PROVED SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENTS FOR BUTTON HOLING AND OVER. SEAMING
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Knickerbocker Pruyn, of New York,
"IM-
in the United States of America, and temporarily of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
PROVED SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENTS FOR BUTTON HOLING AND OVER.
SEAMING."
Sealed the 12th May 1871, and dated the 25th March 1871.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Knickerbocker Pruyn
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 25th March 1871, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
KNICKERBOCKER PRUYN, of New York, in the United States of America,
and temporarily of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVED SEWING
MACHINE ATTACHMENTS FOR BUTTON HOLING AND OVER SEAMING," and have
petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, adminis-

page_text: trators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and
have made solemn Declaration that I am the true and first Inventor
thereof.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Knickerbocker Pruyn, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
band and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the three Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
The present Invention relates to improved attachments for sewing
machines, the first arrangement being more particularly applicable for
that class of such machines known as the "shuttle machine," or those
in which two threads are employed to form the stitch, the object and
purpose of the attachment being to produce a button hole stitch, so
called, along and over the edge of the goods or material as it is being
sewed therein.
The principal features of the first arrangement of the present Invention
consist mainly in novel means operating the lever devices for drawing
the shuttle thread from and returning with it back to the edge of the
goods, and there forming a loop for the needle to pass through, as well
as in the use of a spring so arranged as to control the slack; and also
in the employment of a novel device for regulating the length of the
stitch.
In Sheet 1 of the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view
of the improved attachment showing it secured in place upon a sewing
machine; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same with the upper plate
of the attachment removed; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the upper
plate of the attachment detached; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a
portion of the devices of a sewing machine, and of the attachment in the
act of forming the stitch, and of the stitches when loosely formed;
Figure 5 is an edge or side view of the stitch regulator attached to the
leg of the feed brake; Figure 6 is a front view of the lower part of the
stitch regulator broken off; and Figure 7 is a cross section on the line x, x,
Figure 6.
.
In constructing the improved attachment designed to be placed upon
the bed plate or platform of a shuttle machine of the "Singer" or any
similar manufacture, I make two plates A and B, the former to be

page_text: .
attached to. tlie shuttle carrier, as clearly shown in. Figure 2, and the
latter, to be placed immediately over it, and attached in the position of
the ordinary throat piece as shown in Figure 1; the form of these plates
is shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. To the upper side of the plate A. are
attached cams a and b in the relative positions, and shaped as shown in
Figure-2, and so as to turn freely on their points of attachment. So far
I. do not claim anything as novel in the construction of the attachment:.
These cams a and bare held in. position by springs c attached to the
plate, as shown also in Figure 2, and also to the same plate arc attached
rigidly the cams and in the relative positions, and shaped as shown
in the same Figure. If desired, one or both of these cams may form a
part of the plate, though preferably the cam bis attached and the cam k
forms a part of the plate. The upper plate B is constructed with a
tang G on its rear side for attachment to the bed' plate of the machine
in the place occupied by the throat plate, as shown in Figure 1, and
near its front side is provided a throat hole through which the needle
plays, as shown in Figure 1.. To. this plate B. on its upper side are
attached the bent lever C and the elbow levers D and E in the relative
positions, and shaped as shown clearly in Figures. 1. and 3, and so as to
turn freely about their respective points of attachments m, n, and o.
The short arm. of the lever. O is operated by means of a pin i attached
and projecting under it, acting against the cam.b on the plate A. The
long arm. of the lever is curved slightly, both in its vertical and hori
zontal planes so as to be parallel with that portion of the plate. B, which
is immediately under its range of motion, and also so that its extreme
end which is provided with an eye may have this.eye brought directly
under the throat hole of the plate, the edge of the plate at this point
being constructed with a lip, in which the throat hole is located, and
so arranged as. to permit the eye of the lever to come directly under
the throat hole, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The front end of the
arm g of the elbow lever D enters a groove, shown in dotted lines in
Figure 3,. of the requisite length to partially limit its movement, and
near its end has a hook F pivoted to it, curved in both its vertical and
horizontal planes and provided on its outer edge and front end with a
groove to catch the thread and guide it, as will be explained hereafter;
this hook is also connected loosely to the armf of the elbow lever E
by a link h, its point of connection being a little in front of its point of
connection to the arm of the lever D, as clearly shown in Figures 1, 3,
and 4. The end of the arm d of the elbow lever D is provided with an

