewing, and the bar
stitches may be produced by giving to the fabric presser holding the fabric,
a to and fro motion in the direction of the length of the button hole simultaneously
with a forward travel or transport, whereby the needle moves vertically up
and down so that it always descends at one and the same place, that is to say,
it undergoes no lateral displacement. The fabric may be cut open where the
edges of the button hole are to be, either previous to, or after the sewing and bar
stitching has been done, so that in the former case no edges or corners would be
met with in the sewing and bar stitching and the fabric would be sewn and bar
stitched as stated at the parts where the edges are to come.
In the accompanying drawings, to illustrate the performance of the process,
is shewn a machine constructed for a special method of performing the process,
namely, so that after the ordinary edge sewing of the button hole, with travel of
the fabric presser and to and fro oscillation of the up and down moving needle,
has been accomplished, the needle is, for the purpose of producing the bar
stitches, so arrested that it can no longer oscillate laterally but only move
vertically up and down whilst the fabric presser, under abrogation of the usual
travel, is in connection with a reciprocating organ in such a way that said
fabric presser has communicated to it several short movements in the direction
of the length of the button hole whereby also it has given to it a short movement
at right angles to the movement which takes place in the ordinary edge sewing.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a diagrammatic view of a button hole with bar
stitching in accordance with the process of this invention, both ends being bar
stitched.

page_text: Fig. 2 a similar view in which the bar stitches engage over the nearest edge
stitches.
Figs. 3 and 4 views of button holes each with only one end bar stitched.
Fig. 5 a part sectional side view of the machine.
Fig. 6 an underneath view of the same.
Fig. 7 an end elevation of the machine head with its cover plate removed.
Fig. 8 a plan view of the base plate with similar view of the fabric presser.
Fig. 9 au underneath view, on an enlarged scale, of the base plate with the
different mechanisms located upon the same but with the ratchet wheel removed.
Fig. 10 a plan view of a portion of the mechanism from which the to and fro
movement of the fabric presser is obtained whilst the har stitching is heing done.
Fig. 11 the same in vertical section.
Fig. 12 a plan view of the mechanism for moving the fabric presser in sowing
the elges of the button hole.
Fig. 13 a front view of the saune with the base plate in section.
The minebine shown is a round shuttle sewing machine and the rotation of the
shuttle is effected in a known manner from the spindle to carriel in the arm of the
machine through suitable mechanism which it unnecessary to describe as it forms
no part of the invention.
Outside the machine arm and parallel with the spindle we and driven therefrom
through toothed wheels r, r', is arranged a supplementary spindle e' upon which is
fixed a ring a provided on its periphery with a suitable cam grave in which
engages a lever al carried on the machine frame so as to be capable of lateral
oscillation. On the free bottom end of the lever a engages a curved connecting
rod a jointed by its opposite end to a straightly guided rod a³ underneath the base
plate ut the machine. The rod u has jointed to it a pawl a' for engaging in the
teeth of a ratchet wheel a against which it is held by the pressure of a spring a
wound on its pivot. The cam groove in the ring a operates the lever a¹ and
connecting rod a so that the rod a reciprocates in a straight line and accordingly
the awla has a corresponding movement communicated to it. Upon each engage-
ment of the pawl in the ratchet wheel this is driven round to the extent of the number
of teeth corresponding to the length of stroke of said pawl. The release from time
to time of the pawl from the teeth of the ratchet wheel is effected by arranging
said pawl to bear against a stand and against which it slides in its forward move-
ment, the sliding surface of the pawl being so curved that whenever the pawl slides
forward against said stud it performs a light outward stroke whereby the tooth of
the same is lifted out of the teeth, whilst in guing back it is again pressed into the
ratchet wheel by the spring a and may then carry the ratchet wheel round with
it. The ratchet wheel which turns on a pivot fixed in the base plate G has on its
side facing this plate a disc like projection a' (Figs. 12, 13) provided with a heart
shaped can groove a in which engages a roller (Figs. 9, 12, 13) carried on the free
end of a lever b. With this lever, which turns on a fixed pivot 63 and has a curved
slot 6, is contacted an adjustable arm & havig a slot & through which passes the
screw serving for fixing the arm, whilst a screw on said arm passes through
the slot to connect said arm and the oscillating lever with a plate e, which in
turn is coupled by a releaseable stad e' with a plate e fastened to the underside of
the fabric presser D. The oscillating lever guided by the caus groove a of the
ratchet wheel, communicates, through the above connections, movement to the
fabric presser or holding clamp D when the button hole edges are being sewn.
