Improvements in Sewing Machines for Boots and Shoes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
Improvements in Sewing Machines for Boots and Shoes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of the Green Hall, Stafford, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
These improvements are intended to be made use of in lock stitch sewing
machines employed for sewing in welts and for turn shoe work.
In such machines it is usual to employ a curved awl for piercing the work,
a curved hooked needle for drawing the thread through the work, a looper to
lay the thread into the needle hook, a needle shield, a shuttle to carry a second
thread through the needle thread loop, a take up to pull in the stitch, a feeding
movement to advance the work, and means for supporting the work in the
machine.
I improve the construction of the looper movement by mounting the looper
upon a lever which has a horizontal pivot upon which the lever is oscillated
vertically by a cam.
The lever is also caused to slide horizontally on the pivot by a second cam
and lever engaging the first lever.
I employ a loop opener which is operated about the lower edge of the shuttle
race by means of a pair of bevel segments one of which is adjustable-and a
cam and lever.
The loop opener is carried from a segmental piece mounted in a race formed
on the back of the shuttle race and concentric therewith. The loop opener
enters the loop of thread just below the needle point and enlarges the same for
the entrance of the shuttle point.
I make use of a curved pointed shuttle having a flat back which carries a cop of
thread and which revolves at a varying velocity, the method of driving being
very similar to that described in my former Specification No. 7727, A.D. 1896.
The shuttle is carried in an open fronted circular race having a flat back
against which the shuttle bears, and a rim around the edge in which is a vee
groove to receive a corresponding vee formed on the exterior of the shuttle.
The shuttle passes through the loop of thread drawn up by the needle which
dips into a depression formed in the heel of the shuttle and so casts off the loop
as the shuttle passes through.
The shuttle driver is rigid in its rear or driving portion and is made to open-
for the removal or insertion of the shuttle-in its front portion which is locked
by a buried spring catch capable of being released by the insertion of a wire or
the like provided for the purpose.
The exterior of the driver is thus preserved smooth for the passage of the
thread.
The heel of the shuttle is formed with a cover which lies over the rear driver
so preventing the entrance of the thread between. The front portion of the
driver is also formed with a cover moving in advance of the shuttle point which
prevents the shuttle thread getting around the driver or shuttle.

page_text: .I make the needle shield with a wide projecting shoulder which acts to prevent
the shuttle thread from getting on the wrong side of the needle and from getting
caught by the shuttle driver
I lock the thread by a lever which is pulled down upon the thread truck by a
spring and at the proper times is released by a cam operating on the lever.
In some cases I construct the channel gauge with a single end to enter the
channel and in others with a double end bridging the channel lip and formed
to support the same.
I provide a work support and welt gauge and form a slot in the support to
allow of the awl piercing and feeding movement, as well as the passage of the
needle. A spring keeps the work support up to the work and a cam and lever
depress the same during the feed movement by means of a pawl acting in ratchet
teeth. The lever is provided with other ratchet teeth, in the opposite direction,
and a second cam lever and pawl lock the work support after the feed movement
is finished. The work support pivot is in the line of the awl and needle stock
pivots.
WING Machines for Boots and Shoes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN, of the Green Hall, Stafford, in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, 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 lockstitch sewing machines employed for sewing in
welts and for turnshoe work.
In such machines it is usual to employ a curved awl for piercing the work,
a curved hooked needle for drawing the thread through the work, a looper to
lay the thread into the needle hook, a needle shield, a shuttle to carry a second
thread through the needle thread loop, a take up to pull in the stitch, a feeding
movement to advance the work, and means for supporting the work in the
machine. The invention has for its object to improve the construction of the
looper movement, the shuttle and its driver, the needle shield channel gauge and
the work support; furthermore, a loop opener is employed to open the needle
loop for the shuttle.
"
To enable the invention to be fully understood I have illustrated a machine
having the improvements applied thereto in the accompanying drawings, in
which:-
Figure 1 is a front view:
Figure 2 is a left hand side view:
Figure 3 is a right hand side view:
Figure 4 is a side elevation shewing the needle and awl and levers for operating
the same.
Figure 5 is a plan thereof.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the looper and means for operating it.
Figure 7 is a front view of the same.
Figure 8 is a rear view of the shuttle race shewing the loop opener fitted thereto.
Figure 9 is a horizontal section of the same.
Figures 10 and 11 are a rear view and a plan respectively of the loop opener.
Figure 12 is a side elevation shewing the mechanism for operating the loop
opener.
Figure 13 is a plan of the same.

