Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1395
[Communicated from abroad by SAMUEL HICKOX WHEELER, of No. 59, Dearborn
Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.]
.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Heretofore in the production of hem-stitch seams in handkerchief and other
work, the fabric to be hem-stitched has had its warp and weft disturbed close to
the inner edge of the hem to be made, so as to make therein elongated openings
close to and parallel with the said edge, both by a needle, and by a series of
piercers carried by a bar parallel with the needle-bar and actuated thereby at
certain descents of the needle-bar; and so also the threads adjacent to the inturned
edge of the hem have been separated by giving to the needle or the fabric, while
the needle is yet in it, a movement substantially at right angles to the length of
the hem being stitched.
Where the holes are parallel with the inner edge of the hem great difficulty
is experienced in doing good work, and the hem-stitch looks quite differently from
that done by hand as regards the shape of the hem-stitch openings.
In the plan where the needle is moved laterally away from the inner edge of the
hem while in a portion of the material of single thickness, the work on some classes
of goods is satisfactory, but in other classes of goods, the needle, the machine being
run rapidly, is apt to be injured.
It is a great desideratum to relieve the needle of all work except that of merely
putting the thread through the material, and hence in my invention I have aimed to
improve the class of machine last referred to so that the strain on the needle for
hem-stitch work is reduced to the minimum, and so that the strain will not be
materially different from that to which the needle is subjected in ordinary sewing.
With this in view, I have devised a device which I denominate a "spreader,"
and have combined it operatively with the needle so that the spreader enters the
material of single thickness with the needle each time that the latter enters the
material of single thickness, the spreader being arrested in its descent with
the needle-bar and needle, or put out of action, when the needle descends through
the two or more layers of material constituting the over-lapped part of the hem,
it being understood that the stitch used to effect what is denominated hem-stitch
work, is made up of a three-stitch figure, or a figure of the zig-zag order as
employed for button-hole or over-stitching.
One part of my invention consists, in the use in a sewing machine, of the
following instrumentalities, viz. :-a needle-gate,,means to move it laterally, a
needle-bar mounted in said gate and provided with a needle, devices to reciprocate
the said needle-bar vertically in said gate; a spreader-carrier connected loosely
with said needle-bar and moved laterally and up and down therewith, a spreader
connected to said spreader-carrier and arranged close to one side of the needle, a
yielding abutment movable with said needle-bar to depress the spreader-carrier in a
yielding manner, and an arresting device adapted to be struck by said carrier
during some and not at other descents of the carrier, as described, with the needle-
bar, whereby the entrance of the spreader into that part of the material forming
the hem is prevented, but the spreader is permitted to enter the body of the material

page_text: whenever the needle enters the said body beyond the edge of the hem, substantially
as will be described.
Also the use in a sewing machine, of the following instrumentalities, viz. :-a
needle-gate, means to move it laterally, a needle-bar mounted in said gate and
provided with a needle, devices to reciprocate the said needle-bar in said gate, a
spreader-carrier connected-loosely with said needle-bar, a spreader attached to said
carrier and adapted to slide up and down close to said needle at one side thereof,
and an arresting device for said spreader, said arresting device being supported
substantially, as described independently, of the gate,, whereby it may arrest the
spreader-carrier before completing its full, down, stroke with the needle-bar, said
spreader-carrier being arrested only when the gate occupies its position nearest to
the head of the machine, substantially, as will be described..
Also the use in a sewing machine having a needle-bar, of an eye-pointed needle
grooved as usual for, the passage of the needle thread, through, it, and having, a
distinct independent spreader groove at one side, as iudicated, to co-operate with a
spreader-carrier and spreader, the lower end of the spreader.. entering the spreader
groove and having a movement of reciprocation in said groove, substantially as will
be described.
Also the use with a needle-bar having an eye-pointed needle provided with usual
grooves for the operation of the needle thread. and with, a spreader groove, and a
spreader-carrier and a spreader, entering the spreader groove of the needle, and
having an inclined back, and a yielding abutment to strike and actuate the spreader,
substantially as will be described.
My improvements may be conveniently embodied in a machine of the Wheeler &
Wilson type using a circularly moving loop-taker, in connection with which machine
I have chosen to describe my invention:
The machine referred to has a main, or needle-bar actuating shaft provided at
its front end in the usual manner, with a crank, and link to reciprocate the
needle-bar having an eye-pointed needle to be described.
