Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Aug., 1887
Complete Left. 18th May, 1888
Complete Accepted. 22nd June, 1888
I, PIERRE ALEXANDER DARRACQ of Le Pré St. Gervais in the Republic of France,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Up to the present time the fan-like sewing which is placed round the ends of the
whale-bones or steels in stays or corsets has been done by hand.
The object of this invention is to design a machine which executes this fan-like
sewing mechanically and automatically.
This machine comprises all the parts of an ordinary sewing machine and in addition
to these a special mechanical arrangement for the automatic movement of the corset
so that the needles enter the corset in the right places to execute the fan-like sewing
and for the automatic stopping of the machine when the fan-like sewing is complete.
To execute this fan-like sewing the corset must be moved alternately in a transverse
and longitudinal direction until it is completed.
The longitudinal movement takes place by means of a pattern wheel of slow motion
mounted on a suitable carriage or sledge under the table it is fixed to a worm wheel
which receives its motion from a worm on the driving shaft this worm slides on a
feather on the shaft so as to follow the movement of the carriage. The worm wheel
is mounted on a vertical spindle journalled in the carriage which is mounted under
the table of the machine. A small roller mounted on the end of a pivotted lever runs
in the groove of the pattern wheel and communicates an irregular motion to said lever
corresponding to the sinuosity of the groove. This lever is connected by a link to
the clamp which carries and moves the corset. This clamp slides in longitudinal
grooves formed in guides which latter themselves slide in a transverse direction in
other guides mounted under the table of the machine. By this arrangement the
corset is moved or carried in the longitudinal direction through the revolution of the
driving shaft.
The pivot of the above mentioned lever is adjustable so as to enable its stroke to be
regulated according to circumstances.
The transverse movement is communicated to the clamp carriage by means of ratchet
wheels and a pinion mounted on the same shaft which gears with a rack fixed to the

page_text: carriage. The ratchet wheels receive their motion through pawls carried by a lever
operated by suitable cams.
When the fan-like sewing is complete the machine is stopped automatically and
the clamping carriage returned to the starting point by the following arrangement :
An oscillating lever connected to the carriage by a link has two sockets carrying two
lever arms.
When the carriage is moved by means of the above mentioned rack and pinion
arrangement towards the needle one of the lever arms transmits this movement to a
sleeve clutch by means of intermediate levers to disengage the sleeve clutch and stop
the machine, and when the carriage is moved away from the needle the other lever
arm will act directly on the sleeve clutch. This mechanismi is so regulated that
the sleeve clutch is disengaged at the precise moment when the fan-like sewing is
complete.
The carriage is returned to its starting point by means of a handle on one of the
above named lever arms.
The plate of the presser foot is movable so that it follows easily the longitudinal
movements of the corset.
Dato il
SA 1007

page_text: I, PIERRE ALEXANDER DARRACQ of Le Pre St. Gervais in the Republic of France,
Mechanical Engineer 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 object of this Invention is to provide machinery for producing the fan like
arrangement of stitches which occurs in the manufacture of corsets the object of
which is to secure the ends of the whalebones or
stays and impart an ornamental
appearance to the corset.
*
"
Up to the present time this kind of sewing has been done by hand but by this
invention the stitches on both the right and left of the corset may be executed
mechanically and automatically.
This machine consists of a sewing machine altered to suit the proposed purpose;
it comprises all the usual parts existing in sewing machines and is provided in addition
with special mechanical arrangements for effecting the displacement of the corset in
a longitudinal and transverse direction either to the right or left in such manner
that the needle descends at suitable places and that the machine shall stop at the
completion of each course of fan-sewing.
In the annexed drawings:-
Fig. 1 represents on an enlarged scale a diagram of the mechanical fan-sewing
produced by this machine to the right; Fig. 1 bis is a similar diagram showing the
sewing on the left.
Fig. 2. is a simplified view of the machine in front elevation and partly in section
in order to shew the sewing mechanism more clearly, also the management of the
thread and the presser-foot.
Fig. 3. is a partial end view of Fig. 2 showing the presser-foot more clearly.
Fig. 4. is a detail in plan of the presser-foot.
Fig. 5. is a detail in plan of the shuttle-holder.
Fig. 6. is a general plan view simplified of the underside of the machine representing
specially the driving mechanism for producing the longitudinal and transversal
movements of the corset.
Fig. 7. is a transverse section of Fig. 6 taken through the line A. B.
Fig. 8. is a longitudinal section taken through the line C. D. Fig. 6.
Fig. 9. is a transverse section of Fig. 6 taken through the line E. F.
