Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 22nd May, 1897
Figures 5 to 8 inclusive show our new method of forming stitches, and
Figures 9 to 12 inclusive show an attempt to employ a closed-eye needle in such
method.
We proceed to describe the manner of forming stitches with our new mechanism.
1. Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, is the upper or spool thread, and 3 the lower or shuttle
thread. Fig. 5 shows shuttle X about to enter loop 2 formed of the upper thread 1,
as needle N rises and on the spool side thereof.
Needle N is an open-eye needle. It will bo understood that the open-eye or recess
thereof should be formed so as to retain the thread therein long enough to form
the loop 2 and that the long groove thereof should be formed on the side on which
the thread is fed to the shuttle or other complemental mechanism. Fig. 6 shows
shuttle X advancing through said loop 2 and pulling its supply of thread 1, directly
from the source of supply and not through the needle. Figure 7 shows shuttle X still
further advanced and about to pass out of the loop and allow the same to be taken up
and the stitch 4 is formed.
Figure 8 shows the stitch 4 drawn tight, and thread 1 released by needle N and
ready to be again seized thereby preparatory to the making of the next stitch.
Referring now to Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, it will be seen that if the shuttle X' is
adapted to seize loop 5 formed of upper thread 6 as closed-eye needle N' rises and
on the spool side thereof instead of loop 7 as is ordinary, the stitch 8 Figure 12 will
be formed between the needle and spool and out of any further supply of spool thread
to the needle. In Figure 12, the thread 6 is shown to have broken upon the
continued rise of the needle, which must happen if the end 9 of said thread is not
allowed to play out.
The advantage of this manner of sewing is that there is less wear upon the thread as
Price Rd I

page_text: it is supplied directly to the complemental mechanism and not through the eye or
recess of the needle."
We now proceed to describe our new device for threading the open-eye needle upon
each downward stroke thereof, referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.
A is the presser-bar, B the needle-bar, and E the cloth-plate of one of the ordinary
styles of sewing machines.
Cis the presser-foot, which is adapted to form the frame of our device.
The needle-bar B carries an open-eye needle N as above described. The open-eye
or front of said needle is shown facing the presser-bar, but we do not limit ourselves to
this construction, it being readily understood that should the recess or open-eye face
in the opposite direction, for instance, then the threading device hereinafter described
should be arranged to operate also in reverse direction.
Attached rigidly to or forming part of presser-foot C is the standard or post D.
Said post D bears arm R on which at d lever F is fulcrumed. Lever F is provided at
its other end with fork f, adapted to engage with the needle screw b so as to swing
said lever upon its fulcrum as said needle-bar reciprocates; said lever F is also
provided with pin a between its fulcrum d and fork f. Fulcrumed on said post at
is a cam lever G, and the cam h of which is operatively connected with lever F by
means of pin a. The movement of cam lever G depends of course upon the shape
given to cam h. The lower end of said lover G is operatively connected with the
arms kand l, so as to reciprocate the same as said lever is swung.
g
These arms k and bear respectively guide k¹ and finger and any suitable means
may be employed whereby upon the reciprocation of said arms the guide and finger
will operate so as to distend the thread and carry it into the open eye of the needle
upon each downward stroke thereof. Said arms k and I are formed so that when their
ends k¹ and l'are together in front of the needle they may pass under the base of the
presser foot and their other ends meet and be pivotally united by a bolt t as shown in
Figure 4. Said bolt t passes through a slot M in said presser foot, which serves to
guide the reciprocation of the rear ends of said arins in a straight line. Two links w
and w¹ are pivoted respectively on arms k and at g and q¹ and at their other ends
pivoted at a common centre S. The connection of lever G with arms & and is made
by the end of said lever entering slot o. It will be readily understood that as said
lever G is swung, as the needle-bar reciprocates, it will carry with it said arms and
cause said guide and finger to move so as to thread the needle upon each downward
stroke thereof, and it will also be understood that when said threading device is used
in our new method of forming stitches above described, the guide will be upon the
same side of the needle as the complemental mechanism. The thread is always held
in the guide and finger hooks k¹ but only lies loosely in them until the moment of
threading the needle N, which takes place when the needle is passing the level of the
hooks on its downward stroke; at that time the lever operates the cam h which in
turn slides forward the pivotted levers 7k and as these are attached to the two
links w w¹, the total effect on the hooks is to simultaneously expand them and move
forward tightening the thread and placing it in the opening of the needle N as
it moves downwards. The new arrangement of levers G and F above described
has many advantages over devices previously known for producing at the presser
foot a horizontal reciprocating movement from the vertical reciprocation of the
needle-bar.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is ;-
1. The improvement in stitch-forming mechanism which consists of a needle having
an open eye or recess for engaging and carrying a bight of thread through the
material to be sewed, means for operating said needle, means for feeding thread to
the same upon each downward stroke thereof, and mechanism complemental thereto
for completing the stitch co-operating with the loop formed on the thread supply
side of the needle substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In a sewing machine, the combination of a needle having a recess or open
eye for engaging the thread, means for operating said needle, means for feeding
thread to the same, which consists of a guide and finger movable from in front of
the path of the needle, the guide to the side thereof on which the complemental
stitch-forming mechanism enters the loop of thread, and the finger to the other side,
whereby the thread is distended and carried into the open eye of the needle as it
descends, and means for operating said guide and finger, with complemental stitch-
forming mechanism, substantially as described.
3. In a
sewing machine having a presser-foot, the device for producing on the
presser-foot a horizontal reciprocating movement from the vertical reciprocation of
the needle bar, which consists of a lever fulcrumed at one end on the presser foot,
and operatively connected at its other end with the needle bar, so as to be swung
by the reciprocation thereof; and the cam-lever fulcrumed on said presser-foot,
the cam of which is operatively connected with said first named lever at a point on
said first named lever between the fulcrum and the other end thereof, substantially
as described.
T
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Data Sy
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.