Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by NATHANIEL WHEELER, of Bridgeport, Fairfield,
Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., 45 Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in sewing machines but
particularly to that class of such machines in which a rotating or oscillating
loop-taker is employed.
The object of the present invention is to so equip the machine that it will form
what is termed a "chain stitch" it being immaterial whether an under thread
is used or not.
According to the said invention I accomplish the desired result without altering
the structure or changing the function of a single detail, the improved device being
interchangeable with the usual bobbin-case.
In the machine constructed according to this invention the loop-taker is of the
The neck of
kind used in the "Wheeler and Wilson" sewing machine "No. 9."
the loop-spreader extends from a body which latter is preferably of such shape and
contour that it may be readily interchanged with the usual bobbin casing. The
end of the spreader is split to admit the needle as will be presently set forth.
The neck is contracted and the sides of the spreader are swelled first with the
object of opening or spreading the loop, and second to detain the loop until the
needle has passed through the same.
The body is placed within the cavity of the loop-taker, and a shoulder extends
from the said body between the walls of the gate of the loop-taker, so that it will
be readily understood that the spreader and loop taker will move in harmony.
This shoulder, however, does not fit so tightly between said walls as to prevent the
loop from freely drawing around the loop taker on to the neck of the spreader.
The loop is momentarily detained by the swell so as to be extended across and
beneath the path of the needle, the result being that when the loop is spread by
the said swell the needle will pass through the loop thereby forming the con-
catenation and the loop will then be drawn from the spreader.
The advantages of this improvement are of great importance since the sub-
stitution of a loop-spreader in the place of a bobbin and case in a machine adapted
to sew a lock-stitch, will really change the character of such machine and adapt it
for sewing a single-thread chain-stitch. As hereinbefore stated, the improvement
is interchangeable with the bobbin-case, and the time consumed in changing from a
lock stitch to a chain stitch, or vice versa, is but a few seconds.
It is not absolutely necessary that the sides of the spreader should be swelled,
since the only function of the swell is to spread the loop and detain it until the
needle passes through the same, and this may be effected by making the spreader
of a diameter sufficient to spread the loop and notching the underside of the
spreader. Instead of the notch a swell may be formed. In fact, there are many
ways, all within the scope of ordinary mechanical skill, whereby the spreader may
be adapted to open and detain the loop and we do not wish to be limited in this
particular, although we prefer the construction having the swelled sides.
The gist of this invention rests in the broad idea of providing a loop-spreading
and detaining device which shall be interchangeable with the bobbin-case of a hook

page_text: sewing-machine, so that a lock or chain-stitch may be sewed at the will of the
operator.
Dated this 16th day of October 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to certain improvements in sewing machines, but
particularly to that class of such machines in which a rotating or oscillating
loop-taker is employed.
The object of the present invention is to so equip the machine that it will form
what is termed a "chain stitch," it being immaterial whether an under thread is
used or not.
According to the said invention I accomplish the desired results without altering
the structure or changing the function of a single detail the improved device being
interchangeable with the usual bobbin-case.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the spreader,
loop and needle when the latter has passed through the loop and is on the point of
entering the split.
Figure 2 is a detail perspective view of the loop-taker.
Figures 3 and 4 are detail perspective views of the spreader taken at the front
and rear respectively.
Figure 5 is a detail side elevation of the spreader.
Figure 6 is a front elevation of the parts in relative position as shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 7 a front elevation showing the loop drawn from the spreader, and the
needle in position preparatory to the operation of the loop-taker within the
succeeding loop.
Figure 8, is a front elevation illustrating the loop and the position of parts as
they appear immediately prior to the drawing of the loop around the neck of the
spreader.
Figure 9 is a front elevation showing the loop drawn around the neck of the
spreader preparatory to assuming the position shown at Figures 1 and 6 and
Figures 10 and 11, show modifications of my invention.
Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
In the machine constructed according to this invention I represents the loop-
taker which is of the kind used in the "Wheeler and Wilson" sewing machine
"No. 9." 2 is the loop-spreader the neck 3 of which extends from the body 4
which latter is preferably of such shape and contour that it may be readily inter-
changed with the usual bobbin casing. The end of the spreader is split as seen
at 5 to admit the needle as will be presently set forth.
The neck 3 is contracted and the sides of the spreader are swelled as shown at 6
with the object first of opening or spreading the loop, and second of detaining the
loop until the needle 7 has passed through the same.
The body 4 is placed within the cavity of the loop-taker, and a shoulder 8
extends from the said body between the walls of the gate of the loop-taker, so that

page_text: it will be readily understood that the spreader and loop-taker will move in
harmony. This shoulder, however, does not fit so tightly between said walls as to
prevent the loop from freely drawing around the loop-taker on to the neck of the
spreader.
Figure 1 shows the relative positions of the spreader, loop and needle, when the
latter has passed through the loop and is on the point of entering the split 5, and it
will be clearly seen that the loop is momentarily detained by the swell 6 so as to
be extended across and beneath the path of the needle, the result being that when
the loop is spread by the said swell the needle will pass through the loop thereby
forming the concatenation and the loop will then be drawn from the spreader as
shown at Figure 7.
The advantages of this improvement are of great importance since the sub-
stitution of a loop-spreader in the place of a bobbin and case in a machine adapted
to sew a lock-stitch, will really change the character of such machine and adapt
it for sewing a single-thread chain-stitch. As herein before stated, the improvement
is interchangeable with the bobbin-case, and the time consumed in changing from
a lock-stitch to a chain-stitch, or vice versa, is but a few seconds.
It is not absolutely necessary that the sides of the spreader should be swelled,
since the only function of the swell is to spread the loop and detain it until the
needle passes through the same, and this may be effected by making the spreader
of a diameter sufficient to spread the loop and notching the underside of the
spreader, as shown at 9, Figure 10. Instead of the notch 9 a swell 10 may be
formed as shown at Figure 11. In fact, there are many ways, all within the scope
of ordinary mechanical skill, whereby the spreader may be adapted to open and
detain the loop and I do not wish to be limited in this particular, although I prefer
the construction having the swelled sides.
The gist of the invention rests in the broad idea of providing a loop-spreading
and detaining device which shall be interchangeable with the bobbin-case of a hook
sewing machine, so that a lock or chain-stitch may be sewed at the will of the
operator.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a sewing machine employing rotating or oscillating loop taker, the
combination with the loop taker of a separate and independent spreader moving
in harmony with the loop taker.
2. In a sewing machine of the character set forth, the combination with the loop
taker, of the spreader comprising a body loosely placed within the cavity of the
loop taker and moving in harmony therewith and provided with a split extension
having a contracted neck and swelled sides.
3. In a sewing machine of the character described the combination with the loop
taker of an independent and separate loop spreader moving in harmony therewith
said spreader having a split end and swelled sides.
4. In a sewing machine of the character described, the combination with the
loop taker, of the independent and separate loop spreader which has a shoulder
fitting within the gate of the loop taker.
5. In a sewing machine of the character set forth the combination with the loop
taker, of a loop spreading and detaining device detachably secured within the
cavity of the loop taker.
e
11002
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.