IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Wiseman, of Luton, in the County of Bedford-
shire, Sewing Machine Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND APPLICABLE TO SEWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Wiseman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th August 1877.
EDMUND WISEMAN, of Luton, in the County of Bedfordshire, Sewing Machine
Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO SEWING MACHINES."
My Invention relates in the first place to the feeding apparatus of sewing
machines, and has for its principal object to maintain parallelism of motion of the
feeding surface or surfaces.
•
To this end I, in one arrangement, form the feeding surface on or attach it to a
part, which is fitted to slide up and down or to and fro in a direction at right
angles to the direction of movement of the article when being fed forwards or there-
abouts; and I mount the said part in a carriage which is fitted to slide to and fro
in the said direction of movement. The said part is actuated by means of an
excentric on the undershaft, as for example, on the revolving shaft of a Wilcock
and Gibbs," machine.
"
76
The said carriage is by preference formed with a rectangular groove, in which
the said part slides, and with side slots which slide upon fixed blocks, studs, or
screws; but the form of the said carriage may be varied to some extent.
In another arrangement, the part carrying the feeding surface is actuated by
two excentrics, one on the shaft, and the other connected with the said shaft by
means of gearing. The second excentric works in a slot or in a block which is
fitted to slide in a slot in the said part.
1
I reduce or regulate the length of stitch by interposing a packing plate or packing
plates between the base of the machine and the plate in which the throat plate is
fixed, packings varying in thickness being supplied with the machine, or
or the said

page_text: plate may be arranged to slide up and down, and to be fixed in the required
position.
The second part of my Invention relates more particularly to sewing machines
adapted for use in the connecting together of straw plaits.
In the first place I employ adjustable edge guides for the upper and lower plaits.
The upper guide for the upper plait is adjustable in directions towards and from
the bed plate, and also in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement
of the plaits or thereabouts. The said upper guide also acts as a stripper for the
lower plait, that is to say, it prevents or assists in preventing the said plait from
rising when the needle is withdrawn. The front edge of the said upper guide forms
a continuation of the edge of the groove in the lower side of the presser foot.
I prefer to employ the feeding apparatus, constituting the first part of my
Invention, to feed forwards the plaits.
In the second place, I employ à supplementary presser; which is fitted to slide in
an orifice formed in the "presser foot," and is pressed upon the upper plait by
means of a spring; or I form the "presser foot" in two parts, each part being pressed
downwards by means of a spring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edmund Wiseman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
February 1878.
EDMUND WISEMAN, of Luton, in the County of Bedfordshire, Sewing Machine
Merchant. *" IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO SEWING MACHINES."
My Invention relates in the first place to the feeding apparatus of sewing
machines, and has for its principal object to maintain parallelism of motion of
the feeding surface or surfaces.
To this end I, in one arrangement, form the feeding surface on or attach it to a
part, which is fitted to slide up and down or to and fro in a direction at right
angles to the direction of movement of the article when being fed forwards or
thereabouts; and I mount the said part in a carriage which is fitted to slide to and
fro in the said direction of movement.
In another arrangement, the part carrying the feeding surface is actuated by two
excentrics, one on a shaft, and the other connected with the said shaft by means of
gearing.
I reduce or regulate the length of stitch by interposing a packing plate or packing
plates between the base of the machine and the plate in which the throat plate is
fixed, or the said plate may be arranged to slide up and down, and to be fixed in
the required position.
The second part of my Invention relates more particularly to sewing machines
adapted for use in the connecting together of straw plaits.
In the first place I employ adjustable edge guides for the upper and lower plaits.
The upper guide for the upper plait is adjustable in directions towards and from
the bed plate, and also in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement

page_text: of the plaits or thereabouts. The said upper guide also acts as a stripper for the
lower plait, that is to say, it prevents or assists in preventing the said plait from
rising when the needle is withdrawn.
In the second place I employ a supplementary presser, which is fitted to slide in
an orifice formed in the " presser foot," and is pressed upon the upper plait by
means of a spring; or I form the "presser foot" in two parts.
And in order that my said Invention may be readily described and fully under-
stood, I have appended hereunto a Sheet of Drawings marked with letters of
reference, corresponding marks indicating the same parts in the various Figures.
In the said Drawings Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a front view illustrating
the application of my improvements to a sewing machine constructed on the
Wilcocks and Gibbs' principle, and adapted to be employed in the sewing together
of straw or other plaits, the parts of the machine not necessary to the illustration
not being represented. In the said Figs. a represents a portion of the ordinary needle
arm; b represents the needle bar; and c, the bottom revolving shaft. To the front
end of the said shaft is fixed an excentric d. In the example this excentric is formed
with a shank, which passes into a hole bored in the shaft c, and is fixed by means
of a set screw e; but this arrangement may be varied. The revolving looper fis
fixed to the front of the said excentric.
The excentric works in a hole formed in a part g, to which the feeding foot h is
attached, or on which it is formed, as the case may be. The part 9 is formed with
a shank, which is fitted to slide vertically in a cross slide i. This cross slide is
fitted to slide to and fro horizontally upon two blocks k, k, indicated by dotted lines in
Fig. 2. The said blocks are secured to the frame of the machine by means of screws
1, L, which are provided with large washers which project beyond the said blocks,
and serve to keep the slide i in position. In the example the shank of the part
is rectangular in cross section, and slides in a corresponding recess formed in the
back of the slide i. As the excentric revolves, the part g is moved up and down,
the said shank sliding in the cross slide i, and the latter part is also caused to slide
to and fro in a horizontal direction or thereabouts. The effect of this arrangement
is that the serrated face of the feeding foot is kept parallel with the under side of
the presser foot m during all the movements of the said feeding foot, and cams not
being used the motion is silent, or nearly so.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate another method of effecting the same object. In this
example two excentrics are employed, one excentric being upon or fixed to the
shaft c, and working in a bearing formed in the part gl, to which the feeding foot is
fixed. The second excentric n is connected with the first by means of two spur
wheels gearing together, as indicated in the Figs., and works in a block, which is
fitted to slide in a slot in the part g'. When the said block is arranged to slide
vertically, the excentrics are so geared together, as that when one is in the highest
position, the other is in the lowest position, this arrangement maintaining the
parallelism of the feeding surface, as in the arrangement first described. If preferred
the said block may be arranged to slide horizontally.
The arrangement may be further modified by fitting each excentric to revolve in
a separate hole bored in the part g¹, an intermediate wheel being interposed between
the two spur wheels, so as to cause the two excentrics to revolve in the same
direction. In such a case the two excentrics would be arranged to revolve in
unison, both being in corresponding positions at the same time. In the example
the length of stitch is regulated by interposing plates or packing pieces between-the
plate o, over which the work passes, and the base or bed p of the machine.
The plate o is attached to the base p by means of a screw r, as seen also in
Fig, 5.
.
A packing plate, such as I employ, is indicated by Fig. 6. .
When no packing plate is interposed, the machine will make the longest stitch.
By placing thinner or thicker plates, or two or more plates between the two parts,
longer or shorter stitches may be produced.

