IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MECHANISM TO BE Applied to a SEWING MACHINE TO ADAPT THE SAME FOR STITCHING OR SEWING BUTTON- PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Mills, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America, now of 8, Southampton Buildings, London, for an
Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MECHANISM TO BE Applied to a
SEWING MACHINE TO ADAPT THE SAME FOR STITCHING OR SEWING BUTTON-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Mills at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th July 1881.
**
DANIEL MILLS, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, now of
8, Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MECHANISM TO
BE APPLIED TO A SEWING MACHINE TO ADAPT THE SAME FOR STITCHING OR
SEWING BUTTON-HOLES."
This Invention relates to improved apparatus designed to be attached to a
sewing machine for sewing or stitching button holes of that kind or class which
are furnished and strengthened at each end by a bar formed of a series of
comparatively long stitches extending crosswise or transversely to the direction of
the length of the button-hole. The said Invention is more especially designed for
attachment to machines provided with a vertically reciprocating needle and a
reciprocating shuttle, and in which the needle does not vary its position in
working relatively to the said shuttle.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I mount upon a suitable bed-plate
adapted to be attached to the work-table of a sewing machine a compound slide,
that is to say, a slide which consists of two parts capable of longitudinal and
transverse movements. The lower part which I term the primary slide is adapted
to move to and fro for forming the stitches at the sides and the bars at the ends of
the button holes, and the other part which I terin the secondary slide imparts its
feed motion to the work in the direction of the length of the button hole.
said primary slide is guided in its movements by two parallel bars or rods
supported in lugs upon the aforesaid bed-plate, and passing through bearings on
the underside of the said slide. To impart movement to the said primary slide
The

page_text: when my improved attachment is to be applied to a machine having a longi-
tudinally reciprocating shuttle such as the well known "Singer" machine, I
employ a bell-crank lever. One arın of this lever carries a roller which enters a
cam groove in a wheel operated through suitable gearing from the driving shaft or
other part of the sewing machine. This cam groove imparts sufficient movement
to the aforesaid bell crank lever to enable it to move the compound slide to an
extent equal to the greatest width of button hole capable of being produced by the
apparatus. The said bell-crank lever is pivotted to the bed-plate of the attachment,
and its other arm is provided with two flat springs which embrace a lug or
projection on the stem of a yoke or saddle piece attached to the primary slide.
These springs permit the primary slide to be controlled in its movements by a
taper screw, as hereinafter described, whilst at the same time they enable the said
bell crank lever to move to the same extent at each revolution of the cam-wheel
irrespective of the length of the stitches heing formed on each side of the centre of
the button-hole.
When my improved attachment is to be applied to a sewing machine having a
transversely reciprocating shuttle I substitute for the aforesaid bell crank lever a
straight lever and arrange the latter to engage with a projection on the slide
itself instead of upon the stem of the yoke as the position of the parts of the
attachment herein described must in that case be varied to ensure the direction of
the feed motion of the cloth clamps taking place transversely to the motion of the
shuttle.
The aforesaid yoke or saddle piece surrounds two adjustable jaws serving as a
stitch controlling device, and mounted on a shaft which is supported in suitable
bearings on the bed-plate. The said yoke or saddle-piece has on its interior surface
two projections and two recesses diametrically opposite to each other, and the
adjustable jaws in their revolution alternately occupy such a position relatively to
the said projections and recesses of the said yoke as to vary the length of the
longitudinal or reciprocating movement of the compound slide in such a manner as
to effect the stitching of first one side and then the other side of the button hole,
and to make short stitches at the sides and long stitches at the bars or ends of the
same. In order to regulate the length of the stitches, that is to say, the depth of
the "bite" on each side of the centre of the button hole I provide the stem of the
said yoke or saddle-piece near the said slide with a lug, through which I pass a
screw. This screw has its lower end tapered, and this end enters a tapered recess
or opening in the bed-plate, so that by the adjustment of the said-screw-the-
inovement of the primary slide may be controlled or restricted.
