Improvements in Button Hole Attachments for Sewing Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th June, 18.9-Accepted, 14th Sept., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Button Hole Attachments for Sewing Machines.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Henry James Davison, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America, Mechanical Engineer, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is primarily to cut the button hole in the cloth after it
has been sewed around once, without removing the cloth from the Sewing Machine,
or altering in the least degree its position on the cloth plate, and secondarily to sew
around the slit made by the cutting apparatus, to over-seam the button hole, covering
in the loose fibres of the cloth to make a finished and perfect button hole.
I have applied my cutting and over-seaming apparatus, to the button hole attach-
ment for sewing machines patented to me the 13th day of December A.D. 1887,
No. 17,120, but it may be readily applied to other button hole sewing machines.
To this end my invention consists in certain parts and combination of parts herein-
after fully set forth.
In order that persons skilled in the art may understand, construct, and use my
invention I will proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings in
which the same figures and letters indicate the same parts in the several figures.
Figure 1, is a plan view of my invention with the cloth clamping plate t¹, broken
away near its supporting tongue, to show the parts beneath it.
Figure 2, is a central vertical section through lines a, a, of figure 1. In this figure
the cloth clamping plate t¹, is shown raised away or off the cloth holding and feeding
plate C, and showing the cutting knife attachments in their normal position out of
reach of the needle bar hammer.
Figure 3, is a side view of the front part of my machine, with my cutting apparatus
in the position in which it appears after the hammer on the needle bar has forced it
down through the cloth. The cloth clamping plate 't', is shown in its position upon
the cloth plate C, and the overseaming device 19, in operative position; no cloth is
shown in the drawings but its position would be between the clamping plate t¹, and
the upper surface of cloth plate C, so that the end 21 of the over-seaming spring
presser wire device 19, presses upon it in close proximity to the needle, as the needle
passes down and up through the cloth. The needle bar 1, it will be seen is in its
extreme downward throw with the needle through the cloth, and the main operating
lever F, is also in its extreme downward position having been carried down by the
needle bar which gives it all its motions. This figure 3, shows also a section on:
line a, a, of figure 1, of the clamping plate t¹, and the cloth plate C, the one upon.
the other.
Figure 4, is a front view of my invention and a sectional view on line y, y, of
figure 1, the clamping plate t, being raised off the cloth feeding and holding
plate C.
Figure 5, is a rear view of my invention with a portion broken away.
Figure 6,
a front view of the knife guide plate and a section of the part of cloth
feeding plate C, where the guide plate straddles it.
Figure 7, is a top or plan view of the cloth holding plate C, and the oscillating.
plate on which it rests, and by which it is controlled or adjusted sidewise. It also
shows the transverse needle slot and the longitudinal knife slot in the oscillating plate
beneath plate C, the extension of plate C being broken away.
I mark the needle bar 1, the knife hammer located upon and clamped to the needle.
|bar 2. 3, is a plate upon the knife arm 5. 4, is a screw which secures the plate 3,

page_text: to the knife arm 5. This plate is slotted so as to allow endwise adjustment of the
plate.
The knife is secured to the knife arm by screw, 35. 6, is the cutting knife. 7, is
an arm fastened by a screw to the side of bridge piece E, and extends crosswise of the
machine, behind bridge E, near its top, and supports one end of coiled spring 9.
8, is a hook on the end of arm 7, for holding the end of spring 9. 10, is a screw
near the longitudinal centre of knife arm 5, and on its upper surface to secure the
other end of spring 9, to said arm 5. 11, is a bridge guide, which straddles knife
árm 5, and guides it in its motion. It is fixed to sliding piece 12, by screws 26
passing through slots, one in each leg of the guide 11, to allow of horizontal adjust-
ment, to bring the knife 6, directly over the knife slot 27, in the oscillating plate 30,
beneath the cloth plate C.
The sliding piece 12, which supports guide 11, is secured to the bottom flange of
bridge E, by screws 13, which pass through slots in the said sliding piece and it has
side pieces or legs which extend downward on each side of cloth feeding plate C;
said plate C, when in action carries said sliding piece laterally with it. 14, is a
double ear piece. It is secured by an angular flange to the base of the bridge E.
