Sewing Parallel Rows on other Fabrics Simultaneously.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1886
Complete Left, 5th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th May, 1887.
Sewing Parallel Rows on other Fabrics Simultaneously.
We, ALEXANDER ANDERSON, Manager, and ROBERT ANDREW FERGUSON POLLOCK,
Mechanic, both of the Singer Manufacturing Company's Works, Kilbowie, Dunbarton-
shire, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention is a development of that described in the Specification filed
with an application for Patent No. 12296 dated 15th October 1885 and it consists of
an organised multiple sewing machine of improved construction which, while specially
adapted to effect the several operations attained under the earlier invention referred
to, is also applicable for producing simultaneously a series of parallel rows of stitchies
in sewing fabrics.
The improved machine comprises a framing consisting of two side or end standards
and two or more sets of longitudinal connecting rails an upper rail serving as a slide
guide upon which are fitted a series of heads provided with vertically reciprocating
needle bars and needles and a lower rail or guide supporting a corresponding number
of heads provided with oscillating, vibrating or reciprocating shuttle carriers and
shuttles each of the needle bars and needles of the upper heads being operated in
unison with the shuttle of the corresponding lower head to effect stitching as in an
ordinary sewing machine. The needle bars in the upper heads have motion given
them each through a separate detachable lever from a rock shaft extending longi-
tudinally behind the heads and operated by a crank or eccentric and connecting links
or other gearing from a driving shaft in the lower part of the machine frame; and the
shuttle carriers of the lower heads are oscillated by means of racks and pinions, or bell
cranks or other gear (according to the type of shuttle and shuttle carrier employed)
operated by eccentrics or cams on the same shaft, the said eccentrics being fitted so
that each of them may be loosened to throw its shuttle operating mechanism out
of gear.
Upon a shaft parallel to and situated between the two guide rails which carry the
heads are fitted a number of feed wheels which may be in the form of discs or wheels
with graduated radial spindles having pins on their outer ends to engage the holes

page_text: formed in the jaquard cards as described in the Specification before alluded to, the
spindles being however by preference made adjustable radially and provided with
shoulders against which the cards bear when fitted in place while the discs or wheels
themselves may be of smaller diameter. Instead of the pins for spacing the cards
being formed on or fixed in the spindles themselves they may be formed on plates
countersunk into the spindles and secured in position by screws or otherwise, the
breadth of the pin being varied according to the distance desired between the cards.
The radial adjustment of the spindles permits of the same set of feed wheels being
employed in operating upon cards of various widths and provision is made for
bringing the cards forward in the plane of the needle plate by vertical adjustment of
the carrying shaft. Instead of fitting pins in the feed wheels, as above described, the
wheels or discs may have recesses grooved or milled in their peripheries to receive the
cards; or projections may be formed on their rims to space the cards and suitable
stops may in such case be provided to facilitate the maintaining of the cards in proper
line in feeding. The necessary movement of the feed wheels to effect the forward
feeding of the cards is obtained by the use of a ratchet wheel and pawl operated by a
crank or eccentric and link from the driving shaft before referred to.
Provision is made for stitching across the cards at a greater or less number of points
and for operating on various widths of cards by fitting the heads to slide on the guide
rails and adjusting them in position, and the number of heads to carry the needle bars
and shuttles can be increased to suit the number of rows that may be required to be
stitched in the cards or fabrics. For the adjustment of the lower set of heads in
particular a longitudinal screw shaft is provided each head having on it a half nut
adapted to engage said screw shaft but being movable to permit of throwing the
several heads into and out of engagement with the screw shaft.
The braid or cord which is sewn to the cards for connecting them together is led
through the presser foot on the upper side and through a groove in the needle plate
on the under side of the cards as in the machine described in the Specification before
mentioned, and when the cards are connected together by stitching, they are removed
from the feeding discs or wheels by means of horns or guides placed at the back of
the machine. Suitable guards are also provided in front of the needle plate to guide
the cards under the presser bars.
The "take up" apparatus for the upper thread may consist of a single bar extending
over the series of heads and operated by cams and connecting rods from the ends of
the lower or main shaft. The presser bars of the machines may also in like manner
be lifted by a single bar operated by hand levers or separate levers may be provided
for raising and lowering each presser foot.
When the improved machine is to be used for sewing parallel rows of stitches or for
stitching fabrics in the ordinary way feed bars operated by feed mechanism of any of
the usual types are or may be used in substitution for the feed wheels hereinbefore
described.
Dated this Sround dow of Inl., 1002
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agents.

page_text: Sewing Parallel Rows on other Fabrics Simultaneously.