The secondary slide is mounted and slides upon the primary slide and carries
the upper and lower cloth clamps. The lower cloth clamp is immovable fixed to
the said slide whilst the upper clamp is pivotted to the same and may be raised
by means of a suitable lever or thumb piece to permit the insertion of the work
between the said clamps. The said upper clamp caused to grip the work firmly
between itself and the lower clamp by means of a suitable spring. To impart
movement to the said secondary slide I employ a right and left handed screw feed
cam mounted on the same shaft as the adjustable jaws surrounded by the saddle
or yoke. With the cam groove of this feed can a roller on one end of a lever
engages. This lever is pivotted to the bed-plate, and its other end projects
immediately over the said secondary slide. In this end of the said lever I form a
longitudinal slot corresponding with another slot in the said slide. Into the last
named slot fits a roller mounted upon a stud whose screw-threaded end passes
through the slot in the lever and is provided with a thumb-nut or clamp for
holding the said roller in any desired position in the said slot. The position of the
said stud and roller in the aforesaid slots determines the length of the button-hole
being sewn.
The aforesaid feed cam has in its periphery a recess adapted to receive a lever
whose end is wedge shaped and fits between the adjustable jaws mounted on the
cam shaft within the saddle-piece; these jaws are forced into contact with the said

page_text: lever by means of a spring and by the adjustment of the wedge shaped end of the
said lever nearer to or farther from the axis of the shaft carrying the said jaws,
the latter will be correspondingly opened or closed so as to present a more or less
extended outer or circumferential surface to the interior surface of the yoke or
saddle piece. To effect the adjustment of the said lever I pass through the feed
cam and its shaft a screw which enters a tapped hole in the said lever.
To impart motion to the feed-cam, which in one revolution forms a complete
button-hole, I mount upon its shaft a ratchet wheel which is operated by a pawl
attached to a lever. This lever which is hung upon the said shaft is actuated by
suitable projections or cams upon the cam-wheel which operates the bell-crank
lever and the primary slide, or upon the wheel which imparts motion to the said
cam-wheel from the sewing machine. When the said lever is adapted to be
operated by the cam-wheel two projections upon the same will be required as it
makes but one revolution to every two revolutions of the sewing machine, but
when the said lever is operated by the wheel which drives the said cam-wheel one
projection only will be necessary. Or instead of using a ratchet wheel and pawl
other suitable devices may be employed for this purpose.
To permit the above described mechanism to be adjusted to any desired position
whilst the sewing mechanism is not in operation the feed cam carrying shaft is
provided with a thumb-nut or handle to permit the said shaft to be turned by
hand.
In my improved attachment sufficient space is left between the inner surface of
the yoke or saddle and the portion of the jaws not in contact with the said yoke
to admit of variation in the length of the stitches, as described in the Provisional
Specification of former Letters Patent, dated March 19th, A.D. 1881, No. 1211, and
by the employment of the aforesaid screw passing through the stem of the saddle
and provided with a conical end adapted to enter the conical recess or aperture in
the bed plate, as above described, I also attain similar results to those obtained by
the regulating screw and the stops on the slide described in the said former
Specification. Moreover, by the employment of the adjustable jaws and the wedge
shaped lever passing between them and rendered adjustable by a screw, as above
set forth, I am enabled to increase or diminish the circumferential distance or
length of the said jaws and the proportion of the same to the portions of the
interior of the yoke of different diameters, and thus to provide for regulating or
altering the number of stitches at the bars or ends irrespective of the coarseness or
fineness of the feed in the direction of the length of the button hole in a similar
manner to that effected by the devices for this purpose described in the Specification
of the said former Letters Patent.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Daniel Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th January
1882.
e
DANIEL MILLS, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, now of
8, Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MECHANISM TO
BE APPLIED TO A SEWING-MACHINE TO ADAPT THE SAME FOR STITCHING OR
SEWING BUTTON HOLES."
This Invention relates to improved apparatus or mechanism to be applied to a
sewing machine to adapt the same for stitching or sewing button-holes of that
kind or class which are finished and strengthened at each end by a bar formed of a
series of comparatively long stitches extending crosswise or transversely to the
direction of the length of the button-hole.
The said apparatus is more especially designed for attachment to sewing machines
which are provided with a vertically reciprocating needle and a reciprocating
shuttle, and in which the needle does not vary its lateral position relatively to the
said shuttle.
The said Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the said apparatus or mechanism; and
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the said apparatus.