The needle-bar is mounted in a needle-gate having suitable bearings for said bar,
said gate being adapted to be swung about suitable vertical pivots connected with
the head of the overhanging arm, a suitable link connected with a projection of the
said gate being extended back to a suitable lever and cam by which to swing the
said gate for a slight distance, in order to enable a zig-zag or over-seaming stitch
to be made, and inasmuch as said lever and cam have been covered by British
Patent No. 2899, February 17, 1891, I have not deemed it necessary to describe
them herein.
The needle is peculiar, in that besides having the usual grooves and hole through
it from side to side for the needle thread as other eye-pointed needles, it has also
an additional spreader groove receiving the lower end of the spreader and acting
as a guide therefor; the said spreader, by entering and moving in said groove, being
able to get into and spread the hole in the fabric made by the needle, and while
the latter is yet in the fabric.
The spreader is connected in a suitable manner to a spreader-carrier, so shaped
as to be connected with and follow the needle-bar in its lateral movements with the
needle-gate.
In one form of my invention, the spreader-carrier has at its upper end an ear
which is provided with a hole through which the needle-bar is extended, and
the lower end of said carrier is bent forward toward the front of the machine,
and is provided with a slot which embraces and slides on a suitable screw or
projection attached to the needle-bar and projecting therefrom at its side next
the presser-bar.
The lower end of the carrier is adapted to receive the shank of the spreader,
and the spreader is held by its shank between the carrier and a suitable clamp
-device by a suitable screw, the spreader being preferably slotted in its upper end
to embrace a set screw to thus aid in keeping the spreader in its proper position in
the needle.

page_text: The spreader has a tapering point, and to keep the spreader as close to the
longitudinal centre of the needle as possible, the point of the spreader enters the
spreader groove in the side of the needle.
I have surrounded the needle-bar, between the upper end of the spreader-carrier
and the collar to which is connected the usual link for moving a needle-bar
vertically, with a spiral or other suitable spring which acts upon the upper end of
the carrier and serves to force the spreader into the material at that side of the
needle farthest from the inner edge of the hem as the needle-bar descends, the
material thus entered being of single thickness, 'while at the hein there are two
thicknesses, said spring enabling the spreader to act in a yielding manner and to
adapt itself to the particular material being acted upon and also to be arrested in
its descent when desired, said spreader leaving in the material of single thickness
an opening at right-angles to and away from the inner edge of the hem.
1 have provided the head of the machine with a suitable stop or arresting device,
against which a portion of the carrier strikes whenever the needle-bar gate is
drawn in toward the upright portion of the overhanging arm, as when the needle is
to descend, for instance, through the hem portion of the material, said stop,
during such descent of the needle-bar, which, in a three-stitch or herring-bone
figure will be each third descent, arresting the descent of the carrier and
preventing the spreader from entering the folded material of the hem, the said
spring yielding at such time.
From the foregoing it will be understood that to properly operate the spreader-
carrier, it should be depressed by a yielding abutment in order that at predetermined
times it may travel in unison with the needle-bar in its descent, and at other times
be arrested or be kept from descending throughout the stroke of the needle-bar.
In practice let it be. assumed that the needle-bar is descending and that the
needle is about to enter into the hem of the handkerchief where the material is of
more than a single thickness, and at a point just within the inturned edge of the
material laid to form the hem.
In this descent of the needle-bar, the spreader-carrier will be arrested by the
stop, so that the spreader cannot enter the fabric.
Prior, however, to the next descent of the needle-bar in order that the needle
may penetrate the material where it is of single thickness and close to the hem
part, the needle-gate will be moved outwardly about its pivots, and the needle
having entered the material where it is of one thickness, the spreader will enter
said material in the same hole, and, with its bevelled back, will push' some of the
threads in the material where it is of single thickness, laterally away from the
inturned inner edge of the hem and compact them, thus making a somewhat
elongated hole, but without destroying the threads entering into the fabric, the
spreader merely displacing some of the threads or forcing them closer together.