We, ALEXANDER ANDERSON, Manager, and ROBERT ANDREW FERGUSON POLLOCK,
Mechanic both of the Singer Manufacturing Company's Works, Kilbowie, Dumbarton-
shire, 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
--
The present invention is a development of that described in the Specification filed
with an application for Patent No. 12296, dated 15th October 1885, and it consists of
an organised multiple sewing machine of improved construction which while specially
adapted to effect the several operations in the sewing or joining together of jacquard
cards attained under the earlier invention referred to, is also applicable for producing
simultaneously a series of parallel rows of stitches in sewing fabrics.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate our invention figure 1, is an end
elevation and figure 2 is a front elevation of the improved machine under one modifi-
cation, several minor details which are more fully represented in either views being
omitted. Figures 3 to 23 represent details of this machine and modifications of parts
to which reference is hereinafter made. As represented in figures 1 and 2, the improved
machine comprises a framing consisting of two side or end standards A, A, and two
or more sets of longitudinal connecting rails, an upper rail B, serving as a slide guide
upon which may be fixed but as preferred are fitted adjustably, a series of sewing
heads C, provided with vertically reciprocating needle bars c and needles as represented
to a larger scale in side and back views and in plan in figures 3, 4 and 5 respectively,
and a lower rail or guide B¹, supporting a corresponding number of heads or brackets D,
provided with oscillating, vibrating or reciprocating shuttle carriers E, and shuttles, or
with reciprocating loopers, rotary hooks or similar devices cooperating with the needles
of the upper heads to form stitches. The oscillating form of shuttle carrier is shown
applied to the machine figures 1 and 2, and in detail in side and front view and plan
in figures 6, 7 and 8, while at figures 9 and 10, a vibrating or reciprocating form of
shuttle carrier is represented in front and side views as fitted upon one of the heads or
brackets D. At figures 11 and 12 a Wilcox and Gibbs rotary hook is shown as
applied in connection with the lower head, the reciprocating needle alone in this latter
case being provided with thread and the stitch produced being a single thread chain
stitch, and at figures 13, 14 and 15, a reciprocating looper carrying the under thread
replaces the shuttle. Each of the needle bars c and needles of the upper heads C, is
operated in unison with the shuttle carrier and shuttle or the rotary hook or looper of
the corresponding lower head D, to effect stitching as in an ordinary sewing machine.
The needle bars c, in the upper heads have motion given them from a rock shaft F,
each through a separate lever f, fitted adjustably on the shaft and having removably
fitted to it an arm connected to the needle bar as seen in figures 3 and 5, the
arrangement being such as to permit of any one of the needle bars being disconnected.

page_text: The rock shaft F, extends longitudinally behind the heads C, and is operated by a
crank or eccentric G, and a connecting link G', or by other gearing from a driving
shaft E, in the lower part of the machine frame; and the shuttle carriers E, of the
lower heads D, are oscillated by means of racks I, and pinions I', as represented in
figures 6, 7 and 8, or vibrated by bell cranks J, as represented in figures 9 and 10, or
by other gear (according to the type of shuttle and shuttle carrier employed) the said
racks I, or bell cranks J, being connected by rods k, to eccentrics K, by which they
are operated from the shaft H, and the said eccentrics being fitted so that each of them
may be loosened to throw its shuttle operating mechanism out of gear.
In the case in which the shuttle is replaced by a rotary hook or looper E', as shown
by figures 11 and 12, the spindle e upon which the hook is carried has upon its end
a crank disc e' which is connected to and operated by a lever k and an eccentric K,
the lever k, being fulcrumed on a swinging link k'. When the looper E², is employed
as shown by figures 13, 14 and 15, the requisite reciprocating motion is given thereto
by means of a lever k³ centred on the frame D, and fitted at its lower end with a pin
and roller entering an inclined groove K¹, in the periphery of a cam fitted on the
shaft H, while the lateral motion for carrying the looper from one side to the other of
the path of the needle is imparted to a sliding piece which carries the looper by a
lever whose lower end is engaged by a cam groove K2, in the said cam.
