Improvements in Sewing Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 18th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by HENRY HAVELOCK CUMMINGS, of 15, Webster
Street, Malden, Massachusetts, Mechanician, and JAMES HENRY CUTTEN, of
3, Dabney Place, Boston, Massachusetts, both in the United States of
America, Mechanician.]
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 has for its object to provide an improved lock-stitch wax-thread
sewing machine which shall be simple and compact in construction and strong and
positive in operation, and to this end the said invention comprises certain novel com-
binations of parts as will be hereinafter indicated by the claims hereunto appended.
Figs. 1 and 2 are opposite side elevations of my improved machine.
Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.
Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of the machine.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5, Fig. 2.
Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views to illustrate the take-up mechanism.
Fig. 9 is a detail side view of the front lower part of the machine."
Fig. 10 is a detail front view of the same.
Fig. 11 is a vertical section of the same on line 11-11, Fig. 10.
Fig. 12 is a cross section of the same on line 12-12, Fig. 10.
Fig. 13 is a detail front view of the upper portion of the part shown Fig. 9
with the needle down and the beak of the shuttle about to enter the loop of the
needle thread.
Fig. 14 is a plan view of that part of the machine shown Fig. 10.
Fig. 15 is a detail of the cam which actuates the needle operating lever.
Fig. 16 is a sectional detail showing the connection of the shuttle operating
shaft with the driving shaft by means of which the variable speed of the shuttle is
obtained.
Fig. 17 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the presser foot bar and
lifting device therefor.
Fig. 17 is a section on the linear of Fig. 17.
Fig. 18 is a section on line 18-18, Fig. 7 showing the spring tension device
which bears on the take-up pivot or shaft.
A denotes the frame of the machine forked at its forward end to form the
branches A', A2 on or in which the upper and lower stitch-forming devices are
located; the work-receiving space being between these branches. B is the driving
shaft located at or near the middle of the frame A, vertically, and provided with
a driving pulley B' and cams b, 1, 2 and 63, these cams serving to impart move-
ment to take-up, thread-guide or thread-carrier, thread-measurer and needle, as will
hereinafter appear.
To the front face of the disk of the cam is pivotally attached a bell-crank
lever C having in its shorter arm a pin c working in a slot of a disk c² on the
rear end of a shuttle-operating shaft c³, the latter having at its forward end a
shuttle driver c housed in a recess a in the lower branch A² of the frame A, said
recess also receiving the shuttle c for which the walls of said recess serve as a race.
The shaft is out of line with the driving shaft B, being below the latter, and by
means of the above-described connection with the driving shaft it receives a
differential rotary movement therefrom, in a well-known manner, so that the shuttle
will move at varying speeds at different parts of its rotation,

page_text: A portion of the shuttle race is in the form of a removable cover al pivoted at a³
and secured by a latch a³, so that it may, be swung aside for the insertion or
removal of the shuttle, said shuttle being of the well known construction.
The bell-crank lever C is attached at its upper end to an arm d of a rock-shaft D
journaled in a bracket A³ and having at its forward end the arm d¹ connected with
the awl bar & through the stud or block d³ received in a groove in said arm d¹,
so that the said awl bar and the awl carried thereby will be reciprocated vertically
as the said shaft is rocked.
E is the presser bar carrying the foot e resting on the work-plate, and e¹ is a
collar or sleeve surrounding said bar, the latter being normally free to move upward
through said sleeve to accommodate different thicknesses of work beneath the
presser-foot. The bar e² is splined into the presser bar E, as shown in Figure 17A,
and provided with a small bracket e between which and a screwex is arranged
a rocking cam e journaled in the sleeve e and provided with a tappet or toe-
piece arranged in the path of the arm d' of the rock-shaft D so that at the
proper intervals, the engagement of the said arm with the said tappet or toe-
piece will first cause the said presser-bar to be gripped in the sleeve e¹ and the
further upward movement of the said arm will then lift the presser-foot to
permit the work to he fed by the needle, as will be hereinafter explained. The
presser-bar is depressed by the spring e. It will be seen that by raising the
free end of the toe piece the cam will be rocked on its longitudinal axis and
will force the part 2 against the presser bar E securely gripping the said bar.