After this, the needle-bar is again raised, and the needle and spreader are with-
drawn from the material, and the feeding device is operated at this time with its
back stroke for one step, so that the needle, at its next descent, may pass through
the hole previously made in the part of single thickness, the said hole being the
one made at a previous stitch of the three-stitch figure.
The machine herein described, will, in practice, have stitch-forming and feeding
mechanism, all as provided for in said Patent, and the stitch will be preferably a
three-stitch figure, as provided for in said Patent, the feeding mechanism having for
that stitch the capacity of feeding the material forward for two steps and then back
for one step, to thus enable the stitch to be locked about the series of threads
separated in groups between the elongated holes made by the spreader and needle
operating together.

page_text: 1. HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
:
Heretofore in-the-production-of-hem stitch seams in handkerchief and other work,
the fabric to be hem-stitched has had its warp and weft disturbed close to the
inner edge of the hem to be made, so as to make therein elongated openings
close to and parallel with the said edge, both by a needle, and by a series of
piercers carried by a bar parallel with the needle-bar and actuated thereby at
certain descents of the needle-bar. Also the threads adjacent to the inturned
edge of the hem have been separated by giving to the needle, or the fabric, while
the needle is yet in it, a movement substantially at right angles to the length of the
hem being stitched.
Where the holes are parallel with the inner edge of the hem great difficulty is
experienced in doing good work, and the hem-stitch looks quite different from that
done by hand as regards the shape of the hem-stitch openings.
In the plan in which the needle is moved laterally away from the inner edges of
the hem while in a portion of the material of single thickness, the work on some
classes of goods is satisfactory, but in other classes of goods, the needle, the machine
being run rapidly, is apt to be injured.
It is a great desideratum to relieve the needle of all work except that of merely
putting the thread through the material, and hence in my invention I have aimed
to improve the class of machine last referred to so that the strain on the needle for
hem-stitch work is reduced to the minimum, and so that the strain will not be
materially different from that to which the needle is subjected in ordinary
sewing.
With this in view, I have invented a device which I denominate a 66
spreader,"
and have combined it operatively with the needle so that the spreader enters the
material of single thickness with the needle each time that the latter enters the
material of single thickness, the spreader being arrested in its descent with
the needle-bar and needle, or put out of action, when the needle descends through
the two or more layers of material constituting the over-lapped part of the hem,
it being understood that the stitch used to effect what is denominated hem-stitch
work, is made up of a three-stitch figure, or a figure of the zig-zag order as
employed for button-hole or over-stitching.
One part of my invention consists, in the use in a sewing machine, of the following
instrumentalities, viz. :-a needle-gate, means to move it laterally, a needle-bar
mounted in said gate and provided with a needle, devices to reciprocate the said
needle-bar vertically in said gate; a spreader-carrier connected loosely with said
needle-bar and moved laterally and up and down therewith, a spreader connected
to said spreader-carrier and arranged close to one side of the needle, a yielding
abutment movable with said needle-bar to depress the spreader-carrier in a yielding
manner, and an arresting device adapted to be struck by said carrier during some
and not at other descents of the carrier, as described, with the needle-bar, whereby
the entrance of the spreader into that part of the material forming the hem is
prevented, but the spreader is permitted to enter the body of the material whenever
the needle enters the said body beyond the edge of the hem, as will be hereinafter
described.
Also the use in a sewing machine, of the following instrumentalities, viz. :--a

page_text: eedle-gate, means to move it laterally, a needle-bar mounted in said gate and
provided with a needle, devices to reciprocate the said needle-bar in said gate, a
preader-carrier connected loosely with said needle-bar, a spreader attached to said
arrier and adapted to slide up and down close to said needle at one side thereof,
and an arresting device for said spreader, said arresting device being supported
ubstantially as described independently of the gate, whereby it may arrest the
spreader-carrier before completing its full downstroke with the needle-bar, said
spreader-carrier being arrested only when the gate occupies its position nearest to
the head of the machine, as will be hereinafter described.
Also the use in a sewing machine having a needle-bar, of an eye-pointed needle
grooved as usual for the passage of the needle thread through it, and having a
distinct independent spreader groove at one side, as indicated, to co-operate with a
spreader-carrier and spreader, the lower end of the spreader entering the spreader
groove and having a movement of reciprocation in said groove, as hereinafter
described.
