IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR EMBROIDERING AND BRAIDING
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM
FOR EMBROIDERING AND BRAIDING."-A communication from abroad by
Joseph Irenaeus West, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred
Vincent
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 21st April 1875.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MECHANISM FOR EMBROIDERING AND BRAIDING," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to embroidering mechanism, which is mainly
intended to be applied as an attachment to a sewing machine, though

page_text: the same mechanism may be employed to enchain a thread into the
form of a braid independently of a sewing machine.
This Invention consists in a thread enchaining device for the produc-
tion of an enchained embroidery thread, which is laid in the form of a
braid upon the surface of the fabric to be embroidered, such enchained
thread or braid not passing through the fabric, but being secured thereon.
This thread enchaining device is mainly composed of an embroidery
thread needle operating in combination with a presser foot and feeding
mechanism. As an attachment to a sewing machine said thread
enchaining device may for convenience sake be operated by the sewing 1
needle bar, but the action of the embroidering device is independent of
that of the sewing needle used to stitch or sew the enchained embroidery
stitch on to the surface of the fabric.
The Invention also consists in an embroidery thread carrier composed
of a vibrating plate and attached needle made not only to reciprocate
longitudinally in line of the braid or enchained stitch, but also having a
slight lateral motion to form the necessary succession of loops in the
embroidering thread. The embroidery thread needle is carried by a rock
shaft or arbor, which has its bearing in the vibrating plate that gives to
the needle its necessary longitudinal and lateral movements.
The Invention also consists in a combination with said embroidery
thread needle of a thread guide and presser foot of a sewing machine.
The embroidery thread carrier is by preference attached to the stem of
the embroidery needle, from which it receives both a longitudinal and
slight lateral motion.
Again, the Invention consists in a combination of a sewing machine
needle with a vibrating embroidery thread carrier, and of a lever and
lever frame in combination with the vibrating plate of the embroidery
thread carrier for the purpose of operating the latter; likewise in a
combination with said lever, subject to control by a spring, and made
capable of adjustment, of a hollow projection on the needle bar, whereby
great facility is afforded for putting the thread enchaining device in and
out of working connection with the needle bar.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 21st October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in tho
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
sould at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR EMBROIDERING
AND BRAIDING," being a communication to me from abroad by Joseph
Irenaeus West, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, .should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):-
This Invention relates to embroidering mechanism, which is mainly
lind
attachment to a serving machine though

page_text: the same mechanism may be employed to enchain a thread into the form
of a braid independently of a sewing machine.
This Invention consists in a thread enchaining device for the pro-
duction of an enchained embroidery thread, which is laid in the form of
a braid upon the surface of the fabric to be embroidered, such enchained
thread or braid not passing through the fabric, but being secured thereon.
This thread enchaining device is mainly composed of an embroidery
thread needle operating in combination with a pressor foot and feeding
mechanism. As an attachment to a sewing machine this thread
enchaining device may for convenience sake be operated by the sewing
needle bar, but the action of the embroidering device is independent of
that of the sewing needle used to stitch or sew the enchained embroidery
stitch on to the surface of the fabric.
The Invention also consists in an embroidery thread carrier composed
of a vibrating plate and attached needle, mado not only to reciprocate
longitudinally in line of the braid or enchained stitch, but also having a
slight lateral motion to form the necessary succession of loops in the
embroidering thread. The embroidery thread needle is carried by a rock
shaft or arbor, which has its bearing in the vibrating plate that gives to
the needle its necessary longitudinal and lateral movements.
The Invention also consists in a combination with said embroidery
thread needle of a thread guide and presser foot of a sewing machine.
The embroidery thread carrier is by preference attached to the stem of
the embroidery needle, from which it receives both a longitudinal and
slight lateral motion.
Again, the Invention consists in a combination of a sewing machine
needle with a vibrating embroidery thread carrier, and of a lever and
lover frame in combination with the vibrating plate of the embroidery
thread carrier for the purpose of operating the latter; likewise in a
combination with said lever, subject to control by a spring, and made
capable of adjustment, of a hollow projection on the needle bar, whereby
great facility is afforded for putting the thread enchaining device in and
out of working connection with the needle bar.
Having thus specified the object or objects and nature of the Inven-
tion its description will be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying
Drawings

