IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES."-A commu-
nication from abroad by John Henry Mooney and Charles Cook
Comstock, both of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th April 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES,"
a communication, to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to improvements in sewing machines and it
consists, first, in an improved device and movement for actuating the
shuttle carrier directly from the main shaft. This device consists in

page_text: placing upon the main shaft an enlarged cylinder having an axis with
two bearing points turned in it to stand at an angle with the line of the
shaft, the same constituting a crank with a wrist whose axis is diagonal
to the longitudinal axis of the main shaft, so that such wrist as the
crank revolves will describe the figure of a cone. I prefer in order to
obtain the greatest possible steadiness of movement to employ two
cranks, the figure described, by which in the revolution of the crank
will be that of two cones jointed at the apices. Shackle bars connect
suitable boxes applied to such cranks with a rod or sleeve to which such
shackle bars are swivel jointed. The movement of the joined ends of the
said shackle bars as the crank shaft revolves, describes the figure of two
circles whose circumferences are in contact at one point, but inasmuch
as the said shackle bars are swivel jointed to the rod or sleeve it is easy
to make the said rod by means of guides vibrate in a right line coinci-
dent in direction with the longitudinal axis of the main shaft. With
this rod so vibrating a connection is made by a jointed link or other
convenient means with the shuttle carrier which is thus moved back-
ward and forward at the proper time as the needle descends, which
needle is operated by a needle bar in any convenient manner.
The said Invention further consists in the combination with the
peculiar device last above described for giving motion to the shuttle
carrier of a simple crank or eccentric wheel and strap for giving move-
ment to a rocker shaft for working the feed motion. This rocker shaft
is furnished with a vibrating arm which by means of a pin gives a
forward movement to the feed bar. The backward movement to the
feed bar is given by a spring located in a cylindrical protecting case and
compressed by a piston connected with the feeding bar. The upward
and downward movements given to the feed bar in order to produce a
"four-motion feed" are obtained by the employment of any of the
common devices in use.
The said Invention further consists in devices for letting off a quantity
of thread proportioned to the thickness of the fabric to be sewed. The
presser foot resting upon the cloth will be raised above the plane of the
cloth by the thickness of the fabric. The vertical movement of the
presser foot bar operates to move in a line at right angles with the axis
of such bar a plate to which is pivoted an arm having a curved surface.
This arm is operated by the needle bar and the peculiar shape which is
given to that portion of the arm and the movement of such arm itself,

page_text: being in correspondence with the movement of the presser foot, enables
a different point on its surface to come into contact with the operating
pin on the needle bar for every change in the position of the latter; and
as this bar regulates the quantity of thread to be given off it will have à
greater or less movement in proportion to the position of the presser
foot, or to the thickness of the fabric to be sewed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 14th August 1878.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltino, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should 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 Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES," a communication to me from
abroad by John Henry Mooney and Charles Cook Comstock, both of
Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 tho
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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 accompanying
Drawing, in which,--
Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a machine constructed
according to these improvements; Figure 2 shews a detached portion of
the same.
Figure 3 is a plan of the said machine shewing its under side; Figures
4, 5, 7, and 8, shew details of the same.
Figure 6 is a transverse section of Figure 1.
The first part of this Invention relates to means for actuating the
shuttle carrier directly from the main shaft.
A is the bed plate; B is the usual arm made hollow to receive the shaft
C and the operating mechanism; D is the driving pulley; and E is a
rod which is hinged to the shuttle carrier. The device for giving
motion to the rod E for working the shuttle carrier consists of two
cranks, Figure 2, formed of an enlarged section of the shaft C, the
wrists a, a¹, of which cranks are set angularly with the longitudinal
axis of the shaft C, so that as the shaft revolves the said wrists will
describe the figure of two cones with their apices toward each other.
The axis of the two wrists coincide in the same straight line and are
arranged opposite each other as shewn in Figure 2. Boxes b, b¹, are
fitted to the wrist pins a, a¹, and from each box a rod F extends down-
wards. The two rods converge and join in a common sleeve G; H is a
rod which at its upper end forms a swivel joint with the sleeve G, and
at its lower end is pivoted to the shuttle carrier rod E. It is evident
that a rocking motion in the direction in which the shuttle is to travel
is given to the sleeve G, and also a twisting motion; the latter expends
itself in the swivel joint and enables the rod H to impart a true recipro-
cating movement to the shuttle carrier through the before mentioned
rod E.
Another feature of this Invention consists in the arrangement of the
eccentrio or an equivalent crank c between the wrists a, a', and its com-
bination with the devices for effecting the feeding of the cloth. The
pitman I, operated by the eccentric or crank c, gives a rocking movement
to the shaft I arranged underneath the bed plate through the short

page_text: arm d (see Figure 3). Upon the other end of the shaft I is another
short arm e, Figure 6, which imparts a forward movement to the
roughened feed plate J, the backward movement for which is obtained
from a spring h. The reciprocating movement of the shuttle carrier
gives by means of a pin i, working in a slotted arm j, a vibratory
movement to the stud pin and plate f, Figures 3 and 6, and as the
upper surface of the plate fis furnished with an inclined plane on which
the projecting end g of the feed plate rides it follows that a "four-motion
feed" is obtained."
Another feature of this Invention is the combination with the feed
plate J of a case k, Figure 6, for enclosing the spring which gives the
backward movement to the feed plate, and a piston m fitted to the case k
against the inner end of which the spring presses. The outer end of
the piston in turn bears against an arm & projecting downward from the
end of the feed plate, and gives the proper backward movement to the
feed slide..
Another feature of the said Invention consists in the novel combi-
nation of the presser foot bar, the thread "let off," and the needle bar,
whereby the thread is given off on the instant the needlo enters the
cloth to be sewed, and variably as the cloth is thicker or thinner. Upon
the presser foot, bar K, Figures 6 and 8, is a projecting cam piece o set
diagonally with the longitudinal axis of the presser foot bar. This cam
piece fits into a groove in a sliding block L, Figure 7, upon which the
fulcrum pin of the thread "let off" bar M is mounted. Obviously when
the presser foot is raised by a thick piece of cloth passing between it
and the cloth plate, the fulcrum of the "let off" arm will be moved
outward, whereby the surface of the upper end of the arm will sooner
be brought into contact with a tappet pin p on the needle bar N and
operated to let off the thread. When the thickness of the cloth
decreases the presser foot falling to a lower plane will move the
fulcrum inward and by changing the relation of the let off bar to
the tappet pin the thread will be given off relatively later in point of
time.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same. I wish it understood that I claim.-

page_text: crank wrists a, a¹, and suitable connections F, H, E, for giving a recipro-
cating movement to the shuttle carrier, as herein described.
Second. The arrangement of the crank wrist c when located between
the angular wrists a, a¹, the pitman I, and rocker shaft I', as herein
described.
Third. The combination and arrangement of devices for producing
a "four motion" feed consisting of the vibrating cam face f, the feed
plate J, the rocker arm e, and spring h, as herein described.
Fourth. In combination with the feed plate J, the piston m, the spring h,
and the protector case k, as herein described.
Fifth. The combination of the presser foot bar K, the thread let off
arm M, with its sliding fulcrum block L, and the needle bar N, as herein
described, whereby the time of the movement of the "let off" arm is
varied with the thickness of the cloth to be sewed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
JAS. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)