Fig. 10, is an elevation of Fig. 6 looking at the end X.
Fig. 11. is a detail view in plan of the repeating cam for producing the variable
longitudinal movements of the corset.
The whole of the Figures have been simplified as much as possible for the purpose
of facilitating the comprehension thereof; they however complete one another.

page_text: On examination it will be readily observed that many of the parts enter into the
ordinary construction of sewing machines, viz.:-
The cast metal table 1, the arm 2, the driving shaft 3, the shuttle carrier 4, the
shuttle 5, the cam 6, operating the crank rod 7, working the shaft 8 communicating
by the crank 9 the movement of the needle carrier 10 carrying the needle 11. All
these parts exist in some form or other in sewing machines and serve to produce the
ordinary sewing stitch with two threads.
In order to combine the mechanism for right and left fan-sewing as represented
in Fig. 1 and 1 bis, the following dispositions have been adopted, a a represent the
ends of the whalebones which require to be confined by thic said "fan" sewing
working to the right in Fig. 1 and to the left in Fig. 1 bis. The corset is placed in
position upon the machine to make the stitch number 1, and is displaced mechanically
longitudinally of the fan to make a second stitch 2, it is then displaced laterally a
distance equal to the thickness of the thread and longitudinally to make a third
stitch (3), followed by a longitudinal displacement to make a fourth stitch 4, again
displaced transversally and longitudinally for the stitch 5 and so on until the 24th
stitch if the fan is to be composed of 12 threads, the number being variable.
The machinery that I have combined has therefore to displace the corset longitu-
dinally and laterally; moreover the longitudinal displacements must vary constantly in
dimension in a considerable proportion the greatest displacement being between
stitches 1 and 2 and the least between stitches 23 and 24. Moreover the stitches
which are parallel to the side of the whalebone have to be in a straight line whilst
those which confine the end thereof have to be arranged in an arc of a circle or in a
form corresponding with the end of the bone; lastly the machine must stop as soon
as the fan-stitch is completed.
To effect the longitudinal displacements that is to say those which produce the
longitudinal stitches a copying cam 12 represented in plan Fig. 11 is made use of and
which moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. This cam 12 is mounted under-
neath the table of the machine upon a movable carriage referred to hereinafter and
has a slow rotary motion imparted to it; for this purpose it is fixed to a helicoidal
wheel 18 by a screw, which wheel is actuated by a worm or screw 15 keyed upon
the driving shaft 3 and being able to slide upon this in such fashion as to follow
the movement of the carriage; for this purpose the worm 15 is confined by a fork 151
to the said moving carriage, the fork 15 leaving the worm 15 free to rotate.
The wheel 13 is mounted upon a vertical axis 13' carried by the moving carriage 51
mounted underneath the table of the machine, a runner 16 fixed at the extremity
of an oscillating lever 17 mounted on an axis 18 is guided in the irregular cam
groove corresponding to the movements to be produced by the cam 12 and trans-
mits an irregular movement of oscillation to the said lever corresponding to the
sinuosities of the cam which the runner 16 follows constantly. The lever 17 is
connected by a link 19 to the feeder 20 which serves as usual to carry forward
the material and which is guided by slide pieces 21 working in guides 22 which
are themselves capable of sliding transversely in other guides 23 placed underneath
the table of the machine. From this arrangement it results that the corset, carried
forward by the feeders 24 upon which it is placed, will undergo the irregular
longitudinal displacements in the direction of the guide 21 of the feeder under the
effect of the rotary motion of the driving shaft 3.
The centre of oscillation of the lever 17 can vary in position in such manner
as to be capable of modifying as required the amplitude of vibration of the said
lever 17 for this purpose it is connected to a slide piece 25 by means of a
screw 26 which piece 25 is traversed by a sleeve 27 which forms the axis of
oscillation through which passes a bolt 28 serving by the help of a wing nut 29
to keep the whole in position after adjustment. Above the lever 17 the collar 27
carries a pinion 30 which gears with a rack 31 fixed upon the arm 32' of the
driving carriage 51.
The arm 32 terminates in a slot 33 through which passes the sleeve 27 with
the bolt 28; the head of this latter bears on a washer 34' upon the upper face of

page_text: the slide 33 and by the smooth surface of its head upon a smoothed portion 35
of the surface of the table 35 for the purpose of avoiding any deviations of the
mechanism during the movement.
Therefore in order to alter the axis of oscillation of the lever 17 it suffices, the
screw 26 being slackened, to unscrew the wing nut 29 which will allow the
sleeve 27 and in consequence the pinion 30 to be turned by means of the milled
nut 271.