page_text: oblong opening or slot, which lies or fits on a pin attached to the upper
side of the arm e of the elbow lever E, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3,
in such a manner as to permit the pin to move freely in the slot, the length
of which limits the movement of the lever D, as shown in the same
Figures. The arm e of the elbow lever E has also another pin j on its
under side, which enters and passes through an oblong opening or slot p
in the plate B, and is acted on by the cam a pivoted to the plate A, as
shown in Figure 1. To the under side of the plate B is attached at one
end a straight spring q at right angles to the length of the plate, and
so as to be under the long arm of the lever C, and to have its free 1
end toward the throat hole, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1.
The relative length, shape, form, position, and connections of these
different mechanical devices are shown in the Drawings, and are such
as to produce the different movements herein-after described.
To apply and operate this attachment to and with the sewing
machines mentioned the throat piece is first removed from them, and
the under plate A then connected to the shuttle carrier H by means of a
screw, and over the plate A is placed the plate B fastened to the bed
plate of the machine by means of a screw which passes through the
tang G which lies in the same seat occupied by the throat piece when
it is in the machine, these plates having been first provided with the
mechanical devices described. The upper or needle thread is adjusted
in the usual manner. The lower or shuttle thread coming from the
bobbin is passed under the spring q, and then through the eye in the
end of the arm of the lever C if the lever is thrown back as shown in
Figure 1. The cloth on which the stitch is to be worked, whether on
its edge or in a button hole, is then adjusted and the proper tension
given to the thread by the usual devices. The machine is then operated.
The needle descends carrying its thread through the loop of which the
shuttle passes in the usual way, and as the shuttle returns the devices
take the position clearly shown in Figure 1. This position is taken
almost immediately after it commences its return, and as it continues its
return the hook F catches the lower or shuttle thread in the groove on
its end and carries it forward over the throat 1, the long arm of the
lever C quickly following it, and taking a position with its eye directly
under the throat at the same instant the arms ƒ and g of the elbow
levers D and E move a short distance in the direction of the forward
line of the shuttle, carrying the hook F with them, which by this

page_text: motion spreads or opens the thread into a loop, gets out of the way of
the needle, and returns to its former position; as it returns the needle
goes through the loop thus formed, and on through the throat in the
plate and the eye in the end of the lever C carrying its thread with it,
through the loop of which the shuttle again passes; then as the needle
ascends, and so soon as it rises from the throat the arm of the lever C.
draws the stitch tight and draws the upper or needle thread both from
above and below the edge of the cloth, and forms the purl of the thread
in a line on the edge. The stitch thus made is shown in Figure 4, and
closely resembles the hand-made button hole stitch. The loop thrown
under the point of the needle with the shuttle thread and the loop
thrown around the shuttle thread by the needle thread below when
drawn tightly together by the arm of the lever must make the stitch as
described.
In operating the machine with the attachment it is necessary often-
times, and especially in forming the stitches around the inner ends of
button holes, against which the eye of the button bears, to have the
feed regulator so present the edge of the curve of the button hole that
the stitches about this curve will be uniform with the rest of the work.
To do this it is necessary that the feed gradually move more rapidly
as the stitches are worked from the beginning of the curve to its highest
point, and in like manner move slower as it passes from this point to
the straight edge of the button hole. The reason for this is that unless
it were done the stitches about the curve would not be at uniform
distances. To accomplish this to the leg I of the brake or feeding device
is attached a stitch regulator or device for regulating the feed as desired,
and so arranged that the operator can increase or diminish the rapidity
of the feed at the same time without interfering with his general
management of the work. This device is shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7,
and consists of a spring J with a yoker attached loosely to its upper
end, which yoke straddles and is secured to the arm I of the usual
rock shaft. The lower end of this spring is connected by rod » with
the usual leg for clutching the feed wheel. This spring is flat, and
Figure 5 shows an edge view; its lower end is provided with a wedge-
shaped piece T having a curved oblong slot or opening S, below which
projects a handle K, as shown in Figure 6, which presents a front view.
The material forming this slot is made wedge-shaped longitudinally, as
clearly shown in section in Figure 7, the smaller end being at t and the