After the bar is gripped the further upward movement of the toe piece e³ will
raise the bar and the presser foot. By this arrangement it will be clear that the
presser foot will be lifted a definite distance from the surface of the stock no matter
whether the stock be thick or thin. In other words the presser foot will act as
well on thick stock as on thin stock and rice versa.
F is the needle-operating lever, the vertical arm of which is provided with a
stud or roller entering the groove of the cam 63 on the shaft B, the forward end of
the horizontal arm of said lever being connected through the link and stud f¹
with the needle-bar f carrying the hooked needle and sliding vertically in the
lever pivoted at to the frame A. The link has universal joint connections
with the lever F and stud as shown more clearly in Figure 11, to permit of free
movement of the parts as the needle-bar and needle are moved vertically, in sewing,
and horizontally, in feeding.
The horizontal movements of the needle-bar and needle are derived from the
cam groovey in the disk g' on the shuttle driving shaft e³, said cam groove being
entered by a stud or roller g at the upper end of an arm g³ on the rear end of a
rock-shaft g (Figs. 12, 13 and 15) said shaft having at its forward end a grooved
arm receiving a slide on a stud he attached to a cross-bar or block H
vertically adjustable on the lever f and carrying a rod on which is journaled
a small shaft or sleeve / having a toothed portion engaging a rack on the
lever and provided at its outer end with a turning handle or head *. By
turning the said handle or head the cross-bar or block H may be raised or
lowered on the lever f, the slide 4 moving vertically in the grooved arm g
of the rock-shaft g', thus varying the horizontal or feeding movements of the
needle-bar and needle, as will be readily understood. The lateral or feeding
movement of the needle is, of course, timed to occur when the needle is raised, or
in the work, as is usual in machines of this kind.
I is a vertical rock-shaft at the front end of the machine and carrying at its
lower end a take-up or thread measuring or feeding arm i slightly curved at its
forward end so as to catch the thread after it passes the thread carrier j, and
engage the thread while the thread carrier places the thread in the hook of the
needle. The said arm i operates to take up a sufficient amount of the slack thread
when the needle is up and give it to the needle as the needle moves down thus
preventing the thread from rendering through the eye of the needle and the
consequent chafing of the thread. The thread measuring shaft I has an upper or

page_text: operating arm connected by a rod with the upper arm of a vertical shaft *
(Figs. 2 & 3) journaled in the frame A and having a lower arm provided
with a stud or roller entering the groove of the cam 2 on the driving
shaft B.
The thread-carrier or thread-guide, which at proper intervals presents the
thread to the hooked needle is attached to a vertical rock-shaft J having an
upper or operating arm connected by the rod with the upper arm j³ of a vertical
rock-shaft, the latter having at its lower end an arm carrying a stud or roller j
entering the groove of the cam of the shaft B. The upper arms of the
shafts, are preferably slotted, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the movements
of the thread-carrier and thread-measurer may be varied as may be necessary or
desirable.
N is the take-up lever provided between its ends with a pin or shaft n which is
rigid therewith, and which is journaled in the frame A. The take-up lever N thus
has two armis on opposite sides of its piyot or fulcrum, the lower or take-up arm
being preferably furnished with a roller n around which the thread passes, as
more clearly shown in Fig. 6, said roller co-operating with resistance rollers o on
stationary axes attached to the frame A.
The upper arm of the take-up lever is provided with a pin m³ on which is pivoted
an arm or lever m extending below the fulcrum n of the take-up lever and to the
lower end of which is attached the forward end of a connecting rod K, the rear
end of which is secured to the slotted upper end of an operating lever K receiving
movements from the cam bon the driving shaft B.
