IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERY ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERY ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING
MACHINES." -A communication from abroad by Henry Lucius
TP
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 3rd October 1872.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EMBROIDERY ATTACHMENT FOR
SEWING MACHINES," a communication to me from abroad by Henry
Lucius Hotchkiss, of New Haven, United States of America, to be as
follows:-
:-

page_text: with the ordinary needle thread, whereby an ornamental embroidery
appearance is given to the work, hence the device is termed an
embroidery attachment for sewing machines.
The Invention consists in an attachment for sewing machines to be
applied directly or indirectly to the presser foot, in which one or more 5
thread carriers are caused to reciprocate in a plane across the path of the
needle actuated by the needle arm or bar, so that in the movement of
the needle the said thread carriers are caused to cross the path of the
needle and thereby interlace the thread or threads with the needle thread
upon the surface of the work.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents a top view, showing
the thread carriers at their extreme movement; Fig. 2, the same,
showing the carrier at the other extreme movement; Fig. 3, a side view,
the parts in the position seen in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a top view of the thread
carrier slides at the point where the lever operates.
A is a stud constructed so as to be attached to the presser foot or
presser foot bar, and may and by preference does take the place of the
ordinary presser foot, the presser foot being removed and this set on in
its place. To this is attached a frame B which supports the mechanism.
Through the frame B are arranged two slides a, b, in suitable guides so
that they will move freely in a longitudinal line, as from the position in
Fig. 1 to that in Fig 2, and return. These slides are thus moved by
means of a lever C, D, pivoted to the frame B at d, the one arm D
extending forward toward the presser foot, and is connected by any
suitable device to the needle bar, so that the movement of the needle bar
up and down will give to the arm D of the lever a corresponding
movement. The other arm C of the lever extends down between the
two slides a and b, and on each slide a notch f is formed. Supposing
this lever to be down, as in Fig. 3, the end of the arm c of the lever rests
in the notch f of the slide a. These notches are inclined toward the
presser foot, as in Fig. 4, so that as the arm c is drawn forward by the
raising of the lever it passes from the notch freely; the two slides being
constructed so as to have a slight lateral movement; this arm C of the
lever presses the two slides apart sufficiently to allow the said arm to
pass forward into the notch of the slide b.
A spring Fembraces the two slides, as in Fig. 4, yielding to allow the
11
"
1

page_text: have dropped into the forward notch, then when the lever is again
brought down and the arm C forced back the slides b will be forced with
the arm C. The two slides are connected at the rear by a lever L
pivoted to the frame, the slides being respectively connected to opposite
ends of the said lover L, hence when the slide is forced back, as before
described, as from the position in Fig. 2 to that in Fig. 1, the other slide
a will be correspondingly carried forward as in Fig. 1; then when the
lever D is again carried up and the arm C brought forward it engages with
the other slide a, and in like manner carries that back, returning the
slides to the first position, or as seen in Fig. 2, and so continuing at cach
movement of the needle bar. These slides are provided respectively
with thread carrying arms a', 6', through the end of which an eye is
formed to carry one or more threads, these arms being placed relatively
to the path of the needle, which is, say at 12, so that each movement
causes the thread in the arms to cross the path of the needle. The
threads from these arms being first held in position to engage with the
needle thread each successive movement causes the thread from these
tbread carriers to be interlaced upon the surface of the work. From the
frame B for convenience an arm P is arranged supporting transverse
arms R, R, upon which spools to supply thread to these thread carriers
are arranged, and as a tension for these threads an adjusting or pressure
plate is arranged upon each of the slides, beneath which the thread
passes, and the pressure of these plates adjusted by a set crew t or other
suitable device.
The manner of connecting the arm D of the lever with the needle bar
will readily suggest itself to those familiar with similar machinery, as for
instance the bar may be slotted to receive the end of the bar D, or
collars may be applied to the arm above and below, it being only
essential that it be so connected as to actuate the said lever.
30 SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents,
35 123, Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
°

