Improvements in Wax Thread Sewing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Wax Thread Sewing Machines.
I HORACE FERDINAND NASON, of Natick, in the County of Middlesex and
State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Inventor do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed
o be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in wax thread sewing machines and it is
particularly designed for the purpose of sewing soles to the uppers of boots and
shoes, for sewing the welt and upper together as well as for sewing and uniting
other articles of leather as will hereinafter be more fully shown and described,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings where :-
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the improved sewing machine; and
Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 represents an end elevation of the machine.
Fig. 4 represents a detail end view showing a portion of the mechanism for
operating the needle and a part of the awl feeding mechanism.
Fig. 5 represents a detail view of the cam and bell crank lever for raising the
presser foot during the feed of the work.
Fig. 6 represents a detail view of the cam and lever for actuating the thread
guide.
Fig. 7 represents a detail view of the cam and lever for actuating the feed of
the awl.
Fig. 8 represents front and rear views of the welt guide work support.
Fig. 9 represents a detail view of the mechanism for imparting a rocking motion
to the awl.
Fig. 10 represents a vertical section showing the mechanism for imparting a
rocking motion to the hooked needle.
Fig. 11 represents a detail view of the needle brace disc.
Fig. 12 represents a vertical section of the said needle brace disc and needle
carrier, and
Fig. 13 represents a vertical section of the awl carrier.
Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts
of the drawings.
In the drawings A is the frame of the machine to which is preferably bolted or
otherwise secured the goose neck B as usual.
C is the rotary driving shaft having belt pulley and balance wheel C¹ secured to
its rear end as is common in machines of this kind.
The machine is what is termed an awl feed machine and in its construction are
used the following elements and means for their operations, namely,
A curved awl having a rocking motion imparted to it for the purpose of
penetrating the work previous to the passing of the needle through said work;
and in addition to said rocking motion of the awl, a lateral motion is imparted
to it while it is in the work for the purpose of feeding;
A rocking needle carrier provided with a curved and hooked needle, and a rocking
beedle brace adapted to slide ou said needle during the sewing operation.
A vertically and laterally movable presser foot having a lateral motion imparted
o it by the awl carrier support.
A looper adapted to move in a circular path around the needle when the latter is
n its highest position for the purpose of laying the thread in the hooked needle
preparatory to the forming of the stitch, and means for adjusting the position of
he looper relative to the needle;

page_text: A take up mechanism for tightening the stitch and means for adjusting the length
of the loop during the sewing operation;
And a stationary work support with or without a welt guide according to the
nature of the work to be done.
The mechanism for operating the awl d is constructed as follows.
The curved awl d is attached to the awl carrier D which is journalled on a
pin or stud D (Fig. 13) secured to the upper end of the feed carriage E which
is guided in lateral grooves in the front portion of the frame A.
A rocking motion is imparted to the awl and its carrier by the following
mechanism.
On the rotary shaft C is secured a grooved cylinder cam D" which imparts
a rock motion to a lever D³ pivoted at D to the machine frame and connected
in its upper end to a link D³, the forward end of which is connected to a bell
crank lever De pivoted at D' to the machine and universally connected at its
forward end to the awl carrier D by means of a ball and socket link D* as fully
shown in Fig. 1.
The lateral feed motion is imparted to the awl and its feed carriage E as
follows.
On the driving shaft C is secured a grooved face cam E' which imparts a rock
motion to the lever E" (Fig. 7) which is attached to a shaft E³ journalled in a
bearing in the frame A and provided at its forward end with a grooved lever E*
in which is arranged a sliding block E' (Fig. 4) journalled on a screw bolt E*
adjustably connected in a slot e on the feed carriage E as shown in Fig. 3.
By adjusting the position of the bolt E' in the slot e the feed of the awl and
consequent length of stitch is adjusted.
The mechanism for imparting a rocking motion to the curved hooked needle fis
constructed as follows:-
On the driving shaft C is secured a disc F' (Fig. 4) provided with au adjust-
able crank F" to which is pivoted a link F's the lower end of which is adjustably
connected to a sliding bar F (Figs. 3 and 10) guided in a groove in the
stationary front portion A¹ of the frame of the machine.
The upper end of said sliding bar F is pivoted to a curved link Fs the upper
end of which is connected to the needle carrier F, which is journalled on a stud F
(Fig. 12) secured to the stationary frame portion A'.
The curved hooked needle is secured in a suitable manner to said needle
carrier F.
On said stud F or a hub concentric thereto on the frame portion A' (Fig. 12) is
pivoted the rocking needle brace carrier G having the needle brace g through
which the needle is guided and supported, said needle brace carrier being rocked in
one direction by a stud or projection F (Fig. 11) on the needle carrier going
through a curved slot G¹ on the needle brace carrier G, and in an opposite direction
by means of spring G" attached in one end to said needle brace carrier G and in
the opposite end to the stationary part A¹ of the frame of the machine.
The mechanism for operating the presser foot h is constructed as follows:-
On the driving shaft C is secured a grooved face cam H (Fig. 5) having two
projections HH" so as to cause the presser foot to be raised above the work
during the feed of the latter and to cause it to descend on the work while the
stitch is being made and to raise said presser foot while it is being returned to its
original position.
The said grooved cam H imparts a rocking motion to a bell crank lever H³
pivoted at to the machine frame and having its free end connected to a link H*
at the upper end of which passes loosely through the rear end of the foot
lifter lever H and is provided with an adjustable nut h by means of which the
lift of the presser foot is regulated.
The lifter lever H is pivoted at ho to the goose neck B and its forward end is
pressed downwards (when liberated by the cam H) by the influence of an adjustable
spring H the forward end of which passes against a projection / on the presser