page_text: larger at u. The slot S, in attaching the spring to the leg of the brake,
is slipped on the rod v, connecting the leg of the brake to the brake
itself of the machine, and over it are placed the thumb nuts L, ordinarily
used to regulate the length of the rod v, and through it the feed and
length of stitch, and instead of these thumb nuts the above-described
stitch regulator is employed. It will be found from experience that the
thumb nut cannot be manipulated with sufficient ease and rapidity to
regulate the feed as desired for turning the curve in the bottom hole;
but by means of the improved device the rod is gradually lengthened
or shortened by simply swinging or turning the stitch regulator back-
ward or forward, the wedge-shaped piece T and the action of the spring
accomplishing this result.
In the arrangement above described the attacliment is so constructed
as to be secured horizontally upon the bed of the machine, the looping
devices being operated by the shuttle carrier.
The second arrangement of this Invention consists in certain mechanical
devices to be attached to and operated by and with an ordinary sewing
machine, for which purpose the mechanism is connected to the frame
over the bed of the, machine, and is operated by the needle bar, or other
moving part above, the mechanism being intended to be attached to and
used with any ordinary sewing machine.
In Sheet 2 of the Drawings Figure 8 is a side elevation of a portion
of a sewing machine, with the apparatus attached. Figure 9 is a similar
view shewing the needle and loopers in a different position. Figure 10
is a front view of the same. Figure 11 represents a modification of
the operating mechanism, and Figure 12 shows views of the throat plate
detached. The attachment or mechanism consists essentially of two
operating parts, a looper or secondary needle I and a vibrating finger E
both arranged to move intermittently and at certain fixed intervals.
To construct the attachment I first provide a bracket B which is secured
by screws to the frame of the needle bar in such a manner as to bring
the attachment in rear of the needle bar and under the arm or shaft
that operates the same, as shown in Figure 8. In the rear end of this
bracket B we mount a slide C, in the lower end of which is secured a
straight needle I which has an elongated eye, and which needle I
denominate the looper. This looper, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, stands
inclined at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and is so located that
as it descends its point passes directly under and in the line of the

page_text: descent of the needle d of the sewing machine, as shown in Figure 10.
To operate this looper I, I pivot on the side of the bracket B a cam D
which has in it a slot, the first half of which is made eccentric to the
pivota, the remaining half from u to u¹, being made concentric therewith.
A pin e protrudes from the side of the slide Cand enters the slot in the
cam D, and the cam is connected by a link c to the needle arm, or to
a stud attached to the needle bar above, as shown in Figure 8. By
this arrangement it will be seen that as the needle begins its downward
movement, the cam D operating on the slide C moves the looper I at
the same instant, the latter being slightly in advance of the needle, so
that the looper is in position, first, with its elongated eye directly under
the point of the needle, the latter descending and passing through the
eye of the looper. As the pin e arrives at the point the looper I
ceases to move and remains stationary while the cam completes its
motion to u¹ and back to u again, during which time the shuttle or other
thread carrier below will have passed through the loop of the needle
thread, and the needle be drawn up out of the eye of the looper, when
the latter will be raised to its original position ready for another move-
ment. It will be observed that the looper I passes obliquely through
a hole in the throat plate J just over and so as to clear the shuttle
and under the rim of the feed wheel or under the feed ratchet, if such
be used, I also provide a finger E which is pivoted at its upper end »
to the bracket B in front of the slide C and between the bracket and
the cam D as shown in Figure 10. The general form of this finger is
shown in Figure 8 where it is also represented detached. It is made
with a joint about midway of its length to permit its lower portion to
be turned up out of the way when desired, it being held in place by a
pin which is bent in the form of a crank, with its wrist bearing against
the side of the finger E as shown in Figures 8 and 9. This pin fis
mounted in a bearing so as to turn therein, and its opposite end is
provided with a shorter crank, standing at right angles to the part,
this short crank being connected by a spiral spring to a pin above.
The tension of the spring thus serves to keep the foot of lower portion
of the finger E pressed over against the looper I, and when the lower
part of the finger is turned up, the pin fis also turned until the short
crank is brought on the dead point, or in line with the spring, which
then holds it in that position, the pin fthen striking against a pin t,
which projects from the side of the finger, and thereby holds the finger
up, the crank f thus serving to hold the finger down to its work, and