The lever m is provided with an arm or portion m² formed rigid therewith in
any suitable manner. The pivot n of the take-up lever is provided with a hole n³
through which the thread passes and forward of said hole on a portion of the take-
up lever, just below the centre of the fulcrum of the latter, is a bearing portion n¹
over which the thread runs, said bearing portion being arranged to be engaged by
the forward or free end of the arm m of the lever m so that the said arm, by
pressing on said hearing portion, or on the thread running over the same, will
impart a backward or take-up movement to the lower arm of the lever N at the
proper time. Thus when the connecting rod K begins, to move backwards, drawing
with it the lower end of the lever m, the free end of the arm m² is first pressed on
the thread lying on the bearing portion ¹, thereby clamping the thread; and
as the said arm continues its downward or backward movement it forces the lower
or take-up arm of the take-up lever backwards, thus drawing up the thread to
tighten a stitch.
As the movements of the take-up lever are thus derived from the thread clamping
arm m² it will be apparent that the greater the resistance or the harder the pull
of the take-up on the thread the tighter the latter will be clamped between the
arm m and the bearing portion n': thus the thread will always be securely
clamped to prevent it from being drawn from the thread supply, when the take-up
lever is operating to tighten the stitches, provided there is any resistance on the
thread.
As, however, the thread is entirely slack when the take-up first begins to operate,
it is desirable, in order that the thread will be properly clamped at this time that
the take-up lever should not move too easily, and to this end I preferably provide
the pivot pin or shaft n with a friction device consisting, as herein shown, of a pin m
pressed against said shaft by a spring m³ attached to the frame A by screws m².
and m, the latter serving to regulate the tension of said spring so that the amount
of friction on the shaft n may be varied as may be desired.
P denotes the wax pot which is heated by steam passing through pipes p; the
stitch-forming devices being also kept warm by the steam circulating in proximity
thereto in the said pipes and in apertures in the frame of the machine and into
which the said pipes open.
In the operation of the improved machine the needle ascends through the work

page_text: on the work platea, the hole for the needle having first been made by the awl;
and while the needle is in the work it is moved laterally to feed the same, the
presser-foot being at this moment lifted. While the needle is above the work the
thread is laid in its hook by the thread carrier.
As the needle descends, the necessary thread is allowed to pass down with it by
reason of the return movement of the thread-measurer and neither the movement
of the needle nor that of the thread-measurer draws any new thread from the wax
pot. The shuttle then enters the loop and in increasing the size of the loop as it
passes through, it draws a new portion of the thread from the wax pot. The
clamping take-up then operates to set the stitch which is drawn up very tightly.
As the shuttle draws the amount of thread necessary for each stitch from the wax
pot, it will be seen that its action is automatic and that whether the work be thick
or thin, only so much thread will be drawn off as is required for each stitch, that is,
the amount of thread drawn off is varied automatically. according to the thickness
of the work and the thickness of the work is made the gauge by which its require-
ment of thread is measured.
of
The invention also embraces a. vibrating thread guard which is in contact with
the shuttle as the point thereof approaches the loop of shuttle thread and which
serves to hold the shuttle thread in proper position and to prevent the point of the
shuttle from passing in front of said shuttle thread. I will now describe this part
of the mechanism: To the frame of the machine is pivoted at a lever f* in which
reciprocates vertically the needle bar /2 carrying the hooked needles, said needle
bar being operated from the arm or lever F through the link f which has a ball and
socket connection with the end of the arm F and with a stud f' on the needle bar.