Also the use with a needle-bar having an eye-pointed needle provided with usual
grooves for the operation of the needle thread and with a thread or spreader groove,
of a spreader-carrier and a spreader entering the spreader groove of the needle,
and having an inclined back, and a yielding abutment to strike and actuate the
spreader, as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a sewing machine of the Wheeler &
Wilson pattern, with my invention, applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a partial front end view thereof, with the face plate or cap of the
head removed.
Figure 3 is a detail showing the spreader-carrier detached from the machine.
Figure 4 shows part of the lower end of the needle-bar and needle, and part of
the spreader-carrier and spreader, drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 5 shows the lower end of the spreader-carrier and spreader.
!
Figure 6, shows the needle enlarged, the view being at that side having a groove
for the spreader.
Figure 7, is a section on the line a², a², Figure 4, and
Figure 8 shows to a greatly enlarged scale a piece of handkerchief with several
stitches therein, to show the work to be done by a machine embodying my
invention.
A, represents a portion of the bed-plate, and A' a portion of the overhanging
arm in a machine of the Wheeler & Wilson type using a circularly moving
loop-taker, in connection with which machine I will hereafter describe my
invention.
The machine referred to has a main or needle-bar actuating shaft A³ provided
at its front end in the usual manner, with a crank and link to reciprocate the
needle-bar A having an eye-pointed needle hereinafter described.
The needle-bar is mounted in a needle-gate C³ having suitable bearings for said
bar, said gate being adapted to be swung about suitable vertical pivots connected
with the head A2 of the overhanging arm; a suitable link C connected with a
projection 2 of the said gate being extended back to a suitable lever and cam by
which to swing the said gate for a slight distance, in order to enable a zig-zag
or over-seaming stitch to be made, and inasmuch as said lever and cam have been
described in the Specification of British Patent No. 2899, February 17th 1891,
I have not deemed it necessary to show them in the drawing.
The needle A³ is peculiar, in that besides having the usual grooves and hole
through it from side to side for the needle thread as other eye-pointed needles, it
has also an additional spreader groove 910, said groove being shown best in
Figures 6 and 7, this groove receiving the lower end of the spreader a and acting as
a guide therefor, the said spreader, by entering and moving in said groove, being
able to get into and spread the hole in the fabric made by the needle, and while
the latter is still in the fabric.

page_text: The spreader a is connected in a suitable manner to a spreader-carrier. a*
represented as so shaped as to be connected with and follow the needle-bar in its
lateral movements with the needle-gate.
In the form in which I have illustrated my invention, the spreader-carrier has at
its upper end an ear a³ which is provided with a hole through which the needle-bar
is extended, and the lower end of said carrier is bent forward toward the front of
the machine, and is provided with a slot a, see Figure 3, which embraces and
slides on a suitable screw or projection a³ attached to the needle-bar A¹ and
projecting therefrom at its side next the presser-bar P.
The lower end of the carrier a* is adapted to receive the shank of the spreader,
and the spreader is held by its shank between the carrier and a suitable clamp
device by means of a suitable screw 6 the spreader being preferably slotted in its
upper end to embrace a set screw to thus aid in keeping the spreader in its
proper position in the needle.
The spreader has a tapering point, and to keep the said spreader as close to the
longitudinal centre of the needle as possible, the said point enters the spreader
groove go in the side of the needle.
I have surrounded the needle-bar, between the upper end of the spreader-carrier
and the collar p to which is connected the usual link for moving a needle-bar
vertically with a spiral or other suitable spring which acts upon the upper end or
ear of the spreader carrier and serves to force the spreader into the material mat
that side of the needle farthest from the inner edge of the hem m' as the needle-bar
descends, the material thus entered being of single thickness, while at the hem there
are two thicknesses, said spring enabling the spreader to act in a yielding manner
and to adapt itself to the particular material being acted upon and also to be
arrested in its descent when desired, the said spreader leaving in the material m of
single thickness an opening at right-angles to and away from the inner edge of the
hem m¹.