page_text: foot bar H7. The forward end of the lifter lever H³ extends below the foot bar
projection ' causing the said foot bar and its presser foot to be raised by the action
of the cam projections H¹ H" during the time above specified.
The presser foot bar H' is guided in vertical bearings in the front part of the
goose neck B, and its lower end has a lateral pin or stud 8 passing loosely through
the upper portion of the presser foot h which is guided vertically in a bracket H
which is attached to the upper part of the carriage E, and by this arrangement the
presser foot is caused to follow the lateral movement of said carriage E and the awl
mounted in the upper end thereof during its vertical motion to and from the work
that is being stitched.
The mechanism for guiding the lower end of the looper i in a circular path
around the needle when the latter is in its highest position for the purpose of laying
the thread in the hooked needle preparatory to the forming of the stitch is
constructed as follows:-
To the driving shaft C is secured a grooved face cam I. (Fig. 6) which imparts
a rocking motion to the lever I pivoted at 1" to the machine frame; to the free
end of the lever I' is connected a rack bar I the upper end of which is suitably
guided in the goose neck portion B and having its teeth meshing in the teeth of a
pinion secured to a horizontal shaft I the forward end of which is adjustably
secured to a shaft Is by means of a coupling or equivalent device for the purpose
of properly adjusting the position of the looper relative to the position of the
needle.
The forward end of the shaft I' has a crank on which the upper end of the
looper is hung, its middle portion having a projection or pin is suitably guided in
the goose neck so as to cause a circular motion to be imparted to the lower end of
said looper during the oscillatory movement of the shaft 1* I' for the purpose
stated.
The slack thread controlling mechanism consists of a vertically movable rod K
located in bearings in the goose neck B and having a guide roller k in its lower
end, over which the thread L (Fig. 1) is carried.
On the rod K is arranged a pair of adjustable collars K' and K" and between
the latter and lower portion of the goose neck B is arranged on the rod Ka
preferably spiral spring K³ against the influence of which the rod K is drawn
downwards during the downward passage of the needle to form the loop, the
tension exerted on the thread being adjusted by the position of the collar K" on
the rod K.
The upper adjustable collar K¹ serves to limit the upward motion of the take up
rod for adjusting the length of loop during the sewing operation, which is accom-
plished by said collar coming in contact with the upper part of the goose neck by
the action of the spring K³.
The work support M shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is stationary and secured to the
front portion A of the machine frame and is of the usual kind adapted for sewing
turned shoes.
For sewing welted shoes, a combined work support and welt guide N of the kind
shown in Fig. 8 is substituted for the one shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 as is common
in machines of this kind.
The machine is to be provided with the usual tension and wax heating devices
but as such form no part of my present invention, they are not represented in the
drawings.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The presser foot is first raised as usual by depressing the lifter lever; the work
is then placed on the work support, and presser foot located in the channel of the
shoe ;
the awl enters and penetrates the work and feeds while in the work; during
the feed the presser foot is raised; when the awl recedes from the work it is in
position directly above the needle. After the awl has passed out of the work, the
hooked needle ascends through the hole made by the awl and when the needle is in
its upper position it receives the thread from the thread guide, after which the

page_text: needle, carrying the loop thread, is drawn through the work at the same time as
the awl is returned to its original position, as is also the presser foot which is raised
during the downward motion of the needle.
The awl again enters and feeds the work and the needle ascends and forms a
chain stitch as usual.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what [
-claim is.
1. In a wax thread sewing machine, the combination with a curved needle and a
looper, of a feed carriage B, a grooved cam face E¹ mounted on the drive shaft, a
rock shaft E³ operated by said cam and having rigidly secured to its forward end
a grooved lever E', a sliding block E arranged to slide in said grooved lever and
journalled on a screw bolt E adjustably connected in a slot e formed in the
carriage E, the awl carrier D carrying the awl d and journalled on the feed
carriage, a cam D₁ mounted on the drive shaft, a pivoted lever D³ at one end
engaging said cam and at its opposite end connected to a bell crank D by a
link D' and an upright arm Ds universally connected at one end to said crank and
at its opposite end connected to the awl carrier, substantially as described.
2. In a wax thread sewing machine the combination with a curved rocking awl
of an oscillating needle carrier F journalled on a stud Fe fixed on the stationary
frame portion A' and carrying a curved hooked needle, the disc F' mounted on the
drive shaft and provided with an adjustable crank F", a pitman F³ secured at one
end to said crank and at its other end connected to a sliding bar F sliding in a
straight vertical groove in the stationary front portion of the frame of the machine,
and the curved link F' pivoted at one end to the rear face of the bar F and at its
other end to the needle carrier substantially as described.
3. In a wax thread sewing machine the combination of the driving shaft, the
cam 1 mounted thereon, the pivoted lever I' oscillated by said cam, the rack bar I*
connected at one end to the lever I¹ and at its other end engaging a pinion I³
secured to a horizontal two-part-shaft I, I adjustably secured together by a
coupling, a crank secured to the forward end of the shaft I and a thread
guide connected at its upper end to the crank and intermediate its ends provided
with projecting pin suitably guided in the goose neck of the machine,
substantially as described.
Dated this 24th dox of Tule 1901
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.