Improvements in Sewing and Ornamenting Fabrics and Materials and in Machinery Employed therein.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd July, 1889-Accepted, 7th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing and Ornamenting Fabrics and Materials
and in Machinery Employed therein.
1, LEONARD LINDLEY of Sherwood Street, in the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, Lace Dyer and Dresser, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The invention relates, firstly, to the application of a purl edging to fabrics by means
of sewing or embroidering machinery.
Heretofore purl edgings, previously manufactured, have been sewn on to the edges
of fabrics by means of sewing machinery, but, according to my present invention, I
produce such purl edging and, at the same time, attach it to the edges of fabrics, by
means of sewing or embroidery machinery, suitably constructed for such purpose.
According to one arrangement I employ any ordinary form of sewing machine to
produce a line of stitching near the edge of the fabric to be ornamented, or at any
other required position thereon, and I employ a thread guide to traverse in front of
the needle at every stitch, so that its thread or threads shall be securely held by the
stitches, but which, at every third stitch, or other desired number, is traversed a
greater distance to produce the purl, and is so timed as to cause the double thread
forming the neck of the purl, to be held by the same stitch; a point is also so
arranged and timed as to come into position to allow the purl thread or threads to be
carried round it, and thus regulate the length of the purls. The purl thread traversing
guide is operated by a cam on a shaft, which revolves, by preference, only once to
every three stitches produced.
If desired, the above described arrangement of machinery may be employed to
produce a fringe, in which case, the traversing thread guide will be so arranged as to
carry its thread or threads any required distance, and the point to regulato length
of fringe would be placed in the required position to suit the length of fringe
required.
A purl or fringe may also be produced by so arranging the parts operating the
traversing thread guide as to cause the latter to carry its purling or fringing thread
or threads any required distance at each stitch produced, and so cause each succeeding
purl or fringe loop to pass through each succeeding stitch. This method of working
however is not so desirable as that above described, as the purling or fringe is not so
secure wben made.
The invention relates, secondly, to means for producing a purl or fringe edging to
fabrics by means of apparatus, which also produces an over edge sewing, which latter
may however be employed without producing the purl or fringe. In carrying this
part of my invention into effect I employ a single needle and a looper or shuttle to
produce a row of stitching at any required distance from the edge of the fabric and
in combination therewith I employ a pair of traversing thread carriers to carry their
tbreads to and fro in front of the needle and alternately to change position so that at
one traverse, No. 1 tbread traverser would move above the fabric, and No. 2 below
it, and at the next traverse, No. 2 thread traverser would move above the fabric, and
No. 1 below, both threads being caught by the same stitch; this method of working
would produce an over edge sewing without a fringe or purling, but when either of
the latter is required, the thread traversers are arranged to carry their threads around
a point, which is caused to come into position at the required time and at the required
distance from the needle so as to produce purling or fringe of any desired length from
the edge of the fabric. In carrying this part of my invention into effect I hinge the
traversing thread guides to a bar which is moved to and fro at the required times by

page_text: a suitable cam, so as to move both thread traversers to and fro past the needle. The
said thread traversers are sprung downwards, so as to cause them to bear on an under
work plate and pass into a space between it and the upper work plate. The said
hinged thread traversers are alternately raised at the required times by means of slides
suitably connected thereto and operated by a pair of cams fixed on a counter shaft
rotated at the required speed. The purl or fringe loops are made at each alternate
stitch, or greater number of stitches and may be formed on both faces of the fabric,
or only on one face thereof; when the purling or fringe is required to be produced
on both faces of the fabric, the point around which the loops of the purling or fringe
are formed is caused to descend far enough to catch both threads, or sets of threads,
but when the said purling or fringe is required on only one face of the fabric, the said
point descends only far enough to catch the uppermost traversed thread or set of
threads.
When producing purling or fringe according to this part of my invention, I operato
the changing of the thread traversers by a pair of cams on a counter shaft arranged
to rotate at the required speed in relation to the needle bar, and such cams are so formed
as to suspend the changing in position of the thread traversers at the times the purl
or fringe is being produced, and to cause such traversers alternately to change their
positions when over edge sewing is being produced. If a purling or fringe is required
in combination with continuous over edge sewing I employ, as described with
respect to the first part of my invention, a separate purling or fringing thread or
threads, which is or are sewn on to the fabric by the stitches which form the over edge
sewing.
