Year: 1899

page_text: A communication from the Firm of ADOLPH SAURER, of Arbon, Switzerland.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus which will enable the needles of shuttle
embroidering machines to be threaded without having to stop the machine for
this purpose.
The accompanying drawings illustrate an example of such an apparatus.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus, with such parts of a shuttle em-
broidering machine as are necessary to show clearly the mode of use of the
apparatus.
Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations of the apparatus and show two different posi-
tions assumed by the parts during working.
The apparatus shown has a support f consisting of a hollow cylindrical part o
which provided on one side with an eye and on the opposite side with a prism-
in which
shaped part e. The part e is formed in its upper portion with a slot
can move the bent slotted part or shorter arm of a double lever that is mounted
on a pin . The outer end of the longer arm of this lever carries a pusher in
the form of a leaf spring, which serves to push the thread into the eye of the
needle and is situated laterally and at right angles or approximately laterally
and at right angles to the needle when the apparatus is in use.
The lower half of the part e is hollow and in its hollow there is clamped a tubu-
lar part a whose lower end is formed of saddle shape at y so as to bear upon the
needle, the wall of the tube having there an outwardly widening slit and a second
aperture which begins opposite to the said slit but which extends up to opposite
the pusher for slightly more than a quarter of the periphery of the tube for
the purpose of affording a passage for the pusher in its motion and of facilitating
the clamping of the thread between the pusher and a support b arranged in the
tubular part a
For the passage of the pusher i to the other side of the tubular
part there is further provided in the wall of the tube a rectangular aperture,
which is connected to the aforesaid aperture by means of a slot.
The pin-like support is made so as to be capable of moving freely in the
tubular part a.
The movement of this support is limited by a screw which
enters a recess therein. The length of this recess is such that the support can only
move down to about one half of the aforesaid cavity.
For the purpose of moving the pusher j, there is employed a pin n which en-
gages in a slot r that extends the whole width between the lateral surface of the

page_text: part e and the cavity of the part c. This pin n, which also engages in the slotted
arm of the lever h, is connected to a pin q which is arranged in the cylindrical
hollow part and is acted upon by a helical spring o which has a tendency to press
the ping upwards. The downward movement of the pin q can be produced by
means of a knob p that is guided in a slot. During this movement and the
resulting compression of the spring, the pusher, in consequence of the bending
of the slot in the lever h, is moved first towards the saddle and then away from the
saddle. Similar movements take place when pressure ceases to be exerted on the
knob so that the pin is pressed up by the spring o.
An eye d serves to facilitate the manipulation of the apparatus. The middle
finger is inserted into the eye, and the forefinger and the third finger are placed
on each side of the projection with which the eye is provided, so that the knob p
can then be operated in an easy and convenient manner by means of the thumb.
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
When it is desired to thread a needle, then (after the support has been brought
into a position such that the pusher j can pass through without hindrance) the
spring o is compressed by means of the knob p. Then the support is moved into
its lowest position, which can be effected simply by holding the apparatus with
the needle saddle piece turned downwards so that the support will be moved down
by its own weight. The knob is now allowed to move back until the pusher j
strikes the support and clamps the thread against it. In this state of compres-
sion (Figs. 1 and 2), the apparatus is placed upon the needle, in such a manner
that the support rests on the needle, and the pusher is situated at the side of
the thread way. If the apparatus is now pushed down, the tubular part a slips
over the end of the support and the pusher j, which has up till now rested
directly on the support b, moves (when it has reached the end of the support) to-
gether with the thread into the path of the thread of the needle, whilst at the
same time the needle saddle piece moves on to the needle. All this can be done
without its being necessary to stop the machine; the needle moves continually
to and fro, and on meeting the eye of the needle, the pusher j, in
consequence of the action of the compressed spring o, enters with the
thread into the same, and then darts back again at once. The loop of the thread
which has been pushed in, remains, however, in the eye of the needle, and the
needle is thus threaded. The arrangement may also be easily made such that the
pusher will rest indirectly upon the support, the latter, for instance, being dis-
placed, or connected to the saddle or support f, and the saddle, instead of the
support, being made capable of vertical movement.
In this case it is preferred to employ needles in which the prominence at the
end of the thread way, directly in front of the eye of the needle is omitted, in
order that the pusher ; will not find any obstacle in its travel, and in which the
thread way extends not only up to the needle shank but also for a further dis-
tance into the same, as otherwise the apparatus is to be placed in front of the
shank.
In this case also the thread is preferably led through the attachment plate of
the needle to the latter, instead of in the usual manner through a hole in the
needle bar. For this purpose the attachment plate may have the form shown in
Figs. 4, 5, and 6. This plate t is provided with a bearing portion, which is at
right angles to the main or clamping portion of the plate, and which. when in
use, bears against the rear side of the needle bar 7. The clamping of the needle
between the needle bar and the plate is effected by means of a screw m; and
in order to prevent the plate from being set askew, the plate is provided on its
underside with a projection w. For the purpose of inserting and guiding the
thread there is formed in the bearing portion a slot u whose upper limit coin-
cides with the under side of the clamping portion.
Fig. 7 shows diagrammatically a suitable arrangement for guiding the thread
away from the bobbin. This figure also shows the position of the threading
apparatus when in use. The thread passes from the bobbin 1 first over a roller 2,