It turns or swings on a screw 15, projecting upward through a transverse slot in the
base of bridge E. The head of screw 15, works in slot, in the cloth plate and
vibrates with it. Between the ears of piece 14, the rear end of knife arm 5, vibrates
on a cross pin 23, which passes through said ears, and through an elongated
angular cam slot 16, in the arm 5. This slot 16, is at an angle downward to the
longitudinal centre line of the knife arm 5. 17, is a forked piece, fixed to the upper
rear surface of knife arm 5, by screws passing through an extension flange at right
angles to said fork. Into this forked piece arm 18, enters.
The arm or lever 18, is secured by a bracket to the rear face of the upright of
bridge E, screw stud 25, secures it to said bracket. The lever 18, has a handle 24,
projecting beyond the screw stud 25, and by this handle, the lever arm 18, is moved
back and forth on stud 25, as a centre. As arm 18, takes into the fork 17, it vibrates
the knife arm 5, backward and forward on pin 23, which works in slot 16, in arm 5.
This action throws the forward end of the knife arm 5, and the knife 6, under the
hammer 2, on the needle bar 1. In doing this spring 9, is strained, and when
lever 18, is released, the spring 9, returns the knife arm to its position shown in
figure 2.
19, is a spring presser wire, secured at its two ends respectively to the two sides
or legs of knife arm guide 11, by screws 22, figure 6. It extends to a point for-
ward of and around the needle transverse slot in the cloth plate C, and also on each
side of knife slot 27, its extreme forward end 21, where it presses upon the cloth on
cloth plate C, close to the needle 20, is bent downward at about right angles to the
legs of the presser wire. The legs of this wire are somewhat curved from its for-
ward end upward towards the point where it is held to the knife arm guide plate 11,
so as to give it a spring action. It serves to hold the cloth and loose fibres down
close to the bed plate, while the button hole is being resewed after the knife 6, has
cut the button hole slit in the cloth. This presser wire foot 19, being attached to
the knife guide 11, partakes of its sidewise reciprocating motion, but it has no back-
ward and forward motion, otherwise its relation to the needle and needle slot is
maintained at all times.
There is an opening 32, in the forward end of cloth plate C, surrounding the needle
and the slots 27 and 29 shown in figure 7. Its edges are bevelled inward and down-
ward. Into this open space 32, the serrated or roughened bottom surface of the
clamping foot 33, located on the plate t¹, enters, and presses upon the cloth. The
outer edges of this clamping plate 33, are bevelled, to conform to the edges of
the opening 32, in the cloth plate C. The clamping plate t', and clamping foot 33,
are lowered by the cam lever 1, and raised by the spring to, located beneath the
plate t, and the cam lever . The spring presser foot over-seaming wire 19, is also
raised by the lifting of clamping plate 33, but it returns to its operative position on
the cloth plate by its own elasticity. The forward surface of the bed plate B, of the

page_text: sewing machine is channelled out transversely at 34, and a circular plate 30, sets in
it flush with the surface of the bedplate B.
The oscillating plate 30, receives and holds the forward end of cloth plate C,
between lugs 31, which lugs are held to the plate 30, by screws passing through
slots in the lugs 31. The transverse needle slot 29, and the longitudinal knife slot 27
are located in this plate 30, and are adjusted transversely in relation to the cloth
plate C, and its opening 32 by these lugs 31. The plate 3, is made of proper thick-
ness to cause the knife 6, to be forced completely through the cloth when struck by
the hammer 2, located on the needle bar 1, and the location of the hammer 2, on the
needle bar may be adjusted vertically on said needle bar by the clamping screw which
secures it in position.