This is effected in the manner that the one part of the curved cam groove of two
symmetrical portions controls the movement to the left in sewing one side of the
button hole whilst the other portion controls the movement to the right in sewing
he other side of the button hole or rice versa. The machine is so constructed as,
or example in sewing and bar stitching the button hole shewn in Fig. 1, which is
bar stitched at both ends, to work in the manner that it first sews the edge I with
he fabric presser moving to the left, then the bar stitching 1 with a short to and
ro motion of the fabric presser, then the edge 2 is sewn with the fabric presser

page_text: moving to the right, and finally again the bar stitching II with a short to and fro
motion. So soon as the fabric presser, after one edge has been sewn, comes into
the outermost position, either right or left, the coupling between the plate c and c²
is released by the disengagement (as hereinafter described) of the stud c from
plate c, and thereby also the connection between the fabric presser and the
mechanism which drives it forward, broken until the bar stitching is finishe.l, when
the connection between the two parts is again established. Simultaneously with the
break in the connection between the fabric presser and the forwardly driving
mechanism, the former is connectel with a mechanism which communicates to it
the short to and fro motion, whereby at the same time it also receives a slight
displacement which is at right angles to the line of travel obtaining when the edge
is being sewn. Therefore in the bar stitching operation, the fabric presser which
in the ordinary edge sewing only travels on to the right or left, receives two
different movements, the mentioned short travel at right angles to its previous
travel and the to and fro movement, as the needle, which in the edge sewing in
addition to its up and down mction also moves or oscillates laterally, is, during the bar
stitching operation so arrested that it can only move vertically up and down
without any lateral displacement or oscillation, instead of which the fabric presser
performs the short to and fro movements.
The interruption, by the uncoupling of the plates e and c, of the connection
between the fabric presser and the mechanism for operating it in the edge sewing,
the connection of the fabric presser with the mechanism for its to and fro movement,
and the arrest of the oscillating movement of the needle, is effected by diametrically
and concentrically opposite projections a located on the upper side of the ratchet
wheel and adjacent to the disc a', which projections act upon a roller el (Figs. 11, 12)
carried on the end of an oscillating lever e and bearing against said side of the
wheel. This oscillating lever which is carried by a fixed support upon the base
plate is furnished on one side with a plate e² (Figs. 9, 11, 12, 13) upon which
bears a stud et movable vertically in a guide cylinder e³, said stud passing through
an oscillating lever located on the upper side of the base plate underneath the
fabric presser, and when the levere is raised by the projections a³ can enter a
suitable slot 2 of the plate d, which latter is in firm connection with the fabric
presser D (Figs. 10, 11) in the manner that the fabric presser is then coupled to
and carried along by the oscillating lever. This lever is in connection with the
spindle through the double oscillating lever,/, engaging in the cam groovef
of the ring and mounted on the support ffixed to the base plate G, the lower
arm of said double lever being connected with the free end of the lever f, through
a connecting rod (Figs. 5, 8). Corresponding to the circumstance that the
button hole of Fig. 1 is bar stitched at both ends, and consequently the coupling
between the fabric presser or plate and the oscillating lever fis effected once in
the outermost left hand position and once in the outermost right hand position,
there is in addition to the slot which receives the coupling stud in the left hand
position of the fabric presser also a recess d (in conformity with the slot d) in a
small plate d³ adjustable on the plate d' between the points indicated at S according
to the length of the button hole being barred (Fig. 11). The release of the stud c
which during the edge sewing of the button hole, that is, so long as the roller e
runs upon the plain surface of the ratchet wheel, is held in engagement with the
plate c by a press plate c³, is effected by the double oscillating lever c connected on
the one hand with said press plate and on the uther hand with the lever e, inasinuch
as said lever, when the roller el is lifted up by the projectious a, is so actuated
that the press plate is lowered, whereupon the stud e' under pressure of the spring c
(Fig. 13) passes out of the corresponding hole in the plate e so that the connection
between the fabric presser and the driving mechanism is broken. The oscillating
lever which is carried on a support fixed to the base plate, einbraces with one
arm a stude° fixed in the levere and with its other arm a stud in the slide
part which carries the press plate and is guided in a suitable support c
and moved in the described manner from the oscillating lever (Figs. 9, 12, 13).
с

page_text: For the purpose of arresting the oscillating movement of the needle during the
bar stitching, the lever e is provided with an afm e (Fig. 5) extending upwards
through the base plate and jointed by its upper end to a rud e having a conical
forward end immediately adjacent to the oscillating part 9 (Fig. 7) that
communicates lateral oscillation to the needle rod. This oscillating part g located
at the front end of the machine head M is actuated by a cam g' on the front end of
the spindle w' said cam working against a roller carried on a part g2 projecting out
of the machine head, thereby pressing laterally and causing to oscillate the
oscillating part g and therewith also the needle rod when this moves up and down.
