IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON-HOLE SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, GEORGE BROWNING and GEORGE BROWNING the Younger both of 104 Dale
Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Mechanicians do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON-HOLE SEWING
MACHINES to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in button-hole sewing machines,
consists as follows:-
First. In providing the rocking arm which carries the button-hole cutter, with a
catch by means of which the rocking arm is retained in its uppermost position
through such catch resting upon a stud in the head of the machine, or in place of
this arrangement the rocking arm may be thrown back into the vertical or slightly
beyond the vertical position and so that the rocking arm is operated directly by
the hand of the attendant.
Secondly. The cutter which is carried in the weighted head of the said rocking
arm is made with a continuous bearing for the whole, or practically the whole
length or width of the cutter and in order to provide for the hollow punch-like end
of the cutter, the side of the cutter at which such hollow end is formed, is cut out
on an incline. The cutter is held in the weighted head of the rocking arm by set
screws.
Thirdly. The horizontal rod by means of which the zig-zag motion of the needle
bar is produced is formed hemispherically at each end, each of which hemispheres
rests in a hemispherical socket in the zigzaging lever and in the needle bar
rocking frame respectively; the hemispherical parts being kept together in working
contact by means of the tension of spiral springs. In the zigzaging lever a roll of
such hemispherical sockets is provided at different distances from the axis of
vibration of such lever so that by shifting the horizontal bar into any of these
sockets, either nearer to or further from such axis of vibration, the range of zig-
zaging motion of the needle is thereby varied.
Fourthly. In order to stop the feed wheel of a button-hole machine at the proper
position for cutting the button-hole, there is provided on the steel bed plate of the
button-bole machine a short rocking arm which has a projection passing through
the said plate and sufficiently far below it to come in contact with the hand ratchet
pawl so that such pawl at the proper time is lifted out from engaging with the
ratchet teeth of the feed wheel. The aforesaid short rocking arm has its position
PT •

page_text: defined by the edge of the cloth clamp. When the clamp, after a hole has been cut,
is put forward into the feed wheel cam groove the short rocking arm is released and
the pawl of the hand ratchet re-engages with the ratchet teeth of the feed wheel.
One, two or more teeth are cut out from the feed wheel to ensure its rotation being
stopped at the required position.
Fifthly. The clamp cam groove of the feed wheel is formed with an inclined end
to prevent jamming.
Sixthly. The feed dog is so curved and shaped that it is enabled to be removed
from the underside of the machine without the necessity of removing the feed lever
and the feed dog lever is provided with an adjustment so that it is enabled to be
adjusted at any time in the necessary relationship to the feed lever.
Seventhly. The bracket of the feed clamp is made of such length inwards that it
is capable of being attached by a double fastening to the plate of the feed clamp,
the rearward fastening of which is made tubular to receive a solid pin for engaging
with a feed cam. The upper part of this solid pin is made of less diameter than
the lower part, so that a recess is constituted thereon into which the end of a screw
projects and retains the solid pin in its socket. The lower arms of the clamp are
provided with vertical studs which carry the rollers or bowls acted upon by the
opening and shutting cam lever. By this arrangement, the rollers or bowls are
always kept vertical in the cam grooves of the said opening lever. The cam groove
lever is acted upon by a spring which gives it the requisite retaining resistance. In
order to lift the upper arms of the clamp, the compressing lever is provided with a
link having a long eye in it through which eye one of the upper arms of the clamp
passes, and a stop is provided to prevent the compressing lever from being pressed
down too far on the side opposite that to which the long eyed lever is connected..
Dated this nineteenth day of June 1885.

page_text: Improvements in Button-hole Sewing Machines. *
We GEORGE BROWNING and GEORGE BROWNING the Younger both of 104 Dale
Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Mechanicians do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN BUTTON-HOLE SEWING
MACHINES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our Invention, which relates to improvements in button-hole sewing machines,
consists as follows:-
First. In providing the rocking arm which carries the button-hole cutter, with
a catch by means of which the rocking arm is retained in its uppermost position
through such catch resting upon a stud in the head or arm of the machine, or in
place of this arrangement the rocking arm may be thrown back into the vertical
or slightly beyond the vertical position and so that the rocking arm is operated
directly by the hand of the attendant.
Secondly. The cutter which is carried in the weighted head of the said rocking
arm is made with a continuous bearing for the whole, or practically the whole
length or width of the cutter and in order to provide for the hollow punch-like
end of the cutter, the side of the cutter at which such hollow end is formed, is cut
out on an incline. The cutter is held on the weighted head of the rocking arm by
Bet screws.