is the rotary shuttle, although, as will be obvious, this part of the invention may
be employed where an oscillating shuttle is used and the mechanism for operating
the device may be of any usual construction. is the work plate and the needle
bar and shuttle are both below the same. E is a lever pivoted on a screw e and
carrying at its upper end the spring guard e. The beak or point
the shuttle is inclined or curved outwardly as shown Fig. 14 and the
extremity of the spring guard e is curved inwardly. From this construction
of these parts it results that when the beak or point of the shuttle reaches
a certain point in its forward movement, that is, in its movement toward the loop of
thread, it comes in contact with the inwardly-curved extremity of the spring
guard e and may press that part of the guard slightly outwardly. The shuttle
thread indicated by the dotted line 8, Fig. 13 is therefore always held away from
the point of the shuttle by the end of the spring guard & which, as the point of the
shuttle advances toward the loop of shuttle thread, moves forward or toward the
right in Fig. 10, and behind or inside of the line the shuttle thread, thus holding
the latter away from the beak of the shuttle. If the spring guard e were not
present, the beak of the shuttle as it approaches the loop of shuttle thread, might
catch the shuttle thread which at this moment would be almost directly in its path
or even slightly inside of its path, and if the beak of the shuttle were to pass in
front or outside of this shuttle thread, the latter would be broken. It is desirable
when the shuttle is in certain positions to have the spring guard e back or to the
left as in Fig. 10 out of the way, otherwise it would interfere with the loop of
needle thread, and for this purpose it is given a vibrating movement parallel to
the movement of the shuttle or approximately so, as follows: 9' is a rock shaft
and is an arm thereon and to the said arm are secured the plates or arms g, g'
embracing the said lever E³, so that when the shaft g is operated, the said lever
will be vibrated to advance or retract the spring guard e and bring the latter into
position, when the shuttle point is advancing to take the loop of needle thread, thus
enabling the guard to hold the shuttle thread out of the line of the beak or
point of the shuttle, while the latter is passing said thread. As the extremity of
the guard lies back or inside of the shuttle thread fat all times it will be seen
that it is impossible for the said thread to come in contact with the advancing beak
of the shuttle, and since the end of the guard e' is behind the thread 8 it is slightly

page_text: in the path of the shuttle beak so that as the shuttle beak approaches and passes it
the guard should be capable of yielding slightly to permit of the passage of the
shuttle beak. It is thus very desirable, if not absolutely necessary, that the guard eª
should have some yield or spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :
1. In a wax thread sewing machine, the combination with the frame A. forked at
its forward end to form the branches A', A having a work receiving space between
them, of the driving shaft B journaled in the rear portion of the said frame about
midway vertically thereof, and provided with the cams b, b, 2, 3, the rotating
shuttle-operating shaft forward of the said driving shaft and connected therewith
to receive a differential rotary movement therefrom, as described, the needle bar
and its needle, the bell-crank lever F actuated by the said cam and serving. to
operate said needle bar, the take-up lever N, the lever K operated by the said
cam b the connecting rod K' between the said lever K and the take-up lever, the
vibrating thread carrier j. the vibrating thread measurer i, and connections between
the said cams & and and the thread carrier and thread measurer, substantially as
described.
2. The combination with the driving shaft B having the disk ', of the bell-
crank lever C pivoted to said disk and having its shorter arm provided with a
pin c, the shuttle-operating shaft c³ having the disk e provided with the slot c
entered by the said pin c, the rock shaft D having the rear arm d, to which the
longer arin of said bell-crank lever is attached, and the forward arm d', and the
awl bar operatively connected with the said bar d¹.
3. The combination with the driving shaft B having the cam of the bell-crank
needle-bar operating lever F, the vertical arm of which is provided with a stud
entering the groove of said cam, the lever ', the needle bar constructed to slide
vertically in said lever, a link having universal joint connections with said needle
bar and lever, the rock-shaft g' having arms 93 and ³, the grooved cam for
operating said rock-shaft, and connections between the said arm and said
lever whereby the latter is vibrated to impart horizontal or feeding movements
to said needle-bar.
4. The combination with the lever f having the rack 0, of the needle-bar
sliding vertically in said lever, the cross-bar or block H, the regulating sleeve
or shaft supported by said block or cross-bar and having a toothed portion
engaging said rack, a turning head or handle, and a stud or slide, and the rock-
shaft g having a slotted arm engaging said stud or slide.