Upon a shaft L, parallel to and situated between the two guide rails B, B¹, which
carry the heads C, D, are fitted a number of feed wheels which may be of the form
shown as applied to the machine described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No. 12296 of 1885, before referred to, or as shown in elevation and plan at figures 16
and 17, in the form of discs or wheels M, with graduated radial spindles m having
pins m² on their outer ends to engage the holes formed in the jacquard cards, the
spindles m, being by preference made adjustable radially and fixed by screws after
being set and being provided with shoulders m³, against which the cards bear when
fitted in place while the discs or wheels themselves may be of smaller diameter. The
radial adjustment of the spindles permits of the same set of feed wheels being employed
in operating upon cards of various widths and provision is made for bringing the
cards forward in the plane of the needle plate N, by vertical adjustment of the carrying
shaft L, which is supported in bearings to which vertical movement may be given by
screws 7. Instead of the pins for spacing the cards being formed on or fixed in the
spindles themselves they may be formed on plates countersunk into the spindles and
secured in position by screws or otherwise, the breadth of the pin being varied
according to the distance desired between the cards, or the spacing pins may be fitted
in the ends of the spindles m as shown in figures 18 and 19. Instead of fitting pins
in the feed wheels, the wheels or discs may have recesses grooved or milled in their
peripheries, to receive the cards, as represented in figures 20 and 21, or projections
may be formed on their rims to space the cards; and suitable stops or guides O, carried
on adjustable bars on each side of the machine as seen in figures 1 and 20, may in
such case be provided to facilitate the maintaining of the cards in proper line in
feeding. The necessary movement of the feed wheels to effect the forward feeding of
the cards is obtained by the use of a ratchet wheel P, and pawl; operated by a crank
or eccentric P¹, and link p¹, from the driving shaft H.
Provision is made for stitching across the cards at a greater or less number of
points and for operating on various lengths of cards by fiitting the heads C, D, to slide
on the guide rails B, B, and adjusting them in position, and the number of heads to
carry the needle bars and shuttles can be increased or diminished to suit the number
of rows that may be required to be stitched in the cards or fabrics. For the
adjustment of the lower sets of heads a longitudinal screw shaft Q. is.or may
be provided each head D, having on it a half nut d, adapted to engage said screw
shaft as shown in figures 9 and 10, but being movable by an arm d', to permit of
throwing the several heads into and out of engagement with the screw shaft, a
spring, being provided to retain the half nut in place when set, and a catch d³ for
holding it out of gear.
The braid or cord which is sewn to the cards for connecting them together is led

page_text: through the presser foot c¹ on the upper side, and through a groove in the needle
plate N, on the under side of the cards as in the machine described in the Specification
before mentioned, and when the cards are connected together by stitching, they are
removed from the feeding discs or wheels by means of horns or guides s placed at the
back of the machine. Suitable guards S, are also provided and placed above and
extending in front of the needle plate to guide the cards under the presser bars.
The "take up" apparatus for the upper thread may consist of a single bar T,
extending over the series of heads C, and operated by cams R, and connecting rods r,
from the ends of the lower or main shaft as indicated in figures 22 and 23. The
presser bars of the machines may also in like manner be lifted by a single bar U,
operated by hand levers u, or separate levers may be provided for raising and lowering
each presser foot c¹.
When the improved machine is to be used for sewing parallel rows of stitches or
for stitching fabrics in the ordinary way feed bars operated by feed mechanism of any
of the usual types are or may be used in substitution for the feed wheels M, herein-
before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The combination of parts constituting the improved multiple machine for sewing
or joining together jacquard cards and the like, substantially as hereinbefore described,
with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. In a machine for joining together jacquard cards or sewing parallel rows of
stitches, the combination of a series of sewing heads provided with needle operating
mechanism, a corresponding series of heads or brackets having shuttle carriers and
shuttles or equivalent devices.cooperating with the needle bars and needles to form
stitches and means for feeding forward the cards or fabrics to be operated on,
substantially as herein described.
3. The combination of a series of sewing heads C, fitted adjustably upon the rail B,
with a corresponding series of adjustable heads or brackets D, provided with coöperating
sewing devices, and feed wheels M, adapted to carry forward jacquard cards or the
like to the sewing mechanism, substantially as herein described.
4. In a machine for joining together jacquard cards or sewing parallel rows of
stitches the series of sewing heads C, carried adjustably upon a guide rail of the
framing in combination with the rock shaft F, having lever arms adapted to operate
simultaneously or independently the needle bars of the several sewing heads,
substantially as described.
5. In a machine for joining together jacquard cards or sewing parallel rows of
stitches the series of heads or brackets D, fitted adjustably upon a guide rail of the
framing in combination with mechanism for simultaneously or independently operating
the several shuttle carriers, or equivalent devices, substantially as described.
6. In a sewing machine for joining together jacquard cards the feed wheels M,
provided with radially adjustable spindles, substantially as herein described.
7. In a multiple sewing machine the devices for simultaneously actuating the "take
up" mechanism of the series of sewing heads, substantially as herein described.
Dated this Fourth day of Anmil 1907