I have provided the head of the machine with a suitable stop or arresting device
as p', against which the portion or ear a of the carrier a strikes whenever the
needle-bar gate is drawn in toward the upright portion of the overhanging arm, as
when the needle is to descend, for instance, through the hem portion m' of the
material, said stop, during such descent of the needle-bar, which, in a three-stitch
or herring-bone figure will be each third descent, arresting the descent of the carrier
and preventing the spreader from entering the folded material of the hem, the said
spring p yielding at such time.
.
From the foregoing it will be understood that to properly operate the spreader-
carrier, it should be depressed by a yielding abutment in order that at predetermined
times it may travel in unison with the needle-bar in its descent, and at other
times be arrested or be kept from descending throughout the stroke of the
needle-bar.
In practice let it be assumed that the needle-bar is descending and that the
needle is about to enter into the hem m' of the handkerchief where the material is
of more than a single thickness, and at a point just within the inturned edge of the
material laid to form the hem.
In this descent of the needle-bar, the spreader-carrier will be arrested by the
stop p³, so that the spreader cannot enter the fabric.
Prior, however, to the next descent of the needle-bar in order that the needle ma
may
penetrate the material m where it is of single thickness and close to the hem part m²,
the needle-gate will be moved outwardly about its pivots a², and the needle having
entered the material where it is of one thickness, the spreader will enter said
material in the same hole, and, with its bevelled back, will push some of the threads
in the material where it is of single thickness, laterally away from the inturned
inner edge of the hem m and compact them, as shown in Figure 8, thus making a
somewhat elongated hole, as represented in said figure, but without destroying the
threads entering into the fabric, the spreader merely displacing some of the threads
or forcing them closer together.

page_text: After this, the needle-bar is again raised, and the needle and spreader are with-
rawn from the material, and the feeding device is operated at this time with its
back stroke for one step, so that the needle, at its next descent, may pass through
the hole previously made in the part of single thickness,-the said hole being the
one made at a previous stitch of the three-stitch figure.
The machine herein partially shown, will, in practice, have stitch-forming and
feeding mechanism, all as provided for in said former Patent, and the stitch will be
preferably a three-stitch figure, as provided for in the said Patent, the feeding
mechanism having for that stitch the capacity of feeding the material forward for
two steps and then back for one step, to thus enable the stitch to be locked about
the series of threads separated in groups between the elongated holes made by the
spreader and needle operating together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. The employment in a sewing machine of a needle-gate, means to move it
laterally, a needle-bar mounted in the said gate and provided with a needle, devices
to reciprocate the said needle bar vertically in the said gate, a spreader-carrier
connected loosely with the said needle bar and moved laterally and up and down
therewith, a spreader connected to the said spreader-carrier and arranged close to
one side of the needle, a yielding abutment movable with the said needle-bar to
depress the spreader-carrier in a yielding manner, and an arresting device adapted
to be struck by the said carrier during some and not at other descents of the carrier,
as described, with. the needle bar, whereby the entrance of the spreader into that
part of the material forming the hem is prevented, but the spreader is permitted to
enter the body of the material whenever the needle enters the said body beyond the
edge of the hem, substantially as described.
2nd. The employment in a sewing machine of a needle-gate, means to move it
laterally, a needle bar mounted in said gate and provided with a needle, devices to
reciprocate the said needle-bar in said gate, a spreader-carrier connected loosely
with the said needle-bar, a spreader attached to the said carrier, and adapted to
slide up and down close to the said needle at one side thereof, and an arresting
device for the said spreader, said arresting device being supported substantially as
described independently of the gate, whereby it may arrest the spreader carrier
before completing its full down stroke with the needle bar, the said spreader-carrier
being arrested only when the gate occupies its position nearest to the head of the
machine, substantially as described.
3rd. The employment in a sewing machine having a needle bar, of an eye-pointed
needle grooved as usual for the passage of the needle thread through it, and having
a distinct independent spreader groove at one side, as indicated, to co-operate with a
spreader-carrier and spreader, the lower end of the spreader entering the spreader
groove and having a movement of reciprocation in the said groove, substantially as
described.
4th. The employment with a needle-bar having an eye-pointed needle provided
with the usual grooves for the operation of the needle thread and with a thread or
spreader groove, of a spreader-carrier and spreader entering the spreader groove of
the needle, and having an inclined back, and a yielding abutment to strike and
actuate the spreader, substantially as described.
Dated t
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.