The oscillating part g, so soon as the flat part of the cam comes towards the roller,
is by means of a side spring always brought back, therefore in the manner that the
oscillating part performs a to and fro pendulum like movement. Upon the
commencement of bar stitching this to and fro movement is stopped whilst
the fabric presser performs the to and fro movement required for the production of
the zigzag stitches. The said stoppage of the oscillating movement of the needle
is effected by the end e' of rod e-which end during the elge sewing stands out
forward sufficiently to allow the oscillating party free play-being by reason of
the lifting of the roller e' by projections a and the consequent movement of the
lever e upwards and of the arm e to the right, so far drawn back that it bears by
its conical surface hard against a correspondingly conical surface of the hole in the
oscillating part g so that the latter can no longer oscillate. This stoppage continues
as long as the bar stitching lasts, that is, as long as the roller e runs on a
projection a. So soon as the bar stitching is finished, that is, so sou as the
projection has left the roller, the lever e acted upon by the spring (Figs. 6, 9)
returns to its previous position and the end e' of rod e then passes so far forwards
as to be free from the oscillating part and this latter again has play, the
connection between the oscillating lever and the fabric presser D being likewise
broken by the release of the stud e from the plate d', whilst on the other hand
by coupling the plates e² and e the fabric presser is again connected with its driving
mechanisın.
The before mentioned short displacement of the fabric presser during bar
stitching is effected by the provision of offsets a on the periphery of the disc a
opposite the projections a' which offsets act against a second roller h carried on the
end of an arm of a second oscillating lever (Figs. 6, 9). The other arm ²
embraces a stud 3, which, passing through the base plate G is in counection with
a slide (Fig. 7) guided in the base plate during the ordinary edge sewing and
in its turn has on its underside the guide ways for the plate d of the fabric presser
(Figs. 7, 8). Simultaneously with the short to and fro movements of the fabric
presser, that is, whilst the roller e' is running on a projectiou a the offsets al all
communicate through lever arms 1, 2, to the slide and therewith to the fabric
presser first through one offset a backward movement (as the bar stitching is com-
menced laterally from the end) then through the obliquely curved edge of the
offset a continuous driving movement and finally through the other offset a return
movement in order that the needle may come to stand in the original position in the
direction of the edges. In this operation the needle in consequence of the stoppage
of the oscillating part y performs only up and down movements as the fabric presser
performs the required to and fro movements. The travel in the bar stitching there-
fore, as required, takes place at right angles to the travel in the edge sewing as
indicated by arrows in Fig. 8, the slot d2 and recess d being so formed that the
plate d' is guided on the stud et projecting into the slot d², and on lever f, in a
straight line at right angles to the movement of the latter. It is further to be
mentioned that to obtain a free path for the stud 3 (Figs. 8, 9) upon the displace-
ment of the slide a slot go (Fig. 9) is provided in the base plate G, and a free
path for the fabric presser in its travel during its to and fro movement that is in
the driving for the edge sewing, a slot ° (Fig. 8) is provided in the slide h.
Although the construction of the fabric presser or holder is not to be considered

page_text: in connection with the process of this invention, it may be mentioned that it
consists of the front main plate do, already referred to, to which is fixed the small
plate and on which is mounted an oscillating double lever d³ (Figs. 5, 8) carrying
at its front end the clamping frame d, and for guiding purposes has at its back
end where a spring d constantly acts to press down the plate ds and through this
the fabric-a stud do penetrating through the base plate. To release or insert the
fabric, the clamping frame must obviously be raised and this is accomplished by
pressing down the arm of the lever de which is acted on by the spring.
The machine is provided with a disconnecting or stopping mechanism which by
reason of its thorough suitability should be referred to. It consists of a rad i
(Fig. 9) by which the oscillating lever in connection therewith an carrying the
guide stud for the pawl lever af can be so adjusted that the stud will hold the pawl
lifted from, or pressed out of the ratchet wheel (Fig. 6). The rod i acted on by a
springis held on the one hand by an oscillating connecting lever mounted on
the side of the machine frame, and on the other hand it can be slid from the hand
lever the lower end of which engages therein and which is mounted to turn
on its support (Figs. 6, 9)-and so fixed by a stop lever that the pawl lever a
i7
is held in engagement with the ratchet wheel. In conjunction with this arrangement
a brake may be combined for the hand wheel in the manner that when the pawl is
placed out of gear the hand wheel is braked.
The cutting mechanism for cutting open the fabric at the place of the button
hole is not shewn as the same need not be specially considered with reference to
this invention or the process thereof and has no special connection therewith. Its
construction and action may be similar to that cursorily referred to in the
Provisional Specification of this invention which I consider the most suitable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
clain is :-
1. A process for bar stitching button holes by means of a machine, consisting
in the production of such bar stitches, at the end of the button hole to be bar
stitched, parallel or nearly parallel to the button hole and at right angles or
nearly at right angles to the sewing stitches for the edges of the button hole,
substantially as described and shewn.