In these Figures a represents a bed-plate adapted to be attached to the work-
table of a sewing-machine. Upon this bed-plate I mount a compound slide, that is
to say, a slide which consists of two parts b, c. The lower part b, which I term the
primary slide, is adapted to move the material in which the button-holes are to be
formed to and fro transversely to the button-hole, as indicated by the arrow 1,
beneath the needle, so that the latter descends in the proper position to form the
_ stitches_at_the_sides_and_at_the_ends_or_bars_of_the_button-holes;_the_other_part_c_
of the slide, which I term the secondary slide, feeds the work or material in the
direction af the length of the button-hole, as indicated by the arrow 2, so that one
side, then one bar, then the other side, and finally the other bar of the button hole
are successively stitched or sewn. The position of the needle is shewn at 3.
"
The primary slide b is guided in its movements by the parallel bars or rods b¹,
supported in lugs a' upon the bed-plate a, and passing through suitable apertures
or bearings on the underside of the said slide.
When my improved mechanism is designed to be applied to a machine having a
longitudinally reciprocating shuttle, such a machine for instance as the well known
Singer sewing machine, I impart movement to the primary slide b by means of
a bell-crank lever d. One arm of this lever carries a stud or roller d*, which
enters a cam groove e¹ in a disc or toothed wheel e operated by the toothed
wheelf, or in any other suitable manner, from the driving shaft or other part of
the sewing-machine. This cam-groove e¹ imparts sufficient movement to the bell-
crank-lever d to enable it to move the compound slide to an extent equal to the
distance between the outer ends or edges of the longest stitches to be produced by
the apparatus at the sides of a button-hole. The said bell-crank lever d is pivotted
to the bed-plate a at d², and its arm d³ is provided with two flat springs d³, which
embrace a lug or projection g³ an the stem or extension g¹ of a yoke, saddle-piece,
or strap g attached to or forming part of the primary slide b. These springs
permit the said slide to be controlled in its movements by a screw, as hereinafter

page_text: described, whilst at the same time they do not obstruct or interrupt the action of
the bell-crank-lever d, which is allowed to move to the same extent at every
revolution of the wheel e, irrespective of the length of the stitches being formed on
each side of the centre of the button-hole.
When my improved apparatus or attachment is to be applied to a sewing-
machine having a transversely reciprocating shuttle, I substitute for the bell-crank-
lever d a straight lever, and arrange the latter to engage with a projection on the
slide instead of upon the stem of the yoke g, as the position of the parts of my
improved attachment must in this case be varied to ensure the motion of the cloth
clamps in a direction transverse to that of the movement of the shuttle.
The yoke or strap g surrounds two adjustable jaws h, which serve as a stitch-
controlling device, and are arranged upon and revolve with a shaft i. This shaft,
which makes one revolution during the complete stitching of each button hole, is
supported in bearings or standards a² on the bed-plate a. The said yoke or strap
has on its interior surface two projections g³ and two recesses 9 diametrically
opposite to each other, and the adjustable jaws h in their revolution with the shaft i
alternately occupy such a position relatively to the said projections and recesses as
to vary the length of the longitudinal movement of the compound slide in such a
manner that short stitches will be made at the sides of a button-hole, and long
stitches at the bars or ends of the same in a similar manner to that described
in the Specification of former Letters Patent, dated March 19th A.D., 1881,
No. 1211.
This device is efficient for changing the length of material of the slide to make
short stitches at the sides and long stitches at the ends or bars of the button hole,
but does not provide for otherwise varying the length of the stitches; but I provide
for the variation or regulation of the length of the stitches, that is to say, the depth
of the "bite" of the needle on each side of the centre line of the button-hole to be
sewn or stitched as follows, viz. :-I provide the stem g¹ of the yoke or strap near
the slide b with a lug, through which I pass a screw; or this screw may be passed
through the slide bitself, as shewn at g*. The lower end of the said screw is taper
or conical, and is adapted to enter a taper recess or opening as in the bed-plate a,
so that by the vertical adjustment of the said screw the movement of the primary
slide b may be controlled, that is to say, by turning the said screw upward to its
full height the slide b will be allowed free movement to the full extent permitted
by the yoke g and jaws h, and the machine will then make long stitches, while by
turning the said screw downward it can be set to limit the stroke of the said slide,
and thereby shorten the stitches as may be desired.
The secondary slide c is mounted and slides upon the slide b, and carries the
upper and lower clamps j, k, which hold the leather, cloth, or other material
between them, and move together during the operation of sewing or stitching the
button-holes. The lower clamp is immovably fixed to the said slide c, whilst the
upper clamp jis pivotted to the same, and may be raised by means of a suitable
lever or thumb piece to permit the insertion of the work between the said clamps.