The rack 31 with which gears the pinion 30 being fixed it follows that in
turning the pinion 30 the axis of oscillation 18 of the lever 17 will be displaced
and the amplitude of the movement of this lever varied accordingly.
The feeder 20 is provided with four claws 24 and the presser foot 33 is disposed
in such manner that its plate 34 follows the longitudinal movement of the said
corset for the purpose of avoiding frictional contact therewith which would be
inconvenient and likely to injure the corset.
For this purpose there are employed two vertical guide rods 35 supporting at
their lower extremities an open frame 36 of which the two longitudinal sides formi
open guides 37 in which lodge runners 38 carried by supports 39 formed integral
with the plate 34. It will be readily seen that in consequence of this disposition
the plate 34 will be able to maneuvre freely longitudinally and in consequence
to follow smoothly all the longitudinal displacements of the corset. In order to
permit the work of fan stitching to be followed the plate is cut away on each
side of the passage of the needle and the openings covered with plates of crystal 40
held in slides formed on the plate 34.
Below the feeder 20 works the shuttle 5 held in its carrier by means of a vertical
bearing plate 41 fixed to a support 42 hinged at 43 to a frame fixed to the table
of the machine: the position of the system formed by the pieces 41 and 42 is
ensured by a spring bolt 43'; it will therefore be understood that in order to
disengage the shuttle it suffices to draw the bolt 43' which permits the oscillation
up and down of the support 42 and in consequence the removal of the bearing
plate 41 in such manner as to allow the shuttle to be withdrawn. The piece 41
is adjustable in position longitudinally by means of a bolt and nut 44 which passes
through a slot 45 in the support 42.
In order to effect the lateral displacement of the claw carrier 20 and in
consequence, of the corset in order to produce the stitches 2 to 3, 4 to 5, 6 to 7 &c.
destined to determine the spreading of the threads in the fan I make use of the
ratchet wheels 46 and 47 the teeth of which point in opposite directions in order
to effect the displacement of the corset either to the right or left according to
the direction of the stitch; the said ratchet wheels are mounted upon a vertical
axis 48 fixed under the table of the machine and carrying a pinion which receives
movement from the ratchets 46 and 47 to which it is fixed. The pinion 49 gears
with a rack 50 fixed upon the driving carria e 51 which is guided in its supports 52
and 53 fixed underneath the table of the machine; the carriage 51 is furnished
with a perpendicular arm 521 and is connected to the slides 22 of the claw carrier
by the lug 54 and the connecting rod 55 which is connected to the arm 52¹; it
will therefore be seen that the carriage 51 has imparted to it a movement to the
right or left of the slides 22, the claw carrier 20 and therefore the corset will
participate in the same movement which is the necessary transverse movement for
the passage from one longitudinal stitch to another which determines the spread
of the threads in the fan.
The movement of the ratchet wheels 46 to 47 is operated at the desired moment.
by pawls 56 and 57 mounted one above the other so as to be capable of sliding upon
a lever 58 oscillating upon the axis 48 of the ratchet wheels 46 and 47; the oscil-
latory movement of the lever and therefore that of the pawls 56 and 57 is produced
by the cam 59 in the groove of which is guided a runner 60' fixed in the axis of the
lever 58. The cam 59 is keyed upon a shaft 60 parallel to the driving shaft and the
movement is transmitted by two toothed wheels 61 and 62 which are in the relation
of 1 to 2 in size: The heads of the pawls 56 and 57 terminate in yokes 63 within

page_text: which act upon each respectively the cams 64 and 65 keyed upon an axis 66 fixed
underneath the table and which can be turned by means of a handle 67. Upon the
axis 66 above the heads of the pawls 56 and 57 is keyed a stop wheel 68 which com-
bined with a siop 69 only permits the rotation of the cams 64 and 65 through a
quarter of a turn in either direction the extreme points of this rotation corresponding
to the elevation of one of the pawls 50 or 57 and to the lowering of the other;
the medium positions of the stop disc 68 (Figs. 7 and 7 bis) corresponds to the
elevated position of the two pawls 56 and 57 that is to say to the position of
repose of the ratchets 46 and 47. Two springs 70 and 71 act respectively upon
each pawl 56 and 57 in order to assure their engagement with their respective
ratchet wheels when either of them is in a working position according to the direc-
tion of the movement.
The displacement of the carriage 51 in one direction or the other also operates
one half of a clutch 72 in such manner that its disengagement may take place just
at the moment when the fan-stitching is terminated. For this purpose an oscillating
lever 73 connected with the carriage 51 by means of a link 74 is formed with a
boss carrying two lever arms 76 and 77.