The operation of my invention is as follows:
The needle bar is caused to reciprocate vertically by its connection with mechanism
operated from the treadle motion of the machine not shown; the lever F, is by its
connection with the needle har 1, caused to vibrate and give forward and backward
motion, and also transverse vibrating motion to cloth plate C, by means of the
feeding and oscillating mechanism fully set forth and described in my patent of
December 13th 1887, No. 17,120 and reproduced and shown in this present application, .
but not described. By this operation the button hole is sewed once around, and the
button hole slit is ready to be cut. This is done by turning the handle 24, backward
and consequently the lever 18, forward, which by its connection with the arm 5, -
through the fork 17, throws the arm 5, forward bringing the knife 6, beneath the
hammer 2, on the reciprocating needle bar 1. The hammer 2, in its downward
motion strikes plate 3, and forces the knife 6, through the cloth, thus cutting a slit.
During the operation of first sewing around the button hole before the slit has been
cut, the spring presser over-seaming wire has been in operation, pressing upon the
cloth close to the needle, but the special function of this spring pressure over-seaming
wire is called into play after the button hole slit has been cut. After the cutting
operation the lever arm 24, is released and the spring 9, which in the forward
motion of the knife arm 5, has been strained, returns the knife arm to its position
shown in figures 1, and 2. The operator then sews around the button hole slit that
has just been cut, over-seaming it, and gathers all the loose fibres of the cloth under.
the second row of stitches. This is done easily by means of the spring presser
wire 19, which presses the loose fibres on the bedplate in close proximity to the
needle, so that the threads of the stitches lay them down and secure them as the
cloth is fed along. This operation will be clear from the description of the details
as herein-before particularly described. The button hole thus cut, and sewed a
second time by my invention is of the most perfect and finished character, more so
than any ever before produced and the button hole thus cut and finished is much more
cheaply produced from the fact that it is sewed cut and finished without removing
the cloth from the machine until the whole operation has been completed.
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 button hole attachment for sewing machines the reciprocating needle bar
he adjustable hammer dog attached to said needle bar; the cutting knife adjustably
ttached to the reciprocating knife lever arm; the pivoted operating lever loosely
connected with said knife lever arm to move the knife forward and under the needle
ar hammer all combined and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. The combination in a button hole sewing maching of the sewing apparatus sub-
tantially as shown; and the button hole cutting device consisting of a pivoted
eciprocating knife arm, the knife and the operating leve: the hammer dog attached
o the needle bar, and the needle bar and the knife slot in the cloth plate, all com-
ined and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 3. The combination in button hole attachments for sewing machines of the sewing
devices substantially as shown; the button hole cutting devices substantially as shown
and described; and the spring presser wire 19, constructed and arranged to operate
substantially as shown and described, to hold the cloth for over-seaming the said
button hole.
4. In a button hole cutting and resewing attachment for sewing machines; the
reciprocating cloth plate C; the needle slot 29; the knife slot 27; the cloth clamping
plate 33; the needle bar 1, and the hammer dog 2; the cutting knife 6, and its sup-
porting arm 5; the lever 18, and forked piece 17, attached thereto; the retractile
spring 9 the knife guide 11, and the resewing spring presser wire 19, all combined
and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a button hole cutting attachment for sewing machines; the knife arm 5, and
knife 6; the forked piece 17, the spring 9; the lever 18, and the guide plate 11; all
combined and arranged to operate substantially as described.
6. In button hole cutting and resewing attachments for sewing machines the knife
arm 5, and knife 6; the forked piece 17; the spring 9; the lever 18, the knife arm
guide 11, the sliding piece 12, and the resewing device 19, all combined and arranged
to operate substantially as described.
7. In a button hole cutting attachment for sewing machines; the reciprocating
needle bar and hammer dog attached thereto; the cutting knife attached to the
vibrating lever arm arranged to move the knife under the needle bar hammer dog at
the will of the operator for the purpose of slitting the cloth by the downward throw
of the said needle bar substantially as described.
8. In a button hole cutting attachment for sewing machines, the knife arm 5, the
cam slot 16, the ear piece 14, the fulcrum pin 23, and the vibrating screw 15 sliding
in slot, and arranged to receive transverse motion from cloth plate C, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this 95th dow of Luna AD 1880
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.