IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EMBROIDERING FABRICS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SUCH MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Heaven, of Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Embroiderer by Machinery, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR EMBROIDERING FABRICS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR DRIVING
SUCH MACHINES."
Sealed the 9th March 1877, and dated the 26th September 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Heaven at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th September 1876.
86
ALFRED HEAVEN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Embroider by
Machinery. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EMBROIDERING FABRICS, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SUCH MACHINES."
In embroidering fabrics by the machinery now in use great loss of time and
material is occasioned by the comparatively short lengths of silk or other thread
that is supplied to the embroidering needles, the said length depending on the
traverse of the carriages.
Now my Invention consists in the application of certain machinery to the ordinary
embroidering machines, whereby the length of the embroidering threads can be
increased to an indefinite extent.
In performing my Invention I apply to each set of needle holders a faller wire
fixed to arms projecting from a shaft, which is moved partly round at every out-
ward and inward run of the carriage by a rack on the frame of the machine gearing
into a wheel on the shaft of the faller wire. In double carriages the upper shaft
is moved simultaneously with the lower one by a vertical rack and pinions. The
faller wire carries the threads into a segmental-shaped guide formed of strong wires
lined with cotton or other fabric. When the machine is at work the motion of the
carriage brings the faller wire down on the threads and conveys them into the guide.
By this this means the length of thread exceeding the traverse of the carriage
is taken up and kept at the required tension during the working of the machine.
A double set of guides and faller wires or their equivalents may be used to take up
an addition length of thread.
My Invention consists also in supporting the bobbins containing the yarn for
embroidering on studs fixed to the carriage; also in the application of a folding-up

page_text: clearer to the upper row of needles to support the yarn when the carriage is
running up. The clearer cloth is supported on wires, the ends of which run on
guide rods.
My improved apparatus for driving embroidering machines consists of a pinion
driven by hand or steam power. This pinion drives a wheel fixed on the same shaft
as a drum, on which are an open and a crossed strap for driving two pulleys in
opposite directions. These pulleys are loose on a shaft, but are connected to it when
required by a sliding clutch box; to this shaft is also fixed a spur wheel gearing
into two wheels, one for each carriage; the wheels are connected to the shafts of
the chain pulleys by friction cones. When the machine is at work the attendant
who works the pentagraph acts also on a lever to move the sliding clutch box above
referred to, and by means of treadles she also brings the required friction cone into
gear for drawing the carriages in or running them out. By means of this improved
driving apparatus the attendants are saved a great deal of hard work and have
more time to attend to the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Heaven in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st March
1877.
ALFRED HEAVEN, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Embroiderer by
Machinery. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR EMBROIDERING FABRICS, AND IN
APPARATUS FOR DRIVING SUCH MACHINES."
In embroidering fabrics by the machinery now in use great loss of time and
material is occasioned by the comparatively short lengths of silk or other thread
that is supplied to the embroidering needles, the said lengths depending on the
traverse of the carriages.
Now my Invention consists in the application of certain machinery to the ordinary
embroidering machines, whereby the length of the embroidering threads can be
increased to an indefinite extent.
My Invention consists also in the application of a folding-up clearer to the upper
row of needles to support the yarn when the carriage is running out and in; also in
certain improved apparatus for driving embroidering machines.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into operation I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in
which Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section of an ordinary embroidering machine, to
which my improvements are applied; Fig. 2 is a plan; and Fig. 3, a front view of
parts of the same.
In Fig. 1a is the fabric to be embroidered; b, b, are rollers on which the fabric
is wound. These rollers are supported in the frame c, which is moved up and down
and sideways by the pentagraph in the ordinary manner. e and fare the carriages
which support the needle holders h and travel to and fro on the rails g.
The foregoing and all the other parts requisite to complete the embroidering
machine, which are not referred to hereafter, are made in the usual manner.
To each set of needles I apply a faller wire i, and these faller wires are connected
to the arms j fixed to the shafts k, which vibrate in bearings in the carriages e
and f. The vibrating motion is given to the faller wires i by means of an inclined
grooved rail fixed to the framing. In this groove enters a bowl mounted on a
stud at the lower end of the double vertical rack m, which gears into pinions
fixed to the shafts k. As the carriage moves to and fro the rack is raised and
lowered, thereby causing the fallers i to move partly round; or the vibrating motion
may be given to the faller wires by a rack on the frame gearing into a wheel on one
of the shafts k. To the carriages e and fare fixed the brackets n supporting the
segmental guides into which the thread is carried by the faller wires i. These