The said upper clamp j serves as the presser foot, and is caused to grip the work
firmly between itself and the lower clamp by means of a spring j¹.
To impart motion to the secondary slide c 1 employ a right and left handed
spiral or screw cam mounted on the shaft i. In the cam groove in this cam a
stud or roller on one end of a lever m engages. This lever is pivotted to the bed-
plate a at m¹, and its other end projects over the said secondary slide c. In this
end of the said lever I form a longitudinal slot m², corresponding with another
slot c formed in the slide c. Into this slot c¹ fits a roller mounted upon a stud n,
whose shank is screw threaded and passes through the slot m², and is provided
with a thumb nut or clamp n¹ for holding the said roller in any desired position
in the said slot m². The said stud is adjustable lengthwise in the lever, and the
position of the stud and roller in the aforesaid slots determines the length of the.
button-hole being sewn.

page_text: The feed-cam limparts to the cloth, through the lever m and slide c, the required
feed-movements in the direction of the arrow 2 and back to stitch both sides of
the button-hole, and one revolution of the said cam effects both the forward and
return movements of the said slide to complete a button hole.
I further provide for the regulation of the stitching as follows, that is to say:-
In the periphery of this feed cam is formed a recess adapted to receive a lever or
arm o, whose end is wedge-shaped and fits between the adjustable jaws h, as
clearly shewn in Figure 3. These jaws are kept in contact with the wedge-shaped
end of the said lever by means of a spring h', and by the adjustment of the lever
or arm o nearer to or farther from the axis of the shaft i, the said jaws will be
correspondingly opened or closed, so as to present a more or less extended outer
or circumferential surface to the interior of the yoke or saddle-piece g. To effect
the adjustment of the lever or arm o I pass through the cam 7 and its shaft a
screw o', as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1, which screw enters a tapped hole
in the said lever or arm o.
By the adjustment of the said taper or wedge-shaped arm or lever o inward or
outward, as above described, the length of the outer circumferential surface of the
jaws will be varied in relation to the portions g³, gt, of the interior of the yoke g;
and as the side stitches of the button-hole are formed during the time that this
surface is presented to the projections g³, g³, of the yoke g, it will be seen that by
providing for varying the length or extent of the said outer circumferential surface
of the said jaws, I am enabled to vary the number of stitches in the sides in
relation to the number of those in the bars at the ends of the button-hole, these
bars being formed when the jaws h, h, are opposite the recesses g', g*, in the said
yoke g. In other words, I am enabled by these devices to regulate or alter the
number of stitches in the bars or ends of the button-hole irrespective of the
coarseness or fineness of the feed in the direction of the length of the said
button-hole.
To impart motion to the feed-cam 1, which makes one revolution in and during
the formation of a button-hole, as above stated, I mount upon its shaft i a ratchet-
wheel p which is operated by a spring pawl p2 attached to a lever pl: This lever,
which is hung upon the said shaft, is actuated by a cam or projection on the
wheel for the said lever may be actuated by cams or projections upon the
wheel e.
In the latter case two cams or projections must be arranged upon
the wheel e, as it makes but one revolution to every two revolutions of the sewing
machine. Or instead of using a ratchet-wheel and pawl other suitable devices
may be employed for this purpose.
To allow the parts of the apparatus to be adjusted to any desired position when
the sewing mechanism is at rest, the shaft i is provided with a thumb-nut i' or
handle to permit the said shaft to be turned by hand.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination with the primary and secondary slides of the lever,
provided with the springs d', the lever m, and the cams for operating the said
levers, substantially as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
Second. The combination with the primary slide and the means for imparting a
to and fro motion to the same of the yoke or strap and the rotating adjustable
jaws, substantially as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
Third. The combination with the primary slide, the yoke, or strap and the
jaws of the screw g*, provided with a conical or tapered end adapted to enter
a correspondingly shaped hole in the bed-plate, substantially as above set forth
and for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The combination with the jaws arranged to revolve within the yoke g
of the lever or arm o and screw o², substantially as above set forth and for the
purposes specified.
Fifth. The apparatus or mechanism (to be applied to a sewing machine to adapt

page_text: the same for sewing button-holes) consisting of the parts constructed, combined,
and operating substantially as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
In. witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Mills, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord Onr
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
DAN'. MILLS. (L.S.)