page_text: also up out of the way. The finger E has three independent movements
which are produced as follows:-It has on its rear side an arm m, on
its side near the base of this arm an incline n, and on its front edge
toward its lower end a toe or projection w. The arm m is struck by the
pine of the slide C as the latter ascends, which thus throws the finger E
back to its rearmost position. At the same time that this occurs a
pin which is held by a spring i secured on the side of the cam D, and
the end of which pin protrudes through a hole in the cam, rides up over
the inclinen and engages against its upper or rear face, so that as the
cam descends this pin slides along on the rear face of the incline n,
and thus throws the finger E forward, until the pin slips from behind
the incline, the point of the finger by this movement being thrown
forward past the looper and the needle as in Figure 1. where it remains
until the needle bar descends, when a projection or toe piece V, secured
to its lower end, comes in contact with the front projection or toe w
on the spreader E which drives the spreader back past the needle with
its point close against the looper I where it remains until the looper is
carried nearly to its highest point, when the pin e striking against the
under side of the arm m throws the point of the spreader back and under
the point of the looper, as represented in Figure 9. A plate k is secured
to the lower inner edge of the bracket B, against which the spreader E
is pressed by the crank pin f, this plate & thus serving as a bearing to
guide the spreader in its forward movement, this plate / being so set
as to permit the point of the spreader to pass under the point of the
looper when thrown clear back, and cause it to move obliquely past the
needle when thrown forward. The throat plate J, as represented in
detached views in Figure 12, consists of a single narrow plate secured
to the bed of the machine transversely across the shuttle race, as shown
in Figures 8 and 9. This plate J is provided with a hole p at its outer
end for the passage of the needle and looper, and with a larger hole at
its opposite end for a screw, by which it is secured to the bed of the
machine; it has also a small stud or pin v projecting from its upper face
in front of the needle hole, this pin being intended to enter the slit
forming the button hole, and thus serve to hold it open, so as to permit
the looper to pass through it, and also to operate as a guide against
which the edge of the fabric rests as it moves along, thus holding the
fabric so that it shall not crowd or work over in the way of the
looper, and cause the needle to enter the fabric at a uniform distance
from the edge.

page_text: In Figures 8, 9, and 10, the attachment is represented as applied to,
that class of machines which has a vibrating needle arm, but in
Figure 11 it is represented as applied to that class of machines which
has a rotating shaft instead of the vibrating arm for operating the
needle. In such cases the cam D is dispensed with, and motion is
imparted to the looper slide by means of an elbow lever L pivoted to
an arm of the bracket B, as shown in Figure 11, the short arm of the
lever being provided with a pin h, which engages in a cam groove on
the wheel R secured to the end of the rotating shaft, the groove being
so formed as to give to the lever L, and consequently to the looper I the
required movements. In this case the spring pawl or pin 7 which rides
over the incline n on the spreader is applied to the connecting link c,
and operates the same as when applied to the cam in the other case.
It is obvious that many other plans may be adopted to transmit
motion from the needle arm or rotating shaft to the looper and spreader,
but those described are simple and efficient, and are amply sufficient for
an illustration of the principle or mode of operation of my Invention.
The attachment is operated as follows:-The shuttle and needle being
threaded as for ordinary sewing, and the throat plate and attachment
being secured in position, the cloth is placed under the foot presser with
the pin in the slit or button hole, or against the edge of the fabric if
it be desired to work the edge simply, and the machine is then set in
motion. As it starts the looper I passes obliquely through the slit
under the edge of the material, until its eye comes directly under the
needle d, which descends and passes through the fabric, and also through
the eye of the looper, and down past the shuttle P (or other thread
carrier, as the case may be), this latter passing through the needle loop
in the usual manner. The needle is then drawn up, and as it rises out
of the eye of the looper the latter is also drawn back to the position
shown in Figure 9, the thread of the needle as it is drawn up through
the eye of the looper bringing the shuttle o with it, as represented in
Figure 9. At this instant the lower forked end of the spreader E, which
has been also brought to the position represented in Figure 9, engages
with that part of the shuttle thread which is between the looper and the
cloth, and immediately carries it over the upper side of the fabric,
thereby forming a loop directly under the needle d, as shown in Figure S,
so that as the needle descends it passes through this loop and thus locks
the shuttle thread at that point. As soon as the needle has fairly

