Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I, PETER WATERSTON of 15 Frederick Street Edinburgh in the County of
Midlothian, Sewing Machine Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of sewing machines in
which a rotating shuttle is employed and part of the said improvements bave for
their object to rotate the said shuttle with a varying speed at different parts of
each revolution the shuttle rotating quicker just after it catches the loop formed
by the operation of the needle and slower just after it delivers or frees itself from
the said loop so as to allow time for the said loop to be drawn up, thereby to
complete a stitch. With this object the shuttle, which is curvilinear in form, is
placed vertically in a carrier or cup and geared with two pins or teeth formed or
fixed in a disc secured on one end of a shaft laid parallel with the length of and
under the sole plate of the machine the said shaft having on its opposite or driven
end another disc formed or secured upon it. To this latter disc a link is pinned
eccentrically and to the said link is pinned also eccentrically the lower end of n
connecting rod or lever fulcrumed at or near its centre, its opposite or upper end
being actuated by a crank or eccentric on the main or driving shaft of the machine.
By this means when the said driving shaft is actuated rotary motion faster at one
part of the revolution than at another is communicated to the under shaft and
thence to the rotating shuttle.
The shuttle used in the improved machine is formed with a hook at one part of
its periphery which hook catches the loop formed by the operation of the needle
and under the hook a recess is formed for the reception of one of the pins or
teeth before referred to the other pin or tooth acting against a heel or bearing
surface formed at another part of the periphery and between which and the hook
the shuttle is of lesser diameter than at its other parts. On the back of the
shuttle a circular cavity is made deep enough to receive the thread spool which is
centred on a tube projecting outwards from the bottom of the cavity. At the
interior of the Baid tube a rod with a helical spring on it is situated a nut being
screwed on the inner end of the rod to adjust the pressure of the spring whilst to
its outer end a tongue is hinged the said tongue having an eccentric surface
bearing on the upper end of the tube. To place the spool in position the tongue

page_text: is raised until it is in line with the tube, the spool is then slipped on to the tube
and the tongue is folded down over it and in being so folded it is by the action of
the helical spring caused to impinge on the thread spool, thus acting as a tension
on the unwinding of the thread which passes direct from the spool and not through
an eye or hole in the shuttle, twisting of the thread being thereby obviated.
The carrier by which the shuttle is held in position consists of a cup rotative
with the shuttle, the said cup having a spindle projecting from it and carried in a
frame hinged to a bracket or plate projecting downwards from the under side of
the sole plate, the frame being so hinged in order to be capable of being thrown
open or folded back for removal of the shuttle when required. To hold the frame
in its closed position a spring lever or catch is provided and to hold the shuttle in
contact with the face of its driving disc the spindle of the shuttle carrier has also
a helical spring in conjunction with it.
The feed of the machine constructed as herein before described is operated from
a cam on the under shaft which cam acts on a lever centred on a pin or stud at
one or other of its ends. At a point intermediate between its ends the lever acts
on one end of a bar whose opposite extremity is connected to the feed lever or dog
which is fulcrumed at its lower end and at its upper end bears on a heel or pro-
jection on the feed plate. The connecting bar between the levers has a slot or eye
in it through which a pin secured in a plate or disc passes and by adjusting or
partially turning the said plate or disc the point of the connecting bar bearing on
the lever actuated by the cam is raised or lowered thereby giving less or greater
leverage and altering the movement of the feed accordingly.