page_text: Fig. 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 a side view of a presser foot of a
sewing machine, with an embroidering attachment constructed in
accordance with the Invention, and bar of the sewing needle applied,
the same shewing said needle bar in its raised position, and the
embroidery thread needle with thread guide as drawn back.
Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, but with the sewing needle in its
down position behind the embroidery thread needle, and the latter as
occupying a forward position.
Fig. 4 is a plan, with the parts in the position represented in Fig. 2;
and Fig. 5, a plan of the parts as in Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is a face view of the stitch or work as produced by the
embroidering attachment.
A is the presser foot, and B its shank or holder, said presser foot being
adjustable in the customary manner, if desirable. The sewing machine
to which the embroidering attachment is applicable may either be a
single thread or double thread machine, and the Invention is not restricted
to any particular kind of sewing machine. To the presser foot at a is
pivoted a plate or bar C formed with two shoulders b, d, mecting at their
junction in a notch c. This plate C carries the embroidery thread needle G,
as herein-after described. E is a rod or lever carried by a frame E', which
is pivoted at e to a bracket E² projecting from the shank or upper
portion of the presser foot. This rod or lever E passes through guides e¹, e³,
on the lever frame E', with freedom to move longitudinally, subject to
the control of a spring e³, also with freedom to rock towards or from the
face of the plate C by means of a slotted construction of the upper
guide e, as seen in Fig. 1. This rocking movement of the lever E
allows for the latter accommodating itself to any slight difference in
distance between the needle bar or holder D of the sewing needle ƒ and
the presser bar.
The rod or lever E operates the vibrating plate C through its frame E
by a stud e' on the latter, and said lever is actuated for such purpose by
the needle bar D. This is accomplished by the upper end of the rod or
lever E being made to enter through a slot to and within a hollow
projection from the needle bar, and which projection might be the
screw used to hold the needle fin its bar. By this connection of the
lever E the latter is kept by a yielding pressure always in contact with
the sewing needle bar, but when it is not required to operate the

page_text: embroidering attachment, or when it is required to cease braiding or
embroidering, then the lever E may be slid longitudinally against the
action of the spring e* out of connection with the hollow projection g.
This forms a very simple and quick means of connecting or disconnecting
at pleasure the embroidery attachment.
To prevent any accidental disconnection of the lever frame E¹ with
the vibrating plate C the latter is formed with a draw hook g' on its
end, which keeps the stud et from working clear of or beyond the end of
the said plate.
When the embroidering attachment is in gear with the needle bar the
stud e* of the lever frame E', leaving the shoulder and notch c of the
vibrating plate C during the ascent of the needle f, and afterwards
striking or rubbing over and playing against the shoulder & swings the
plate C from the position represented in Fig. 3 to that shown for it in
Fig. 2.
During the descent of the needlef the stud e' of the lover frame strikes
on the shoulder b, and moves the vibrating plate C to the position
reprosented in Fig. 3. This is necessary for the operation of the
embroidery thread needle G, which is here represented as formed with a
latch, but might be otherwise constructed.
By the elongated construction of the shoulder d, and use of the lever E
on its frame E¹, with attached stud e¹, the needle bar D acts upon said
shoulder during the completing portion of the ascent of the needle
holder or bar D, thereby preventing the vibrating plate C from slipping
or yielding by the pull of the thread on it or otherwise. In the descent
of the needle bar D the stud e¹ of the lever frame acts upon the
shoulder 6. His a shaft, spindle, or arbor hung in or carried by the
vibrating plate C in such manner that it can swivel or swing inde-
pendently on its own axis, its independent motions being controlled by a
slotted guide h, which projects backwardly from the upper part or shank
of the presser foot, and into the slot of which a crank i of the abor H
cnters. The once or lower end of said arbor carries a projection or arm k,
to which the embroidery thread needle G is rigidly secured by set screw
or otherwise. This needle during the vibration of the plate C is carried into
the two extreme positions shewn in Figures 2 and 3, that is to say, during
the downward motion of the needle bar D, when the plate C is swung in
the direction of the arrow x, the embroidery thread needle is carried
above and across the presser foot into the position shewn in Fig. 3, and