page_text: Figure 16 is a plan thereof.
Figure 17 is a rear view of the shuttle.
Figure 18 is a section on the line 18-18 Figure 15.
Figures 19, 20 and 21 are respectively a side elevation, a front elevation and
a plan of the needle shield.
Figure 22 is a side elevation of the work support and welt and channel gauges
shewing the work in position.
Figure 23 is a front view of the same with the operating and locking
mechanism; and
Figure 24 is a side elevation thereof.
Figures 8 to 13 and 15 to 24 are drawn to larger scales than the other figures
of the drawings.
A is the frame of the machine, the said frame being supported upon the
standard B, a, Figure 4, is the curved awl the said awl being carried in a stock a¹
upon a pivot a² and operated so as to pierce the work through the medium of a
segment a mounted upon a pivot at and a cam, Figure 1, in the usual manner.
b is the curved hooked needle the said needle being carried in a stock b upon a
pivot 2, Figure 5, and operated for the purpose of drawing up a loop of thread
through the work by means of a segment 63 mounted on a pivot b+ and a cam b³,
Figure 1. in the ordinary way.
c is the looper, the said looper being operated about the point of the needle,
for the purpose of laying the thread into the needle barb. The improvement in
the construction of the looper movement consists in mounting the looper cupon
a lever c (Figures 1. 6 and 7) carried on a horizontal pivot and receiving
a vertical movement from a cam which engages a roll on the said lever c
A second lever which is pivoted at bears at its free end a pin or block
engaging a groove upon the boss or sleeve of the lever c; the said lever
carries a roll c adapted to be operated by the cam c¹0 so as to cause the first lever cl
to slide to-and-fro horizontally upon the pivot c² and impart a horizontal move-
ment to the looper c. The combined movement derived from the two cams c
and gives the desired movement to the looper c. c is a spring for holding
the roll against the cam
The loop opener which I employ to open the loop of thread drawn up by the
needle above the work for the. passage of the shuttle is shewn clearly in
Figures 8 to 11. It comprises a pointed piece d lying against the rim of the
race el of the shuttle carrier e and carried on a segment working in a race
prepared for it in the back of the shuttle race e¹, being held in position by a
cover . The segment is provided with teeth which mesh with teeth d
upon the end of a lever (Figures 12 and 13) which is mounted on a pivot d
and operates the loop opener d. The lever is operated by the cam and to
enable the position of the loop opener d to be adjusted with respect to the needle I
form the teeth 5 upon a separate piece adjustably mounted in the end of the
lever de
The shuttle is shewn in detail in Figures 15 to 18. It is carried in the
circular race e¹ of the carrier e and has a tongue e which works in a groove e
in the race to assist in retaining the shuttle in the said race; the back of the
shuttle is made flat and lies against the flat back e of the race and the one end
thereof is pointed as shewn at 7 and carries a cop of thread es which is retained
in position by a cover e pivoted at eo to the shuttle. el is the thread; the said
thread issues from the rear end of the shuttle at e12, is led back again through
the shuttle heel el lying upon the outside curve of the shuttle and is then caused
to re-enter the shuttle at e from which it issues again at e15. A tension spring el
is secured to the shuttle at one end by a rivet e" and e18 is a screw by means of
which the said spring e¹ can be made to press upon the thread so as to afford
the requisite tension.
:

page_text: The shuttle is formed with a hollow e20, a shoulder e which in passing through
the loop of thread strains it and the last stitch tightly upon the welt, and a
recess in which the needle dips and casts off its loop.
The mechanism for driving the shuttle (Figures 1 and 9) comprises the driver
proper frigidly secured to the shaft fl mounted in a bearing in the shuttle
carrier, and the front piece f³ normally locked to the driver f by a buried catch fi
normally pressed into a hole f³ in the driver f by a spring fo When it is desired
to insert or remove the shuttle the piece f³ is unlocked by "disengaging the
catch through the medium of a wire or the like pushed into the hole f³; the
piece can then be turned upon the shaft f¹ to which the driver f is made fast.
The shaft is provided with a bevel wheel which engages another bevel
wheel, Figure 14, keyed upon a shaft f" carried in bearings flo, f". The
shaft f, and consequently the shuttle e², is made to revolve at a varying velocity
in a similar manner to that described in the Specification of former Letters Patent
granted to me No. 7727 A.D. 1896, that is to say, the main shaft g of the machine
carries a bevel wheel g¹ which engages another bevel wheel g³, (Figures 1, 2
and 14) free to revolve on a stud carried in a bearing g. Secured to the
wheel is a disc g which is provided with a crank pin g and a roll g, Figure 14,
engaging a channel 8 formed diametrically across the face of another disc g
mounted on the shaft f. The gear wheels g¹ and 2 are of equal diameter so
that the disc g revolves uniformly with the shaft g. The centre of the disc g³
is placed eccentrically to the centre of the disc g so that the crank pin g revolves
during a portion of its revolution nearer to the centre of the disc than at the
other portion of its revolution whereby the shaft f is caused to revolve at a
varying velocity; as a result of this variable speed of rotation of the shaft f",
the shuttle e is caused to move. at a greater speed when passing through the loop
of thread carried by the needle than during the remainder of its movement.
e (Figures 15, 16 and 17.) is a cover provided upon the heel of the shuttle
so as to lie over the driver f and prevent the thread getting in the way. The
front portion of the driver is also formed with a cover f12, Figure 1,. arranged to
move in advance of the shuttle point e and. prevent the shuttle thread getting
around the driver or shuttle.
Figures 19, 20 and 21 shew the needle shield. The said shield his formed
with a wide projecting shoulder h¹ adapted to prevent the shuttle thread from
getting on the wrong side of the needle and from getting caught by the shuttle
driver..
i (Figures 2 and 3) is a lever for unlocking the thread whilst the take up is
pulling in the stitch. The said lever i is mounted on a pivot i¹ and is pulled down
upon the thread truck by a spring 3, being released at the proper times by a
suitable cam which acts upon the roll with which it is provided.
The channel gauge can be made with a single end to enter the channel in the
sole of the boot or shoe or it can be made as illustrated in Figure 22 which shews
the gauge with a double end 1 which bridges and supports the channel lip.
is
Figures 23 and 24 shew the improved work support and welt guide . The
work support is formed with a slot ¹ to allow of the piercing and feeding
movement of the awl a as well as the passage of the needle b. The support
secured upon a lever pivoted at 3 and having an arm provided with teeth k³
gearing with a pinion mounted upon a stud which also carries a ratchet
segment adapted to be actuated by a spring pawl mounted upon a lever A10
pivoted on the stud and having a roll held by a spring 12 against the
periphery of a cam 3 the rotation of which actuates the ratchet segment so as to
turn the lever upon its pivot and draw the work support k away from the
work before the latter is fed forward: " is a shield so set that as the pawl k
returns it is lifted by the said shield clear of the teeth 8 so that the work support k
is set free to return to the work under the influence of the spring which
normally holds it in this position. 16 is a handle for manipulating the work
support k.