page_text: I, PETER WATERSTON of 15 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, in the County of
Midlothian, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, 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 :—
My invention relates to improvements in that class of sewing machines in which
a rotating shuttle is employed and part of the said improvements consist of
mechanism having for object to rotate the said shuttle with a varying speed at
different parts of each revolution the shuttle rotating quicker just after it catches
the loop formed by the operation of the needle and slower just after it delivers or
frees itself from the said loop so as to allow time for the said loop to be drawn up
thereby to complete a stitch. The invention also comprises improvements in the
feed mechanism of the sewing machine and in devices for retaining in the operative
position the rotating shuttle and spool.
In the accompanying drawings figure 1, is a back end elevation, figure 2 a
longitudinal section, figure 3 a front end elevation and figure 4, a plan partly in
section of a sewing machine embodying the several improvements constituting my
invention. Figures 5 and 6, are detached views of the rotating shuttle to a larger
scale, figures 7 and 8 represent the spool case with its tension devices, and figures 9
and 10 shew the thread spool. Figure 11 shows in detail the feed mechanism and
figures 12 and 13, are views of the feed cam and shuttle driver whilst figures 14
and 15 show the cup piece employed to retain the shuttle in the operative
position.
The machine comprises the usual bed plate A, and overhanging arm A¹, provided
with a driving shaft B, which operates the needle bar C, and a shaft D, laid parallel
with the length of and under the bed plate, said shaft D, having upon one end of
it the shuttle driver H, and upon its opposite end a disc E, whereto is pivotted
eccentrically a link e. To said link is pinned also eccentrically the lower end of a
connecting rod or lever F, fulcrumed at or near its centre upon a link f pin jointed
to it and to the bracket arm A¹, of the machine the upper end of the lever F, being
actuated by an eccentric c or by a crank on the main driving shaft C. By this
means when the driving shaft is actuated, rotary motion faster at one part of the
revolution than at another is communicated to the under shaft D, and shuttle
driver H, and thence to the rotating shuttle. The shuttle G, which as shown by
figures 5 and 6 is of curvilinear form is placed against a vertical plate a secured to
a bracket a¹ on the lower side of the bed plate A, in which plate immediately
behind the shuttle there is an orifice for the passage of the shuttle driver which
consists of a disc H, having on it a projection h slotted for the passage of the needle,
the projection h fitting in a recess cut out of the periphery of the shuttle and
which is formed on
engaging at one end a heel g¹ and at the opposite end a hook
the shuttle to engage the loop which is formed by the operation of the needle. The
shuttle is maintained in the operative position by a conical or V-shaped shield I,
screwed or otherwise removably attached to the vertical plate a. In one side of the
shuttle a circular cavity G³, is made deep enough to receive a cup like case J, in
which the thread spool K, is carried, the spool being fitted over a small tube j in
the axis of the case J, which in turn is fitted over a pin g in the centre of the
cavity formed in the shuttle. A spring 1 on the side of the spool case J, bears upon

page_text: l
the periphery of the spool and serves partially to retain it in place and to apply
friction to prevent unwinding of the spool by vibration while a second spring j
applies the requisite tension to the thread which passes under said spring to an
eye . The support by which the shuttle is held in position with its face against
the vertical plate a while the sewing proceeds consists of a cup L, rotative with
the shuttle, the said cup having a tubular spindle projecting from it and carried
in a frame M. The base L', of the cup which is stationary is carried on a separate
spindle passing through the spindle 7 and on it is a heel which engages a rib on
the back of the spool case to prevent said case turning with the shuttle. The
frame M, is so hinged to the plate a that it is capable of being thrown open or folded
back when required for the removal of the spool and its case from the shuttle which
is at such time prevented from falling out by the shield I. To hold the frame M,
in its closed position a spring lever or catch N, pivotted thereon is provided to
engage the edge of the plate a.
The feed dog or plate O, is operated from a cam P, on the shaft D, which cam
acts on a lever Q centred at one of its ends on a pin or stud q in a rib on the under
side of the bed plate. At a point intermediate between its ends the lever Q, acts
on one end of a connecting bar R, whose opposite extremity is connected to a
lever S, which is fulcrumed at its lower end and at its upper end jointed to the
lower side of the feed plate O. The connecting bar R, between the levers Q, and S,
has a slot or eyer in it through which passes a pin t secured eccentrically in a plate
or disc T, fitted on a stud t¹ and by adjusting or partially turning the disc T, on its
centre stud the point of the bar R, bearing on the lever Q, is raised or lowered
thereby giving less or greater leverage and altering the movement of the feed
accordingly. The backward movement of the feed plate is effected by a spring 8,
and vertical movement is imparted by the cam P which bears on the under side of
an extension 01 of the feed plate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am
aware that devices for imparting a varying speed to the shuttle at different parts
of its rotation have been heretofore used and I make no claim to the employment
of such devices generally nor to parts of the machine other than those hereinafter
specifically set forth but what I do claim is :-
1. The combination of mechanism constituting the improved sewing machine
herein described with reference to the annexed drawings.
2. In a sewing machine provided with a rotating shuttle and a feed operated
from the shaft which drives the shuttle, a disc on the end of said shaft, a link
eccentrically pivotted to said disc, a lever connected at one end to said link and at
its opposite end to a crank or eccentric on the main driving shaft, in combination
with a link pivottally connected to the bracket arm and serving as a swinging
fulcrum to the lever substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination of devices constituting the feed mechanism of a sewing
machine substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings annexed.
4. In a sewing machine provided with a rotating shuttle, a loosely revolving cup
adapted to retain the shuttle in place and to transfer friction from the shuttle to
the spindle of the cup substantially as herein described with reference to the
drawings annexed.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Agents.