Thirdly. The horizontal rod by means of which the zigzag motion of the needle
bar is produced is formed hemispherically at each end, each of which hemispheres
rests in a hemispherical socket in the zigzagging lever and in the needle-bar-
rocking-frame respectively; the hemispherical parts being kept together in working
contact by means of the tension of spiral springs. In the zigzagging lever a row
of such hemispherical sockets is provided at different distances from the axis of
vibration of such lever so that by shifting the horizontal rod into any of these
sockets, either nearer to or further from such axis of vibration, the range of
zigzagging motion of the needle is thereby varied.
Fourthly. In order to stop the feed wheel of a button-hole machine at the proper
position for cutting the button-hole, there is provided, on the steel bed plate of the
button-hole machine a short rocking arm which has a projection passing through
the said plate and sufficiently far below it to come in contact with the hand ratchet
pawl so that such pawl at the proper time is lifted out from engaging with the
ratchet teeth of the feed wheel. The aforesaid short rocking arm has its position
defined by the edge of the cloth clamp. When the clamp, after a hole has been
cut is put forward into the feed wheel cam groove the short rocking arm is released
and the pawl of the hand ratchet re-engages with the ratchet teeth of the feed
wheel. One, two or more teeth are cut out from the feed wheel to ensure its
rotation being atopped at the required position.
Fifthly. The clamp cam groove of the feed wheel is formed with an inclinéd end
to prevent jamming.
Sixthly. The feed dog is so curved and shaped that it is enabled to be removed
from the underside of the machine without the necessity of removing the feed

page_text: Seventhly. The bracket of the feed clamp is made of such length inwards that
it is capable of being attached by a double fastening to the plate of the feed clamp,
the rearward fastening of which is made tubular to receive a solid pin for engaging
with a feed cam. The upper part of this solid pin is made of less diameter than
the lower part, so that a.recess is constituted thereon into which the end of a screw
projects and retains the solid pin in its socket. The lower arms of the clamp are
provided with vertical studs which carry the rollers or bowls acted upon by the
opening and shutting cam lever. By this arrangement, the rollers or bowls are
always kept vertical in the cam grooves of the said opening lever. The cam groove
lever is acted upon by a spring which gives it the requisite retaining resistance.
In order to lift the upper arms of the clamp, the compressing lever is provided with
a link having a long eye in it through which eye one of the upper arms of the
clamp passes, and a stop is provided to prevent the compressing lever from being
pressed down too far on the side opposite that to which the long eyed link is
connected.
In order that our Invention may be properly understood and readily into
effect, we will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 3, is a side elevation of portion of a button-hole sewing machine
constructed according to our present Invention.
Figure 2, is a plan of the same.
Figure 3, is a rear elevation of a detached portion of the button-hole-cutter-
carrying-arm of the same when in a horizontal position and Figure 4, is a view of
the underside thereof.
Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a side and an end elevation and Figures 7 and 8
respectively plans of the upper and undersides of the button-hole cutter.
Figure 9, is a plan of the underside of portion of a button-hole sewing machine
constructed according to our present Invention.
Figure 10 is a plan of the feed wheel shewing the clamp cam groove as
hereinafter explained.
Figure 11 is a section of the same taken on the line A. B. Figure 10.
Figures 12 and 13 are respectively a plan of the underside and a side elevation
of the feed dog.
Figure 14 is a plan, Figure 15 an end elevation and Figure 16 a side elevation
drawn to an enlarged scale of the cloth clamp constructed according to our present
Invention.
Figure 17 is an elevation of the end opposite to that represented at Figure 15,
and Figure 18, is a longitudinal section, also drawn on an enlarged scale, of the
Baid cloth clamp.
In carrying our present Invention into practice we provide the rocking arm a,
with a catch which is formed upon the lever b. This lever b, as shewn more
particularly at Figure 3, of the annexed drawings is pivoted by the screw c, to the
rocking arm a. The before mentioned catch d, is formed as a projection upon the
side of the lever b, which lever is further provided with the spiral or equivalent
spring e. This spring e, presses the said lever b, into the position in which it is
capable of engaging with the stud f, which stud as shewn at Figure 1 is secured into
the arm g, of the machine. Upon pressing down the free end of the lever b, the
catch d, is released from the stud f, and the rocking arm a, is free to fall and be
caused, by its own weight only or by such weight and the additional assistance of
the operator to cut the button-hole through the cloth. The cutter is carried in the
weighted head h, of the rocking arm a, and is secured therein by the set-screws i.
This said cutter as shewn more particularly at Figures 5 and 7 is so formed as to
have a continuous bearing for the whole or practically the whole of its length 'or
width, and in order to provide for the hollow punch-like end j, the side or end at
which it is formed is cut out on an iucline, that is to say in the manner
represented at Figure 5. The upper or bearing surface of the cutter is formed
with the recess k, (Figures 5 and 7) whereinto the pin Z, (Figures 3 and 4) enters
when the said cutter is in its proper position in the head h.

