IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR FACILITATING THE BINDING OF HAT-BRIMS AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1884

page_text: Ef
I JOHN THOMAS of 5 Cabot Street in the City and County of Bristol Machinist
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING
MACHINES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR FACILITATING THE BINDING OF HAT-BRIMS AND
FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to sewing machines and is chiefly designed to provide
simple and effective means for sewing the binding material upon the turned or
curled edges of hats, this operation having always heretofore been effected by hand
by reason of the difficulty of adapting machinery for the purpose.
The said invention is, however, applicable for any other purpose of a similar
nature.
The binding as ordinarily used for hat-brims-is of the same width throughout,
consequently with respect to that portion of the brim situated at the sides of the
hat, the greater portion of this width is taken up in covering the top surface of the
curled or turned-over part, and therefore a very narrow edge is disposable for being
turned underneath this section of the rim. The method adopted for sewing, by
hand, this portion of the binding material to the rim is to make a series of long
stitches, which, at one end, secure the outer visible edge of the said material to the
brim just below the point at which it turns upward, the other end of each stitch
securing the narrow turned over-edge of the binding material to the brim under-
neath the curled or turned-over portion of the latter out of sight.
The object of my invention is to provide means whereby this, and any similar
work, may be effected by a sewing machine and thus economise time to a very
considerable extent.
The said invention consists essentially in making the needle or work plate
(viz the projecting part upon which the brim of the hat rests when being sewn and
through which the needle passes) in two parts, one of which is fixed and the other
capable of sliding so as to be caused to lie closely against the fixed part, or removed
therefrom, as hereinafter described.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide an upwardly projecting
piece upon the arm carrying the shuttle this piece being placed in the usual
position at the end of the said arm but being made of considerable less thickness
.מ

page_text: than the piece as heretofore employed. This piece is provided with a slot, half
round in transverse section, the said slot being situated at the end immediately
over the aperture through which the needle works in its passage to and from the
shuttle. The other part of the needle plate or brim-support forms the end of a
bar which is so arranged that it can slide longitudinally over the top of the arm.
This part has, at its end, a half round slot corresponding with the slot in the fixed
part, and when these two parts are together, the two slots form a circular aperture
in line with the round aperture leading to the shuttle. This movable part of the
needle plate or work-support is so curved upon its upper portion that the brim of
the hat may be supported thereon at a proper inclination at certain stages of the
operation of sewing. The sliding bar is-arranged to work in a suitable guide upon
the arm and is provided with a spring which keeps the end pressed into close
contact with the fixed part of the needle plate at all times when the brim of the
hat is not within the two parts. The other end of the bar is provided with a slot
through which a screw passes into the arm, the screw and slot forming a guide at
this end. The slot is open on one side to permit the sliding bar to move away
whenever it is desired to have access to the shuttle by moving the cover on its
pivot. The sliding bar is furnished with a stud to enable the operator to slide the
former in a rearward direction when it is necessary for the brim of the hat or other
article being sewn, to enter between the two parts of the divided needle plate.
When the binding material is being sewn upon the front or back part of the
brim, the latter rests with its slightly turned edge upon the curved surface of the
moveable part but when the part of the brim is reached at which the sewing
cannot be effected straight through as at the front and back of the hat, the sliding
part of the needle plate is moved by the operator in a rearward direction and the
curled portion of the brim drops between the two parts of the needle plate, the
edge of the moveable part then pressing against the brim instead of against
the metal forming the fixed part. The needle then sews the binding material
with the long stitches in the same manner as has heretofore been done by hand.
When the side curled portion of the brim bas been so sewn and the other portion
of the hat is reached where the long stitches are no longer necessary (viz the back
of the hat if the front was commenced upon) the brim passes out from between the.
two parts of the needle-plate and the movable part slides along by the action of its
spring into close contact with the fixed part and the sewing is continued in the
ordinary manner, till the curled portion of the brim on the other side of the hat is
reached when the same operation as before described again takes place so that the
binding material is sewn completely around the brim of a hat with great rapidity
and in a perfectly secure manner.
It is obvious that this divided needle plate or support may be advantageously
used for any purpose in which the same or similar conditions exist,
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
HAT-
I, JOHN THOMAS, of 5 Cabot Street, in the City and County of Bristol,
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SEWING MACHINES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR FACILITATING THE BINDING OF
BRIMS AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES" 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 sewing-machines, chiefly designed for sewing the binding
material upon hat-brims after they have been set and curled, or after they have
been curled and previously to their being set. My improvements are, however,
also applicable to sewing-machines for any similar purpose.
The binding material ordinarily used for hat-brims is of such width that although
the said material overlaps equally at both top and bottom of the front and back of
the brim, where the said brim is flat or only slightly curled, yet, with respect to
the portions of the brim situated at the sides of the hat, the greater portion of the
width of the said material is taken up in covering the upper or outer surface of the
"curl." Therefore a very narrow portion is left for folding over the edge of the
said curl. The method heretofore usually adopted for sewing the binding material
upon the "curl" of a hat brim is to make by hand a series of stitches, which, at
one end, secure the outer and visible edge of the said binding material to the brim,
just below the point at which the curl commences, the other end of each stitch
securing the other edge of the binding material to the brim underneath the curled
portion thereof out of sight.
The object of my invention is to provide for effecting this, and any similar, work
by means of a sewing-machine, so that considerable economy will be effected with
respect to both time and labour.
An important feature of my said invention is the employment of what I term
a split or divided needle-plate or work-support, that is to say, a device for supporting
the work while it is being sewed, and consisting of two parts, one of which is fixed
or stationary, and the other of which is movable or adjustable for the purpose
hereinafter specified. A spring is usually employed which tends to press the said
movable part closely against the fixed part of the work-support.
My said invention, moreover, comprises various improvements as hereinafter
described.
In the accompanying drawing, I have shewn a Lock-Stitch sewing-machine with
my improvements applied thereto.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said machine, partly in vertical section.
Figure 2 is a plan of part of the said machine.
Figures 3 and 4 are side elevations, partly in vertical section, shewing the work
in different positions in the machine.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.