page_text: during the subsequent upward motion of the needle bar D when the
plate C is swung in direction of the arrow y, the needle G is carried
clear of and beyond the presser foot into the position shewn in Fig. 2.
I is the embroidery thread guide, which might be a fixture by making
it fast to the presser foot, but which it is preferred to secure, as here
shown, to the shank or arm k on the shank of the needle G. This
guide I is formed with a loop 1, through which the embroidery thread is
drawn after passing through or over suitable tension devices.
When the needle bar D descends, and causes the embroidery thread
needle to move forwards, the said needle catches under and takes hold of
the embroidery thread, and during the subsequent ascent of the needle
bar the needle G carries the embroidery thread with it across and over
the presser foot, and at the end of its movement in this direction the
embroidery thread needle will be swung in direction of the arrow z,
shown in Fig. 4, by the crank i moving in the slot 7, into which it is
laterally deflected at the end of the upward vibration in direction of the
arrow y of the plate C. This lateral deflection of the embroidery thread
needle G causes the latter to pass or stand behind the sewing needle,
and in this position that portion of the embroidery thread which lies
across the presser foot is sewed down during the descent of and by the
sewing needle and its thread. The subsequent vibration of the plate C
in direction of the arrow a causes the embroidery thread needle to pass
through the last formed loop of the embroidery thread, and to retain
such loop on its shank, and to open its latch so that it can again take
hold of another portion of the embroidery thread, and draw it back over
the presser foot, as before. Upon arriving in the position represented in
Fig. 4 the latch becomes closed by the loop which was on the shank
of the needle G slipping over and off said needle, leaving however the
last portion of thread carrier on such needle to form the succeeding loop,
and so on.
In this manner the required stitch is formed entirely on the
surface of the fabric, and secured by the thread of the sewing needle, as
represented in Fig. 6, in which m is the embroidery thread, and n the
sewing needle thread.
By the attachment of the looped thread guide I to the needle G on its
shank the said guide has the same combined movements as the embroi-
dery thread needle, and thus always retains the same relative position to
the latter, thereby doing away with undue tension and entanglement of
the embroidery thread.

page_text: In place of a latch needle, as herein described, an ordinary eyed needle
may be used, and in conjunction therewith a spring holder for retaining
the embroidery thread, the spring holder being so arranged that said
needle, which should have a vibrating motion, will pass towards it on
one side, and from it on the other side, to form thereby the necessary
succession of loops of the embroidery thread the same in substance as
the loops formed by means of the latch needle represented in the accom-
panying Drawing.
Having now described the Invention of " Improvements in Mechanism
for Embroidering and Braiding," as communicated to me by my foreign 1
correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part
recited Letters Patent I claim,—
First. The embroidery thread enchaining device constructed and
operated as herein shewn and described, whereby the embroidery thread, 1
without passing through the fabric to be embroidered, is enchained
within itself and laid in the form of a braid upon the surface of the
fabric, and is attached thereto by sewing.
Second. The embroidery thread carrier consisting of a vibrating plate C
and attached needle arranged as herein shewn and described for laying 2
an embroidery thread upon the surface of the fabric, as set forth.
Third. The combination of the embroidery thread needle, the rock
shaft or arbor H to which it is attached, and the vibrating plate C, on
which the said rock shaft has an independent axial motion, substantially
as specified.
Fourth. The combination of the embroidery thread needle G and the
thread guide I with the presser foot of a sewing machine, as described.
Fifth. Arranging and operating the embroidery thread carrier in
conjunction with a sewing machine, as herein described, so as to perform
a longitudinal and also a slight lateral motion.
Sixth. The adaptation to a sewing machine of the vibrating embroi-
dery thread carrier, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Seventh. The combination of the rod or lever E and rod or lever
frame E' with the vibrating plate C for the purposes specified.
2
30

page_text: Eighth. The combination with the hollow projection 9 on the needle
bar of the rod or lever E, controlled by a spring, and capable of longi-
tudinal and lateral adjustment, or either, essentially as and for the
purpose or purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five