page_text: For communicating the zigzagging motion to the needle-bar-rocking-frame m,
we form the rod n, with hemispherical ends. One of these ends rests in a hemi-
spherical recess formed in the projection o, on the needle-bar-rocking-frame m, and
is held therein by the tension of the spiral spring p, which encircles the rod n, and
the ends of which engage respectively with the pin q, on the frame m, and the pin
or projection v³, secured upon the rod n. The opposite end of the rod n, rests in any
one of the hemispherical recesses r, which are provided in the vertical arm of the
zigzagging lever a, and the said end of the rod is retained in such recess r, by the
tension of the spiral spring t, which encircles the rod n, and one end of which
passes around the beforementioned vertical arm, while the opposite end of the said
spring t, engages with the pin or projection u, secured to the rod n. The zigzagging
lever 8, is pivoted at v, in the arm g, of the machine and the opposite end of the
said lever is provided with a bowl which engages with the cam groove w, in the
ordinary well-known manner. In the position in which the rod n, relatively with
the recesses r, in the zigzagging lever 8, is represented at Figure 1, the arrangement
is such that the minimum amount of zigzagging motion is imparted to the needle x.
When it is desired to increase the zigzagging motion imparted to the needle x, the end
of the rod n, is disengaged from one recess r, and moved to another recess r, further
from the axis of vibration v, of the zigzagging lever 8, and when it is desired to
decrease such motion the end of the rod n, is moved to a recess 7, nearer to the axis v.
In order to stop the feed wheel of a button-hole machine at the position necessary
for cutting the button-hole, we provide the short rocking arm or plate y, (Figure 2)
which is pivoted by the screws, to the steel bed plate a¹. In the rocking arm or
plate y, there is secured the stud or projection 61, (Figures 2 and 9) which passes
through a slot formed in the bed plate a¹, to the underside thereof and the lower
part of which is so situated as to come in contact with the hand ratchet pawl c¹
(Figure 9) and move it back out of gear with the ratchet teeth d, of the feed
wheel e¹, that is to say into such a position that it can only engage with one tooth
at each stroke of the said pawl c¹. The position of the rocking arm or plate y, is
defined by the edge of the cloth clamp plate f¹, (Figures 14 to 18) that is to say
when the said cloth clamp, after a button hole has been cut, is put forward, from the
position in which it is represented in dotted lines at Figure 2, and the pin g¹,
thereof is caused to engage with the cam groove h', (Figure 10) the said rocking
arm y, moves from the position in which it is represented in dotted lines to the
position it is represented in full lines at Figure 2.
Having so moved, the pin or projection b¹, is out of contact with the pawl c¹,
which thereupon re-engages with the ratchet teeth a, being drawn against the said
teeth by the tension of the spiral spring i¹. To ensure that the rotation of the
feed wheel e¹, shall be stopped at the position necessary for cutting a button-hole,
one, two or more teeth are cut out from the toothed edge of the said feed wheel in
the manner indicated at 1, at Figures 9 and 10 of the annexed drawings. By this
arrangement, after a button-hole has been completed the cloth is released from the
cloth clamp which is then moved into the position in which it is represented in
dotted lines at Figure 2. The pin or projection 61, then holds the pawl c¹, back in
the manner herein before described and shewn in dotted lines at Figure 9, and the
feed wheel e¹, is rotated by means of the hand lever k¹, until such time as the said
feed wheel arrives at the position necessary for the operation of the button-hole
cutting mechanism, at which time the said feed wheel e¹, is brought to rest by
reason of the blank j, formed by the removal of the before-mentioned teeth from
the edge of the feed wheel e¹, being opposite the pawl c. When another button-
hole has been cut, the cloth clamp is moved forward until the pin g', thereof
engages with the cam groove h¹, Figure 10.
To prevent the pin g¹, of the cloth clamp from becoming jammed between the
end of the cam groove h¹, and the side of the slot m³, after having completed the
button-hole, we incline the end of the said slot as shown at n¹, Figures 10, and 11.
At such inclined part, the slot is formed concentrically so that by the continuance

page_text: in the rotation of the feed wheel e³, no motion is imparted to the cloth clamp, while
the pin g¹, thereof is raised out of the said groove.
Another feature of our present Invention is the construction of the feed dog in
such manner that it may be removed from the underside of the machine without
necessitating the removal of the feed lever. As represented more particularly at
Figure 12, the back of the said feed dog o¹, is hollowed out at p¹, while at Figure 9
the said feed dog is shewn in position upon the machine. When in such position
the feed dog o¹, is supported by the bracket q¹, which is secured by the screw r¹,
to the underside of the machine bed plate s³, and the said bracket is provided with
the tail piece t¹, and the adjusting screw u¹. The tail-piece t¹, bears against the
rigid pin v, and by releasing the screw r³, and disengaging the spring w¹, from the
pin, the feed dog o¹, and feed dog lever y¹, may be slipped down into such
position that the hollow p¹, is opposite the end of the feed lever z¹, when the said
feed dog o¹, together with the feed dog lever y¹, after the bracket q¹, has been
canted over, may be readily removed.
