IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1886.
Complete Left, 28th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 28th Jan., 1887.
I JOHN FORBES of the City of Brooklyn in the State of New York in the United
States of America Bookkeeper do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEWING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
The object of my said Invention is to produce hemstitching by means of a Sewing
Machine in which I construct the feed mechanism so as to impart to the cloth or fabric
the several movements necessary to effect the crossing of the stitches ordinarily
accomplished by a lateral to and fro movement of the needle combined with backward
and forward movements of the cloth.
For this purpose I connect a Presser arm, to which I attach the Presser foot, with
the feed bar and actuate them together by means of different cams and springs so as
to grip and release the cloth or fabric at proper intervals and carry it in the several
required directions and also to move without it between each series of its movements.
The feed bar is slotted to receive a block on which it moves laterally and which
turns on a pivot fixed in the bed of the machine so as to give the feed bar freedom for
the required backward and forward movements.
By slight modifications of the above described mechanism which I apply to the
production of hemstitching I can effect a variety of other fancy stitches with the
aid of Sewing Machines.
HYNDMAN & DICKSON,
6, Waring Street, Belfast,
Agents for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Sewing Machines.
I JOHN FORBES of the City of Brooklyn in the State of New York in the United
States of America do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SEWING MACHINES" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my said invention is to produce hemstitching by means of a Sewing
Machine in which I construct the feed mechanism so as to impart to the cloth or fabric
the several movements necessary to effect the crossing of the stitches which is ordinarily
accomplished by the lateral to and fro movement of the needle combined with backward
and forward movements of the cloth.
For this purpose I connect a Presser arm, to which I attach a Presser foot, by a
pivot, with a Feed bar and actuate them together by means of different cams and
springs so as to grip and release the cloth or fabric at proper intervals and carry it in
the several required directions and also to move without it between each series of
its movements.
The needle and shuttle or other equivalent mechanism are actuated by the ordinary
arrangements and in the ordinary directions only.
The feed cans are placed on a counter shaft or studs and make but one revolution
for every three stitch producing movements of the needle and its connections. I give
the Feed har and Presser arm two forward and two backward movements during
each revolution of the Feed cams by forming one Feed cam in such a manner as to
move them twice backward and to allow of their movement twice forward by the aid
of a spring and I give them two lateral movements in conjunction with the forward
movements just mentioned by the use of another cam and a spring which last
mentioned eam is formed so as to move them laterally in one direction and to allow of
their movement in the opposite direction by the spring.
The action of the cams and springs in moving the Feed bar and Presser arin back-
wards and forwards as above described may he reversed if desired.
The Presser foot is raised from a Feed dog attached to the Feed bar once in every
three stitches by a cam acting for that purpose on the Presser arm and carried on
the Counter shaft or a stud and the cloth or fabric is thus released between each
series of stitches.
The Feed bar is slotted at the end furthest from the Feed dog to receive a slide block
which is attached to the frame of the machine by a pivot and the Feed bar is thus
made capable of being moved on the-slide block and also on the pivot as a centre so as
to effect the lateral and the backward and forward movements of the Presser arm
and Feed dog. The Presser arm is carried by the Feed bar through all the move-
ments it (the Feed har) makes.

page_text: I maintain the pressure of the Presser foot upon the cloth while necessary by means
of a spring acting on the Presser arm.
The action of the parts I have mentioned for the production of a hemstitch is as
follows: I will suppose that the needle has just risen out of the hem of the cloth
having completed a stitch and being then in position to commence the formation of
a new henistitch. The cloth or fabric at this point being held between the Presser foot
and Feed dog is carried in a diagonal direction by the action of the spring which
moves the Feed bar and Presser arm forward and of the cam or spring which moves
them laterally and brings the single ply of the cloth under the needle when the first
stitch of the series is made. When the needle has again risen out of the cloth the
action of the feed cam for effecting the backward motion already mentioned moves the
Feed har and Presser arm and the cloth backwards in a straight line with the single
ply still under the needle the other cam or spring meanwhile acting only to maintain
that direction and not imparting any lateral movement to the cloth. The second stitch
of the series is then made. When the needle has risen out of the cloth after this
second stitch the spring which moves the Feed bar and Presser arm forward again
actuates them and they carry the cloth forward while the cam or spring which moves
them laterally gives it a diagonal direction so as to bring the hem once more under
the needle. The third stitch of the series is now made forming with the two previously
described stitches a complete hemstitch. As the needle pierces the cloth for this last
stitch the cam previously referred to for raising the Presser foot at proper intervals
comes into action and releases the cloth from the grip of the Presser foot and Feed
dog and it is kept in position for a short interval between the series of stitches by the
needle alone while the cam effecting the backward movements acting on the Feed bar
moves it and the Presser arm backwards in a straight line in order to take a new grip
of the cloth for a repetition of the series of stitches necessary for the production of a
hemstitch. The Spring acting on the Presser arm as already described brings the
Presser foot down upon the cloth after the movement last above mentioned but before
the needle commences its upward movement.
The operations of the cams and springs, Feed bar and Presser Arm for the
production of the first of the series of stitches as already described are then repeated,
and the movement of the Feed bar and Presser arm for the formation of the second
stitch of each successive series will bring the single ply of the cloth under the needle
at the point at which it entered for the formation of the first of each preceding series
of stitches.
By slight modifications of the above described mechanism so as to change the
movements of the Feed bar and Presser arm and by the consequent alteration of the
action of the parts which I apply to the formation of a hemstiteh I can produce a
variety of other fancy stitches by means of my invention with the aid of Sewing
Machines. For instance I can produce a zig zag stitch in imitation of what is
commonly known as the "herring bone" stitch by the following modifications-I
employ a Feed cam and a spring which effect a backward and a forward movement of
the Feed bar and Presser arm during each stitch, the forward movements being
imparted to the cloth or fabric. I also employ a Feed cam revolving once for every
two stitches and a spring which effect lateral movements in one direction for one stitch
and in the opposite direction for the succeeding stitch. The Presser foot is raised from
the Feed dog as hereinbefore described after the needle has entered the cloth for each
stitch so that the Feed bar and Presser arm may be moved backward in order to effect
a fresh grip of the cloth, the needle alone holding it in position for the time being.
The raising of the Presser foot may be effected by a cam placed either on a stud. or
countershaft or on the main shaft of the machine and acting on the Presser arm for
that purpose.
Instead of employing two springs to effect the forward movement and one of the
lateral movements of the Feed bar and Presser army I may dispense therewith and
substitute a single spring acting diagonally on the Feed bar and Presser arm for the
same purposes, both in the arrangements for producing a hemstitch and in the
modification thereof above described.

