Improvements in Shuttle Apparatus for Sewing Machinery.
Year: 1890

page_text: Complete Specification Lett, 20th June, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shuttle Apparatus for Sewing Machinery.
We ZACHARY TAYLOR FRENCH and WILLIAM CRISTIAN MEYER both of Boston,
County of Suffolk in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United States of
America, Machinists, 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:-
This invention has for its object to improve that class of sewing machines having a
substantially circular shuttle working in a circular race.
We have shown our invention as adapted for use in a machine substantially such as
described in Letters Patent No. 13365 granted to us and dated 17th September 1888.
In the machine described in the said Patent the axis of motion of the bobbin is con-
centric with relation to the axis of motion of the shuttle and the shuttle thread is
pulled from the bobbin only by the action of the take-up, and the thread delivered
from a point in line with the center of movement of the shuttle is alternately slightly
twisted and untwisted.
In this our present invention the axis of motion of the bobbin is eccentric to the
axis of motion of the shuttle, and the shuttle-thread, led from the bobbin to a tension
device, is delivered from a leader having its pivot concentric to the axis of motion of
the bobbin carrying the shuttle-thread, the said leader being, however, restrained from
circular movement by a stationary holder adapted to receive a lug at the outer side of
the said leader, the said lug sliding vertically, or nearly so, in the slot of the holder
and in a path crossing or intersecting the bobbin as the shuttle is operated in the
formation of a stitch. The hub of the leader forms a bearing for the bobbin.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shuttle, its race, and the thread leader and holder,
the shuttle being in the position it will occupy just as the shuttle-point b is to enter the
loop of thread carried or formed by the usual coöperating needle (not shewn).
Figure 2 is a section in the line x Figure 1; Figure 3 an edge view of the bobbin
and tension device and thread-leader, and Figure 4 a top or plan view of the holder
detached.
The circular shuttle-race A, its cap B, the circular shuttle C, having its heel at a and
its point at 6, the shuttle-driver D, having a projection d to contact with the heel of
the shuttle and a pin d¹ to engage the shuttle at the base of the point b, and the
shaft E, to which the driver is secured, and the gear F on the said shaft, and herein
shown only in section in Figure 2, are and may be all substantially as in our said
patent.
The shaft E may be actuated or oscillated by devices such as described in the said
patent, in which event the shuttle will be oscillated or reciprocated in a circular path
in the said race; but we desire it to be understood that the shaft E may, if desired,
be rotated in any usual manner, in which event the shuttle would be rotated in the
said race.
The body of the shuttle is provided with a bobbin-receiving chamber, in
which and eccentric to the axis-of-motion of the shuttle in the race, is erected a stud e,
which is eccentric to the center of the shaft E. The sleeve-like hub of the thread-
leader is mounted loosely on the stud e. The leader is shown as a radial arm having
and an eye near its end, out through which is delivered the thread taken
a lug
[Dine 31

page_text: from the bobbin 9, having its bearing on the hub of the leader, as best shown in
Figure 2.
The leader, as herein shewn, has connected to or made part of it a tension device
consisting of a forked or bifurcated bar, over and under parts of which the bobbin-
thread is drawn between the bobbin and delivery-eye of the leader.
The shuttle-race has a stand h, provided with a hole to receive a screw-stud h¹ on an
arm m of the holder, the said holder having a slotted yoke m¹. The lug 2 enters the
slot in the yoke m¹ of the holder, and as the shuttle is moved the said lug slides in the
said slot, this being necessary owing to the eccentric location of the bobbin, and as
the said lug slides in the said slot, the shuttle at such time, as herein provided for,
moves backward or in the direction of the arrow 20 thereon in Figure 1 preparatory
to again placing its point b in position to be again moved forward in the direction of
arrow 24 to enter the usual loop of needle-thread, the said leader acting on the
shuttle-thread between the bobbin on the stud e, which is then moving eccentrically,
and the work, the thread being then pulled off sufficiently to prevent the cutting of
the shuttle-thread by being drawn across the needle-thread when setting the stitch.
Inclining the slot in the arm m¹ more or less from a vertical line, as by carrying the
lower end of the arm to the right, as shown in Figure 1, results in pulling off an
increased amount of shuttle-thread, as desired. The stud. ' extended through the
stand, receives upon it a thumb-nut 2, by which to secure the holder in place, a
projection on the arm m entering a notch in the stand h.
It will be observed that the delivery end of the leader in its movements, as
described, moves in a path to cross or intersect the plane in which the bobbin and
shuttle move.
We do not desire to limit our invention to the exact shape shown for the tension
device, as the number and shape of the bars may be variously modified without
departing from our invention.
The bobbin being mounted upon the sleeve of the leader, which does not rotate,
prevents any rotation of the bobbin, except that due to the pull of the thread thereon
and the eccentric path in which the stud è travels.
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 shuttle-race, the circular shuttle therein, having a bobbin-receiving chamber,
and a stud e, eccentric to the axis of motion of the shuttle, and a bobbin, combined
with a thread-leader and a holder, the said leader and holder being loosely connected,
as described, to permit the shuttle to be moved in the circular race and cause the
leader to move in a line across or to intersect the plane in which the bobbin travels,
substantially as described.
2. The shuttle-race, the circular shuttle thereon having a bobbin receiving chamber,
and a stud e, eccentric to the axis of motion of the shuttle, and a bobbin, combined
with a thread leader having an attached tension device and a holder, the said leader
and holder being loosely connected, as described, to permit the shuttle to be moved in
the circular race and cause the leader to move in a line across or to intersect the plane
in which the bobbin travels, substantially as described.
3. The shuttle having the eccentrically located stud e and the leader having a
sleeve-like hub mounted thereon, the bobbin mounted on the said sleeve loosely, and
'means to restrain the delivery end of the leader as the shuttle is moved in a circular
path, substantially as described.
Dated the 26th day of June 1890
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.