page_text: A is the base of the machine, B the overhanging arm, C the vibrating or
oscillating lever, D the needle-bar and D¹ the needle. E is the arm which carries
the shuttle E¹.
a is an upwardly projecting piece fixed or formed on the arm E. This piece a
forms the fixed or stationary part of the divided needle-plate or work-support. It
is provided with a notch or groove a¹, which is semi-circular in transverse section.
b is the movable part of the said needle-plate or work-support. This part is made
in the form of a bar and is so arranged that it can slide to and fro longitudinally
upon the top of the arm E. It has also a semi-circular notch or groove b¹, which
corresponds or coincides with the notch a¹ in the fixed part a, so that, when these
parts are in contact, the notches a¹, b¹ form a circular hole as shewn in Figure 2.
This hole is in line with the hole through which the point of the needle D¹ passes
in its movement to and from the shuttle.
९
This movable part or sliding bar 6 is made with a channel or groove c in which
the edge of the hat-brim rests, as shewn in Figure 3, during the operation of
sewing the binding material on that portion of the brim which is flat or only
slightly curled. The part b is fitted to slide in a suitable guide d¹, and is covered
by a casing d secured upon the arm E. A spring e is attached, at one end, to the
guide d¹, and, at the other end, to the bar b. This spring tends to keep the outer
end of the part b pressed into close contact with the fixed part a. The bar 6 has,
moreover, a slot f through which passes the screw g. This screw is inserted in the
arm E, and serves as a guide for the bar b. The slot f is open at f¹ so that the
Bliding bar b and casing d, together with the plate E², can be turned on the pivot h
to permit access to the shuttle. The sliding bar b is furnished with a stud i'to
facilitate the backward movement of the same by the operator when necessary.
This stud passes through a slot d in the casing d and is screwed into the bar b.
The above described improved machine is generally used as follows, that is to
say-The binding material is first sewn upon the back part of the hat-brim, the
hat being held with the slightly curled edge of its brim resting in the groove or
channel c of the movable part b, as shewn in Figure 3; when the curl at either
side of the hat is reached, where the sewing cannot be effected with the brim lying
flat on the work-support and with the binding material equally divided on the top
and bottom of the brim, as at the front and back of the hat, the sliding part 6 of
the work-support is moved backward by the operator and the curled portion of the
brim is inserted or allowed to fall between the two parts a, b of the work-support,
as shewn in Figure 4, the edge of the part b then pressing against the curl of the
brim instead of against the part a. The machine can then sew the binding material
with stitches similar to those heretofore made when the binding material has been
sewn on the curl of a hat-brim by hand, as shewn, for example in Figure 4. When
the curled portion at one side of the brim has been thus sewn and the other portion
of the hat is reached where such stitches are no longer necessary, the brim passes,
or is moved by the operator, from between the two parts of the work-support, and
the part b is moved forward by the action of its spring into contact with the part a.
The sewing is then continued with the slightly curled edge of the brim resting in
the channel c, as shewn in Figure 3, until the curl on the other side of the hat is
reached, when the operator again moves the part b backward as above described.
The binding material can thus be sewn completely around the brim of a hat by my
machine with great rapidity and in a perfectly secure manner.
It is obvious that the above described split or divided needle-plate or work-
support may be advantageously used for any purpose in which conditions exist
similar to those bereinbefore set forth.
I sometimes dispense with the movable part 6 and use the upwardly projecting
piece a fixed or formed on the arm E as a work-support for the purposes above
specified.
I do not confine myself to any particular form or construction of sewing-machine,
as my improvements may be applied to other machines than that shewn in the
drawing

page_text: 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 what
I claim is
In a sewing-machine,
First. The employment of a device such as I have herein termed a split or
divided needle-plate or work-support, for the purposes above specified.
Second. The combination, with the arm which carries the shuttle, of an upwardly
projecting piece fixed or formed on the extremity thereof, to serve as a work-
support, for the purposes specified.
Third. The combination of the projecting piece a fixed or formed on the arm E,
and the movable or adjustable part 6 fitted to slide in the guide d' and acted upon
by the spring e, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawing for the purposes specified.