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Edward.Thomas Hughes, Her special licence
that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 EMBROIDERY ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES," a communication to
me from abroad by Henry Lucius Hotchkiss, of New Haven, United
States of America," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 Figures and
letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is to say:-
This Invention relates to a device which may be attached directly or
indirectly to the presser foot for the purpose of interlacing other threads
with the ordinary needle thread, whereby an ornamental embroidery
appearance is given to the work, hence the device is termed an
embroidering attachment for sewing machines.
The Invention consists in an attachment for sewing machines to be
applied directly or indirectly to the presser foot, in which one or more
thread carriers are caused to reciprocate in a plane across the path of the
needle actuated by the needle arm or bar, so that in the movement of
the needle the said thread carriers are caused to cross the path of the

page_text: needle and thereby interlace the thread or threads with the needle thread
upon the surface of the work.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents a top view, shewing
the thread carriers at their extreme movement; Fig. 2, the same,
showing the carrier at the other extreme movement; Fig. 3, a side view,
the parts in the position seen in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a top view of the
thread carrier slides at the point whero the lever operates.
A is a stud constructed so as to be attached to the presser foot or
presser foot bar, and may and by preference does take the place of the
ordinary presser foot, the presser foot being removed and this set on in
its place. To this is attached a frame B, which supports the mechanism.
Through the frame B are arranged two slides a, b, in suitable guides so
that they will move freely in a longitudinal line, as from the position in
Fig. 1 to that in Fig. 2, and return. These slides are thus moved by
means of a lever C, D, pivoted to the frame B at d, the one arm D
extending forward toward the presser foot, and is connected by any
suitable device to the needle bar, so that the movement of the needle bar
up and down will give to the arm D of the lever a corresponding
movement. The other arm O of the lever extends down between the
two slides a and b, and on each slide a notch fis formed. Supposing this
lever to be down as in Fig. 3, the end of the arm C of the lever rests in
the notch f of the slide a. These notches are inclined toward the presser
foot, as in Fig. 4, so that as the arm C is drawn forward by the
raising of the lever it passes from the notch freely, the two slides being
constructed so as to have a slight lateral movement; this arm C of the
lever presses the two slides apart sufficiently to allow the said arm to
pass forward into the notch f of the slide 6.
A spring F embraces the two slides, as in Fig. 4, yielding to allow
the lever to open the slide but closing again so soon as the arm C
shall have dropped into the forward notch; then when the lever is again
brought down and the arm C forced back the slide 6 will be forced back
with the arm C. The two slides are connected at the rear by a lever L
pivoted to the frame, the slides being respectively connected to opposite
ends of the said lever L, hence when the slide 6 is forced back, as before
described, as from the position in Fig. 2 to that in Fig. 1, the other slide
a will be correspondingly carried forward as in Fig. 1; then when the
lever D is again carried up and the arm C brought forward it engages

page_text: with the other slide a, and in like manner carries that back, returning
the slides to the first position, or as seen in Fig. 2, and so continuing at
cach movement of the needle bar. These slides are provided, respectively,
with thread carrying arms a³, &', through the end of which an eye is
formed to carry one or more threads, these arms being placed relatively
to the path of the needle which is, say at n, so that each movement
causes the thread in the arms to cross the path of the needle. The
threads from these arms being first held in position to engage with the
needle thread each successive movement causes the thread from these
thread carriers to be interlaced upon the surface of the work. From the 1
frame B, for convenience, an arm P is arranged, supporting transverse
arms R, R, upon which spools to supply thread to these thread carriers
are arranged, and as a tension for these threads an adjusting or pressure
plate is arranged upon each of the slides beneath which the thread
passes, and the pressure of these plates adjusted by a set screw t or other
suitable device.
The manner of connecting the arm D of the lever with the needle bar
will readily suggest itself to those familiar with similar machinery, as,
for instance, the bar may be slotted to receive the end of the bar D, or
collars may be applied to the arm above and below, it being only
essential that it be so connected as to actuate the said lever.
The construction of the presser foot or attachment of the device to the
presser foot will necessarily be different for differently constructed
machines, but it is only essential that it be attached relatively to the
path of the needle, as before described.
In operation when each thread carrier is supplied with thread the
two threads will cross each other at each stitch, first to the right, and
then to the left, a stitch of the needle thread being made over the
crossing of the threads.
One thread carrrier only may be used, if preferred, which will carry
the thread first to the right and then to the left.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of the said
Invention, as communicated to me from abroad, I claim,-
First. An embroidering attachment for sewing machines, consisting of
one or more thread carriers applied directly or indirectly to the presser
foot R, and actuated by or from the needle bar so that the said thread
carriers work in a plane across the path of the needle to interlace their