5. The combination with the shaft having the cam-grooved disk g', of the
lever, the needle-bar sliding vertically therein, the rock-shaft g having arms g³
and g and the cross-bar or block H connected with said arm go and vertically
adjustable on said lever f.
6. The combination with the needle and shuttle and their operating mechanisms,
of the vertical rock-shaft I having the thread-measurer arm i and operating arm i
the connecting rod, the vertical shaft having arms and to the former of
which said rod is attached and the latter of which has à stud or roller, the
grooved cam entered by said stud or roller, and the shaft B carrying said cam.
7. In a sewing machine, the combination with the stitch-forming devices, of a
take-up lever having a bearing portion over which the thread passes, and an
operating lever, as m, serving to impart take-up movements to said take-up lever,
said operating lever being provided with an arm or portion arranged to press upon
and clamp the thread at said bearing portion and through such pressure to operate
the take-up lever; whereby the greater the resistance on the thread and the harder
the pull of the take-up the tighter the thread will be clamped.
8. In a sewing machine, the combination with the stitch-forming devices thereof,
of a take-up lever having, rigid therewith, a fulcrum pin or shaft and being also

page_text: provided with a bearing portion over which the thread passes, a friction device for
the said fulcrum pin or shaft, and an operating lever as m, having an arm or portion
arranged to press upon the thread at said bearing portion and through such pressure
to operate the take-up lever.
9. The combination with the stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine, of a
take-up lever pivoted between its ends and thus having two arms one of which
serves to take up the loops of thread and the other of which carries a pin, said
take-up lever having a bearing portion over which the thread passes, and an
operating lever pivoted on said pin carried by the take-up lever and having an arm
or portion to press upon and clamp the thread at said bearing portion and by such
pressure to operate the said take-up lever, said operating lever extending from said
pin beyond the fulcrum of the take-up lever, and means for actuating said operating
lever.
10. The combination with the stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine
and the frame thereof, of the take-up lever N having between its ends, the pivot
pin or shaft n rigid with said lever and journaled in said frame, said take-up lever
having at its upper end the pin m', and near its fulcrum the bearing portion n',
over which the thread passes, the operating lever m pivoted on said pin m¹ and
having, rigid therewith, the arm m³ the free end of which is arranged to press
upon said bearing portion and through such pressure to operate the take-up lever,
and means for actuating said operating lever.
11. The combination with the stitch-forming mechanism of a sewing machine
and the frame thereof, of the take-up lever N having, between its ends, the pivot
pin or shaft a rigid with said lever and journaled in said frame, said take-up lever
having at its upper end the pin m', and near its fulcrum the bearing portion n'
over which the thread passes, a friction device for preventing free movement of
the said pin or shaft n, the operating lever m pivoted on said pin m¹ and having
rigid therewith the arm m² the free end of which is arranged to press upon said
bearing portion and through such pressure to operate the take-up lever, and means
for actuating said operating lever.
12. In a sewing machine, the combination with an oscillating or rotary shuttle
and a needle, of a vibrating thread-guard arranged to press against the front or
outer face of the said shuttle and operated independently thereof, said thread
guard vibrating in a direction parallel to the movement of the said shuttle, or
approximately so, and projecting behind or inside of the shuttle thread and
between the latter and the shuttle to hold the said thread out of the path of the
beak of the shuttle when the latter is approaching the needle, substantially as set
forth.
13. In a sewing machine, the combination with the needle-bar f2 and its
needle 3, of the oscillating or rotary shuttle having the outwardly curved or
inclined beak d, the spring thread-guard e having an upwardly and outwardly
curved end bearing against the front or outer face of the shuttle and co-operating
with the beak of the latter to prevent said beak from catching the shuttle thread,
and the vibrating lever E' carrying said thread guard and moving back and forth
parallel to the plane of movement of the shuttle, said lever being operated inde-
pendently of the shuttle, as set forth.
Dated this 26th day of February 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.