In the feed clamp constructed according to our present Invention and as repre-
sented on sheet 3 of the annexed drawings we form the bracket a³, of such
length that it is capable of being attached to the plate f¹, by two fastenings, that
is to say, the forward end by the standard 68, which is riveted at the underside of
the plate f¹, and the rearward part by the projection. The projection o³, is
made tubular so as to receive the pin g¹, the lower end of which, projecting down-
wards below the plate fl, as shewn at Figures 15 to 18, is capable of being engaged.
with the cam groove h¹, in the manner hereinbefore explained. The upper part of
the pin g¹, is made of less diameter than the lower part, so that a recess d³, is
constituted, into which the end of the screw e³, (Figures 14, 15 and 16) projects,
and allows the said pin gl, to be raised to the extent sufficient to enable its lower
end to be drawn up flush with the underside of the plate f¹, but which screw e²,
prevents the pin g₁, being removed from the cloth clamp. The lower arms f', of
the clamp have riveted into them, the vertical studs g², which carry the rollers or
bowls h, the said bowls being those which are acted upon by the opening and
shutting cam lever . The vertical studs 92, project upwards through slotted holes ²,
(Figure 14) formed in the upper arms, and by this arrangement the bowls h³,
are maintained always vertical in the cam grooves of the lever . The said lever i³,
is acted upon by the spring 1, the heel of which bears upon the bracket a*, and the
opposite end of which bears with more or less pressure, as adjusted by the screw m²,
upon the lever is, so that by such pressure there is provided resistance sufficient to
overcome the elasticity of the cloth which is stretched between the jaws n³, and o³.
In order to lift the upper arms, of the clamp, we provide upon the compressing
cam lever p³, the link q². This link 92, which, as represented upon the annexed
drawings, is pivoted by the screw r³, to the lever p², is formed with a long eye
through which one of the upper arms k³, passes, while the other of the said upper
arms receives its upward motion through the joint piece 82, upon which the two
said arms are so pivoted as to be capable of horizontal motion. The joint piece 8³,
is pivoted in the bracket a³, by the pin t, (Figures 16 and 18) that is to say in the
ordinary well-known manner. In order to prevent the compressing cam lever p³,
from being pressed down too far on the side opposite that to which the long-eyed
link.q, is connected, we provide the vertical stop u³, which is riveted or otherwise
secured in the plate f¹, and upon which the said lever p³, abuts after having raised
the upper arms k³, to their maximum height.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
First. The improvements in button-hole sewing machines consisting of the
lever b, catch d, spring é, and stud f, all substantially as and operating in the
manner and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth with reference to Figures 1, 2,
3, and 4 of the annexed drawings.
" :

page_text: Second. The improvements in button-hole sewing machines consisting of a cutter
having a bearing, continuous for the whole, or practically the whole of its length or
width, and secured by the set screws i, in the head h, of the rocking arm a, all
substantially as and operating in the manner herein before set forth with reference
to Figures 1 to 8 (inclusive) of the annexed drawings.
Third. The improvements in button-hole sewing machines consisting of the
rod n, formed with hemispherical ends which engage, one with a hemespherical
recess formed on the needle-bar-rocking-frame m, and the other with any desired
one of a series of hemispherical recesses r, formed in the zigzagging lever 8, and the
springs p, and t, all substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth
with reference to Figure 1 of the annexed drawings.
Fourth. In button-hole sewing machines the arrangement of mechanism for
stopping the feed wheel e¹, at the position necessary for cutting the button-hole
consisting of the rocking arm or plate y, projection 6¹, pawl c¹, and blank, formed
by the removal of ratchet teeth d, all operating in combination substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described with reference more particularly to
Figures 2, 9 and 10, of the annexed drawings.
Fifth. In button-hole sewing machines, constructing the cam groove h¹, with an
inclined end substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth with
reference to Figures 10 and 11 of the annexed drawings.
Sixth. The improvements in button-hole sewing machines consisting of a feed
dog o¹, so shaped as to admit of its being readily removed from the underside of
the machine without removing the feed lever z¹, all substantially as herein before
set forth with reference to Figures 9, 12 and 13, of the annexed drawings.
Seventh. In button-hole sewing machines a feed clamp having a bracket a³,
secured by two fastenings to the plate f¹, and provided with the pin g', recessed at
its upper part, the screw e³, the studs g, riveted into the lower arms f, the
spring, screw m³, the link q², and their attachments all substantially as and
operating in the manner and for the purposes herein before set forth with reference
to Figures 14 to 18 (inclusive) of the annexed drawings.
Dated this nineteenth day of March 1886
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Applicants' Agents.