The invention relates, thirdly, to the weaving of tape, braid or fringe simultaneously
with the sewing by which it is applied to the fabric.
For this purpose I use by preference a machine such as that described in the
specification of patent granted to myself and Frederick Taylor numbered 957 of the
year 1862, except that in carrying this part of my invention into effect I do not
require to make an over and over stitch, although such may be used if desired ; I
use any ordinary appliance for producing sewing by one or two threads.
In order to weave tape, braid or fringe I arrange a number of extra threads or warp
threads in a line with the sewing needle or needles. These warp threads are carried
by guides having an up and down motion similar to the needle bar, and which are so
regulated as to make at every stitch, or when required, a shed for the passage of the
connecting weft thread or threads.
The weft consists of one or more threads carried by traversing guides, such as those
hereinbefore described for producing purl or fringe.
For the purpose of forming a fringe in a substantial manner I use two such guides,
each carrying a thread (or threads) for the purpose of intervening with the warp
threads. The thread of one of such guides is drawn up to the edge of the warp
threads, while the thread (or threads) of the other guide is extended sideways, beyond
the weaving, so as to form the fringe, the length of which may be regulated and
varied by means of a point as before described, or by other suitable contrivance.
This production of tape or braid simultaneously with the sewing of the same to the
fabric may also be effected in combination with the apparatus described in the second
part of my invention.
Dated this 3rd dow of Ontahan 1000
-LEONARD LINDLEY.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sewing and Ornamenting Fabrics and Materials
and in Machinery Employed therein.
1, LEONARD LINDLEY of Sherwood Street, in the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, Lace Dyer and Dresser, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon:―
The invention relates, firstly, to the application of a purl edging to fabrics by
means of sewing or embroidering machinery.
Heretofore purl edgings previously manufactured have been sewn on to the edges
of fabrics by means of sewing machinery, but according to my present invention,
I produce such purl edging and at the same time attach it to the edges of fabrics
by means of sewing or embroidery machinery suitably constructed for such purpose.
This part of my invention is represented in figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying
drawings, in which figures 1 and 2 are two opposite side views of a sewing or
embroidering machine constructed according to this part of my present invention.
Figure 3 is an end view. Figure 4 is a sectional plan drawn on the line 1. 1. of
figure 1. Figure 5 is a plan or top view of the machine. Figure 6 is an underside
view, and Figures 7, 8 and 9 are detail views of parts.
The general construction of the machine is that of a two needle shuttle sewing
machine, in which the shuttle, at each forward motion, passes through the loops
thrown out by both needles. a is the driving shaft, a' the driving pulley, a the
crank pin carried by the disc a³, and which gives motion to the needle bar 6 by
working in a cam slot or groove formed in a block b¹ fixed to the needle bar b,
as shown by dotted lines in figure 3. a is a bevel pinion which takes into a bevel
pinion c fixed on the upper end of the vertical shaft c, the lower end of which is
provided with cams cc, (shown by dotted lines in figure 6) which give the to and
fro and transverse motions to the bar d, which actuates the feeder e. c¹ is a crank
or arm also fixed on lower end of the vertical shaft c, and such arm c, by a con-
necting rod, gives to and fro motion to the shuttle carrier f. g is the thread
handler, which is mounted on an axis at gl, and passes through a slot in the needle
bar b, by which it is operated. It is provided with two guide holes through which
the two needle threads pass. h is the presser foot bar, which is operated by one
end of a lever mounted on an axis at ³, and the other end of which is acted
upon by a cam ³ fixed on the vertical shaft c. i. i, are the tension arrangements,
and the guides for the needle threads.