page_text: entered the loop on the top of the cloth the toe V. on the end of the
needle bar strikes against the projection of the spreader, thereby
pushing the latter back to a position directly in rear of. the needle and
alongside of the looper, where it remains until the looper rises, when
the pine of the looper slide by striking against the under side of the
arm m carries the point of the spreader E still further back to the
position shown in Figure 9, ready to again engage with. the loop of
the shuttle thread for another operation. It will thus be seen that by
these operations the locking of the threads is made upon. the upper
edge of the fabric, the needle thread covering the edge of the same, the
stitch itself being the same as is produced by the former attachment.
By these means I produce an attachment that is simpler and better, and
that can be applied to all styles of machines, and which need not be
removed for ordinary sewing, as it is only necessary to disconnect the
link c from the driving bar or shaft, slide back the looper, and then turn
up the spreader out of the way, when the machine can be used the same
as though the attachment were not there..
Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16, Sheet 3, show the detached parts of a
modification of the arrangement last described, in which the finger or
spreader E is made of the form shown, and jointed, as in Figure 13,
being pivoted at x to the bracket B, as shown in dotted lines, Figure 14;
y is the pin working in the groove of cam D, by which the looper
slide C is operated, the pin y in this case being fixed at its upper
extremity; e is the pin working in a guide in the bracket B; as before,
and n is the incline acted on by the spring pin i on the cam D (Figures
15 and 16). The groove of the cam is curved, as shown, and the latter
is pivoted at a to the bracket B; z is an inclined projection on the
back of cam D, which comes in contact with a pin on finger E, to
draw back the forked end of the latter after the needle has entered the
loop; is a double incline attached to bracket B, by which finger E is
guided, so as to pass at one side of the needle, being kept against it
by a spring g, as shown.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as novel and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is,-
1st. The combination of the elbow levers D and E, constructed and
arranged to operate the vibrating hook F, as described and illustrated in
Sheet 1 of the annexed Drawings.

page_text: 2ndly. The combination with plate A, having cams a and b, of cams:
band k, actuating the lever C and hook F through their operating:
levers, substantially as herein described.
3rdly. The pivoted wedge-shaped piece T, in combination with the
rocking arm I, for varying the extent of the feed motion, substantially
as herein described.
4thly. The attachments for forming a button-hole stitch, constructed
and operating substantially as described and illustrated in Sheets 2.
and 3 of the Drawings, and arranged to be operated by the needle arm
or shaft from above.
5thly. The looper I, constructed as described, and arranged to move
from above diagonally across the line of the needle's movement under
the fabric and over the lower thread carrier, substantially as described.
6thly. The spreader E, provided with the arm m, incline n, and toe w,
arranged to be operated by the spring pawl i of cam D, the pin e of
slide C, and the toe piece V of the needle bar, whereby it has imparted
to it the intermittent reciprocating movements, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
7thly. The hinged spreader E in combination with the bent or crank
pin fand spring y, arranged to operate as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Knickerbocker Pruyn, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.
JOHN KNICKERBOCKER PRUYN. (L.S.)