page_text: If desired other ratchet teeth 7, may be provided which point in the opposite
lirection to those of the 'segment and a suitable cam, lever and pawls may
e employed to lock the work support after the feed movement is finished. The
vork support pivot / in the line of the awl and the needle stock pivots a², b.
The feeding forward of the work is performed in the usual manner by impart-
ng a side movement to the awl a by means of a cam m, Figures 1, 2 and 3,
ever m¹ and slide m² on which the awl stock a' is carried. The lever mis carried
on the pivot m³ and the length of stitch can be regulated by adjusting the throw
of the pin mt, (which connects the lever m¹ to the slide m²) by means of the
handle m³.
The stitch is pulled down into the channel by the take up lever n, Figures 1, 2
and 3, pivoted on the pin n' and operated by the cam n² and roll. The thread
passes around the stationary thread trucks nt, n³ and the moving trucks ³, u².
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The shoe C, Figure 22, is placed
sole upwards with its edge between the work support and the channel gauge j,
the former being opened by means of the handle. The awl a rises and pierces
the work, the work support k is released and the feed takes place by the sule
movement of the awl a as above described; the work support then again rises
and the awl withdraws being followed by the needle b. The looper clays the
thread in the needle hook and the feed retires. The needle then draws up a loop
of thread above the work while the, take up lever n rises. The loop opener d
opens the loop close below the point 66 of the needle and the shuttle passes
through the loop, its shoulder er straining the last stitch tight on the welt of
the shoe. The needle then dips into the opening 2 of the shuttle and casts off
the loop of thread. The loop opener then retires and the take up pulls home the
stitch while the thread is locked by the lever i.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a sewing machine of the kind described the employment of a looper
mounted upon a lever which has a movement in vertical and horizontal planes
imparted to it by means of two cams so as to loop the thread upon the needle
hook, substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
2. In a sewing machine of the kind described the employment of a loop
opener consisting of a sector sliding in a groove or race in the shuttle carrier and
provided with teeth adapted to engage teeth upon the end of a lever actuated by
cam, and with a point which travels outside the shuttle race, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3. In a sewing machine of the kind described a shuttle having a curved front
and a flat back which is adapted to run in a circular race in the shuttle carrier
being held therein by a tongue upon the shuttle which engages a groove in the
race, the said shuttle having a pointed nose, a thread tension spring, a hollow
and shoulder for tightening the last stitch upon the welt, and a recess in which
the needle casts off the loop of thread and being constructed to work in combina-
tion with a loop opener such as is described in Claim 2, substantially as herein-
before described.
4. The needle shield provided with the shoulder h¹ hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 19, 20 and 21 of the drawings.
5. The double ended channel gauge j hereinbefore described and illustrated
in Figure 22 of the drawings.
6. In a sewing machine of the kind described a work support slotted to receive
the awl and needle and secured upon a pivoted lever having a toothed arm gearing
with a pinion adapted to be actuated by a cam through the medium of a ratchet
segment with which engages a pawl upon a pivoted lever having a roll held
against the periphery of the cam, substantially as, and for the purpose, herein-
before described.

page_text: 7. The combination with mechanism of the kind described in the preceding
claiming clause, of a second ratchet and pawls for holding the said work support
against the work, substantially as herein before described.
8. A sewing machine for boots and shoes consisting of the parts combined,
arranged and operating, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated th 7th of Wala. 1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.