The machine as above described is of well known construction, and is used to
produce two lines of stitching near the edge of the fabric to be ornamented, or at
any other required position thereon. In connection with the construction of sewing
machine above described, or with any other suitable description of machine for
sewing with one or two eye pointed needles, I employ a thread guide to traverse
in front of the needle or needles at every stitch, so that its thread or threads shall
be securely held by the stitches, but which, according to the arrangement shown in
the drawings, at every third stitch, (or it may be at other desired number of stitches)
is traversed a greater distance to produce the purl, and is so timed as to cause the
double thread forming the neck of the purl, to be held by the same stitch or pair of
stitches. For this purpose, the thread guide j is formed on one end of a lever j¹,
which is mounted on an axis carried by a slide 7, the other end of such thread
guide lever being connected by a link to a fixed stud j. The slide 3 is provided
with a stud and friction roller jo, which works in the groove of a cam fixed on a
counter shaft k, to which rotary motion is given from the driving shaft u, by means
of a pinion a fixed thereon, which takes into a toothed wheel k fixed on a counter
shaft k.

page_text: A point or holder is also so arranged and timed as to come into position to allow
the purl thread or threads to be carried round it or under it, and thus regulate the
length of the purls. This holder is formed or fixed at the end of a slide bar 1,
which is pressed downwards on to the work plate by a spring 12, and is lifted by
means of a lever 13 mounted on an axis of motion at and provided with a friction
pulley, which is acted upon by a cam 1 on the counter shaft k. This slide bar is
also acted upon by a cam, to push it sideways and thereby enable it to follow the
feed of the work and maintain its hold on the purl until the latter is firmly secured,
and then to keep out of the way while the intermediate stitches are being made, after
which it again advances in readiness to hold a fresh purl.
The embroidery or purling thread m passes from a bobbin, (not shown) through
guides n, then between the tension discs o and through a guide on the lever j³,
to the thread guide j. In order that the tension on such thread m may be relieved
at the required times, a lever p mounted upon an axis at p and operated
by a cam p², acts to separate ono of such discs o from the other, and thereby
relieve the tension upon the thread, the spring o' acting, when permitted by the
cam p², to press the two discs o together, and thereby apply tension to the
thread m.
If desired the above described arrangement of machinery may be employed to
produce a fringe, in which case the traversing thread guide j and cam will
be so arranged, as to carry its thread or threads any required distance, and the
point or holder would be placed in the required position to suit the length of fringe
required.
A purl or fringe may also be produced by so arranging the parts operating the
traversing thread guide j, as to cause the latter to carry its purling or fringing thread
or threads any required distance at each stitch produced, and so cause each succeeding
purl or fringe loop to be caught and pass through each succeeding stitch. This
method of working however is not so desirable as that above described, as the purling
or fringe is not so secure when made.
The Invention relates, secondly, to means for producing a purl or fringe
edging to fabrics by means of apparatus which also produces an over edge
sewing, which latter may however be employed without producing the purl or
fringe.
This part of my invention is represented at figures 10 to 22, in which figures 10
and 11 are two opposite side views, Figure 12 is a plan, Figure 13 is an
end view, Figure 14 is a sectional plan on line 2. 2. of figure 10, Figure 15
is a sectional plan of thread traversers and parts connected therewith, Figure 16
represents, opened out flat, the cam for moving the thread traversers to and fro.
Figures 17 and 18 are respectively an end view and a side view of part of the
driving shaft, showing the cams for operating the point or holder.
Figures 19 and 20 represent the two cams for lifting and lowering the thread
traversers, and Figure 21 represents the cam for lifting the point or holder, and
Figure 22 that for traversing the same.