page_text: then on to the thread guides 3 and 4, and finally to the guide slot in the attach-
ment plate of the needle: The thread guides, which have the form of bent levers,
have for object to keep the thread always stretched during its to-and-fro move-
ment.
Datel
411
רד
2000
A communication from the Firm of ADOLPHI SAURER, of Arbon, Switzerland.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus which will enable the needles of shuttle
embroidering-machines to be threaded without having to stop the machine for
this purpose.
The drawings filed with my Provisional Specification illustrate an example of
such an apparatus.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus with such parts of a shuttle em-
broidering machine as are necessary to show clearly the mode of use of the
apparatus.
Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations of the apparatus and show two different posi-
tions assumed by the parts during working.
in
The apparatus shown has a support f comprising a hollow cylindrical part c
which is provided on one side with an eye d and on the opposite side with a
prism-shaped part e. The part e is formed in its upper portion with a slot
which can move the bent slotted part or shorter arm of a two-armed lever / that
is mounted on a pin i. The outer end of the longer arm of this lever carries a
pusher or threading device j in the form of a leaf spring, which serves to push
the thread into the eye of the needle and is situated laterally and approximately
at right angles to the needle when the apparatus is in use. The free end of the
pusher is slightly notched for the purpose of better retaining the thread.
The lower half of the part e is hollow, and in its hollow there is clamped a tubu-
lar part or threader guide a whose lower end is formed of saddle shape at y so as
to be adapted to straddle the shank of a needle of an embroidering machine, the
wall of the tubular part a having there at one side an outwardly widening (i.e.,
downwardly widening) slit and also having an aperture which begins, opposite
to the said slit and has its lower end rounded like the slit and which extends for
slightly more than a quarter of the periphery of the tubular part so as to termi-
nate opposite to the pusher j, for the purpose of affording a passage for the
pusher in its motion and to enable the pusher j to clamp the thread between it
and an abutment arranged in the tubular part a. For the passage of the
pusher to the other side of the tubular part a there is further provided in the
wall of the latter a rectangular aperture, which is connected to the aforesaid
aperture by means of a horizontal slot.
The pin-like abutment b is made so as to be capable of moving freely in the
tubular part a. The movement of this abutment is limited by a screw k which
enters a recess therein. The length of this recess is such that the support can