page_text: By dispensing with my arrangements for effecting the lateral movements in opposite
directions the Sewing machine constructed with the modifications above described may
be applied to the production of ordinary stitches.
And in order that my said invention may be more fully understood I shall now
proceed to describe the drawings upon the sheet hereunto annexed the same letters of
reference indicating the same or corresponding parts throughout all the figures upon
such sheet.
Fig. I is a front elevation, partly in section of a Wheeler & Wilson Sewing machine
having my invention for hemstitching applied and shewing the Presser arm and
Presser foot, the Feed bar and the pivot connecting the Presser arm with it, the main
shaft and countershaft, the Feed dog and the Spring acting on the Presser arm to
maintain the pressure of the Presser foot on the cloth."
Fig. II is an inverted plan of the same shewing part of the Presser arm, the Feed
bar, the main shaft and Countershaft, the Feed cams and the cam for lifting the
Presser arm and Presser foot at proper intervals and the Spring to effect the forward
movements of the Presser arm and Feed bar.
Fig. III is an elevation in cross section showing part of the Presser arm, the Feed
cam and spring for giving the Feed bar and Presser arm their backward and forward
movements and the spring for pressing down the Presser arm.
Fig. IV is an enlargement of the Feed cams as shown in Figs. II and III so
arranged as to give the Feed bar and Presser arm backward and also a lateral
movement.
Fig. V is an enlargement of the cam as shown in Fig. II for lifting the Presser arm
and Presser foot at proper intervals and
Fig. VI is an enlargement of the end of the Feed bar showing the spring for giving
a lateral movement to the Feed bar and Presser arm, a slide block working in a slot
in the Feed bar and on a pivot fixed to the machine, a taper pointed screw and check
nut for adjusting the lateral movement. a is the Presser arm having the Presser footb
attached to it and connected by a pivot c with the Feed bar d; e is the main shaft
geared with a countershaft so that the main shaft revolves three times during one
revolution of the countershaft; g is a Feed cam for effecting the backward move-
ments of the Feed har and Presser arın and in the machine referred to and shewn on
the drawings it is also constructed to effect a lateral movement of the same parts a
and d, effecting the backward movements by projections on the periphery and the
lateral movement by a projection on the side of the cam and thus making the two Feed
cams above mentioned from one piece of material; h is a spring for effecting the
forward movements of the Feed bar and Presser arm and i is a spring for effecting a
lateral movement in one direction of the same parts a and d; kis the Feed dog; lis
a cam for raising the Presser arm so as to lift the Presser foot from the cloth and m is
the spring for pressing it down so as to grip the cloth; n is a slide block fitted in a
slot in the Feed bar, d, and is provided with shoulders or flanges to keep the parts in
contact with the machine; o is a taper pointed screw for the adjustment of the lateral
movement of the Feed bar; p is a check nut and is a stud-screw or pivot fixed in
the frame of the machine on which the slide block, Feed bar and Presser arm turn
as a centre.
?"
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. The use in Sewing Machines of a combined Feed bar and Presser arm arranged
with a cam and spring actuating them in opposite directions laterally constructed and
employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. The use in Sewing Machines of a combined Feed bar and Presser arm arranged
with a cam and spring actuating them in forward and backward directions constructed
and employed substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and shown in the drawings hereunto annexed,

page_text: 3. The use in Sewing Machines of cams and springs or of cams and a spring
actuating a combined Feed bar and Presser arm both laterally and transversely in
opposite directions constructed and employed substantially in the manner and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed: and
4. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting my improved automatic
hemstitching and fancy stitching machines constructed and employed substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein before described and set forth and illustrated
in the drawings hereunto annexed.