In carrying this part of my invention into effect, 1 employ any suitable arrange-
ment of machine operating a single eye pointed needle and a looper or shuttle to
produce a row of stitching at any required distance from the edge of the fabric. The
following is the arrangement of parts represented in the drawings. a is the driving
shaft, a the driving pulley, and a' a toothed wheel fixed on such shaft a, which gives
motion to the upper shaft band to the lower or looper shaft c, by taking into the
pinions b¹¹ fixed respectively on such shafts. The shaft b gives motion to the needle
bar d by means of a crank pin carried by the disc or cam 3, which pin 2 gives
motion to the needle bar d by working in a cam groove or slut formed in a cross
bar d' fixed to the needle bar d, as shown by dotted lines at figure 13. The shaft c
carries the looper c*. e is the feed lever, (the machine being provided in this
instance with a top feed) which is moved sideways for the feed by the cam 6³, and is
kept up against such cam by a spring e, and such feed lever e is pressed downwards

page_text: by a spring e, and at the required times is lifted by a slide e³ acted upon by a
cam e at the back of the disc or cam b³, as is well understood. f is the thread
handler, which is mounted on an axis at fi and passes through a slot in the needle
bar d, by which it is operated. g is the tension arrangement and g' is a guide for
the needle thread. In combination with the above, or any other convenient arrange-
ment of sewing machinery using an eye pointed needle I employ a pair of traversing
thread carriers or guides h. i to carry their threads to and fro in front of the
needle, and alternately to change position, so that at one traverse, the thread
traverser would move above the fabric and the thread traverser i below it, and at
the next traverse, thread traverser i would move above the fabric and below, both
threads being caught by the same stitch. This method of working, if continued,
would produce an over edge sewing without a fringe or purling, but when either of
the latter is required, the thread traversers h. i. are caused to carry their threads
around a point k, which is caused to come into position at the required time and at
the required distance from the needle, so as to produce purling or fringe projecting
any desired length from the edge of the fabric. In carrying this part of my
invention into effect, I hinge the traversing thread guides h. i. to one end of a bar
or lever j, which is mounted on an axis at j¹ carried by the slide 3, and is, by a
link at its other end, connected to a fixed stud j*. The slide 2 is moved to and
fro in its guides by a cam j fixed on the driving shaft a and acting upon a friction
pulley mounted on a stud fixed to the slide j; by these means the traversing
thread guides . i. are both moved to and fro past the needle. The said thread
traversers are sprung downwards by springs 17, so as to cause them to bear, when
permitted, on an under work plate and ss into a space between it and the upper
work plate l'.
The said hinged thread traversers are alternately raised at the required times by
means of slides m. n connected thereto by means of rods or pins m³ n' projecting
from such slides m. n, and passing freely through slots or openings formed at the
upper ends of arms or projections fixed to the thread guides h. i; and these
slides m. n are raised and lowered, at the required times, by a pair of cams m³ n³,
which act upon rollers carried by arms or projections m² n² fixed to the
slides m. n.
The cams m³ n³ are fixed on a counter shaft o, which is rotated at the desired
speed by means of a pinion a³ fixed on the shaft a, an intermediate toothed wheel p
and a toothed wheel o' fixed on the shaft o. Face views of these cams m³ n³
are represented at figures 19 and 20, and such cams are so formed as to suspend
the changing in position of the thread traversers h. i at the times when a
purl or fringe is being produced, and to cause such thread traversers h. i alternately
to change their positions when over edge sewing is being produced.
a,
According to my invention, the purl or fringe loops may be made at each alternate
stitch, or at intervals of a greater number of stitches; as represented in the drawings,
the cams m³ n³ are so constructed as to cause a purl to be formed at every third
stitch. The point or holder & is fixed to the lower end of a bar k', which is raised
and lowered at the required times by means of a lever carrying, on an arm k³, a
roller k, which is raised and lowered at the required times by a cam k fixed on the
driving shaft
and such point or holder, by means of a cam 4 also fixed on the
driving shaft a, is caused to follow the feed of the fabric, and to keep out of, and
come into, position for forming a purl, at the required times. The purl or fringe
loops may be formed on both faces of the fabric, or on only one face thereof, for
which latter purpose, the point k, according to the arrangement represented in the
drawings, is caused to descend only so far as to catch the embroidery thread or threads
of the thread guide or traverser / or i, which for the time being is uppermost ;
when the purling or fringe is required to be produced on both faces of the fabric, the
parts giving vertical motion to the point or holder k will be so arranged as to cause
the said point or holder to descend far enough to catch both threads or sets of
threads.
If an over edge sewing is required to be produced, the cams m³ n³ will be so

page_text: formed as to cause the thread guides or traversers . i. alternately to rise and fall
continuously, so as to cause each of their threads to pass alternately above and below
the fabric to be secured in position by the needle thread.
The threads passing to the thread guides or traversers . . are supplied from
bobbins carried by the pins q, from which they pass through the tension discs r. r,
thence, through holes in a guide plates, to vertical guide holes ** in the thread
traversers h., and from the underside of such guide holes **, they pass to the
guide holes formed in the ends of the traversers h. i.