page_text: I propose to furnish each machine with a series of packing plates varying in
thickness, each plate producing a fixed definite effect.
In lieu of employing these packing plates, I may arrange the plate o to slide up
and down, and to be fixed in any desired position by means of a set screw; or I
may arrange it to be slid or moved up and down by means of a screw, which can
be turned when the length of stitch is to be varied. These parts of my Invention
relating to the feeding apparatus, and to the regulation of the stitch, are applicable
to sewing machines not specially adapted for use in the sewing of plaits.
The
The second part of my Invention is illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 7, wherein -8, t,
and t represent adjustable guides. The guide s is mounted upon a carrier u,
which is arranged to slide up and down, and is secured in the required position
by means of a screw v, which binds the carrier to the base of the machine. The
said guide is formed with a slotted shank, and a screw w passes through the slot
into the said carrier. The said guide can be moved nearer to or farther from the
guide t, and when adjusted is secured in position by means of the screw w. The
said guide s can also be moved nearer to or farther from the plate o by lowering or
raising the carrier u, and when adjusted is secured by means of the screw v.
guidet rests upon the plate o, and is adjustable in position nearer to or farther
from the guides, and when adjusted is secured by means of a screw x. The guide
t', which is an ordinary guide, also rests upon the plate o, and is adjustable nearer
to or farther from the guide t, and when adjusted is secured by means of a screw y.
The guide t is formed with a projecting pin, and the straw plait is brought over a
guide and below the said pin, and passes over the plate o and between the two
guides t, t', which are adjusted in distance apart to suit the width of the plait. The
adjustment of the guide determines the amount of lap or "lay under" of the
in-going plait. The guide s is adjusted in distance from the plait o to permit
the free passage of the plait, and is adjusted horizontally to determine the distance
of the line of stitches from the edge.
The under side of the presser foot is grooved to permit the passage of the two
thicknesses of plait, as is usual in machines adapted for stitching plaits, and the
end of the guide 8 is adjusted so as to be in line with the edge of the groove in the
presser foot, the said guide thereby forming as it were a continuation of the guiding
edge of the said groove. In the Drawings the guide 8 is represented as slid back
out of its working position.
When the machine is in use, the edge of the work is kept in contact with the
guide 8.
The remaining part of my Invention is illustrated by Figs. 8 and 9. In Fig. 8
the foot is divided into two parts, one part a¹ being hinged to the other part b', and
being pressed downwards by means of a spring; or the part a¹ may be fitted to
slide up and down the part b¹, and when adjusted be fixed by means of a screw or
bolt, the foot being thus rendered adjustable for various thicknesses of plait. In
Fig. 9 a supplementary presser c¹ is fitted to work up and down in a hole formed in
the presser foot, and is pressed downwards upon the upper plait by means of a
spring.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Invention, and
the means whereby I carry the same into effect, I would have it to be understood
that I claim,―
First. The methods of actuating the feeding feet of sewing machines, sub-
stantially as set forth and indicated herein-before, and in and by the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. The combination of vertically and horizontally sliding pieces actuated
by one excentric for maintaining the parallelism of the feeding surface, substantially
as set forth and indicated.
Thirdly. The method of regulating the length of the stitch by interposing packing
plates between the base or bed and the plate o, or the plate corresponding thereto,
or by raising and lowering the said plate, substantially as set forth and indicated.

page_text: Fourthly. The combination of adjustable guides s, t, and t¹, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth and indicated.
Fifthly. The guides 8 and t adjustable in the directions and for the purposes set
forth and indicated.
And, lastly. The arrangements, substantially as and for the purposes set forth
and indicated, with reference to the presser feet in Figs. 8 and 9.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmund Wiseman, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Signed and sealed by the
said Edmund Wiseman
in the presence of
EDWARD K. DUTTON,
Agent to the Petitioner,
3, Princess Street,
Manchester.
EDMUND WISEMAN. (L.S.)