2. A process for bar stitching button beles by means of a machine, consisting in
the production of such bar stitches, at the end of the button hole to be bar stitched,
parallel or nearly parallel to the button hole and at right angles or nearly at right
angles to the sewing stitches for the edges of the button hole, whereby, for the
purpose of securing the connection of the bar stitching with the edge sewing, the
bar stitches engage over the nearest edge stitches, substantially as described and
shewn.
3. A process for bar stitching button holes by means of a machine, consisting in
the production of such bar stitches, at the end of the button hole to be bar stitched,
parallel or nearly parallel to the button hole and at right angles or nearly at right
angles to the sewing stitches for the edges of the button hole, by means of a to
and fro motion of the fabric presser holding the fabric, in the direction of the
button hole and simultaneously therewith an onward movement of said fabric
presser underneath the needle moving vertically up and down and not oscillating,
substantially as described and shen.
4. For the performance of the process in the manner specially characterised in
Claim 3, a button hole sewing machine in which the fabric presser, so soon as the
button hole has reached its end position, is, for the purpose of producing the bar
stitches, moved to and fro in the direction of the button hole, at the same time
receiving a short onward movement directed at right angles to the button hole,
whilst the needle moves vertically up and down substantially as described and
shewn.
5. A button hole sewing machine as referred to in Claim 4, in which, in the end

page_text: position of the button hole, after the sewing of the edge under onward movement
of the fabric presser and oscillation or lateral displacement of the needle rod has
been done, said needle rod is so arrested that it can no longer oscillate laterally,
but only move up and down, whilst the fabric presser, under stoppage of its
previous onward movement, is placed in connection with a mechanism which com-
municates to and fro movements to it, in the direction of the button hole, whereby
it at the same time receives a corresponding short onward movement in a
direction at right angles to the onward movement taking place in the edge sewing,
that is to say, at right angles to the button hole, substantially as described and
shewn.
6. In the machine characterised in Claim 5 a mechanism for uncoupling the
fabric presser or holder from the mechanism for its onward movement during the
edge sewing, in which unconpling mechanism an oscillating lever c so directs an
uncoupling organ (stud c)--serving in the edge sewing to establish the connection
of the fabric presser or its plate with the mechanism for producing the onward
movement or its plate c-that said uncoupling organ is disconnected, substantially
as described and shewn.
7. In the machine characterised in Claim 5, the mechanism for moving the
fabric presser to and fro in the performance of the bar stitching, said mechanism
having a reciprocated horizontal lever capable of being coupled with and
uncoupled from the fabric presser D or its plate d', substantially as described and
shewn.
8. In the machine characterised in Claims 5 and 7, the arrangement for coupling
the fabric presser with the lever, consisting of a stud e passing loose through
said lever, which stud bears by its bottom end on an organ (plate 2) movable up
and down and in its upward movement sliding the upper end of the stud into a slot
of the plate of the fabric presser, whereby the latter is connected to the lever f,
substantially as described and shewn.
9. In the machine characterised in Claim 5, the arrangement for arresting the
lateral oscillations of the needle rod consisting in a stop pin e mounted on a
connecting rod which stop pin is, for the performance of the bar stitching, so
inserted in or placed in the path of oscillation of the part g guiding the needle rod
and oscillating during the edge sewing, that said part 9 can no longer oscillate,
substantially as described and shewn.
10. In the machine characterised in Claims 5 to 9 the actuation of the lever c³,
of the plate e lifting the stud e', and of the connecting rod e, through a common
organ (lever e) which when the bar stitching of the button hole is to be done, is
so acted upon or displaced that the lever is displaced, the plate e raised and the
stop pine of the connecting rod e entered in the path of oscillation of the part g
guiding the needle rod, substantially as described and shewn.
11. In the machine characterised in Claim 10, the displacement of the lever e
by means of a rotary organ, as for example, projections a provided on the ratchet
wheel a concentrically therewith, which projections communicate to said lever the
requisite stroke by acting against the end of the same provided with a friction
roller and located in the path of said projections, substantially as described and
shewn.
12. In the machine characterised in Claim 5 the communication, during the bar
stitching of the button hole, of an onward movement to the fabric presser, in the
manner that the movable plate holding the fabric presser and serving to guide
the same in its travel during the edge sewing receives a successive displacement
at right angles to the direction of the to and fro movements of the fabric presser,
that is to say, at right angles to the direction of the button bole, substantially as
described and shewu.
13. In the machine characterised in Claims 5 and 12, the displacement of the
plate through a double armed oscillating lever 1, 2, in connection with said
plate by means of a stud ³, which lever receives its required stroke from

page_text: suitable organs, for example, from the offsets 10, all, provided upon the disc
like projection a' of the ratchet wheel as, substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 1st day of October 1896.
CAPITAINE & VON HERTLING,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.