The invention relates, thirdly, to the weaving of tape, braid or fringe simultaneously
with the sewing by which it is applied to the fabric.
For this purpose I use by preference, a machine such as that described in the
specification of Patent granted to myself and Frederick Taylor, numbered 957 of the
year 1862, except that in carrying this part of my invention into effect, 1 do not
use a bearded needle, and do not require to make an over and over stitch,
although the latter may be used if desired; in short, I use any ordinary
appliance for producing sewing by one or two threads passing through eye pointed
needles.
In order to weave tape, braid or fringe, I arrange, as heretofore, a number of
extra threads or warp threads in a line with the sewing needle or needles.
These warp threads are carried by guides having an up and down motion
similar to the needle bar, and which are so regulated as to make at every
stitch, or when required, a shed for the passage of the connecting weft thread or
threads.
The weft consists of one or more threads carried by traversing guides, such as
those hereinbefore described for producing purl or fringe.
For the purpose of forming a fringe in a substantial manner by the aid of either
one or two eye pointed needles and their threads, I, according to my present
invention, use two such guides, each carrying a thread (or threads) for the purpose
of interweaving with the warp threads. The thread of one of such guides is
drawn up to the edge of the warp threads, while the thread (or threads) of the other
guide, is extended sideways beyond the weaving, so as to form the fringe, the length
of which may be regulated and varied by means of a point or holder as before
described, or by other suitable contrivance. This use of two traversing or weft
threads is more particularly required when using only one eye pointed needle and
its thread, but it may also be employed when using two eye pointed needles and their
threads.
a bearded
I would here remark that I do not, according to the present invention, claim
broadly the weaving of a tape or braid simultaneously with the sewing of the same
on to the fabric, as such was described in the specification of Letters Patent granted
to me dated February 21, 1888, No. 2583, but according to the arrangement of
apparatus described in such specification, an eye pointed needle and
needle were employed, which necessitated the tape or braid being formed at the edge
of the fabric, whilst when working according to my present invention, a tape or braid
is produced and is sewn on to the fabric by the aid of either one or two eye pointed
needles, thereby enabling me to produce such tape or braid at either the edge of the
fabric, or at any other desired position thereon.
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. The method of, and apparatus for, producing a purl or fringe and simultaneously
sewing the same to the fabric being ornamented, substantially as herein shown and
described with respect to the first part of my invention.
2. The method of producing a purl or fringe by means of one or two needle
threads operated by eye pointed needles, and a thread or threads traversed to and
fro by a single thread traverser, in combination with a point or holder for holding
out the loop of the purl or fringe, substantially as herein described.

page_text: 3. The method of, and apparatus for, producing a purl or fringe in combination
with an over edge sewing, substantially as herein shown and described with respect
to the second part of my invention.
4. The method of, and apparatus for, producing an over edge sewing without a
purl or fringe, substantially as herein described with respect to the second part of
my invention.
5. The method of producing an over edge sewing by means of a single needle
thread operated by an eye pointed needle, and a pair of traversing threads traversed
by two thread traversers, which are each brought alternately to the upperside and
underside of the fabric, substantially as herein described with respect to the second
part of my invention.
over
6. The method of producing a purl or fringe in combination with an
edge sewing, by the employment of a single needle thread operated by an eye
pointed needle, a pair of traversing threads, each of which is brought to the
upper side and underside of the fabric at the required times, and a point or
holder for holding out the loops of the purl or fringe, substantially as herein
described.
7. When producing tape or braid and fringe simultaneously with the sewing of
the same to the fabric, the use of one or two eye pointed needles and their
threads, and of two weft or traversing threads, in combination with the warp
threads, one of such weft or traversing threads being drawn up to the edge of the
warp threads, whilst the other is extended sideways beyond the weaving to form
the fringe, substantially as herein described with respect to the third part of my
invention.
8. When producing tape or braid and fringe simultaneously with the sewing of
of the same to the fabric, the use of one or two eye pointed needles for sewing
the tape or braid and fringe to the fabric at the edge or at any other desired
position thereon.
LEONARD LINDLEY.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.