page_text: guides are made of wood or other suitable material; to the brackets n are also fixed
the rods o. When the machine is at work the motion of the carriage brings the
faller wire down on the threads and conveys them into the guides. By this
means the length of thread exceeding the traverse of the carriage is taken up and
kept at the required tension during the working of the machine. A double set of
guides and faller wires or their equivalents may be used to take up an additional
length of thread.
My Invention consists also in the application of a folding-up clearer to the upper
row of needles, as shewn at p, to support the thread when the carriage is running
out and in. The clearer cloth is supported by rings, which run on guide rods pl
fixed to the rails g. The ends of the clearer cloth are connected by cords to the
carriages, consequently when the carriage is out the clearer cloth is distended to
support the embroidering threads, and as the carriage runs in the clearer
cloth is folded up, so that the light on the lower row of needles may not be
obstructed.
My improved apparatus for driving embroidering machines consists of the
following parts:- is the driving shaft supported in suitable bearings, which is
turned by the crank handle rl, or by the pulley; to this shaft are fixed the bevel
wheels and, which gear into pinions on the shafts s and 81; to each of these
shafts is fixed a bevel wheel gearing respectively into the pinions t1, t2, loose on the
shaft t; to each of these pinions is cast or fixed the half of a clutch box, and
between these two halves is placed the sliding clutch box t, which fits on a key in
the shaft t, to the end of which is fixed the spur wheel t¹. The sliding clutch box t³
is moved to and fro when required by the handle u, which is placed within reach
of the attendant who works the pentagraph. The wheel t'gears into the wheels v¹,
which are cast with friction boxes, and which are loose on the shafts v, on each of
which is a sliding friction cone v³ connected to the shaft by a key and groove.
To the shafts are fixed the wheels 3, around which the ordinary endless chains *
pass for moving the carriages to and fro. The sliding cones v2 are brought into and
out of contact with the friction boxes by the elbow levers v³, see Fig. 3, the hori-
zontal arms of which are actuated by the slotted links hinged to the ordinary
slot levers w, which are connected to the treadles w₁ by the chain w³ passing around
guide pulleys to the pulley w³, from which projects a bowl taking into the slot of
the lever was usual.
The mode of operation is as follows:-When the pointer of the pentagraph has
been set to the pattern the position of the treadles w¹ is reversed to actuate the
ordinary machinery for opening the needle holders in one carriage and closing them
in the other, and for putting into contact one of the friction cones with its friction
box;
the endless chain then takes out one of the carriages while the other
remains in. As the carriage runs out the faller wires i move in the arc of a circle
and carry the embroidering threads into the guides n, and when the carriage is out
the attendant moves the handle u to disconnect the sliding clutch box t from one
of the bevel pinions on the shaft t and to connect it to the other, and as these
pinions t¹ and t² rotate in contrary directions it is evident that by thus moving the
sliding clutch box the carriages are traversed to and fro.
I wish to remark here that pulleys and straps may be used to drive the shaft t
instead of the bevel wheels, pinions, and shafts shewn in the Drawing. By this
improved driving gear a great economy of labour is effected as the attendant by
turning the handle moves the carriages easily to and fro, whereas in ordinary
embroidering machines an attendant is required for each carriage, and a con-
siderable amount of exertion is required to overcome the inertia of the carriage
and to check its momentum; a great saving is also effected in the number of girls
required for threading the needles, and less waste is produced.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention and described the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that I claim,―
First. The apparatus described or an equivalent means for increasing the length
of the embroidering threads beyond the length of the traverse of the carriage.

page_text: Secondly. The application of a folding-up clearer to the upper row of needles, as
shewn and described.
And, lastly. The improved apparatus shewn and described for working embroi-
dering machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Heaven, have hereto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of March, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.
ALFRED HEAVEN. (L.S.)