When the carriage 51 under the action of the pinion 49 gearing with the rack 50
moves towards the needle, it is the lever 77 which by the intervention of the jointed
lever 78 transmits the movement to the knocking-off bar 79 by the lever 80 acting
upon a friction pulley 801; the bar 79 is connected by means of a slot to the
knocking-off lever 81 which is hinged at 82 and which by a fork 83 acts upon the
half of the clutch 72. When the movement of the carriage 51 takes place in
the opposite direction that is to say away from the needle it is the lever 76 which by
the runner 85 acts directly upon the bar 79 to operato the disengagement as in the
previous case. The lever 76 serves also to bring back the carriage 51 to its point of
departure by means of the handle 70 after each operation of fan-stitching. This
double disengagement mechanism which thus controls the operation in each direction
either right or left is adjusted so that the half of the clutch 72 leaves the driving
pulley 721 at once after the execution of the last stitch of each fan is completed.
The number of threads in a fan will vary in different cases; this mechanism has
been combined in such manner that it can lend itself to these variations. For a
small number of threads the displacement of the carriage 51 is naturally less than
for a greater number the depth of the engagement of the clutch is therefore regulated
according to the number of stitches by means of the slide or slot 881 in which the
pivot 88 working the lever 81 can vary its position. Moreover the cam 12 can be
readily dismounted being simply fixed by the screws 14¹ and 14. A series of cams is
therefore employed of which the working grooves are cut so as only to produce a
number of longitudinal displacements corresponding to the number of the threads.
Upon the table of the machine is disposed an indicator 86 which indicates the
departure of the carriage 51 to the left or to the right of the point O or starting point
of the machine.
Before putting it in operation the indicator ought to be put at the position O corre-
sponding to that of starting the mechanism; this puiting in place of the indicator 86
is effected by the use of the lever 76 worked by a handle 76 which by the inter-
vention of the arm 52 of the carriage 51 transmits the movement to the indicator 86
by the rod 87.
The supply of the thread to the needle is effected the same as in other machines
for plain stitching by means of a tension device 881 and of the stretcher 89 worked
by means of the cams 90 keyed upon the driving shaft.
In the longitudinal stitch of the fan the tension of the thread requires to be
complete and for this purpose a brake 91 is placed acting upon the tension disc 88¹
by the effect of the stretcher 89 which by the runner or tappit 92 at the moment
when the needle descends, comes to act upon the lever of the brake 91 in such manner
as to disengage this from the tension disc for the purpose of leaving the same to act
freely for the tightening of the stitch. The action of the brake upon the tension disc
is regulated by the device 93.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a sewing machine such as described the combination of the parts for pro-
ducing the longitudinal movements of the corset comprising the worm 15 keyed upon
the driving shaft of the machine so as to be able to slide thereon and turning the
helicoidal wheel 13 and the reproducing cam 12 working the lever 17 which lever 17
controls the longitudinal movement of the claw carrier 20.
2. In a sewing machine such as described the combination of parts for producing
the transversal movements of the corset, comprising the movable carriage 51 the
ratchet wheels 46 and 47, pinion 49, rack 50 fixed upon the carriage 51; the move-
ment of the ratchet wheels 46 and 47 being respectively produced by the oscillating
pawls 56 and 57, carried by the lever 58 upon the axis 48 and controlled by means
of the cams 64 and 65 substantially as described.
3. In a sewing machine such as described the combination with an automatic
clutch disengaging in both directions of the carriage 51, jointed levers 73, 74, 76,
77, 78 acting upon the runners 80 and 85 of the knocking-off bar 79 actuating the
lever 81 acting upon the half of the clutch 72 substantially as described.
4. The combination of parts for throwing the clutch out of gear comprising the
sliding joint 88, 88' of the lever 81 and the knocking-off rod 79 operating substan-
tially as described.
5. The combination of parts for starting the machine comprising the indicator 86
connected by the rod 87 and the arm 52' to the carriage 51 which is brought to the
starting point by means of the lever 76, substantially as described.
6. In a sewing machine such as described the feeder 20 mounted upon double
slides 22 and 23 substantially as and for the purpose deseribed.
7. In a
sewing machine such as described the combination of parts comprising
shaft 60', cam 59, pawls 56 and 57 and gear wheels 61 and 62 for producing the
right or left transverse movement of the carriage 51 substantially as described.
8. In a sewing machine such as described the presser foot 33 comprising the
plate 34 supported by runners 38 free to move in grooves 37 formed in a frame 36
carried by guide rods 35 substantially as described.
1
101
..ג...
1000
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.