page_text: move down only to about one half of the aperture first hereinbefore mentioned.
For the purpose of moving the pusher j, there is employed a pin which engages
in a slot r that extends for the whole width between the lateral surface of the
part e and the cavity of the part c. This pin n, which also engages in the slotted
arm of the lever h, is connected to a pin q which is arranged in the cylindrical
hollow part and is acted upon by a helical spring o which has a tendency to
press the pin q upwards. The downward movement of the pin q can be produced
by means of a knob p on the outer end of a projection on the pin q that is guided
in a slot s. During this movement and the resulting compression of the spring
the pusher in consequence of the bending of the slot in the lever h, is moved
first towards the saddle and then away from the saddle. Similar movements take
place when pressure ceases to be exerted on the knob so that the pin g is pressed
up by the spring o.
An eye d serves to facilitate the manipulation of the apparatus. The middle
finger is inserted into the eye, and the forefinger and the third finger are placed
on each side of the projection with which the eye is provided, so that the knob p
can then be operated in an easy and convenient manner by means of the thumb.
The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
When it is desired to thread a needle, then (after, by simply inverting the
apparatus when initially in the position shown, the abutment & has been brought
into a position such that the pusher ; can pass through without hindrance) the
spring is compressed by means of the knob p. Then the abutment is moved
into its lowest position, which can be effected simply by holding the apparatus
with the needle saddle-piece turned downwards (as shown in the drawings) so
that the abutment will be moved down by its own weight. The knob p is now
allowed to move back until the pusher strikes the support and clamps the
thread against it. In what may be called the cocked state (Figs. 1 and 2) thus
produced, the apparatus is placed upon the needle in such a manner that the
abutment rests on the needle, and the pusher j is situated at the side of the thread
way formed in the shank of the needle when, as is preferred, there is employed a
needle having a thread way or groove extending from a point in front of the eye
to near the place where the needle is secured to the needle bar. If the apparatus
is now pushed down, the tubular part a slips over the end of the abutment
and the pusher j, which has up till now rested directly on the abutment b, moves
(when it has reached the end of the abutment) together with the thread into the
thread way of the needle, whilst at the same time the needle saddle-piece a moves
on to the needle. All this can be done without its being necessary to stop the
machine; the needle moves continually to and fro, and on meeting the eye of the
needle, the pusher j, in consequence of the action of the compressed spring »,
passes with the thread into the eye, and then immediately darts back. The loop
of the thread which has been pushed in, remains, however, in the eye of the needle
and the needle is thus threaded. The threader may then be removed, the thread
loop being drawn out of it by the needle through the aforesaid horizontal slot.
It is obvious that the apparatus may be modified so that the pusher will rest
indirectly upon the abutment-for instance, the abutment may be rigidly con-
nected to the part a which forms the saddle and which will then be made free
to slide vertically in the part e.
When using threading-apparatus according to this invention it is preferred
to employ needles in which the prominence at the end of the thread way, directly
in front of the eye of the needle, is omitted, in order that the pusher j may not
find any obstacle in its travel, and in which the thread way extends not only up
to the needle shank but also for a further distance into the same, as otherwise the
apparatus would have to be placed in front of the shank.
Again, when needle-threading apparatus according to this invention is used,
the thread is preferably led to the needle through the attachment plate of the
needle, instead of in the usual manner through a hole in the needle bar. For
this purpose the attachment plate may have the form shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

page_text: This plate is provided with a bearing portion e, which is at right angles to the
main or clamping portion of the plate, and which, when in use, bears against the
rear side of the needle bar . The clamping of the needle between the needle
bar and the plate is effected by means of a screw m; and in order to prevent
the plate from being set askew, the plate is provided on its under side with a
projection w. For the purpose of inserting and guiding the thread there is
formed in the bearing portion a slot u whose upper limit coincides with the
under side of the clamping portion.
Fig. 7 shows diagrammatically a suitable arrangement for guiding the thread
away from the bobbin. This figure also shows the position of the threading
apparatus when in use. The thread passes from the bobbin 1 first round a roller 2,
and thence to the guide slot u in the attachment plate of the needle, round ten-
sion rollers 3 and 4 which are mounted on bent levers acted on by springs so as to
keep the thread always stretched during the to-and-fro movement of the needle.
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. Apparatus for threading needles comprising a guide adapted to be placed
astride upon a needle and having a passage through it for a threading device,
which consists of a leaf spring adapted to pass through the eye of a needle, and
is secured to a spring-actuated lever by means of which it can be passed through
the guide, and means for opening the aforesaid passage for the threading device
when the guide is placed astride the needle.
2. Apparatus for threading needles comprising a guide adapted to be placed
astride upon a needle and having a passage through it for a threading device,
and a movable abutment in the said guide normally obstructing the said passage,
in combination with a lever by means of which the threading device, which con-
sists of a leaf spring adapted to pass through the eye of a needle, can be passed
through the guide, and means for oscillating the lever automatically when, by
pressure exerted with the guide astride the needle, the abutment is moved clear
of the aforesaid passage, substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for threading needles the combination of a support f, a guide a
secured thereto, a two-armed lever pivoted to the support and provided with a
bent slotted shorter arm; with a spring controlled pin 7 having a projection
engaging in the slot of the lever h, and means for moving the rod q against the
action of its spring, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. A needle threading apparatus, constructed, arranged, and operating sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1, 2,
and 3 of the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification.
Dated this 6th day of November 1899.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.